《Memoirs of Your Local Small-time Villainess》


 Chapter 1 - New Game+

    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Minor Mana Control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Minor Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Lesser Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 967/967]


    [Skill points: 0]


    Scarlett felt as if in a daze, staring at the floating window of text before her.


    Just a minute ago she had been¡­


    Well, she wasn¡¯t sure what she had been doing. But she could vaguely recall being home in her apartment.


    Now, she was sitting in front of a very chic wooden desk, at the end of an office that she¡¯d never laid eyes on before, where the walls were adorned with bookcases and gaudy paintings. The lines of text hovering in mid-air right in front of her were one thing, but where was she?


    ¡°Scarlett Hartford...¡± she mumbled.


    It couldn¡¯t be.


    She glanced down at the desk, noting the oval mirror ladened with golden filigree that stood at its left corner. The reflection shown was far from what she was expecting.


    Distinct dark-red hair, straight and well-groomed, draped over a pair of lean shoulders to reveal a long, elegant face. Piercing amber eyes meeting her own, forming into a frown. She brought her hand up, caressing the smooth skin.


    ¡°Impossible...¡±


    That was her. She was staring right at herself. But that wasn''t her face. That was the kind of face you would see on tv, post-makeup and all.


    More importantly, it was a face she recognized. It was more detailed and lifelike than then, but she had seen it before.


    She looked at the wall of text in front of her once more.


    The woman in the mirror was Scarlett Hartford. The name was a bit on the nose, but that was about what one would expect. After all, Scarlett was a fictional character. A low-level villain. From a game.


    But she wasn¡¯t Scarlett. Her real name was Amy Bernal. She was just a small-time editor who enjoyed reading and playing games in her free time.


    One particular game that she¡¯d played a lot of recently was ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯. An open-world fantasy role-playing game whose primary draw was its promise of player freedom, along with its living, breathing, calendar-based world. She had dedicated a decent amount of time to this game, having already completed two playthroughs of the game and currently being in the middle of her third. During her last session, she had just left the city of Freybrook after finishing a questline to stop a corrupt noble from performing various misdeeds. Ultimately, she ended up having to kill them.


    That noble had been Baroness Scarlett Hartford.


    Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the mirror. In her current situation, it felt like it¡¯d be natural to scream; to cry out at her general confusion. But there was something inside her that told her she couldn¡¯t. That it wasn¡¯t dignified.


    She froze.


    Dignified?


    Since when had she cared about that? Her most used piece of clothing this last year¡ªno matter if she was at home or outside¡ªwas a piece of worn sweatpants. But now, every fiber of her body was screaming at her as if her dignity was the most important thing in existence.


    This felt wrong. As if there was a voice telling her how to feel, but the voice was hers.


    Normally, she would¡ªquite justifiably, if you asked her¡ªfreak out over such an implication. But there was a strange calm to her thoughts.


    She looked back at the floating text.


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    Did it have something to do with these ¡®traits¡¯?


    Most fit with what she knew of Scarlett Hartford¡¯s character. She was a ruthless woman who looked down on all around her, always upholding her image as a distinguished noble. She was, however, a relatively low-level boss in the game, so having a trait called [Third-rate Mana Veins] aligned with that setting.


    The current situation made no sense whatsoever, though.


    Had she somehow transmigrated¡ªwas that the word?¡ªinto the body of Scarlett Hartford? And the personality traits attributed to Scarlett in the game¡­ Were they also somehow affecting her right now? This situation was, quite literally, ¡®unreal¡¯.


    ¡°Amy Bernal. That¡¯s my name,¡± she muttered to herself. It didn¡¯t matter what some lines of text said. She waved her hand at the window. ¡°Go away.¡±


    It didn¡¯t budge.


    She glared at it. ¡°Away.¡°


    With her full attention bearing down on it, the window disappeared. She nodded her head and shifted her focus to the office that she was in.


    It was rather spacious. The bookshelves were¡ªas one might expect¡ªfilled with books, both new and old, many having backs emblazoned with silver and gold trimmings. The paintings spread around the room appeared similarly extravagant, no doubt far more expensive than they had any right to be. At the other end of the room, next to the entrance, stood a short table with glasses, alcohol, and other refreshments on it. All in all, it was exactly the kind of room one might expect from a noble¡¯s home in a late-medieval-esque game setting.


    She thought through her options. How she got here was a mystery. As was getting back, or if that was even possible. Was she inside the game? Or was this just a world like the game? Was this like that movie with Robin Williams in it, where one got sucked into a game and had to beat it in order to return everything to normal again?


    In the end, her information regarding her current situation was extremely limited. In addition, she was in the body of a minor boss. For all she knew, a player could come barging in any minute now, ready to put her down.


    And what about her actual body? Was she just¡­ Unconscious? Dead? She didn¡¯t go out much, so it would take a while before someone noticed if she¡¯d disappeared. Her parents died years ago, so if someone was going to notice, it¡¯d either be her sister or some of her old college friends. But her contact with all of them was pretty irregular, so might take over a week before anyone even started thinking something was wrong.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    She massaged the bridge of her nose as several worst-case scenarios ran through her mind. She really didn¡¯t know where to go from here. Would just waiting resolve matters? Maybe she would wake up in her bed after a session of late-night binging.


    A handbell made of gold next to the mirror caught her attention. She hesitatingly picked it up. Perhaps the first thing she could try to do was gather some basic information.


    She rang the bell. It didn¡¯t take long before she heard movement outside the office. A moment later, a brief knock echoed out from the door at the opposite end of the room.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she said. The coldness in her voice surprised her.


    A woman with short black hair walked in, stopping near the entrance and lowering herself into a curtsy. ¡°My Lady called,¡± the woman said, raising her head. She wore a dark outfit with a long, wide skirt that reached down to her feet.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Scarlett almost gagged as the words began leaving her mouth. She had tried removing the edge from her voice, but that turned out to be harder than she expected.


    ¡°What day is it?¡± she asked with a frown. She¡¯d thought she could ignore these traits or whatever by charging through it. Like getting rid of a band-aid, or a particularly disgusting bug. But to think even the mere thought of sounding nice to the servant almost made her feel like puking. She could only grind her teeth at the fact.


    The woman before her seemed to mistake the anger as being directed at her. Scarlett saw how she visibly flinched under her gaze. ¡°I-It is the third of August, my Lady.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t meant to scare her so, but she couldn¡¯t get herself to apologize either, so she ignored it for now. Instead, she focused on what the woman had said. ¡°What year?¡±


    ¡°W-What year, my Lady?¡± The servant gave her a confused look.


    ¡°Yes. What year is it?¡±


    The poor woman looked like she¡¯d start sweating like a pig any second now. ¡°I-It is the year of 1143 in the calendar of Rhastad.¡±


    Scarlett tapped her finger against the wooden desk. The third of August in 1143.


    She was lucky that the developers didn¡¯t bother with creating their own calendar system for the game, simply basing it on the Gregorian calendar. She was pretty sure the game itself started on the first of August in 1143, which meant she was close to the proper start. If there were any players in this world, it would still take a while for them to reach her. The game took place over a period of years, after all.


    She eyed the woman for a moment. ¡°What was the last order I gave you?¡±


    Arousing needless suspicion wasn¡¯t something she wanted to do in her current circumstances, but right now she prioritized getting a hang of the situation over confusing the servant.


    ¡°M-My Lady... You asked me to bring you the revised domain ledgers for last month¡¯s finances.¡±


    ¡°And then what did I do?¡±


    ¡°My Lady... You¡¯ve been inside your office since then.¡±


    She clicked her tongue.


    The woman immediately bent her head. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry if I¡¯ve offended you, my Lady. This lowly servant begs for forgiveness.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. This body¡¯s habits were incredibly hard to ignore. ¡°Stop begging. While that was not the answer I was searching for, it does not matter.¡±


    The servant slowly raised her head. ¡°I-Is there something else you need?¡±


    Scarlett considered it. There were many questions she wanted to ask. But this servant probably couldn¡¯t answer most of them. Not without Scarlett sounding even more suspicious, at least. It was enough that she knew where she was chronologically, relative to the game¡¯s timeline.


    She waved the servant away. ¡°No, that is all. You may leave.¡±


    A relieved expression passed over the woman¡¯s face before she seemed to recall something. ¡°My Lady¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The servant lowered her head again. ¡°¡­Madame Evelyne arrived earlier today along with Seneschal Kinsey when he brought the ledger. She has asked to meet with you.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. While she had no idea who Kinsey was, she did recognize the name Evelyne. After all, that was one of the quest givers in the game, as well as Scarlett¡¯s younger sister. Her questline was the one in which the player confronted Scarlett about her crimes.


    ¡°Lead her here,¡± she said after a moment¡¯s thought. She would have to meet the woman eventually anyhow. And she was curious about meeting a character she¡¯d interacted with inside the game.


    ¡°Yes, my Lady,¡± the servant said with another curtsy, before fleeing the office.


    Evelyne Hartford sat in the mansion foyer along with Kinsey, clenching her fists in anger as they waited. It had been hours since they arrived to deliver the revised domain accounts. She had explicitly asked to meet her sister, but instead, she¡¯d been asked to wait here, with nothing but some tea to pass the time while her sister ¡®read over¡¯ the accounts.


    Scarlett had no doubt told the servants to treat her this way the next time she visited. Her sister abused her power as the head far too often. Evelyne knew the things Scarlett was up to. But she wouldn¡¯t back down this easily.


    Finally, as she was nearing her limit of both patience and time she had to spare, a servant with short black hair arrived in the foyer. Molly was her name, if Evelyne remembered correctly.


    The woman approached them and curtsied. ¡°Madame Evelyne. Master Kinsey,¡± she greeted them both, then turned to Evelyne with an uncertain expression. ¡°Madame Evelyne. Her Ladyship wishes to see you.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s eyes widened. Scarlett wanted to see her? That was doubtful. Still, she gestured towards the servant as she stood up.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± she said, before looking back at Kinsey. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Ready the carriage.¡±


    The man lowered his balding head. ¡°As you wish, my Lady.¡±


    Evelyne followed Molly up the stairs to the second floor and out of the foyer, through the mansion¡¯s hallways all the way to the mansion¡¯s east wing, where Scarlett¡¯s office was located. She paused for a moment, looking at the old ornate wooden door leading into the room. It brought back memories of when she was young, and this was still her father¡¯s office.


    Shaking those thoughts away, she signaled for Molly to open the door as she entered. Inside sat Baroness Scarlett Hartford, the current head of the Hartford family and Evelyne¡¯s older sister. Her dark-red hair, inherited from their father, stuck out before anything else. A stark contrast to her own, dull, brown-red hair. If only Scarlett had been worthy of the rest of their father¡¯s legacy.


    The desk in front of her sister was mostly bare. A lavish mirror took up a good amount of space in the corner¡ªit wouldn¡¯t do for Scarlett to not be able to see herself for more than a minute, after all¡ªwith the ledger Evelyne had brought next to it, seemingly untouched.


    Evelyne stepped further into the room and Scarlett¡¯s gaze turned from the mirror to her. The woman¡¯s expression formed into a glower.


    In high society, Evelyne had frequently heard how Scarlett was known for her grace and her composure. The grace part, Evelyne could understand. For as long as she could remember, Scarlett had been the embodiment of what most considered a true noble. She always wore the finest garments and had a stature that befitted even royalty, never breaking decorum.


    But "composure" was a stretch. Evelyne couldn¡¯t recall a single time when her sister hadn¡¯t looked at her as if her mere existence disgusted her. When she was younger, that had hurt her more than anything. Now she couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¡°Did you have fun leaving me waiting for hours?¡± she asked, not even trying to hide the irritation in her voice.


    Scarlett stared at her for several seconds, her glower easing into a frown.


    ¡°¡­Not particularly, no,¡± she eventually answered.


    Evelyne scoffed. She pointed at the ledger on the desk. ¡°Did you read through the accounts?¡±


    Her sister glanced down at it, then slowly nodded her head.


    ¡°Anything you want to complain about? Or can I take it back?¡±


    As expected, Scarlett shook her head. Now she was going to object to the budget allocated for the¡ª


    ¡°You may take it.¡±


    Evelyne paused. ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°You may take it,¡± Scarlett repeated, gesturing towards the ledger.


    Evelyne stared at her sister for a moment, then moved over to pick up the book. She wouldn¡¯t complain if Scarlett wasn¡¯t causing any extra issues over the matter.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Scarlett asked, voice cold as ice.


    Evelyne glared at her. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. I heard you repealed the stipend for new mages given to the Brook Tower.¡±


    Scarlett cocked her head to the side. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°Is that so?! Father himself arranged for that stipend! He gave his word we would continue issuing it as long as we had the means. What you¡¯re doing goes directly against his wishes. You¡¯re sullying both his name and our family¡¯s!¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes, those amber eyes piercing into her. ¡°Then return it.¡±


    This time, Evelyne froze completely. ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Return it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡±


    Scarlett nodded her head ever-so-slightly. ¡°Of course. You have my approval to do so. Now, was that all?¡±


    Evelyne stared at her sister. Scarlett looked at her as if she couldn¡¯t wait for her to leave, but Evelyne couldn¡¯t understand why she would just give up like that.


    ¡°Was that all?¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice caused shivers to go down her spine.


    ¡°...Yes. That¡¯s all,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Good. You may leave.¡±


    Evelyne turned around and left the office. When the door closed behind her, she let out a tired breath. This was probably the best result she¡¯d ever gotten after a meeting with her sister. Yet it didn¡¯t feel right.


    What is she planning?

 Chapter 2 - Good ol magic

    Scarlett sighed deeply after Evelyne left the office. That did not go as well as she had wanted. The original Scarlett''s personality was more twisted than she''d thought.


    The moment Evelyne had entered the room it had felt like Scarlett was overwhelmed by a wave of loathing. This wasn''t Scarlett merely disliking her sister. This was complete repulsion. She was sickened by Evelyne''s mere existence. And all of that hatred from the original Scarlett came rushing at her all at the same time. As disturbing as it was to have such feelings forced onto you against your will, it was more disturbing that Scarlett felt like that to begin with. It had taken all her willpower just to speak with Evelyne relatively normally just now. Although she had also ended up agreeing with everything the original Scarlett''s younger sister wanted just to get her to leave.


    Not that she minded that part too much. In the game Evelyne had been a decent enough character and the one who actually took care of most of the Hartford family''s management. She was bound to know more about any matters than her.


    But this did make it clear to what extent Scarlett was affected by the original''s personality.


    Drumming her fingers against the desk, she looked out across the office. She had to figure out what to do next. If this world truly was like the game, then there were a lot of dangers just waiting to happen. Especially for her character. And though she was slightly curious, she didn''t want to find out what would happen if she were to die as Scarlett. Naturally, that meant figuring out how to survive.


    Scarlett was a low-level villain so even amongst NPCs in ''Chronicle of Realms'', she was on the weaker side. [Third-rate Mana Veins] and [Minor Mana Control] both showcased that. [Minor Mana Control] was one of the starting traits for the player if they chose a mage route and lowered mana costs in general. In her first playthrough, she''d already managed to level that to [Mana Control] by the time she faced Scarlett and her goons. The problem was that she didn''t know how to upgrade this version of it. In the game the player earned experience with skills and slowly leveled them up like that. But her status window didn''t indicate any such feature. In fact, it lacked a lot of the features that the player''s status window had in the game. To add to that, she had no idea of how to use her apparent magic, nor did she have much mana to begin with.


    [Mana: 967/967]


    This was even less than the player had at the start of the game. Two or three low-level spells would probably run her dry.


    This did explain why Scarlett did so little in the game when you fought her. Instead she relied on her underlings'' strength in that fight. But she didn''t know who those underlings were. Nor did she really want to know, considering most of them were ruthless criminals.


    But then what was her priority? Growing stronger? Finding strong people to work for her? Going into hiding?


    Scarlett rose from her seat and crossed the room before opening the door to the office. Walking down the hallway, she spotted the servant from earlier sitting inside a small room next to a small table. The woman was knitting a pair of small mittens. When she looked up a shocked expression came across her face. "M-My Lady?!" The servant hastily put away her knitting needles on the table next to her and stood up to curtsy.


    "Take me to the training facility," Scarlett said, not bothering with hiding the chill in her voice for the time being.


    "...Training facility, my Lady?" The woman looked at her oddly.


    Scarlett clicked her tongue. She''d hoped there was something like that. "The courtyard. Bring me to the courtyard."


    The servant bent her head. "Of course, my Lady." She then began leading the way further down the hallway. Scarlett did her best to memorize the corridors as they moved through the mansion. They soon reached what looked to be a large entrance hall at the mansion''s main entrance. The servant opened a pair of wide doors that led outside. A pair of curving stone stairs reached up to the doors. Beneath them was the courtyard, situated between two extensions that protruded out from the main building. These two wings were linked by a high archway, past which Scarlett could see a beautiful garden and a gravel road that led to an iron gate and a stone wall that seemed to encompass the whole compound. Outside the walls, she spotted a few other equally fanciful buildings in the distance.


    "You may return to your activities," Scarlett informed the servant before passing through the two open doors and starting to descend the stairs. She would have imagined walking down them would have felt somewhat precarious, considering she wore a very tightfitting dark-red dress that didn''t leave much room for her legs to move as well as high heels¡ªsomething she could count on her fingers the number of times she''d worn in her world¡ªbut it was surprisingly effortless. She could tell that Scarlett''s body was used to this.


    The courtyard itself wasn''t anything particularly special. There was a nice fountain in the middle with four grass mounds surrounding it and stone pathways separating them. Around the fountain were a couple of curved benches that encircled a quarter of it each. She walked over and sat down on one of them. For a while she just sat there and observed the cascading water at the center of the fountain.


    Then she held out her right hand.


    "Move."


    Nothing happened. She''d been hoping it would be that easy. But perhaps that was naive.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    In the game, magic was mainly split into six different schools. Pyromancy, hydromancy, terramancy, aeromancy, lumomancy, and umbramancy. The classic old fantasy elements, just rebranded. Before you could use any of that magic, however, you had to at least have one of the prerequisite skills. For fire magic that meant one of the [Pyromancy] skills. Then there was a separate list that kept count of all the spells that you knew. Much like a certain tabletop game, you could only have a certain number of spells memorized at any given time and you learned new spells by reading specific spellbooks.


    Scarlett had access to the [Pyromancy] and [Hydromancy] skill trees. Not the best mix¡ªas far as she knew there were no composite spells between the schools¡ªbut better than nothing nonetheless. If you knew any spells, at least.


    In addition to that she had [Minor Pyrokinesis] and [Lesser Hydrokinesis]. In the game those skills did nothing more than lower the mana cost of the respective school''s spells a bit more than [Minor Mana Control] did, but she was hoping they were more than that.


    She locked her eyes on a part of the fountain that was relatively tranquil. She focused her complete attention on that part, willing it to move. At first, nothing happened. Then she felt something inside herself. Like a small ripple of...movement. A flow.


    A tendril of water rose into the air above the fountain, forming a ball that floated above the water''s surface.


    "Incredible..." Scarlett mumbled. She was doing magic. A dream come true for anyone who had once been a fanciful kid. She tried moving the ball of water. The water undulated across its surface as it wobbled to the left and then to the right at her command. She then brought it over to her hand, letting the water lose its shape and drench her skin.


    Feeling a slight smile tug at the side of her mouth she looked around the courtyard. The sun was high up in the sky and there were no fires around that she could try her pyrokinesis skill with. She considered it for a moment. Perhaps a living fire wasn''t needed?


    She focused on her hand, imagining a lit flame above it. Something moved inside her again. But it was different from before. This time it felt warm. Eager. A moment later a small flame appeared above her palm and burned her skin. She immediately pulled her hand away as she clenched her teeth. The fire died out a moment after.


    Perhaps not the smartest action.


    She tried commanding the water from the fountain again and another ball of water floated over to her. She brought the singed part of her hand up to it and let the chill water cool her skin. She would have to test the limits of these abilities later. And see if she can''t get ahold of any good spellbooks. But this was definitely a beginning.


    Later that day Scarlett sat in the office she''d woken up in once again. Piles of books lay on the desk in front of her. Her experimenting with magic had been fun, but she''d ended up having to quit after half an hour when she realized she had used up over half her mana. She didn''t know how it was here, but in the game, it took a while for one''s mana to recover and she wanted to preserve some for later.


    Since then she had been scanning through the books in the office to see if any of them were spellbooks. Most of them weren''t. Most of them covered subjects she had absolutely no knowledge in. Estate management, the history of the Graenal Empire, Transcendental Elementalism, Voneian linguistics...and the list went on. She had only found two spellbooks as of yet. One of them was about umbramancy so she''d ignored it for now. The other was ''A Compendium of Beginner Pyromancy Magic'' by one R. Hallewell. Scarlett had opened that one hoping to learn some basic spells. She''d tried casting some in the courtyard without success so she assumed it wasn''t something she could just do. So she''d thought reading a spellbook might help.


    But she couldn''t understand any of it.


    It wasn''t a problem with the language. She was pretty sure it was all written in English, as were most things in the game. But it was all complete gibberish to her. The pages were filled with diagrams and magic circles that made absolutely no sense to her. And the descriptions and terms used in the book left her even more confused. It felt like trying to understand discrete mathematics with only an elementary understanding of math.


    A disturbing thought had crossed her mind. She took the golden bell on the table and rang it. When the same servant from earlier knocked on the door Scarlett told her to enter and leveled her gaze on the woman.


    "My Lady called?" the servant asked with her head slightly bent downwards.


    "What magic do you know?" Scarlett asked.


    The servant looked up at her with a hesitant expression. The poor woman seemed to get so confused today. "I only know some essential pyromancy, my Lady."


    "Be more specific."


    The servant jolted back at her tone. "K-Kindle and Heat."


    Scarlett tapped her finger against a book with black cover. "And how long did it take you to learn those spells."


    "I originally began learning when I was young, my Lady. B-But magic has never been something I have put much focus into."


    Scarlett frowned. "I want a number."


    "Perhaps a few years," the servant said, shifting on the spot.


    Scarlett grabbed the book that was opened in front of her and turned it towards the woman, pushing it to the other end of the desk and pointing at one of the pages. "How long do you believe it would take for you to learn the Scorching Whip spell?"


    The servant took a couple of steps forward and leaned over to study the page. "I''m afraid this is beyond me, my Lady. I don''t recognize most of these circuits. I''m not sure I could ever learn to cast this spell," she said and took a step back, seemingly afraid Scarlett would attack her or some such.


    Scarlett merely shook her head. "Very well. You may leave."


    "Yes, my Lady." The servant performed a short curtsy before hurrying out of the room. Scarlett pulled back the book to her part of the desk and looked over its pages again.


    Maybe it wasn''t so surprising. Mages and wizards were often presented as scholars. As such, it would only make sense that magic was something that took a lot of time to learn.


    But even though the game took place over a period of a few years, she didn''t have that time to learn magic. She''d hoped that, as the player would in the games, she too would be able to learn spells by just reading a book. Maybe by giving her another skill or something like that. But if it would take years to learn even some of the more basic spells, then perhaps it wasn''t worth wasting time trying.


    She closed the book and leaned back in her chair. She would have to do some more research regarding the subject, but this hampered her plans somewhat. If she wanted to grow strong to survive in this world, but couldn''t do it through magic, then she''d either have to do it more physically¡ªwhich she had no idea how to do without being a player¡ªor she would have to rely more on other people who were strong.


    Another option was to get a hold of several strong items. But many of those were hard to obtain to begin with.


    Though...she did have some ideas as to where she could start.

 Chapter 3 - Business time

    Later that evening, as Scarlett sat in what was ostensibly ''her office'' now, she heard knocking on the door.


    "Enter," she uttered almost out of habit.


    The door opened and an aging man in a neat black suit walked inside. He had dark grey hair that was combed back and almost reached his shoulders as well as a finely trimmed mustache above his mouth. His whole appearance practically screamed ''butler''.


    "My Lady," the man said, bowing with his left arm bent behind his back. "Mister Wyther is here to see you."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Mister Wyther?"


    "It seems he has important business with you."


    She considered it for a moment, then inclined her head in a small nod. "Bring him here."


    "I will do so at once," the butler said before leaving the room. The door quietly closed behind him.


    Scarlett looked down at the half-empty book on her desk. She had spent the last few hours writing down what she could remember from the game, as well as what options she had in the future in case she didn''t find a way back home. She didn''t want to risk forgetting anything important. She took the book with a red cover and put it in one of the desk''s drawers before locking it with a key she''d found in the drawer.


    A few minutes later there was another knock on the door, followed by the entrance of a tall man in a grey topcoat. He had a slightly bent nose and unruly dirt-blond hair. His eyes immediately locked onto Scarlett to take her in. She found herself annoyed at his uncombed presentation but she hid it as best she could. The butler soon closed the door behind the man, leaving them alone in the office.


    "Lady Hartford," the man said, not even bowing as he made his way over to the chair opposite hers at the desk. "It''s been some time, hasn''t it?" he asked as he sat down.


    "...That it has." She didn''t even bother with trying to hide the frigidness that naturally entered her voice. "What brings you here?"


    He smiled. "Business, of course. It''s regarding our little venture over in Voneia."


    She inspected the man''s appearance. She usually wasn''t one to judge a book by its cover but this man had the word "slimy" written all over his face. Considering Scarlett''s background though, it wasn''t exactly surprising. She already knew the original did business with shady people.


    "Does this business require you personally visiting me in my home?" she asked him. That didn''t feel like something the original Scarlett would have appreciated.


    Wyther smiled as he scratched the back of his neck. "Ah, usually not. But you see, the haul this time is especially large and arriving soon, so I had to go and check everything was clear on this end."


    Scarlett tapped her finger against the wood. "Is that so."


    She had a decent idea of what this was about.


    He nodded his head. "That''s right. And they''re very high quality this time. We''re bound to make quite the profit."


    "I see. And when does the merchandise arrive?"


    "We''re expecting the kids to arrive at port in about two days."


    Her finger paused. "...Two days. That''s rather soon."


    Wyther shrugged. "It is what it is. They''ll probably dock sometime in the evening and move everything into warehouse thirty-seven. They''ve got enchanted crates so there shouldn''t be any problems with noise and all that. All we have to do is pass the warehouse inspection and we''re good as gold. I''m assuming you can handle it as usual?"


    She pondered it for a moment and leaned back into her chair. "Warehouse thirty-seven, you said?"


    "That''s right."


    "...Very well," she said after a while. "I will deal with it. The inspection will not cause you any inconvenience."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    He smiled. "I''m glad we''ve got that figured out then."


    Scarlett looked at him with a firm face. "Was that all?"


    "Yeah," he began. "But I was think¡ª"


    "Then you may leave," she interrupted him before he could say anything more.


    His smile disappeared. It looked like he wanted to say something else, but a look from Scarlett''s end silenced him. Eventually he stood up from his chair. "Right, I''ll take my leave and all that then. Pleasure to do business as always." With that he left, the butler from before looking into the room for a moment before closing the door after Wyther.


    Scarlett kept staring at the door for a while even after he''d left. That had been slightly unexpected. She knew Scarlett did all kinds of nasty things in the game¡ªhuman trafficking one of them¡ªbut she didn''t know it involved kids. Nor had she expected to run into those things so soon. Honestly, if possible she would just have liked to ignore everything the original Scarlett had done and pretend it never happened. She was unaware of the details regarding most of it, so it wasn''t as if she could do much even if she wanted to. But this...


    Scarlett was at least partly responsible, so¡ªas the new Scarlett¡ªmaybe she should at least take responsibility for those kids. She couldn''t do anything about whatever inspection Wyther was talking about anyway so the situation was bound to escalate no matter what. Perhaps it''d be better if she involved herself now as to avoid getting caught up in whatever happens when Wyther and his people get caught. She did have a few ideas as to what she could do.


    Lost in her mind, it took a moment for Scarlett to notice there was knocking on the door again.


    "Enter," she commanded.


    The butler stepped inside the office once more and bowed. "I have led Mister Wyther out, my Lady."


    "Good." She nodded her head. "Don''t bother letting him inside if he returns."


    "As you wish," the butler said. Then he stayed quiet as he stood at the entrance of the room.


    Scarlett looked at him. "Is there something else?"


    "...Has my Lady eaten supper today?"


    She paused. Had she eaten? No, she hadn''t. She had been so busy thinking about her situation ever since she arrived that she''d completely forgotten about it. She didn''t even realize she was hungry until he mentioned it.


    "I have been...occupied."


    He lowered his head. "I feared as such. I have taken the liberty of preparing a meal for the Lady in the dining hall."


    She rose from her chair. "I appreciate it. You may lead the way."


    He gave her a surprised look, but ultimately nodded his head. "Of course, my Lady. Follow me."


    Scarlett followed the butler to a large hall with a painted ceiling and bright chandeliers hanging from it. The lights in the chandeliers didn''t seem to be living flames, but rather some kind of magical candles that emanated a bright shine. In the middle of the hall stood a long table with a chestnut rug beneath it and an assortment of different plates with silver lids near the head of the table. She wordlessly sat down in the seat in front of the plates as the butler removed the lids to reveal the food. It was a mixture of soups, meat, and bread to the side. It looked extremely appetizing to Scarlett who hadn''t eaten for the whole day and she wanted nothing more than to just dig in. But the remnants of the original Scarlett''s personality forced her to pick up the silverware and calmly start cutting into the food and take small bites. But god was it good. For once during this day she was thankful for Scarlett''s traits as they allowed her to delight in the taste for much longer.


    The elderly butler stood at the edge of the room the whole time; his back straight and his eyes forward. For a moment she considered offering him some food, but quickly shook that idea off. It probably wasn''t a good idea in her position. Instead she continued eating by herself.


    About halfway through her meal another servant entered the dining hall. It was a woman with similar clothing to the dark-haired servant Scarlett had met earlier. But this girl had bright blond hair and was clearly a few years younger. Probably not even past eighteen yet.


    The servant walked up to the butler and spoke to him. Scarlett couldn''t make out exactly what she said, but she did hear the servant refer to the butler as "Master Garside."


    The two spoke for a minute before the young woman curtsied towards Scarlett and left the room. After that, Garside directed his attention back to Scarlett. "My Lady. We just received word that Lady Lesly Hayden is planning on holding a banquet in the coming week. She has asked that you attend as well."


    Scarlett turned away from the food in front of her and looked at him. "Hayden. In Kilsfell?" She remembered there being a quest giver by that name in that city. Although he''d been a count, not a lady.


    "Yes, my Lady."


    "Did they mention the reason for the banquet?" she asked.


    Garside seemed to pause for a moment. "...No, my Lady. They simply informed us that they were organizing one."


    "Then you may inform them that I will not attend," she said, turning her attention back to the table. She cut a part of a roasted steak and dipped it in the gravy that was on the side.


    "Shall I give them a reason?" Garside asked.


    Scarlett used an embroidered handkerchief to wipe her mouth. The action felt like it was practically ingrained in her hands. "Tell them that I have important business to attend to and do not have time to travel."


    "Very well. I shall do so forthwith," he said.


    "Good." She put the handkerchief down. "And Garside?"


    "Yes, my Lady?"


    "Did I have anything scheduled for tomorrow?"


    "No, my Lady."


    "Excellent. Ensure that I have a carriage ready in the morning then. The driver should know the local area well."


    "As you wish."


    She took another bite of the steak. She could think of at least a dozen downsides to her current situation from the top of her head ¡ª but the food she could definitely get used to.

 Chapter 4 - Swords & Shields

    Scarlett looked out through the carriage''s window at the wooden and stone buildings as they passed by outside. In the game Freybrook had been the fourth largest city in the Graenal Empire, where the majority of the story took place. The game world had been massive¡ªeven for an RPG''s standards¡ªso there had been a lot of different towns and villages spread around the map. The vast open-world had been one of the game''s main drawing points, and the large cities had been part of that. But the Freybrook in the game didn''t really do it justice.


    The city was vibrant with life. The sides of the cobbled road the carriage was driving on brimmed with people that were moving about with their lives. She had passed by stalls selling all kinds of fruits and wares, open storefronts with detailed signs, groups of children playing in alleyways, and many more sights that made it feel so different from the city in the game. Granted, this seemed to be in a more well-off part of the town, but it was an impressive sight nonetheless for her who was used to the cities of the modern world.


    After about fifteen minutes of travel, the carriage eventually arrived at its destination as it stopped in front of a large stone building with an overhanging roof that looked to be made out of white birch. It was situated at the edge of a large public square that had a tall statue of a knight at its center and was surrounded by several similarly-sized stone buildings. This was a busy part of the city. She saw several other carriages and wagons moving around the square as well as many people that were on foot.


    Scarlett heard the carriage driver murmur something to the horse outside. A moment later she heard him move to the carriage door and open it. He wordlessly folded out a short stair from under the vehicle and stepped aside for her. She stepped out of the carriage and took in the building in front of her. There was a large sign hanging above the door of the building. It depicted an upturned extended triangle with a wide blue shield inside it; the handle of a sword showed right above the shield. This was the Shields Guild''s headquarters in Freybrook.


    In the game the Shields Guild was an organization that worked to support the common people. They were a lot like a mercenary guild but they were both more liberal with the kind of requests they took on as well as pickier. They would take on everything, from working as a protective escort to finding a lost cat, as long as it fit within their principles. They also had limited support from the law and could perform some basic arrests and such. If one wanted to play a ''good'' playthrough and get some easy quests becoming a Shielder was a decent way to start. The player always started out as a junior Shielder but they also had the oft-used alphabetical ranking system that one could advance through to get better quests.


    And it just happened to be that they were the perfect fit for her current goals.


    Scarlett walked up a set of stairs to the door, the carriage driver hurrying up the stairs to open it for her, and entered the building. Inside was a wide lobby. At one end stood a large board filled with pamphlets. That''s where you''d find many of the quests in the game. Close to the board were a few sofas and tables where an old couple was currently sitting and having a conversation. On the other end of the lobby was a reception desk with a woman behind it. She had long dark hair and a flowing purple dress. A smile appeared on her face when Scarlett approached.


    "Hello miss. What can we do for you?"


    Scarlett felt a tinge of annoyance at the way she was addressed but quickly pressed the feeling down as she spoke. "I have come to employ your services."


    "Of course, miss. May I ask your name?" The woman pulled out a piece of paper from beneath the desk.


    "Scarlett Hartford."


    The woman''s eyes widened as she looked up. "Baroness Scarlett Hartford?"


    Scarlett crossed her arms and looked around the lobby. "The very same." It seemed the driver hadn''t entered the building with her. Perhaps his job was just to open the door for her and take care of the carriage.


    "Let me lead you to our reception room, Baroness," the receptionist said and gestured for her to follow.


    Scarlett didn''t say anything as she followed the woman through a door to the side and up a flight of stairs. They then walked down a hallway before stopping in front of a door at the end of the hall.


    "If you wait in here our manager will be with you shortly," the receptionist said as she opened the door to reveal a comfy-looking waiting room with a table at its center and several armchairs surrounding it. Scarlett entered the room and sat down in one of them as the receptionist closed the door behind her. She felt at the fabric of the chair. It was surprisingly comfortable. In fact, all pieces of furniture she''d used up to this point in this world had been more comfortable than she would have expected from a medieval-like setting. Much better than the old office chair she had in her condo. Even the carriage had been nice if you discounted the occasional bumping.


    But perhaps that was just a consequence of being a part of this world''s equivalent to the 1%.


    She only had to wait for a few minutes before the door to the room opened again and a man with light brown hair and glasses walked in. He wore a light blue overshirt and carried a couple of books beneath his arm. She tried to remember if she had seen him in the game or not, but she wasn''t sure.


    "Greetings Baroness. I''m Jean Fisc, the head of the Shields Guild''s Freybrook branch," the man greeted her and sat down in the seat opposite her. "I''ve been told you have a request for us?"


    "Yes," Scarlett said, leaning back in the chair. "I need to hire an escort who is experienced in combat. Preferably someone skilled in pyromancy."


    Jean nodded his head slowly. "We should be able to arrange that. But why pyromancy?"


    "Because it is effective against undead," she answered. "A lumomancer would work as well, if necessary."


    "Undead?" Jean knitted his brows. "What exactly is it that you''re going to do?"


    She raised an eyebrow at him. "I am visiting a location where there is a high likelihood for them to appear. That is all."


    He seemed to hesitate.


    "I cannot tell you where it is," Scarlett continued. "I am certain your agent will report it to you later nonetheless. Be assured that there is no impropriety involved in my request. I swear that upon my name. I simply need someone to protect me."


    The branch head seemed to consider it for a moment. Then he put down his books on the table and pulled out a small ledger from a pocket. "Okay, if you say so." He opened the ledger. "Approximately how dangerous do you estimate this request to be? Are you familiar with the Shields Guild''s terminology?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "I am." Scarlett cocked her head slightly to the side. "It should preferably be a C-ranked senior Shielder."


    Jean drew his mouth together. "C-ranked?"


    She stared at him. "Is that not possible?"


    He shook his head. "I''m afraid there are no C-ranked senior Shielders at our branch right now. Perhaps if you wait a few days..."


    "I would prefer not to."


    He looked down at his ledger. "There is a B-ranked Shielder that is well experienced with pyromancy. I could bring the request to her." He looked up at Scarlett. "That might even be safer if we are dealing with undead. We don''t like needlessly risking our members."


    She frowned. "I am certain even a D-rank would be enough. I simply wanted to make things more effortless. A B-rank would not have any issue, but I do not want to pay more than necessary."


    "The cost wouldn''t change. It would still be classified as a C-ranked request."


    "Is that so?" Scarlett said. "Very well. Then we will go with that."


    He fidgeted with the ledger in his hands. "I''ll speak with the Shielder in question then. Exactly when is it that you will need an escort?"


    "Immediately."


    "Immediately?" The branch head sounded slightly surprised.


    "Yes." Scarlett nodded her head. "Or as soon as possible. I am planning on being finished today."


    He righted his glasses. "I''ll speak with her immediately then. But we usually require part of the fee to be paid in advance along with the request."


    "You can send a note of payment to the Hartford estate." She''d ensured this morning that that was a thing. "Anything else you require beforehand?"


    Jean shook his head. "No, that''s all. Although I do need to tell you that I can only offer the request to our Shielder. It''s up to her if she accepts it or not. But knowing her, I don''t believe that will be a problem."


    "Good."


    He stood up from his seat. "Then I''ll go get your request processed. Feel free to stay here for now and we''ll be back as soon as possible." With that, the Freybrook branch head exited the room and left Scarlett by herself.


    Kat felt uncomfortable as she sat at the back of the bedecked carriage of the Hartford family. It was by far the most luxurious means of transportation she''d ever been in. Even the blasted windows had golden inlays. When she''d accepted this request she hadn''t expected it to mean that she would actually be allowed inside the carriage of a noble. If anything, she thought she''d just sit at the front with the driver.


    She glanced at the other side of the carriage where her employer sat. Baroness Scarlett Hartford was an intimidating woman in her own right. The baroness currently wore clothes suitable for traveling¡ªthough they still looked fittingly expensive for someone of her status¡ªand stared out at the landscape as they moved outside Freybrook''s limits. She hadn''t spoken a word to Kat since ordering her to get inside the carriage back outside the Guild''s branch office. Kat had considered asking where they were going but decided against it. Scarlett Hartford didn''t seem the type to appreciate questions. The woman''s presence had an almost oppressing nature to it. It was in how she kept herself.


    Kat had heard rumors about the baroness. She''d honestly been hesitant to accept this request. Though she didn''t have much experience with nobles herself, she knew that the Guild ran into trouble with them on occasion. The only reason she''d decided to agree to the request was because she heard it wasn''t expected to take more than a day. It wasn''t often she got jobs that were both short and gave decent pay. Although it wasn''t a B-ranked request, one C-ranked request was better than five D-ranked at least. And while she didn''t mind helping people out she was a bit tired of going out into the mountains to pick herbs for the local alchemists.


    "Stop here." Scarlett''s voice jolted Kat out of her thoughts as the carriage came to a halt.


    "We''re there already?" Kat asked despite herself, looking outside the window to where Scarlett was looking. There was nothing but trees. They hadn''t been traveling for too long but the area around Freybrook was heavily forested.


    "No," Scarlett said. "But we are close." She pointed towards the tip of an old stone tower that just barely peeked out above the treetops. "That is our next destination."


    The driver, a young man with a short brown cap on his head, soon opened the carriage door and Scarlett stepped outside with far more grace than Kat herself could muster before turning to the young man. "We will be gone for a while. Wait here until we return."


    The driver nodded his head at his mistress''s order. "Alright my Lady. Me an'' the horses here''ll be waiting for as long as you need."


    The baroness barely gave the man another glance before heading off towards the woods with decisive steps. She stopped in front of a large bush, however, and turned towards Kat. "Perhaps you should go first."


    "Sure." Kat simply shrugged her shoulders. She was surprised the woman was willing to do even this much. Taking the lead Kat led them through the forest towards the spot where she''d seen the tower, clearing a path through the underbrush as she moved. It took them about ten minutes before they reached a small overgrown clearing with the tower at its center. Scarlett raised her hand and Kat''s eyes followed her outstretched finger to spot a dilapidated old doorway at the tower''s base.


    "We will have to climb inside," Scarlett said and moved past Kat towards the structure.


    Kat followed close behind. "Is this what you were looking for?" she asked as she watched Scarlett take a step over a piece of fallen stone debris. It was crazy how they were out in the wilderness and the woman still moved as if she was at a ball without a care for her surroundings.


    "No," Scarlett said and pushed the door open with a creak. They both walked in.


    There wasn''t much left of the tower''s insides. There was rubble everywhere and when Kat looked up she could see all the way to the top of the tower as well as part of the blue sky. Built into the sides of the tower was a stairway that looked as if it had seen better days.


    But that didn''t seem to deter Scarlett as she began climbing the stairs without hesitation.


    Kat raised an eyebrow at the sight but quickly followed up the stairs in case the other woman were to trip. "Then what are we doing here?"


    "Reconnaissance," Scarlett said with her back to Kat. Kat shook her head and gave up on the matter as she kept climbing the half-wrecked stone stairs. The state of the stairs caused it to take a while but they eventually reached the top of the old tower where about half the ceiling was still left. Traces of stone railing and what might have once been placings for wooden pillars and a wooden covering could be seen here and there. Kat looked out across the land. She could see for miles. From Freybrook where it lay right next to the Innisling Sea, all the way to the Whitdown Mountains that stretched out on the horizon. She stood there for a moment taking it all in when Scarlett suddenly spoke.


    "There," the woman said, pointing towards a gathering of rock formations in a clearing some distance away from where they were now. "That is our destination."


    Kat squinted her eyes. "What''s so special there?"


    "You will see," Scarlett said as she began descending the tower. Kat didn''t have much choice but to follow once more. When they''d reached the bottom and exited the tower Scarlett gestured in the direction where the rock formations had been. Kat understood what she meant and started leading the way through the forest again. It took them at least another twenty minutes before they finally reached the clearing they''d seen from the tower. The rocks were at the top of a small hill. Scarlett quickly climbed it and walked up to the middle of the formation.


    "What now?" Kat asked, examining the stones. They just looked like ordinary stones to her ¡ª albeit arranged in a strange way. It wasn''t a complete circle, but reminiscent of one.


    "Wait here," Scarlett commanded and walked over to one of the stones. She began walking around it, her hand touching its surface. Then without warning, she moved on to the next stone in the circle. Kat leaned back against the nearest rock as she observed the baroness'' odd actions.


    Eventually Scarlett reached the last stone in the ring. After interacting with it in the same way as the others she took several steps back and stopped in the middle of the formation.


    Suddenly a shift shook the ground. Kat immediately got to her feet and moved closer to Scarlett, eyeing her surroundings. A loud sound rang out from ahead of them and a large stone in the middle of the formation started moving. Mounds of dirt and dust spread into the air as the large piece of rock slowly slid to the side, revealing a pair of dirty stone stairs going deeper into the ground. Further down was a single metal door with two statues next to it. Both statues wore armor and held up large swords in front of them. A closer look revealed that they had smooth heads with protruding brows and elongated pointy ears.


    "No way..." Kat mouthed. "Are those Zuver?" She turned to stare at Scarlett. "Is this a Zuverian ruin!?"


    Scarlett looked back at her, those cold amber eyes meeting hers. "That is correct. Astute observation."


    Kat''s eyes widened. What kind of request was this??

 Chapter 5 - Spooky scary skeletons

    Scarlett looked down the ancient stone stairway that had been hidden beneath the center of the gathering of old rocks. A streak of excitement passed through her. She had been afraid this little excursion wouldn''t lead anywhere or that she would have forgotten how to find this place. But it seemed like she could consider herself lucky this time.


    There had been lots of small dungeons spread around in ''Chronicle of Realms''. The area around Freybrook had at least six that she knew of. But of those she had only been relatively certain in how to find two of them. Finding one''s way in the game world was very different from navigating in real life. She couldn''t just press M to have a map of the area appear with location markers and all. Instead she had to rely on what landmarks she knew from the game to navigate. Thankfully this particular dungeon turned out to be rather simple to find.


    In the game''s lore, the Zuver was an old race that had reigned over most of Tanrelia¡ªthe continent that the game took place on¡ªseveral centuries ago, but they had essentially died out after a devastating cataclysm. Zuverian artifacts were heavily sought after though, and occasionally old Zuverian ruins were still found. In the game those often had some kind of puzzle you had to figure out first before entering, usually by finding relevant passages in books and NPCs'' dialogues, but they were a good source of experience and equipment throughout the game. The puzzle for this particular crypt wasn''t especially hard¡ªit was relatively low-level, after all¡ªand only required you to find and press a few runes etched into the stones in this Stonehenge-like formation. Nothing that required any special preparation.


    Scarlett turned to Kat ¡ª the Shielder that she had hired to help clear this dungeon. The woman probably wasn''t too far off from Scarlett''s age¡ªsomewhere in her mid-twenties¡ªand had light blue eyes as well as sun-bleached gold hair that hung in a rough braid above her shoulder. She wore what looked to be a thin sort of gambeson beneath a light set of metal armor and part of her forehead was covered by a red-white headband. Scarlett was actually relatively tall, but Kat was taller than her and it was clear that the woman was in good shape. And although Scarlett wasn''t really an authority on the subject the Shielder looked like she had experience with danger. Which made the woman''s current shocked expression a little amusing to watch.


    "Are you ready?" Scarlett asked, gesturing towards the stairs in front of them.


    Kat gawked at her for a moment longer before turning towards the ruin''s entrance. She let out a short sigh and shook her head. "Alright. Fine. Just make sure to stay a fair distance behind me at all times. If it''s too dangerous we''re going back."


    The Shielder started to slowly make her way down the stairs. When she reached the door situated between the two metal statues of ancient zuver she turned around and looked at Scarlett. "On second thought, it might be better if you stay here. I''ve heard there are lots of traps in these places and I''m not sure I can protect you the whole time."


    "There is no need to worry. I will be fine," Scarlett said. While she didn''t actually have a way of protecting herself just yet she was moderately certain there wouldn''t be any problem with this dungeon. She''d cleared it recently in her last playthrough and still remembered its layout. Up till now it had seemed like the game''s world translated relatively well to this world. The largest difference she''d noticed was some changes to distances. However if there truly turned out to be major discrepancies in the layout of this dungeon compared to what she knew she would retreat.


    Kat appeared unsure whether to trust her word or not but eventually she acquiesced and turned around to try and open the dungeon''s door. It shifted with a loud creak to reveal a wide and dark stone hallway. After a moment small sconces with dark green crystals in them slowly lit up revealing more of the corridor. It was lined on both sides by zuver faces carved into the stone and led to a large room that looked like a kind of mausoleum. As Kat cautiously moved through the hallway Scarlett stopped her before the woman could enter the room ahead of them.


    "Wait," she said. She pointed towards five sets of stone tombs at the center of the room. "Throw something at those."


    Kat gave her an odd look but started looking around for something to throw. She found a loose piece of the stone wall in a part that was crumbling apart and tore it off, gripping it in her hand. Scarlett watched as she then hurled it at the tombs. The stone clinked against the top of one of the tombs before bouncing off and rolling onto the floor. The sound echoed throughout the room before everything went completely silent once more.


    Kat looked back at Scarlett. "What was tha¡ª"


    A loud shrill rang out. A cold wind passed through the room and Scarlett took several steps back as the lids of the tombs shifted to the side and bony hands reached up to grab the edges. Five skeletons in crumbling clothing and with glowing blue sockets instead of eyes pulled themselves out of the graves, their eyes locking onto the two.


    "I believe you have work to carry out," Scarlett said as Kat stared at the skeletons.


    "Gods, I didn''t think there''d be actual undead," she heard the Shielder mutter as the woman stepped in front of Scarlett and raised her hands. The skeletons had already started moving. Three of them were running towards Scarlett and Kat as the other two moved their bones around about and blue circles formed in the air. Kat took another step forward as she moved her hands. A trunk-sized boulder formed in front of her left hand and shot out at two of the skeletons, landing right on their legs and crushing them as it spread a dark mud on the ground. In front of her other hand five daggers made of fire appeared and immediately darted off towards the other skeletons. The two at the back got hit in the head which interrupted their magic while the two whose legs were crushed lay on the floor and were caught on fire when two of the fire daggers struck the mud around them. The last skeleton took a dagger in the chest but continued onward and had almost reached Kat when a whip of fire snapped out from the woman and knocked the skeleton back several meters. Its rib piece was almost charred to a crisp from the attack.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The battle itself was a real sight for Scarlett. She had never seen any of its like outside of movies and games. She''d never even been in a fight for her entire life. But despite that she felt almost completely calm as she observed the events ¡ª an ongoing trend ever since she''d taken on part of Scarlett''s personality traits. The woman seemed to only get heated up over the strangest things.


    Scarlett watched as Kat used a couple more spells to finish the skeletons off, before then proceeding to search the room for any other threats. Scarlett had recognized most of the spells that Kat had used in the fight. The large boulder, for example, had been the terramancy spell [Boulder Shot], which also left a temporary substance on the ground that was flammable. It synergized well with pyromancy spells such as [Scorching Daggers] which was the second spell the woman had used. And the whip had been [Scorching Whip]. All of them were low-level spells that Scarlett had used a lot with her first character which had been a mage. And like most fire-related spells in the game they were especially useful against many undead monsters.


    Seemingly satisfied with her check, Kat walked to the center of the large mauseloum to inspect the tombs themselves. "These weren''t as bad as I feared," she said, turning to look at Scarlett. "But how did you know there''d be undead here?"


    Scarlett walked closer, stepping around the scorched bones of one of the skeletons. "How I knew is irrelevant. It simply matters that I did."


    Kat raised an eyebrow at her. "...Alright. If you say so," she said and spun around. She pointed towards the other end of the room where three hallways went off in different directions. "Which way are we going next then? Oh all-knowing one."


    Scarlett scrunched up her nose. The woman sure got casual with her real quick, and she couldn''t help but get a little angry at that. And that made her even angrier. It took quite a bit of effort to press the feelings down and not let it affect her.


    "The one in the middle," she said. She might have failed in keeping all of the annoyance out of her voice.


    Kat glanced at her, then nodded her head and took the lead towards the middle hallway. In the game the other two paths eventually led to dead ends. They might have some things of worth in them, but the two of them could always return to those later. For now the middle one was their priority.


    Scarlett wordlessly followed Kat as they moved deeper into the Zuverian ruin. She didn''t spot any noticeable difference to the dungeon in the game and so, with her guidance, they managed to avoid all the minor traps that were present in low-level ruins like this one. Kat also didn''t have any problems dealing with the undead that popped up so they moved forward at a decent pace. They didn''t stop for long in any of the rooms that they passed by. Scarlett knew there probably were some things worth money in them but she wanted to reach the end and clear the dungeon before she started collecting any of the loot. Her main goal here wasn''t money, after all.


    After about an hour of ruin-trekking they finally reached the last room of the dungeon. It was a large crypt with an altar that stood on a raised platform in the middle of the crypt. On top of the platform next to the altar stood a tall skeleton with a vibrant gold crown atop its skull and adorned with a white robe that somehow hadn''t been affected by the passage of time as the rest of the dungeon had. The skeleton''s glowing eyesockets turned to glare at them the moment they got close and it began casting a spell.


    Scarlett hurried to move back as a hail of ice crystals slammed into Kat. She could have sworn she saw the crystals shatter into pieces the moment before they struck the Shielder''s armor.


    Kat met the hailstorm with her own assortment of fire daggers, ten of them forming in front of both her hands before shooting off towards the undead. Its robe was burned from the attack and it created some holes, but it didn''t seem to get heavily damaged.


    "This one is a bit more durable. Looks like I''ll actually have to try," Kat grumbled. Then a large ball of fire appeared above her hand before the skeleton could even fire another spell. A second later the fireball slammed into the skeleton''s chest and knocked it off the platform. Kat performed some more movements and spikes grew up from the ground where the skeleton landed and tore through its robes and bones. The skeleton let out a hollow scream as it tried to climb off the spikes but its cries were soon drowned out when another ball of fire, this one much larger than the last, flew across the room. A small explosion rocked the crypt as the earth spikes were destroyed along with the skeleton. A burning smell filled the air as the smoke slowly dissipated into nothing to reveal that the body of the skeleton had been almost completely disintegrated.


    "There we go," Kat said and wiped her hands off. "Honestly I didn''t think a Zuverian ruin would be this easy to clear. After everything I''d heard I was sort of expecting more."


    Scarlett walked past the woman and towards the platform at the center of the room. "It varies significantly from ruin to ruin. This one would be described as being on the easier side of the scale. If it had been one of the more deadly ones neither of us might have made it past the first room."


    "You sure seem to be an expert on this."


    "I suppose you could say that, yes." Scarlett paused in front of the platform. It almost reached her chest. She took a few steps to the side and placed her foot on a square piece of stone on the ground that might have been debris fallen from the roof. Using it as a starting point she carefully climbed on top of the platform, ignoring the indignant feeling she got from displaying such an undignified pose.


    "Maybe you should wait to see if there are any more traps before you check that out," Kat said as she pulled herself up on the platform without any issues.


    Scarlett frowned at the sight. "There aren''t any," she said. This whole dungeon had been exactly as she remembered it.


    Scarlett then took a step closer to the altar and looked at the items that lay on it. This was what she was here for.

 Chapter 6 - Who runs dungeons for the experience?

    Scarlett examined the items on the altar. The largest of them was a head-sized dark metal casket with an interesting coiled design on its side. If she remembered it correctly, that was filled with old Zuverian gold coins. Worth a modest amount, but nothing unique. More of them were usually spread around in small amounts through the dungeon and she was planning on gathering them before they left.


    Scarlett''s attention was focused on the other two objects on the altar, however. At the center of the ancient stone that the altar was made of lay a small black wand. It had a glossy, rounded-off tip at its bottom and a garnished wood handle that covered half its length. Closer to the head of the wand it looked to be made of some dark metal that arced around itself, forming a kind of curved latticework. At the top of this frame sat a vaguely jade-colored crystal with a swirling pattern in it. It looked almost like a cat eye bead.


    This was the [Wand of Fireball]. An item¡ªor rather an ''artifact'', as any old magical items were referred to in the game¡ªthat allowed one to cast a free [Fireball] spell a few times every day.


    Artifacts in the game were separated into seven different categories: common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, divine, as well as unique. Divine artifacts were some of the best items in the game, while unique artifacts varied highly depending on what level they were for. The special thing about the unique artifacts was, firstly, that they were unique ¡ª as the name implied. Although this also applied to many of the Divine artifacts in the game, there were a few examples where you could get more than one instance of the same divine artifact. Secondly, most unique artifacts had some kind of special property to them that was either rare or non-existent in other items in the game. And thirdly, unlike divine artifacts which was a late-game thing, unique artifacts could be found throughout the whole game. Scarlett''s main goal with clearing this dungeon was getting hold of the [Wand of Fireball], which¡ªdespite not being a unique artifact but rather a rare one¡ªwould give her at least some way of defending herself in this world.


    But the wand wasn''t the only artifact on the altar. Resting on both sides of the wand was a pair of tiny earrings. Made out of silver, they were shaped like a half-circle with an oval amber gem affixed to the center that gave off a light glow. These were the [Charms of Apperception]. A unique artifact from the game that gave the player a 15% critical chance against all enemies under level 50 ¡ª which covered almost all low-to-mid-level enemies. Although they didn''t give any stat increase, because they had such a good effect that scaled with your level and had been in the relatively hard-to-find earring-slot, Scarlett had originally used the artifact all the way up till late mid-game in her first playthrough. So even though the wand had been the main reason she chose to start with this dungeon, she was curious about how the unique artifact worked now that this wasn''t just a game anymore. It didn''t feel like a game concept like critical chance had a clear translation in real life.


    Scarlett first picked up the wand. A window suddenly appeared above it.


    [Wand of Fireball (Rare)]


    {Casts [Fireball]. 4/4}


    She raised an eyebrow. That was a convenient feature. Putting the wand into a hole in the belt she''d worn specifically for this outing, she picked up the earrings.


    [Charms of Apperception (Unique)]


    {Perceives the strands of mana around a being, recognizing points of instability}


    Was that the flavor text from the game? She couldn''t remember if it was. The wand didn''t have the same kind of ambiguous description, but perhaps that was because it had a more defined function. As Scarlett read through the text in the window once more she felt some kind of reaction from the earrings in her palm. They felt warm for a moment and then suddenly she felt a connection to them, without really understanding how.


    "You alright?" she heard Kat''s voice to her side. Turning towards the woman, Scarlett''s attention shifted from the artifact in her hand to the Shielder''s body. It was vague, barely noticeable to the point where she almost thought she was imagining it, but when she focused she saw a slight shimmer surrounding Kat''s whole body. It seemed to flow around her in complicated ever-shifting patterns, forming a kind of barrier that was hard to follow with just the eyes. But there were points where the shimmer was weaker. Points where the patterns momentarily met to form small whirlwinds of movement, or points where the currents were just slightly too erratic. All these points stood out to her eyes more clearly than even the barrier itself.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "So that is how it works..." Scarlett mused to herself.


    "What?" Kat looked puzzled.


    "Do you know Mana Barrier?" Scarlett asked.


    "Of course I do," Kat said. "I doubt there''s a mage who doesn''t."


    Scarlett nodded her head at the information. It fit with what she knew from Chronicle of Realms. There, [Mana Barrier] was a spell without a particular school of magic that was a must-have unless one was running a challenge of some kind. While there were stats such as HP and Armor, they weren''t as important in this game as they often were in other RPGs. Instead, spells like [Mana Barrier] and its equivalents provided the players with their main layer of protection. And that seemed to stay true in this world too.


    Kat met her eyes for a moment before shaking her head. She jumped down from the platform and started moving around it to the burned remains of the skeleton that had been guarding this room. "How much are we bringing back with us?" she asked, picking up the golden crown the skeleton had worn. She dusted it off with her hand before looking it over. "Technically, everything here belongs to you, doesn''t it? At least for now."


    Scarlett brought her attention from the faint magical barrier surrounding Kat to the woman herself. She wasn''t aware there was such a practice, but perhaps that was how Zuverian ruins were handled in this world. Nobody had complained when the player raided dungeon after dungeon in the games at least.


    She didn''t know how much wealth the original Scarlett actually had, but more money never hurt. She cautiously climbed down from the platform and put her hand out when she reached Kat. The Shielder placed the crown in her hand and Scarlett began to examine it.


    [Golden Crown (Uncommon)]


    {Increases majesty}


    It didn''t look particularly good, though judging from this the descriptive text for these items wasn''t the flavor text from the games. At least not always. This particular description was almost as vague as the earrings, but the crown seemed to bear some kind of enchantment at least. Perhaps one that increased charisma. Not something she needed.


    "You may keep it." Scarlett said and handed it back to Kat.


    The woman gave her an odd look. "You don''t want it?"


    "It has no use for me," Scarlett answered. "It is a weak enchantment. But it is still gold, so it should have some worth. You are owed a commission, so I feel it is only right that you have it. However, if you prefer for your reward to be in another shape we can give it in zuver coins instead." Giving out money directly would have to wait until she actually had some.


    Kat stared at her with wide eyes. "The guild request was only to protect you for the day. What I''ve done could technically count under that so you don''t actually have to pay an extra reward."


    "That may be so, but it wouldn''t leave a good taste if I were to abuse the contract with the Shields Guild in such a manner," Scarlett responded calmly. "I am planning on continuing doing business with you in the future, so it is only right that I do this much." With that, she turned around and started leaving the room. "Now come. There is still much left to gather in these ruins. And make sure to bring that metal casket with you."


    Scarlett couldn''t see Kat''s expression so she didn''t know how the woman reacted, but it didn''t take long for Kat to catch up to her with the small casket wedged under one arm and the crown hanging from the side of her belt. After that, they spent a couple of hours combing through and clearing the rest of the dungeon''s pathways and rooms for all the remaining loot. Most of it was in the form of zuver coins. Neither of them had brought any backpacks with them but Scarlett had made sure to bring a small Pouch of Holding to store it all in.


    Bags of Holding had been present in the game too, but even the smaller ones had been relatively rare and expensive so it wasn''t until the mid-game that the player could get a hold of one. Before that one usually had to make do with a very limited amount of inventory slots or a cumbersome backpack. Fortunately for Scarlett, she was now a noble. Which came with some perks. She''d asked Garside to get her a Bag of Holding in the morning and he''d retrieved this from somewhere in the mansion. It wasn''t a bag per se, but it was still large enough to hold a decent amount of gold coins.


    When they finally left the ruin after spending over three hours in it Scarlett was met by a new window.


    [Quest completed: Cleared Zuverian Ruins]


    {Skill points awarded: 1}


    She paused on the stairs leading up to the surface as she read through the window. This hadn''t been in the game. She had wondered if the quests from the game existed in this world too, but this one certainly wasn''t related to any of them. This was a completely new quest that she hadn''t seen before. Though it didn''t give her any experience like the quests from the game did. Just a skill point.


    Did this mean there were other quests she didn''t know about in this world? Hidden, just waiting to be completed?


    "What''s up?" Kat asked, stretching in the sunlight at the top of the stairs. "You realize something?"


    Scarlett put the matters of the quests behind her for now. Looking at Kat, the woman who had just cleared a Zuverian ruin for her without even seeming to consider betraying her, a thought appeared in her mind. While the Shielder''s uncouth behavior irked the Scarlett part of her, the woman was very capable. Truthfully, a B-ranked Shielder was far too powerful for this low-level dungeon.


    "Miss Breedan," she asked. "Would you be interested in accepting another request?"

 Chapter 7 - Arcane thermodynamics

    "Fireball."


    A large ball of fire shot out and struck the ground followed by a small explosion. Scarlett observed the scene with her lips slightly upturned. It didn''t matter what her current circumstances were. Seeing real magic would always be exciting. Well, as exciting as anything could be in her current circumstances.


    She looked down at the black wand in her hand, the gem at its top gleaming a dull red. The [Wand of Fireball] worked exactly as it had in the game. Without any cost to her, she could now cast [Fireball] four times per day.


    She lifted her gaze to look at the area where the spell had hit. The stone might have become slightly charred, but it was hard to tell. The whole area surrounding the point she''d aimed at was completely defaced from years of abuse. It was clear she wasn''t the first to practice magic here.


    She was currently behind the Hartford mansion, between a hedge garden far too large for just one family and the outer wall that enclosed the whole estate. As it turned out the Hartfords did have a training ground. As did probably many of the noble families who used magic in this world. Where else would they train, after all? The servant she had asked about the matter the day before had likely been too surprised¡ªand probably nervous¡ªby her request to reply. Scarlett couldn''t blame the woman. Knowing how the original Scarlett had been she wasn''t sure if she would have fared much better in the servant''s shoes.


    A little over an hour had passed since Scarlett returned from her little excursion in the old Zuverian ruins. Since then she had spent some time organizing the loot¡ªmostly old Zuverian coins¡ªshe''d found, and after that she''d had another meal prepared by the mansion''s chef. She didn''t know who it was but they deserved all the praise. She imagined this was how it was like eating at a Michelin-ranked restaurant every day.


    But now her focus was on magic. The training ground set up by the Hartford family was essentially just a long stone courtyard with several wood and stone targets set up at one end. She hadn''t tried attacking those yet but she assumed they were enchanted in some way. Otherwise they wouldn''t really put up much of a challenge against most spells. Apart from those targets, there was also a shed at the edge of the training grounds right next to the wall. She hadn''t bothered seeing what was inside just yet, however.


    Bringing her attention to the targets Scarlett crossed part of the training ground and stopped a couple dozen or so meters away from them. Pausing for a moment, she focused her eyes. It was faint, but she took a few steps closer and made out a slight shimmer that surrounded the target. It was similar to what she''d seen around Kat when she had looked at the woman with the effect from the [Charms of Apperception]. She brought her left hand up to her ear where one of the earrings hung. It seemed their effect wasn''t limited to just people, but every kind of magical defense.


    A thought struck her. She lowered the wand and placed it in her belt for now and instead raised her hand towards the target. The shifting movement of the magical barrier that surrounded the target was much slower than Kat''s had been. There were also a lot more of those instabilities in this one. Creating a ball of fire above her palm through pyrokinesis, Scarlett then moved it towards the target. She hadn''t had much time to practice this yet so it was a bit wobbly, but she managed to bring it all the way to the target. She then brought it right against the wood itself for almost thirty seconds before letting the fire dissipate. She walked over to the target to get a closer look. It didn''t seem like the fire left any mark.


    She repeated the process once again, but this time she aimed the fire towards one of the weak points in the target''s enchantment. After waiting for another half a minute she let the fire disappear and took another look. She had to lean over closely, but she did see a black burn mark on the wood.


    Could she make the fire stronger? She only had [Minor Pyrokinesis], but it gave her a decent amount of control. She was pretty sure a single ball of fire wasn''t her limit.


    She created a new flame, this time immediately next to one of the target''s weak points, and with all her focus she imagined it growing hotter and hotter. She could see the fire slowly glowing a brighter red as she focused on it. After a while it had turned a clear red, almost a little orange, and she felt as if she was starting to lose control. She let the fire dissipate once again and leaned forward to see the results. There was a large burn mark next to where she''d aimed the fire now. Part of the wood had even started crumbling into black charcoal.


    So her pyrokinesis did have its uses. She glanced at her remaining mana.


    [Mana: 913/979]


    It hadn''t even been especially costly to use it like that. The problem was that it wasn''t very practical to use it like that in a fight. It wasn''t explosive enough. She highly doubted anyone who attacked her¡ªwhich she honestly doubted there wouldn''t be in the future¡ªwould be kind enough to stand still while she hovered a fire to their faces.


    Scarlett stood in front of the target, arms crossed as she observed the ever-shifting and barely visible shimmering that was the enchantment protecting it. Would it make more of a difference if her pyrokinesis skill was higher? In the game the skill hadn''t had much more meaning than lowering your mana costs so she wasn''t certain how effective the higher ranks were. It didn''t help that currently, her only other usable skill was [Lesser Hydrokinesis]. She''d tried figuring out how to use [Minor Mana Control] but hadn''t had much success there. Maybe it was just a prerequisite for the other skills or something like that? Unfortunately there weren''t any descriptions for skills as there were for items. Or at least she hadn''t figured out how to find them yet.


    She paused. An idea had just sprung up into her mind.


    She pointed her finger towards the head of the target and created a small ball of water¡ªno larger than a tennis ball, really¡ªabove it, the liquid swirling around as it was held in its shape by some invisible force. She had realized yesterday that, like her pyrokinesis, she didn''t need a preexisting source of water to use hydrokinesis. It was more taxing doing it like this, however. She was unsure whether the skill literally created water or if it pulled it from the humidity in the surrounding air, but it didn''t really matter to her right now. She manipulated the water as to leave a hollow space inside the sphere, letting the excess water fall down on the target. Then she carefully used her pyrokinesis to create a small flame in the empty space inside the sphere of water. She seemed to be successful. The light from the fire reflected and distorted through the moving water that surrounded it as it heated the sphere from the inside. However, after about forty seconds she saw that the water had started boiling and she could see some wet steam forming as the heated water condensed around it. She immediately snuffed out the fire and let the water rain onto the target''s head.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Her aim was to cause the water to go through superheating. It had been a while since her high school days, but she remembered researching quite a bit about the subject back then. The phenomenon known as ''superheated water'' was essentially just water that had reached a temperature above its normal boiling point of 100 degrees celsius but still remained in a liquid state due to being under a higher pressure that increased the amount of energy required to transition to gas form. Similar to that, but not exactly the same, was the process of ''superheating'' a liquid to delay its boiling by...well, she couldn''t really remember the physics behind it. But she did remember that a liquid in such a state was quite volatile. And she''d hoped to reproduce that effect. But obviously she was doing it wrong.


    She was pretty sure the fire wasn''t touching the water, so there shouldn''t be an issue there. It was just functioning as an odd kind of heater, hopefully. Then was it because the water was moving?


    She created another ball of water, repeating the same process as last time. This time, however, she focused her attention on forcing the water to be completely still. It looked almost like a soap bubble as it hovered in the air. Just without the rainbow colors.


    Making sure not to let her attention slip, she created a flame inside the sphere. Then she waited. After waiting for about the same length of time as last time there still wasn''t any sign of the water boiling. She waited for a little while longer and squinted her eyes. It looked like the sphere had gotten a little smaller. Had the water already started turning into steam?


    Making sure not to lose her concentration, Scarlett took several careful steps back. She then used her hydrokinesis to cause a small ripple in the side of the water that was facing the target. She unconsciously took another step back as the sphere of water immediately exploded into a tiny shower of burning hot liquid. A couple of drops even hit her arm, but fortunately she was still wearing the full-covering clothes she''d gone out to the dungeon in.


    She glanced at the target itself. It didn''t look to have been affected much. But the blast also hadn''t been aimed at any particular weak points. She looked at her mana.


    [Mana: 878/979]


    She had been slow with that one, but it was still surprisingly affordable. Judging from how the sphere had started losing its size she had probably waited for too long too. She looked back at the target, locating one of the weak points in its enchantment that barely moved. Once more she created a still sphere of water next to it and created a flame inside. This time she waited for a little over thirty seconds. Just like last time, a small ripple was enough to cause the water to explode. The majority of the liquid shot out towards the target where she''d created the ripple, but there was some splattering in all other directions too.


    Scarlett walked over to the target again to observe the damage up close. She was surprised to find that a small part of the target looked to actually have become dented. A clear indentation and cracks showed in the brown wood that made up its body.


    She stepped back and moved to a safe distance to try again. She repeated the procedure again, but this time she tried making the fire a lot hotter. She ended up miscalculating its size and losing control the first two times, but on her third try she managed to replicate the superheating of the water and the explosion in only ten seconds. And for all she knew she might still be overshooting the time needed. The only way for her to be sure was by testing it.


    [Mana: 696/979]


    It was incredibly mana efficient if you compared it to the spells she knew of. Granted, it probably wasn''t close to being as powerful as those were, but she didn''t have much to work with.


    She briefly considered whether it was possible to make this technique even more powerful if she could actually superheat the water, rather than merely superheating it. There was a distinct difference between the two even though they achieved a similar result. She didn''t remember too much from her physics classes, but if she could perhaps somehow increase the pressure the water was under with her hydrokinesis, then she might be able to increase the liquid''s boiling point. An increased boiling point meant hotter water and just more energy in general, right? Hopefully making this even more powerful. And if she recalled correctly enough of an increase in pressure and heat would cause the liquid to go supercritical...though she couldn''t for the life of her remember how large of an increase that meant. Or even what effects that would have. Her knowledge of supercritical fluids was limited to knowing they were certifiably ''wacky''¡ªto borrow how one of her friends had once described them¡ªin how they acted.


    Not that she was ever likely to reach the point where she could test that hypothesis if she stayed at her current level. [Lesser Hydrokinesis] probably couldn''t do it even if the skill let her change the pressure of the water.


    Scarlett tapped her foot against the stone ground as she looked into the air in front of her.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Minor Mana Control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Minor Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Lesser Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 696/979]


    [Skill points: 1]


    She had learned how to summon the status window without speaking now, but there weren''t any large changes compared to the first time she''d seen it. There was a slight rise in her mana, as well the skill point she''d earned earlier during the day. She hadn''t put much thought to the skills points yet, though. She tried focusing on that part of the window.


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Pyrokinesis] (5 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Minor Hydrokinesis] (2 points)


    [Mana Control] (5 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    She raised an eyebrow. This was definitely different from how it worked in Chronicle of Realms. In fact, there hadn''t been a skill menu at all in the game. Skills had been rewards that you gained from achievements and important questlines. Upgrading the skills was mostly done by gaining experience with the skills.


    This menu did arouse her interest, however. Especially the ''new skills'' section. Knowing that she could upgrade her skills was good news. But the potential for buying new ones was definitely what excited her the most. There were some very powerful skills that she wouldn''t mind getting her hands on. But the feature was locked right now. She tried prompting a description for it, but nothing appeared. No clues as to how to unlock it.


    She frowned as she closed the window down. She would have to save upgrading and figuring out how to buy new skills for the future it seemed. Bringing her attention back to the place at hand, she raised her arm towards the target once more. For now, she would resume her experimenting. She still had mana to lose, after all.

 Chapter 8 - The wrong kind of raid

    "Is this really necessary?" Kat asked from the side, the woman pulling at the mask that covered the lower part of her face. Scarlett glanced at the B-ranked member of the Shields Guild. In addition to the mask, the woman was also wearing a black hood that covered the rest of her head so that only most of her eyes were visible.


    "No, it is not," Scarlett said before she turned her attention back to the building they were observing across the pier. They hadn''t arrived yet. "But I believe it will make parts of this easier. Both for you and for me," she continued after a moment.


    "If you say so." Kat moved up next to Scarlett. She seemed to have stopped fidgeting with her mask. "When were these guys supposed to appear?"


    "Uncertain. Sometime in the evening." It was already beginning to grow dark and much of the activity in Freybrook''s harbor area had started dying down. Scarlett had honestly expected them to arrive much earlier. She didn''t like waiting around in open places like this for extended periods of time. Neither she nor the Scarlett part of her.


    "While I''m a bit late in pointing it out, wouldn''t it have been easier to just alert the guards? Or work together with the Guild. Though I''m technically allowed to perform arrests, I''m not really supposed to accept jobs like this by myself."


    Scarlett wanted to shake her head and sigh but her impulses stopped her from blatantly showcasing her frustration outwardly like that.


    She would have loved it if all she had to do to solve this situation was to sic the guards on these people. But that would most likely mean implicating herself in the process. Instead she could only hope to solve this swiftly and by herself. Well, and with Kat''s help. She was lucky the Shielder appeared to be rather lax when it came to rules.


    "That would not lead to good results for either party," she eventually said. "We want the people responsible, not merely their subordinates. And unfortunately the news of this came too suddenly to organize a larger response."


    The Shielder seemed to accept that excuse for now as she leaned back against the wall of the nearby building. They were currently staying out of sight between two warehouses not too far away from their target and that appeared to be vacated for now.


    Scarlett kept quiet as they waited. Half an hour passed, where they watched the people that were still around the harbor perform their last activities for the day before leaving the area. Then a new group of people finally arrived. There were over a dozen and ahead of them they were pushing wagons stacked with large wooden crates. The group crossed the bay area close to Scarlett and Kat before eventually stopping in front of a large building with a stone base and wooden walls. One of the men from the group opened a pair of large doors at the side of the building before the rest of them pushed the wagons inside. Scarlett had already confirmed that this was the aforementioned ''Warehouse 37''. Many of the buildings in this area of Freybrook''s harbor were designated warehouses owned by the count who was the local authority around here. The warehouses were then rented out to different organizations. Supposedly there were inspections performed on these warehouses to detect any illegal activities every night, but Scarlett knew such things weren''t always airtight.


    "That them?" Kat asked as they watched a pair of burly men close the warehouse gates and stand guard outside the building.


    "It is," Scarlett replied. Her voice came out colder than usual.


    "You sure there were people inside those boxes?"


    "I am."


    Kat let out a sigh. "I''m honestly not sure why I''m trusting you on this," she said but started walking anyway. "Let''s go and save them. You''ll be able to get me off if these turn out to be a bunch of innocent merchants, right?"


    Scarlett didn''t bother replying that she had no idea how she would do that as she followed a few steps behind the woman.


    The men guarding the warehouse caught sight of them early and kept their eyes squared on the pair as they neared. One of the men reached for a cudgel at his side.


    "What the Blazes do you want?!" one of them yelled. His eyes locked onto Kat and her covered appearance when she got close enough. "You better back off right now or¡ª"


    "Oh just shut up will you?" Kat waved her hand and two small boulders sprang into existence before her and struck both men in the chest. They flew back into the wall behind them and immediately slumped onto the ground.


    Scarlett looked around. There were a few people on the other side of the waterway, but it was dark and they didn''t seem to pay any attention to what was happening over here. She brought her attention back to the two men. They weren''t moving a limb. Bringing a B-ranked Shielder here truly was overkill. In game terms, Kat probably wasn''t too far off from level 50 while this whole questline had been in the 20-range.


    The Shielder moved over and bent down next to the men. She brought out her hand and touched the both of them, a low bronze-colored light originating out from her fingers and moving into the men. Small pulses of the light seemed to shoot through both of the men''s skin and clothes as Kat took a step back.


    Scarlett observed the phenomena. Was that [Earth Pulse]? It looked curious to see the spell faintly light the men up as it passed through their bodies. It did make her wonder how the weak healing spell worked, but she honestly wasn''t going to question magic. She was neither a doctor nor a wizard.


    "What?"


    Scarlett heard Kat speak and turned to look at the covered woman. She was staring at her. "You''re not expecting me to just let them lie there, are you? I''m decent with my control but that still likely cracked a few ribs," Kat said. "I''m not risking them dying if that''s what you want. I don''t really do killing at first sight. But you don''t have to worry. They''ll still be out for a while."


    Scarlett frowned. "I do not recall saying that I wanted them dead."


    She couldn''t see Kat''s face because of the hood and mask but it looked like the woman was a little surprised by her response.


    "...You sure looked at them as if you did," Kat mumbled before pointing towards the doors the men were guarding. "Well, whatever. We going in?"


    Scarlett looked back at the drooping bodies of the two men. She really didn''t want them dead. Despite knowing what kind of business they were in. But she was surprised to find that she didn''t care about what happened to them. Was that the Scarlett part of her personality? Or just something she''d never had the chance to encounter in herself before due to the situation? While she could definitely think rationally about it and didn''t like the thought of killing these men, she really couldn''t feel anything special about it right now.


    "...You''re sure you don''t want them dead?" Kat''s voice brought Scarlett out of her ruminating.


    "I am certain," Scarlett said, pushing any thoughts of morality out of her mind for now. "Let''s continue."


    She gestured for Kat to open the doors. The Shielder gave her an odd look before turning towards the doors and grabbing onto the rusted metal handle of the one to the right and pulling it open. Scarlett watched Kat enter the building and heard a couple of confused cries from inside, followed by the sound of bodies slamming into things. A short while later Kat''s head appeared at the entrance.


    "I took care of the ones in here. We''re still missing some people though. It might be better for you to wait here while I search the building."


    Scarlett ignored Kat''s words and walked past her into the building. "I will be fine," she said. She was certain of Kat''s ability to protect her against these thugs. And there were things she had to do herself.


    The inside of the warehouse''s main storage hall was dimly lit by a few lanterns spread about the room, fastened onto several wooden pillars that reached the roof. The bodies of four men lay slumped against the walls and two of those pillars, with the crates they''d seen outside standing in the middle of the room offloaded from the wagons. There was a gathering of empty barrels lining one of the walls and a crate of tools standing in one corner, but other than that there was nothing else here. The rest of the people had probably moved into other parts of the warehouse.


    Scarlett walked over to the nearest man and tapped him on the side of the head. There was no reaction. There was the same light pulsating through his body occasionally as with the men outside, though. Kat had already used [Earth Pulse] on all these men.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Scarlett turned to Kat who had started moving towards the wooden crates at the center of the room. "Leave those be for now."


    Kat stopped and turned to stare at Scarlett. "You''re saying we should let the people stay stuck inside those things?" Her tone was a lot more aggressive than Scarlett had heard from the woman before.


    "Do you plan on asking a group of frightened people to remain here while we search the rest of the building?" Scarlett gestured to the room around them. "Waiting for ten more minutes will not harm them, and it will be safer for both parties."


    "You could wait here¡ª"


    "I cannot," Scarlett interrupted. "Focus on completing the mission at hand before dealing with other matters." She began walking towards a door at the side of the room that seemed to be the only way to go. Kat looked uneasy about leaving the crates behind but eventually followed. With a few long steps, the taller woman had caught up with Scarlett and put her hand on the door''s handle. Her blue eyes met Scarlett''s amber ones.


    "I''m choosing to trust you here. Noble or not, you better not make me regret it."


    Scarlett slowly nodded her head. "I had no such plans. I wish to put an end to these activities as much as you."


    The woman stared at her for a while, then also nodded her head. "Good. I should probably go first, though."


    With that, the masked Shielder swung the door open and entered the hallway that was on the other side. Scarlett followed a short distance behind. As they moved through the building they encountered one or two thugs at a time in different rooms but Kat quickly¡ªand surprisingly quietly¡ªtook care of them with her magic. Eventually they reached a door at the end of a corridor on the third floor where one of the men had said their leader was before Kat knocked him out.


    Scarlett stepped in front of Kat. "We need information from this man so I will have to exchange words with him. It will require feigning an act on my part. I ask that you ignore what you hear and do not act until I tell you to." She met the woman''s eyes. "Understood?"


    "...Alright."


    "Good." Scarlett opened the door and entered the room. It wasn''t particularly large, with only a few shelves to the side and a small desk facing the wall in one corner. A brown-haired man with a large nose sat in front of the desk with a mug and a large ledger in front of him.


    "Did I say you could ent¡ª" the man looked up and spotted Scarlett with the masked Kat entering close behind her. "...Who are you?" he growled, reaching for a knife in a sheath on his belt.


    "I would like to ask you the same," Scarlett retorted, her voice ice cold. She moved towards a chair on the opposite side of the room as the man and sat down with her left leg leaning on her right. "Who do you believe yourself to be to attempt to deceive me?"


    The man furrowed his brows as he tightened his grip on his knife. "Lady, I don''t know who you are and I don''t damn care." His eyes glanced towards the door where Kat was standing.


    "Your men are dead," Scarlett said, watching the man''s expression change into that of shock. "And so will you be if you do not tell me what I want to know."


    He stared at her, his teeth clenched. "Who the Blazes are you."


    "I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford. Although I do not expect rabble such as you to know how to address a noble."


    "Hartford?" His eyes widened.


    "So you do know of me." She clicked her tongue. "Then you can inform me of why your boss thought he could betray me and get away with it."


    "Betray? I don''t know what you''re talking about lady." He shot another glance towards Kat and the door behind her.


    Scarlett snapped her fingers. A very small ball of water appeared beside the man''s head, a burning hot flame reflecting its light from the inside. An Aqua Mine she''d gotten to calling them.


    ...It was a name that was still under revision.


    The man''s gaze shifted towards it momentarily before returning to her. "What''s that? Are you tr¡ªAARGHH"


    The Aqua Mine exploded. She didn''t place it right against his head, but it was still close enough to knock his head to the side slightly as he cradled the edge of his face that had been splattered with a small wave of boiling water.


    Five seconds was about the time she needed to cause a sphere the size of a tennis ball to begin superheating it turned out. Slightly less if she lessened its size, although that of course also affected its concussive and explosive effect. But this man didn''t look to have any kind of magical defense so it didn''t matter much.


    "I believe I told you to tell me what I wish to know." Scarlett gestured to Kat, who had jumped forward at the blast, to stand back before turning her attention back to the injured man. "Want me to ask the question again?"


    He bared his teeth at her and made to lunge at her. She snapped her fingers again and two more Aqua Mines appeared before him. He froze. Then slowly let go of his knife and leaned back in his chair, visibly in pain. It wasn''t a nice sight. His left ear was completely burnt.


    "I told you, my Lady. I don''t know anything about any betrayal. Weren''t you the one supposed to help us?"


    "That was the agreement, yes." At the corner of her eye, Scarlett saw Kat flinch at the statement. But the Shielder made no other effort to move so she let it go for now. Leaning forward in her chair, Scarlett stared into the man''s eyes. "But then your leader appears to have thought he could deceive me without there being any consequences to his actions. I do not like people trying to cross me."


    He flinched back from her. "I-I''m telling you, I don''t know anything about that I swear."


    She stared at him for a while. Then she let the two spheres of water and fire disappear as they were hard for her to maintain while keeping her concentration. She leaned back in the chair. "Very well. I believe you."


    "Thank you¡ª"


    "But I cannot simply let the matter slide." Her eyes locked onto the man. "I know your leader hides in Stoolie''s Nest. Tell me what the current entrance and passcode is."


    The man''s expression changed into that of slight surprise, before taking on a more defiant look. "I don''t¡ª"


    "Do not make me repeat myself," she snapped. "If you attempt to withhold information from me because of some misplaced sense of loyalty then know that it makes no difference to me. My business is with your leader only, and it would not cost me much time to find his location even without your help. Although it would mean your life."


    The man went quiet. She could see sweat running down the side of his face that hadn''t been scarred by her attack and he was clenching his fists. "...It''s in the Snow-show fishery. The passcode is King Fisher."


    "Good." Scarlett turned towards Kat. "Deal with him," she said as she stood up from the chair.


    "What? Hey wait a minu¡ª" The man barely managed to speak before a stone slammed into him and knocked him to the floor.


    "Is it true?" Kat asked immediately after. Scarlett met the woman''s stare. There was an anger in those eyes. "You were helping these people?"


    "...In a manner," Scarlett answered after a while. "If one is to dispose of a weed, then one has to eradicate it at the root. Sometimes the best way of doing that is from the inside."


    "Then what was all that about?" Kat waved towards the man who lay on the floor. "About them double-crossing you?"


    "It is called acting. I believe I informed you of it beforehand," Scarlett said. "Men like him do not give information to authorities lightly. But they are much more likely to do so if they believe it to be only a conflict between fellow deplorables. And fear for their well being."


    Of course, the original Scarlet had actually been supporting these people, but that wasn''t something she wanted people to know. This particular group of men had served as a good excuse for her to deal with that. Besides, she truly did need the information regarding Stoolie''s Nest if she wanted to handle the traffickers as she''d done in the game. Stoolie''s Nest had been their main den of criminal activities there, and because its entrance and passcode changed from time to time it could take a while for the player to find it. It had been in a different place in her first playthrough than in her last, so she''d been lucky that these men knew its current location.


    She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Kat. "Any other questions? Otherwise I believe it is time we let those people out."


    The woman stared at her for a few more seconds but eventually shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. You have an explanation for basically anything it seems. But I won''t complain for now."


    "Then you can go ahead and free the people in the storage hall. I will look for further information."


    Kat uttered a ''sure'' in acceptance and walked over to the motionless body of the scarred man to cast her healing magic on him before leaving the room and Scarlett alone.


    Scarlett then walked over to the table where the man had been sitting and picked up the large ledger. She started looking through its pages. It seemed to be an account of trades and wares¡ªwares, in this case, no doubt being people¡ªand was quite lengthy. A quick scan didn''t reveal any mentions of Scarlett, but she put it aside in her pouch of holding to check through it later. She then searched through the room and the man''s body for any other written accounts before leaving towards the warehouse''s main storage where Kat would be waiting.


    When she arrived she found Kat surrounded by a pile of terrified children. The woman had already lowered her mask and hood and stood on her knees with a kind expression on her face as she uttered comforting phrases. She was currently holding a small girl of maybe about ten years with long brown hair hanging behind in a tussle.


    "It''ll be okay. You''re all safe now. We''ll get you out of here soon," Kat said. Her eyes turned to Scarlett when she approached. "Children. They were keeping children captive." The rage in her voice was only barely hidden.


    Scarlett looked over the children. Some of them appeared to shy away at her gaze. "I see. Then it is good that soon they will no longer be able to continue their activites." She didn''t get too close to the kids. Her presence seemed to scare them, but she didn''t mind it too much. She wasn''t good with children and she never had been. Her own younger sister was the only child she had ever really dealt with, and it was arguable how well she did with that. Although these children were younger than her sister had been when she was at her most problematic. None of these kids looked to be older than twelve. And a lot of them looked around eight or nine. Thankfully they didn''t look starved. Just with some worn clothes.


    "I have readied several carriages," Scarlett said. "We''ll bring the children to my estate for now. We still have business that requires handling tonight."


    Kat met Scarlett''s eyes and gave a determined nod. "Let''s go," she said and stood up while carrying the small girl in her arms and gathering the other kids in front of her. "But what about them?" she asked and nodded her head towards the limp body of one of the men.


    "There are regular inspections performed by the count''s men. An inspector should come by before morning. There is enough evidence for them to take these men into custody for now. The rest will be dealt with later."


    "Alright," Kat said and turned back to the children who were all leaning on each other. "Come on, kids. We''ll bring you somewhere safe now."

 Chapter 9 - Aviaries and sewers

    After leaving the warehouse behind Scarlett and Kat brought the kids to the carriages that Scarlett had prepared with Garside''s help beforehand. It was a bit tight¡ªfitting approximately thirty scared children into four carriages was a challenge¡ªbut none of the kids caused any problems. It turned out barely any of them even spoke English¡ªor ''Modern Imperial'' as it was called in this world¡ªbut instead spoke Voneian. It made sense, considering they were supposedly taken from the kingdom of Voneia that lay to the empire''s west. Despite this, all of them seemed to already trust Kat and look at her as if she was some kind of savior. Which, technically, she was.


    The servants back at the mansions all looked to be in a state of panic when Scarlett returned along with a cluster of kids that she told them to take care of for the moment. Luckily Garside took charge of the situation and looked to have a decent handle on things.


    "I will ensure the children are safe and fed until you return, my Lady," he said with a bow as she and Kat moved into another carriage and were about to leave. Some of the children didn''t seem to take to being left at a strange place particularly well but the servants managed to calm them down. It turned out that the black-haired servant woman that Scarlett had first met¡ªScarlett finally overheard her being called Molly by another servant¡ªknew Voneian. She also seemed used to caring for children which made things easier for Scarlett. She would have to figure out exactly how to deal with that particular problem later on. It wasn''t her current priority.


    "I entrust the matter to you for now," Scarlett said to Garside right before telling the coach to get the carriage moving. The Hartfords'' mansion was situated at the northern edge of Freybrook, close to the city''s outermost walls. The whole area was mainly occupied by different large mansions ¡ª each with large grounds surrounding them. In that Freybrook was much more of a ''traditional'' city in this world. Scarlett remembered that many of the ''younger'' cities in the game were much more compact in their design compared to Freybrook. The only cities that were larger area-wise were probably Elystead¡ªthe Imperial Capital¡ªand Windgrove, though that was just a rough estimate from her experience in the game.


    It was still dark as they left the more affluent districts of the city behind and moved into its less prosperous regions. ''Slums'' might be too strong of a word, but the conditions of the houses around them dwindled considerably. The streets around here weren''t cobbled stone, but rather dirt, and it was clear they hadn''t been designed for carriages to pass through them. At several points their driver had to stop the carriage in order to maneuver it through particularly tight spaces where the houses had been built too close to each other. Many of the buildings were also two or more floors high and blocked much of the sky from sight, which made Scarlett feel almost closed in. It didn''t help that some of the buildings were leaning slightly towards the road in a way she was deeply uncomfortable with. It was abundantly clear safety regulations weren''t common practice around here.


    Eventually their carriage stopped in front of a small building crammed in between two others with a sign that read ''Snow-shod'' and had the image of a dead fish on it.


    "You may want to cover yourself once more," Scarlett said to Kat as the woman was about to leave the carriage. The Shielder looked back at her for a moment, before sighing and pulling up her hood as well as the black mask from her pocket. She then stepped out of the carriage and Scarlett followed right after. The mask and hood were really only there to make Kat seem more threatening. Scarlett had thought that would make it easier for her to sell her act. Although that wasn''t really as important anymore.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    After giving a command to the coach driver to wait nearby she stepped up to the building''s old wooden door.


    "Shouldn''t you let me go first?" Kat asked.


    "No. Stay behind me for now," Scarlett said before she opened the door and walked in. The place was cramped, the only light inside coming from a small lantern standing on a counter where a large man with greying hair leaned against a chair with a beaten book in his hands. He looked up at them, his eyes staying on Kat''s hooded appearance for several seconds.


    "What ya want?" His voice came out as a hoarse grumble.


    Scarlett locked her sight on the man and walked up to the counter. "We are seeking a King Fisher."


    The man''s gaze shifted from Kat to Scarlett. "...Who sent ya?"


    "No one. We are here by my accord."


    He examined her for a while. "...Fine," he eventually grumbled and stood up. "Not that it matters to me what you fancy ladies get up to."


    He walked over to an old bookshelf standing next to the wall and put his weight against it. Wood scraping against wood creaked across the room as he pushed the shelf aside to reveal a closed door. He took out a key and unlocked it. On the other side was a stairway that led down. The man gestured for them to enter and immediately closed the door behind them after they did. Not long after Scarlett heard the sound of the bookshelf being pushed back to its original position.


    "I hope you know what you''re doing," she heard Kat mumble from the side. Scarlett ignored it for now and descended the stairs. There was another door at the bottom. As she opened it, her nose was assaulted by a strong dank smell. These were the underground waterways and sewers that passed beneath parts of Freybrook and carried its sewage out towards the sea. It didn''t smell as bad as one might expect sewers to do, but it still wasn''t a smell she preferred. Especially not with the original Scarlett''s added propensities.


    In front of them was an arched stone tunnel that led both to their right and left, with two walkways on either side of the tunnels and water running in the middle. It was very much like the classical sewers one saw in games. Although not always what one might expect from a medieval-esque world. But in many ways this world was only medieval in appearance, sharing many more features with later time periods as far as Scarlett was aware.


    She looked to the right and the left. There were lights further down to the right. In the game, Stoolie''s Nest had never been far from the entrance. Despite often changing locations, they obviously still followed some patterns.


    They began moving towards the light further down the walkway. Their steps echoed throughout the tunnel, only accompanied by the constant sound of running water. Eventually, they reached an intersection where the tunnel split in three directions. The light they''d seen came from a small lantern hanging from a hook on the wall next to them, but Scarlett spotted another faint light further down one of the tunnels. She created a small flame in the air before her and used it to light their way as they continued down that tunnel. Before long they reached another lantern hanging from a hook on the wall next to a worn door. It seemed they had arrived.


    Scarlett turned to look at Kat. "Are you prepared?" She gestured towards the door. "There will be a large number of opponents on the other side. I do not think any will prove to be a problem for you, but I do not want you to make a mistake due to carelessness." After all, any mistakes on Kat''s part would affect her too. Taking care of these people quickly was integral to her being able to live in this world without being branded a criminal.


    Kat simply nodded her head. "I''m ready all right. If anything I''m gonna have a hard time holding back against these bastards."


    Well, Scarlett couldn''t fault her for that. Though she didn''t feel too much just from watching the state the children had been in, it was still a pretty terrible situation by any standards. She wagered her old self would have been even more mortified.


    "Very well. Then let''s continue," she said.

 Chapter 10 - Gang fights

    Scarlett watched Kat open the door to go in and followed behind her soon after. It led to a short hallway that opened up into a wide room lit up by several lanterns. Lines of barrels stood against the walls with tables and other wooden furniture being haphazardly spread around the room. Groups of people, most of them men but there were some women, lounged around the tables in the midst of playing cards and other activities. The place was reminiscent of how it had looked in the game when Scarlett found the Nest in her playthrough.


    Everybody''s attention moved towards Kat as she entered the room first.


    "Who''s that?" Scarlett heard one man ask the person next to them. The person merely shrugged their shoulders in response.


    "What''s with the hood?" a tall man with ruffled brown hair and a scar on his cheek asked. His eyes then seemed to spot Scarlett at the back. "Who are you?"


    She didn''t bother replying, her head turning as she took in the people here. She paused for a moment when she spotted someone she recognized. A man with a bent nose and dirt-blond hair.


    Wythers.


    He seemed to recognize her too because he mumbled something to the people around him.


    "What?! The baroness?!" one of them exclaimed. The tall man with the scar looked at his compatriot before turning back to Scarlett. "You a noble?"


    Scarlett looked over the rest of the people in the room before returning her gaze to the man. It seemed as if their leader wasn''t here.


    "None of these have relevant information. You may do as you wish," she told Kat. The scarred man got a confused look on his face but he didn''t have the chance to say anything before a lump of stone slammed into him.


    The others instantly got up and reached for weapons but Kat didn''t show any mercy. She began casting spells at a prolific rate, knocking grunts into walls left and right. There were a couple of men that tried bypassing the Shielder to get to Scarlett but a few well-placed Aqua Mines delayed them enough for Kat to take care of them. Most of these people didn''t have magical protection of any kind so they were defenseless even by Scarlett''s standards.


    It only took a few minutes for Kat to deal with all of them, at which a door on the other end of the room slammed open and two large men walked out, followed by a short man with slicked-back black hair and one missing eye. These two men Scarlett could see did have some kind of magical protection around them, and she recognized the other man as the boss of this little organization. He took in the havoc in the room before pointing at Scarlett and Kat. "Get those bitches! I want their damn heads!"


    While the leader''s two goons would probably constitute mini-bosses in the game for players around level 20 they weren''t much compared to a B-ranked Shielder. Kat tossed two smaller fireballs into their chests which burned their clothes and knocked them back a few steps. Then spikes of stone erupted around them from the floor. Some pierced partway into a leg or an arm, but most missed the men themselves and instead formed a sort of cage around them. The eyes of their boss went wide. He pulled out a large axe from his belt and started yelling as he ran towards Kat. A whip of fire swung out from her hands and coiled around his right arm. He screamed out in pain as he dropped the axe and was pulled to his knees. Immediately after, thin pillars of stone rose up to lock him in place too.


    Scarlett watched Kat''s shoulders move up and down as the woman took several tired breaths. Clearly pumping out enough spells to take out a dozen people in a few minutes was taxing even for her. But except for a few angry cries from the boss and his two bodyguards, no one was moving in the room. Kat had done a good job.


    Ignoring the scarred leader for now, Scarlett walked up towards the door he''d come from. Behind it was a hallway that led to another room.


    "What now?" Kat asked as she stepped up beside her.


    Scarlett turned to the woman. "The evidence we are looking for is likely to be in there. I intend to gather it so that all those involved in these ventures can be identified and arrested." That had been the way she handled the quest in the game in her first and latest playthrough, and she was planning on doing the same now. After making sure she could extract herself from the situation, of course.


    Kat nodded at her statement and together they walked into what was ostensibly the leader of Stoolie''s Nest''s¡ªif Scarlett recalled correctly the organization called itself the Grave Dogs or something like that¡ªroom. There was a desk filled with stuff on it at one end as well as a short shelf with books standings against one of the walls. Scarlett walked over to the shelf and began looking through the books as Kat moved to the table and started sifting through its contents. The first book Scarlett opened wasn''t anything special. It just looked to be a collection of old fairy tales, some of which she recognized from the game''s flavor books. She put it inside her Pouch of Holding for now and grabbed another book.


    "What''s this?" she heard Kat murmur and looked up to see the woman holding a reflective piece of grey metal in an even rectangular shape. It looked almost like a mirror. It took a moment for Scarlett to recognize it.


    "Release that!" she cried and rushed across the room to grab the Shielder''s arm. Kat jolted back and let the mirror go. It clattered onto the table.


    Scarlett''s eyes widened as she saw the reflective surface of the metal take on a darker hue as a fog seemed to cover its surface. It was too late. Soon, the vague visage of a face appeared in the fog.


    "...Who called?" a hoarse voice rang out. It wasn''t coming from the mirror itself, but instead coming from inside her mind. The sensation sent shivers down her spine.


    "...A Shielder and...what is this?"


    A chill ran through Scarlett as she forced herself to ignore the voice and grab the object. It was cold to the touch as she turned it around, looking for some way to turn it off.


    "What is that?" she heard Kat mumble next to her.


    "Who are you?" the voice continued inside Scarlett''s head. "Your mind...it is concealed...protected. What...are you hiding?"


    Finding nothing but a smooth surface on its back she swallowed back a curse and clenched her teeth. It felt as if something was pressing onto the insides of her head. It was never made clear in the game how you turned these things off!


    "...Interesting...Who did this? Was...it you?" the voice continued, unabated.


    Letting out a small cry she threw the piece of metal to the ground with all the force she could muster. She pointed both her hands towards it and created the strongest fire she could imagine. Light filled the room as a flame the size of a campfire appeared and engulfed the foggy mirror. The flames shone a deep orange, their color slowly growing more and more bright. The heat was close to unbearable for Scarlett as sweat started running down her face, but she pressed on.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Why do...you panic? What...is it you fear?" The pressure inside her head was almost overwhelming. It was as if a thousand hammers were pounding to get out of her skull.


    "I will...see...You can...not hid¡ª"


    Everything turned white as a burning ball of fire flew out from beside her and an explosion rocked the small room. It felt like it almost shattered Scarlett''s eardrums, but the pressure against her mind immediately disappeared, along with that haunting voice. She released her fire and fell to her knees gasping for breath. It felt as if there was almost no air to breathe.


    [Mana: 78/988]


    And her mana was almost depleted. Taking a moment longer to gather herself, Scarlett then looked up at Kat. The Shielder was also gasping for her breath, though she didn''t look to be in as severe a state as Scarlett was.


    "Was that your spell?" Scarlett asked.


    "Yeah..." Kat nodded her head slowly, staring at the spot where the mirror object had been. Now it was just a shattered piece of metal, the reflective qualities it had originally had gone. "What the blazes was that?!"


    "That," Scarlett said, gathering her breath for another moment before standing, "should not have been here." She supported herself on the desk as she took a couple of steps, then let go and left the room with measured steps. Walking through the short hallway into the larger room she moved up to the boss as he panted and groaned while trying to escape the stone pillars that were pinning him down. Using some of her last mana, she created a fire above her hand and moved it close to his face as she leaned down over him. "Where did you get that mirror?"


    She shifted it in front of his face just as he spit out a glob of saliva towards her. She heard a low sizzling from the fire for a moment and then moved it close to his ears instead. "You did not obtain that item yourself. Tell me who gave it to you," she demanded.


    The man met her stare with a defiant gaze in his eye.


    "Here. Let me take care of it." Kat lightly shoved Scarlett aside just as she was about to make good on her threat. She took a step back and watched as the Shielder grabbed the man''s chin with her right hand.


    "You''re going to tell us what that thing was," she said as a fire whip formed in her other hand. With one wave of her hand parts of the stone disappeared to reveal his burned arm and the whip coiled around it causing him to grimace in pain. "Or else your eye isn''t going to be the only thing you have one of." The man screamed in pain as Kat tightened the whip for a moment, before loosening it again immediately after. "Understood?" She bent down to his eye level.


    "Damn bitch..." he muttered.


    "What was that?" The fire tightened around his arm again.


    "It was an artifact. A gods damned artifact!" he cried. The fire loosened once more.


    Kat leaned in towards him. "What did it do?"


    "It let us get in contact with our main buyer, alright!?"


    "Who was your buyer?"


    The man clenched his teeth. "I don''t know."


    He cried out in pain again as the flames on Kat''s whip burned deeper into his skin. "I''m telling you I don''t know!" he yelled. "They only contacted us through that damn artifact and never showed us their face, ok?!"


    "Who gave you the artifact?" Scarlett asked.


    "Some random schmuck that approached us out of nowhere. I didn''t see their face but their money was good so I didn''t bother asking." The man''s face scrunched up in pain.


    Kat glared at him. "Then how did you transport the children?"


    "The children?" A look of understanding grew on his face. "That''s what all this is about?"


    "Answer the damn question," Kat growled and pulled at her whip.


    "AAGGH! Damn it, we took them outside the city where a group of masked people always picked them up. That''s all I know, I swear!"


    Scarlett observed the man for a moment, then she gestured towards Kat. "It is likely that he''s speaking the truth. He will not have any more information we need. You may take care of him as you wish." She honestly wouldn''t care if Kat cut his arm off. Or killed him right here and now. Worrying? Perhaps. But at least it suited her situation in this world well.


    The ruffled Shielder turned to Scarlett. "What? That''s all?"


    She nodded her head. "He knows nothing else of the artifact. In that, I believe. And there is nothing else we need from him at the moment."


    Kat raised her eyebrows at the words, but shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the boss.


    He looked between them. "Hey, wai¡ª"


    One blow to the head from the Shielder was enough to knock him out. Kat then looked back at Scarlett. "What now?"


    Scarlett looked around the room. "I will find the necessary evidence. I believe it is best if you stay here and ensure no one wakes up and causes trouble," she said. Her eyes drifted towards the injured leader. "And perhaps treat those who you do not want dead."


    Kat nodded her head and walked to the center of the room, pushing away tables and chairs that had fallen over some people. Scarlett took one last glance at the woman before walking back into the boss'' room. Her eyes paused at what remained of the mirror artifact on the floor.


    ...She really hadn''t been expecting to run into that this early.


    She could still remember that pressure against her mind. Trying to pry into her very thoughts.


    The Angler Man had been much more terrifying than she''d imagined. But the presence of that artifact, a [Mirror of Communion], begged the question of why it was here to begin with. She was certain it hadn''t been present during this questline in the game. The first appearance of one of those wasn''t until several levels later. So why was it here? Had things changed from the game? Or was it because she completed this part of the quest much earlier in this world than she did in any of her playthroughs? Maybe The Angler Man had always been behind these people, even in the game. It was possible that it was something the player might have been able to find if they just reached this place earlier.


    Scarlett pulled her attention from the mirror. There was no way for her to know right now. The Angler Man had noticed her, which was bad. But it wasn''t what her current focus should be on.


    She walked up to the shelf with books in it again. As before, she picked up a book and began sifting through it. When she didn''t find anything noteworthy she put the book aside in her Pouch of Holding and went onward to the next book. She repeated the process until she picked and opened up a certain book.


    [Quest Completed: Find evidence of the Grey Dog Gang''s criminal activites]


    {Skill points awarded: 2}


    She stopped to look up at the window of text that had appeared before her. Then she looked down at the book in her hands and turned a few pages. It appeared to describe several transactions between different individuals and organizations, with terms such as ''merchandise'', ''assets'', and ''expenses'' used quite generously. At first glance, there didn''t seem to be anything off about the records in the book. But after taking a closer look she noticed some suspicious things. One of those was several inspections permits, dated at different times, affirming that the inspections had been performed without issue. Scarlett knew those were fabricated, probably with the original Scarlett''s help too. She doubted it would take much investigating to prove that. It wouldn''t surprise her if there already were warrants of arrest out for some of this gang''s members. But if one were to dig into these records one would undoubtedly find more dirt on both the gang and its associates. Presumably.


    Satisfied for now, Scarlett put it and the remaining books in her pouch. She then left the room and went back to Kat, who was in the middle of tying up the last of the thugs she''d taken care of with some rope she had found. The masked woman looked up at Scarlett as she approached.


    "You finished?"


    Scarlett gave a slight nod of her head in response. "I am."


    "Then what now?"


    "We leave."


    Kat''s eyes widened. "Just like that?"


    Scarlett stepped over the arm of one of the "Grey Dog Gang" goons and towards the door they''d entered through. "We have enough evidence to ensure that those responsible take some responsibility. The rest can be taken care of by the count''s men. I am certain the Shields Guild can contact them expeditiously enough." It didn''t really matter much to Scarlett whether these particular people were taken in or not. She had gotten what she needed and resolved the immediate situation. All she needed to do now was deal with some of the aftermath.


    "What about that artifact?"


    Scarlett paused and turned to Kat. "What about it?"


    Kat''s blue eyes met hers through the hood. "What was that? That...thing. You recognized it, didn''t you?"


    Scarlett looked at the woman for a while. "...It was dangerous," she eventually said. "Not something you should occupy yourself with in the future."


    The Shielder stared at her for a moment, then shook her head. "Fine. Let''s go. I want to check up on those kids again to make sure they''re well anyways."


    Kat let go of the man she had just finished tying up and stood. She then followed Scarlett out of the room as they left Stoolie''s Nest behind.


    It had been a long night.

 Chapter 11 - Negotiation? Extortion? Whats the difference?

    Guifford Knottley sat behind his desk in his office and looked out the large window behind it. It afforded a good view of the city. While Freybrook was originally built in a heavily forested area, with the Whitdown Mountains not far off, the city itself had been built around a deep inlet with mostly flat land around it. The estate of the first city lords generations ago had been built on what was essentially the only elevated point in the city, a choice he had always appreciated. It was calming, being able to look out over part of his domain and see it breathe with life.


    And calming was what he needed right now.


    He couldn''t help scowling as he thought about the recent events ¡ª his bushy brows furrowing deeply. Guifford had always been a large man. Though he was now bald, he more than made up for it with his large beard. He had a large nose and had never been referred to as handsome, but people had always said he held an imposing presence.


    Unfortunately, that hadn''t had any particular effect on the woman he would be seeing now for a long while.


    A knock sounded from the door.


    "Enter," he said, turning around to the entrance. His head butler, Johan, walked in. The middle-aged man bowed before speaking.


    "My Lord. Baroness Hartford has arrived."


    "Lead her here," Guifford said and waved Johan away. The man immediately left, leaving Guifford alone in his office again. He looked down at the reports on his desk. Scarlett Hartford sure had caused a disturbance this time.


    He remembered the days when she was still a child. Such a resolute and confident young girl. Her parents had been good friends of his so it hadn''t been unusual for her and her sister to visit his estate. His son had even hoped to wed her once upon a time. He was glad that did not go anywhere. He pitied her current fianc¨¦.


    He wasn''t sure when she changed, but the young girl he knew was no more. She had certainly grown into a beautiful woman; the talk of many cliques among high society, despite only being a baroness. But she had also grown cold. Ruthless. And he had heard rumors of her...activities. Rumors he''d hoped to be false. But the last days'' events shattered those hopes.


    He sat there and read through the papers spread across his desk¡ªthis was far from the first time he''d done this today¡ªuntil eventually another knock came from the door.


    "My Lord. Baroness Hartford is here to see you," Johan''s voice rang out from the other side.


    "Let her in," Guifford rumbled.


    The door swung open and Scarlett Hartford entered. She wore a light white dress with a white lace choker, her deep red hair hanging behind her shoulder. She bent her head slightly towards him. "Greetings to Count Knottley."


    He raised an eyebrow. That wasn''t how she usually greeted him. Was she trying to placate him? He gestured to a chair opposite of him on the other side of the desk. "Take a seat."


    She lifted her head and walked towards the chair, gently lowering herself into it. Guifford looked towards Johan and gave him a nod. The butler exited the room and closed the door behind him. Guifford then turned his attention back to Scarlett. "I assume you know why I called for you."


    "Of course." She held her back straight as she leaned both hands on her legs. "I have been anticipating the Count''s summons since yesterday."


    He looked at her. He wasn''t sure whether her demeanor was arrogance or if she was just that sure of herself.


    He currently had over a dozen people in his stockades on suspicions of illegal racketeering, human trafficking, smuggling, and a number of other things. And it was all because of her. Some of those people were known criminals, while others were merely suspect. But with the circumstantial evidence found at the sites in addition to the Shields Guild''s preliminary report, as well as the fact that there were supposedly over thirty children who could serve as witness accounts, he wouldn''t have any problem prosecuting those already captured.


    But that was all.


    A trafficking ring had been operational in Freybrook under his nose for Ittar knows how long, and all he had to show as a response was those who had been involved directly on the site. No accomplices, collaborators, or even backers. The Grey Dog Gang was a known criminal organization, but their capture wasn''t even due to his involvement. He had very little to show for what would no doubt become a large issue. And the prisoners themselves hadn''t given much of use yet. People were already starting to hound at his heels because of this matter.


    And in front of him sat the woman responsible for this mess ¡ª calm as ever. It took a lot out of him just to repress letting out a tired sigh. "Do you have an explanation for yourself?" he eventually asked her.


    "An explanation for what, precisely?"


    He folded his hands and leaned forward in his chair. "I have men in my cells accusing you of actively supporting criminal activities in Freybrook. The trafficking of children kidnapped from Voneia is just one example."


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Only two of the prisoners were actually claiming the baroness was one of their backers, but considering the circumstances, that was enough to cause trouble for her.


    "And reports from both the Guild and those prisoners indicate that you tried removing any evidence of your involvement."


    "I find it surprising that you trust the words of men whose criminal pursuits I personally hindered," Scarlett said in a cold voice. "One would expect that to cast doubt on the credence of their accusations. And what claim did the Guild make for you to reach such a conclusion?"


    Guifford went silent for a moment. This was most certainly the Scarlett he was used to. She would find herself jumping headfirst into the water down at the bay before she ever tried appeasing someone else. "...The details of their report aren''t something you need to know. However, I will say that they didn''t outright accuse you of anything. In fact, they were surprisingly positive of you. But it did mention that you were the one to gather evidence from the sites. Evidence which we have seen nothing of." He stared at her. "Scarlett. I don''t know why you did what you did...But do you truly think you can get away with it at this point? I will have my men search through the Hartford residence and even all of your lands if that is what it takes."


    She met his eyes, the side of her lips curving upwards into what looked almost like a slight smile. "It seems you are under a misconception, Count."


    "...What?"


    "My intention has never been to hide any evidence from you. In fact, I was planning on conveying what I had found to you right at this moment." She moved her hands towards a black satchel¡ªor rather, a pouch¡ª that was fastened to her waist with a white belt. He had found it odd that she, of all people, wore such a garment that clashed with her apparel, but it hadn''t been his main focus. He watched as she reached into the pouch and, as its opening magically widened to almost double its size, pulled out a large book. She held it up in front of him for a moment before putting it back into the pouch of holding. "There was information I required in these records which is why I did not immediately demonstrate them after the raids, but you can rest assured that there have been no alterations to the texts. I assume your men will be capable of confirming their veracity."


    Guifford gave the baroness a doubting look. "You expect me to simply trust you?"


    "I hope you will. After all, in these books, you will find signs of my collaboration with the Grey Dog Gang''s activities for the last eight months."


    His eyes widened. "Are you being serious?"


    Scarlett nodded. "Yes. I would have liked for it to be sooner, but eight months was what it took for me to gain enough trust and learn where they operated from."


    Guifford examined her closely, looking for any signs of a lie. But her expression was as still as a rock. "You''re implying you associated with them only to eventually stop them?"


    "Of course."


    "Why?"


    "You expect a member of the nobility to ignore such a blatant danger and mistreatment of innocent people?"


    He crossed his arms and frowned at her. "I expect you to report the matter. Not to fund their activities."


    The baroness went quiet for a moment, her eyes looking at him as if they were examining him. "Perhaps I would have," she finally said. "If they had merely been another petty criminal organization."


    "...What do you mean?"


    She went quiet again. Almost as if she was hesitating to say what she was about to.


    "Have you heard of...the Hallowed Cabal?"


    He froze.


    In his close to fifty years of serving the empire as part of its reigning class, it had been involved in many struggles, both within and outside its borders. Amongst those, there had been two well-known groups that had caused much more trouble for the empire than any others. The Undead Council and the Tribe of Sin. He had fought in several conflicts with them personally. Unfortunately neither had been successfully eradicated, but they had been a lot quieter for the past decades.


    However, in addition to those two, there was another group. One he knew not many were aware of. All he himself knew was their name and that they worked from the shadows. He never expected Scarlett to have heard of them. Or to bring them up now. "Where did you hear that name?"


    "Where I heard it is irrelevant," she said. "What''s important is that their involvement was not something I could ignore. Therefore I had to take action myself."


    Guifford stared at her for a moment, then brought his hand to his chin as he scratched the side of his beard. "People will find that hard to believe. I do."


    "I expect as much." Scarlett merely acknowledged his words with a slight nod of her head. "That is why I want you to compose a writ declaring that I operated under your orders in pursuit of apprehending criminal factions in Freybrook."


    His fingers stopped. "...You''re asking a lot for a person who''s at risk of execution for breaching imperial law." Human trafficking was a severe crime, no matter who performed it.


    "Is that so?" she replied. She looked genuinely perplexed by his statement. "I believed it was quite a reasonable demand, considering it shares all acknowledgment with the Count. And do not forget that I am in possession of any evidence."


    He scowled at her. So that was her game. She was trying to strike a deal, and she knew what he needed. It wasn''t much different from blackmail. Was her story even the truth? Or did she just think associating with the Grey Dog Gang was too risky and decided to jump ship?


    "I could simply seize the evidence from you," he rumbled.


    She raised a brow at him. "You could try, yes. You would not succeed."


    He glanced down to the pouch at her side. Her gaze also moved to it.


    "Ah, this book was merely something I found in my office. ''Voneian Linguistics'', by Jelena Wheatleigh. I thought I could have use for it. It is all I have on me at present, however. You will not find much more in my residence."


    He grunted. Blasted woman. It would be easier if he just imprisoned her here and now. It would definitely cause him a lot of trouble, and he probably wouldn''t be able to have her executed or revoked of her title, but it might save him from falling into whatever scheme she was plotting.


    He stared at her, seriously considering the matter for a few seconds, before finally letting out a tired sigh.


    Maybe he was growing weak. Watching her face that reminded him of the late baron and baroness made him more sentimental than usual. And in the end, this was the better deal for him.


    "Fine. You have my word that I''ll announce that you were acting under my orders. However, I expect you to uphold your part of the bargain as soon as possible." He shook his head. If only the younger sister had been the baroness instead. He knew Evelyne was much more fit for the position¡ªdespite Scarlett''s attempts to convince people otherwise¡ªboth when it came to her managerial skills and her magic.


    "Satisfied?" He raised an eye at Scarlett.


    "Yes. Although I would prefer if I could have it in writing first," she said.


    Guifford''s eye twitched.

 Chapter 12 - Introspections

    [Quest Completed: End the Grey Dog Gang''s criminal activities]


    {Skill points awarded: 2}


    Scarlett glanced at the window of text before her as the buildings of Freybrook passed by outside the carriage window. She wasn''t quite sure what the criteria were for a quest to be considered complete. The two previous quests had announced their completion at clear and relevant occasions, but this one didn''t appear until a while after she''d met with the count. It was odd that it worked differently, but perhaps it was just because something she was unaware of had not happened until now. Some delayed response to her actions or something like that.


    She pushed the matter out of her mind and turned back to observing the passing buildings and crowds. The streets of downtown Freybrook were as lively as they came, it appeared. She lifted her gaze towards the count''s mansion situated on the hill overlooking this part of the city. The structure was visible even outside Freybrook. It had a central tower whose red tiles created a stark contrast with the clear blue sky. If she was correct, that was where the count''s office was.


    She was still finding it hard to believe that she was now a person who would visit important places like that. That she was important. Despite how easy¡ªhow natural¡ªit was for her to act the part due to the original Scarlett''s remaining influence, the part of her that was still Amy Bernal couldn''t completely shake off the strangeness of the whole situation. And annoyingly enough she found herself at odds with that part of herself.


    Up till now, all her actions had been working from the assumption that she had to act fast. She had to establish control and a base for herself to safely operate from because that is what she had told herself was the best method of staying safe in this new world. But in the process of doing that she had probably leaned further into the Scarlett part of her than she originally wished. Honestly, at times she wasn''t even certain what part of her a certain thought came from. She knew she was Amy Bernal, but adhering too much to such a mindset was also likely to set her back. She couldn''t gawk at every other sight, hesitate in every other interaction, hold back against thieves and murderers. Those were all things the original part of her wanted to do, but that she had denied herself.


    But she had also promised not to lose herself. The first thing she''d done in this world, after she realized that her thoughts and mind weren''t completely her own, was to promise she wouldn''t forget who Amy Bernal was. And yet she felt she''d already gone far too close to doing so on more than one occasion.


    But then what was she supposed to do? She wasn''t the original Amy Bernal. Amy would never have been able to subject a man to second-degree burns just because she wanted information. Amy would never have been able to watch a man be tortured in cold blood. So hadn''t she already lost herself, in a manner? She''d considered it necessary actions at the time, but now that she had time to reflect on it she wasn''t sure what to think. Was her wish even realistic? Was it even possible to hold on to your past self after having such a large part of your core personality forcefully changed? Was it too late to try and change the way she approached this world?


    "What are you frowning about?" a voice asked from the other side of the carriage. Scarlett spun her head to look at the blonde-haired woman that sat in the seat opposite her. Kat had her hair loose today, with some of it covering part of her blue eyes. "I thought you said it went well."


    Scarlett wordlessly looked at the Shielder for a moment before turning back to the window. "It did," she answered curtly. She didn''t feel like elaborating on her complicated thoughts at the moment.


    "...If you say so," Kat muttered and went silent.


    Scarlett ignored the slight tinge of annoyance that always came when she heard the woman talk casually with her. It was a small victory, but she felt a tiny amount of satisfaction from fighting back against those traits of hers at least this much.


    She glanced back at Kat to make sure the woman didn''t take too much offense from her reply, but it didn''t seem to have affected the woman much. Kat was just looking out the other window while humming some tune that Scarlett wasn''t familiar with.


    She was honestly glad that the Shielder had chosen to stay with her. A B-ranked senior member of the Shields Guild wasn''t something one could look down on. Frankly, Kat was probably one of the stronger people in this city. When Scarlett had visited the Shields Guild once again the day before to look into extending the escort request she''d made to them for an indefinite amount of time she hadn''t been expecting either Kat or the Guild to agree to it. But she was lucky that they did, despite what it might cost. She was gonna need it.


    It hadn''t been part of her plan, but she had aroused the interest of The Angler Man. It was only a question of time before the Hallowed Cabal sent people out to investigate her. Or worse ¡ª kidnap her. Encountering that [Mirror of Communion] was probably one of the worst things that could have happened to her this early. Dealing with the Hallowed Cabal wasn''t something that the player started doing until late mid-game or late-game so handling them now was far out of her capabilities. That was why she needed someone of Kat''s caliber as her guard for the time being.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    She had been hesitant to reveal the Hallowed Cabal''s involvement with the Grey Dog Gang¡ªgod that name was a mouthful¡ªto the count. She was well aware that several powerful figures worked for them in the game, and if Count Knottley was one of them she would have been putting herself in even more danger. But in the end, it looked to be her best excuse for the original Scarlett''s actions. And while it didn''t guarantee anything, she couldn''t remember the count being mentioned as a member of the Cabal in the game.


    And it seemed to have worked out. The count had accepted her proposal¡ªthough it probably wasn''t much different from extortion¡ªand it looked like she was safe for now. She even got the quest completion as a confirmation of that. She had feared that the count wouldn''t have cared for the evidence she''d gathered or perhaps already had enough evidence by himself and just thrown her into a cell, so there had been a degree of risk to her plan. But it genuinely was the best she could come up with as a solution for her situation.


    She tapped her finger against the carriage''s windowsill in rhythm to Kat''s tune as she thought about what she should do next. There were still some dungeons in the area surrounding Freybrook that she could probably locate and loot. None of them were Zuverian ruins or held especially strong items if she recalled correctly, but they should still be worth exploring. She still didn''t know how much money she actually had, so gathering more valuable items wouldn''t hurt. And if there were quests for clearing the dungeons as there had been with the Zuver ruins then she would get some more skill points. While her Aqua Mines had turned out to be surprisingly efficient and effective, they were still relatively weak. As was her mana supply. Upgrading her current skills was one of her top priorities.


    Perhaps she should set aside more time for practicing magic. She had essentially given up on learning how to cast real spells for now. She''d been too busy with handling the mess that was her situation the first three days she''d been in this world, and yesterday she''d spent almost all her time reading through the ledgers and books she''d taken from the traffickers. Understanding what meant what and which mentions referred to who in those texts had been difficult when she had no real experience with antiquated trading systems and log keeping. It had taken her over seven hours just to ascertain that the earliest signs of Scarlett starting to back the Grey Dog Gang were about eight months ago. And that was about the limit of what she''d learned. There were a bunch of other names and organizations mentioned, but none she recognized.


    Scarlett was taken out of her thoughts when the carriage finally drove up and stopped in front of the gates to the Hartford estate. She heard the coach driver exchange words with the guards and soon after the carriage began moving again.


    "I don''t think I can ever get used to how large this place is," Kat mumbled from the side. Scarlett turned to the woman who was looking out the window at the hedge garden that surrounded the gravel road that led up to the mansion and its courtyard.


    "I do not believe it is especially large, compared to others," Scarlett said. The garden at the back was larger¡ªand more beautiful¡ªthan the one in the front of the mansion, but the estate as a whole wasn''t as large as some of the ones she''d visited or seen before. It was smaller than a football field, at least. Still way more space than she''d ever want¡ªor need¡ªbut probably closer to the low or middle end when it came to these types of properties. Although maybe she shouldn''t compare with the castles and royal palaces of her world that were more like very large museum pieces than places where people actually lived. But the count''s estate had definitely been larger than this, and that was visible from most parts of the city, so it was an odd thing to remark upon nonetheless.


    "Not to be rude, but I don''t think you''re the right person to say something like that." Kat laughed and looked out as the carriage stopped on a large graveled area right in front of the arch that led to the main courtyard. Scarlett chose to not respond and waited for the driver to open the carriage door before she stepped out of the vehicle. Kat followed close behind.


    A couple of women in servants'' clothing stood before them as the reception and bowed towards Scarlett. She looked them over. She recognized both but didn''t know their names.


    One of the servants, a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair in a bun at the back of her head, turned up her eyes at Scarlett. "My Lady, welcome back. Has your outing gone well?"


    "It has," Scarlett said as she gestured to the carriage driver that it was okay for him to leave. "Is there any news?" she asked the servant.


    The woman inclined her head with a still face. "Yes, my Lady. Master Garside wishes to inform you that he has been in contact with several orphanages in the city regarding the kidnapped children, as well as having sent a message to the Voneian delegation here in Freybrook. He personally went out to meet with them this afternoon."


    Scarlett nodded at the report. It would be good if they could simply send all the children back to their homes. Freybrook was situated in the southwestern part of the Graenal Empire not far away from the western border to the Voneia Kingdom which was why they had a delegation in the city. She had been hoping they could lend some aid in the matter. She couldn''t have over thirty kids in the mansion forever. However, it was also likely that not all of the children had homes to return to, which is why she had asked Garside to contact some of the orphanages in the city to look into that. She hadn''t really had to do too much herself yet in the matter. Being the one in charge had its perks.


    "Also, my Lady..." The servant looked hesitant to say what would come next.


    Scarlett found herself slightly annoyed at the woman''s delay but did her best to contain it to a small frown. "Speak," she said and gestured to the woman.


    "My Lady...Madame Evelyne has also paid a visit and wishes to speak with you."


    Scarlett''s eyebrow rose. Evelyne had come to see her? No, perhaps that shouldn''t be a surprise. She had caused quite a ruckus after all. And it was these matters that Evelyne''s questline in the game had been about too, so it was obvious that the original Scarlett''s younger sister would have some reaction to the events.


    Meeting Evelyne wasn''t a pleasant experience, however. Last time she had barely been able to control the original''s disgust for the woman.


    "Lead her to the parlor and serve mint tea," she told the servant. Mint tea had always been relaxing for her nerves. Maybe she should consider this a good thing. She had been concerned about losing herself, so this could serve as practice. She also had a couple of matters she wanted to discuss with Evelyne. "Tell her I will be there shortly."

 Chapter 13 - Disputes

    Scarlett followed one of her servants, the black-haired one called Molly, through the mansion''s decorated hallways. Kat had said that she would check up on the children ¡ª for whom they had created an impromptu gathering room in the mansion''s reception hall at the moment. Scarlett had noticed it already when they originally saved those kids, but the Shielder seemed particularly protective of children. And they adored her in return. Despite the difficulty in communication they seemed to interact just fine. That young girl that Kat had carried during the rescue seemed especially attached to the woman. She had essentially been joined to Kat''s hip over the last couple of days that the kids had stayed in the mansion.


    Compared to Kat, all the children still seemed slightly afraid of Scarlett. She wasn''t sure how she felt about that. She had expected their fear to have dissipated by now but they still avoided her whenever she visited the reception hall to check up on Kat and them. It wasn''t as if it bothered her per se, but it also wasn''t the most comfortable feeling having literal children shy away from you.


    She pushed those thoughts aside when Molly stopped beside a dark wooden door with two tall and beautifully garnished vases on either side of it.


    "Madame Evelyne is waiting inside, my Lady," Molly said and performed a small curtsy.


    "Then let''s not keep her waiting," Scarlett said and gestured toward the door. Much of the decorum in this world came naturally to her with Scarlett''s instincts, such as how to move and speak, but there were still many things she remained ignorant about. For example, she had no idea how people addressed those ranked higher than themselves here. During her meeting with the count, she''d largely had to guess what to say for an introduction. As such, one of her priorities right now was finding a book or something on the subject without arousing too much suspicion.


    Most of the time she did fine anyway, but there were still times like this where she wasn''t even sure if she was expected to open the door herself or if that would be considered odd. Up until now, the servants had opened most doors for her. But that was also mostly because they were the ones leading her around.


    Thankfully Molly seemed to understand what she wanted and moved to open the door for her. Scarlett quietly thanked the woman inside her heart and walked into the room. It wasn''t as large as the mansion''s dining hall, but it was a decent size nonetheless. Several large windows showed a nice view of the back garden and let in the afternoon sun, the light reflecting off the white marble floor in an almost blinding manner. The walls were covered with several large paintings of different landscapes. In the middle of the room was a fancy wooden table with a wide tablecloth and silver tea set on it. Next to the table sat Evelyne Hartford on a long sofa.


    She had smooth light brown hair¡ªwith just a shade of red to it¡ªthat reached the nape of her neck and split at one side in the front, part of her hair almost covering her right eye. She still shared the same amber eyes as Scarlett however, though Evelyne also had light freckles and a small beauty mark under her right lip. Unlike Scarlett, Evelyne was currently wearing a white blouse with a dark green tunic over it which had a loose, patterned collar, and a pair of black trousers that were partly covered by a short, black-striped skirt. If their dialogue in the game didn''t make the difference between the two sisters clear, then their attire did.


    Evelyne immediately turned to look at Scarlett as she entered the room. She did not look happy.


    Scarlett did her best to press down the feelings of disgust and revulsion that coiled up at seeing the original''s sister and crossed the room to sit down in an armchair opposite Evelyne. She glanced at the teapot that had some vapor coming out of it and looked towards Molly. The dark-haired servant appeared to understand the message as she hurried across the room to fill up a cup for her. She didn''t pour one for Evelyne as there already was one in front of her, though it didn''t look like she had touched it yet.


    With another small curtsy, Molly returned the teapot to the table and backed away. Scarlett took the cup of tea in front of her and blew on it softly before taking a sip. It was marvelous. Easily the best mint tea she''d ever had. She wasn''t sure if it was in the preparation or in the leaves¡ªshe''d never bothered much thinking about either when making her own¡ªbut there was a lot more flavor to this than she was used to. Letting the warm feeling of the tea flow through her, she sat the teacup down on its plate and turned to Evelyne.


    "Well," she said, raising an eyebrow. "What is it that you wanted?"


    "Oh, now you deign to talk to me?" Evelyne spat out. "Here I was sure you didn''t have a care in the world whether I existed or not."


    Scarlett took a deep breath to weather the intense wave of anger that she felt at being talked to in such a way. She managed to calm down slightly. "...I can assure you, that is not at all how I feel."


    "Really?" Evelyne scoffed and leaned back on the sofa with arms crossed. "Because that''s what it looks like to me."


    "...I take it you have heard of the last days'' events."


    "Yes. Finally. Did you know I had to hear about your visit to the Count through one of the servants just now? And the only reason I know of all that trafficking business is that I have a friend at the Guild. Because people don''t bother informing someone who''s not the head of what''s happening."


    Evelyne glared at Scarlett, causing Scarlett''s skin to prick slightly. She shifted in her seat and leaned forward to grab the teacup again. After taking a sip, she eventually spoke. "I have been exceedingly occupied these last few days. As such, it slipped my mind to inform you of the events."


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Busy with what? Getting rid of your little friends? Letting a bunch of homeless kids into the mansion? What are you planning to do with them? Dress them up before you sell them off?"


    Scarlett''s eyes pierced into Evelyne.


    "What?" Evelyne stared back at her. "Don''t think I don''t know what you do. No one is going to buy that you did this out of the kindness of your heart. You''ll be lucky if even¡ª"


    "Quiet," Scarlett snapped. Evelyne actually flinched and stopped talking.


    Closing her eyes, Scarlett massaged the bridge of her nose with her left hand. After a few breaths, she opened her eyes again to look at Evelyne. "I would ask that you do not make such impetuous accusations. The children are being taken care of here temporarily as we find safe housing for them. I did not save them merely ''out of the kindness of my heart'', but that does not mean that I do not wish to help them. As for my purported ''friends'', they were and always have been a blight upon this city that I intended to remove. It was with the endorsement of the Count that I temporarily associated with them in order to gather information about their organization. Now that that business has been dealt with there will be no more activities of that manner."


    She placed the teacup down. Evelyne was still staring at her as if she had just said the moon was made out of gold and tried to sell it off to her.


    Letting out a small sigh, Scarlett continued. "I understand this matter may have caused you undue trouble. You are responsible for the majority of the family''s management and that requires being aware of what is going on." She clenched her teeth and frowned at what she was about to say. "The fault lies entirely with me. I...apologize that I did not inform you of what was happening."


    Evelyne''s eyes widened. Now she was looking at Scarlett as if she was the boogeyman. For several seconds she just sat there, seemingly incapable of speech. Eventually she shook her head before renewing her gaze on Scarlett. "You''re apologizing? I don''t believe it. What are you planning?"


    "I''m not planning anything."


    "There''s no way you''re not planning anything. You''re as callous as¡ª"


    "Evelyne," Scarlett interrupted her again. "Watch your words." The woman quieted down and Scarlett looked her in the eyes. "I do not blame you for being skeptical, but I ask that you do not press my patience."


    Silence filled the room. Scarlett was unsure of what else to say, so she turned away from Evelyne and took another drink from her tea. After a while, Evelyne finally spoke.


    "Are there any other incredibly important things that you have forgotten to tell me about? Or is that all?"


    Scarlett paused to consider. "...There are. But nothing you have to know."


    "What?"


    "Knowing of them at this point would be of no help to you. I will ensure you are informed when the time comes," she said as she drank the tea. "Although I can tell you that I am planning on going on a few excursions in the coming weeks. It is nothing much, but I will no doubt come by a few artifacts that I will have no need for. If you can contact an auction house for the selling of those items, it would be appreciated. I am also in the possession of a modest amount of Zuverian coins that I believe hold some worth."


    Evelyne frowned at her. "What in Ittar''s name are you on about?"


    Scarlett cocked her head to the side. "I thought I was perfectly clear?"


    "What does ''excursions'' mean? Since when have you been interested in things like that?"


    "Since I learned the whereabouts of several valuable locations not too long ago."


    "Is it dangerous?" Evelyne asked.


    "Somewhat."


    Evelyne''s eyes inspected her. "...Then why do you have to go? Just send someone else. You''re no good at fighting."


    Scarlett found herself scowling at Evelyne by reflex. She took a moment to calm her expression somewhat, before speaking. "I do not believe you have the authority to say what I can and cannot do," she said. "And as for the matter of protection, I have already hired a Shielder who will assist me with the undertaking. Though I do not believe you would care much were I to die during the process," She added on the last part without much thought. She knew the sisters had a bad relationship. And Evelyne was the one to ask the player to take Scarlett down in the game, after all.


    However, when she looked at Evelyne she was surprised to see a complicated expression on the woman''s face. She wasn''t quite sure what it meant, but it left an uncomfortable feeling inside her.


    "I''ll take my leave now," Evelyne suddenly said and began rising from the sofa.


    "Before that," Scarlett said. "I meant to ask if you could assist in the handling of the children."


    Evelyne stopped and stared at her. "You want me to deal with that? It''s your mess."


    "Would you prefer if I kicked them out on the streets?"


    Evelyne grimaced. "...I''ll look into what alternatives there are."


    Scarlett gave a nod. "I have already begun making some inquiries on the matter but your help would be appreciated."


    Evelyne gave her an odd look for a moment. "Then if that''s all I''m leaving. And I''m hoping it wasn''t a lie when you said you''ll keep me informed of the family''s affairs."


    "Of course not," Scarlett said, then watched as Evelyne walked to the door before opening it and leaving the room. Seemed like she didn''t bother with letting a servant open it for her.


    "You may also leave." Scarlett waved towards Molly who had stood at the edge of the room all along. The woman quickly left the room after performing one last curtsy, leaving Scarlett all alone. She let out a deep sigh and leaned back in her chair as she tapped her index finger against the armrest.


    Keeping her calm during a meeting with Evelyne was a difficult endeavor. She''d lost her cool more than once. And she had literally felt like puking when she forced herself to apologize too. She shook her head slowly. She still felt slightly angry. This was even worse than when she had to deal with her own sister back when her sister was in her rebellious teenage years. She''d often been annoyed and angry back then too, but she''d almost always been able to stop herself from lashing out as she had now.


    Though it had probably helped that her younger sister''s every word hadn''t felt like an insult towards herself as it did with Evelyne.


    Should she just give up on getting close to the woman? To start with, they weren''t even real sisters. The original Scarlett was gone. Or at least something of the sort. While she had no plans of revealing the truth to Evelyne, interacting with her while pretending to be her older sister felt inherently insidious in a way. Despite her intentions before this meeting, she honestly doubted if she could ever interact normally with Evelyne even if she practiced so maybe it would just be better for both of them if she avoided her. Although she probably had to meet with her at least sometimes.


    Scarlett took the teacup and drank the last of the tea. Then she stood up. She felt like she needed to do some work to get this out of her system. Her first stop was the reception hall. Then the training grounds.

 Chapter 14 - Maybe violence is the answer

    Scarlett moved through the mansion''s carpeted hallways towards the reception hall. This specific part of the mansion was starting to become familiar for her so she''d told Molly to return to whatever business it was that the servant usually performed and gone on her own. She descended a flight of stairs to the mansion''s foyer and opened one of the side doors¡ªshe was starting to feel a little bit ridiculous over having worried about that earlier¡ªthat led directly to the reception hall. It was a large room lit up by several chandeliers¡ªusing magical candles instead of normal candles, just like the rest of the mansion¡ªwith beautiful white tapestries and dark red flooring. When she''d first seen the room there had been several round tables in it as well as a slightly elevated platform at one end but those things had been removed by the servants to make room for the children and their temporary living arrangements. Now there were just two long rectangular wooden tables in the middle of the room and some beds lining the walls. There weren''t enough of the beds for all the children, even though most of them were small enough to share beds, so some of the older kids had to make do with sleeping on a layer of blankets for now.


    Some of the children appeared to be sleeping on the beds right now, but the majority of them were gathered close to Kat who sat on a chair at the side of the room. The kids sat in a half-circle on the floor in front of the Shielder, their eyes captivated by the woman as she performed tricks with her magic. Scarlett''s eyes narrowed as she saw Kat conjure a ball of fire above herself that immediately morphed into the shape of a roaring dragon that started flying around in the air, leaving a trailing blaze of fire behind. That had to be [Pyrokinesis], although probably at a higher level than Scarlett''s.


    She began walking over to Kat, passing by a young servant woman that rested in a chair by the reception hall''s main entrance. It seemed to take a moment for the girl to notice her, but when she did she rushed to stand up and greet her. Scarlett merely waved for the servant to go back to what she was doing. Poor girl looked as if she had barely slept.


    That made Scarlett think. Did these servants get paid something like overtime? All of the mansion''s servants had been working like mad since yesterday morning to follow Scarlett''s order to take care of the children. It was honestly impressive how much they had accomplished. Most of the children even looked to have been given new clothes already. But this wasn''t a daycare. The mansion wasn''t ready to house over thirty kids, and the servants were the ones who had to work extra to make up for that. That was a lot of work to do in addition to their original duties. If Scarlett''s guess was right there were only about ten different servants in the entire mansion, if you discounted the hired guards she''d seen guarding the estates'' gates. Though there were probably a few more hires that didn''t live around here. She hadn''t seen whoever it was that took care of the gardens yet, for example.


    She put a reminder to discreetly ask Garside about the matter at the back of her mind as she neared the group of children that were marveling over Kat''s little pyrotechnics act. Kat paused her performance and looked at Scarlett.


    "How''d the meeting with your sister go?" the blonde-haired woman asked. Most of the kids glanced at Scarlett.


    "I...updated her on the current situation," Scarlett answered as she looked at the watchful faces of the children. "I am sorry to disturb your display. However, I wanted to inform you that I am going to the training ground and was curious if you had any interest in accompanying me. I would not mind some advice on pyromancy."


    Kat smiled and scratched the side of her head. "Ah, I wouldn''t mind giving you some pointers." She gestured towards the children. "But I already promised them I''d show them some more magic."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "I did not think you spoke Voneian."


    "I don''t. But that dark-haired woman translated some for me."


    Scarlett nodded her head. "I see," she mumbled as she studied the kids. They''d all been cleaned up and, with the new clothes, they looked completely different from when she and Kat had first found them. However, although none of them looked starved, it was clear they did not usually get to eat too much. If that was from before or after their abduction she didn''t know.


    They did not seem dangerously traumatized by the current situation, at least, so that was something. When they had been watching Kat''s performance they had all made sounds and chattered away with each other. Though now that they were looking at her it was completely quiet. Was it because of how she acted? Or did Scarlett just have an inherent quality that made these kids watchful?


    "...The children may come too, if they wish." she eventually declared.


    Kat''s eyes widened slightly. "Really?"


    "There is enough space. I do not believe there will be a problem." As long as the kids stayed out of the way she didn''t really care what they did. She doubted they would be here for too long anyway.


    "Hear that kids?" Kat said to them. They all turned to her. "That nice lady says all of you can come with us to see some more magic."


    Some of the kids nodded their heads a little at her words, although most seemed confused about what she said. Kat stood up, however, and looked at Scarlett. "Let''s go then."


    It took a little while extra because some of the children came with, but soon they were all standing on the large training ground situated behind the mansion. The children were standing off to the side and watched Kat with attentive expressions. Kat herself seemed to be looking at the wooden and stone targets that were set up at the end of the grounds with a hesitant face.


    "What if we accidentally break those?"


    "I do not believe they are destroyed that effortlessly. They have enchantments that protect them," Scarlett said. "Although I suppose it isn''t entirely inconceivable for you to overcome those. But there are several more targets in that." She gestured towards the small shed that stood at the edge of the training ground next to the stone wall that surrounded the whole property. She had checked to make sure last time that, amongst other things, there were a lot of those targets inside.


    "They''re all enchanted?" Kat asked in disbelief.


    "From what I have seen, yes."


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Gods..." Scarlett heard the woman mutter. She looked over the dozen or so training targets that were lined up. In the game, enchantments hadn''t been anything special. A lot of the gear obtained even in the early game had enchantments on it. But it was true that the player couldn''t start enchanting gear themselves until much later in the game, so perhaps it wasn''t something common. She knew that the skills related to [Enchanting] belonged to the unaligned school of magic, instead of any of the elemental schools, and were relatively hard to obtain.


    "Maybe I''ll take it a bit careful today then," Kat said with a wary look.


    "If you wish." Scarlett let out a short agreement before walking to a distance of around twenty or so meters from the targets. She''d been dying to hit something for a while now. Raising her right hand¡ªnow more out of habit than any sort of need, she''d noticed¡ªshe held it towards one of the wooden targets. Conjuring a ball of water a little larger than usual, she spent a moment extra in making sure the surface of the liquid was completely still. Then she lit the proverbial fuse and created a searing fire inside the sphere. Usually, the flames were closer to a deep or slightly clear orange, but now she was pushing it to a much brighter, white shine. When she felt as if she couldn''t force it to be any hotter she finally relaxed slightly and wiped away the traces of sweat that had formed on her brow. Now her Aqua Mine, perhaps a little smaller than two tennis balls together, was hovering like a miniature sun next to the target''s head.


    Despite there being no actual physical exertion, pushing her [Hydrokinesis] and [Pyrokinesis] skills to the limit was taxing. Her [Lesser Hydrokinesis] probably couldn''t create two Mines of this size, even though she was relatively sure her [Pyrokinesis] could support it if she just lessened the heat a little bit.


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Greater Pyrokinesis] (10 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Minor Hydrokinesis] (2 points)


    [Mana Control] (5 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    This was her first chance to test the difference, but she''d already used the five skill points she''d gained to upgrade her [Minor Pyrokinesis] to [Pyrokinesis] as it had seemed the most logical for her at the moment. She was planning on earning some more points to upgrade her [Lesser Hydrokinesis] before she decided exactly what to do next, but she was leaning towards just keeping to upgrading those skills for the foreseeable future. She still wasn''t sure if [Minor Mana Control] did anything more than what it did in Chronicle of Realms though, so she would have to look into it a bit more.


    After having kept the Mine going for a while she was starting to lose concentration on it so, with a small mental nudge, she created a ripple on the surface facing the target and watched as the sphere of water immediately exploded in a burst towards the weak point in the target''s enchantment that she had been targeting. She watched with slight satisfaction as the target wobbled a little from the blow.


    "What spell is that?" Kat asked and walked up next to her. "I saw you do it earlier but I''ve never seen it before."


    "It is not an existing spell as far as I am aware." Scarlett turned her head towards Kat. "But rather something of my own design. However it is still lacking in power, regrettably."


    Kat looked confused. "You developed that yourself? Are you a wizard?"


    Unlike a mage, which was basically anybody who used magic in this world, a wizard was someone who specifically researched magic at any of the magic towers. Scarlett remembered doing a questline in the Imperial Mage Tower in her first playthrough to get it as a title. It had a few decent benefits such as increased mana regeneration and a discount for buying scrolls.


    "I am not a wizard. The number of spells I know is scarce."


    Kat furrowed her brows. "Then how did you do that?"


    "It was merely an application of basic pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis."


    The Shielder gave her an odd look. "You''re bad at using magic, but know how to use both hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis?"


    Scarlett tilted her head to the side. "Is that odd?"


    Kat shrugged her shoulders. "It took me a while after learning my first pyromancy spell to get the hang of even basic pyrokinesis. And I''m terrible at terrakinesis unless I''m right next to stone."


    "I see," Scarlett mumbled. She had been wondering if the people of this world had skills like in the game, but from the way Kat spoke now, that didn''t seem to be the case. So she was different in that aspect. But it was also the reason she could do this the other way round from Kat. "Do you believe you could teach me any spells?" she asked.


    Kat let out a short laugh. "I could certainly try, but I don''t know if it''ll help much. I''ve been told the way I perform magic is a bit...unique."


    "In what way?"


    "Well..." She turned towards the onlooking children who had walked closer to them. "All of you should move back some," she said, then looked at Scarlett. "You too."


    Scarlett obliged and stepped back a few steps behind Kat.


    "I think it''s most clear what I mean with this spell," the woman said and she began moving her hands in front of her. Several rocks began forming from thin air and clustering into a sphere with cracks in it. Then those cracks started glowing a bright red as liquid lava sprang from the depths of the sphere and began enveloping the rocky surface. "As you see I''m not really controlling the mana by using any inner circuits to let it merge into the spell as one usually would, but rather I''m forcing it to take on the particular elements I want and then using that to replicate the effect of a normal Pyroclastic Fragment."


    Scarlett examined the smoldering boulder conjured by the Shielder intently. While it looked sufficiently deadly and terrifying with the way the molten stone rose and billowed, she couldn''t see anything more than that. She didn''t even know one was supposed to be able to see any mana. Her [Charms of Apperception] were obviously not meant to aid with this.


    "I couldn''t exactly tell you how I do it," Kat continued. "When I''ve shown it to others they usually just end up getting confused by it." She pressed her hand forward and the flaming boulder that was about the size of a grown man flew forward. It landed between two of the stone targets and erupted into an explosion of molten rock and lava that disintegrated everything around it, leaving a crater behind in the ground. The children let out several shocked and excited sounds as Kat turned towards them with a small smile. Then her eyes widened and she spun to look at the result with a dark expression. "Shit...I said I was going to hold back." She gave Scarlett an apologetic look. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to..."


    "It is quite all right," Scarlett said. She wasn''t sure if it actually was¡ªthat was a large hole in the ground¡ªbut she wasn''t mad at least. This was the purpose of the training ground, after all. "More importantly, can you explain what you meant earlier once again."


    Kat paused in whatever it was that she was about to say and looked at her. "What, the part about how I use the mana?"


    Scarlett gave a slight nod of her head. "Yes. I am unable to see mana in such a manner so I could not observe any of what you spoke of."


    Kat stared at her. "Wait. You don''t know any mana perceiving spell? Like Ethereal Eye or Mana Vision? Then how do you¡ª" She stopped and looked between her and the wooden target that she had attacked with her Aqua Mine earlier. "It can''t be that that''s all you can do?"


    "It is," Scarlett admitted. "That is why I have need of you. Although I would appreciate if you kept quiet about it."


    "I''m not sure if I should be surprised or impressed." Kat shook her head. "How''d you learn pyrokinesis like that?"


    "One could say it came naturally to me. Casting spells, however, does not. I was harboring some hope you would be able to help me with that."


    "I honestly don''t think I''ll be much help if you''re starting from scratch like that. I can give you some advice I used myself, but I''ve never really been a good teacher."


    "Your advice would be more than good enough," Scarlett said and turned back towards the row of targets. There were still some glowing rocks lying around from Kat''s spell, though most of them seemed to have disappeared into nothingness. "Truthfully, I was not expecting much in that regard. I have already devised other solutions to rectify that particular predicament. But I would also greatly appreciate any extra input you have regarding the means I currently have at my disposal."


    "That I can do," Kat said. There was a hint of enthusiasm to the Shielder''s voice that hadn''t been there before. "Whatever it was that you did earlier was interesting enough."


    Scarlett looked back and saw the woman grin.


    "Up for some light sparring?"

 Chapter 15 - Management issues

    Scarlett looked over some documents that were placed on the desk in front of her in her office in the Hartford family''s mansion. These particular ones related to the appraised value of some of the artifacts and relics she''d gathered. Although Evelyne didn''t like her much, the younger Hartford sister seemed to still uphold her promises and had helped Scarlett with getting in contact with a couple of appraisers as well as one of the local auction houses.


    It had been almost a whole week since Scarlett finished dealing with the local criminal organization here in Freybrook and Count Knottley had announced his and her ''cooperative'' involvement in the matter. Since then she had been busy with just trying to get a handle on the everyday matters of things, as well as going out on frequent excursions with Kat to look for and clear the dungeons she knew of in the area. So far they had actually found four of them¡ªincluding the first one¡ªwhich had surprised her some. She''d only been relatively certain of the location of two of them, after all. But that had been a welcome surprise, even though none of the other dungeons had been Zuverian ruins.


    As this was a low-level area in the game none of the dungeons had any loot that was better than what she''d found in the Zuverian ruins, and even most of what they''d found wasn''t especially good for her anyway, but she had still hoped it was worth something. As the player, you would just sell low-level equipment like that to some random trader and only get maybe a hundred or so solars¡ªwhich was the empire''s currency¡ªfor it, but the game''s economy hadn''t been particularly advanced or realistic. You could for example sell the bones of the enemies you killed to that same merchant for a dozen solars, or the plants you picked from the side of the road for maybe twice that. It had been a great game, but in the end, she wasn''t planning on trusting the appraisals of a system where the only balancing done was probably in regards to ensuring the player didn''t grow overly powerful too fast. As such, she had wanted to do some research of her own on the value of some of the game''s equipment.


    And it was good that she''d decided to double-check these things. Despite being comparatively low-level gear in ''Chronicle of Realms'', many of the items she''d gathered were still moderately useful equipment, and some of them were even artifacts. For example, the [Plate of Torn Resilience] was a decent artifact she and Kat had found in an old abandoned troll cave a fair distance away from the city. It was a rare piece of equipment that she was pretty sure gave a decent boost to your stamina in exchange for your HP. Or whatever the equivalent was in this world. Guessing from the description she''d read it just cut into you and made you bleed slightly or something along those lines, although she hadn''t bothered to test it.


    As nice as it was finding these items, she only wished they''d been more useful to her specifically. The only item she''d actually chosen to keep for herself was a rare [Ring of Umbral Defiance] that heightened her resistance to all dark-type damage. Resistances were another thing she was unsure of how they worked in this world, and it was definitely a matter she should try looking into later on, but right now it was the closest thing she had to any real defense. She should probably do something about that. She had plans, but those were still a while away. At least she had the protection of Kat for the moment.


    She moved aside a piece of parchment as she kept browsing through the papers in front of her. She had nine items she wanted to sell all in all, excluding the old Zuverian coins, and even the cheapest of those items had been appraised at a value of 1000 solars. If they were put up to an auction, she''d at a minimum earn 15000 solars just from the equipment even if she counted the cut an auction house was likely to take. And the Zuverian coins she''d gathered¡ªwhich numbered probably somewhere in the hundreds¡ªwere probably somewhere close to that value too. She wasn''t certain if they were considered a collector''s item or if the material they were made of was just worth that much, but she was looking at earning somewhere above 30000 from just these four excursions she''d gone on since she got here. She still had to do some more research regarding the purchasing power of the local currency in this world, but considering that you could buy a house for 10000 solars in the game she could at least assume that it was a decent amount despite the game''s inaccuracies in the subject.


    Now, if she were to guess, 30000 solars probably wasn''t that much compared to what she had access to as the head of the Hartford family. But these were all loot from just a few low-level dungeons. There had been hundreds of dungeons spread about the world in ''Chronicle of Realms'', and the worth of the higher-level items was bound to increase by a lot. Of course, she had to find all the dungeons first, but that was something she had decent expectations about for at least some of them.


    All things considered, she was relatively confident in earning money in this world. The real question was what to do with it all. She still barely had any idea of how she ended up here to begin with. Some extra cash probably wouldn''t solve that problem. But knowing the kinds of problems that would start popping up in the future, she felt like being prepared in as many ways as she could be was the right choice for now.


    That included training. She''d spent at least one or two hours every day the past week training the use of her current magic with Kat. The Shielder had taken to sparring with her¡ªacting with a large handicap¡ªand instructing Scarlett of how to best make use of her Aqua Mines in a fight. The woman had almost seemed borderline masochistic with how she encouraged Scarlett to use them against her. Of course, Scarlett''s attacks couldn''t really injure the woman as long as Kat had whatever magical defense she used up, and Scarlett had intentionally avoided aiming at any of Kat''s barrier''s weak points¡ªthough she doubted she could hit any of them yet even if she tried¡ªbut the excitement that seemed to fill the woman when she fought was weird to see. It wasn''t really something Scarlett had noticed before.


    But the training definitely had an effect. For one thing, her mana was increasing at a steady pace as long as she kept using it as she did. It seemed to improve by a little under ten or so per day at the rate she was going. Other than that her control of her Aqua Mines was also improving slowly. In the raid on the Grey Dog Gang she had used a few of them basically as bricks to keep people away from her, but that wasn''t an efficient way of using them. Considering how she only truly could make full use of them when she used them against an unshielded opponent or against their weak points she still had to get faster at making them and better at aiming. As it was now she doubted she could use them in a real fight just yet. As for the matter of learning spells...There hadn''t been much progress. Or any, actually. The lessons Kat had given her hadn''t done much to shed light on the matter, unfortunately. She barely knew where to begin with that right now. She had read through a couple of the books she''d found, though that hadn''t helped much. But she wasn''t about to give up just yet. She was planning on giving those books a more thorough look in the near future.


    With that in mind, she turned away from the appraisal documents and looked at another pile of papers that lay to her right. Unfortunately the contents of these documents weren''t as welcome. She let out a short sigh and moved these documents closer to look them over again. Despite almost a week having passed they hadn''t made much progress in finding a place to send the children. The servants were working themselves tired taking care of the mansion as well as the kids. The original idea of potentially sending them to orphanages in the city had essentially been put to a halt. It turned out that none of the orphanages in Freybrook had many empty slots, at most two or three per orphanage, and barely any of them had caretakers that spoke Voneian.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    For a brief moment Scarlett had considered just splitting the children into smaller groups and dividing them between the orphanages but in the end, she couldn''t bring herself to do that. She was far from a saint. Frankly, she didn''t want to spend a bunch of her time taking care of the affairs of a group of children. There was too much on her plate as it was. She had nothing but a vague and superficial idea of how the noble society and the laws worked around here. She was sure that there was a bunch of things about the whole Count Knottley situation that she was completely missing. And then there was the issue of the Angler Man and the Hallowed Cabal possibly coming after her, as well as the question of whether she would ever be able to find a way back home. There was just too much for her to do and learn to waste time dealing with these children with whom she had barely even interacted with.


    But there were still limits to what she could bring herself to do. When her own parents had died, one of her worst fears had been that she would be separated from her younger sister. She had fought and gone through several hardships to stay with her sister and she didn''t feel comfortable subjecting other kids to a situation like that, no matter their circumstances. These children might not be related, but they were all refugees who had been kidnapped and gone through terrifying things together. Now they were stuck in a foreign land where barely anyone spoke their language with nothing but each other. Although they all adored Kat and seemed to have opened up slightly to some of the servants there was still a bond between the kids that she didn''t want to break. She might be in the role of a villainess, but that didn''t mean she always had to fill that role.


    She drummed her finger rhythmically against the wooden desk as she looked at one of the large oil paintings that hung on the walls of the office. Evelyne had sent her a message that she was looking into finding a way of dealing with the children but there was nothing conclusive from that end quite yet. At this point it would almost be easier to just establish an orphanage herself just to solve this whole mess. Things would have been much easier if the Voneian delegates she''d contacted had been willing to help. As it was, they''d largely just ignored her letters and turned away the people she''d sent, saying that it was "not part of their purview". She wasn''t certain whether they simply didn''t care because it only concerned a group of orphans or if they actually couldn''t help. Though the thought did occur to her that she might have accidentally caused an international incident by contacting them. Nonetheless, it didn''t look like her plate would get much less full anytime in the immediate future.


    Perhaps she could organize some kind of crowdfunding or charity for the matter? Or was that even something people in this world did? She knew there existed charities even during the middle ages back in her world, but this place was different enough so that it was hard to know. Though in any case, setting up something like that sounded like more trouble than it was worth. Especially with the kind of reputation she was bound to have. She probably wasn''t known to be kind-hearted enough for something like that. It was at times like these that she actually understood the allure of being a real villainess.


    As she sat there and debated with herself whether it might be worth trying to subtly inquire into how large of a wealth she actually had access to, a knock rang out from the office''s door. She straightened her back and looked up. "Enter."


    The door opened and Garside stepped into the room. His greying hair and black suit were as slick as always as he bowed to her with one arm bent behind his back and one in front. "My Lady, a meal has been prepared for you in the dining hall."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Has it already been that long?" she asked in slight surprise. She glanced towards a beautiful silver clock piece that sat on the left side of the desk next to the gilded mirror that belonged to the original Scarlett. It was already two in the afternoon it seemed. She had asked the clock to be placed there a couple days ago after she kept losing track of time. She didn''t know why the original never bothered setting a clock in the office, but considering how she herself kept forgetting it was there she might not be the best person to speak on the matter.


    "I took the liberty of ordering it ready myself," Garside said. Then he went quiet for a moment. "...My Lady has been quite busy lately. This is not the first time this has happened in recent times."


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. That sounded dangerously close to an admonishment. It surprised her that he dared to talk like that to her. Most of the other servants would be down on the floor begging if they thought they had said anything that would anger her. One young girl had actually done just that just a few days ago. But what surprised her even more right now was that she barely felt any true annoyance at Garside''s words. "...You are right. I have been very inattentive this past week."


    He nodded his head at her words. "That is why I have not brought it up yet, but I would like to remind you that you had scheduled an appointment in your calendar for tomorrow the fifteenth."


    "An appointment?"


    "Indeed. Dame Trista Denholm of the Imperial Solar Knights'' wedding."


    Scarlett frowned. The original Scarlett was supposed to go to a wedding tomorrow? And that of an Imperial Knight?


    "I had forgotten," she said as she tapped the desk. "Exactly when was this?"


    "We have already booked a passage through the Kilnstone to Ambercrest at eleven in the morning, my Lady," Garside said in a steady tone. "The ceremony is scheduled to begin at one, although you will likely miss most of the pre-ceremonial gathering. We have also booked a return passage through the Kilnstone at seven in the evening."


    So the wedding was in Ambercrest. That was a city closer to the center of the empire, slightly east of the capital. It was quite a distance away. In the game, it would take well over an hour if you walked the whole way and it would take far longer in real life. That''s where Kilnstone came into play. They were the ''Chronicle of Realms'' equivalence to fast-travel. In-lore they were supposed to be another kind of artifact left by the Zuverians. Most major cities had one and there were a few out in the wilds too. After discovering one the player could use another Kilnstone in the world to travel to it in the future. She knew there was supposed to be one in Freybrook but she hadn''t had time to go and check it out yet. Honestly, she would prefer to cancel this ''appointment'' and inform this ''Dame Trista'' that she was too busy to come. But she couldn''t very well do that after she had already accepted the invite. If any of the stereotypes about nobles were true, then that was a one-way ticket to causing a grudge, and she didn''t want to create any more enemies than she might already have.


    "Very well," Scarlett said as she rose from her chair. "Thank you for reminding me of this matter."


    "Of course my Lady," Garside responded and moved to open the door for her as she exited the office.


    "Inform Kat of tomorrow''s plans as well," she said as she began walking through the mansion''s halls with Garside only a few steps behind her. "I do not know if she has any clothing suitable for a wedding."


    "The invite was only for one, my Lady. I am afraid Miss Breeden will have to forgo accompanying you on this venture."


    Scarlett went quiet to think about it for a moment. "Very well. Inform her that she will still be joining me on the ride to Ambercrest, however." While she wasn''t fond of the idea of walking around unprotected, it wasn''t likely to become a problem if she were around other people at a wedding. The bride was also an Imperial Solar Knight so there were bound to be many strong people present.


    And hopefully the wedding wouldn''t go on for too long. It was a bit earlier than what she had planned, but she could probably make some quick preparations. There was a place around the Ambercrest area that she wanted to visit.

 Chapter 16 - Roadtrips are fun, right?

    Scarlett and Kat both sat in the carriage as it moved through the bustling streets of Freybrook. Kat wore the outfit she usually wore when they weren''t going out on any of their dungeon runs¡ªa piece of black and brown clothing that was easy to move around in¡ªbut had her hands on her legs and looked uncharacteristically orderly, Scarlett noted.


    Scarlett herself wore a dark red dress that reached her shoulders and flowed down into a fancy neckline. The dress only covered half of her arms and had far too loose sleeves for her tastes, as well as a waistline that was just a little bit too tight. It wasn''t something she would usually choose to wear but since she was going to a wedding, and she didn''t know much of the local practices, she''d asked the servants to pick something for her. She was starting to regret that choice now that they''d left the mansion, however. The only pieces of apparel that she''d chosen herself were the half-circular [Charms of Apperception] that hung from her earlobes and the [Ring of Umbral Defiance]. She doubted anything bad would happen at the wedding, but that didn''t mean she would leave all her means of self-defense behind. And it just so happened that the amber gem affixed to both the earrings paired well with her dress for the day.


    "Ehm....Where exactly was this wedding?" Kat asked as the carriage passed by a large square with several market stalls set up in rows across its center. The woman seemed to startle a little as Scarlett turned to look at her. "...My Lady," she added on quietly.


    Scarlett examined Kat''s face. Not once during the past week and a half that she''d known her had Kat bothered to use any kind of special address when speaking to her.


    "Did no one inform you?"


    Kat shrugged her shoulders, but quickly paused and lightly shook her head instead. "I just heard we were taking the carriage and that you''d be..." She seemed to think about what word to use for a moment. "...attending by yourself."


    Scarlett gave the Shielder another look, before turning away to the window. "I see," she said and observed the buildings outside. She was starting to recognize the surroundings from the game now. They had moved into central Freybrook where many businesses and shops made their residence. In stark contrast to many of the other districts in the city, the buildings around here were old, and most only had one floor. It made for a much more pleasant atmosphere than the claustrophobic feel in the district where the Snow-show Fishery had been located. The roads were also wider so there was a decent amount of carriages and wagons that traveled back and forth.


    Scarlett''s eyes locked onto a large structure further down the road. "I appreciate that you still chose to join me, however," she said offhandedly to Kat. "As for where we are going ¡ª the reception is held in Ambercrest."


    "Ambercrest?! I thought it was in the city?"


    "You thought wrong."


    "Wait, are we taking the Kilnstone there?"


    "We are," Scarlett answered Kat''s question as she watched the carriage drive down the cobbled road towards a wide circular square where it met up with several other roads. At the center of the square was a large platform with an open marble structure supported by several pillars in a ring. There were two queues on either side of the platform. One of them was noticeably longer than the other and was mostly filled with people and wagons that looked like they might belong to different kinds of merchants. A few of the insignias on the sides of the wagons were ones she recognized from storefronts in the city. The other line, although being much shorter, clearly housed the more ''important'' people. There were no people in it per se, but rather several expensive-looking carriages and their horses. She could only assume the emblems on the sides of those carriages were the coats of arms of different noble families. Their coachman soon began steering the vehicle around the outskirts of the square before turning towards that second line.


    Scarlett turned her attention to the structure itself. Through the curled pillars she could see a tall obelisk floating at its center, its surface a clear reflective grey reminiscent of the [Mirror of Communion]. This was the Kilnstone, another of the ancient artifacts left behind by the Zuverian civilization and the player''s main way of traveling around later in the game. This particular Kilnstone had several guards in green gambesons and polished cuirasses standing guard around it, with a couple of men in stately black uniforms with ledgers in their hands seemingly being the ones in charge. She saw as one of them peered down at his ledger for a moment before waving a group of three wagons from the longer queue forward.


    Scarlett turned back to Kat to see the woman looking at the Kilnstone too. "Have you not traveled via the Kilnstone before?" she asked.


    "Well, I have," Kat said, looking back at Scarlett. "But I haven''t traveled through it that much. The few times I''ve done it is when the Guild has had urgent requests for senior Shielders. It just feels weird to use it for a wedding." She grimaced as if she forgot herself. "...My Lady."


    Scarlett gestured to the long lines leading up to the platform. "There seem to be many others that make use of it regularly."


    Kat looked out the window. "Yes, but I bet most of those are rich traders or nobles like you."


    "I do not see why there could not be common people among them as well." After all, in the game, she''d used the Kilnstones to travel around long before her characters had gotten any real wealth or made a name for themselves. It wasn''t that expensive.


    "Maybe. But don''t you usually have to book months ahead?"


    Scarlett frowned. "Why would that be necessary?"


    There had never been such a feature in the game. There, it had been enough to just walk up to the Kilnstone and pay the fee if you were in one of the cities. It probably wouldn''t have made for good game design if the game forced you to plan your fast traveling several months in advance.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    But this wasn''t the first detail in this world that was different from the game. The dungeons, quests, and items all appeared to stay the same¡ªalbeit expanded upon¡ªbut details such as this seemed inclined to have gone through slight changes.


    "Aren''t there only a limited amount of uses every day?" Kat''s voice brought Scarlett out of her musing. "That''s what I heard at least. Although I guess that doesn''t matter as much to you because you''re a noble."


    Scarlett stared at Kat. It seemed she had to read up on how these Kilnstones actually worked. It was becoming clear her assumptions about it were far from correct. Turning away from the Shielder, Scarlett watched as their carriages situated itself at the back of the queue behind the other nobles'' carriages. Another person in a black uniform and ledger in hand slowly walked up to the front of their carriage and appeared to check something with the coachman.


    Kat went quiet as well and they sat in silence for a while as they waited for the line to move.


    "I had been meaning to ask," Scarlett eventually spoke. "Is there a reason for your unusual behaviour today?"


    "Unusual...my Lady?"


    Scarlett turned her head towards Kat. The Shielder still had her hands on her legs with her back straight, as if she was at a formal dinner of some sort. It didn''t fit the woman at all. "You have been addressing me as ''my Lady.''"


    An embarrassed look appeared on Kat''s face. "Ah, well. That''s..." Scarlett waited for her to continue. "That butler guy told me I was acting improperly."


    Scarlett raised a brow. "Garside?"


    Kat nodded. "Yeah¡ªI mean, yes. He chewed me out yesterday evening, telling me I had to show more respect. I didn''t think it was that big of a problem, but he told me it reflected poorly on you and all that."


    Scarlett listened to Kat''s words and thought about it for a moment. Then she waved her hand in the air and turned her attention back to outside the window. "You do not have to bother with formality. I believe my actions thus far have demonstrated that it does not matter much to me."


    That was a little bit of a white lie. Informal behaviour did annoy her, but she actually preferred it in Kat''s case. It was one of the few of the original Scarlett''s quirks that she could handle well enough to even attempt to get used to it.


    "You sure?" Kat asked.


    "I would not have said it if I was not."


    "Thank the gods." The relief was clear in her voice. "I was going crazy having to think about each and every word like that. Being all prim and proper really isn''t worth it."


    "I would not say your behaviour could be described as ''prim and proper''. That would likely require more than exchanging ''going'' with ''attending'' and occasionally adjusting how you address me."


    Kat let out a sigh. "Believe me, I don''t need you telling me I''m bad at it." She paused for a moment, before speaking again. "But won''t that be a problem for you? Aren''t nobles all about appearance and things like that?"


    "You are not one of my subordinates. I hired you for a job. I do not see how it is my business how you act while performing it as long as you exhibit a modicum of respect. If others believe that should somehow reflect on me, then let them. I do not plan on wasting time preoccupying myself with what others think of me."


    "Oh...I see," Kat mumbled.


    Scarlett glanced at her. "I will admit, it does surprise me that you would care about these matters. I did not take you for such a person."


    Kat looked at her with a slightly peeved face. "What, you think I would just ignore his warning?"


    "I did not think you cared. You showed no such signs when we first met."


    "Ah, well." She hesitated for a second. "I didn''t, actually. Care, that is. And you never said anything so I didn''t think it mattered."


    "You thought correctly." Scarlett looked back out the window and towards the Kilnstone just in time to see its reflective grey surface turn completely black as if it absorbed all the light from its surroundings. A moment later a small group of people along with three wagons appeared in a show of light at the center of a large marked area next to the obelisk. One of the men in charge walked up to the group and exchanged words with them before jotting something down in his ledger.


    "Well, I couldn''t exactly ignore your butler''s words," Kat continued. "I think acting as your escort should also include not causing you any extra trouble, so I had to at least try."


    "A laudable sentiment. Despite its superfluousness," Scarlett said as she watched the newly arrived group leave through a wide opening between the surrounding structure''s white marble pillars.


    "Super...what?"


    Scarlett turned to Kat. "Superfluousness. Something that is either more than needed or wanted."


    "Ah, I see." Kat had a look of understanding on her face. "Sorry. Sometimes the words you use throw me off."


    Scarlett looked at her. She was unsure what to say in response. As a content editor in her world she was used to working with a wide¡ªand sometimes unusual¡ªvocabulary, even though she rarely used much of it when she spoke. But now that she had become Scarlett, speaking this way had become part of her nature. She had tried talking more like she used to, but it hadn''t gone well. So far it was the only thing she knew of that was even worse than trying to deal with her innate contempt for Scarlett''s younger sister. Of course, she didn''t want to arouse too much suspicion by suddenly changing how she spoke either. There were enough sudden and surprising actions she had performed as it were. "...I will try to simplify my language." To the point where she could, at least.


    "That''s not really necessary." Kat shook her head as if she didn''t consider it to be that important. "I don''t think I''m one to tell you how to speak. Just do what you do."


    "...Very well." Scarlett looked out the window again as the both of them went quiet. There were four carriages ahead of them in the queue and it took about thirty minutes before they reached the front. In that time three different groups of people and wagons had teleported here through the Kilnstone and left through the same gap between the pillars as the first group she''d seen. Eventually one of the men in charge waved their carriage forward and she heard the coachman urge the horse onward a moment later. He steered them around the tall obelisk and towards a marked area on the opposite side of the area where people teleporting to Freybrook ended up. The same man that waved them forward ensured they were within the marked space before waving forward another carriage that had been behind theirs in the line and repeating the process. He then pulled out a watch from his breast pocked and looked at it. "One minute until transport. Make sure you don''t leave the marked zone," he announced.


    Scarlett stole a glance at the other carriage next to them as they waited. It was completely black and larger than theirs, with two horses harnessed to its front instead of just one. She felt that the insignia on the side of the carriage looked familiar, a dark green stag with golden eyes, but she couldn''t quite pinpoint where she''d seen it before.


    She didn''t have much time to think about it as the Kilnstone ahead of them suddenly sucked in all light around them and everything grew completely dark for a millisecond. Then the artifact suddenly spat out all the color again and the world filled with light as a new view appeared before them. The wide square surrounding the Kilnstone was now situated on a large hill that overlooked a city to the left and a large body of water to the right.


    They had arrived in Ambercrest.

 Chapter 17 - Banquets and appetizers

    The game world of ''Chronicle of Realms'' had been large, even for an open-world RPG. It covered the entirety of the Graenal Empire, and many of its cities¡ªsuch as Freybrook and Kilsfell¡ªwere almost wholly traversable, each impressive in its own way. Trekking across the whole map on foot in the game took hours in real life. That''s why all means of expediting that movement¡ªsuch as mounts and fast-travel using the Kilnstones¡ªhad been an important part of the game. While those two were the most common methods, there were others. One Scarlett herself had used on several occasions were boats.


    The entire southern border of the Empire touched what was known as the Innisling Sea, a rather tempestuous ocean with lots of interesting locations such as the Rising Isle or the Forgotten Tower in it. In the Empire''s southwestern region, not far east of Freybrook, began an estuary¡ªthat is, where a river meets the ocean¡ªknown as the Mouth of Graenal. It branched out into the river of Three Streams; both the largest and longest river in the whole empire. It continued all the way to the center of the Empire''s lands and split into Rellaria Lake, where the Imperial Capital Elystead was, and a delta of three smaller rivers. And to the east of Elystead, at the end on one of those forks of rivers, was the city of Ambercrest.


    The whole width of the river could be seen from the hill they found themselves at and its length spread out far into the distance. In the game one could just barely see Rellaria Lake from here, but even as she gazed out the carriage window in that direction Scarlett couldn''t see anything but water and land. She''d already felt it with Freybrook, but this really made it all the more clear how large this world actually was compared to the game. She looked away from the distant horizon and towards their new location.


    The city of Ambercrest was a walled city built at a point where the end of the river met a high and rocky cliffside. There was a fair distance down from most of the city to the water underneath. Jutting out from the cliffside were two outcroppings¡ªcliff hills, really¡ªthat towered over the rest of the city. The hill they were currently on was one of those, while the other outcropping housed a large fort-like castle of almost tan stone. Not far from that was another piece of land that jutted out into the water but down towards sea-level rather than up. From their current vantage point, Scarlett could see a large number of ships anchored in the water around that little island. Ambercrest''s harbor wasn''t quite the size of Freybrook''s, but Ambercrest also wasn''t as much of a maritime city as Freybrook was.


    After a man in a black uniform similar to that of those men in charge of the Kilnstone back in Freybrook walked up and performed a quick inspection of their carriage and the black carriage that had arrived with them they were given permission to leave. Much like in Freybrook the Kilnstone here in Ambercrest had a large open circular structure around it that was supported by marble pillars. As their driver steered their carriage behind the other carriage and through a large gap in those pillars they passed by a group of guards in red and started leaving the large square where the Kilnstone was behind. Soon they were descending down a broad stone road towards the city itself, passing through an open gate and inside Ambercrest''s walls. The coachman seemed to know exactly where they were going as their carriage soon deftly moved through the packed streets of the city. Unlike Freybrook, where many of the buildings were built out of wood and cut stone, the buildings here in Ambercrest were made of light brown and red bricks with colored roofs. All in all the city was much more colorful than Freybrook was, that was certain.


    It took around ten minutes before the carriage entered a part of the city that was plainly more well-off than the rest. Mansions began surrounding them left and right, as well as there being a clear difference in the quality of the road they traveled on and the clothing of the people she sometimes spotted. Although unlike Freybrook, where there was enough space in the richer district for almost all the mansions to have large estates attached to them, here all the buildings were built tightly next to each other. There weren''t many gardens or other empty areas that she could see from the buildings'' facades.


    Soon enough the carriage drove up and stopped before the gates of a particularly large mansion which actually had a short walkway up to its entrance. Scarlett only had to wait for a moment before the coachman had moved back to open the carriage door for her.


    "We have arrived, my Lady," the man said. It wasn''t the same youth who she''d grown used to when she went out on excursions around Freybrook with Kat. This man was much older and more used to these kinds of events. She did wonder whether the Hartford family employed its carriage drivers full-time or if that was done some other way.


    Turning her head towards Kat, she spoke. "I will take my leave. The coachman will take you wherever you wish in the city. I trust that you will be fine on your own." It would be a shame if she brought the woman just for her to get lost in the city.


    Kat grinned. "I''ll manage. I''ve been to Ambercrest before and know some of the local Guild members. It''ll be fun to meet up with them."


    "Good." Scarlett gave Kat a short nod before rising from her seat and stepping out of the carriage.


    "I will bring Miss Breedan to her desired location and return immediately, my Lady," the driver told her. "There is a spot for the carriages nearby. I will wait there for when you wish to leave."


    With that, the man gave a short bow and closed the carriage''s door before climbing up at its front and getting the horse into motion with a click of his tongue and a light whisk of the reins. Scarlett observed them leave for a moment, pondering how she was supposed to inform the man when she wanted to leave. She turned to the gate of the mansion. Well, a servant was bound to be able to help with that. Hopefully.


    She walked towards the gate where two guards with truncheons at their side looked at her. A brown-haired man in a suit¡ªhe looked to be a servant of some kind¡ªhad exited from a small sentry box and greeted her as she closed in.


    "Welcome, my Lady. Are you here for the reception?" he asked with the same kind of smile you''d see on a salesman trying to convince you of the perks of getting a new vacuum cleaner.


    "I am," she answered curtly.


    The man took out a small book from his inner pocket and opened it. "May I ask for your name?"


    "Baroness Scarlett Hartford."


    The man looked down at the book, flipping through its pages as a small frown appeared on his brow.


    "Is there a problem?" She meant it as a question, but the way it came out it sounded more like a demand.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The man looked at her with an awkward expression, trying to avoid her gaze. "N-Not at all my Lady. It''s just that..." She saw drops of sweat begin to form on his forehead. After a moment he turned around and gestured to the guards to open the gate before turning back to her. "It seems like there might have been a slight mistake with bookkeeping on our end. Nothing your Ladyship has to worry about. You may enter the estate immediately." He performed a bow. "The pre-ceremonial banquet has already begun in the inner garden. If you ask a servant they will lead you there. The ceremony itself will begin at one o''clock." He cautiously looked up at her. "Does the Baroness have any companion that will arrive later?"


    She scowled at him. Were one not supposed to go to these kinds of events by themselves? As far as she was aware she had only received an invitation for one person. Although maybe she was expected to arrive with other attendees or something like that. She had seen that kind of thing in books and shows.


    "I am by myself," she told him in a cold voice. "Any further questions?"


    A half-panicked expression appeared on his face. "N-No, of course not your Ladyship. How would I dare to question one such as you? Please, the bride and groom bid you welcome." He gestured towards the mansion.


    Deciding not to frighten the man more than necessary Scarlett let him be and began walking towards the building. When she reached the double-doored entrance it was opened from the inside by a short blonde woman in servant''s clothing who stood to the side of the entrance. Scarlett gave the woman a short look before entering the foyer of the mansion. It was lit up by a large chandelier hanging from the roof and had two flights of carpeted stairs that led to a second floor as well as several doors that seemed to lead to other parts of the building.


    "The reception is held in the gardens, my Lady," the woman who''d opened the doors told her. "Shall I lead you there?"


    Scarlett examined the room for a moment longer before turning to the woman. "Yes. Lead the way."


    The servant threw one last glance out the doors before closing them and curtsying to Scarlett. "Then ¡ª follow me, my Lady." She leaned her head down as she spoke and didn''t meet Scarlett''s eyes as she spun around and started leading Scarlett through the mansion. They passed through a door at the far end of the foyer into a hallway that led past what looked like a reception hall and music room before coming out to an open pathway between two different parts of the mansion. The left side of the pathway opened up into a large garden that was completely enclosed on all sides by other sections of the mansion, with the garden itself being packed full of tables and people socializing. At the center of the garden stood a tall statue of some man Scarlett didn''t recognize, and at the other end of the area¡ªshe could barely make out through the throngs of people¡ªa raised white platform with a roof that had what resembled suns hanging from it. Probably made out of paper or something like it.


    "The bride and groom have yet to make their entrance but you are free to take part in the festivities," the servant said and Scarlett turned her attention back to the woman, only for the woman to give her another curtsy and immediately take her leave. Scarlett raised a brow at the action before looking back out over the mass of people. She spotted a table that appeared to hold some manner of hors d''oeuvres not too far away from her and decided to go there for now. Some of those who were nearby seemed to take notice of her, but she didn''t pay them any mind. It''d been a while since she ate, and while she didn''t want to go against whatever norms there might be around here, she also doubted the original Scarlett would have cared much about small things like this. Stopping at the table, she eyed the different side dishes for a moment. Picking up something that looked a lot like some kind of crostini with cheese cream on it, she tried a bite. It was decent. Not as good as some of the other stuff she had tried in this world.


    Maybe the Hartfords'' chef was just that good? She reminded herself that she should meet the person sometime. Picking up another small dish, she turned her head and examined her surroundings.


    To be honest, she was at a complete loss as to what she should do next. This whole wedding business had been sprung on her quite suddenly. She was still hoping she''d find some book on noble etiquette in the mansion, but even if she did it would be unlikely to cover subjects like these. It would have been useful if she had someone to ask about these things, but doing that would undoubtedly arouse suspicion she didn''t want.


    As her gaze moved across the attendees of the wedding she suddenly heard a voice approach her from the side.


    "If it isn''t Baroness Hartford. I''m surprised to see you here at this wedding."


    Scarlett turned around to see a middle-aged man in what she could only describe as a black half-open fantasy suit with gold inlays and buttons moving towards her. He had deep golden hair and walked arm-in-arm with a raven-haired woman in a wide dark-blue dress that looked at her with a small smile.


    "It has been a while, Baroness," the man said as a greeting.


    "You look great in that dress dear," the woman gestured her hand towards Scarlett.


    Scarlett examined them both closely for a second before ever-so-slightly nodding her head towards the man. "It has," she said, before turning to the woman. "And your dress is quite fitting as well."


    The man smiled and brought his hands forward. "Let me introduce you two. Baroness, this is my wife, Viscountess Irena Clapham. Irena, I''m sure you were already aware, but this is Baroness Scarlett Hartford."


    Scarlett glanced at him. That had to make this man Viscount Clapham.


    "Why of course I knew!" The viscountess motioned with her hand in her husband''s direction. "I''m sure her name has been on the lips of everyone who has read this week''s issue of the Empyreal Chronicle."


    Scarlett lifted an eyebrow. That wasn''t a name she was expecting to hear here. The Empyreal Chronicle was the national newspaper in the Graenal Empire. In the game it was released on a weekly basis and was mostly a way for the player to learn of potential events and quests across the world during the course of the game.


    "I am afraid I am unaware as to exactly what it is that you are referring to. I have not been informed of any article or the like regarding me," she said.


    "Goodness!" The viscountess covered her mouth. "You didn''t even know? I read it just yesterday. To think that such vile criminals were present in Freybrook of all places! I''m glad that you dealt with them."


    What did they write about her? And why had she missed this? She would have to ask Garside about it when she returned this evening.


    "It appears as if my contribution in the matter has been exaggerated." Getting too much attention on herself at this time might introduce unexpected factors. It sounded like more trouble than it was worth at the moment. "Much of the recognition goes to Count Knottley and the members of the Shields Guild who participated in the subjugation of the criminals."


    "Oh my, how humble."


    "How unexpected. For you to give the credit to others, Baroness," Viscount Clapham said.


    Scarlett met his eyes. "I do not make it a custom to take what isn''t mine. I am not ''giving'' any credit; merely ensuring that it is acknowledged where it should be."


    The viscount smiled. "Of course. Pardon my gaffe. I''m simply glad those kinds of unsavory elements were dealt with appropriately."


    "As am I."


    "Speaking of, how are things over in Freybrook? It has been a while since I last visited. How''s your sister?"


    Scarlett kept a neutral expression. "She is well, although we are both quite busy due to the current circumstances."


    "As I thought you would be. I''m sure there''s much to deal with after¡ª"


    The viscount went quiet as his eyes moved to behind Scarlett. A moment later she felt a hand grab hold of her left shoulder and forcibly turn her around. She was met face to face with a handsome man with dark black hair in a black military dolman that had a gold trimming and collar. His sleeves were white with wide gold bracelets and on his chest hung dozens of small medals as well as a large golden medallion in the shape of the sun. He looked at her with a large scowl.


    "What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 18 - I pronounce you...and all that

    Scarlett stared at the man''s face. She was pretty certain she recognized him. What was it? Leon Desmon? Delmon? She''d written it down somewhere. Anyhow, he was a rather prominent figure in certain parts of the game and was the vice-captain of the Imperial Solar Knights, which said a lot considering they were the strongest knight order in the empire. She hadn''t interacted with him as much as she could''ve because she never reached the capital in her third playthrough, which was supposed to be her knight playthrough. As such, most of her knowledge of him was from late-game events. But he was still memorable enough of a character, despite her not expecting to meet him here like this.


    She looked at the hand that was on her shoulder. "What was that?" she found herself asking sharply.


    He kept scowling at her as he removed his hand. "What are you doing here, Scarlett?"


    She eyed him. While the hostility wasn''t odd considering Scarlett''s background, she had no idea what exactly it was for. And honestly, she didn''t appreciate it. She wasn''t sure if it was the Scarlett part or the Amy part of her, but she found herself growing more annoyed by the second. "Is there a reason I cannot be here?"


    "We''ll leave you young people alone for now," she heard from behind her and turned to see Viscount Clapham lock arms with his wife. "We can speak more at a later time."


    His wife smiled at her. "It was a pleasure finally meeting you Baroness Hartford. I hope we can have a conversation over tea some time."


    "Yes. Excuse me," Scarlett said as to the couple as they walked away. Then she spun around to look at Leon again.


    "What do you want to accomplish by coming here?" he questioned.


    She raised an eyebrow at him. "I am not quite sure what it is you are asking. I believe I received an invitation to attend this wedding."


    He scoffed. "You''re saying you''re just here to attend as a normal guest?"


    "I do not see what else I could be here for."


    "We both know that''s a lie."


    Scarlett glanced around their surroundings. There were quite a number of eyes aimed at them. "You seem to be rather certain of it, yes. That does not constitute us ''both''." She gestured around them. "Now, is that all you had to say? Or did you choose to cause a disturbance for another reason?"


    He looked around the garden at the people close to them for a second before letting out a sigh. "Fine. But don''t expect me to escort you. And if you try anything to disrupt Tilda''s marriage, know that I won''t stand still."


    "I neither had such expectations nor thoughts to begin with," she said.


    He stared quietly at her for a moment. She met his eyes with her own annoyed gaze. Eventually he shook his head and left towards a group of people some distance away that wore similar uniforms as he. She watched him walk away. That had been a short, but rather intensive exchange. She wondered what kind of relationship he and the original Scarlett had had. It clearly wasn''t a normal one, at least. And she certainly hadn''t helped that any now. But what was she supposed to do when he approached her in such a rude manner? Apologize for whatever she had done and try to appease him? Just the thought made her feel like retching. No matter what the original had done, she wasn''t quite willing to go to those lengths for a stranger. She''d been pushing it even with Evelyne.


    Scarlett didn''t get much more time to analyze the matter in her head before something else forced her to pay attention to her surroundings. A young blonde woman in a wide yellow dress approached her with hesitant steps, shying away slightly when Scarlett shifted her gaze towards her. She looked to be a few years younger than Scarlett. Maybe somewhere in her early twenties.


    "Yes?" Scarlett asked, not bothering to hide all of the annoyance that was still present in her voice.


    The woman spun her head towards a group of ladies next to a nearby table, then back to Scarlett. "Ehm, are you the Baroness Hartford?" she asked.


    "I am."


    The woman almost looked startled by the brusque answer, taking a second to regain her reason and grab the edges of her dress in some kind of curtsy greeting. "I am Salvina Stansfield. I''ve heard much about the baroness."


    "I''m sure you have." Scarlett looked the woman over. "Was there something you needed?"


    Salvina''s eyes widened. "Ah, um... I wanted to ask if you wished to join us in our discussions. We noticed you were alone."


    Scarlett had barely been left by herself for more than ten seconds, but apparently that constituted ''alone'' to them. She observed the group of women that were glancing at the two of them for a moment. Of course, none of them were someone she recognized. And from the way Salvina greeted her it didn''t seem as if any of them knew her personally. She considered it for a second, then nodded her head. "As you expended the effort to extend the offer, I will accept." She didn''t know what else to do here anyway, and it would be easier to interact with people who didn''t have any relations with the original Scarlett.


    Salvina looked somewhat surprised by the answer, but the younger woman quickly changed into a smile and led Scarlett towards her companions. The group of women introduced themselves as they approached and Scarlett nodded along with their words. She doubted she would remember any of them later on.


    "So," one of the women, a tall brunette in a red dress not too dissimilar to Scarlett''s, said. "We were just discussing the soon-to-be newlyweds."


    "Is that so." Scarlett turned her attention to the woman.


    "Yes. Master Corbyn opened a business in the capital just last year and has been frequenting it often. A line of boutiques. It has been going rather well. My husband even invested in it recently."


    "Supposedly it was through this business that he met Dame Trista," another woman cut in. "Love at first sight, I heard."


    "Oh how nice that must be," a woman that looked slightly older than the rest said and waved her hand in front of her. "My own husband can''t tell a boutique from a saloon. It would all have been so much easier if I could just have fallen madly in love when I first saw him."


    The women laughed at her words and Scarlett watched on with the closest she could to a fake smile, though it might honestly have been more like a sneer. She wasn''t sure she could laugh, even if she wanted to.


    "Ah, but I heard Dame Trista doesn''t enjoy visiting boutiques often, so how did she and Master Corbyn end up meeting?" Salvina asked.


    "I have never met the bride myself, so I wouldn''t know."


    "Neither have I."


    "What about you, Baroness Hartford?" The brunette looked at Scarlett with an expression that Scarlett found distinctly irritating. "You have had quite the number of run-ins with the bride, have you not?"


    Scarlett had no idea what kind of run-ins that was, but from the woman''s tone, she could guess they weren''t especially cordial. Which would also explain Leon''s earlier behavior.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "I have also had many ''run-ins'' with the guards at my estate. That does not mean that I know what they enjoy as their pastime," she said. It was essentially a wager what to answer here, anyway. "I ask that you do not confuse acquaintance with familiarity."


    The woman flinched momentarily but quickly regained her composure. "You misunderstand. I just meant that you might have heard something. Isn''t Dame Trista a colleague of your fianc¨¦? He might have mentioned something."


    Scarlett had a fianc¨¦? And they were also an Imperial Knight? This was the first she heard of it. It couldn''t be...


    "Although judging from the display earlier, perhaps Sir Leon doesn''t have the kind of relationship where he would share such matters with the Baroness."


    Scarlett shifted her gaze towards where Leon was conversing with the group of uniformed people. That man was her fianc¨¦? She wouldn''t have thought so from their earlier interaction. Now she almost felt a little bit bad for the way she acted.


    Well, that wasn''t entirely true. But she thought it would be logical to feel bad about it, at least.


    She held back a sigh as she turned back to the woman. How bothersome. "I do not believe my relationship with Sir Leon is any of your concern, Lady Ayla. You may blather of whatever you wish when by yourself, but do not try to interpose yourself into my matters."


    The brunette froze at her words as the other ladies awkwardly looked around. Scarlett didn''t bother saying anything more. She''d obviously botched this interaction.


    "Ahem," Salvina eventually spoke. "A-Anyway. Baroness, I recently read that you fought an organization of criminals."


    "Oh! I also heard about that."


    "How impressive."


    "I don''t think I would have the courage to do something dangerous like that."


    Scarlett held back a scowl as several of the women chimed in with their thoughts. At the rate this news was spreading the whole empire would know about it soon enough. She could just hope it didn''t get out of hand and instead got forgotten in another week or so, as most news tended to do.


    "To think you did something like that," Salvina continued in an astonished voice. "I had heard the Hartfords were a family of skillful magicians, but that you could take on a large gang of criminals like that."


    It was neither particularly impressive, nor did Scarlett personally do that much. They were a relatively low-level gang, and the original Scarlett was even half-responsible for those crimes. She really had to read this article as soon as she returned.


    "It makes one wonder how skilled you are," the brunette uttered. "Maybe you''re even a match for your fianc¨¦?"


    "Oh my, could that be true?"


    "As strong as the vice-captain of the Solar Knights?!"


    She wanted to scoff as all the women''s attention gathered on her. Leon Delmon was level 75 towards the end of the game. That was only five levels lower than the player at max level. Meanwhile, she would be lucky if she was even considered level 20 right now. Comparing the two of them was ridiculous. Of course, none of these women would know anything about levels and all that, but surely they should at least know the difference between one of the strongest knights in the empire and some small-time villainess?


    Well, that wasn''t her problem. Not like telling them otherwise would do much. She let them think what they wanted and said no more on the matter. Soon enough the discussion changed to another subject the women had an interest in. Scarlett didn''t particularly enjoy or participate in the conversations much, but she was unsure what else to do until the ceremony started so she stayed put, much to the dismay of at least a couple of the women it seemed, although they didn''t show it too much more. Eventually, people started moving about in the garden and it looked as if things were starting to happen. She found herself wishing she had a watch to check the time as she joined the throng of people that were starting to gather close to the statue at the central part of the garden.


    Soon enough, a man and a woman walked out from one of the surrounding buildings. The woman had long copper-blonde hair that was tied behind her shoulders and wore a bright white dress with golden tracery down its sides. While she could certainly be described as beautiful, the woman had a very hard appearance, Scarlett mused. She didn''t look like the kind of person who smiled much. Compared to her, the man was pure joviality. He had a short ginger-brown beard, as well as neatly cut hair, and wore a set of plush blue clothing. A huge smile was plastered on his face as he walked beside his fianc¨¦e and took in everyone''s greetings.


    Scarlett didn''t recognize either of their faces from the game. As she had thought, none of them were major characters. It did surprise her slightly though that she felt a tinge of annoyance when she looked at the bride. It appeared the original Scarlett had strong feelings about Trista Denholm. Relatively strong, at least. Stronger than for her fianc¨¦ it seemed. And to some degree Garside, she suspected. It was far from being as bad as with Evelyne, however, so she managed to keep a neutral expression on her face as the couple passed through the mass of people with a short train of men and women walking arm-in-arm behind them. Maybe those were some variety of bride''s maids and best men.


    The bride herself seemed to have noticed her, Trista''s eyes widening as she glared at Scarlett. Scarlett didn''t show any reaction and watched as both the bride and groom kept moving towards the raised platform that stood at the end of the garden. Eventually Trista was forced to move her attention away from Scarlett.


    It didn''t seem as if she had been aware Scarlett was coming either. Scarlett was starting to grow suspicious about the whole matter.


    As the soon-to-be-wed couple climbed up a small set of stairs onto the platform music began ringing out across the garden. Scarlett spun her head to see a small musical quartet that she hadn''t noticed before gathered to the side of the area in front of the platform where dozens of rows of chairs were lined up. All the guests started moving towards those chairs and Scarlett looked around to find where she could sit. The rows were separated so it created a small aisle in the middle, much like what you often saw at weddings in her world, so she wondered if those related to the groom or bride should maybe sit on different sides. Unfortunately she had no idea which category she was supposed to fit into, so when she spotted Viscount Clapham and his wife sitting themselves down at the center of one of the rows she merely sat herself down further out on that same row. Then she began watching the proceedings with a calm expression. Up till this point it hadn''t looked much different from a classical wedding in her world.


    The bride and groom now stood at opposite ends of the platform. Soon another figure came walking down the impromptu aisle between the chairs and moved towards the platform. They wore a heavy and complicated set of gold-emblazoned red robes as well as a golden mask that was shaped like two squares interposed over each other at the front, with one square angled 45 degrees to it looked similar to an octagon. The middle of the mask''s face was completely white and had two pieces of cloth hanging down with odd symbols on them. It was one of the priests of Ittar, the god of the sun and patron deity of the Graenal Empire. The Followers of Ittar had been an oft-present faction in the game that Scarlett was very familiar with.


    The priest walked up the platform and moved to its center with slow steps. They then turned around to the mass of guests and threw their hands¡ªwhich were hidden by a pair of white gloves¡ªinto the air. The music stopped. "Revered men and women." A man''s voice rang out. "Today is a day of celebration. For you, as well as the resplendent Ittar, are all here to attest to and bear witness to one of the oldest and most beautiful rites there is."


    Scarlett felt like rolling her eyes. Most priests in the game were like this. There wasn''t necessarily anything wrong with it, but it felt horribly clich¨¦d for a clergyman in a fantasy game. She knew that wasn''t all they were about, but it was still a prevalent part of their characters.


    As one might have expected, the priest soon went into a long speech about Ittar and the origins of the wedding rites. Scarlett wasn''t particularly interested and only half-paid attention, wondering if they did this for all weddings. Felt like most attendants would get tired of it after visiting a wedding or two.


    The groom and bride stood to the side during the whole ordeal. If Scarlett was to guess this went on for at least an hour before the priest stopped talking about the importance of this act and that. When he finally finished, the music gradually began playing again as he took several steps back on the platform and gestured towards the bride and groom who both walked to the center of the platform from opposite ends.


    "As the sun rises and the sky turns, let Ittar''s light shine upon those that shall share an unbreakable bond," the priest proclaimed. "None but the glorious Ittar shall break this bond and none shall desecrate it; lest risk condemning themselves to eternity at the hands of the Viles in the Blazes." He turned towards the bride and groom both. "Are the two of you ready, in body and in mind, to pledge to these vows?"


    "Yes," both of them said at once.


    "Then I declare you both united under the watch of Ittar, as husband and as wife."


    The two took a step forward and embraced each other with a deep kiss to the cheering of the audience. Scarlett lightly clapped her hands and inwardly let out a relieved sigh that things were starting to move forward. Hopefully there would be some banquet or the like afterward that she could attend for just a short while before leaving. There was still something she wanted to do here in Ambercrest, and she didn''t have too much time before she had to return to Freybrook.


    When Trista and her new husband eventually let go of each other with smiles on their faces and took a step back Scarlett thought it was almost done, but instead the man turned towards one of the people that had stood close to him on the platform and received a parchment of paper. Then he spun towards the crowd, beaming. "If you all don''t mind, I have something to say."


    Scarlett froze.


    They were holding speeches.

 Chapter 19 - The dine and dash

    Trista thanked the group of people before her for all their well-wishings and turned her head around to look for her husband. That term still felt odd to use. She''d never seen herself marrying during her years as a squire. Spotting his bronze-colored mane amongst a cluster of people near the large statue of Rasiel the Resilient at the center of the garden she briefly announced her leave to those she had been conversing with and made off towards her Corbyn. She grabbed the hem of her dress to adjust it as she moved through the crowds of guests that all congratulated her as she passed by. She couldn''t get used to wearing clothes like this.


    This day had been more intense than even some of the worst back when she had been a squire. There was just so much that they had had to do. Both she and Corbyn woke up at three to begin with all the preparations and get ready for when the guests started arriving at nine. After greeting the first of them it had all just been a flurry of things that had to be completed before the actual service, both ceremonial and other. Since the actual ceremony, she and Corbyn had barely had a minute of free time to trade words with each other ¡ª which was especially irritating as she had something she needed to ask him.


    As Trista approached the center of the garden with determined steps she scanned the people around her. She couldn''t believe Scarlett was here. She''d kept worrying that blasted woman would do something the whole ceremony. Instead, Scarlett had just sat there in the audience, completely still. And when the speeches were over and the reception started Trista had quickly lost sight of her in the crowd. But knowing the woman, she was probably planning some kind of deceptive scheme.


    Trista couldn''t understand what she was doing here. Did she sneak in? Or did Corbyn invite her for some reason? She loved the man, but sometimes he did the most stupid things. Locking onto his back with her eyes she walked past a group of her fellow knights and gave them a short greeting before walking up to Corbyn and tapping him on his shoulder. He stopped his conversation with those in front of him and turned around. "Trista!" he exclaimed with a large smile and leaned in to kiss her. She returned the kiss before gesturing to the side.


    "Can we talk for a moment?"


    She saw him scrunch that nose of his in confusion as he sometimes did before he nodded his head. "Of course." He took her hand as they moved a short distance away. "What was it that you wanted?" he asked as they stopped next to a small concrete plinth. He was tall, even for a man, so he ended up looking down at her.


    She stared up at him. "Did you invite Scarlett to the wedding?"


    "Scarlett?" He gave her an inquiring look.


    "Scarlett Hartford."


    A look of understanding spread across his face. "Ah, Baroness Hartford! Yes, I did send her an invitation."


    Trista sighed. "Why did you do that?"


    He looked confused again. "Shouldn''t I have? The Hartfords have some involvement in my business so I felt it was only right."


    "You should have told me if that was the case."


    "But she didn''t accept it?"


    Trista paused. "...I saw her earlier."


    Corbyn''s eyebrows rose. "Are you sure? I''m certain I remember her sending a letter declining the invitation."


    Trista clenched her fists. Of course that woman would do something like that. Declining the invitation just to attend anyway. Whatever she could to cause a mess and insult her as much as possible. She didn''t know what Scarlett was planning, but she wouldn''t let it pass on the day of her wedding.


    "Tell me if you see her. I''m going to make sure nothing disastrous happens," she told her husband. He gave her an uncertain ''okay'' as she walked off. She then walked around the garden for a short while, looking for Scarlett''s burning red hair amongst the mass of people. In the process, she spotted Leon talking with Corbyn''s parents. The viscount and his wife were starting to get on in years, but they were still as energetic as ever. They''d spent a lot of money organizing this whole wedding and inviting all the guests to their home.


    Walking up next to Leon she looked at the viscount and his wife. "Father, mother, do you mind if I borrow the vice-captain for a moment?"


    The viscount gave her the largest smile. Corbyn had taken a lot after his father. "Of course not, dear. Just make sure to give my son some attention later too, or he''ll soon start crying, I''m sure."


    She smiled. "Of course, father."


    With that, the viscount and viscountess Stratford soon walked off and Trista turned to Leon. "Vice-captain, have you seen Scarlett?" she asked him straight out.


    Leon shook his head, a scowl on his face. "I spoke with her when she first arrived about an hour before the ceremony, but that''s all. I haven''t seen her for a while now. Did she do something?"


    Trista shook her head with a sigh. "Not yet, as far as I know ¡ª except for attending uninvited. But I also haven''t seen her since the ceremony. I''m afraid of what she might do."


    Leon crossed his arms as he looked around the area. "When I spoke with her she told me she wasn''t planning anything."


    "You believe her?"


    "No," he answered. "But it also isn''t like her to disappear like this."


    Trista frowned. This was the last thing she needed now. The wedding itself was stressful enough.


    "Your husband is coming here," Leon said and nodded towards one of the side buildings. Corbyn was waving to her as he walked towards them. When he got close enough he gave a short greeting to Leon before turning to Trista.


    "I checked with the servants regarding the Baroness. Apparently, she arrived twenty minutes to twelve despite declining the invitation."


    "Yes, I already heard that," Trista said.


    Corbyn held up a hand. "But then she left forty minutes ago."


    Both Trista''s and Leon''s eyes widened.


    "What?!"


    "That was much shorter than I thought it''d be," Kat said from the opposite end of the carriage as Scarlett. "I thought weddings always took ages."


    "I did not attend all of it," Scarlett said. Their carriage was currently passing through the gates of Ambercrest and out of the walled city.


    The speeches after the wedding ceremony had continued for even longer than the ceremony itself and had almost driven Scarlett crazy with their dullness. She knew none of the people there but still had to listen to them awkwardly praise each other. It seemed some things never changed no matter the world you were in. After the speeches there had at least been a small feast with some decent food. Better than the appetizers she''d had earlier, at the very least. When that was finished and people had begun mingling with each other again, Scarlett had realized that the clock was closing in on five. She had already been there for the most important part, was pressed for time ¡ª and frankly, she couldn''t really be bothered with pretending to enjoy the wedding much more than she already was, so she had taken the chance to leave. It had already turned out that she didn''t have a particularly good relationship with the bride anyways. From there she''d managed to get a servant to fetch her carriage and went over to pick up Kat.


    She looked out the window as they drove down a well-traveled gravel road outside the city''s walls. Rocky cliffs overlooking the water were to their right and large fields of green grass to their left. Scarlett made sure to keep an eye on the scenery as they moved on. She was a bit uncertain if she was going to recognize all of the landmarks she was looking for. She''d made some basic drawings of them early on in the journal she kept to remember things from the game but she was far from the best artist. It had also been a while since she was last in this area in the games. It was during her second playthrough ¡ª which she''d completed over two weeks before she arrived in this world. As such, her memory was a bit hazy.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The two of them stayed mostly quiet during their ride. There was lots of activity on the road, however. Wagons, carriages, and groups of people moving both from and to Ambercrest. The city might be smaller than Freybrook when it came to its size, but it was very lively.


    Eventually, after around twenty minutes of travel, Scarlett spotted a resting spot to the side of the road with a large marble statue overlooking it. The statue was surrounded by several half-broken pillars and depicted a woman surrounded by flames with her hands reaching up towards the sky. It was situated right at the edge of a small overhang jutting out over the steep cliffside.


    "Stop here," Scarlett called out loud enough so that the coach driver could hear it from outside. Soon the carriage steered off of the road and stopped a short distance away from the statue. There was a small group of other people resting here too, but this place was close enough to the city for most travelers to just pass it by.


    "We are going on foot from here," Scarlett told Kat and quickly stepped out of the carriage, telling the older coachman to rest here for now. The senior Shielder soon followed her out of the vehicle and threw a quick glance at the statue before looking at Scarlett.


    "Don''t tell me we''re exploring another Zuverian ruin or something like that?" she asked with a quizzical tone. "It''s beginning to feel like you''re pulling these places out from behind your ear."


    "No. This is something different," Scarlett said as she studied the area around them. It was relatively close in the game, but distances were different in this world so she couldn''t completely rely on that. She walked up to the circular platform the statue was on and carefully leaned out behind it to get a look at the cliffside.


    "Whoa, what are you doing?!" Kat''s somewhat worried voice sounded out behind her and the woman soon stepped up beside her with her hands held out. "Don''t do something stupid and fall off now."


    Scarlett took a step back. "I am fine. I merely required a good vantage point." Though she hadn''t seen much but cliffs and rocks. She stroked her chin.


    In ''Chronicle of Realms'' you always had a handy minimap of the surrounding area with a compass next to it so finding what locations you could walk to was relatively simple. Here, she had none of that. She couldn''t really think of any special way to deal with that so after a moment of pondering she decided to simply walk in the general direction of what she was searching for. Stepping off the statue''s platform, she started following the cliffside in the direction facing away from Ambercrest. A slightly confused Kat followed not long after. Keeping her eyes on the cliff''s edge, Scarlett kept on walking for five minutes without spotting anything that stuck out to her.


    "What exactly are we looking for?" Kat asked her from the side.


    Scarlett stopped and took a few careful steps closer to the edge to look down the cliffside. Kat grabbed hold of her arm to stop her from falling. "We are looking for a path to climb down on," she said. She didn''t find anything but water and rock. "Somewhere along these cliffs, there is a small cenote. Or a cavern, if you will. It has something I need in it."


    "...Right. So we''re just looking for a hole in the cliffside?"


    "In essence, yes." Scarlett nodded her head.


    "Ok," Kat said and gently pulled Scarlett further away from the edge. "Then let the person who''s not wearing a fancy dress do the dangerous hanging-over-a-cliff part, alright?" She then started moving along the cliff''s edge, intermittently stopping to lean out over it as far she could to look down before moving on.


    Scarlett glanced down at her dark red dress. It wasn''t the most flexible of clothing, true, but she hadn''t brought anything to change into. Nor did she have anywhere to change. She was pretty certain that there was no way she could bring the Scarlett part of herself to change in the carriage or in any kind of public setting. But would it have been that hard for her to bring a change of clothes and stop by at an inn or something for just a moment? God, sometimes she was stupid. She''d thought she''d planned this out. She gave a short shake of her head before taking a few hurried steps to catch up with the Shielder.


    They probably moved on for another ten minutes before Kat finally stopped. "I think I see something," the woman said and got down on her stomach to lean further out and get a better view.


    Scarlett looked around them. They were a fair distance away from both the resting spot and the road now. She could only barely see the tip of the statue from further up the cliffside. This was certainly much further away than it had been in the game. And she really couldn''t recognize anything special from the ground around here.


    "I think I can see a decent path we can climb down on," Kat said and stood up. She then looked Scarlett up and down. "Although I think it''s best if you wait here and I go on my own."


    "I am afraid that is not an option," Scarlett said firmly. "It will be dangerous if I am not present there myself."


    Kat had a doubtful expression on her face as she was quiet for a moment. Then she let out a sigh. "Fine. But I''m going first. And you seriously have to be careful. Otherwise we''ll both end up falling to our deaths."


    "Of course," Scarlett agreed. The both of them then moved over to the part of the cliffside where Kat said she had found the path to climb down on. Although it looked better than other parts of the cliffside which were basically unclimbable, this part still had an almost 90-degree decline and looked sufficiently dangerous. As Scarlett watched Kat begin to slowly climb down, she found herself wondering if she would actually be able to make this climb. Maybe she should rip the skirt of the dress to make this easier? It did look expensive, but it wasn''t as if she cared about it that much. She bent over and started tearing it at knee-level. It was harder to rip apart than she thought, but eventually it tore with a loud ripping sound. She threw the extra bit on the ground and looked down at the cliff. It still looked a bit dangerous...


    Thankfully Kat seemed to have thought of this as when she''d climbed far enough down for her head to be under the cliff''s edge she looked up at Scarlett and moved one of her hands over the side of the cliff. A moment later the rock itself started jutting out as a small foothold appeared. "There we go. Use this when you climb," she said before using her other hand to create another foothold. Soon she began climbing down again, creating footholds at an equal distance along the way.


    "Thank you," Scarlett said as she awkwardly went down on her knees and tried getting her foot on the first foothold to start climbing down. The dress was still partly in the way, even after tearing much of it off. As such it was tedious, but she did manage to slowly make her way down. Kat had essentially created a ladder out of the cliffside for her.


    Kat coughed from under her and Scarlett leaned her head downwards. The woman was trying not to look straight up as she created another pair of footholds in the rock for Scarlett. Scarlett felt a surge of anger rise through her when she realized the position she was in. Damn it. It shouldn''t bother her, but it did.


    "Just keep climbing," she muttered to the woman beneath her and locked her eyes onto the stone in front of her. It took her a few more minutes, as well as a pair of tired arms, to finally reach a small outcropping in the cliffside where Kat was waiting for her. Next to them was a hole with a diameter of about one meter that went down into the cliffside. The light from the sun shone down into the hole to reveal a large cave with a shallow lake of water at its bottom. A long gathering of sediment and stalactites hung down from the side of the hole.


    "This it?" Kat asked as she glanced down at the opening.


    Scarlett leaned closer to look inside. At the center of the small lake of water was a tiny island of rocks, and the water seemed to become much deeper at one end of the cave. "Yes. This is the correct place."


    "Are we just jumping down then?"


    Scarlett shook her head. The opening was situated at the lower end of the roof of the cave, but the fall still looked to be about three meters. She couldn''t handle a fall like that. Maybe if she were one of her characters from the game.


    Gesturing towards Kat''s side where Scarlett''s [Pouch of Holding] that she''d given the woman hung, she said. "There is a rope in there. We will be using that."


    Kat looked down at her hip and reached into the pouch, soon taking out a long piece of thick rope. Her brows rose. "That also works." Then she looked around and found a piece of sturdy rock to tie it to. After tugging at it a few times she threw the rest of the rope down the hole and immediately began climbing down. Soon she''d reached the bottom of the cave and looked up. Scarlett took a couple of deep breaths before also grabbing onto the rope. It had been years since she last climbed a rope in gym class. And she''d probably been more fit at the time than Scarlett was right now. As soon as she began climbing down she almost lost her grip, but after tightening her hands around the rope she managed to slowly make her way down. She burned her hands against the rope in the process, but soon enough her feet touched the cave floor. She looked down. The water was strikingly cold and came up to her ankles¡ªprobably ruining whatever material her shoes were made out of¡ªbut it was very clear.


    "What now?" Kat asked, her words echoing throughout the cave.


    Scarlett focused her gaze at the center of the cave where the pile of rocks rose up above the water. She stepped up to it and leaned over to try and pick up the stone at the top, but it was too heavy. Trying not to look too ruffled, she took a step back and gestured towards the pile. "Lift those."


    Kat gave her an amused look that Scarlett pointedly ignored before walking over and grabbing the top-most rock with both hands. With a small grunt, she threw it to the side and it splashed into the water a short distance away. "More?" Kat asked and looked at Scarlett.


    Scarlett nodded. "Continue."


    The Shielder went back to moving the rocks as Scarlett watched on. After a minute Kat suddenly stopped after lifting away a particularly large rock. "There''s something there."


    "Don''t touch it," Scarlett said and moved closer. Kat shifted to the side to give her space. A stained piece of curved gold stuck out from the rocks like a handle.


    "What is it?" Kat asked.


    Scarlett carefully grabbed hold of the object and pulled it out from the pile of rocks. Kat let out a sound of surprise.


    "This," Scarlett said as she looked at the oddly shaped object. "Is a magical lamp."

 Chapter 20 - Always read the fine print

    "A real one?" Kat asked incredulously, staring at the strange lamp in Scarlett''s hands. "Like from the story of the Nine Samaritan Thieves?"


    Scarlett glanced at Kat. Her companions in the game had had dialogue that made it seem like they knew of magic lamps too, so the concept clearly wasn''t too foreign in this world. "Something like that, yes," she said and looked back at the lamp. It had been buried in this cave for a long time. Thick grime coated it, but the gold beneath shimmered through on some spots.


    "Are you gonna use it?"


    "That was my intention."


    The lamp felt strangely hot to the touch. Scarlett turned it around and lightly shook it. There was no sound. "Step back," she told Kat, placing the lamp on the pile of rocks in front of them.


    "Wait, you''re using it now?!"


    "Indeed," she said and took a step up to the Shielder. She reached towards the woman''s hip and put her hand into the black pouch hanging there, pulling out a large bottle filled with a thick, dark-red liquid.


    "Hold this," she said and handed it to Kat, who stared at it with a confused expression.


    "Is this blood?"


    "Yes. But there is no need for worry. It is hogs'' blood." That seemed to assuage the woman''s confusion somewhat. Maybe. Scarlett hadn''t been sure that she would have enough time to visit this place before having to return to Freybrook, but she had asked Garside to procure a flask of blood from the butchers just to be safe. Bless that man for not even raising an eyebrow at the request.


    Stepping back to the pile of rocks, she eyed the lamp for a moment. "After I use this, it is vital that you do not speak a word until I say you can. Is that understood?" she asked Kat.


    "Sure...But why?"


    Scarlett looked back to see the Shielder looking down at the bottle of blood in her hands.


    "Because you might inadvertently agree to something that is not within your best interests," she said. "It is important to not be deceived by appearances." She''d made that mistake in her first playthrough.


    "Aren''t djinns supposed to grant wishes?"


    "This one is...unique. Now, be quiet." She leaned forward to wipe away the years of dirt, running her fingers against the lamp''s surface. As she did, the lamp began to tremble against the stone. Raising herself, she stepped back just as heavy blue smoke started spilling out of the spout of the lamp. The vapor arched into the air where it began to take shape before them. The upper part of the smoke took the form of a muscular man with dark purple skin and flowing black hair that was tied into a knot that floated beside him. His bare body was bedecked with golden jewellery, and his ears¡ªwhich were long and pointed¡ªhad a long pair of gold chains hanging from them.


    "Who summons me?" he declared as he peered around the cavern. His gaze quickly found Scarlett and he looked down at her with a sneer. "Human...It was you?"


    She found herself meeting his sneer with a sneer of her own. "It was."


    The djinn observed her quietly for several seconds before crossing his large arms across his chest. "It has been a long time since I last saw the light of day. You have my gratitude, human."


    "Your gratitude is not what we are here for."


    He eyed her for several more seconds, then the edges of his lips rose into a small smile. "The nature of humans never changes, it seems," he said with a short laugh. "You know what I am. What is it that you wish for? Power? Money? Immortality?"


    Scarlett smiled. "You claim it is within your power to gift these things?"


    "Of course." The djinn waved his hand. Blue smoke trailed behind it, turning into gold coins that fell into the water beneath. "I can give you whatever it is that you want...for a price."


    She raised an eyebrow. "I do not recall hearing that djinns ask a price for their gifts."


    "Then perhaps you''ve heard incorrectly," he said and floated closer to the ground. "Nothing is free. And I have been in that lamp for a very long time. My power is...weakened. Depleted. If I am to grant you your boon, I will need to replenish it. So." He moved closer to Scarlett so that he was right in front of her. "Do you agree to the deal?"


    Scarlett frowned as she almost breathed in some of the blue smoke that whirled around him, trying to wave it away with her hand. It seemed to ignore her movements. "I believe it is best if you specify the price before any arrangements are made."


    "Certainly." He smiled and leaned back in the air. "I simply need the beating heart of a human."


    Scarlett heard Kat flinch behind her as the woman''s feet moved in the water, but thankfully the Shielder kept quiet. Scarlett stared at the grinning djinn. "That is a very macabre request, for a being such as you."


    The djinn gave a non-committal shrug. "I am merely telling you what I require to regain my power and grant you your wish. Humans are a valuable source of mana."


    "That may be, but I am afraid I cannot fulfill your request."


    He looked at her. "A shame. You did seem the type for a moment," he said, rising up into the air again. "But very well. Then I need something else."


    "Speak."


    He froze, staring down at her. It appeared he did not like her ordering him around.


    "...Blood," he eventually said. "I need blood to regain my strength."


    Scarlett examined him for a moment. Then she turned around and took the flask in Kat''s hands before looking back at him, holding the blood up. He stared at her as if he hadn''t even noticed the object before, then slowly floated down to receive it. He tore the cap off and smelled the contents, then narrowed his eyes at her. "This is blood."


    "Astute observation," she stated. When the djinn didn''t immediately give a response she tilted her head ever-so-slightly to the side. "Is there a problem? I believe that is what you asked for, is it not?"


    He stared at her, occasionally glancing at the bottle in his hands. He even sniffed it one more time.


    "Do you perhaps think I am attempting to poison you?" Scarlett asked. "There would not be much point to such an action. Then you would be unable to give me what I wish for. Nor do I know of a poison that could harm a djinn."


    He eyed her for a moment longer. "...Crafty woman," he muttered. Then he downed the whole flask before throwing it to the ground. His body suddenly began taking on a deeper hue and the smoke around him shifted into a darker violet. A smile played on his lips as he moved his body with the energy. "Ahh, it''s been so long. To think such a measly amount would give so much."


    Scarlett watched the djinn rejoice in its refound strength until he finally turned his attention back to her. "As agreed, I''ll grant you one wish within my power. What is it that you want? Power? Money?"


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Power is what I need," she answered with confidence.


    He sneered. "Of course it is...Then you agree to our deal?"


    "Yes," Scarlett nodded her head.


    "Then say the words," he said. He moved down to her level again. "Say that you agree to the terms."


    "I agree to the terms of the deal." The moment the words left her lips a sharp burning sensation shot out from her left hand. The pain surprised her, but she clenched her teeth and forced herself to endure it. Smoke billowed out from her skin as a dark crest formed at the top of her hand. A steadily rising laugh resounded throughout the cave as the djinn''s skin had suddenly begun growing darker and darker. Cackling like a madman, any sense of gravitas that he''d previously had was completely gone as his entire appearance started turning sharper and scaled. Scarlett heard Kat move behind her but held out her arm to stop the woman from doing anything. All the while she kept her eyes on the transforming djinn in front of them.


    Eventually, he stopped laughing and turned his attention back to Scarlett, completely ignoring Kat. His entire body was now covered in dark purple scales and his mouth was filled with rows of teeth. He was staring at her with bright red eyes. "It''s been centuries since I last had my own little meatbag-slave to toy with. This is going to be marvelous."


    Scarlett kept quiet as she watched him. His eyes went to her arm that was blocking Kat. "Ah, of course. Greedy little human. Your reward." He grinned and waved his hand in the air, a necklace forming out of dark smoke. A circular violet crystal that hung from a thin black band and shimmered in the air as he threw it towards Scarlett. She caught it and examined it.


    [Depraved Solitude''s Choker (Unique)]


    {This necklace hungers for power and appears to suck in the mana around it, waiting for it to be unleashed. 1/3000}


    "Precisely what I required." She smiled and looked up at the djinn¡ªor rather¡ªthe demon in front of her. "A pleasure doing business with you."


    The large and scaled man let out another cackling laugh. "Crazy woman. No, it was a pleasure doing business with you." His face morphed into a maniacal grin.


    "I am sure it was." Scarlett turned to Kat. "We have all we need. It is time for us to leave."


    Kat met her eyes with a disbelieving look. "We''re just going to leave? That''s a demon!"


    "Oh, you''re not leaving yet." The demon''s voice rang out behind Scarlett. "You''re not leaving until I say so."


    The pain started to grow on Scarlett''s hand again and she felt an urge inside her pulling her back. It was mucky...Vile. If the traits that beheld her to the original Scarlett''s personality were chains, then this was a tentacle. A barb that felt out and tried to drag her towards it.


    But it was pitiful compared to the chains.


    She looked back at the demon. "I think it is time we break this pact."


    He smirked, revealing his rows of sharp teeth. "There is no breaking it. You are now mine, forever."


    "I disagree." She held her left hand in front of her, looking at the dark crest imprinted on it. "Vezzeleth," she declared, the crest lighting up the moment she uttered the word.


    The demon''s eyes shot open. "Ho¡ª"


    "I demand this pact be broken." When her last word finished a blinding light radiated from the crest and filled the cavern they were in. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light dissolved and the crest was gone from Scarlett''s hand.


    "You!" the demon screamed out. "My name...How!" He glared at her, his red eyes like molten lava. With a scream, he sprang towards her ¡ª but she was ready. She detonated a small Aqua Mine next to the magical lamp. The entire demon''s body warped with an ear-piercing scream and pulled towards the lamp as it fell down into the water. A brief moment later he reformed above the lamp. "You littl¡ª"


    She had already pulled out her [Wand of Fireball] from Kat''s pouch of holding and cast the spell at the lamp. The water around it instantly vaporized with the explosion and the demon cried out as its body twisted in the air above the lamp. Scarlett didn''t hesitate for a second before casting the spell again, and then once more after that. After the third explosion, the demon had disappeared altogether and the lamp was just a half-molten lump of metal that was soon swallowed by the water that came flowing in around it.


    [Quest Completed: Deal with the demon of The Isolated Hollow]


    {Skill points awarded: 3}


    Scarlett glanced at the window of text that appeared beside her as she kept her eyes on the lamp and waited for the ringing in her ears to stop. Fireball wasn''t as ridiculously loud as some of the spells she''d seen Kat cast, but it was still a bit much for an enclosed space with a knack for amplifying sounds such as a cave. She should really be careful about things like this in the future.


    After watching the lamp for long enough to feel sure that it was completely dealt with she finally turned to Kat. The woman was staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Now we leave."


    The both of them quietly sat in the carriage as it moved across the road back towards Ambercrest. It had taken them some time to climb out of the cave and walk back to the resting spot because of Scarlett''s relatively weak body, but with Kat''s help, they''d eventually managed it. The Shielder had barely said a word the whole time, though. Kat wasn''t one to often hold back her thoughts on matters so Scarlett felt a little uncomfortable with the silence.


    Not that she''d show it. Showing any signs of discomfort was basically blasphemy to the original Scarlett. Her expressions essentially ranged from satisfied derision to contempt. A trait she''d found to be both a blessing and a pain. Mostly a pain, though.


    "Did you know there would be a demon there before we entered the cave?"


    Scarlett was pulled out of her thoughts as Kat finally decided to speak. She was now looking straight at her with an interrogating look.


    "...Yes," Scarlett answered after a moment''s deliberation. There did not seem to be much point in lying about it.


    "Are you crazy?" Kat asked.


    Scarlett paused, meeting her eyes. "I am quite sane."


    "You struck a pact with a demon."


    "And then broke that pact," Scarlett pointed out. "There was no real danger present." Even if her original plan hadn''t worked she could have visited the Followers of Ittar''s temple in the capital to get rid of the pact. It would be a lot more troublesome if that''s what she had to do, but it was another solution nonetheless. That''s what she''d been forced to do in her first playthrough when she''d fallen for the demon''s tricks. She hadn''t learned she could break the pact with the demon''s name until her second playthrough. Although in that playthrough she had also given the demon a human heart, but the only difference that made was in the quality of the reward you received.


    "And how did you do that?" Kat furrowed her forehead. "I didn''t know pacts with demons could be broken that easily."


    "I simply spoke his name." Scarlett looked out the carriage window. They were getting close to the city walls. "Their names hold a great deal of power to demons. Enough to weaken them. And definitely enough to break a pact."


    "But how did you know his name?"


    Scarlett observed some of the people on foot that they passed by. "I uncovered it in my research," she said as she spotted a brown-haired woman with a baby in her arms that reminded her of a friend back in her world. It wasn''t the same person, but the resemblance was close enough to spark a few memories.


    "So this was all part of your plan? From the start?"


    "Yes."


    "Then why didn''t you tell me before? I was this close to bringing down the entire cave when I first saw that demon."


    Scarlett shifted her head to look at Kat. The woman had a serious look on her face. "Would you have agreed to go if I told you we were looking for a demon?" she eventually asked. Demons were the stuff of nightmares in this world.


    "I don''t know. But it would have been better than not telling me," Kat said, meeting her eyes. "Technically I should cancel this whole escort request because of this. The Guild doesn''t like endangering its members more than necessary."


    Scarlett stared back at the woman, without saying anything. She looked out the window again and started tapping her fingers against its frame. "I..."


    Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a breath. God damn it, this shouldn''t be that hard. She''d apologized to Evelyne before!


    "I...should have informed you beforehand," she eventually said, trying her best to avoid the wave of disgust that came with her actions. Damn it, that had barely been an apology! Why the hell was this worse than when she apologized to Evelyne.


    Kat stayed quiet for a moment, and Scarlett glanced at her to see the woman also having turned her head to look out the window. "I didn''t say I was going to. Just saying I probably should," she said. "Though I wouldn''t mind some extra reward or something for all the dangerous things I''m always doing for you," she added in a light tone.


    Scarlett''s eyes widened somewhat, the edges of her mouth rising slightly. "I will ensure you are amply rewarded for the dangers you face. And I will keep you informed of such dangers in the future."


    Kat shrugged her shoulders. "I won''t object to that."


    The carriage fell into silence again. Several minutes passed and the carriage passed into the city itself before Kat spoke again, in a lower tone. "All the dungeons, and those Zuverian ruins...Were they also something you found in your research?"


    Scarlett looked at Kat. The blonde woman was absently fiddling with her braid.


    "Yes."


    "Huh." Kat kept her eyes fixed on the buildings they passed by.


    "...You do not believe me," Scarlett stated in a neutral tone.


    "No," Kat admitted. "But I don''t think it''s any of my business either. I would like for you to tell me, but I''m not going to force your hand about it."


    Scarlett also turned her eyes outside. "I appreciate that."


    They didn''t say anything else after that.

 Chapter 21 - Outlining

    "Are you sure, my Lady?" Garside asked as he stood in front of the desk in the mansion''s office.


    "Yes. The sooner this is dealt with, the better," Scarlett said. "We have allowed the current situation to proceed for far too long."


    Garside bowed, his shoulder-length grey hair springing from the movement. "I will personally see it done."


    Scarlett nodded her head in approval. "Remember to confirm what the necessary procedures are as well. I will not have this become more complicated than it has to."


    "As you wish. I will carry out your commands immediately," he responded. This was why Scarlett liked the man. Not only was he one of the few people that didn''t even slightly irk the Scarlett part of her, but he was also incredibly efficient in basically everything he did. She would have been so much more lost in this world if he wasn''t here to help her.


    "Is there anything you need while I am gone, my Lady?" Garside continued. "I will relay the orders to the other servants."


    She thought about it. There was something she had wanted to look into. "I require maps of the surroundings fiefs, as well as a map of all active Kilnstones," she said after a moment.


    Garside''s mustache trembled slightly as he grew a thoughtful expression across his wrinkled face. "I believe we have an old map in the library of Kilnstone locations, that belonged to the late Lord. It would be over twenty years old, but it is most likely still accurate. I will have one of the servants bring it and a map of the fiefs."


    "Good," she nodded. "And Garside?"


    "Yes, my Lady?"


    "What did I have on the calendar in the coming weeks?"


    "There was nothing until the Light Fest in the capital, two weeks from now," he answered.


    That''s right, she''d forgotten that the first Light Fest was pretty early into the game. It was just a large festival that took place in Elystead once a year. She hadn''t been there for the first one in any of her playthroughs, but she had participated in several of the later ones. There were a couple of quests related to those.


    She had things she wanted to do in the capital, so this wasn''t unwelcome news. But two weeks...Was that enough? She had some things she had to prepare before going there.


    She''d have to wait until she got those maps to make sure.


    "...I see. Good," she said and brought her attention back to the old butler. "Then you may get to work."


    "Very well." Garside performed one last bow before leaving to execute her orders. Right now his first job was to look into if there were any decent buildings in the city where they could move all the children to. Scarlett was still waiting for word from Evelyne on the matter, but she was starting to fear that might not pan out.


    She''d had the thought of establishing an orphanage to house them in before, but she hadn''t really considered it seriously. And although an orphanage might be a bit more than she wanted to deal with, she at least needed to move them somewhere. That had been made clear the day before when she returned from Ambercrest and followed Kat to do a quick check on the kids, finding the servant responsible for taking care of them at the time almost completely run-down from overworking, that she realized that she''d let this whole thing run on for far too long. Taking care of a large group of children wasn''t what the people in this mansion were paid to do, yet they were still forced to perform that job in addition to their original duties. So she''d finally decided to handle the situation. In addition to finding new housing for the kids, Scarlett had also asked Garside to find some temporary hires to off-load the responsibility from the mansion servants. Frankly, she should have done that ages ago. But despite how she acted as if she belonged in her position, she really wasn''t used to being in charge of other people and managing things like this. She was glad Evelyne was the one who actually took care of all the management matters in the Hartford family.


    That reminded her that she had to inform the younger Hartford sister of her plans. She''d instructed Garside to address all potential costs to the Hartford estate, after all. Hopefully it wouldn''t be expensive enough to prompt the younger woman to come running here to yell at her again. That was never a particularly pleasant experience for either of them, she wagered. Although, in the long run, she wasn''t too concerned about their financial status. She''d concocted enough plans and tactics with her game knowledge for how to¡ªamong other things¡ªearn money for her to feel safe in that area.


    She took out a small key from the pouch of holding she had lying on the desk in front of her and used the key to unlock the drawer where she kept her notes. She picked out the red journal in it and placed it on the desk. Sifting through page after page of information she''d written down from ''Chronicle of Realms'', she eventually stopped on a page where she had written several place names. She''d only been in this world for about two weeks so much of her game knowledge was still relatively fresh in her mind, but she still liked double-checking things from time to time. Although there were enough places in the game for there to be a decent chance she''d gotten at least a few of the names she''d written down wrong on a letter or two. Nonetheless, she found the name she was looking for, with a few notes beneath it describing what could be found there. Memorizing the name, she pushed the journal to the side and pulled another one out from the drawer. This one was black instead.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Opening it, she flipped past the first few pages. This was her ''min-maxing'' book. Here she wrote down all the useful character builds she could think of. While stats like Strength, Charisma, HP, and things like that didn''t seem to exist as they did in the game¡ªor maybe they were just hidden for now¡ªshe did still have access to skills and items. As such, she had written down several possible combinations she''d thought of, to compare them. Many of them required skills or items that she was unlikely to ever get¡ªjust for fun she''d written down a build that would let her be a fighter through the use of a certain late-game skill that converted mana into strength¡ªbut those that her main focus was on were those that revolved around her pyromancy and pyrokinetic skills.


    Right now her biggest obstacles were her low mana and her inability to cast spells. The mana problem she''d found two solutions for. The first was to use items that increased her mana. The artifact she''d gotten from the demon the day prior had effectively quadrupled her mana, from a rather measly 1000 to an only slightly measly 4000.


    [Depraved Solitude''s Choker (Unique)]


    {This necklace hungers for power and appears to suck in the mana around it, waiting for it to be unleashed. 3000/3000}


    It was slightly limited in that it would take her a while to fill it up herself¡ªor that she had to get someone like Kat to fill it up¡ªbut in combat, that didn''t make much of a difference.


    The second way to increase her mana was by training. This wasn''t anything new to her, she''d been doing some practicing with pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis for an hour or two every day for a while now, and it increased her max mana by around ten points each day. It was far from efficient, but she''d done the math and come to the conclusion that she would have to do it if she wanted most of her builds to work.


    Sadly, her spellcasting problem didn''t have as clear-cut of a solution as her mana problem. She was still spending some time practicing with Kat and studying the basics with the books she''d found, but it was like trying to learn a completely new language. Only worse.


    She could still barely understand what an ''inner circle''¡ªa term that was repeatedly used both by Kat and the books¡ªwas actually supposed to be. And she was no closer to feeling or moving her own mana. Using pyrokinesis or hydrokinesis didn''t count, for some reason she still didn''t understand, but she was having a really hard time figuring out how to do anything else. At the rate it was going right now, it might literally take a year for her to cast the most basic of spells. If she would even manage that.


    So while she hadn''t completely given up on the idea, her current plans were made on the assumption that she wouldn''t be able to perform magic, and as such mostly had to do with making up for that.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Minor Mana Control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Minor Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]


    [Mana: 365/1088 (3000/3000)]


    [Skill points: 4]


    For now, her mana had increased by about 100 since she first arrived in this world. She had upgraded her [Minor Pyrokinesis] and [Lesser Hydrokinesis] to [Pyrokinesis] and [Minor Hydrokinesis] to better make use of her Aqua Mines, and for now, that was her main focus when it came to using more of her skill points.


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Greater Pyrokinesis] (10 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Hydrokinesis] (5 points)


    [Mana Control] (5 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    If she could get both the skills to the Greater stage she felt pretty confident she could make great use of them both, even in other ways than just her Aqua Mines. After that, she might look into maybe upgrading [Minor Mana Control] or some of the other skills. Or maybe she''d finally have figured out how to unlock new skills by then.


    A knock sounded out from the office''s dark mahogany door. Scarlett looked up from her notes. "Enter," she said as she put both the red and the black book back into the drawer before locking it. She put the key back into the pouch of holding.


    The door opened and the dark-haired Molly entered the room with a blonde servant girl close behind her that Scarlett had seen a few times before. Both of them carried large rolled-up pieces of parchment that stuck up above them.


    "My Lady. We have brought the maps you asked for," Molly said as she performed the closest thing she could to a curtsy with both her hands busy.


    "They are larger than I expected," Scarlett noted. Those wouldn''t fit on the desk. Maybe there was a map-viewing room? She hadn''t explored all parts of the mansion. She couldn''t exactly ask that either. She considered it for a moment. She couldn''t just unroll them on the floor. Both because it might dirty or damage the maps, and because it offended her sensibilities. Or rather, the original''s sensibilities.


    The dining hall''s table was more than large enough, but that wasn''t exactly the kind of place you looked at maps in. Neither was the parlor or her bedroom. She hadn''t had much reason to visit many other places, except for the library, where she''d been when she looked for books on decorum and other things before. It was far too cramped to do anything but read books there.


    That only left the reception hall, which was currently an impromptu living space for a bunch of children. Well, Kat was bound to be there so Scarlett could always use her presence as an excuse. The Shielder''s opinion might be good to have on this as well.


    "Come," Scarlett said as she rose from her chair. She then walked around her desk and past the two servants who immediately fell in behind her as she began walking towards the mansion''s reception hall.

 Chapter 22 - 21 questions

    Soon enough Scarlett reached the mansion''s reception hall with the two servants close behind her. Another servant was currently there and making those of the beds that weren''t just a make-shift gathering of blankets lined up against one of the hall''s walls. Most of the children were gathered over next to Kat at the other end of the room where it seemed like the Shielder was telling them stories. Or rather, showing them with her magic and pyrokinesis, as the woman didn''t speak Voneian. Scarlett was certain that the servants appreciated Kat''s help with taking care of the kids nonetheless.


    Walking over to one of the large tables at the center of the room, Scarlett gestured towards Molly and the blonde servant girl. "Place them here. Then you may leave."


    The two women did as she asked and rolled out the two maps on the table, bringing out small pieces of rectangular wood from pockets sewn into their clothes which they placed at the edges of the maps to keep them from rolling up on their own. The both of them then bid her farewell with a pair of curtsies and left the room.


    Scarlett turned her attention to the laid-out maps. She touched the edge of the largest one. It appeared to be made out of some kind of fine leather instead of paper, which surprised her slightly. All of the books and documents that she''d read in this world had been paper, so it wasn''t as if there was a large deficit of the material in this world. Was it perhaps because of the map''s size? It was almost as tall as she was, and slightly wider, depicting the whole of the Graenal Empire with several landmarks on it that she presumed were Kilnstone locations. She glanced at the other map. This one showed the area around Freybrook and the southwestern part of the Empire. It was half the size of the larger one, and it at least seemed to be made out of paper. It also looked newer, though, so maybe that had something to do with it. Well, not that it mattered much.


    She put the matter out of her mind and moved closer to examine the smaller map. As expected, Freybrook was the largest settlement on it, located just north of the Innisling Sea that bordered the Empire''s southern border. Almost a good third of the map north and northeast of Freybrook was covered by mountains. It read ''Whitdown Mountains'' in large dark letters on the map. If Scarlett remembered correctly from the lore in the game it was the highest mountain chain in the empire. It was also home to a lot of end-game dangers.


    "What are we doing? Planning another trip?" Kat''s voice rang out from next to her. She turned to find that the woman had already walked up to the table and started examining the two maps. The kids stood a short distance away and looked on with curious eyes. Their aversion to her had decreased slightly, at least.


    "One could say that, yes," Scarlett said and looked over the map of the Freybrook area again. After a moment of searching, she found the name she was looking for and pointed towards the symbol of a small village that was nestled next to the western side of the large mountain chain. It was a far distance away from Freybrook itself. "This is where we are going."


    Kat squinted at the map. "Whistlecreek?" she muttered in a half-surprised voice.


    "Have you visited?"


    Kat shook her head. "No, but I know of it. It''s a pretty small place. Not much happens there as far as I have heard." She looked up at Scarlett. "Is this another place that your ''research'' found for us to explore?"


    "In a manner, yes."


    There were a lot of things she needed to do in the future and a lot of places that she had to visit. One of the most important ones, one vital to her current plans in how to strengthen herself and prepare for the dangers she knew would appear in the future, was a dungeon known as the Howling Gale''s Haunt in the game. Specifically, it held one artifact that she needed to get her hands on. But some rather hard criteria had to be met to even gain entrance to the place. One of those involved one of the possible companions in the game ¡ª a companion that you could recruit in the capital. But he wouldn''t join you just because you asked him to, so she had to find a certain quest item first.


    "It''ll take a while for us to get there," Kat said as she looked down at the map again. "At least a few days. Even by carriage."


    "I was afraid of that," Scarlett said as she inspected the large map with Kilnstone locations on it. She knew from the game that there were several Kilnstones located in the Whitdown Mountains, of which at least one was decently close to Whistlecreek. But from this map, it seemed like almost none of them were part of the current Kilnstone network used in the empire. There was just one, located on the eastern reaches of the mountain chain where it bordered on the Three Streams river. Had the other ones just not been discovered yet? Was it because the map was old? Had they been forgotten? Or maybe they just allowed travel between the cities from the Kilnstones. Whatever the reason, it seemed likely they would have to take the long way round for this trip.


    "We will be leaving tomorrow," she finally said. She didn''t know how long it might take to find what she needed, but she wanted at least some leeway between when she returned and when she had to leave again for the capital.


    "Alright," Kat nodded her head. "I''ll make sure to get ready."


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The next day they set off from Freybrook''s northern gate towards the village of Whistlecreek. The carriage they were in wasn''t as ostentatious as the one Scarlett had gotten used to by now. This one was essentially just made out of plain wood, without any real adornments except for the Hartford family crest, which was a silver deer on a grey background. The wood was of fine quality, yes, and the seats in this carriage were at least as expensive as those in the main wagon she''d mostly used up till now, but from the outside, it was definitely less in-your-face. Maybe it was to avoid wear on the more fancy carriage. Or to not bring as much attention to itself. Although as far as she knew this wasn''t a particularly problematic part of the empire, so she wasn''t sure about that. Well, no matter. It didn''t bother her much, and she was happy enough with that.


    "You know," Kat spoke a while after they''d left the city behind and was traveling through the thick woods that surrounded Freybrook and its area. "I borrowed an issue of the Empyreal Chronicle from Harriet this morning."


    "Harriet?" Scarlett asked with a glance.


    Kat gave her an amused look. "She''s one of your servants. The one with frilly brown hair."


    Scarlett thought back to the servants of the mansion. Yes, she did recall there being one like that. She was starting to get to know most of their names, but there were still a few that she hadn''t interacted with much, or just hadn''t overheard the names of yet. Although she was considering just asking some of them straight out soon. It probably wouldn''t be too out of character compared to the original Scarlett, honestly.


    "Anyways," the Shielder continued. "There was a pretty interesting article in this week''s issue."


    "I am aware," Scarlett said as she leaned back slightly in her seat and turned her attention to the window. "I do not know where they got their information from, but it does not appear to be a reliable source."


    Kat laughed. "You sure about that? I don''t know... Maybe you are Freybrook''s little public hero. Saving the city from those terrible criminals."


    Scarlett frowned. She''d read the article about her in the Empyreal Chronicle and it was almost offensive to call that puff piece news. They''d essentially single-handedly singled her out as the main actor behind the whole ordeal, acting on the behalf of Count Knottley. The Shields Guild was only briefly mentioned. In addition to that, they had also considerably exaggerated the magnitude of the Grey Dog Gang''s operations. They had quite literally painted her out as Freybrook''s hero, which was problematic in more ways than one. If she were to guess, then the count himself was probably the reason behind that. She wasn''t sure exactly how much he gained from it, but obviously he had chosen to lean into that whole angle she''d given him. The only silver lining was that it wasn''t a front-page news story, a story about the imperial princess''s visit to the eastern front taking precedence. Though that didn''t seem to stop people from reading about it that much.


    "You think they might give you a medal?"


    Scarlett looked at the grinning Kat. "I do not see the amusement in this scenario. Is it not your achievement that has gone ignored?"


    The woman just shrugged her shoulders. "I don''t mind. I don''t think I''d want that kind of attention anyway. And the Guild''ll be fine without it."


    "But you assume I would be more pleased with the attention?"


    "Well, aren''t you?"


    "I am not."


    "Huh," Kat made a somewhat surprised noise, looking at her for a moment. She seemed to consider something. "Has anyone told you you''re a bit weird for a noble?"


    "They have not," Scarlett replied. "Although admittedly, I have not given them much opportunity to."


    Kat chuckled. "Sounds about right."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that you did not have much prior experience with nobles. Yet you seem an authority on the matter."


    The Shielder gave her a sheepish grin, leaning against the window sill with her elbow. "I didn''t mean that. But everybody knows nobles are a bit...you know." She waved her hand in the air. "They''re supposed to only care about status and all that. So it''s a bit weird that you don''t, isn''t it?"


    Scarlett felt the side of her lips move up just a bit. "I see you have a very favorable impression of the nobility. But you forget that we are also calculating. A momentary increase in status does not hold much value if its effects can be detrimental in the future." Well, at least she assumed that''s how the nobility in this world thought. In some ways, she probably knew less about them than Kat did.


    "What, so the attention somehow messes with some grand plan of yours?" Kat asked.


    Scarlett remained quiet.


    "Wait, seriously?"


    "I believe ''grand plan'' is somewhat of an embellishment, but it does have the potential to interfere with some of my plans, yes."


    Kat stared at her. "I was joking, you know."


    Scarlett nodded. "I presumed as much. But it was close to the truth nonetheless."


    Giving her a long look, Kat said, "Are you comfortable with telling me this much?"


    Scarlett leaned her head slightly to the side. "I have barely told you anything? I would be impressed if you could infer my plans from merely this much."


    "No, but." Kat moved her arms in front of her. "Before you were all ''I just found it in my research'' even though we both totally knew it was a lie, but now you''re admitting to having these secret plans without even trying to hide it."


    Scarlett felt a small smile force its way onto her lips. For seemingly being upset with it before, it seemed Kat had quickly grown comfortable with the fact that she was lying to her. "Now I am curious as to what it is you believe my ''secret plans'' to be."


    Kat paused, giving her a measuring look. "Isn''t it...you know."


    "Yes?" Scarlett prodded.


    Kat opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, then she closed it and leaned back in her seat with a sigh. "Ok, fine. I can''t really think of something that would fit. Unless you''re doing it for money?" she said, throwing a glance toward Scarlett.


    "Money is part of it," Scarlett admitted.


    Kat''s eyes widened. "Really?"


    "Yes. But I do not believe that to be especially surprising. There are not many people who do not strive for increasing their own wealth."


    "But there''s more to it?"


    "Of course."


    Kat grew a thoughtful expression, looking out the window at the passing trees. "You''re gathering all these rare artifacts and earning money for something. You''re getting ready, right?"


    "I suppose that much is clear."


    "And you even struck a deal with a devil because of it, so it''s probably pretty dangerous."


    "Although that situation was entirely under my control, I will admit that it is indeed dangerous."


    Kat stopped to glance at her. "You''re being surprisingly open right now. Just a day ago you were a lot more quiet about this," she pointed out.


    "Call it a fancy," Scarlett said. "There is not much risk of you discerning too much anyhow."


    "Is that so..." Kat mumbled, her gaze moving back out toward the forest. A moment later her eyes shot open. Springing out of her seat, she screamed "Get down!" as she pushed Scarlett away from the window towards the floor. Then the whole carriage shook as something slammed into it.

 Chapter 23 - I spy...an ensnarement!

    Scarlett felt something in her shoulder break as she hit the floor, pain shooting through her arm and sending a jolt throughout her body. Kat covered her body with her own as something flew into the carriage and collided with one of the walls with a loud crack at the same time as the carriage shook. From outside Scarlett heard the driver''s yell as well as the agitated sounds of the horse. Then there was a moment of quiet as she listened to Kat''s slow breaths before suddenly, everything moved.


    Both she and Kat were thrown around as the whole carriage tipped on its side and slammed heavily into the ground. Scarlett landed relatively softly on the Shielder, but the impact still caused her to lose her breath as it sent another burst of sharp pain through her left shoulder. She felt Kat trying to get up from their current position lodged into one of the corners of the vehicle and slowly moved to let the woman free. The faint shimmering that Scarlett had come to associate with magical defenses such as [Mana Barrier] surrounded Kat as she stood up in the overturned carriage, looking up at the window where something had just bolted through. Her eyes then turned towards Scarlett. "I''m going out there," she said with a serious face. "Just stay here until I say it''s safe. Alright?"


    She didn''t wait for Scarlett''s response before jumping up and grabbing onto the window sill, smoothly pulling herself through it in one quick movement. Scarlett saw Kat jerk back as if something struck her, but the woman shrugged it off and soon disappeared from Scarlett''s sight. Immediately after, explosions rang out from outside, followed by sounds as if the ground was torn apart. It seemed Kat had already gotten to work.


    Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment to regain composure. Even with the effects of the original''s traits helping her maintain her cool, her heart was still beating like crazy. And the pain in her shoulder was getting worse. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to focus. This situation was so far removed from anything she''d ever had to deal with, but that applied to her entire life right now. Things like this are what she had been preparing for. Though it did perhaps say something about the original''s personality that the first time she truly felt as if she wasn''t in control was in a real dangerous situation. But she couldn''t just lie here and waste time.


    On unsteady legs, she used her right arm to stand up best she could. The sounds from the outside were raging on, and she heard a man''s scream. Hopefully that hadn''t been the driver.


    She scrunched up her nose. Something smelled. Was that smoke? Her eyes scanned around the inner compartment of the carriage for the origin of the scent, but she couldn''t find anything. Stumbling forward to the other end of the compartment, she leaned her back against the soft material of the carriage''s seat. She tried to listen, shutting out the cacophony from the outside for a moment. There was a fire somewhere. She heard the low crackling from the back of the vehicle. And now that she knew where to look, she noticed small trails of smoke that were starting to find their way through the wooden boards next to her.


    Crap. Could her [Pyrokinesis] and [Minor Hydrokinesis] deal with the fire once it reached her? Probably not. And by that point, the whole compartment might be filled with smoke. She had to get out of here.


    She looked up towards the carriage door and the window that opened up into a wide blue sky from her point of view. The other side of the carriage was blocked, so that was her only way out. There was no way of knowing how long it would take Kat to finish the attackers, so waiting wasn''t a good option. The window wasn''t that much higher than her so she could probably jump to grab its edge like Kat had. But she wasn''t strong enough to pull herself with just one arm.


    Glancing around the space again, Scarlett''s eyes stopped on the pouch of holding that had landed in a corner. She''d had it next to her while they traveled so it must have been knocked there during all the disarray. She moved over and bent down next to it. Using her right hand, she stiffly untied the rope that sealed the black bag''s opening and reached inside. First, she brought out the [Wand of Fireball] and tucked it into her belt. She''d avoided bringing any fancy dresses on this trip and currently only wore the same clothes she''d worn when she first met Kat. After the wand, she brought out the rope she and Kat had used to descend into the Isolated Hollow back in Ambercrest, followed by a hook she''d made sure to buy along with the rope, though they hadn''t actually had use for the hook itself before now. Occasionally throwing a glance upward to check for any danger, she set to work tying the end of the rope onto the hook. It was hard work doing it with only one working hand, and the carriage was slowly filling with more smoke the more time passed, but by making use of her feet and legs¡ªin a manner that was decidedly unladylike, but which thankfully didn''t seem to bother her much, perhaps thanks to the current circumstances¡ªshe soon had herself a means for getting out of here.


    Standing up again, she had the pouch of holding tied to her side with the rope held in her hand. She then lobbed the hook up through the window and outside, then tugged at the rope. It seemed to have caught hold of an edge somewhere, just as she''d wanted. She moved so that she was right beneath the window and firmly tied the rope around her waist and rolled up part of the rope around her hand. Then she planted her foot on the carriage floor¡ªwhich was now the wall¡ªand slowly began making her way up by using the rope as a handhold like a mountain climber. It was incredibly tiring with just one arm¡ªespecially as her muscles were still a bit sore from all the climbing she did in Ambercrest¡ªbut before long she managed to make it up to the window. Peeking through it, she witnessed the disorder outside.


    The dirt road was only about five meters wide and surrounded by forest on both sides, but all along the strip of road closest to the carriage there jutted out several person-sized walls of stone in an uneven pattern around the vehicle. Although most of them seemed to have been damaged in some way. About twenty meters back stood Kat, leaning out behind the cover of another stone wall to fire a spell of several flaming daggers towards a group of black-clothed individuals in robes with hoods. Every single one of their faces was covered by a golden mask. Judging from the ground between them and Kat, the woman had done a lot to force them back there. They didn''t seem to have any problem dodging her latest spell though, some of them moving in behind the trees. It appeared as if Kat had already dealt with two of the assailants, however, as two motionless figures were lying on the ground close to her.


    Scarlett couldn''t really hold herself in this position for long so she was forced to climb out through the window¡ªaccidentally knocking her shoulder into its frame in the process which caused her to clench her teeth in pain¡ªand stand on her knees on top of the toppled carriage.


    Both the remaining attackers and Kat seemed to take notice of her. Two of them darted off to the side and towards the carriage, while four others all focused their attention and ran at Kat from several directions.


    "I told you to stay inside!" Scarlett heard Kat yell, but her eyes were locked onto the two figures that were moving towards her. She hurriedly moved towards the edge of the carriage and flung her legs over the rim, using her right arm as support as she jumped down. The landing was a bit rough and she grazed her palm, but at least she didn''t hurt herself overly much. Instinctually dusting herself off as she stood up straight, she grabbed the wand at her side and moved towards a nearby stone wall as she looked towards the two figures that were running towards her. Now that they were closer, she could see that there was gold gilding over most of their black robes and they both wore gold vambraces and greaves that covered part of their limbs. Those pieces, along with the golden metal masks covering their faces, were bejeweled with cryptic patterns and symbols that were far too familiar to Scarlett. In their hands, they both held a pair of long sickle-like weapons¡ªkhopesh, she believed they were called¡ªthat were the same golden color.


    There were no other obstacles between them and her so she raised her wand and was just about to fire her spell when one of the figures suddenly had a stone wall extrude from the ground right in front of them, blocking Scarlett''s vision of them. A moment later a large boulder came flying and Scarlett heard it impact with the person. Their body was thrown to the ground on the other side of the wall with its limbs bent in odd ways. The action was followed by a pained scream from Kat''s direction, however, so it didn''t seem as if the action had been entirely cost-free.


    The other figure running towards her didn''t even spare their companion a glance as they kept moving. She pointed the wand at them and cast Fireball, the blazing ball of fire forming before her in an instant and shooting out towards them. The weapons in their hand suddenly began emitting a blue glow and sliced out towards the spell. The Fireball almost looked to be split in two by the glowing blade, immediately dispersing into the air around it as if whatever it was that held the spell together had been cut. Scarlett scowled as the figure moved through the remainders of the spell without any apparent damage. She''d been hoping it wasn''t one of the Mage Stalkers.


    The Mage Stalker was quickly closing in on her. She conjured a couple of Aqua Mines in front of them with as high an intensity fire she could to ensure they reached the right heat. They slashed out towards them with their weapons too, and despite seemingly destabilizing the magic of the area around where the blades touched her Mines, they obviously weren''t prepared for the resulting water that exploded towards them like miniature geysers. Their movement stopped for a moment as the boiling water slammed into them and Scarlett took the opportunity to cast another Fireball. This time the Mage Stalker didn''t react in time and was hit by the spell straight on and was knocked back to the ground. Scarlett didn''t hesitate to cast another Fireball immediately after, and then another. Explosions rang out as her spells slammed into the same spot twice and it took a moment for the smoke and dust to pass.


    Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the Mage Stalker shakily standing up from the ground. Much of their black robes were burnt off and they had clear burn marks on the skin beneath, but they were very much still in the fight. Their masked face turned towards her again as they grabbed their two weapons that had fallen to the ground, and then they began running towards her again. She conjured another pair of Mines but they simply dodged them and let the residual water wash over parts of their magical defense. She tried to aim at the weak points she spotted through the effects of her [Charms of Apperception], though it was hard when her target was moving so fast. But she saw one spot around their midsection that didn''t move around too much.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    When the Mage Stalker neared the wall she was standing next to they raised one of their blades as if to strike at her. She half-stumbled a step back and moved her hand in front of her, creating a wall of pure fire about the size of a washboard between the two of them. The glowing weapon cut through the fire¡ªthe area around the blade dissolving into the air¡ªbut most of the fire remained. Taking a few more quick steps back, Scarlett saw her attacker duck under the fire. She let it disappear and used her skills to create another obstacle between them. This time it was a floating wall made of water. It was smaller than the wall she''d made out of fire¡ªthere was only so much she could do with [Minor Hydrokinesis]¡ªbut she''d placed it right in front of the Mage Stalker''s face. Their distorted visage was visible through the water and just as they were about to run into it, Scarlett struck.


    She conjured the hottest wall of fire she could muster right on top of the water. The liquid sizzled loudly as steam burst out to cover the Mage Stalker''s entire upper body¡ªa maneuver she''d come up with and tried on Kat during one of their ''sparring'' sessions¡ªand Scarlett used the opening to create three more Aqua Mines. This time she placed them all close together in front of the Mage Stalker''s midriff, near where''d she noticed a lapse in their defense. Fortunately, it was also one of the spots where most of their robes had already been burnt up. Not daring to lose this chance, she kept the Mines small and detonated them as quickly as she could. The resulting torrent of water slammed into her assailant with force and she saw the shimmering barrier around them flicker as the attack pierced the spot she''d aimed at and completely unravelled the barrier around it. The Mage Stalker let out a scream as their unprotected skin was carpeted with boiling water and bent over in front of her. Scarlett was close enough that a few droplets hit her unprotected face too, but it was nothing she couldn''t ignore. Instead, she immediately set to creating another cluster of Mines.


    Whatever kind of magical defense this person had¡ªif she were to guess it was the Assassin class''s [Adumbral Cape]¡ªdidn''t restore itself immediately and actually had more weak points in it now, all of which clearly stood out to her artifact-enhanced eyes at this distance. One of the Mines formed close to their head, one at their left arm, and one above their right shoulder. The Mage Stalker had barely just recovered from her previous attack when she detonated this batch. One of them missed and simply slid off part of the remaining magical barrier, but the other two destroyed the defense around the Mage Stalker''s head and upper back and completely knocked them to the ground. From there Scarlett didn''t hesitate. She focused her complete attention on creating set after set of Mines that aimed at all of the attacker''s weak points and unprotected areas. Soon any magical defense they''d had was completely disintegrated and she was just bombarding their unprotected body.


    Eventually, after she didn''t know how long, she stopped and wiped the sweat from her body with tired breaths as she stared at the unmoving figure, waiting for any sign of movement.


    A yell rang out.


    Scarlett''s eyes opened wide as she remembered her current situation. The pain in her left shoulder washed over her once more like a wave of cold water and she clenched her teeth as she spun her head to where the sound originated. There, about a dozen or so meters away on the road close to the forest edge, stood Kat with one of her hands pressed to her side, blood running through her fingers. The area around the woman was utter chaos. Half-broken stone walls and small craters left and right, the bodies of several of the attackers lying on the ground with holes and burn marks on them, and Kat herself spitting out a spittle of blood as she waved her free hand towards the last of the assailants and caused a cluster of spikes to spring up from the ground. The robed figure managed to jump back just in time to avoid the attack before cutting at it with their own glowing khopesh, which caused the whole spell to just dissipate into the air around it. This one was also a Mage Stalker.


    Scarlett heard Kat utter a curse and was just about to try and help when she saw the Shielder lift the hand placed at her side and with a grimace gesture with both of her hands. The ground around them started to shake, and suddenly the ground under the Mage Stalker split apart and they were swallowed by the earth itself. As quickly as it had opened, the ground closed itself over its victim and Scarlett could almost imagine herself hearing a crunch.


    [Quest Completed: Survive the Hallowed Cabal''s ambush]


    {Skill points awarded: 3}


    Scarlett only briefly glanced at the window that appeared before her as she watched Kat turn around, the woman''s head hurriedly scanning the area. When Kat''s eyes landed on Scarlett and the still body next to her, her expression calmed down. As the Shielder started walking towards her, Scarlett took the opportunity to gauge her surroundings. The stone walls erected by Kat were starting to dissipate, although smoke was still coming from the overturned carriage. It seemed like the fire itself had started on the other side of it. She might have been able to extinguish it if her pyrokinesis skill was one grade higher. But at least they didn''t have too much luggage with them.


    Her eyes shifted to the front of the carriage, where the horse and the coachman had been. It appeared as if the horse had torn its bindings and run away sometime during the fighting. The driver himself was also missing. Hopefully he''d also gotten away and hidden somewhere, without getting injured. Other than that, there wasn''t anything around them except for their assailants'' bodies and miles of forest.


    "Are you alright?"


    Scarlett turned back to Kat as the woman neared her. The Shielder had that slight pulsing light to her that appeared when she used [Earth Pulse]. The injury on her side was still red with blood, but she appeared able to walk despite it nonetheless.


    "Largely, yes," Scarlett answered after a moment. The adrenaline from the situation had started disappearing and that general sense of poise and calmness that she had gotten so used to by now were beginning to make their way back. "My shoulder is injured, however. I would appreciate it if you could alleviate some of the pain."


    "Of course." Kat moved forward and gently pressed her hand against the injured arm. Scarlett felt a warm feeling move through her arm towards the rest of her body along with a faint light, slightly relieving the pain she felt. It caused her shoulder to itch somewhat, though.


    Kat''s eyes turned to the burning carriage. She had a grim expression on her face, sweat and some loose strands of hair covering her forehead. "I''m sorry. I should have realized they could do something like that."


    "...Do not mention it," Scarlett said. "I believe we were both taken by surprise." She couldn''t avoid a scowl. She''d been expecting an attack eventually¡ªthat was the whole reason she had Kat with her to begin with¡ªbut now it was clear that she hadn''t quite grasped the truth behind the complications and consequences of such a conflict. Yet another indication of just how unused she actually was to all this. And to how she had to be even more careful with her planning to make up for it.


    "As for the carriage," she continued, gesturing towards the vehicle where the fire had now spread to this side too. "Can you control this?"


    Kat shook her head. "I don''t have any real spells for putting out a fire. And I can''t handle a fire that large with just my pyrokinesis."


    Scarlett slowly nodded her head. "I understand." That was one carriage less for the Hartford estate, then.


    They watched the carriage for a moment, then Kat pointed towards the burned figure Scarlett had fought against. "Who in the Blazes were these people? I''ve never fought bastards like them. One even nullified my magic somehow."


    Scarlett looked at the body of the Mage Stalker. She was pretty sure this person was dead; a fact she''d normally want to spend at least a little while to ponder and come to terms with. But she genuinely couldn''t be bothered right now. She''d already suspected killing a person wouldn''t faze her much emotionally as she was right now, so her general emotional indifference to this person''s death didn''t come as too much of a surprise for her. She could think about whatever ramifications and such this should have later on. "They were members of the Hallowed Cabal."


    "The what?"


    "The Hallowed Cabal," she said, looking up at Kat. "I presume you are aware of the Tribe of Sin?"


    Kat narrowed her eyes. "...Yeah, of course."


    "The Hallowed Cabal is the body they serve under."


    The Shielder''s eyes widened. "You''re telling me they were related to the Tribe of Sin?"


    Scarlett shook her head. "No. This group in particular is not related to the Tribe, apart from tangentially through their organizations. These were Cabal Adepts. In essence, assassins. They carry out much of the Cabal''s work. The ones that caused you and me issue are called Mage Stalkers and are specialized in dealing with mages. Fortunately, there usually are not more than two of them to each squad."


    "Wait, wait." Kat shook her hand and massaged her temples. "You''re speaking as if you''re familiar with these guys. Were you expecting this?"


    Scarlett hesitated, leaning her head to the side. "I...suspected they would eventually take action. It is likely that their primary goal in this venture was to capture me."


    Kat stared at her. It seemed she was unsure what to say. Scarlett waited for the woman to gather her thoughts. After a while, Kat just let out a tired sigh and sat down on the ground. "Do you have some water?" she asked and reached out a hand. Scarlett reached inside the pouch of holding on her waist and pulled out a flask that she gave to the woman. Kat grabbed the flask and thirstily drank out of it, wiping her mouth with her sleeve before handing the flask back. Scarlett was also pretty thirsty and took a sip of the water, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling she got from sharing a receptacle with someone else.


    "I don''t even know what to say." Kat suddenly said. "But honestly, I don''t think I''m actually that surprised." She looked up at Scarlett. "Could you at least share why they''re coming after you?"


    Scarlett looked down and met her blue eyes. "It is likely a consequence of our encounter with the artifact in Stoolie''s Nest."


    Kat frowned. "What, when I heard that creepy voice in my head?"


    Scarlett nodded. "Yes. That was the leader of the Cabal."


    Kat raised her eyebrows. "So he''s after you because you found that mirror? Or because you put a stop to the trafficking?"


    "Neither. I presume I garnered his interest." At least that made the most sense from his words that day. She imagined it wasn''t often he encountered people who could resist his powers.


    Kat looked at the body of the Mage Stalker close to them. "He sent this whole group just because of that?"


    "Evidently," Scarlett said, looking over the other bodies nearby. In the game, the Hallowed Cabal would sometimes randomly send groups of Cabal Adepts after the player if you had gotten far enough in the main questline and chosen the route where you fought against them. Most Cabal Adepts had a level ranging in the thirties, but they mostly worked in groups of four. It wasn''t until later that they started attacking in larger and more dangerous groups in the game. It seemed she had a slightly higher priority level.


    "Will they come again?" Kat asked.


    "Presumably, yes. However, it will likely be some time before then."


    "Is there any point in me asking how you know all of this? The Tribe of Sin is a pretty huge deal, you know." Kat turned back to her.


    Scarlett looked at Kat for a moment. "I believe we both know the answer to that question." She couldn''t exactly tell her that she''d fought against the Hallowed Cabal in a game, or that she had been part of them in her second playthrough.


    "Right, right. ''Research'' it is, then." Kat simply shook her head.


    "I am glad we are in concord," Scarlett said, then she signaled towards their surroundings. "Now, I believe we should do something about this."


    Kat''s eyes passed over the area and she let out a tired sigh. "Yeah, you''re probably right."

 Chapter 24 - Wheres the clean-up crew when you need them?

    The sudden ambush by the Hallowed Cabal had put a damper on their plans. They were probably only an hour or so away from Freybrook, so it wouldn''t take too long to get back to the city and send for help, but they still had to deal with all of the dead Cabal members and the wrecked carriage. Kat had gotten to work on cleaning up the parts of the road that had been destroyed during the fighting, as well as moving the bodies and lining them up by the wayside. It wasn''t something Scarlett could''ve helped with, even if her shoulder hadn''t been injured. She had started putting some light exercises into her daily routine, along with training her magic, but it was becoming all the more clear that she needed to put a bit more focus on her athletic ability in the future.


    Instead of helping Kat, Scarlett began trying to¡ªsomewhat¡ªcontrol the fires that were swallowing the carriage with the help of her [Pyrokinesis] and [Minor Hydrokinesis] skills, so that the flames didn''t spread to the nearby trees and bushes. While she couldn''t extinguish the fire she at least managed to make a decent job of keeping it in check. Sometime during the process, she spotted the carriage''s driver¡ªit was the same young man she''d had as a coachman several times before¡ªslinking up to them through the surrounding thicket with a half-relieved, half-horrified expression on his face as he took in the damage and the dead bodies. For a moment he''d seemed afraid that she would punish him for running away, but Scarlett just sent him off to look for the escaped horse. It took a while, but when he returned with the horse in tow she also ordered him to ride back to Freybrook and get another carriage and some more hands to deal with the situation.


    While waiting for that help to arrive, she and Kat had gathered before the lined up bodies of the Cabal Adepts to inspect them. Some of them had pretty harrowing injuries ¡ª with Kat''s magic having torn holes straight through their flesh and burned their skin to a crisp. If this was still her from her previous world, Scarlett would almost certainly have retched just from the sight of it. Thankfully, leftover traits from the original Scarlett had some perks to them, and she made do with simply feeling a slight sense of disgust at the display. Kat was the one who seemed most affected by it however, even though she''d been the one to cause those injuries to begin with. She''d also been the one that had to carry the bodies. Scarlett felt a slight tinge of pity for the woman.


    As for the bodies themselves, just a closer look at them was enough for Scarlett to get a grasp of the equipment they wore.


    [Mask of Canon (Epic)]


    {Sees the truth of the world through the scriptures of the dogma}


    [Robes of the Sinless (Rare)]


    {Guards from perils with the words of truth}


    [Boots of the Sinless (Rare)]


    {Treads forth silently alighted upon the words of truth}


    [Vambraces of the Sinless (Rare)]


    {Finds all weaknesses by the virtue of the words of truth}


    [Greaves of the Sinless (Rare)]


    {Abates all weariness braced by the words of truth}


    [Khopesh of the Sinless (Rare)]


    {Cuts the world''s fabric to the very soul through the grace of the words of truth}


    She frowned. The descriptions for the pieces were very grandiose, but from what she knew the effects weren''t anything that special. The helmet, for example, gave you complete vision in the dark along with a decent amount of magic resistance. That in and of itself was, admittedly, pretty rare as most resistance items in the game were type-specific¡ªrather than just giving resistance against all magic¡ªbut she certainly wouldn''t say it was enough to justify such an ostentatious description. As for the other equipment; if she recalled correctly, the robes gave resistance against pyromancy and a couple of other schools of magic, the boots lessened the amount of detectable noise you made, the vambraces increased your damage when attacking from behind, and the greaves just increased your stamina. She wasn''t sure about the khopesh as she''d never used them herself in the game, but they probably had some damage-over-time effect that targeted the mind. If so, it was most likely some sort of umbramancy enchantment. That was the school of magic that dealt mostly with mind-related stuff. They were all decent enough sets¡ªbetter than a lot of what she''d found yet¡ªbut there was a reason even some of these lower-ranked members of the Cabal could wear them. They were far from the best.


    She was still uncertain if these descriptions were the item descriptions from the game or not ¡ª but if they weren''t, then she was really curious as to who it was that wrote these versions. Of course, she was also curious about who created this system that bound her and put her in this world in the first place, but none of those questions were things she was likely to get an answer to any time soon. It wouldn''t surprise her if all of those things shared a culprit, though.


    Except for the equipment the Adepts wore, they didn''t find anything special on most of the bodies. Kat did a cursory search and the only thing of note she found was a [Mirror of Communion] on the body of the Mage Stalker that Scarlett had fought. To avoid anything similar to what happened last time from occurring again, Scarlett instructed Kat to carefully pick it up with a piece of fabric before putting it in the pouch of holding. Thankfully no horrifying voice invaded their minds this time. For now, Scarlett would just keep it in the pouch. It might be that she could find a use for it sometime in the future.


    As for the equipment itself; she now had eight sets of heavily enchanted armor to do with as she pleased. She didn''t really have any practical use for the Cabal Adept''s armor set, though. It was specialized for assassins, after all. It also wasn''t the kind of thing you casually wanted to go around wearing. If she tried to sell them they''d probably be worth a decent amount, but that came with its own issues. The Cabal had eyes and ears in a lot of businesses, and she didn''t know what the consequences could be for just outright selling their armor. In the game you could do it without anything special happening, but this felt like one of those things where the real world was likely to diverge from the game.


    Of course, she''d already made herself a target of the Cabal ¡ª but they were a busy organization that had a lot of things to do all across the empire. And in the coming years, they''d no doubt become ever more occupied. As such, it might be in her best interest not to paint any more of a target on herself than she already had. She didn''t want them to actually send any of their more powerful members after her.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Maybe it was possible to disenchant the armor for reagents? It had been a feature in the game, so there should be some equivalent to it in this world. Or perhaps there was some way of moving the enchantments or changing the looks of the equipment. The ability to see in the dark could certainly be useful in the future. She''d have to look further into it later on when she had the time.


    They left the armor on the bodies for now¡ªneither of them wanted to undress a bunch of corpses¡ªand sat down at the edge of the road to wait for help to arrive. Kat had spent several minutes creating a chair for Scarlett through terrakinesis, saying things like "Yes, my Lady," and "Of course, my Lady," in an obviously fooling manner, but Scarlett couldn''t really help it. There was just no way she could get herself to sit down on the dirt at a roadside.


    As they waited, a couple of wagons drawn by a muscular pair of mules had passed by in the direction of Freybrook, but Scarlett had largely ignored them. At first, they seemed deathly scared by the toppled still-burning carriage and the row of bodies, but Kat had managed to calm them down somewhat and told them to keep traveling towards the city. After that Scarlett had absentmindedly practiced her magic as she kept watch on the carriage. Although the fight had been tiring, she still had almost half of her mana left.


    [Mana: 1843/4088]


    Of course, all of that mana had been used against just one opponent, but she didn''t think that was too unreasonable of an amount. It was just that she had too little mana. She would need at least five times that in the future.


    She''d also have to ask Kat to refill the [Depraved Solitude''s Choker] for now.


    "Hey," Kat eventually said at one point, a while after the wagons had passed by. "You said this ''Hallowed Cabal'' is in charge of the Tribe of Sin." Scarlett turned to look at her. The Shielder had a dark expression on her face. "What is it that they actually do? How come I haven''t heard about them?"


    Scarlett dispelled an attempt at water sculpting that she''d been dallying away her time with as she thought about what to answer that question with. "There is a lot that they do. It ranges from assassinations and political tampering to mere racketeering and trafficking. Though I could not describe it in one word, suffice it to say that their activities are not something you would enjoy involving yourself with. As for why there is no widespread knowledge of them, it is simply because they conduct much of their activities from the so-called ''shadows''. The Tribe of Sin is the group that carries out their more overt endeavors. That said, their existence is not unknown to all. There are guaranteed to be certain members of the Shields Guild that are aware of their existence."


    Kat''s expression deepened, as she seemed to consider Scarlett''s words. "...What use did they have for the children? The original buyer was that voice we heard, right? The leader of this cabal."


    Scarlett hesitated. "I...am not entirely certain." She''d never heard of that situation specifically in the game, so she didn''t actually know the answer. But the Cabal didn''t use slaves. They didn''t really need them. As such, there was only one use she could think of that the Cabal might have of them. "Be that as it may," she continued. "It is no longer of relevance. You have already helped prevent such a scenario."


    Kat shook her head. "But there''s bound to have been other cases like it. And more in the future. Gods know just how much grief just the Tribe of Sin has caused over the years." There was a bitterness to her voice.


    Scarlett didn''t respond. She couldn''t really refute it. The Cabal was one of the major players behind the havoc that would beset the empire in the coming years, and that wasn''t really something she could affect too much. Many of their actions were far outside the range of what she even had an interest in getting involved with. Of course, she wouldn''t always have a choice in the matter. She was bound to clash with them at some point in the future.


    "You said they were likely to come again," Kat continued. "How long before that, do you think?"


    Scarlett leaned her head slightly to the side. "I cannot be sure. It is unlikely that they will make any significant moves against me while we are in any major city. I also do not believe they have the ability to send another group such as this one before we have returned from our current venture." While she knew the Cabal had an impressive information network, they weren''t omniscient. She hadn''t shared where they were going with many individuals, and the Cabal had just lost the group that was keeping an eye on her. It should take them some time to send out another group that could actually pose a threat to her, and even longer for that group to catch up. So as long as they kept a decent pace on their current trip they should be all right. Though she would have to be careful when traveling in less populated areas in the future.


    "But you''re saying we should still keep our eyes out?" Kat said.


    Scarlett nodded her head. "It would be prudent to display caution, yes."


    "Right."


    They went silent again and Scarlett shifted her attention back to practicing her magic.


    "You know," Kat suddenly spoke again. "When I originally accepted your escort request I never even imagined it''d lead to me exploring centuries-old ruins and having to fight murderous secret cabals. But despite that, I can''t really say that I hate it. I wouldn''t put it in my top five jobs, but I''ve definitely had worse."


    Scarlett glanced at her. The woman had a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked out into the trees on the other side of the road. "...I am glad the danger has not discouraged you from continuing your employment," Scarlett said after a moment.


    "Well, I once took on this request to get rid of some Grave Slimes back when I was a junior Shielder." Kat grimaced. "Lost almost half of my armor from that job, and I had to cut off almost all my hair just to get rid of the smell. At the time I seriously considered just quitting this work." She smiled. "I''m glad I didn''t, though. I''ve been able to help a lot of people through my work as a Shielder and I wouldn''t give it up for anything."


    Scarlett gave her a long look. "It is commendable that you have such pride in your work...Although that does sound like an unpleasant experience."


    "Oh, it was," Kat said. "But what I''m trying to say is that I won''t abandon you just because things turned out to be a little more serious than I thought it''d be."


    Scarlett knitted her brows. That''s what she was getting at?


    "From how things are looking, it seems like I''d put you in a pretty tough situation if I did that now, so..." Kat turned to look at her. "Well, I was going to say that you don''t have to worry about it, but I''m honestly not sure if you ever worry about things. But just know that you can rely on me, even if you''re super suspicious and all that."


    "...I appreciate your loyalty, and your sincerity. I truly do," Scarlett said and turned away. If she had been in Kat''s shoes she probably wouldn''t have stuck around, so she honestly respected the woman''s devotion. Although... "I ask that you henceforth refrain from suggesting that I am in any manner ''suspicious'', however." Perhaps she was just a bit too honest at times.


    Kat chuckled. "Is ''calculating'' better?"


    Scarlett gave a slight nod. "That is acceptable."


    They once again lapsed into silence as they waited at the roadside.

 Chapter 25 - Ah, there they are

    Eventually people from the estate arrived with a silver-coated carriage and a wooden wagon in tow. Two guards in light armor and gambesons, that Scarlett recognized as two of the men who sometimes guarded the front of the mansion''s gates, jumped down from the front of the carriage. The driver was the same young man Scarlett had sent away to get help¡ªshe just now realized she''d never even thought of getting his name, even though she had been trying to learn the names of many of the mansion''s other servants¡ªwho seemed to have gotten a change of clothes. The man that helmed the wagon wasn''t someone she recognized, though. He might''ve been a stablehand of some kind.


    Soon the doors on the carriage swung open and a man in a dark suit stepped outside, followed by a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair in a bun that Scarlett recognized as the head of the female servants. The woman, however, quickly returned to the carriage with a horrified expression after catching a glimpse of the dead bodies. The guards stood to the side as the man in the suit, Garside, walked up to Scarlett¡ªwho had now risen from her own impromptu seat¡ªand threw a glance at the row of corpses, grimacing. He bowed before Scarlett. "My Lady, we began moving as soon as we heard the news. It gladdens me greatly to see that you are safe." He turned to Kat and gave her a bow too, though not quite as deep as the one he gave Scarlett. "Miss Breeden. You have my eternal gratitude for protecting the Lady."


    Kat threw up a hand. "Erm...it''s nothing, really. It''s literally my job."


    "Nonetheless, it is an indisputable fact that you have been of great help to our mistress," Garside said, his thick grey mustache trembling slightly as he spoke. "I realize some of our earlier interactions have not been entirely cordial, and for that, I apologize. I hope I have not caused any undue offense."


    Kat took a step back. She looked uncomfortable having the old man apologizing to her. "Right, well, all''s well that ends well and all that."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. For a moment she''d almost thought that Kat had quoted Shakespeare, but she knew that wasn''t the only place where that proverb was used. It did make her wonder where the proverb originated in this world, however, and how the Modern Imperial in this place shared so many idioms with the English she was used to. They didn''t just pop into being; they had to have some etymological roots that differed from those in her world. Just another thing she could add to the ever-growing list she had of questions about the nature of this world.


    "Thank you, Miss Breeden," Garside said before turning from Kat back to Scarlett. "My Lady, how should we deal with this situation?" he then asked, wrinkling his nose as he gestured his arm towards the bodies that were lined up close to them. The smell wasn''t that bad, actually. The smell of scorched wood from the burning carriage largely overtook it, and Scarlett didn''t mind that smell too much.


    She examined the damaged bodies for a moment, before speaking. "Remove their equipment and bring it back to the estate. I want it stored away safely. Ensure that as few individuals as possible know of it."


    The butler''s eyes stayed on the unmoving figures. "...And the bodies, my Lady?"


    Scarlett looked at him. "Deal with them in a suitable manner."


    Garside furrowed his bushy brows. "Suitable manner?"


    She paused. She had hoped he''d know what to do just from that. He was the butler of a villainess, after all. Knowing how to get rid of bodies sounded like something they''d do sometimes. Then again, it might be possible the original Scarlett never involved Garside or any of her other servants in matters like that. She hadn''t seen many signs of it, after all.


    "Bring them to the officials in Freybrook and report them as brigands," she eventually said. She would have preferred if it didn''t get out that she killed these people, but the Cabal would probably learn of it soon enough, so it might not matter that much. Hopefully turning up to the officials with a bunch of bodies in tow wouldn''t be considered as something illegal or unreasonable for a noble like her to do if they claimed they were bandits. If people bothered to investigate, Kat''s testimony should be enough to assuage any other doubts.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "I will make sure it''s done." Garside nodded his head.


    Scarlett then turned to the toppled carriage. "This will also require handling."


    Garside looked at the burning vehicle. "This much I can do," he said and walked closer to it. He lifted his hands into the air, and soon enough the flames engulfing the carriage started dying down. After about half a minute the fire was almost completely gone, the only remaining specks of it the slightly-glowing wood pieces that had made up the carriage.


    Kat let out an impressed whistle. "That was just through pyrokinesis? That''s impressive."


    Scarlett looked at the glowing remains. She''d had no idea he even knew any magic. What grade of pyrokinesis would this translate to? [Greater Pyrokinesis]?


    The old butler lowered his hands. "You flatter me, Miss Breeden. I pale in comparison to the late Lord, and I am certain the Lady and young Madame will soon surpass me," he said, straightening his cuffs. "I''ve always had a knack for pyrokinesis, but I''m ashamed to admit my other skills aren''t quite as impressive. I am no match for a B-ranked Shielder such as you, I''m sure."


    After saying that, he looked towards the two guards who stood to the side, eyeing the bodies of the Cabal Adepts. "Excuse me, my Lady. I will go and guarantee your commands are followed." With that, he walked off towards the guards and started speaking with them. Their expressions sank at whatever it was that he said, though Scarlett could make a guess.


    Kat stepped closer to Scarlett, leaning over surreptitiously. "Do your family actually just have some secret magic or something like that? First it''s you being better at using advanced magic techniques than you are normal ones, and now the butler too?"


    Scarlett kept her eyes on Garside as he oversaw the two guards who got to work undressing the dead bodies. "There is no secret. It is merely a coincidence," she answered. She seriously doubted the grey-haired butler had access to a skill system the way she did. But it was surprising that the old man hid such abilities. And apparently the original Scarlett''s father had been even more impressive. It did make her curious what the previous head of the Hartford family had been capable of.


    They watched for a while longer as Garside gave out orders to the guards and then the servant lady in the carriage before he returned to them. "My Lady," he asked. "What are your plans from here on?"


    Scarlett thought about it. "We will be resuming our traveling," she said after a moment. "Did you prepare the other carriage?"


    "Yes, as you asked," he said and nodded his head. "I presume you will not be returning to the mansion before, then?"


    "No, we will leave at once. I do not wish to waste more time than necessary."


    "Understood." He gave a short bow, before slowly looking up at her. "...If it does not trouble you too much, may I make a request?"


    She signaled for him to go ahead.


    "I ask that you allow me to accompany your Ladyship on this journey."


    Scarlett frowned. This was unexpected. "Why?" she asked.


    Garside inclined his head. "I am afraid something like this attack might occur again. If such a thing were to happen again, I would not be able to forgive myself for being complacent."


    "Hmm." Scarlett looked over the man with a thoughtful expression.


    "I will do my utmost to not hold you back in your endeavors, my Lady. I merely wish to aid you as I can."


    "What of the matters I entrusted you with back in Freybrook?"


    "I have already informed Marlon of the necessary procedures," he said. "The servants at the mansion will be able to carry on without me for a few days."


    She presumed Marlon was the woman in the carriage. "...Very well," she said. It might be good to have another experienced person with her for now, just to be safe. She doubted the Cabal would make another attack before they returned, but it wouldn''t hurt to be careful.


    Garside just gave a short nod. "I will make the last necessary preparations before we leave then." Once again he walked over to the guards, pointing to the bodies, the wagon, and the destroyed carriage.


    Scarlett looked over at Kat and saw that the woman had a slightly stiff expression. Ah, right. He''d been the one to tell her off for her ''uncouth'' behavior before. Just a moment ago she''d been impressed by the man, but she might not like the idea of being stuck in a carriage with him for a few days.


    Well, he''d already apologized. She doubted there''d be any more problems, especially when she was around. Mentally shrugging those thoughts away, Scarlett began moving towards the silver-coated carriage that the servants had brought. It didn''t take too long for Garside to finish issuing his orders to the people, and soon enough they were off in the new carriage, leaving the servants with the wagon and the bodies to deal with the situation. She would have to remember to give them some kind of reward when she returned.

 Chapter 26 - Are we there yet?

    The remaining journey towards the village of Whistlecreek was thankfully much more uneventful than the first couple hours of the trip. The first day went by relatively quickly, even though Kat spent much of it constantly keeping an eye out the window, watching for any further ambushes. The Shielder''s normally outgoing personality was further quieted down by Garside''s presence, which did leave the ride somewhat more boring. It did give Scarlett some extra time to do some basic practicing with her magic, but she could only do that for so long with her current mana capacity.


    She had taken the opportunity to use five of the seven skills points she had after receiving more from the ambush to upgrade her [Minor Hydrokinesis] to [Hydrokinesis], which she''d wanted to do for a while. Although she didn''t have the chance to really try out the upgraded skill while traveling in the carriage.


    To further pass the time Scarlett had brought out some books from her [Pouch of Holding] on the history of the Empire, the Rising Isle, the Forgotten Tower, the Everdust Barrier, and other interesting places that she knew of from the game to compare her knowledge of. She''d sent a servant to buy the books from some store in Freybrook, which is also when she''d come up with the¡ªrather belated¡ªidea of telling them to buy as many relevant books on matters of decorum and noble behavior as they could, ''on behalf of the ignorant Shielder in her employ''. Finding anything useful on the matter had surprisingly enough not been fruitful as of yet, but now she had a decent excuse if someone were to ask. Unfortunately, she hadn''t had time to read any of those particular books yet, and she couldn''t very well read them in front of others. Maybe Kat, but definitely not Garside. A miscalculation on her part.


    Having spent most of the first day reading up on the history of the Graenal Empire, their carriage had reached a small township called Crowbell before night. Kat was especially happy about that as most of her baggage had been destroyed along with the first carriage¡ªincluding some of her armor, which Scarlett did feel some guilt about. She would have to reimburse the woman somehow¡ªand she''d been forced to borrow a set of Scarlett''s traveling clothes that the servants had packed along. Kat''s own clothes were essentially ruined from the fight, but Kat was both taller than Scarlett and had a much more toned physique so the clothing she borrowed wasn''t the best fit. Add to that the injuries the Shielder was still recovering from, and she was quite excited about stopping the first night to get some real rest and get new clothes. Scarlett''s shoulder had largely healed by then¡ªafter repeated uses of [Earth Pulse] from Kat throughout the day¡ªso she didn''t have as much of an issue.


    After resting in that town they had started moving again the next morning. That day had been even more uneventful than the second half of the previous one. Scarlett managed to finish a book about the first emperor of the Graenal Empire¡ªa Galrath the Great¡ªand a few other imperial heroes, as well as start another book, by the time they reached another small town to stay for that night. It wasn''t until evening on the third day of their journey through the vast forested land that was the southwestern part of the empire that they reached their destination.


    The road leading directly to and from the village of Whistlecreek didn''t look as if it saw much use. Grass and weeds covered much of it, with only a few trails caused by wagons and people visible through the underbrush. The village itself was located in a clearing next to a small lake that was overflowing with flora. The settlement wasn''t that large ¡ª if Scarlett were to guess, the population was probably somewhere in the hundreds, definitely not the thousands at least. The majority of the buildings were simple single-floored wooden structures, which made for quite a different view than the one on the streets of Freybrook that she had started getting so used to.


    As their carriage came closer and closer to the village they got a better view of the clearing it lay in. Not too far off from the heart of the village, on the opposite edge of the clearing from where they currently were, Scarlett saw several wide fields with distant figures walking around in them. They were quite large for a village this size, at least compared with many of the other places they''d passed by. Further off, above the copse of trees that surrounded the area, the ridges of part of the Whitstone Mountains towered over the small settlement, lending it some shade from the sun as it was starting to set.


    Soon enough their carriage entered the bounds of the village itself and she peeked out at the buildings. There was no one outside, but she spotted some people staring at them through the windows. It didn''t seem to be the most welcoming of communities. Then again, she did just arrive in a noble''s carriage without prior notice. She supposed most people would be wary in a situation like this.


    As they reached an area of Whistlecreek that looked the most like a village square¡ªthough it was a bit of a stretch to call it that as it was just a larger dirt area without any buildings on it¡ªthe coachman pulled the carriage to a stop. Garside looked out through the window, his brows slightly knitted. "My Lady, am I correct in taking it that you plan on staying here for a while?"


    Scarlett glanced at him. "You are, yes," she said, turning her eyes outside. "I believe I spoke of business that required taking care of. This is where it is." She tried not to display too much of the inherent distaste she felt at the thought of staying at a place like this. Even in her previous life she had never been especially fond of camping and spending time outdoors. That went more than double for her now. The places that they had stayed at the previous two nights had at least been decent inns, but this place didn''t even seem to have that. The largest building she''d seen was one with a stone base at the edge of this little square, and that was only about the size of a small barn. She doubted it had many amenities.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    This world had toilets¡ªalthough she assumed they were somehow magical in nature and were probably reserved for the more better-off places¡ªbut it wouldn''t surprise her if this place didn''t. While she accepted the necessity of sometimes having to deal with circumstances like this, and she didn''t want to turn into the kind of blue-blooded stiff who couldn''t even handle some minor inconveniences without crying about them, it was still terribly annoying for her to bear. Not only did she have to deal with the inconveniences themselves¡ªwhich wasn''t the easiest when you were used to a modern-day lifestyle¡ªbut she also had to live with the added-on annoyance and mental strain it took on her due to the original Scarlett''s traits.


    She''d had a friend back in her world that throughout their entire college experience would complain about how she would be irritated the whole day if she didn''t get a coffee in the morning. At the time Scarlett had never understood it, even though she had been at the other end of its consequences on several occasions. Now, though? Now she definitely understood.


    "You coming out?" Kat''s voice brought Scarlett out of her musings as the Shielder¡ªwho wore a simple set of brown cloth clothing from the ones she''d gotten at their first stop¡ªhad already left the carriage and looked back at Scarlett. Garside had just stepped out and held the door open.


    Grabbing the pouch of holding from the seat next to her and tying it to her waist, Scarlett rose and quickly exited the vehicle. As her feet touched down on the slightly wet mud that covered most of the ground around them she was glad that she had worn a high pair of thick traveling boots for the day.


    "My Lady, I will see if I can find a reeve or village head," Garside said. "I believe this village is under the domain of Baron Gresham. As such, I will ensure a proper greeting is organized and that you are afforded the best accommodations."


    She raised her hand towards him. "A welcome will not be necessary. Simply locate a place to stay and find the one in charge. I wish to speak with them."


    He gave her a short nod. "Of course, my Lady." With that, he walked up to the young coachman¡ªDickens, it had turned out that his name was¡ªand traded some words with him before heading off towards the larger building Scarlett had noticed near where they were.


    "So...what now?" Kat asked from the side. The blonde-haired woman was tying some of her hair back into the braid she usually wore as she took in the houses around them.


    "It depends," Scarlett answered.


    "On?"


    "On how willing the residents are to cooperate. In addition to a number of other factors." Scarlett really doubted the villagers would be particularly helpful in the matter. She just hoped they wouldn''t have to wait for too long before the next attack.


    "Cooperate?" Kat had a confused expression on her face. "What exactly are we here to do?"


    Scarlett looked at her. "Why, we are here to help them, of course."


    The Shielder narrowed her eyes in a disbelieving look. "Yeah, how about you say that again. With some emotion this time."


    Scarlett merely shook her head. "We are here to deal with a problem that is plaguing this region, and to procure an artifact related to that problem."


    Kat''s confused face deepened. "Why wouldn''t the villagers want to help us with that?"


    "That, I believe, is a question they are more suitable to answer than I."


    Kat raised an eyebrow. "...Right. And what exactly is this ''problem''?"


    "I wonder." Scarlett looked towards Dickens, the coachman, as he stroked the carriage horse''s mane while feeding it an apple.


    "I thought you were going to start telling me these things beforehand," Kat said, and Scarlett saw the woman roll her eyes.


    "I was," Scarlett admitted. "However, after having my good intentions doubted but a mere moment ago, I am beginning to have second thoughts on the matter."


    Kat blinked her eyes. "Gods, you just like appearing mysterious and all-knowing, don''t you? That''s it, isn''t it?"


    Scarlett looked back at the woman, thinking about it for a moment. "Perhaps. That might in fact not be entirely incorrect." It was kind of intoxicating, that feeling of knowing more than everybody else of what was happening. She smiled ever-so-slightly. "Do not worry. I will apprise you of the situation and our exact objective later on. Though it isn''t something you will have much trouble handling."


    Kat looked at her for a moment longer before shrugging her shoulders with a quiet ''alright'' as they waited for Garside to return. They didn''t have to wait for long before Garside came walking back, a man with balding grey hair close behind him. The butler stood aside as the man stopped in front of Scarlett with an anxious look on his face, performing a hesitant bow. "W-Welcome, my Lady. I''m Dieter, the head of this village. I''m sorry for the poor reception, we didn''t know you would be visiting."


    She gave him a cursory look. He wore simple enough clothing that had dirt on its legs and sleeves and was wet with sweat. He seemed to have been busy at work during the day. She turned towards Garside, who gave her a nod. She wasn''t sure what that was supposed to mean.


    "I had no desire of being received by your people upon my visit anyhow, so it is of little matter," she said, looking back at the man. "I trust there is lodgment available for our stay?"


    The village head feverishly nodded his head. "Of course, of course." He gestured towards the building Garside had walked towards earlier. "You can stay in the manor house."


    She glanced at the building. They called that a manor house? It wasn''t in disarray or anything, but it looked about as well as one might expect in a village where most of the buildings were made of simple wood.


    Well, it appeared to be the center of the settlement, at least. "Lead the way," she said.


    The man nodded his head once more and led them towards, and inside, the manor house, where they entered a decently sized space that had a fireplace at one end as well as some chairs and tables spread around. Next to the fireplace was a small area that appeared to function as a kitchen. There were also four doors that she presumed led to things like bedrooms and storage.


    "We will prepare rooms for you as soon as possible, ehm, my Lady," the man said, looking over Kat and Garside who had entered along with Scarlett. Dickens was busy finding a place to keep the horse and carriage. "If you want we can also make you something to eat."


    Scarlett''s eyes moved over the space. "Yes, I believe that would be in order," she said as she walked over to one of the tables and sat down close to the fireplace. The fire wasn''t lit so she used her pyrokinesis to light the kindling, which seemed to cause the village head to startle slightly.


    "Now," she said, her eyes locking onto the nervous man where he stood. "I have some questions for you."

 Chapter 27 - Lies and fangs

    "To start with," Scarlett began her questioning. "The people I have seen appeared very tense. Why is that?"


    The village head wiped his hands on the sides of his shirt. "That...I''m not sure what you mean, my Lady."


    "I believe you are." She tapped her finger against the table next to her as she regarded him. "In fact, there was an unusually small number of people out on those fields too. I was under the impression that one worked until it was dark during times of harvest, yet so few of you seem to remain outside your homes." They''d passed by a number of hamlets on their way here where large groups of people¡ªwomen and children¡ªhad been busy at work harvesting the field''s yields. It stood out to her that that wasn''t the case here.


    "Ah. T-That''s because..." He paused as his eyes went back and forth between Scarlett and her entourage.


    "Yes?" She raised an eyebrow. "Surely you do not mean to say that I am the sole reason behind this behaviour?"


    His eyes widened. "N-No! Of course not, my Lady. I wouldn''t dare."


    "Then there is another reason. Tell me of it."


    He went quiet, squirming where he stood. Scarlett almost felt sympathy for the man. Though that wouldn''t really stop her from grilling him. "I should mention that we will be staying for several days. Attempting to lie to me is not in your best interest."


    The statement seemed to have spooked him. "I-I never meant to lie to you, my Lady. It''s just that I don''t think that such a small matter is worth bringing to your attention."


    "I will be the judge of that," she said. "Speak."


    He massaged the backs of his hands. "Recently...we''ve had some small problems with monsters attacking our crops." He held up both palms. "No one''s gotten injured! We''ve just asked those more vulnerable to stay inside as it gets darker, just to be safe. But it''s barely affected us, really."


    "Why haven''t you sent for help? Or contacted the Shields Guild?" Kat asked from the side.


    The village head turned to look at her. "We are not the most wealthy of villages. We couldn''t afford to spend money on something like that. And we could never bother the Lord with a problem this small."


    Kat furrowed her brows. "The Guild doesn''t cost that much. And if it''s serious enough that some of you have to hide I wouldn''t call it a small problem."


    He stared at her with his mouth open. "T-Thats''...I-I''m..."


    Scarlett clicked her tongue. It was clear that he didn''t know what to say, so she decided to give him an out. "How long has this problem afflicted the village?" she asked.


    The village head turned to her with a slightly relieved face. "Ehm, not that long, my Lady."


    "Give me a figure."


    He scratched the back of his head. "A few...weeks, maybe?"


    She frowned. He was lying. She was pretty sure it was mentioned in the game that the villagers had put up with this for at least a year. And the first time she''d done the questline here in Whistlecreek it had been several months into the game, and by then someone had definitely died. But she wasn''t certain how early into the game the quest became available. That first death might not have happened yet in relation to where she was in this world.


    She eyed him quietly. "And what do you know of these monsters?"


    "Ah, they''re wolves of some kind. Very large wolves," he answered. before hesitating. "We, um, we don''t know why they suddenly started attacking us." Another lie. "But they come every few days or so."


    Scarlett glanced at Kat, seeing a disbelieving expression on the woman''s face. "And their haunt," she asked, looking back at the village head. "Do you know where they make their den?"


    Sweat ran down the man''s face as he shook his head. "No, we have no idea. They just appear from out of nowhere and steal some of our crops before making off into the woods."


    She stopped tapping her finger against the table, staring into his eyes. "Are you certain about that? Bear in mind that lying to me can have severe consequences."


    She saw him gulp as he lowered his gaze to avoid hers. "Y-Yes, my Lady. I have no idea."


    She kept her eyes on him for a while, watching him writhe in discomfort. "Very well," she finally said and rose from her seat. "It appears we will have to find their lair by ourselves then."


    His head shot up and he stared at her with wide eyes. "You''re going to look for them?!"


    "Of course." She smiled. "As I happen to be passing through, it is only right that I lend my aid to the people of Baron Gresham''s domain, is it not?"


    "Ah, yes, of course," he started mumbling. "B-But it''s dangerous. We could never have a noble like you risk themselves just for our sake."


    "Was it not you who earlier claimed it was not a significant problem?" Scarlett gestured towards Kat. "Then I imagine I and the Shielder Miss Breeden here will have no issue in handling it."


    His head spun to look at Kat. "Y-You''re a Shielder?"


    She nodded her head. "I am. A problem with that?"


    "No, no. Of course not." He shook his head. "Then...that means you would be able to take care of the monsters?"


    The Shielder looked at him for a moment. "Probably. I would have to see them first, though."


    "I imagine it will not be long until you do," Scarlett said and walked over to one of the doors to look inside. It was a small room with a single bed and a closet in it. "If the residents here can be of no aid in locating their den, we will have to begin our own preparations." She looked back at the village head. "But first, I believe a meal is in order."


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    After eating¡ªfar from the best meal she''d had in this world¡ªScarlett and the others settled in for the night. She didn''t want to risk missing it if the monsters were to attack again that night. While she had been pondering the best way of dealing with that question along with Kat, Garside had offered to stay awake the first few hours in case anything happened, and Kat then volunteered to cover the rest. Scarlett didn''t feel quite comfortable asking that of a man his age, but she also didn''t want to leave a job like that up to the coachman. And as she had to uphold at least a modicum of her ''haughty noble'' performance, she couldn''t really take it on herself either. Garside was also quite adamant about the duty, and Kat would be the one who had the toughest hours anyway, so in the end Scarlett had agreed to it. The Shielder had also assured her that she was quite used to surviving on little sleep and that it wouldn''t be a problem. She''d mostly recovered from her wounds and could ''stay up for days.''


    As such the butler and the Shielder had been on watch duty that night. Unfortunately for them, nothing did happen. So, first thing the next morning, Scarlett had ordered Garside to ask around some as she and Kat made off into the surrounding forest to try and find where the wolves made their home themselves. Though unlike some of the other dungeons and points of interest that she''d found in this world, the den of these monsters wasn''t something that she had high hopes of finding just by looking around some. Even in the game it had been a tough find. It was basically a burrow next to some tree somewhere, largely hidden by the forest''s undergrowth. She couldn''t even remember exactly in which direction it was, just that it was closer to the mountains than it was to the village. Even with her and Kat searching for several hours on end they didn''t find any clear traces of it and Scarlett found herself more annoyed than anything.


    She knew at least some of the villagers knew where it was. They just didn''t want any outsiders to find it because they were scared that people would find what was inside. She could probably have forced it out of the villagers, but she also didn''t want to go too far. Not when she could just follow the wolves to it similar to how one could do it in the game. Although, she did lack a good means of tracking them as she did in the game ¡ª but she imagined Kat would be able to keep up. She''d asked the woman and it turned out she knew the [Haste] spell. Which was apparently also relatively rare. But it was a very useful spell, even though it wasn''t always particularly suited to combat due to it leaving you completely burned out after using it.


    They eventually returned to Whistlecreek around noon. Garside had asked around some but none of the villagers were especially open about things so he didn''t have any new information beyond what the village head had already told them.


    After eating they were supposed to continue their search through the forest, but walking around for hours on end in the forest turned out to be a bit much for Scarlett as she was right now, so Kat went back into the woods herself to resume the search as Scarlett took some rest. She took the opportunity to practice her magic some and get used to her upgraded skill. She picked a spot some distance away from the village and its fields, but she still noticed some of the inhabitants staring at her from a distance. She decided to largely ignore it, though.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Minor Mana Control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 3842/4123]


    [Points: 2]


    After testing it out, it seemed that the [Hydrokinesis] skill was more effective than its predecessor [Minor Hydrokinesis] by orders of magnitude. Previously the limit on the amount of water she could create at once was maybe close to a pitcher of water. Even less if she wanted great enough control of it to use it with her Aqua Mines. She used to be able to handle roughly three tennis ball-sized Mines, and now she could definitely create more. But she wasn''t really sure where the new limit was. When it came to merely creating a batch of water, she managed to create maybe half a bathtub of the clear liquid when she really focused¡ªan increase that was much starker than when she originally upgraded the [Pyrokinesis] skill, though that skill''s performance was harder to estimate because it related more to the fire''s heat¡ªbut it turned out that creating more Mines wasn''t merely a matter of how much water she could create. Currently, she found herself losing control of them when she had more than five active at once, and even then they were a little unstable. It seemed it was more a matter of practice now than anything else.


    Nonetheless, the upgrade was a welcome addition to her growing repertoire. Later on she hoped to accomplish some impressive things with those two skills of hers, as well as any other tricks she would pick up.


    Kat returned later that day towards the evening when the sun began to set once more and most of the village''s inhabitants had already returned to their homes. Scarlett was no expert on the matter, but it seemed like there was still much work to be done on the fields for the current harvest. They had a lot of work to catch up with.


    Much as expected, Kat hadn''t found anything new during her search, so they settled in for the day as one of them kept watch of the fields. The village head was quite nervous all the while, but it was clear that he didn''t dare to say anything. Perhaps he was hoping that they''d be able to just take care of the wolves and settle for that.


    It had already turned dark when the first sighting happened. Scarlett was sitting nearby the fireplace in the village''s manor house reading a book about a rumored ''lost cave''¡ªalthough it wasn''t very rumored to her as she was well aware of its existence, even if it was incredibly hard to reach¡ªin Rellaria Lake by the capital with Garside not far from her when Kat came barging in without so much as a knock.


    "They''re here," the Shielder said, moving a strand of hair away from her eyes. Now Scarlett understood why the woman usually wore a headband when they went dungeon-trekking.


    Scarlett closed the book and put it into the pouch of holding as she rose from her chair and moved towards the door. "Then we will have to move quickly," she said as she tied the pouch to her side. "Our first objective is rebuffing the monsters into the forest. You know what to do after that, Kat." She looked at the woman for a moment, then turned to her butler. "Garside. You are in charge of ensuring the safety of the villagers. Try to make it so that none of them come to any serious harm. We would not want them to complain about our interfering."


    He performed a quick bow. "I will do my utmost, my Lady."


    She nodded her head. "I expect no less."


    They left the house and both Kat and Garside began to run towards the fields. The elderly butler was in surprisingly good shape despite probably nearing his seventies. As for Scarlett, even during circumstances like this running wasn''t something she could bring herself to do easily. It wasn''t ''dignified'', after all. Instead she settled for a rather hurried, but still calm, gait in the direction of her destination. She passed by several houses on the way, and even though it was quite dark outside by now she could still see a few faces looking out at her through the windows.


    It took her a few minutes to reach the fields, but she could see and hear some of Kat''s magic from a distance. Now and then she also saw sparks of light at other locations which she could only assume was Garside at work. As she neared the simple wooden fence that enclosed some of the fields and the tall stalks beyond them, she saw a pair of large men climb over the fence and run off towards the village. Not all had managed to get away yet, it seemed.


    She entered the fields and walked along a path of trampled wheat stalks towards the other end of the field, where recurring bouts of rumblings and the occasional flash suggested Kat was currently fighting off some of the monsters. When Scarlett got close she spotted the Shielder launching a small boulder towards the side of a wolf the size of a pony. It had thick silver-grey fur that almost shone in the fledgling moonlight and displayed fangs the size of her fingers. Scarlett recognized it as a warg.


    Honestly, seeing it in person she almost couldn''t believe these monsters were only supposed to be level 25 in the game.


    Another five of the wargs showed themselves not too far away, in the cover of the trees by the forest edge. All of them seemed injured in some way, either limping slightly or with large gashes on their side. Kat had already done a number on them.


    As the last one that Kat had attacked slowly got up from the ground with a whimper, one of the other wargs let out a loud howl. It was soon met up by howls from other parts of the clearing and soon the group of wargs started running off into the cover of the forest.


    Scarlett looked towards Kat, who gave her a nod. Immediately after Kat started gesturing with her hands in front of her and a low red-white light shimmered around her for a second. Scarlett saw how the woman''s eyes took on a red hue. Then she took off like a bullet into the forest, leaving Scarlett behind.

 Chapter 28 - Mysteries on the chase

    After having watched Kat run off into the forest, Scarlett started following the forest edge as she searched the fields for her butler. It only took her a couple of minutes before she spotted him, close to the border of one of the fields, assisting a rather large bald man who lay on the ground and had blood running from what appeared to be a bite on his right leg. An impromptu splint made of part of the ruined fence nearby had been created to support the leg.


    When Garside noticed her he stood up and bowed towards her. "My Lady. The monsters appear to have fled, as you predicted. I''ve assisted a number of the villagers in escaping back to the village itself, just as you ordered."


    Scarlett inspected him. He''d been wearing the same black suit during most of their journey¡ªshe could only assume he had many like it¡ªand it seemed mostly intact so he probably hadn''t been hurt. There were some signs of blood on his sleeves, but they didn''t seem to come from him. "Well done," she said, momentarily glancing over the injured villager as he shakily stood up. "Kat has left in pursuit of the monsters," she continued. "I expect it will be some time before she returns. I will retreat to the manor for now. If you wish to search for any other injured I suggest you do so immediately."


    "Understood, my Lady. I will join you as soon as I can," Garside said. She nodded her head and began to make her way back to the village.


    Kat''s breath flowed out heavily as her foot found purchase on a protruding root in front of her. She tried to pace her breathing evenly as she sprinted through the dark canopied forest. The haste spell was taxing enough on the body as it was.


    Leaping over the body of a fallen-over tree, and landing with some uncertainty before quickly regaining her balance, she spotted more movement some distance in front of her. These wolf monsters were as quick as cockatrices. Even after injuring some of them, she could only barely keep up. Another minute or so and she wouldn''t be able to keep the spell up any longer either.


    She dodged a low-hanging branch that she noticed at the last second, scanning around for the wolf she had been following. Howling sounded out somewhere to her right, but it was far too dark for her to see anything in that direction. She kept running forward, hoping to spot her target again.


    There. A short distance away some of the moonlight found its way through the trees and reflected off silver fur. Kat immediately veered off towards it.


    More howls, some of them closer than before, rang out from different points in the forest. She ignored them and focused on following the monster ahead of her. She saw it run out from amongst the trees and cross a wide area that held a large gathering of rocks before continuing deeper into the forest on the other end. She made sure to not lose it as she ran and kept her balance across the stones. The wolf didn''t seem to mind her as she kept close to its heels, when it suddenly slinked into a large bush next to a tree and disappeared. Both her feet slammed into the forest floor and she grabbed onto the trunk of a nearby tree to help her halt despite her speed. She readied herself for an attack and observed the bush closely, but there was no more movement. The wolf wasn''t hiding. She didn''t even think these monsters had the brains to try and trick her like that.


    She looked around the area. Judging from the howls earlier there were still other wolves out in the forest. Although they had turned out not to be a major threat to her, finding herself stuck amongst an entire pack of them while dealing with the aftereffects of using haste probably wasn''t the brightest of ideas. She glanced up the tree next to her. Boosted by haste, she managed to jump and climb up the tree without much issue, setting herself to rest on a branch that was fairly high and gave her a good enough view of the bush that the wolf had disappeared into. She wanted to make sure this was the right place. She also let go of her haste spell, feeling the fatigue wash over her body like a Viles-damned wave. Some of her bones made small popping noises in protest and she was already starting to feel stiff all over. Gods, she really hated that spell.


    Taking long and deep breaths as she kept an eye out for any more wolves, she began trying to look to the east and see if she couldn''t find out her general position. Scarlett had been right when she''d said the mountains wouldn''t be far off. Kat could see them through the treetops. Without haste it''d take her maybe a minute or two to get there.


    She shook her head. Sometimes it was downright scary what that woman knew. She''d met plenty of impressive people throughout her time as a Shielder, but she''d never met someone quite like Scarlett Hartford. Despite being a baroness¡ªand living up to at least half of the stereotypes Kat would have anticipated from a noble¡ªScarlett still somehow managed to go against her expectations. The woman so naturally somehow acted like there was barely any secret in the world that wasn''t known to her, yet at the same time she was exploring new territory. Kat was pretty sure this was the first time Scarlett had ever been to Whistlecreek¡ªand it showed¡ªbut it still felt like the woman knew all its mysteries. It was as if she had the gods themselves whispering in her ear all the little secrets she wanted to know.


    Kat paused. Scarlett couldn''t actually be an Augur, could she?


    ...No. That''d be ridiculous. From what she''d heard that was impossible outside members of the Followers. She didn''t know if any of the other gods even bothered with things like that. And Scarlett felt about as far removed from a holy woman as possible, so it definitely wasn''t that.


    But what other ways were there for the woman to know all that she did? If it was just the stuff about the Tribe of Sin¡ªKat still had a hard time swallowing that there was a whole other group behind those monsters¡ªthen Kat might just have thought Scarlett had first-hand experience of them or something similar. But all the different ruins, caves, and other interesting places that they had visited because of Scarlett''s vague ''research'' didn''t really fit into that explanation. There had to be more to it.


    Did Scarlett actually have someone feeding her all this information? Somebody that had to be kept a secret? Or had she learned it all by herself?


    Kat had found herself more and more intrigued by that question the more time she spent with the woman, and the more comfortable she also felt around her. It was pretty clear that Scarlett had also mellowed up some towards her ¡ª at least as far as that word went when it came to describing the usually indifferent noblewoman. Kat grinned. She''d even gotten Scarlett to pull what she was pretty sure were supposed to be jokes at times.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Movement down at ground level caught her attention and pulled her out of her thoughts. She spotted shadows in the shape of large wolves creep out from among the trees, lurking towards the bush where she''d seen the other wolf disappear. Either they didn''t smell her, or they didn''t mind her. Soon enough they disappeared into it too, which meant this was definitely the right spot.


    She leaned back against the tree. At least they knew where they were supposed to go next then. Now she just had to return to Whistlecreek.


    Although maybe she could take some time to rest first...


    It wasn''t until the next morning that Scarlett found Kat returning from the forest. The Shielder looked completely exhausted, almost like she''d spent the better part of the night just running. It seemed like the effect of [Haste] was much harsher in this world than it was in ''Chronicle of Realms''. That was curious. She didn''t know what the spell actually did, so she could only guess as to the reason, but in the game [Haste] had drained your stamina and temporarily reduced the stat. If you were to translate that into the real world where not everybody has a stamina stat that recharges every few minutes then it sort of made sense for it to have more of an effect.


    But Kat had managed to locate the wargs'' den due to the use of the spell, so it wasn''t a waste of effort at the very least. Scarlett did decide to let the Shielder rest for the day though, as intruding in the lair of a large pack of wolves didn''t sound like the best idea when one in the group was too tired to stand on their own two legs. Much like the previous days, Scarlett took the opportunity to spend most of the day reading the books she had¡ªshe even managed to read some of the books on noble traditions and decorums when Garside was busy looking around the village¡ªand getting some more practice with her upgraded hydrokinesis skill.


    That night, after double-checking with Kat if she was well enough for it and getting a decently reassuring confirmation, they got ready to move out. After having checked everything and standing in the village''s manor house prepared to leave, the village head had approached them. He seemed to mostly stay in some nearby house during their stay, but came in now and then to see if there was something Scarlett wanted and had noticed their preparations.


    "Ah, ehm, my Lady. Are you leaving somewhere?"


    Scarlett gave the man a look-over. He looked significantly more tired than when they''d first arrived here. She could only assume that the stress of their stay here didn''t treat him well. "Indeed we are," she said. "We are leaving to attend to the infestation of monsters that have plagued your village for these past weeks."


    His eyes widened at her words, no doubt realizing what it meant. "Y-You mean to say that you''ve found the monsters'' lair?"


    "That we have."


    "Ah, that..." He hesitated as his eyes passed over Kat and Garside who were giving him careful looks. "That is great!" he exclaimed with just a bit more fervor than was believable. Scarlett chose not to bother him about it.


    "Yes," she said and turned towards the door. "I expect that by the morning we will have concluded this entire affair in all of our favor. Then I and my retinue will be able to leave with clear consciences." She really couldn''t wait. Having to endure using a smelly privy for her...business was practically torture in her current circumstances, and not a problem she ever wanted to face again in the future if she could avoid it.


    "T-Then I wish you all the best," the village head said, though there didn''t sound to be much emotion behind it. Scarlett gave him one last look before they left. Well, she couldn''t really fault him. He was probably afraid they''d take what was in the wargs'' den.


    After they''d exited the manor house and had reached the outskirts of the village, Kat spoke. "That guy is so suspicious. He''s been weird about the wolves ever since we got here. You''d almost think he would''ve tried something by now."


    "I concur, Miss Breeden," Garside said as he thumbed his thick mustache. "The village head has most likely been hiding something from us. But attempting to do anything towards a noble such as the Lady would have been the height of folly. I do not believe he is the sort of man that would perform that kind of mistake."


    "You''re probably right. But you''d think he would''ve been happy about us going out to take care of their monster problem. Makes one wonder what would make him act like that." That last part was obviously directed towards Scarlett.


    "There could be many reasons," Scarlett said, not looking at the Shielder. "But ultimately, none of them matter. Garside is correct in that they would not dare go against us, and I do not believe they are hiding anything nefarious." All of the villagers were weak. Even if you outright offended them during the questline in the game they still didn''t dare go against you, and she had no reason to expect them to act differently here.


    "Alright." Scarlett could imagine the Shielder shrugging. "If you say so."


    Soon enough they entered the forest surrounding Whistlecreek, Kat leading the way with a lantern in hand. Scarlett didn''t really recognize where they were going from the game, but it was both dark out, and this wasn''t the most unique of forests, so that was hardly a surprise. They walked on slowly, keeping a lookout for any wargs in the area, but they didn''t encounter any. To her knowledge, they only left their den every few days or so to raid Whistlecreek''s fields, and now some of them had even gotten injured so it might have taken even more time before the next attack.


    After a while Kat finally stopped, pointing towards a bush nested against a tree. "That''s where I saw the wolves disappear."


    "Wargs," Scarlett said as she cautiously neared the bush. "These monsters are called wargs." She realized now that she''d forgotten to tell Kat of the specific type of monster this was. Not that it really mattered much in their case.


    "Wargs, huh?" the Shielder muttered. "I think I''ve heard of them. There are so many different kinds of wolves."


    "They are quite a rare species," Garside said. "Not seen much outside of the Whitdown Mountains."


    Scarlett turned to him. He seemed to know a bit about monsters. And he was giving her a curious look now.


    ...Crap. She looked back to the bush. Maybe she shouldn''t act as if she knew things like this near him. He''d been rather quiet and obedient about stuff so she''d started to grow complacent around him. But there was no knowing what he might find odd or suspicious. "It is likely that there is a pathway here that the wargs use. We will have to utilize that," she said, looking at Kat.


    The Shielder''s lip turned up. "I''m guessing I''m going first then?"


    Scarlett nodded her head. "I believe that would be the most prudent. You did say that you had mostly recovered and would have no trouble dealing with ''a few overgrown dogs.''"


    Kat shook her head with a smile. "I wasn''t complaining." She then walked closer to the bush and used her hands to move some of the branches away, attempting to climb in on her fours. "I think I found something," she said after disappearing behind some of the leaves on the bush. "There''s definitely some kind of opening or hole here. It''s a bit tight, but I''ll try to climb inside." Her voice faded, until after a moment they heard it again but a lot more muted. "It''s safe down here. You can come down!"


    Scarlett looked towards Garside. "Kat will be enough for this. I believe it would be best if you stayed and ensured there are no problems here. Is that understood?"


    He merely bowed. "Of course, my Lady. You may put your trust in me. And if there is anything else you require you need only signal me."


    "Good." She moved away from the butler¡ªwho thankfully turned away as she did¡ªand kneeled down. She wasn''t exactly looking forward to this specific part.

 Chapter 29 - Ill have a fried warg, with just a side of blood

    Leaving the forest behind and making her way through the bush and down the small tunnel hidden in it was both awkward and uncomfortable for her, but Scarlett managed it without taking too much time and soon found herself crawling into a small cave of dirt with roots jutting out from the walls. Kat stood in the middle of it, holding the lantern up as she looked towards a part of the cave that narrowed down and led further in. To Scarlett''s eyes, it almost looked like that passage had been widened by human hands.


    As she stood up, taking out a cloth from her [Pouch of Holding] to wipe off some of the dirt, Kat turned to her and nodded towards the passage. "Looks like it''ll get pretty tight. We don''t really know how many of those wargs we''ll encounter at once on the other side either. But I''m guessing that I can''t convince you to stay here?"


    Scarlett paused, looking between the passageway and the Shielder. This time there wasn''t anything particularly dangerous that Kat couldn''t handle, and as far as Scarlett remembered there weren''t any traps in this dungeon. As such, she didn''t actually have to come with. She''d probably be more in the way than anything else, and she wasn''t sure how effective her own magic would be against these wargs. They weren''t the highest level, so she could probably handle a couple of them, but there were a lot of them. Although Kat would be able to handle them all on her own, so she could just tell Kat what they were looking for and have the Shielder get it.


    ...But that didn''t sit well with Scarlett. She didn''t like the idea of just leaving the whole matter¡ªwhich was directly connected to her current needs¡ªin someone else''s hands while she just waited for the results. She wasn''t sure if that was something from her, from Amy, or if it was a consequence of her traits. Nevertheless, she didn''t want to do it like that.


    "Hello? You hearing me?" Kat''s voice returned Scarlett''s mind to the present and she met the woman''s gaze. The Shielder had found a piece of white cloth from somewhere in the village which she was now using as a headband to keep her golden hair locks away from her eyes.


    "What you said is true," Scarlett said. "But you are also correct in assuming that you will not be able to persuade me into staying here. If necessary, I trust in your capabilities to keep me safe in any unforeseen situation." A snap of her fingers conjured three small spheres of fire in the air above them. "And I believe I can be of some help, at the very least by relieving you of some of your encumbrances." It wasn''t quite as bright as the lantern, but it did leave Kat free to worry about other things.


    Kat just gave a small smile as she shrugged and put the lantern out. "You won''t hear me complaining," she said, handing Scarlett the lantern to put in the pouch of holding. "Just be careful, as usual. If I tell you to get back it''s probably a wise idea to get back."


    With that Kat began moving towards the small passage and squeezed into it. Scarlett followed closely behind, keeping the fires slightly in front of them as they moved. Before long they reached a point where the passageway opened up into the side of a stone corridor. It almost looked like the passageway had originally formed from a crack in the wall, and later been widened artificially ¡ª probably by animals at first, but then by humans. If Scarlett were to guess it was the villagers of Whistlecreek, back when they first discovered this place. It was never mentioned in the game specifically how they found this place though.


    The floor of the corridor they now found themselves in was covered with dirt. Scarlett scrunched her nose at what she was pretty certain was animal droppings. Too small to be from the wargs, but it wasn''t too unusual for bats to be found in places like this in the game.


    The rather decrepit appearance of the corridor brought attention away from the walls, which were covered with different murals and depictions of several large wolf heads with fangs around them like wreaths. Kat let out a low whistle at the sight. "I keep on running into the most interesting places when I''m with you," she whispered and leaned close to Scarlett.


    This was barely anything compared to some of the other places one visited later in the game, but Scarlett had to admit that some of these illustrations were impressive. She wouldn''t say they were quite on the level of some of what they''d seen in the Zuverian ruins, but the wolves did have a flair to them that old statues of a mostly extinct race didn''t.


    Scarlett glanced to the right, where there seemed to have been a cave-in of sorts that blocked most of the passage, and to the left where the corridor continued on into the darkness outside her fire sphere''s range. Kat had already started moving further down that path and Scarlett followed. Soon they reached a set of stairs that went down. Scarlett touched Kat on the shoulder, gesturing down the steps. Kat seemed to understand what she meant as she gave her a nod and cautiously began moving down. Scarlett waited for a moment before following.


    The area at the bottom opened up into a larger chamber, but how large was impossible to see as almost the entirety of it was covered in darkness. Scarlett could only see a few meters ahead, though she knew this was the place she was looking for. Almost as soon as Kat reached the end of the stairs, several low growls echoed throughout their surroundings. The growls grew in number and strength, and soon the two of them were flooded by a cacophony of snarls and gnarls from the shadows.


    The wargs weren''t happy about them being here. None had attacked yet, though. Scarlett saw Kat move her hands and suddenly two walls of stone taller than them both rose on either side of them, blocking anything from approaching from anywhere but the front. Scarlett created two more spheres of light above Kat to give the woman even more light, as well as a basketball-sized sphere of fire high up in the air a few meters ahead of them. The extra light illuminated even more of the chamber, revealing dozens of the man-sized wolves¡ªspread around the center of the chamber,¡ªthat growled at the sudden appearance of the miniature sun. Keeping it was a little expensive mana-wise, but they were at too much of a disadvantage otherwise so it was necessary in this case. She was pretty sure most wolf species in the game had at least [Greater Darkvision].


    Several of the wargs were approaching Kat by now, their silvery fur reflecting some of the fires'' flames as they stepped closer to the lights. Scarlett wasn''t quite sure why they hadn''t attacked yet. The entire pack was here, so could it be that they were afraid of Kat?


    A warg that was closer to the Shielder than the rest let out a low snarl and jumped towards the Shielder, but was immediately met by a boulder that slammed into their snout and knocked them back into the shadows with a loud whine. The growling in the chamber around them intensified but there was no other attempt at attacking Kat. Then a new warg appeared, stepping in under the light of Scarlett''s larger fire. It was the size of a full-grown horse with bright, almost white, fur that sat upon a muscled frame. Both its eyes were a dark red and a long scar ran down one of them, ending just above its mouth that was opened to reveal rows of glistening sharp teeth.


    The pack leader.


    Its eyes seemed to meet Kat''s, and for a moment the chamber was engulfed in silence. The pack leader let out a loud snarl ¡ª and the wargs moved.


    Spikes ruptured up from the ground and speared some of them as a couple fireballs soon followed, but several of the beasts made it past and lunged towards Kat. She quickly created another set of stone walls, narrowing the opening between her and the wargs even further and knocking some of them away in the process. Only one made it through the gap and charged at her, its teeth catching around the Shielder''s arm. While it did seem to affect her balance somewhat, Kat didn''t seem to panic, and with a quick movement of her other hand a single spike rose up and pierced through the warg''s heavy body. Kat quickly yanked her arm loose and cast a bolt of fire towards another warg that tried to make it through the gap.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Scarlett threw a quick glance at the woman''s arm, noticing a light shimmering but without any blood, before looking towards the temporary barriers that protected their sides. She heard some of the wargs slam into them on the other side and cracks were already beginning to form. Kat seemed to know what she was doing, so she doubted it''d become a problem. But just to be safe she got ready to conjure some of her Aqua Mines if necessary.


    A loud howl drew Scarlett''s attention to the center of the chamber. She couldn''t see the pack leader now because of the walls and wargs blocking it, but she was pretty certain it was the origin of the sound. It grew in strength, and soon it was so loud that she was forced to cover her ears. She felt her pulse quicken as an inkling sense of dread began to fill her. She shook her head and the feeling quickly disappeared. She''d forgotten they had an ability like that. Not that it felt particularly strong to her. She looked towards Kat, but she didn''t seem to have minded the noise much other than protecting her ears for a second. The Shielder had already slain a good number of wargs and taken to reinforcing the barricades that surrounded them.


    The wargs kept charging at Kat, but the woman had no issue dealing with them as they came, even when a couple of them succeded in clambering over the walls and jumping her at once. She did sustain some injuries, one of them a bite to the shoulder that her mana barrier apparently hadn''t been enough to fully block, but in general these wargs weren''t a real threat to her. Scarlett had once estimated that Kat had probably been somewhere close to the equivalent of a level 50 character in the game, and seeing how the woman handled this pack of creatures that were in the high-twenties range in the game, that estimate didn''t seem far off.


    Kat had lessened the wargs'' number considerably by the time that the pack leader finally moved. Even through the mess of bodies and stone that was in front of her, Scarlett could feel the ground move as the leader charged towards them. It climbed over the bodies of its fellow wargs and shattered the edges of the walls Kat had set up as it moved for the Shielder, but Kat didn''t give it the opportunity to land an attack. [Earth Spikes] shot up from between the dead bodies and forced the pack leader to move back as one of its paws was pierced. Kat didn''t give it even a second of reprieve now that she didn''t have to pay the other wargs as much attention and shot off spell after spell at it, forcing the pack leader further back into the chamber where the darkness was thicker. When given the opportunity, Scarlett saw how stones started gathering in the air before Kat as the woman moved her hands, creating a spherical cluster of rocks that soon started glowing as molten stone emerged from the cracks. Scarlett took several steps back just as the Shielder pushed forwards and released the spell. The pack leader barely managed to move aside as the flaming boulder slammed into the ground next to it and exploded into a mess of rock and lava that lit up the entire chamber and all of the remaining wargs with it. The place shook with the blast as slabs rained down from the ceiling.


    It took several seconds for the dirt and ash that was knocked into the air from the attack to settle, and soon any glowing remnants of the spell itself disintegrated into thin air, leaving the chamber completely dark. Scarlett had lost her concentration on her fires from the explosion so she conjured another set close to where Kat had been as well as a larger one higher up in the air. It revealed the large crater that now lay at the center of the chamber, along with the burned bodies of the pack leader and several of the other wargs.


    "I sure hope whatever you''re looking for around here wasn''t something fragile," Kat said in front of her, the woman moving some hair over her shoulder and wiping sweat from her face as she turned back to Scarlett. "I think I might have overdone it a little there, but it was better than using living burial at least."


    Scarlett looked over the devastation the Shielder had caused. Calling this a massacre really wouldn''t be exaggerating it. She frowned. And the smell wasn''t particularly pleasant either. She had to fight back a gag. She didn''t want to stay down in this stale dungeon for any longer than necessary. Stepping forward and walking past Kat, who let the remainder of her stone walls disappear now that the fight was over, Scarlett created another large fire ahead of her as she moved further into the chamber. "Though I am loath to stand in the way of what I am starting to suspect is your own, rather unique way of managing your inhibitions," she said as she carefully side-stepped the smoldering body of a once silver-furred warg. "I do ask that you give me a word of warning henceforward. It is of no real consequence this time, but it is always best to be cautious."


    Kat quickly caught up to her, not seeming to care as much about avoiding some of the gore on the ground. Well, it was her clothes.


    "That''s, ehm...duly noted?" she said as they reached the crater that her last spell had created. "Just so you know, I was exaggerating there. I had a decent idea of how much damage that''d do. I don''t, uh...get off on blowing things up, if that''s what you think."


    Scarlett turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "No. That is not what I meant to imply either."


    "Oh. Well, never mind then." Kat quickly looked away and pointed towards the other end of the chamber that was now partly lit up by Scarlett''s other sphere of fire. "Now that''s pretty interesting, don''t you think?"


    Scarlett''s eyes stayed on Kat for a moment before shifting to where she was pointing, urging her fire further ahead to give even more light.


    At the end of the chamber was an elevated bed of white stone that held a small podium. It was surrounded on both sides by large statues of wolves of the same hue and that were even larger than the pack leader had been. Not far from the right statue, tucked into the corner at the back of the chamber, were piles of stalks that Scarlett assumed were the crops the wargs had raided from the village. Most of it looked wet and soggy, with the stalks themselves not being in the best shape, but there was a fair amount of it nonetheless.


    Kat also seemed to have noticed the wheat. "So that''s what they took from the village? Why would they just take some produce? It has barely even been touched."


    Scarlett eyed it for a moment longer until she reached the stone bed that was the centerpiece of the chamber. There was a small set of stairs at its front that led up the bed itself. "They did not take it for the sustenance," she said as she began climbing the steps. "But rather for the mana."


    "Mana?" Kat asked, the Shielder following her onto the stairs.


    "That is what I said, yes."


    "I meant that as a question."


    "And I took it as such."


    Scarlett''s lips curled upwards slightly as Kat let out a sigh beside her. When she then reached the top of the stairs and had the podium before her, Scarlett stopped. On the podium lay a single white ring, almost looking like it was made out of bone with odd carvings on the inside. "To be more precise then," she said, grabbing the ring and holding it in front of her. "The mana belonging to this."


    [Mark of the Gale (Unique)]


    {This ring has an odd air to it, causing the wearer to be filled with a sense of frigidness and vigor}


    "That''s it?" Kat asked, staring at the ring. "No cache of gold, artifacts, or weapons, but just that ring? That''s what we came here for?"


    Scarlett smiled and put the ring away in the pouch at her side. It wasn''t for her to wear. "That is indeed correct. And I would argue that it is a more than sufficient prize." The possibilities having this ring would unlock for her in the future were definitely more than worth the discomfort she''d had to suffer on this little trip. "Of course," she continued. "In the process, we also saved a village plagued by monsters. I believe some would argue that alone would be enough of a reason for all this."


    Kat narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, but most people also wouldn''t have known this was here to begin with." Then she let out another sigh and scanned around the chamber. There wasn''t much else to see. "I really was expecting something a bit more interesting from this place."


    Scarlett merely turned around and began walking down the stairs. "How fortunate that I do not pay you to enjoy yourself, then," she said and gestured for Kat to follow. "There will be many more opportunities for discovering fascinating locations in the future, if you continue working with me. For now, I think it best if we leave this place."


    The smell really was starting to get to her.

 Chapter 30 - Its technically not stealing if youre gonna return it

    Soon enough Scarlett found herself outside in the dark forest again, where Garside stood waiting for them with a lantern in hand. Kat crawled out from the bushes behind Scarlett not long after, standing up and brushing away some dirt from her clothes¡ªan action without much point considering the woman''s clothes were already ruined by all the warg blood that had soaked into them¡ªas the butler turned his attention to the two of them.


    "I presume there were no major difficulties?" he asked, his eyes shifting from Kat''s disheveled appearance to Scarlett''s mostly untouched one.


    "None whatsoever," Scarlett responded, taking in the clear forest air. She''d have to get used to dealing with places like this dungeon, considering some of the plans she had for the future. "We will leave this village in the morning," she continued, turning to the grey-haired butler.


    "If that is your wish, my Lady," Garside said, lowering his head. "Am I to assume you have accomplished all that needed to be done for the night?"


    "Yes. There is not much else of interest left around these parts." She''d considered trying to look for the Kilnstone that was supposed to be somewhere in the mountains close to here, but she''d decided to give up on that. With how distances changed and increased in this world compared to the game, there really was no telling how long it might take to find that particular Kilnstone. And it wasn''t as if it was a particularly important one. Nor did she even know if she''d be able to make use of it. Considering how regulated the old Zuverian artifacts had been in the cities it might not be a good idea to try and use one without any warning to the right authorities.


    She''d have to look into that matter more in the future. There were some Kilnstones that it would be very convenient if she could use as she wished in the future.


    She noticed that both Kat and Garside looked at her as if they were expecting her to say more, but she simply waved her hand at them. "I suggest we get moving if we wish for any rest before the night is over."


    Garside''s mustache quivered slightly as he examined her for a moment, his face still as a mask, before he gave a short nod. "Of course, my Lady. I can lead the way back to the village," he said, then turned around and started walking with the light from his lantern revealing the way.


    Scarlett stared at his back for a short while before she too started moving behind him. She was pretty certain Garside had noticed she was acting odd quite a while ago. It would almost be weird if he didn''t think so, at this point. But she wasn''t sure what he thought of it, or how far she could push her actions when around him.


    It genuinely didn''t feel like he meant her any harm, or was hostile in any way. He''d been more than amenable to anything she''d asked of him, and if it weren''t for the butler she probably couldn''t have accomplished even half of the things she had so far. But she also wasn''t a real noble and wasn''t used to the kind of games those people and the people around them might play in this world. For all she knew Garside could just be a good actor. It really wouldn''t do for her to get exposed or ousted because she put too much trust in the wrong person. But she also couldn''t not rely on other people to some extent when she was still new to both this world and the position she''d found herself in.


    ...For now, she''d keep her eyes open. She would have to deal with this particular problem somehow eventually.


    "Are we really just leaving now?" Kat''s voice suddenly sounded out from beside her. Scarlett turned to look at the woman, finding the Shielder walking beside her with a questioning expression.


    "I believe that is what I said, yes," Scarlett said.


    "But what about the villagers?" Kat asked.


    "What of them?"


    "What was their whole deal?" The Shielder used her arm to move a branch hanging down in front of them to the side. "I still don''t understand what they were being all weird about. I was half expecting us to find out they were part of some cult or something."


    Scarlett raised a bemused eyebrow at her. "Is that something you have encountered before?"


    "Well, no," Kat said. "But I''ve heard a few stories in the Guild."


    Scarlett looked ahead where Garside was walking a couple of meters in front of them. He was consciously choosing a path without much undergrowth in it, it seemed. "You have a colorful imagination," she said after a moment. It wasn''t too unrealistic of a guess. There was at least one quest similar to a situation like that in the game. It wasn''t the Whistlecreek questline, though. "However, as I said before, I do not think there is much risk of the villagers taking part in any particularly nefarious acts."


    "Then what do you think?"


    Garside paused, looking back at Kat with what Scarlett was sure was the closest thing she''d ever seen to a glare from him. Kat''s eyes widened.


    "Ehm, right. Sorry. I meant, what is it that you, uh, believe?"


    Scarlett glanced at the woman¡ªwho suddenly looked rather uncomfortable, as if she had just remembered the previous interactions she''d had with the butler¡ªbefore looking back ahead. "It''s all right, Garside. I have already grown accustomed to Miss Breeden''s inability to maintain proper manners. I do not expect anything of the sort of her. She is of far too much import to my affairs to concern myself over such inconsequential matters."


    His eyes stayed on Kat for a second, then turned to Scarlett. "Very well, my Lady. It is true that a woman of Miss Breeden''s ability is indeed rare." With that, he spun around again and kept moving through the forest.


    Scarlett''s gaze dwelled on him for a moment longer before she spoke again. "As for what I believe," she said, briefly turning her head towards Kat as she responded to the woman''s original question. "I believe an adequate explanation for their actions can be derived from much of what we have already observed."


    She saw Kat throw a quick look towards Garside before giving a small smile. "Is that right?"


    "Indeed."


    "Then, mind sharing?"


    Scarlett met Kat''s eyes. "It is simple. The villagers of Whistlecreek meddled with an artifact they did not have a complete understanding of and were not prepared for the consequences."


    "The consequences being the wargs?" Kat stated.


    "Exactly," Scarlett said. "They did not expect that their actions would attract the monsters'' attention."


    Scarlett saw Kat''s eyes move down towards the pouch of holding at her hip.


    "I''m guessing a certain ring is the artifact they ''meddled'' with?"


    "A reasonable assumption," Scarlett said.


    "Earlier you also said the village''s crops were filled with mana," Kat pointed out. "Mana belonging to that ring."


    Scarlett nodded. "A closer examination of the fields here will no doubt confirm that. I am sure you can verify that yourself too, if you so wish."


    "You''re right," Kat said. "I probably can."


    A slight frown formed on Scarlett''s face as she saw Kat look at her with an amused expression.


    ...Oh, right. She''d told the woman that she couldn''t see mana before. Well, whatever. It wasn''t as if Kat actually thought Scarlett had figured all of this out just from observing things. It was doubtful if even Garside would wholly believe that.


    "Anyhow," she continued. "It is clear that the mana present in the crops attracted the wargs, who then made their den inside the dungeon whose location I assume you have already realized the village head was well aware of even before we arrived."


    Kat grew a thoughtful expression. "So the villagers found this artifact and somehow used it on their fields?"


    "Most likely, yes," Scarlett said. "Did you not find the size of this village''s harvest odd, when compared to Whistlecreek''s size?"


    Kat shook her head. "I didn''t really think about it."


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Well, neither would Scarlett have done if she didn''t already know about it from the game. "While it is unlikely to be its true purpose," she continued. "It appears the villagers unwittingly discovered the ring and realized they could infuse their fields with its mana to increase their yields." She didn''t know the specifics of the situation, but this much had been made clear in ''Chronicle of Realms''. "I presume the podium and the altar it rested upon serve as a means of recharging the artifact. It must have been quite a surprise to the villagers when the wargs appeared and prevented them from retrieving it anymore."


    "Wait." Kat rubbed her temples. "If that''s true, then their behavior doesn''t make any sense."


    "Oh? And why is that?" Scarlett asked.


    "Because then they haven''t done anything wrong. There''s not much reason for them not to ask for help."


    The corners of Scarlett''s mouth rose. "And risk some duplicitous noble stealing their precious artifact after having dealt with the monsters?"


    Kat paused for a moment. "The Guild is always an option."


    "And the assigned Shielders would have reported the matter, ensuring that a record of an unknown artifact in this region is created," Scarlett said. "While I do not doubt the Guild''s trustworthiness, I cannot say the same for a village of unschooled peasants." God, she never thought she''d use ''peasant'' unironically like this in her life. "I am sure you have noticed that Whistlecreek is far from prosperous. I imagine they believed it was better to wait for the wargs to leave than to request aid and risk losing the artifact. After all, if the village head is to be believed the wargs had yet to become a truly dangerous obstacle."


    Kat went quiet, a pensive expression on her face. The woman didn''t say anything more as they made their way back through the thick forest towards Whistlecreek. When they eventually left the cover of the trees behind and entered the large clearing that the village was nestled in Kat took the opportunity to briefly jog over to the closest field to check if there indeed was mana present in the crops¡ªthere was¡ªbefore returning to them as they walked into the small settlement and towards the manor house where they''d made their stay. When they entered the building Scarlett saw the village head sitting at a table close to the fireplace. The anxiety was clear on his face as he looked up towards them.


    "W-Welcome back!" he almost shouted. "D-Did it go well?"


    Scarlett walked over to the same table as him and sat down in the chair at its head. "Quite," she said as she leaned back in the chair. They hadn''t actually been gone for too long, and she hadn''t done much personally, but it still felt nice to relax being in a place like that. "The monster threat has been taken care of and will bother you no more," she said, gesturing towards Kat. "As you can see, it was a considerable task. Your village can consider itself fortunate that we were present to resolve the issue."


    The village head''s eyes turned towards Kat and widened when he saw her appearance. It seemed he hadn''t noticed it at first. "W-Was it really that dangerous?" he asked, his eyes locked onto the bloodied Shielder. Kat herself didn''t say anything as she leaned against the wall closest to the door, while Garside had apparently taken it on himself to go over to the fireplace and feed some more wood to the fire.


    Good man. It was a bit chilly in here.


    "That it was," Scarlett eventually said in response to the village head''s words. "It would only have been a matter of time before the monsters stopped being content with solely taking your crops and began taking people instead."


    She wasn''t lying. While the occasional warg would have been a problem for the villagers on and off for a year or so ever since they first used the [Mark of the Gale], the monsters making their den in the old dungeon should have been a relatively recent event. And from how it''d looked down there, Scarlett assumed the wargs hadn''t actually been eating the stolen crops. As such, it made sense that a pack of that size would eventually start going after people when they''d hunted everything else in the area out of existence. If she were to guess, that''s probably the thought process behind how it happened in the game.


    "B-But you can''t know that. They didn''t bother us that much before," the head said, looking back at her.


    She curled her lips at him, oddly enough feeling a little bit of glee at seeing his face ashen. "Was it not you who said they had only been intermittently harassing you for a few weeks? That is not much time to determine the future behavior of such a dangerous monster."


    He stared at her for a while, seemingly unsure as to what to say. "A-Ah, yo¡ª"


    "Well," she interrupted him. "It is no longer relevant in any event. Just know that you no longer have anything to fear, and that we will be departing in the morning. There is no need for any rewards or other such signs of gratitude, as I doubt you have anything of worth to give."


    It seemed to take him a moment to digest her words, but a look of relief did come across his face at her mention of them leaving.


    "Ah," he began, hesitatingly looking between Kat and her. "But you said you removed the monsters in their den. Does that mean you explored all of it?"


    "We did, yes."


    "Ah...Then, did you maybe find something special down there?" he asked.


    Scarlett eyed him for a moment, slowly tapping her finger against the wooden table. "We did not," she eventually said. She practically saw his pupils dilate at the reply.


    "A-Are you sure?" he continued. "There are some objects that have gone missing in the village lately and we thought the monsters might have taken them."


    She almost wanted to scoff at the barefaced lie. She wasn''t even sure if he genuinely thought there was a chance of her buying that, or if this was just his desperation speaking. She simply shook her head. "There was nothing of a recoverable nature remaining," she said, once again gesturing towards Kat. "Unfortunately, Miss Breeden was forced to employ rather extreme measures to properly deal with the monsters. As such, there is a high likelihood that whatever personal possessions it is that went missing were lost to the flames." She wasn''t about to give away the artifact she''d spent this much time getting her hands on.


    The village head''s expression sank at her words. But she wasn''t about to let guilt affect her decision. The ring wasn''t really the villagers'' to begin with anyway. In the game they''d even willingly give it to the player if you completed the quest after getting the companion that it was related to. It''s not like they''d starve just because they didn''t have it.


    Probably.


    If both she and the village was still around in a few years she might try and make it up to them, but till then they were on their own.


    "Do you have something to say?" she asked the village head.


    He was quiet for a while, every now and then looking like he was about to say something, before nervously looking towards Kat leaning against the wall, and Garside who had now placed himself behind Scarlett. "N-No, of course not," he eventually said with an awkward smile. "You''ve already helped us more than we could ever ask, ehm, my Lady."


    "Good," she said and signaled towards the door. "Then you may leave. We will need rest before departing tomorrow."


    The village head hesitated for a moment, but he soon stood up and began walking towards the door. After he''d left, Scarlett turned to look at the butler behind her. "Garside, find Dickens and ensure he is aware of our departure so that there are no delays tomorrow."


    Garside gave her a bow. "Of course, my Lady," he said, and soon after he too had exited the building.


    Scarlett turned to look at the air above the table.


    [Quest completed: Howls amongst the creeks]


    {Skill points awarded: 3}


    The quest completion message had appeared right after the village head had left. Although it was odd. She was pretty certain this was the first quest she''d completed that actually had the same quest name as in ''Chronicle of Realms''. Why was that? Was it because this was the first time she''d actually done the same quest as in the game? Many of the other quests she''d completed up to this point hadn''t been actual quests in the game, but rather dungeons or something similar. When she took care of the Grey Dog Gang she hadn''t done it at Evelyne''s request like you did in the game, and the demon in the Isolated Hollow was actually related to a quest you could get by reading some random book in Ambercrest. So this would technically be the first real quest she''d done from the game, even though she did sort of force her way into it.


    It didn''t seem to give her anything different when it came to rewards though. But it was interesting, at least.


    "Why''d you lie earlier?"


    Scarlett was brought out of her thinking by Kat asking a question. She turned to look at the Shielder, who had now moved over and was leaning against the fireplace with her arms crossed.


    "About the artifact," Kat continued. "I''m guessing it''s because you want it. But are you just going to take it like that?"


    Scarlett observed the woman for a moment, then took the ring out from the pouch of holding and held it up in front of her. The bone-white ring almost seemed alive when she moved it around between her fingers, feeling both cold to the touch, and...energetic? It was an odd sensation, not quite something she could describe with words. It was pleasing, though. She almost wanted to try it on. But she decided against it. It''d only give her a slight boost to HP and stamina¡ªhowever that translated to this world¡ªas well as some frost resistance. Nothing to call home about. And if she tried, the companion would know later on when she gave it to him. In the game it had just been a throwaway line on the companion''s end, with them being slightly annoyed by it, but it wasn''t really something she wanted to risk in her current situation. The ring''s true potential could only be brought out by the companion anyhow.


    "The villagers of Whistlecreek have nearly as little right to take this ring as I have," Scarlett said, looking up towards Kat. "So I do not believe there is anything wrong with me taking it instead. My aim is to return it to its rightful owner, after all."


    The Shielder looked at her with a slightly surprised expression. "That place was old. I doubt they''re still alive."


    "The original owner might not be," Scarlett said and put the ring back in her pouch. "But the current owner is."


    "Care to share who they are?" Kat asked.


    "Perhaps in the future."


    "Thought so."


    Silence fell upon the room for a moment, before Kat spoke again. "What about the village? They were the ones who found it, and they seemed to make good use of it. Is it really that wrong to let them have it?"


    "Is that truly something you should say after seeing those wargs?" Scarlett asked. "What I said before was no lie. If we had not come here the villagers would have been the next victims."


    "Yeah, but we took care of the wargs."


    "Momentarily. But it would only be a matter of time until the ring''s mana attracted more monsters. Allowing it to remain in their possession would only bring calamity upon them." Scarlett didn''t actually know if that was true, she honestly suspected it wasn''t considering leaving the ring with the villagers was an option in the game, but it wasn''t too unreasonable of an assumption to make.


    Kat had turned silent at her words.


    "...Do you object to my actions?" Scarlett eventually asked.


    The Shielder looked at her for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I think I get it."


    "Good." Scarlett nodded her head. "Then I think it best if you clean yourself and get to rest. I want us to return to Freybrook as soon as possible."


    Kat gave her a small smile. "Alright. I''ll go ahead and do that," she said, before walking off and into one of the smaller rooms at the other end of the room. Scarlett followed the woman with her eyes then turned her attention to the fireplace that now had a lively fire in it.


    Now it was time to return. And the Light Fest in the capital wasn''t far off. Soon things would actually get started.

 Chapter 31 - Discourse

    Evelyne looked out the window as the carriage traveled through the open iron gates and along the graveled road that led towards the large mansion. The mansion that had belonged to the Hartford family for generations. She leaned her chin against the palm of her hand as she watched the passing hedges and the facade of the approaching building. This was where she grew up. And despite her current circumstances, it was still more her home than the small manor on the border of the northern district that she was currently living in. Yet the only times she could visit were when she had something she needed to discuss with Scarlett, as she did now. It was always a bittersweet mix of sentimentality and frustration.


    Soon the carriage stopped not far from the mansion''s courtyard and Evelyne stepped outside, taking the entirety of the structure in. Though what it was like internally changed, it still looked the same from the outside.


    She shook her head and started walking towards the entrance. Unsurprisingly, one of the servants had noticed her arrival because when she''d passed the fountain at the center of the courtyard she saw the mansion''s main doors open and a girl a little younger than Evelyne with blonde hair in servants'' clothing standing there.


    "Madame Evelyne," the girl said as Evelyne climbed the stairs and entered, curtsying as she entered the foyer. Evelyne ignored the drop of frustration she felt at the manner of address. It was just another of Scarlett''s attempts at disparaging her. She wouldn''t let it get to her.


    "Her Ladyship only recently returned from her trip. I''m not sure if she''s ready to take any visitors right now," the servant continued.


    Evelyne''s eyes scanned around the lobby, stopping momentarily on the door leading to the reception hall, before returning to the girl. "Didn''t she get back yesterday? Then there shouldn''t be any issue with meeting me now. It''s regarding important family matters." As usual.


    The servant girl opened her mouth, but she didn''t seem sure what to say in response. Evelyne was still technically the heir, after all. She watched the girl''s hesitant expression, fighting back letting out a sigh. Why did it always have to be this hard? "Just go get Garside, will you? He won''t scold you for it. And he won''t tell my sister about it either."


    The girl paused for a short time, before giving another short curtsy. "Then please wait here, Madame Evelyne. I''ll go and inform Master Garside immediately." With that, the servant left up one of the stairs in the foyer and disappeared down a hallway at the end of it, leaving Evelyne alone in the entrance hall.


    A stranger in her own home.


    She walked up to the doors that led to the reception hall and peeked inside. The large room was largely empty ¡ª no signs of any tables, chairs, or hastily gathered beds and blankets. It seemed Scarlett really had moved the kids. Evelyne had already guessed it from the promissory note she''d seen, but it was still surprising. Much of what her sister did lately was.


    Not only had Scarlett left for a sudden trip further up north a week ago, but she''d also apparently been ambushed by a group of supposed bandits immediately following. A matter that ended up on Evelyne''s desk when the city guard sent a message asking about some corpses. And of course, she couldn''t do much more than explain to them what she heard from the servants. She couldn''t even ask Garside about it because he''d followed Scarlett on her trip.


    A trip that had left Evelyne even more confused. She''d assumed Scarlett was traveling northwest to visit their lands for some reason or other, but Scarlett had instead visited some minor village in the neighboring domain. As far as Evelyne knew there was nothing of note in the area, so she couldn''t for the life of her figure out what Scarlett had gone there to do. She just hoped it wouldn''t come back to bite her in the ass later on. Although she had long since gotten used to cleaning up Scarlett''s messes.


    Evelyne closed the doors to the reception hall and went back to waiting in the lobby, and she didn''t have to wait for much longer before she spotted Garside coming down the stairs. A small smile played on the old butler''s face as he approached her, stopping before her in a bow with one arm bent behind him and one in front. "Lady Evelyne, it gladdens me to see you well."


    The tips of her lips rose involuntarily. "Garside. How are things?" she asked. "I heard you joined my sister on her trip. I hope it wasn''t too hard on you."


    Garside raised himself from the bow, standing slightly taller than her. "There is no need to worry, young Lady. These old bones still have some vigor in them." He rolled his shoulders as if to show there was nothing wrong with him. "It is still some time yet before I will allow anything minor like age impede my ability to serve you and the Lady to my full extent."


    Evelyne couldn''t stop her face from growing into an outright smile. No matter the circumstances it was always nice seeing Garside. Ever since her parents had died he had been one of the few people to still treat her like this. "I''m glad to hear that," she said, but then her smile weakened when she thought of what she wanted to ask. "But was it truly necessary for you to go with Scarlett on her trip? Did she do something that will cause us trouble later on?"


    His grey mustache trembled slightly as he looked at her for a moment. "...I believe that is not for me to say," he eventually said. "Perhaps you should inquire about it directly with the Lady."


    Evelyne scoffed. "As if she''ll tell me. We both know she would rather I disappeared completely than involve myself in any of her affairs."


    Garside had a reflective expression on his face. "I would not be quite so sure of that."


    Evelyne blinked. "You don''t actually believe she would actually bother answering my questions, do you?"


    He stroked his mustache. "It is not my place to make any judgement on the subject, but I do feel the Lady has changed recently. I think the young Lady will have noticed it too."


    She shook her head. "It''s just another one of her schemes. Or she''s gotten bored of her banquets and is looking for something new to entertain her."


    "I do not believe that is the case," Garside said. She furrowed her brows. He looked as if he knew something she didn''t. Had he seen something while he was gone?


    "People don''t just change for no reason."


    He slowly nodded his head. "That is true."


    She narrowed her eyes. What would drive her sister to suddenly change the way she acted? Scarlett was too proud to care about anything she considered minor.


    Reputation, money, power. Those were the kinds of things Scarlett wanted. But none of her sister''s recent actions seemed to fit with her aiming for those. Sure, there had been some excitement the week prior regarding the criminals Scarlett ''helped'' apprehend, but people would forget about that soon enough, and nobles even sooner. And Scarlett had always cared more about her relationships with people in the different noble social cliques than what her reputation among the public was. Scarlett only ever tolerated commoners, and that was assuming they stayed where they ''belonged''. The moment they encroached on what Scarlett considered to be the territory of nobles...


    Evelyne stopped her line of thought there before it went any further and turned her attention back to Garside. "Is there something wrong with Scarlett?"


    The butler grew a contemplative expression across his face. "I am unsure whether it could be described as wrong," he said thoughtfully. "And I will admit that I myself am uncertain as to what has effected this recent development in the Lady. But of one thing I am certain." He met her eyes. "There is a purpose to her. One that goes beyond what has previously motivated the Lady, and which I sense is more profound than this old man could unravel from merely observing from the sidelines."


    "What are you talking about?" Evelyne found herself asking. Garside was about the only person she knew that Scarlett had ever let remotely close to herself, so seeing him talk about her sister like this was startling.


    "I am not quite certain I understand it myself," he responded with a small chuckle. "Call it the musings of an old servant, the hopes of an aging man, or perhaps the intervention of Ittar himself."


    Evelyne''s eyes widened. "You can''t be serious?" One would think Scarlett was dying from how he seemed to think she had changed.


    "As I said, young Lady. I am not one to tell." He gently shook his head. "I am but a servant in service to his lady, as I was to your father before."


    Evelyne gave him a wistful look. He always had been loyal to a fault to their father. And that hadn''t changed much after father''s death. She had always respected that about him, even though she''d often wished it hadn''t been so.


    "But I will not take up any more of your time, young Lady," Garside suddenly said, putting on the same old impartial expression he always used to wear when he stood behind her father back when she was young. "I am aware both you and Kinsey have much work to do at this time, especially now in preparation for the Light Fest. I understand you wish to speak with the Lady?"


    She took in his black and prim attire, how he gave off an almost completely different air compared to just a few seconds earlier. She didn''t mind him taking up her time. She was busy, yes. But there were so few chances for her to meet Garside and some of the other older servants that still worked in the mansion. She held those thoughts in, though, and simply gave him a short nod. "Thank you. Yes, I have some matters I need to speak with her about."


    He turned and gestured along with his arm. "Then I will accompany you to the office. The Lady has been occupied during the morning, but I am certain she will have time to spare for you."


    He began leading the way through the mansion''s familiar hallways and soon enough they found themselves in the far end of the east wing of the mansion where Scarlett''s office was. He gently knocked on that nostalgic dark mahogany door, waiting for a second before speaking.


    "My Lady. Madame Evelyne is here and wishes to meet with you."


    A moment of silence came, followed by the sound of a drawer being opened and closed on the other side of the door. Then her sister''s voice rang out from inside, as frigid as ever. "She may enter."


    Garside looked back at her, giving a short bow with his head, before opening the door to let her inside. She took a few steps and entered the office as he closed the door behind her. As usual, Scarlett was looking at her with a scowl on her face. Maybe her sister''s expression wasn''t quite as sharp as it usually was, but that might also just have been her imagination.


    She walked over and sat down in the chair that was opposite Scarlett''s across the desk. The desk itself was largely empty, save for the same large ornate mirror as before, with a silver clock piece and black pouch next to it. It seemed whatever Scarlett had been busy with, it wasn''t something she wanted her to know of.


    The woman herself leaned back in her chair, her red hair flowing out over her right shoulder as she peered down at Evelyne. She wore a light white dress with a pair of half-circular earrings that had an amber gem affixed to them that Evelyne felt relatively certain she''d seen Scarlett wear the last time they met too. That was odd, considering it was Scarlett.


    "I take it there was something you wished to discuss?" her sister suddenly asked coldly, shattering any illusions Evelyne had built up in her mind about seeing any real change in Scarlett.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Yes. A number of things, actually," she said, examining her sister for a second. "You''ve been busy lately."


    Scarlett simply gave a nod. "I have."


    "Are you going to bother telling me about any of it?"


    Scarlett tilted her head slightly to the side. "Do you want me to?"


    "Do I want you to?" Evelyne let out a low chuckle. "Honestly? No. I would prefer it if I never had to care about your activities. But I don''t have a choice in the matter." She looked into Scarlett''s amber eyes. "And you  promised you''d report news to me."


    Her sister frowned. "I believe what I said was that I will keep you informed of matters that are relevant. My most recent outing did not have much relevance to your affairs."


    Evelyne gaped at her. "You were attacked!" she exclaimed. "Eight people were killed! And one of our carriages was destroyed! How is that not relevant to me?"


    "Eight bandits," Scarlett remarked. "And do you perhaps expect me to report any potential ambushes against my person beforehand, from now on? I hope I do not have to tell you why that would be difficult to accomplish."


    Evelyne stared at her. "That''s not what I meant, and you know it."


    Scarlett just stared back. "Then what is it that you meant?" she asked.


    Evelyne swallowed a cry. She was so tired of always going around in circles with Scarlett, always stepping around and lashing out at each other. "Just..." She leaned forward, looking down at the wooden flooring. "...I''m not here to argue about that. So fine, just ignore telling me anything about why someone attacked my own sister." She finally let out the sigh she''d kept in most of the morning, since before she even left her manor. "I just don''t understand what you''re up to, and I''m so tired of still having to care about it for the family."


    Her words were met with silence. She looked up to see Scarlett looking at her with an odd expression.


    "I..." Scarlett hesitated. Scarlett. It wasn''t just her delaying her words or preparing to follow it up with something worse. Scarlett legitimately looked like she wasn''t sure what to say. Evelyne hadn''t seen her sister with an expression like that for years. Since before mother and father died.


    "...I do not think it would be wise of me to share the particulars of the current situation with you," Scarlett said after a while. "It is both complicated and dangerous ¡ª as well as unrelated to you. As such, it is best for all parties if you are aware exclusively of the matters that directly affect the house, and do not involve yourself with anything else."


    Evelyne gazed at her. Dangerous? For who? For her? Scarlett wasn''t likely to care much about that. What was more probable was that Scarlett wanted Evelyne out of the way of whatever it was she was doing.


    ...But that had essentially been true for everything Scarlett had done since becoming head of the family. Yet she''d never acted like this before.


    What exactly had her sister gotten involved with now?


    "Regarding matters that do relate to you," Scarlett suddenly continued. "I had Garside ensure the acquisition of a building in the city to house the children who were previously being accommodated in the mansion. He informed me he had already confirmed you were versed on the issue and the related costs." She paused for a moment. "Speaking frankly, I assumed that is what you would have wished to discuss with me."


    Scarlett''s words reminded Evelyne of what she was originally here for, and she took the chance to change the subject. "That is one of the things we needed to talk about." She observed her sister. On the way here she''d almost wanted to yell at Scarlett because of her wastefulness, but that feeling had mostly gone away now. The thought did pass through her mind that this might be exactly what Scarlett wanted, but that was on a level of manipulation that she''d not seen even in Scarlett. "I thought you asked my help dealing with the children, but then you went and bought an entire building for them near the eastern gate?"


    "You were taking too long finding an answer to the problem," Scarlett said. "It proved to be too draining on the mansion''s resources to have them stay any longer than necessary, so I judged it best that they were relocated to another facility more suited for harboring them."


    More likely Scarlett was just fed up with having a group of kids in the mansion with her.


    Scarlett began tapping one of her fingers against her armrest. Ittar''s light, Evelyne hated that habit of Scarlett''s. "Did you have another solution for the issue?"


    "I was looking into if there were any orphanages or families in the villages around Stagmond that could take some of them in, but I can''t just wave my hand and magically find a place for them," Evelyne said, and immediately noticed her sister''s eyes grow just a bit sharper.


    "Would the children have to be separated in such a scenario?"


    "What?" Evelyne blinked. "Of course they would. There''s no place that could take them all in at the same time. So¡ª"


    "Then it is not a suitable resolution at the moment," Scarlett interrupted. "The children only speak Voneian, so separating and entrusting them to households which they cannot communicate with would do them no favor. It is better to allow them to stay together and ensure they are taken care of until they have mastered the language, and proceed from there."


    Evelyne paused, taken aback. "Why do you even care?" she asked.


    Scarlett had a hard look in her eyes. "Because it is my responsibility, and I do not believe in performing matters perfunctorily after having taken them upon myself."


    Evelyne didn''t know how to respond to that. Scarlett almost never bothered dealing with things she thought were annoying, nearly always delegating it off to either her or somebody else. This might be one of the first times since they were young that she''d ever seen her sister look like she cared about anything else than her dozen different ploys for societal power. Just what was happening here?


    "I will take your silence as your concurrence on the matter," Scarlett said.


    Evelyne looked at her in a daze for a moment, then shook her head. "There''s still the matter of costs."


    Scarlett paused her tapping on her chair''s armrest. "Costs?"


    "Yes. Costs." Evelyne furrowed her brows. "Do you know how our finances have looked this past month?"


    "I have not paid it much attention, no."


    This time Evelyne swallowed her sigh. Of course she hadn''t. This was the Scarlett that she knew. "Just the house itself cost 42 000 solars. And that''s without counting the extra costs from all the new hires I''ve also got reports on. In addition to that, I''ve also heard that you have that senior Shielder on a continuous contract right now. Do you know how much that costs?"


    Scarlett gave her a quiet look as if waiting for her to continue.


    "That''s at least 4000 solars just this month. That''s almost as much as we spend on all of the servants and personnel in the mansion put together. And as if those things weren''t the worst." Evelyne took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. "The carriage we lost was worth over 100 000."


    Her sister raised an eyebrow. "That is indeed quite the sum. Although as I said, not something I could affect. I prefer my own life over that of a simple carriage."


    "Yes, I know." Evelyne decided to ignore pointing out that it wasn''t just a simple carriage. "I''m not saying you could have done anything to prevent it, but we can''t afford this right now. I''ve told you our situation is bad at the moment, and none of this helps. We''re not that far away from having to start selling some of our assets and firing some of the people working for the family."


    She was already making do with just three people herself, and that was if you included Kinsey, who was currently back in the manor ladled with enough paperwork for the fiefs and businesses Evelyne had tried investing into to last for days on end. Yet despite this, they couldn''t just fire the over-a-dozen people working for them in the mansion, or the people responsible for their mansion in the capital. Partly because they were responsible for them to a certain degree, but also because Scarlett would never agree to it.


    Her sister stayed quiet, genuinely looking like she was considering Evelyne''s words, before picking up a key that lay on the desk and unlocking one of the drawers. Evelyne couldn''t see the contents of the drawer from where she sat, but Scarlett soon pulled out a red leather journal that she began sifting through with it held in the air before her. She looked through it for a while, the only noise in the office being the sound of pages occasionally turning, before eventually putting it back into the drawer and turning her attention back to Evelyne. Evelyne herself was unsure what to feel about the situation. There was a kind of uncomfortable sense of being disregarded she got from sitting silently in the same room as Scarlett when her sister essentially acted as if she wasn''t present, and it annoyed her that she even felt like that to begin with.


    "It appears that I have been neglectful in taking this situation into consideration," Scarlett finally said, once more leaning back in her chair. "I was not aware it had reached this point, but I do have some responses prepared. First of all, I presume you recall my earlier request to you regarding establishing contact with an auction house on my account?"


    "Yes," Evelyne nodded. She''d contacted the only auction house in Freybrook and ensured they contacted Scarlett, but largely forgotten about the matter after that.


    "Their appraisal of the artifacts I secured with the aid of the Shielder is over 30 000 solars, which¡ªwhile not equivalent to the full amount¡ªI hope can alleviate some of the burden caused by the acquisition of the house," Scarlett said. She then paused for a second. "In addition to that, I may know of some vacant businesses in Elystead that I believe hold some potential for growth in the near future if handled properly, and which should not require excessive capital to acquire."


    Scarlett then frowned again, as if there was something else that she thought of. "And I did not consider it till now, as it did not pertain to my goals at the time, but there is an old Zuverian crypt not far from Freybrook that I and Miss Breeden explored at the start of the month. There were several magical crystals there that served as lamps." She began tapping the armrest again. "I am uncertain if the Shields Guild has already cleared the ruins, but as a month has yet to pass I believe any remaining spoils would still belong to me by law. While I do not know the worth of these crystals, it might be worth inquiring further into the matter."


    Evelyne stared at her sister with wide eyes. "You actually found Zuverian ruins? And you decided to explore it yourself?"


    Scarlett gave her a quizzical look. "Where else did you think I obtained the Zuverian coins I spoke of?"


    "You never told me you got them yourselves." Evelyne shook her head. "This is huge. How did you even find it? And does the Brook Tower know already?"


    "I do not believe it is that noteworthy of an occurrence," Scarlett said with knitted brows. "It was not a particularly expansive set of ruins, lacking much of true worth. As for how I found it, that is largely irrelevant to the situation. And as I mentioned I did not pay it much thought till now so I do not know which parties are aware of the ruins at present."


    Evelyne was genuinely shocked by Scarlett''s disregard for what she was saying. "It''s been years since the last ruins were found. The Ustrum Assembly and the towers will all be interested in it, and we might be able to trade any artifacts found with them for a decent price." Even people from the Rising Isle may be curious about it. If what Scarlett said is true, she might be able to use this to establish some contacts that could be useful in the future.


    Evelyne examined her sister. Could she trust her on this? Finding ruins built by the old Zuver wasn''t something she thought Scarlett could do by herself. There had to be someone helping her...But this could be incredibly helpful to them in their current position.


    "I''ll try and contact my friend at the Guild to see what they''ve done about the situation. But I would also like to send someone myself to check the ruins. Could you send me a map of where it is later?"


    "I can lend you the Shielder that aided me when I originally cleared it. I believe that will be easier for us both."


    "That works too." Evelyne nodded her head. "Also," she said, giving Scarlett a hesitant look. "I have business that I have to do in the capital this year during the Light Fest, so I will be staying at the residence there during the celebration."


    "Is that so," her sister casually said, not giving any special reaction.


    Evelyne waited for more, but Scarlett didn''t say anything else. "I''ll also be attending the Elysian Proclamation."


    Now Scarlett was staring at her. "...Are you asking for my permission?"


    "What? No." Evelyne''s eyes flashed. "I am going."


    "Then do so," Scarlett said. "Unless you expect me to stop you?"


    Evelyne met her sister''s eyes. There was annoyance there, irritation, but not anger. "...No. But I''m still asking that you don''t."


    Scarlett clicked her tongue. "I had no intention to, and as I said, I won''t. Now, was there any other issue you wished to discuss with me today or is that all? Further details when it comes to the financial matters can be left for another day."


    Evelyne paused for a moment, then gave a short nod. "That''s all. I''ll be leaving for Elystead the day after tomorrow and I''ve already contacted Whiteley so that he knows both of us will be staying during the Light Fest. Everything should be prepared when you arrive."


    "Good. It appears as if you have it under control for now. Then before you leave I only have one request."


    "And what''s that?"


    "A week ago I had Garside inquire into the procedures necessary in establishing an orphanage in the family''s name. If the circumstances allow for it, I would like for you to handle the process, ensuring any hired personnel is competent and not a waste of money."


    Evelyne gave Scarlett a long look. "You''re establishing an orphanage?"


    "I am," Scarlett said, looking almost haughty now ¡ª as if this whole conversation hadn''t just been a weave of one absurd or illogical thing after the other. "I think it would serve well as a display of my generosity, would it not? This should be a solution we can both be satisfied with, I am sure you can agree."


    Evelyne let out a short laugh. At one moment Scarlett was acting like herself and the next she wasn''t, before suddenly she was again. She was getting more and more confused by all of this. "I''ll look into what it would require. I''m still not sure if those artifacts you spoke of from the ruins will get us anything, and even then it might not be enough to add another expenditure on top of what we already have, but I''ll try at least."


    Scarlett waved her hand. "I have other means of acquiring wealth later so there is no need to worry about the future. Merely ensure that it is done so that I do not have to pay it any more mind. That is all I ask of you."


    "...Then I''ll get it done."


    "Good." Scarlett gestured towards the office door. "Now then. You may leave."


    Evelyne looked at her sister for a moment longer, before rising from her chair and walking towards the door. She threw one last glance at Scarlett before she left the room behind and entered the hallway outside. Garside had already left to somewhere else.


    For a while she just stood there, unsure what to make of the conversation she''d just had. She massaged the bridge of her nose as she heard the sound of a drawer from inside the office, then she started making her way down the hallway. She really had no idea where all this was going.

 Chapter 32 - Crossroad

    Scarlett closed the last page of the book she''d been reading and put it off to the side on the desk before her. This was the third book she''d finished in as many days covering different aspects of noble society and etiquette in this world. This last one had been a compendium on prominent families in the Empire, which she''d felt was relevant as she was soon supposed to travel to the capital for what was apparently some kind of noble gathering. Suffice to say that there had been and were a lot of important families in the Graenal Empire. The book had even mentioned the Hartfords¡ªalbeit only briefly¡ªdue to some of the predecessors being famous mages.


    While she couldn''t possibly memorize all of the different families in this short time, now she at least felt some certainty in being able to tell some of the noble houses apart if necessary ¡ª which was about as much as one could expect after binging through a book in the span of a day. She still had more books she wanted to read through before she had to leave and actually begin interacting with the nobles of this world. And that wasn''t the only thing she wanted to do before she left.


    The trip itself to Elystead was supposed to be through Kilnstone in two days. Then the Light Fest began two days after that, on the 31st of August, continuing over a period of eight days. From her meeting with Evelyne a couple of days before she knew that the younger woman was supposed to have left earlier this day and was probably already at whatever residence it was that the Hartfords owned in the capital. The thought of sharing the same building as Evelyne for over a week didn''t exactly excite Scarlett¡ªconsidering how uncomfortable it was, just being in the same room as her for a few minutes¡ªbut there wasn''t much she could do about it in this case. She could probably try and restrict Evelyne''s movements to avoid things like that, being the head of the family and all, but she certainly wouldn''t. That might have been something the original Scarlett would try, it wouldn''t surprise her, but it wasn''t something she was willing to do. As such, living with Evelyne during their stay in the capital was just something she''d have to deal with.


    She''d probably manage it without too much trouble. Hopefully. Their last meeting hadn''t been too bad, all things considered. She''d largely succeeded in restraining the flaring feelings of anger and disgust that arose when speaking with Evelyne, and if you were to ask her they''d had what she''d genuinely call a productive conversation... Wherein Scarlett had learned some things she hadn''t been aware of. Namely, that she wasn''t as loaded as she had previously thought.


    She had to admit that she had been a bit lax when it came to confirming her current financial situation as ''Scarlett Hartford''. She''d intended to, but then it turned out she could just wave her hand and the Hartford family would pay for it, which she had felt was fine for now until she actually got started on any of her plans. A definite oversight on her part. She probably shouldn''t have just assumed Scarlett was filthy rich. Although she did feel it was somewhat defendable, considering that she lived in a huge mansion with over a dozen people working under her. And honestly, if you asked her this still fit under the ''filthy rich'' label, despite any current financial troubles the family might have.


    But Scarlett did feel a little bad for Evelyne, thinking of how the woman must have reacted when she first saw the cost of the things she had done this last month. It still surprised her that the destroyed carriage had been worth as much as it had. Sure, it had been a comfortable carriage¡ªthe one they''d switched to afterward definitely rocked a lot more¡ªbut to think it was worth several times the amount of an ordinary house. She assumed the high cost was because it was enchanted in some manner.


    Anyhow, what she had learned from this was that she had to be a bit more frugal in the future. At least until she could start earning some real money herself. She still felt pretty confident in the plans she had for amassing a decent amount of wealth, as long as she had the time. She also still had the gear that she''d looted from the Cabal Adepts that had attacked them when they left for Whistlecreek. She hadn''t done anything with it yet. For now she was planning on just bringing it with her to the capital. She only knew of one store from the game that dealt with enchanted armor here in Freybrook and she wasn''t sure if that place could necessarily be trusted with equipment like this. But there was one store in Elystead that she was certain could do it. Although she''d have to wait until she was actually there to decide whether she would simply try selling the armor or repurposing it in some way.


    Another matter she''d almost forgotten about was the reward for the servants that ended up having to deal with the aftermath of the fight with the Adepts, as well as the bodies. Although Scarlett did try to keep up at least part of the ''villainess'' facade she had going from the original, there were some points she didn''t mind acting differently on. The servants that had dealt with that matter deserved some kind of reward, she felt. At least to the degree she could afford at the moment.


    She had also wanted to get Kat some kind of armor, as compensation for the equipment the Shielder had lost along with the burned carriage, but that turned out to be a bit difficult under the current circumstances. Kat hadn''t actually brought the matter up¡ªperhaps the employer wasn''t considered responsible for any lost equipment while the Shielder was under contract¡ªbut Scarlett felt it would be better for both of them if it was resolved. Maybe she could get a good deal along with the gear from the Cabal Adepts?


    Just as Scarlett was about to pick up and begin the next book that lay on her desk, a knock sounded out from the office''s door. Scarlett looked up as Kat''s voice rang out from the other side of the door.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Hello? You busy? Can we talk for a moment?" From the way she spoke, it sounded like something serious.


    Scarlett opened up the drawer where she kept her journals for the moment and placed the books she''d been reading there before closing it. "Enter," she said.


    Kat soon opened the door and walked in, the blonde woman sitting down in the single chair across Scarlett.


    "Is there something you wish to say?" Scarlett asked, examining the Shielder''s expression. Kat''s expression did indeed look like this wasn''t an ordinary matter.


    "I just got a message from my colleagues at the branch," Kat began, folding her arms across her chest. "There''s come in a request from the Guild''s branch in the capital, calling for the assistance of all senior Shielders in the empire ranked B or higher."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. This was unexpected. "Did they inform you of a reason?"


    Kat shook her head. "Nothing specific. Even if they did, I doubt it''s something I could share. I just know it''s an emergency of some kind."


    Scarlett leaned back and tapped her finger against the armrest in thought. It wasn''t too long until the Tribe of Sin would start causing some ruckus here in the Empire. In fact, that would be the start of the process that would light the fuse of the main questline in ''Chronicle of Realms'', though as far as she knew the player could never be involved in matters this early. The first movements of the Tribe were instead something the player would read about in the Empyreal Chronicle after the fact.


    Could it be that the Shields Guild was aware something was going down and was trying to counteract it? She hadn''t really considered the possibility, but it did sound like it from what Kat had just said. In her first playthrough Scarlett had only been an F-ranked junior Shielder at this point, so she didn''t really know too much about the inner workings of the Guild this early. Considering how things went in the game though, whatever they were trying to do now was bound to fail. Or at the very least not go completely in their favor.


    "I assume this means that you will no longer be able to act as my escort until the emergency has been handled?" Scarlett asked after considering it.


    Kat looked at her for a moment, then slowly nodded her head. "Probably, yeah. It''s rare for the capital branch to send out empire-wide requests like this." She grimaced, pulling her hand through her unbraided hair, leaving it slightly ruffled. "They actually wanted me to leave immediately, saying they''d pay damages for the broken contract. But considering your circumstances I didn''t feel comfortable leaving just like that. I convinced them that I''d stay with you at least until we''re in the capital, and then I was thinking that I could find some replacements for me there... If that works for you? I have a few contacts at their branch."


    Scarlett stayed quiet for a while, gazing at Kat. Would that work? Or could she find someone else to replace Kat? She didn''t know many organizations except the Shields Guild that so easily would let you hire and give you access to such strong individuals without needing any prior connections.


    In fact, she only knew of one. But the Vanguards made their base in Wildscar, near the Empire''s eastern border, where the Everdust Barrier protected the empire from the threats of the Unresting Steppes. Even if you discounted the fact that Wildscar was one of the few major cities in the empire that didn''t have a Kilnstone, meaning getting in contact with the Vanguards might be hard, she wasn''t even sure they accepted normal escort requests. They mainly took jobs that meant venturing out into the Unresting Steppes themselves, which¡ªwhile there were certainly things of interest to her in the large desert¡ªwasn''t exactly what she needed right now.


    Any replacement Kat found was bound to be at most C-ranked. Which wasn''t weak, but it could be problematic if that was all Scarlett had to defend her. But it was also better than nothing. And considering she was planning on picking up one of the game''s companions while she was in the capital, it might be enough for now.


    "So?" Kat asked after Scarlett had stayed quiet for some time.


    Scarlett gave the woman a nod. "It seems to be an acceptable compromise, under these circumstances. I would appreciate the consideration on your part."


    Kat let out a relieved sigh, before giving a small smile. "I''ll make sure they''re capable enough so that they don''t just get in your way."


    "Anything less and I would be quite disappointed."


    Kat chuckled. "Yeah, I''m sure you would be."


    "As for this ''emergency''," Scarlett brought the subject back to what they''d spoken about before. "There was no indication as to for how long it might continue?"


    Some of the events related to the Tribe''s coming actions had been covered by the weekly news report in the game, but she really didn''t know too much about the details related to the different factions'' movement this early in the timeline. For all she knew it was possible things continued for months behind the scenes.


    "I have no idea. I don''t know what the reason behind it is yet," Kat said. "The last time something this major happened in the Guild was during the Dragon Rampage seven years ago, and I heard they dealt with the aftermath of that for months on end."


    "I see." Scarlett gave another nod. "Nevertheless, you are more than welcome to return to my service after matters have been concluded. You have been of significant help up to this point, and I will not easily forget it." It looked like she wouldn''t be able to get Kat any new armor before the woman left. But at least this gave her more time to prepare something for the future.


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Kat said with a smile. She then looked towards Scarlett''s empty desk. "You busy now, by the way? I was thinking that now that we didn''t have much time left, we could use some of it to get you some more training. The best defense is the one where you can defend yourself, after all."


    Some of the hairs on Scarlett''s neck rose. As she''d had more and more training sessions with Kat and had grown more and more used to being in a fight, the Shielder had also grown more and more aggressive in their practice. And while Scarlett could usually ignore the slight feeling of annoyance that was almost ever-present when she interacted with the rather informal woman, she found that her self-control was pushed to its limits when that very same woman threw her to the ground like a sack of rice. But she couldn''t deny that it was good training.


    "...Very well."


    The smile on Kat''s face grew wider, and Scarlett felt that perhaps she would be less careful with her Aqua Mines this time than usual.

 Chapter 33 - The Capital

    "Gods, that''s a lot of people." Kat''s words filled the small carriage cabin they were in.


    "Indeed it is," Scarlett agreed, looking out the carriage window at the masses of people, wagons, and carriages that filled the enormous circular plaza they found themselves in. Like them, many of the people here were moving away from the center of the plaza, where there was a large half-open structure surrounded by lines of people. The structure bore some resemblance to the building in Freybrook that housed the city''s Kilnstone, but this one was much more extensive and elaborate in its design. If Scarlett were to just describe its appearance, she''d call it something like a neoclassical mausoleum. It also just happened to be called the Mausoleum, so she wasn''t the only one who thought so.


    Additionally, it was home to the Imperial Capital''s four Kilnstones¡ªElystead was the only city that had more than one of the old Zuverian artifacts¡ªmaking it a very busy spot now during midday, just two days before the Light Fest begins. They''d traveled through one of those just a few minutes earlier.


    Scarlett''s eyes carried across the whole plaza and its surroundings, taking in the views. It was one thing seeing it in the game, but seeing Elystead in real life was a completely different experience. Although Freybrook and Ambercrest had their own charm, they couldn''t match up to the capital''s grandeur. She knew it wasn''t the same over the whole city, but all of the buildings encircling this area had a very old, but pristine, look to them. Much like the Mausoleum, they were all very Roman-esque, with a lot of open spaces, neatly filed trees between buildings and in the middle of the streets, with small ponds here and there. It was very clear where the original designers for ''Chronicle of Realms''¡ªif they actually existed¡ªhad gotten their inspiration from for this part of the city. She was pretty sure the whole of Ascendant Court, which was what this district of the city was called, was filled with buildings like this.


    The sight actually filled her with a sense of...reverence? Pride? She wasn''t sure exactly what it was, but she had a suspicion it wasn''t actually from her. Nonetheless, it still left her wordless for a moment.


    As their carriage started nearing the edge of the plaza and began moving along the street that encircled it, Scarlett''s eyes shifted towards the other side of the Mausoleum from where they''d exited. A long rectangular pond with still, blue water stretched almost a hundred meters from the Mausoleum, surrounded on both sides by circular collonades that were placed in lines. At the far end of the pool of water stood an incredibly large structure that curved slightly, like a half-moon, towards the pond and the plaza, its white marble walls and pillars resplendently reflecting the rays of the midday sun.


    That had to be the Ustrum Assembly. The foremost authority of magic in the Empire¡ªif you discounted the Rising Isle, which didn''t technically exist in the Empire¡ªand a major faction in the game. She''d also been part of it in her first playthrough.


    It almost looked like some kind of ancient dam, now that she saw it like this, towering over the plaza and all the nearby buildings here, reaching about the same height as the Mausoleum. Her view of the grandiose building was eventually cut off, however, when the carriage moved further away from it and turned off onto another much bigger road. It pointed away from the plaza and towards the south, where it went on through the rest of the city all the way to where it cut off into a large body of gleaming water. That would be Rellaria Lake, ''The Jewel of the Empire''. And off into the distance, a short stretch into the bay, Scarlett could see the remote facade of an extensive and faintly red castle that stood like a mountain unto itself in the lake. And that''d be Dawnlight Palace. Home to the imperial family, and the heart of the Graenal Empire''s power.


    Their carriage started traveling down the bustling street, which Scarlett remembered was called ''Sunset Walk''¡ªthere were too many places to remember around here¡ªon the in-game maps of the city, surrounded on both sides by large buildings of all kinds. This was the main thoroughfare of the central parts of the city, and seeing it like this really lent to the effect of impressing how large Elystead actually was. Freybrook was a decently large city¡ªshe''d read in a book somewhere that it was the third-largest imperial city area-wise¡ªbut the city she had seen in this world had been mostly similar to what she''d known from the game, with only some parts having changed, or increased in size, or opened up where they had been locked in the game. Elystead, however, was much larger here than in the game. It really couldn''t compare. Just from what she was seeing right now it looked like it could compare with some of the smaller capital cities in the modern world when it came to size, which was impressive considering the world they were in.


    "It''s good to be back," Kat said. Scarlett turned to see the woman looking out at the passing buildings.


    "You have been here before, then?"


    The Shielder nodded her head. "I grew up here."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yeah, in the Foreign Quarter." Kat smiled. "My mom was originally from the Luicean Isles before she traveled here and met my old man. They always said I rubbed more off of her than him, though." She went quiet for a second. "Coming back here always reminds me of her."


    Scarlett studied the woman''s face. "I imagine she must have been a headstrong woman."


    Kat let out a short laugh. "The opposite, actually. She was shy as a bird, really. More often than not I had to go with her when she bought anything just to make sure she didn''t get hoodwinked into paying more than she needed to."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "That is surprising."


    Kat just shrugged her shoulders. "There were a lot of other things I got from her though." The woman leaned closer to the window as she peeked out at a pair of statues that Scarlett assumed were depictions of some old hero or other. Past those statues, the design of most buildings changed to look much more like those in Freybrook and Ambercrest, which likely meant that they were now out of the Ascendant Court. Scarlett spent a few seconds trying to remember which district of the city came next. Was it the Wise Quarter? No, that had been in the opposite direction, hadn''t it? Then The Coins, perhaps? She looked out at the buildings, seeing several smaller, but still decently wide, streets move off from the Sunset Walk and, in between the houses, masses of people moving about them and looking into different storefronts. The Coins it was then.


    This was essentially the commercial district of the capital, where the majority of the shops and trades made their place. She also had some business she needed to get done here, though that would have to wait for a bit.


    "Shame I''ll probably have to leave again soon," Kat said, leaning back in her seat as she moved her braided hair over her shoulder.


    "Have they told you where you will be going?" Scarlett asked.


    Kat shook her head. "No. They''ll probably wait until I get to the branch here before telling me that. But I doubt it''ll be anywhere close to the capital."


    Scarlett didn''t say anything. From what she knew Kat wasn''t wrong.


    "Oh, right." Suddenly Kat sat up and looked at her. "I''ve found two replacements for me as escorts. They''re from the branch here in Elystead, and they''re both C-ranked so I think they''ll do a decent enough job of protecting you. They are a bit young, and only recently became senior Shielders, but I''m familiar with them and can promise you that they''re reliable."


    Scarlett eyed Kat, slowly beginning to tap her finger against the windowsill. Two reliable Shielders definitely sounded good right now. That they were senior Shielders was also important, but she hadn''t expected Kat to recommend her junior Shielders anyway. In the Shields Guild, you could only become a senior Shielder after having completed a good amount of requests and showcasing to the Guild that you were both reliable and upheld their principles. It was less a measure of your strength and more a certificate that you were trustworthy.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Although if you need more than that, I can probably see if I can''t find someone more to take on the job," Kat added.


    Scarlett considered it for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I believe two escorts will be enough for now." While more was usually better, hiring more than two Shielders might not be the best idea for her right now. For one thing, she had to think about her expenses¡ªalthough that would hopefully not be a factor for too long¡ªand for another, she didn''t want to move around with too large of a group. She was already planning on recruiting one companion soon which should give her a decent amount of force for the moment. And having too many people working for her that didn''t actually work under her felt like it could get troublesome later on.


    "Alright, if you say so." Kat leaned back in her seat.


    "I should probably warn you, though," she added after a while. "Even if I said they''re trustworthy, one of their fathers is a bigshot in the Guild. So you might want to be a bit careful with what you do when they''re around."


    Scarlett looked at Kat. "And what might you mean with that?"


    Kat gave her a knowing smile. "Not to offend, but some of the stuff you do seem a little...shady, at first glance. I haven''t really had an issue with it too much¡ªfrankly because I trust you¡ªand have only reported what was necessary for my job." She met Scarlett''s eyes. "But I can''t promise that they''ll always be the same."


    Then Kat shrugged her shoulders again and looked out the window. "Well, not that I think it''ll be any real problem. They''re good kids. You can make use of them as you like." She grinned. "You can even tell them I said that."


    "I will keep that in mind," Scarlett said. "Although, I believe I had already expressed my distaste of being described in such questionable terms as ''shady''... But seeing as you will soon be leaving on what is almost assured to be a dangerous undertaking, I will endeavor to forgive it without further rebuke this time."


    Kat looked at her with an amused expression, then performed a mock bow. "How magnimous of you, my Lady."


    "I believe you mean magnanimous."


    Kat just waved her hand in the air. "Close enough. Besides, we don''t know if it''ll be that dangerous yet. Unless you happened to learn anything about it in that research of yours too."


    Scarlett''s finger paused in its rhythm and she didn''t immediately respond. Kat seemed to read enough from just that because she froze, her smile disappearing as she looked at her.


    "Seriously?"


    Scarlett hesitated over whether to say anything or not. This was a matter she hadn''t decided how to resolve yet. She''d largely given up most pretenses around the Shielder as Kat had shown herself trustworthy enough, but Scarlett wasn''t sure how much she wanted to share. With the amount of information she had, she could most definitely use it to help a lot of people if she shared it with the right people. She could for example go right up to the Guild and tell them everything she knew. It might be hard to convince them at the start, but there was no doubt in her mind that she could do it, and with that give them a huge advantage in the future. But was that what she wanted? Was she obligated to do that just because she could? Her goal wasn''t world peace or to become an empire-wide hero.


    In fact, she wasn''t even sure what her goal was. Surviving had been the main one, which was why she was preparing for when things would start to get worse in this world. But that only went so far. So outside of that, what did she want? To return to her world, most likely. To know that she could meet her sister and friends again in the future. But she had no idea if that would ever be possible. She''d been in this world for almost a month now without any clues on that front yet, nor any clues on how to get any clues. And the system that was tied to her had been painfully unhelpful on the matter whenever she''d tried to use it to get information.


    Seeing as how she didn''t really know what she wanted to do here yet¡ªexcept simply continue as she had up till now¡ªone of the more reasonable options was probably to reach out to any of the more honest and respectable organizations in this world. So why was she still so hesitant to do it?


    ...She didn''t actually know. Did she just want to hog all of the potential benefits to herself? Was she just inherently that selfish? Honestly, it felt that way to her right now. Otherwise, she couldn''t explain this reluctance she felt to the idea of sharing all her information. To giving away the main advantage she had in this world.


    Oh, she could say it was because it was too risky. That even the Guild might have Cabal spies in its ranks. Or maybe that it was the remnants of the original Scarlett''s personality that made her feel like this, that made her selfish. But that just felt like attempts at rationalizing it. Excuses for her not to feel bad about it. Which she already didn''t. At least emotionally.


    Well, that part she could probably mostly blame on the traits.


    She turned her attention back to Kat, who was still staring at her silently. Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment.


    Screw it. For now, she''d do what she wanted to. Nothing more, nothing less. Any complicated thoughts on the moral implications or whatever of her actions could just take a backseat till later for all she cared. She was a freaking editor. She never signed up to having to make choices that could seriously affect people''s lives.


    This meant helping those that she wanted to help, and ignoring those she didn''t.


    She finally spoke. "I have come to be aware of some movements made by the Tribe of Sin in recent times." She saw Kat''s eyes widen at the words. "Although I do not know much, what I know happens to coincide quite well with the current response from the Shields Guild."


    "...Do you know what they''re up to?" Kat asked, her voice serious.


    "No. My insight into the Hallowed Cabal''s and the Tribe of Sin''s activities is far from complete." That wasn''t entirely true, but sharing the purpose behind the Tribe''s current movements wouldn''t serve to help Kat very much.


    "I''ll take anything you have, no matter how small," Kat said. "If it''s something that can help with whatever''s happening right now, I''ll do anything to make up for it after too. I can''t promise not to tell anyone it came from you¡ªthose above me in the Guild could probably figure it out anyway¡ªbut I can at least ask that it doesn''t spread."


    Scarlett observed Kat briefly. "I fear you may be overestimating what information I have." These events were far back enough in the game''s timeline that what she could share about the details themselves was essentially just what had been reported in the Empyreal Chronicle after-the-fact. It was entirely possible the Guild already knew more than that.


    Kat looked at her for several seconds, then suddenly leaned back with a sigh that seemed to relax the mood in the carriage. "If it''s the Tribe I''ll take whatever I can get, even if it''s something small." She leaned her right arm against the rest of the seat behind her. "But I can''t really force you, so..."


    A small smile tugged at Scarlett''s lips. Was that supposed to be an attempt at reverse psychology? "I did not say that I would not tell you."


    Kat looked at her with attention. "Yeah?"


    Scarlett waited for a second before she continued. "It is not much, but currently there would be good reason for the Guild to pay attention to several of the minor settlements spread across the Empire. I presume they are aware of as much. What I would suggest the Guild to do, is pay particular regard to the town of Brinewick."


    Kat scratched her cheek with a thoughtful expression. "Brinewick? That''s northeast from here, right?"


    "It is."


    She seemed to think about it for a moment longer before giving her a nod. "I''ll keep it in mind."


    "Ensure that you do," Scarlett said. She paused.


    "...In addition," she continued after Kat''s attention was turned back to her. "I have a warning. I do not know if it will have any relevance whatsoever, but I wish to say it nonetheless." She looked Kat in the eyes. "If at any time during these coming events you encounter an individual with either violet or silver hair, referring to herself as Vail, then do not, under any circumstances, clash with her. Unless either Gratianus Graham or Rosanna Adlam are nearby, you should immediately flee with no regard to anything else."


    Kat stared back at her. "Those are S-ranked Shielders."


    "I am aware." The S-rank wasn''t something the Shields Guild just gave out to anybody. At this point in time there should only be three of them here in the Empire, and if Scarlett remembered correctly the third one was busy this early in the game.


    Kat''s brows furrowed together. "Who is this Vail person?"


    Scarlett sighed. "An incredibly dangerous individual, feared even amongst the Tribe. There is not much more I can tell you about her than that."


    Kat grew a thoughtful expression once more, then gave a slow nod. "Alright, I''ll make sure to remember that."


    "Good," Scarlett said. She wasn''t sure what people were involved in this on the Tribe''s side, but Vail was definitely the most problematic of the possibilities. There were other dangerous individuals in the Tribe, but most of those weren''t as ruthless.


    Scarlett looked out the window again and saw that the coachman had steered their carriage off the main road and entered into the streets of The Coins district.


    "I believe we will soon reach our destination," she said and turned to Kat.


    Kat also glanced out the window and nodded her head. "Yeah, looks like it."


    This was where they''d part ways for now.

 Chapter 34 - Goodbyes and good businesses

    Their carriage passed through the busy streets of The Coins district, occasionally navigating by some of the smaller roads until they finally reached the Shields Guild''s capital branch. It was a large stone building at the end of a large street that was mostly filled with carriages moving back and forth. On a sign that hung above the building''s entrance was the upturned triangle with a blue shield and the handle of a sword inside that was the Guild''s symbol.


    "Right. I guess this is where we part ways for now," Kat said, looking out at the building. "I''ll go ahead and make sure everything is set up with my replacements so you don''t have to bother too much with it. Although I heard that they were busy with another job until the evening, so I''m afraid you might have to wait for a while anyway." She turned to Scarlett. "I might be able to talk the people at the branch into giving me some extra time if you need me to stay with you until then?"


    Scarlett shook her head. "While I do appreciate the offer, that will not be necessary. I have some business that I wanted to carry out today, but it is nothing that requires the added protection. I believe I will be safe for now."


    Kat shrugged her shoulders. "If you say so. Just don''t go and get yourself into any trouble now while I''m gone."


    "I believe I could say the same to you."


    Kat grinned. "Yeah, maybe you could."


    The Shielder stood up and opened the carriage door and Scarlett saw the coachman take a step back to avoid getting hit by it.


    "Oh, sorry about that," Kat said to the man as she jumped down onto the cobbled street. It was the same older man that had driven the carriage for their trip to Ambercrest.


    Kat turned back to look at Scarlett. "You know, it''s been a good time. I don''t usually get too many exciting jobs working in Freybrook, but this one has been something special. I hope you don''t forget about me in the future when you need my help again."


    "You can rest assured that there is not much risk of that happening. You are quite the memorable individual," Scarlett said to the blonde-haired woman. "Your aid has been greatly useful. You can feel free to contact me when you are available once more."


    "Look who''s talking." Kat smiled, then she turned around again and started walking towards the branch building. "I''m not one for long goodbyes, so I''ll just take my leave here," she said with a wave. "When you''re looking for the other two later you can just tell the people at the branch that I sent you and they''ll help you out from there. Say goodbye to the kids for me, if you can. Bye!"


    Scarlett watched her leave with an amused look. "I wish you well, Miss Breeden. Goodbye for now."


    Soon enough Kat disappeared into the large building. Scarlett''s eyes stayed on its doors.


    "My Lady," the coachman suddenly spoke. Her gaze shifted to him. "Where do you wish to go now? Shall we head for the mansion?"


    She studied him for a moment, before turning away. "No, not yet. I believe there is a street nearby known as the Silver Way. Find a spot near there to park the carriage."


    The man bowed. "Of course, my Lady." He then closed the carriage door, and soon they were on the move again.


    Scarlett''s gaze lingered on the Guild building as the vehicle turned into a side street and started moving away from it. When she originally hired Kat, she hadn''t expected the woman to be quite as useful as she was, nor had she expected to somewhat grow to like the woman as much as she had. Especially not so soon after she''d just found herself alone and stuck in some kind of game world. But she was thankful for it. Even if it did still grate on her nerves sometimes when Kat talked.


    Honestly, Scarlett wasn''t sure if that annoyance had actually lessened over the past month, or if she had just gotten better at putting up with it. Nonetheless, it had reached a level where it was more than bearable right now. She might actually even miss it. She hadn''t considered it before, but Kat was probably the first friend she''d made in years. She really hadn''t been good at going out and meeting new people lately, before coming to this world.


    Well, she didn''t have much choice in it any longer. From the looks of things, Kat was just one of the first in a long line of people she''d have to meet in the future now. She could just hope nothing terrible happened to the woman while she was gone.


    Although everything she knew about storytelling told her that that''s exactly what she shouldn''t be thinking. But that was probably a baseless concern. This world might have been based on a game¡ªor maybe vice-versa¡ªbut that didn''t mean it had to follow standard storytelling structures just because of that. That''d be ridiculous. Probably.


    She turned her attention back to the world outside to avoid thinking about existentialism in this world and started observing the people milling about their lives as her carriage drove through the district.


    For a moment she wondered whether the coachman simply knew all the streets in all of the empire''s cities or if he just happened to be familiar with both Elystead and Ambercrest. Just like when they''d been in the smaller city for the wedding back then, the coachman seemed to steer them through the streets of the capital without any issue, deftly giving out warnings to people who were in the way of the carriage and keeping a safe distance from other vehicles that passed by.


    It didn''t take them too long before they reached a boulevard. After following it for a while they reached a large area at the end of it that was warded off by iron fences and had several wagons and carriages parked in it. Adjacent to it, Scarlett spotted a building that looked like a stable of sorts. Most of the carriages she saw didn''t look like they belonged to nobles, lacking any kind of insignia or coat of arms, but there was still a decent amount of them. She guessed this was essentially this world''s equivalent to parking lots.


    The carriage drove in and stopped next to the other carriages, and soon the coachman opened the door for her.


    "I will return later," she said as she climbed down the steps of the stairs that the man folded out from beneath the carriage for her. "You may wait here until I do."


    He gave her an uncertain look. "Are you sure, my Lady? I can accompany you if needed."


    She held up a hand. "No, that will not be necessary. Simply be prepared to leave when I return."


    He bowed to her. "As you wish, my Lady."


    She turned away from him and left the parking space behind, stepping out onto the busy street outside. Then she paused for a moment, moving to the side where there were, for the most part, only people walking and no carriages, before glancing around her. The middle of the large boulevard was parted off by evenly placed trees, and most people seemed to cross however they wished as they moved between the different stores and buildings around here.


    A person brushed against her dress as they passed by, the contact sending shivers down her spine. She had to hold herself back from snapping at the person.


    Ok. She did not like this.


    She almost wished she could just order everybody to make way for her¡ªand if she were the original Scarlett she might actually have tried to¡ªbut she couldn''t very well do that now. With Kat out of the picture for now, and Garside back in Freybrook to take care of things, Scarlett had to be able to do some things by herself in this world without relying on others. Even if it went against what she currently wanted.


    She reflexively took another step back when a tall ''gentleman'' in a coat almost bumped into her. She held her rising anger inside her, forcing herself to take a deep breath.


    Calm down. It was just a day out on the town. She''d done it hundreds of times before. So what if some people almost walked into her and didn''t have the eyes to see that she was a freaking noble. What of it? She didn''t care. She was calmness personified.


    Taking her eyes off the back of the man in the coat that she''d been glaring at, she once again scanned her surroundings. This should either be the Silver Way or be somewhere near it. In the game, the Silver Way had been one of the streets in The Coins that you could visit to buy and sell different kinds of materials. She had a decent memory of how it looked, but she wasn''t sure how different it would be here in real life. She didn''t recognize herself right now, at the very least.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Well. There wasn''t much to do other than start looking. She crossed a part of the streets where the carriages passed by¡ªthey didn''t have any kind of crosswalk at all in this world she gathered¡ªand started to walk past storefront after storefront as she made her way down the boulevard, careful to avoid people as much as she could. Luckily she was moving in the opposite direction of the stream of people around her and most seemed to dodge her path after seeing her expression, making her life a bit simpler.


    She kept walking like that for a while, keeping her eyes out for anything she recognized from the game, when she finally spotted a restaurant on the other side of the street called ''The Vermillion Apple''. That had been a place you could buy expensive food in the game. As food had let you regenerate some health outside of combat in the game, it had been a decent way of saving your potions¡ªwhich were rare and expensive¡ªand your mana. Although she doubted food had that kind of effect in this world, considering she hadn''t noticed anything special up till now despite the food she ate at the mansion in Freybrook being some of the best food she''d ever eaten.


    After glancing both ways¡ªa habit from her past life that she didn''t even realize had carried over¡ªshe carefully crossed the wide street to the restaurant. She looked around. It shouldn''t be far from here. She started moving down the street in the direction she remembered from the game. After a few more minutes, she stopped before a rather large, destitute building. It was bigger than she would have thought, and it certainly stuck out in comparison to the other buildings nearby that were full of life. In the game she hadn''t thought about it, but looking at it now, it felt odd that this building was the only one in this condition. On such a populated street too. It wasn''t falling apart or anything, but it was clear from just the dark and slightly dusty windows that this place hadn''t seen any activity for some time. And if she were to trust the information she had from the game this wouldn''t be the only place like it in the city.


    Earning money in ''Chronicle of Realms'' could be done in many ways. Quests, dungeon clearing, blacksmithing, enchanting, and the list went on ¡ª as it often did for open-world RPGs. One of those methods had been to buy and run businesses in cities like Elystead, where they would constantly give you income every month and could be upgraded to increase how much you earned. In the game, there had basically been no way to not earn money through this tactic, so there really was no reason not to do it. But you couldn''t just go up to any old store and buy it. You could only buy shops at a few specific locations. And this place in front of her just happened to be one of those locations, which had been dirt-cheap in the game if you considered its value.


    While she''d made millions of solars off that in the game, Scarlett didn''t know anything about real business. She really wasn''t anything more than an editor. Her experience with finances was limited to knowing how to pay her taxes and what she''d learned back when she was forced to take care of her sister after their parents had died. That''s why most of her plans when it came to money in this world had basically been ''get valuable thing'' and ''sell valuable thing''. It wasn''t until Evelyne had confronted her about their current financial situation that she had even considered this option.


    She didn''t even know if there was any validity to this idea. There were so many things that could go wrong. But she was thinking that, if the businesses were essentially guaranteed to succeed in the game, then maybe there was some logical reasoning behind it that also carried over to this world. This place, for example, could be bought as a weavery in the game. So if it was set up like that again in this world, then it might secure her an extra source of income.


    It was a long shot, especially considering there had to be dozens upon dozens of different factors that played into the result, but it was worth a try at least. She was pretty sure this place only cost a couple thousand or so solars in the game¡ªwhich was a ridiculous bargain if the real price was even anywhere near that¡ªand she knew many others like it that could be worth investing in if it went well.


    She''d probably have to get Evelyne to handle the actual matter, though. In the game you could just walk up to the place and buy it like that, but there was bound to be a lot more to it in reality. But she could at the very least have Evelyne look into if there was any potential to this place.


    Scarlett surveyed the places nearby to make sure she remembered where this was. Then, satisfied, she started moving down the street again to see if she couldn''t find a few more of the places. It took her quite some time¡ªand a lot of turns into some of the smaller streets around the Silver Way¡ªbut she eventually managed to find two more buildings that she was relatively certain had been purchasable in the game and memorized their locations as well as she could before she started making her way back up the boulevard. The next place she wanted to find had a bit more importance to her current plans.


    As she walked, she watched for any signs that could give her directions of some kind. Now and then she did see them hanging from the side of buildings, with names of some of those streets that met the Silver Way, but she didn''t spot what she wanted. Eventually, after having walked for long enough for her feet to start getting tired¡ªthankfully she had opted out of wearing any of the high heels today from the arsenal of the shoes that the original had owned¡ªand almost ending up back where she started, she set her eyes on a small stall selling jewellery of some kind at the corner of one of the streets that led into the boulevard. She was relatively certain the place she was looking for wasn''t too far away. It should be close by in the neighboring district, but she just wasn''t sure which direction that was, and there were no signs showing it. She didn''t want to head off into the depths of an unknown city just to end up losing her way.


    She approached the quaint little stall, her eyes momentarily glancing over its articles before locking onto the man helming it. He wore rough, wool clothing and had a bald head, with slightly pudgy skin and a half-shaven chin, a small mole above his right lip. As his eyes met hers, a smile played on his face.


    "My oh my, is the lady interested in my humble wares?" he declared in a somewhat raspy voice. "I see you have a good eye! These stem from a wide range of exotic locations, all the way from Zovivios to the far west and the Luicean Torrential Belt to the far south! They''re only of the best quality, I can assure you."


    Scarlett examined him. "I had no intention of buying your goods. I simply wished to ask a question."


    "Ah, is that so? That is a shame, that. They would have fit you well." His eyes traveled over her, taking in her appearance in less than a second. "But I am not one to deny a woman''s wishes." He leaned forwards against his stall, some of the sweat on his forehead clearer as he came closer to her. "What is this question you had of me?"


    She furrowed her brows at his conduct, but said nothing of it. "I wish to know whether you are aware of where the pub The Whishing Cod is located, and how to get there from here."


    "The Whishing Cod, you say?" He rubbed his chin. "Why would a lady such as you want to visit that place?"


    "To meet with an acquaintance." In the game, the companion she wanted to recruit could be found during the days in The Whishing Cod for the majority of the early game. She had been hoping there was some truth to that here too. As that would be the simplest way of meeting him, her plan was to visit the place every day during the Light Fest until she found him.


    "Is this acquaintance of yours someone with whom you''ve already planned a meeting, or could you perhaps be looking for them at the Old Cod?" the man asked with an inquisitive look.


    She narrowed her eyes. "I am looking for him, although, I do not believe any further information than that would be of relevance to you. If you do not wish to answer me I can simply ask someone else."


    He brought his arms out to the sides. "I was merely curious. Do not blame a man for a base desire. But by all means, I can of course answer your question without issue." He brought his hand down under the wooden stall and pulled out a piece of paper from beneath it.


    Scarlett looked down as he unfurled it to show what she recognized as a map of the city. Then he flipped his hand and suddenly there was a knife in it. She barely had time to react before it spun between his fingers and was slammed into a part of the map. The man smiled at her. "This is where The Whishing Cod is," he said, pointing towards where the tip of the knife cut into the yellowed parchment.


    She stared at him, but his expression remained unchanged. She would be lying if she said her heart didn''t skip a beat there. It was unlikely that he would do anything to her when there were literally dozens of people walking past them at all times, but her instincts didn''t care about rational thoughts like that. She would probably have jumped away in fright if it wasn''t for the traits'' effects on her.


    Thankfully she already had plans for getting herself some real defensive capabilities. Otherwise she''d probably start wanting to look more into that now.


    "How much for the map?" she eventually asked.


    The man seemed to ponder it for a second, before pointing to a black necklace that looked to be made of a cheap jade of some kind. "Let us say it is a gift. A gift that comes with that."


    The necklace didn''t really look like much. But she could use a map of the city for the time she was here. And this saved her the bother of having to get one. "How much?"


    He held up four fingers. "Forty solars."


    She took out a silver coin the size of half her thumb from her pouch of holding and put it on the table next to the map. "You call it a gift to a stranger, so I presume it does not hold much worth to you. I will give you ten solars for the map solely."


    His eyebrows rose and looked at her for a moment, before glancing down at the coin. "Well, who am I to argue with the lady?" With one quick movement he took both the coin and the knife away. Scarlett took the map and put it in her pouch. She really didn''t mind paying ten solars for it. It wasn''t in the best condition, but that was probably a lot cheaper than she would get for a new map.


    Just as she was about to turn around to leave, the man spoke up again. "Just one piece of advice, on the house." She looked back as he smiled at her. "You won''t find many people at the Cod this time of day, nor would I recommend for a lady like you to visit it at night, so you would probably do best to visit it tomorrow morning."


    She considered him for a moment. "I will take that into account." Then she turned around and left. She had been planning on visiting the place today, but perhaps it was best to postpone that until tomorrow when she wasn''t alone. While she wasn''t inclined to always mistrust the words of all people just because they struck her as a little bit shady, there was no harm in playing it safe. She should probably double-check the location he gave her later, too.


    She looked around the boulevard. There wasn''t much left she wanted to do around here today, so she made her way back towards where the carriage was parked and soon found the coachman where he''d been taking care of the horse in the nearby stable. As he was tying the horse to the front of the carriage, he asked, "Where to next, my Lady?"


    She brought out the map she''d just acquired and looked over it. Well, she was essentially just wasting time right now until evening, so she could try visiting a place she''d been curious about.


    "To the Old Quarter," she said, putting the map away and climbing into the small carriage cabin after he opened the door for her. "The House of Fire."

 Chapter 35 - Introductions

    It took a while for them to get from The Coins district to the Old Quarter. They had had to return to the Sunset Walk and drive along the trafficked highway further south to The Docks¡ªElystead''s harbor district¡ªand almost reached Rellaria Lake itself before turning off the large road. The Old Quarter was situated close to the water, and built on a higher ground than most of Elystead, so as her carriage traveled up along its timeworn streets Scarlett was afforded a great view of the sprawling metropolis, along with the Dawnlight Palace itself.


    Like a massive fortress, the palace was built upon a set of high cliffs, protected from all sides by tall walls that were of a polished, bronze-red stone, with the Sunset Walk itself branching off as a large bridge to connect the island to the rest of the city. The palace was built mostly of the same bronze-red stone, giving it a bright sheen in the afternoon light, and had two extensive wings with high towers to the east and the west, the area in the middle of the two sections being only half as high but with a walkway of pure gold connecting the two wings. Similar to when she first arrived in the Ascendant Court, Scarlett felt a sense of admiration surge up from deep inside her at the majesty of the sight. The feelings might not truly be hers, but she felt them as strongly nonetheless.


    As they continued further into the Old Quarter she eventually lost sight of the Dawnlight Palace and instead turned her attention to her surroundings. Most of the buildings in this district were made of stone and¡ªas the name implied¡ªhad a much older appearance than the rest of the city. Despite that, the architectural style of these buildings wasn''t that different from most of Elystead ¡ª reminiscent perhaps of structures from the early Middle Ages.


    She wasn''t actually quite sure if this part of the city was older than the Ascendant Court, or if it was the other way around. It wasn''t a matter she gave much thought to in the game, but the difference in styles between the two districts did raise some questions.


    The carriage kept traveling through the Old Quarter for a while until it finally drew near a large building that looked much like an old church, with tall vines crawling up its walls. The stairs leading up to its entrance, however, were guarded by two tall stone statues with arms raised to the skies, although the features of those statues had long since been worn down by the long years. The mouth of the building''s entrance also had a large stone protrusion above it that, like the statues, had not fared well under the passage of time, but might have once been in the shape of a head.


    Soon enough the carriage stopped at a space not far from the building and the coachman opened the carriage''s door for Scarlett.


    "My Lady, we have arrived at the House of Fire."


    She took the antique church in as she stepped out, giving the man a slight nod. "I will not be long. Wait here until I return."


    He bowed. "Of course, my Lady."


    Scarlett walked towards the building, past the worn-down statues, and up the stairs to the church''s entrance. The old wooden doors let out loud creaks as she pushed them open and entered. The inside wasn''t too different from a traditional Catholic church, with high vaulted ceilings and pillars with archways to the sides. There were signs of murals on parts of the walls and roof¡ªwhat might have once been depictions of flames and ancient people¡ªbut most of it was indecipherable with how much the paint had faded.


    Turning her head downwards, rows of wooden seats lined the long hall of the church, some of them filled with people who seemed to be occupied in prayer, and at the front of the gallery on a small platform stood a marble altar with several objects on it that was in far better condition than the surfaces around the altar. As Scarlett crossed the hall, she got a closer look at the gold reliquary that rested on it. It had a gilded sun at its center and was surrounded by many other minor relics and objects with what she recognized as the Follower of Ittar''s symbol on them.


    Behind the altar was a wall made of wooden planks that reached all the way up to the roof, but with the way it intersected with the arched ceiling, it was clear that the wall hadn''t been part of the original design. There was also a door in it, leading to the space Scarlett knew was behind it, but with the way the door fit into the wall it blended in quite well and wasn''t apparent at first glance.


    When she approached the altar a figure to the side seemed to notice her and stood up from where they had been kneeling in front of a low podium. They wore a thick set of red robes with gold emblazoning and a long hood, their face covered by a simple white mask with some golden lines across it.


    "Is there something I can help you with?" the figure asked quietly, a woman''s voice sounding out from behind the mask.


    Scarlett observed the person. A lower priest from the Followers of Ittar. As this wasn''t one of their main churches they probably didn''t prioritize manning it with full priests. In the game she''d never actually interacted with any of the NPCs in this church, so she hadn''t actually noticed this detail.


    "Yes," she said, consciously mustering some of that domineering imperiousness that came so easily to her now. "I wish to enter the backroom." She gestured towards the door in the wood wall.


    The priest''s head turned to look at the door, then back to her. "I''m afraid that space is restricted to those amongst Ittar''s clergy."


    Scarlett frowned. In the game the player could just walk in there as they wished, but there was actually something like this? "Then what will I have to do to be allowed entry?"


    The priest seemed to hesitate for a moment. "I...This is the statute that is observed here in the House of Fire as a temple for the worship of the resplendent Ittar. We cannot simply change it and let non-clergy members enter. Something like that would need direct approval from a deacon of the Quorum."


    So Scarlett would have to get permission from one of the head honchos of the Followers of Ittar just to get access to this place? As far as the Followers were concerned that place shouldn''t be anything special, at least from what she knew. So did it just come down to them having inconvenient rules? Maybe¡ªas this had been used as a temple to Ittar for the last century or so¡ªthey didn''t want people paying too much attention to what it was before. Not that it was much of a secret, considering the whole theme of this place.


    Scarlett let out a huff. "Very well," she said and turned around. "I will return at a later time then." She started walking pasts the rows of seats towards the exit.


    "May Ittar''s light always be upon you," the priest said to her as she left.


    It wasn''t as if she''d gain anything from getting entry now anyway. She would need to get a lot stronger for that. She''d just been curious to check the place out, but seemed like that would have to wait. And she might have to get one of the higher-ups in the Followers of Ittar to give her permission. She knew a few members that she could probably get to owe her a few favors somehow. The Augur was one possibility. Although she was pretty sure the woman wasn''t actually part of the Quorum, despite holding a high position among the Followers, so that might not work. The same went for the Exarch. And calling in a favor for something this minor from him would probably be overkill.


    As Scarlett had exited the church and was walking down the stairs she continued considering the matter. Had Raimond Abram been a deacon? She was pretty certain he was, so that might be a possible entryway. It would be wise to make some plans for future interactions with him. Though there was still quite some time before that would be necessary.


    She stopped and looked back at the church. Of course, there always was the option of breaking into the place if none of her other plans panned out. She would just have to wait and see.


    She glanced up at the sky as she started walking towards the carriage again. The sun was still up. It''d probably be a few hours still before it completely disappeared. She wasn''t the best at judging time from the position of the sun, but it was definitely moving towards evening. It took her a while to get here from The Coins district so going on any detours now probably wasn''t a good idea. She got into the carriage and ordered the coachman to drive her back to the Guild.


    Allyssa played with the napkin on the table in front of her, trying to fold it into the shape of a bird like her dad used to do. It didn''t turn out too bad, if she said so herself. Although she quickly grew tired of it and laid down on the long seat under her. "Do you think she''ll be here soon?" she asked as she took off her goggles¡ªpushing away the stray pieces of blonde locks that fell down over her eyes¡ªand held them above her, looking over the brown leather and lightly green-tinted glass. Oh. There was still some dirt left on them from earlier. She''d need to clean them later.


    "Probably," Shin coolly answered. "But it won''t go any faster just because you ask about it."


    "I wasn''t saying it would." She put the goggles onto the table and sat up, turning towards where he sat on the opposite side of the table. The tanned youth was immersed in the book he''d bought a few days earlier.


    "Then why ask? It won''t make a difference," he said as he turned a page.


    "That''s not the point." Allyssa shook her head. Sometimes talking to Shin was like talking to a wall. "Aren''t you curious?"


    "About what?"


    "About the woman we''ll be working for. Didn''t Kat say she''s a noble?"


    He glanced up at her. "Kat also said the client does whatever she wants, and to try and not make her angry. We won''t learn anything until she arrives, and we never set a specific time, so we''ll just have to keep waiting," he said, then shifted his attention back to the book.


    "You kids doing alright?" a voice rang out from behind Allyssa. She turned around to see a slightly older, tall woman with short brown hair carrying a wooden tray with cups on it. Maggie was the one responsible for the small cafeteria here in the Guild''s branch. Many of the capital''s Shielders used this as a gathering place, even though it was mostly empty at this time.


    "We''re good," Allyssa answered with a smile. "Just waiting for our next client to arrive. Shin''s being boring as usual, though."


    Maggie''s lips curled upwards as she walked up to their table and set down two cups on the table, one filled with coffee and one with a tea that gave off a pleasant smell. "Good to hear things are as always then. With the uproar around here the last week I was worried you would have a hard time."


    "Thank you." Allyssa grabbed the cup with tea in it, pushing the other cup with its offending contents towards Shin. "It has been a bit crazy lately. We''ve had to complete four different C-ranked requests just during the last three days because all the higher-ranked Shielders left, and I heard Wilfrid and the others have been doing nothing but that for days. They even had to take on an emergency B-ranked request."


    "We will just have to hope that whatever it is that''s happening is resolved soon," Maggie said.


    Allyssa took a sip of the warm tea and nodded. "Hopefully it''ll be fine."


    "Well, I''m sure you two will be alright. You''ve always been clever kids." Maggie put her hand on Shin''s head as she ruffled his short black hair, earning an annoyed look from him as he put aside his book and palmed the cup of coffee next to him. "And if you ever need anything you can always come and ask me. I promised your dad I''d take care of you, after all."


    "We''ll be fine. Besides, we''ll be busy with something else. And we''re not kids anymore."


    Maggie laughed. "You''ll always be kids in my eyes, no matter how big you get. I still remember when you were this tall, running around here crying after you had a little accident when you saw the dead grask one of the others had brought in."


    Allyssa palmed her face. "Can we not bring that up, please?"


    "I never heard this," Shin said as he drank from his cup.


    Allyssa stared at him. "Don''t you dare."


    He looked at her with his poker face, but she saw that he was starting to smile a little. "Maggie, why don''t you share more of this story?" He turned to the older woman.


    Maggie beamed. "Oh, well this was back when Allyssa''s mother was working at the tower. Allyssa was just so cu¡ª"


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Astrey! Thornthon!" a voice cried out from the cafeteria''s entrance. Allyssa turned around as Leandro, the Guild receptionist, leaned in through the door. The long-haired man''s spectacled eyes shifted to point towards them. "Baroness Scarlett Hartford is here to meet you," he stated in a serious voice.


    "Baroness?" Maggie looked at them with surprise.


    "Kat set us up for some escort job with a noble friend of hers," Allyssa said as she stood up and picked up her large pack that was under the table, making sure her bandolier with its flasks and pockets was tightly secured before grabbing her goggles and putting them on so that the lenses rested on top of her head.


    "We don''t know for how long yet, but it might be possible that we won''t be back before the Light Fest ends." Shin also pulled out a thick pack from beneath the table, as well as a polished round metal shield and his pran that rested against the edge of his seat. The long and unusual sword was bent along its tip and had a wave-like shape at the base of its upper side.


    "Oh, dear." Maggie held up a hand to her mouth. "I did see that Kat was back for a while earlier today, but I didn''t know she had spoken with you about something like that. Here I was, talking about taking care of you just when you''re about to leave too."


    Allyssa smiled at her. "We''ll be fine. Bye for now, Maggie." She downed the rest of the tea and lugged her pack over her shoulder and Shin did the same. The two of them crossed the room towards Leandro as Maggie put their cups back on the tray and moved towards the kitchen.


    "The Baroness is waiting in the lobby," Leandro told them when they reached him. "She doesn''t look like the friendliest of nobles so if I were you I would be careful with what you say during this job." He paused. "Although considering Kat had it before, it might not actually matter."


    They followed him into the branch''s lobby where they saw a lady in a black dress sitting in one of the couches to the side of the reception desk. She had dark, red hair that flowed over her shoulders and a thin black necklace with a round purple crystal hanging from it that nicely accented her thin neck. She was definitely one of the more beautiful women Allyssa had seen, but that was offset somewhat by the cold look the woman had on her face as she looked off towards the building''s entrance.


    Allyssa turned to look at Shin to see if he was staring, but he''d shifted into his normal expressionless face now and was steadily walking beside her. Leandro had soon walked up to the lady with his business smile on.


    "Baroness, these are the two Shielders we spoke of. They''ll be working with you from now on, but if there are any problems that emerge you can always visit us again and we''ll do our best to help."


    The baroness looked to him for a moment, then waved her hand. "Very well." Her voice sounded completely indifferent. "If there are any other matters that I require your assistance with I will keep that in mind. You may leave."


    Allyssa saw how that made part of Leandro''s smile crack. He did not like rude clients. But he stayed quiet and simply turned around, giving the two of them a look. "You''re on your own from here," he whispered as he walked past them and towards the room behind the reception desk. After he was gone, the baroness turned her attention to Allyssa and Shin, wordlessly examining them. Her eyes seemed to stop at the wide scar above Shin''s left eye and the small hand crossbow hanging off Allyssa''s side for a moment, before moving on. Allyssa felt uncomfortable silently standing under the woman''s gaze, but for some reason she didn''t want to be the first one to speak either.


    "How old are you?" the baroness suddenly asked.


    Allyssa blinked. That was not what she thought the woman would ask first.


    "I''m seventeen, and he''s eighteen," she said, gesturing towards herself and Shin beside her.


    For some reason the baroness frowned at that, but eventually she relaxed her gaze. "I suppose that is acceptable."


    Did she perhaps think they couldn''t handle themselves because they were young? They''d both been official Shielders for almost two years now, and there weren''t many that had become senior Shielders as fast as they had.


    The baroness crossed her right leg over her left. "I presume you have already been made aware, but I am Scarlett Hartford, head of the Hartford barony and baroness of Stagmond. I am originally from Freybrook but am currently visiting here in Elystead for the Light Fest."


    She then went quiet and looked at them. "Well?" she asked.


    Allyssa realized she''d been waiting for them to speak.


    "I''m Shin Thornthon, a C-ranked senior Shielder here at the Elystead Guild branch," Shin spoke before she could.


    "And I''m Allyssa Astrey. Also a C-ranked senior Shielder here."


    The baroness raised an eyebrow at her. "Astrey?"


    Allyssa nodded. "Yepp."


    The baroness gave her a strange look. "...I see. Anyhow." She rose from the couch. "As the introductions are finished I believe we should take our leave."


    "Excuse me."


    The red-haired woman was just about to start walking when Shin spoke and she turned her attention to him. "Yes?"


    "How are we supposed to refer to you? We don''t often work with nobles."


    Oh, right. Allyssa hadn''t thought of that. How did you normally talk to nobles? Most of those she''d met had been friends of her dad and didn''t care much about that.


    The baroness seemed to consider the question for a moment. "In formal and public settings you will refer to me either as ''my Lady'' or simply as ''Baroness''. However, as I did so for Miss Breeden, I will allow you to address me as ''Scarlett'' when in private ¡ª as long as you show the proper respect. Is that understood?"


    "Yes, Baroness." Shin was quick to respond.


    "Ehm, yes. Baroness."


    The baroness¡ªor rather, Scarlett¡ªgave a short nod and turned around. "Then follow me. I assume you have finished any necessary preparations so that there will be no issue with leaving now."


    "We''re ready," Shin said.


    "Good."


    The both of them followed her out of the Guild building and onto the street which had less traffic at this time of day. Soon they reached a parked black carriage at the end of the street with an emblem of a silver deer on it. Scarlett gestured towards a man that stood at its front who moved to open the door for them. "We will now be leaving for the mansion," she told him.


    "Understood, my Lady. I will have us there posthaste." The man bowed as he pulled out a stair from under the carriage that the baroness elegantly used to ascend into the carriage. She then looked back at the two of them, who were hesitating outside.


    "There is no need to remain here and waste time. Climb inside."


    Allyssa threw an uncertain look at Shin before she also started climbing the steps. It had been years since she last was in a real carriage, and it had never been a fancy one like this. She sat down at the far end in the small cabin, opposite Scarlett and beside one of the windows, with Shin climbing inside right after and sitting down beside her.


    "Are you aware of what your responsibilities will be during this tenure of you acting as my escorts?" Scarlett asked after the carriage started moving.


    "We''ll just be protecting you, right?" Allyssa stated.


    "We were also told we might have to go out and fight some monsters," Shin added.


    Scarlett inclined her head as if that was only partly right. "I do indeed require protection, as there are some rather bothersome individuals who currently wish me harm. They are however unlikely to take action in the near future, and as such protection is not the main focus at the moment." She started tapping her finger against the windowsill. Allyssa''s eyes were drawn to the movement. "Aside from escorting me while here in the city, it is also probable that I will require your aid in the exploration of possible ruins and other places of note in the future, many of which harbor threats that would pose a danger to me by my lonesome."


    Allyssa''s focus shifted towards Scarlett''s face. "Wait, ruins?"


    "Yes, ruins. I am unaware of exactly how much Miss Breeden shared with you, but I have over the last few months found and acquired a considerable amount of research on a large number of relevant locations that I lack the capability to explore completely by my own force, which is why I have need of you."


    "What sort of ruins are we talking about?" Shin asked.


    Scarlett turned to him. "It will depend. One can expect a large degree of variance between them, although I would expect at least one instance of a Zuverian ruin."


    Allyssa''s eyes widened.


    "Zuverian?!" Shin exclaimed beside her.


    "That is what I said, yes. Do not be so surprised. There was another set of those found just earlier this month. Now, any further questions?"


    The both of them looked at each other, unsure of what to say.


    "Good," Scarlett said with a nod. "If there are any issues that arise, or questions you have of me in the future, feel free to bring it up with me if I am available. As we will be working closely together it would be best if we maintained a comfortable relationship."


    She said that, but from the way she talked, it seemed to Allyssa like the baroness didn''t actually mean it.


    "We''ll...keep that in mind," Allyssa said, and Shin agreed next to her.


    "Ensure that you do." With that, Scarlett turned her head to look out the carriage window and the cabin descended into silence. Neither Allyssa nor Shin dared to say anything more right now.


    The silence stayed for the rest of the ride, making Allyssa shift in her seat from time to time just from the awkwardness she felt. She almost let out a sigh of relief when they finally appeared to have arrived at their destination.


    The baroness was the first to exit the carriage, followed by Allyssa and then Shin. Allyssa had barely noticed it during the ride but they had entered the Eastgate district. That wasn''t really a surprise to her though, considering that''s where most of the nobles lived.


    The streets here were both wide and clean, with the street they were on right now being lined by rows of large mansions as well as a broad garden that spread out at the end of the road. The older man who had driven the carriage walked up to the iron gates of one of the mansions¡ªa large building of white and grey stone with three floors¡ªand opened it to let them inside the low stone wall that surrounded the front of the estate. Scarlett immediately started walking down the small stone path surrounded by flowers that led to the entrance. Allyssa felt a pull on her sleeve and looked to see Shin signaling for her to follow. She shook her head free from any stray thoughts she''d had about the cost of all of this and also started walking down the path.


    As Scarlett reached the mansion its broad doors were opened by a slightly older woman wearing a loose dark gown with a wide skirt, with greying hair at the temples.


    "Welcome, my Lady. Your room has been prepared and the chef is ready to arrange dinner if you are hungry," the woman said and stepped to the side as Scarlett walked inside. Allyssa and Shin followed behind a moment after, entering into a decently sized foyer with tapestries and several paintings inside it. Several doors led to other rooms and there was also a set of stairs that led to the next floor.


    "Thank you. Dinner would be appreciated. I am quite weary and have not yet eaten," Scarlett said as she moved to the center of the foyer.


    The older servant had a look of surprise for a moment, but gave a curtsy as her expression relaxed. "I will inform the chef."


    "Prepare something for my guests too," Scarlett added.


    The woman glanced at Allyssa and Shin. "As you wish, my Lady." She then walked off and through a set of doors at the end of a short hallway.


    Allyssa looked around, unsure what to do now. Then another door opened and a middle-aged man with slicked-back black hair in a black suit entered the foyer before bowing towards Scarlett. "My Lady, welcome to Elystead. It''s always a pleasure to have you here."


    Scarlett appeared to examine him for a moment. "Yes, I imagine it might," she said slowly, then looked around. "Is my sister here?"


    "Madame Evelyne is upstairs in the office. She has been busy the whole day with matters related to the fief and the business here in the capital."


    "I see." Scarlett turned her attention back to the man, then signaled towards Allyssa and Shin. "Prepare rooms for these two for the night. They are under my employ and will be staying here for some time."


    "Of course, my Lady. I will see it done," he responded without hesitation, giving the two of them a curious look.


    "Prepare an extra room too," Scarlett said after a second, as the older woman seemed to have thought of something. "It will likely be required soon."


    "Understood. Do you wish for me to do it at once?"


    "Yes, that would be preferable."


    "Then I will take my leave." The man climbed the stairs at the end of the foyer and disappeared around a corner.


    Scarlett turned back to look at them and it looked like she was about to say something when Allyssa suddenly spotted another person appear at the top of the stairs. A woman not much older than Allyssa herself, with short brown hair¡ªa hint of red to it¡ªthat split at the front and hung over part of her right eye. She had light freckles and a beauty mark under her right lip, and the clothes she wore were a relaxed set of white woolen pants and a shirt.


    "You''re finally here," the woman said and Allyssa saw how the previously apathetic expression on Scarlett''s face immediately grew more frigid. "Wasn''t the Kilnstone transit scheduled for three? I thought you would''ve arrived sooner."


    Scarlett seemed to try and control her expression for a second before she turned to the woman. "I had business that needed attending."


    "...Of course." The younger woman walked down and stopped at the foot of the stairs. She looked at Allyssa and Shin. "And they are?"


    "A pair of Shielders that will be under my employ for now."


    Allyssa noticed a small frown appear on the woman''s face at Scarlett''s words.


    "What about the other one?"


    "Other matters arose within the Guild that Miss Breeden had to attend to. These two are the replacements she arranged before leaving."


    "I see." The younger woman drew her mouth together. Now that Allyssa looked closer, she thought she could see the resemblance between Scarlett and this woman.


    "I am Evelyne Hartford," the woman said. "Scarlett''s younger sister. It''s a pleasure to meet you." She sounded a lot more friendly than Scarlett had when she introduced herself.


    Allyssa smiled. "Hello. I''m Allyssa Astrey, and he''s Shin Thornthon. We''re both C-ranked senior Shielders here at the Guild Branch in Elystead. Nice meeting you."


    Evelyne raised an eyebrow at her. Allyssa was really starting to see the resemblance between the two sisters now, despite the difference in their characters.


    "Astrey?" Evelyne asked. "Could you be related to...?"


    Allyssa nodded. "Yes. He''s my father." She was used to that reaction. Anyone that knew even a little about the Shields Guild''s affairs would recognize the name.


    Evelyne wore a surprised expression on her face. "I remember hearing some impressive stories about your father when I was younger. From what I know he and my father were acquaintances. It''s a surprise to meet his daughter like this."


    Allyssa let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah, my dad knows a lot of people..."


    "Did you have need of me for something?" Scarlett suddenly asked Evelyne. "Or did you merely come down to greet me upon my arrival?"


    "...No, there was nothing special right now." Evelyne looked away from Allyssa and at Scarlett.


    "Then we can leave further discussions for another time," Scarlett said as she began moving towards the stairs to leave the foyer. Before she reached them, though, she turned back to Allyssa and Shin. "You can speak to the servants regarding the lodgings and the meals. I believe anything else can wait for now. Take care not to sleep in tomorrow, as we will be leaving early."


    With that, the red-haired woman spun around and disappeared up the stairs, leaving Allyssa and Shin alone with the younger of the two noble sisters.


    Evelyne let out a sigh as she looked at the two of them. "I''m sorry for my sister. She mostly only deals with other nobles and is a bit hard to deal with."


    Allyssa put up her hands. "Ah, it''s fine. Really. She doesn''t seem too bad." The baroness was a bit intimidating, but she hadn''t been that bad. Besides, if she was a friend of Kat then there had to be something good to her.


    "We''re only hired to act as her escort. I think the Baroness is generous enough in her treatment, considering she''s decided to let us stay here for the duration of the contract," Shin said. "We won''t complain as long as we can do our job without issue."


    Evelyne examined them for a second. "All right, if you say so. I hope you enjoy your stay. Maybe we will get more chances to talk in the future, but for now, I have to get back to work." She gave them a short goodbye before also walking up the stairs and disappearing.


    Allyssa looked at Shin, who looked back at her. They looked at the fancy foyer around them before meeting eyes again. Allyssa shrugged her shoulders. "This might be kind of fun. I''ve always wanted to try and live in one of these places."


    Shin just shook his head with a small smile.

 Chapter 36 - Introductions 2.0

    "Ehm, if you don''t mind me asking, what exactly are we doing here?" a bright voice sounded out behind Scarlett as she gazed at the grizzled exterior of a large wooden building. It stood at the end of a narrow street ladled with tight alleyways and older houses. While the neighborhood couldn''t quite be described as dirty, it certainly appeared lived in.


    Scarlett turned around to look at the short young woman who had asked the question. Allyssa wore a mix of pale blue clothing and brown leather armor that was partially visible through the front of the dark blue cape, along with the lids of flasks of some kind hanging from a bandolier under the cape. She had long blonde hair that was mostly curled up in the hood of her cape, along with a pair of large leather goggles that sat upon her head for some reason.


    "Are you here to meet someone?" Shin, the young man that stood next to Allyssa, asked. He was almost a head taller than his colleague, with short black hair; deep, tanned skin; and a hefty scar above his left eye that looked like a claw-mark of some kind. Unlike Allyssa, though, he only wore a light set of brown clothes right now ¡ª if you discounted the shield he had strapped to his back and the oddly-shaped sword that hung from his side. Scarlett seemed to recall that in the game it was a type of weapon you could often find in the eastern part of the empire and the Unresting Steppes.


    "One could say that, yes," Scarlett answered as she looked over the two new Shielders working for her. She had only first met them the day before so she didn''t know much about them. But they looked capable enough, probably. Her eye wasn''t exactly trained in these matters, but she trusted in Kat''s and the Guild''s judgement. They were a bit young if you asked her, but she couldn''t really criticize. You were probably considered an adult around fifteen or sixteen in this world, if she were to guess. And she herself had been their age when she had had to start taking care of herself and her sister.


    It didn''t hurt that the Allyssa girl was apparently the daughter of an influential character from the game. Scarlett had been surprised when she first heard the name Astrey from the girl''s mouth, but she sure wouldn''t mind the chance of establishing a relationship with Allyssa''s father in the future.


    Said girl was giving her an odd look right now. "Don''t you think you''ll stick out too much?"


    Scarlett followed Allyssa''s eyes down to the dark lavender dress she was wearing. It was one of the less ostentatious dresses Scarlett owned, with a relatively simple cut and not too many embellishments. But it was still the dress of a noble. She did have some ''simpler'' clothes¡ªlike the travel clothes she often used when she went out with Kat¡ªbut in general, she felt more comfortable in this type of clothing when she didn''t have to do anything physically taxing. No doubt a consequence of the original''s influence.


    "That might be the case," she said. "But I see no reason to concern myself with it. Only a fool would attempt anything untoward, and I bear no scruples towards teaching fools a lesson." She swore, if any morning drunk tried something with her, she''d make sure they couldn''t sit right for weeks. If she was lucky they might even be a person that was strong enough to have some form of magical defense and she wouldn''t have to hold back. She''d grown to enjoy using her pyro and hydrokinesis after all her sparring with Kat.


    She turned back to the building before them. The morning sun was still inching higher in the sky, although not much of the direct sunlight made it down to this street because of the surrounding buildings. The particular building she was looking at right now was the pub she''d been given directions to the day before by the man who worked at that jewellery stall, ''The Whishing Cod''. She had wanted to make sure that they arrived at this place early enough so that those who were staying here¡ªbecause despite having been called a pub in the game it was basically an inn of sorts¡ªhad woken up, but not yet moved out for the day. While the companion could be found during most times of the day in the game, she couldn''t assume that would be the same here.


    Leaving that early did mean that Scarlett had missed the chance to talk to Evelyne about the potential businesses here during the morning, though. And she''d been too tired the night before to push herself through having a longer conversation with the younger Hartford sister. She''d have to do it later on, it seemed.


    She began striding forward toward the pub and opened its weathered doors. Inside, she was met by a wide room filled with several tables of different shapes and sizes, the space lit mostly by candles set upon simple wood chandeliers that hung from the ceiling by iron chains. The lower half of the room''s walls looked like murals of stones stacked atop each other in an old-fashioned manner, with wooden beams running along them. The upper part was made of a simple, murky white stone that she had seen on many of the buildings in this part of the city. In addition to the tables and the people sitting at them, there was also a large unlit hearth set into one of the walls, along with a bar at the far end of the room beneath a set of wooden stairs. The bar was currently manned by a short stout man who was leaning over the counter and speaking with a guest.


    She scanned the room, taking in its inhabitants. She hadn''t been entirely certain it was true, but as she''d been told it did indeed seem like this place was pretty active in the mornings. The tables were at least half full right now, with probably over thirty people spread across the room. As her eyes roamed across the space she saw a team of men drinking while playing dice, a woman with long hair and her back turned to the entrance playing a light tune on some instrument in her hands, a pair of men in thick brown robes that looked to be busy eating breakfast, until her gaze finally locked onto the figure of a young man sitting alone at one of the smaller tables in the corner of the room. Wearing simple grey clothes, he had a lean but athletic build and looked to either be a young adult or in his late teens. Though he almost seemed to lean into himself with the way he sat, as if very poorly trying not to catch anyone''s attention, he had a very distinct appearance with his wild, neck-length hair that was a stark white.


    She found him.


    Her entrance appeared to have caught the attention of some of the pub''s patrons but she completely ignored that as she turned back to the two Shielders that entered behind her. "Find a table and buy something to eat if you did not do so before we left. I will compensate you for any costs," she said as the two looked at her.


    "What about you?" Allyssa asked.


    Scarlett looked back at the lone figure in the corner of the room. "I have some matters to discuss with that individual."


    Both Allyssa and Shin glanced towards where she was looking. "Oh. Well, alright then. Just... give us a sign if you need help with anything, ok?" Saying that, Allyssa pulled her fellow Shielder along and they found seats at one of the nearby tables. Scarlett then returned her focus to the companion and started walking towards him.


    She genuinely hadn''t been expecting to find him this fast. Yes, he was found here the majority of the time in the game, but it had never been clear why. When it was a game she just assumed it was due to convenient game design. No real reason needed. But his backstory said that¡ªat this point in time¡ªhe took on a lot of different jobs here and there, doing what he could to earn some money without catching too much attention. As such, it was only reasonable that in real life he wouldn''t always be found in this place. But here he was.


    Perhaps she should just consider herself lucky, as it would save her all the time it would have taken trying to track him down by herself.


    When she neared his table, his head immediately shot up from the tray of sausages and potatoes he''d been eating to her. He stared at her with clear yellow eyes that almost seemed to glow a little. She met his gaze as she walked up to the chair opposite him, contemplating the crumbs and dust on it for a moment, before sitting down.


    "...Who are you?" he asked her warily. There wasn''t even an attempt on his part at trying to act casual.


    "I am your future employer," she said, putting her hand into the black pouch hanging off her waist and pulling out the [Mark of the Gale], placing the bone-like ring on the table between them.


    His eyes went wide at the action, staring at the white ring. Several seconds passed without him even saying a word. Suddenly, his hand moved like the wind and grabbed the ring, his mouth agape as he held it aloft in front of him. Scarlett leisurely drummed her finger against the table as she let him inspect it until, finally, he seemed to remember her presence. He immediately put the ring back on the table and sat up straight, looking uncertain of what to say. "That''s... that''s a nice ring."


    A small smile bore on her lips. "That it is." She had seen a scene similar to this in the game, yet it was interesting seeing it play out in the flesh. This was the first example she had seen of anything character-related from the game translating so directly to this world.


    "Why do you have it? I mean¡ª" He scratched the side of his cheek as he glanced to the side. "Why would you take something like that out?"


    "To return it to you."


    He stopped, his eyes moving back to her. "What?"


    "To answer both of your questions," Scarlett said. "I sought it out in order to return it to you."


    He stared at her for several more seconds. "What?"


    "I sought the ring out in order to return it to you."


    "...Why?"


    He didn''t question her words, which she hadn''t expected him to do either. In the game he had been able to tell when people lied¡ªat least to a certain degree, though she didn''t know where the limit was¡ªso she had planned this encounter based on that premise. It was important that she gained at least some of his trust.


    "Are you not its rightful owner?" she asked, gesturing towards the ring.


    He pulled his arms back from where they had moved close to the ring. "N-No, I don''t know what you''re talking about. I''ve never seen it before."


    She shook her head slowly. "I never said that you had. But I believe it is a bit late to claim you are not aware of what it is."


    She picked it up, seeing him jolt slightly as she touched it, and brought it up to her face to look at the carvings on the inside. "''The brood of Grehalyr howls ¡ª The gale answers ¡ª King of the peaks ¡ª Brook no pretenders.''" She watched his eyes slowly widen once more as she recited what she remembered the carvings saying, though she might have got a word or two wrong. "To me it appears as if not simply anyone should hold this artifact. Then is it not only right that you have it?" She looked at him. "After all, you are not simply anyone."


    "...Who are you? How can you read that?" he asked much more seriously.


    "I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford and, as I said, your future employer." She turned the ring around between her fingers. "As for your second question: the truth is that I am unable to read it myself. I have, however, seen a translation of it. Although I cannot entirely speak for its accuracy."


    "I''ve never heard of you," he said after a moment. "What do you want with me?"


    She raised an eyebrow and signaled to the ring in her hand. "I believe I only a moment ago told you I intend to return this to you?"


    "That''s all?"


    "No. Did I also not make my intention of hiring you clear?"


    He blinked, as if he just now realized the meaning of her earlier words. Knowing him, he probably did.


    "I went through quite a bit of trouble to acquire this," she continued. "It would truly be a shame were you not to accept it."


    His attention seemed to continually shift between her and the ring, as if he was unsure what was the most important. He eventually stopped with his focus on her. "Do you know what that is?" he asked.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "I do," she said.


    "How?"


    She smiled at him. "Suffice it to say that I uncovered it during some of my research."


    He eyed her for a while. "You''re lying."


    Oh? He could tell that much? It wasn''t a complete lie on her part¡ªmore akin to a half-truth with her being vague with what ''research'' actually entailed¡ªso she hadn''t been sure whether he would notice or not. It did make her wonder how that ability of his actually worked. She would assume it had something to do with hearing or smell, but there was bound to be some magic to it too considering how neither of those were entirely reliable sources.


    Letting out a low sigh, as if she was reluctant to share more, she spoke. "While I am not lying, it is accurate that my words were not the whole truth. That is not something I can share with you at this time, for reasons beyond simple secrecy. I can however tell you that I am aware of your history, as well as your current situation."


    She looked at him quietly for a few seconds. "You can rest assured that I wish you no harm. In fact, I wish to offer you a deal that would be in both of our favor. I think you will find it is a far better alternative than aimlessly completing odd jobs here in Elystead." She put the ring back on the table between them, his eyes moving down with it.


    "So you just want to hire me?"


    She gave a short nod. "Indeed."


    "For what, exactly?"


    "Simply to be under my employ," she said. "I have need of someone of your talents. I would not have you waste away in a place such as this when there is so much potential in you. Potential which I am willing to develop, for the benefit of both you and me." She pointed at the ring. "You can wear it. Consider it a sign of faith on my part."


    He gave her a bewildered look before slowly moving to pick the ring up again. Once more he moved it between his fingers, looking almost reverent of the artifact, before finally putting it on his right hand''s middle finger. The ring immediately shrank in size to fit and a strong wind blew around the table, ruffling the hair of both of them. Scarlett had to mentally force herself to ignore the stares the phenomenon gathered as she began fixing her hair and observed the young white-haired man''s eyes light up for a brief moment. Then he was just staring out into the empty air, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Scarlett wasn''t sure what he actually experienced from equipping the ring¡ªthat had never been made clear in the game¡ªbut she assumed it was something important to his backstory.


    It took a while, but eventually, he returned to the present, his gaze slowly shifting to her.


    "I-I never believed I would find this. I gave up on it long ago. You..." He looked at her, then the ring. "T-Thank you."


    Scarlett fought away a frown as she corrected the last of her disarrayed hair. "I am glad that my gift was satisfactory. And what do you have to say to my offer?"


    His expression changed from that of gratitude to uncertainty once more. "I...I don''t know. I have things I have to take care of. People that..." He trailed off. "I don''t know if I can trust you."


    Well okay, it wasn''t that easy then. But she hadn''t expected it to be either.


    "Under normal circumstances, the work you would perform would only include escorting me. Occasionally I might require you to aid in the exploration of ruins and the like, fighting certain monsters along with others under my employ, as well as completing other minor tasks I give you," she said. "However; food and lodging will be provided by me, as well as any necessary equipment. In addition to that, you will also be paid 500 solars every month."


    "500?!" he exclaimed loudly enough for the group of men playing dice a few tables over to look over at them, joining the assortment of eyes that were already watching them. Well whatever, it wasn''t as if any of the people here mattered right now.


    "That is what I said, yes." She''d had an inkling that would convince him some.


    He hesitatingly looked at the ring, seeming to consider it for several seconds. Finally, he gave a quiet nod. "Ok. I''ll do it." Then he gave her an intense stare. "But this better not be some kind of trick."


    Her eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"


    He paused, blinking for a moment, before suddenly bringing his hands up in the air in front of him. "Oh, n-nono, I didn''t mean it like that, definitely not like that," he hurriedly said. "I just meant that if it was then I couldn''t continue working for you and would have to quit even if you''re paying really well and know who I am and about the ring but I definitely didn''t mean to threaten you or anything I promise."


    It was weird seeing him like this, being so close in real life to how he was at the start of the game. And to think this doofus would run around like a mad dog by the end of the game, beating people up left and right. Bad people, yes; but still people.


    "Then I believe we have an agreement," she said as she watched him calm down. "Perhaps it is time that you introduce yourself as well, now."


    "Ah." A look of realization came upon his face. "I''m Fynn. Just Fynn. I''ll, eh, be under your care? Or would it be the opposite?"


    "I imagine there will be cases of both." She brought a hand into her pouch to pull out ten silver coins worth 100 solars. "This is a small advance you can use as necessary."


    She''d made sure to have some coin on her to solve any immediate problems until she could earn some more from the Cabal Adept''s equipment or another dungeon run. And Fynn should definitely need the money at this point in time.


    He looked at the coins for a moment, before picking them up and putting them into one of his pockets. "Thank you."


    [Quest completed: Recruit companion ¡ª Fyntrarth Grehaldrae]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}


    Scarlett stared at the window that appeared before her. To think there''d be a quest for this. And it gave 5 skill points too.


    The companions had been a pretty important part of the allure of ''Chronicle of Realms''. All of them had pretty extensive backstories and questlines, with their own unique classes and dialogues that could affect how the story went at times. While you could only ever have four of them in your party, there had been ten different possible companions¡ªor rather eleven, but the last one was one that you eventually had to get no matter what¡ªthat could be divided into three categories. Those who were ''good'' and would only stick with the player in a ''good'' run; those who were ''evil'' and would only stick with the player in an ''evil'' run; and those who could be ''neutral'', if you didn''t really go for either of those alternatives in the main story. The split between the companions had essentially been even, with five of the companions being available for a good run and five for the evil run. Three of the companions from both of the categories had also been possible choices for neutral runs.


    Fynn had been one of the pure ''good'' companions, but that was only insofar that it was the only one of three possible main routes where you fought directly with the Hallowed Cabal.


    "So, uhm, what now then?" he asked, suddenly glancing around the pub.


    "Meeting with you was the lone reason I had to visit this place," Scarlett began. "Next, we leave and..." Her words came to a halt and she snapped her head to the side.


    "Leave and wha¡ª"


    "Silence." She raised her hand into the air as she looked around, inspecting the room.


    And oh she lived, that she did~


    She bilked, she duped,


    and she kept her way~


    Tilde, never once did she keep her say~


    She was a scamp, a cheat,


    but she kept you astray~


    The low and soft singing spread out across the room, not quite overtaking the clamor of the pub''s guests, but carrying a distinct tone nonetheless. A tone that Scarlett recognized.


    Her eyes locked onto the source of the singing at the other end of the large room. A back covered by long, curled brown hair with the neck of a tall instrument sticking out to the left. It was the woman Scarlett had seen playing when she first entered the building.


    She turned back to Fynn. "Further conversation will have to wait," she said and pointed towards the table near the entrance where her two new Shielder hires sat. "Those two are Shielders contracted by me. You may introduce yourself to them. New matters have come to my attention that I must attend to."


    "What? But I don''t know wh¡ª" She stood up and began walking across the room. "Oh okay, I guess I''ll go and say hello?" she heard him mutter as she moved away. The quest was already completed anyway.


    She kept her eyes on the back of the woman who was singing, concentrating to separate the singing from the rest of the noise around her.


    Tilde once tried to be a li''l honest~


    Her attempts all flew out the window~


    Scarlett was certain now. This was a song that sometimes played in taverns in the game. She''d heard it countless times.


    The eyes of the group listening to the woman''s playing turned to Scarlett as she approached. A couple of them seemed to notice her clothing and quietly turned around to their own tables. Some of the others had awkward expressions on their faces.


    Just as Scarlett stopped behind her, the woman stopped her music and turned around. She wore a simple white shirt with a thin brown vest over it, and in addition to her long, wavy hair, the woman had clear violet eyes as well as vague freckles across her nose and cheeks. She almost seemed to frown for a brief moment when she first saw Scarlett, but as soon as it had appeared the expression was gone, replaced by a smile playing across the woman''s face.


    "Come over to admire my singing? There''s always place for more in the crowd," the woman said. Then she looked back at the people who were pretending not to pay attention. "Especially now that I seem to have lost some of them."


    Scarlett stared at her, taking in the woman''s appearance. What mattered here wasn''t that she recognized the song from the game. What mattered was that she recognized the voice.


    This woman was another of the game''s companions.


    "It can''t be? Did I strike you mute?" the woman suddenly said, staring at Scarlett with an exaggerated expression and her hand covering her mouth. "My, this is a first even for me."


    "You are Rosalina Hale, are you not?" Scarlett asked.


    The woman grinned as she leaned her instrument¡ªwhich looked like some variant of a hurdy-gurdy with a longer neck¡ªagainst the side of her chair and leaned forward over the backrest. She rolled one of her arms in the air before her as she dipped her neck in a mock-elegant curtsy. "It seems my reputation precedes me. It is indeed I, Rosalina Hale, balladeer extraordinaire." She turned her head up, a large grin on her face. "Though people usually just call me Rosa. But it''s always a delight meeting another fan of mine."


    She leaned her elbow on the back of her seat, resting her chin against her palm. "So, what''d you come over here for? It can''t be you actually want my autograph? I''ll have to warn you that I don''t sign body parts, and I don''t have a brush either."


    Scarlett frowned. "Is that a request people actually make?" She didn''t even know they had autographs here.


    The woman shot her another smile. "Not really, no. But sometime''s got to be the first, am I right?"


    Scarlett looked at her for several seconds, feeling the irritation bubbling up. She hadn''t considered it, but this... was going to be grating with the way her personality currently was.


    "So it is in actuality more of a fixation on your part, rather than the legitimate desire of any alleged admirers," she said soberly. "If so I suggest you keep any further such fascinations to yourself. I have other matters to discuss with you."


    Rosa wore an amused expression. "Well, color me intrigued. Not only did you see through my dastardly intentions, but you also have business with me? I hope I''m not in any trouble."


    In ''Chronicle of Realms'', Rosalina Hale had been one of the good/neutral companions that Scarlett had had in her party for her first playthrough. While Rosa came with her own problems, she had been one of Scarlett''s favorite characters in the game and had a unique support class, which was why Scarlett had considered looking for her in the future. But even though Rosa could be recruited in several different places in the game, ''The Whishing Cod'' had never been one of them.


    Scarlett truly hadn''t been expecting to run into the woman this early. In fact, what were even the odds of meeting two of the game''s companions in the same place like this? Two of the more reasonable ones, to boot. That was one heck of a coincidence. Should she just consider herself lucky?


    "Do I have something on my face?" Rosa put her free hand to wipe her cheek. "Maybe I shouldn''t have had that gravy earlier."


    "...You simply reminded me of someone," Scarlett said, watching the woman flick her hand as if she''d actually removed some of the non-existing sauce. "But it is of no matter. As I said, I have something to discuss with you. A proposal."


    Rosa''s brows rose. "A proposal? How scandalous. We barely know each other."


    Scarlett gave the woman a long look. Right, this is about what she should have expected. "I see you are quite carefree."


    "Ehhhh, I dunno about that," Rosa said, now running her finger over the backrest. "I prefer blithe. It has a better ring to it."


    "I see," Scarlett slowly responded. She felt very odd seeing Rosa like this. One part of her wanted to chastise the woman for her manners, the other didn''t really mind and actually enjoyed seeing Rosa in real life like this. "In any event," she eventually said. "My name is Scarlett, and I have need of your services. I would ensure that you are paid handsomely if you were to come under my employ for the near future."


    Rosa looked at her with slight surprise. "You want to hire me? What for? I know what I said, but I don''t really do solo performances."


    "I would not ask that you perform," Scarlett said. "I am aware that you have other qualities to offer."


    Rosa''s forehead furrowed. "...I''m not sure I''m smelling what you''re cooking here."


    "Then I suggest a probationary contract. Further questions can be answered in the future, but if you agree to my terms you will be compensated with 500 solars every month, as well as several other benefits." Several of the people nearby reacted at her mention of 500 solars. She hadn''t been expecting to hire another person this soon so she might be stretching it here¡ªEvelyne probably wouldn''t like it at least¡ªbut this much shouldn''t be a problem. And she didn''t want to throw away this chance of getting her hands on another of the game''s companions. With Rosa''s help it would also be much easier to clear one of the dungeons near Elystead that had an item Scarlett wanted.


    "500 solars? Now that doesn''t sound too bad." Rosa looked at her for a second. "Probationary, you said? I''m not your stays-in-one-place kind of gal, but I''ll listen to whatever it is you want me to do here for you. Who knows, maybe it''ll be fun?"


    "Good," Scarlett said, beginning to turn around. "Then you can follow me. I shall explain further what this would entail."


    Rosa got up and picked up her instrument, spinning around to give the people she''d been playing for a wave. "Sorry, looks like the show''s over. You guys were great, though. I was really feeling it."


    Then traipsing over to Scarlett, Rosa had a slight sparkle in her eyes. "Ok, let''s see what interesting stuff you have for me then. Just don''t get too sad when I jump the ship if this turns out to be some kinda frolicky rabbit-orgy cult." She shivered. "I''m not doing that again."


    Scarlett looked at her. She was half-tempted to ask whether that was a joke or not. "...I do not anticipate that to be a problem," she said as she started walking towards the entrance of the pub where Fynn appeared to have introduced himself to the other two at one of the tables. "Although I also cannot promise that it will always be interesting."


    "That''s fine." Rosa smiled beside her, leaning her hurdy-gurdy look-alike over her shoulder. "For this kinda coin? I''ll make it interesting."


    [Quest completed: Recruit companion ¡ª Rosalina Hale]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}

 Chapter 37 - The interview

    The others looked up at them as Scarlett approached with Rosa in tow. Both Allyssa and Shin gave Rosa a curious look but didn''t say anything.


    "We will be leaving now," Scarlett said as she looked down at their table. There were half-eaten lumps of bread on it, along with two bowls of some brown soup. She hadn''t given them much time to actually have their meal, she realized. Well, they could probably get something else later on.


    "You''re done then?" Allyssa asked. "I thought you only had business with..." She looked at the white-haired young man that now sat next to her. "Fynn was it, right?."


    "Hmm? Yes." Fynn answered after a second. "But to be honest I don''t really know what I''m supposed to do here."


    "That''s a laugh," Rosa cut in from the side, moving closer to the table. "Neither do I." She smiled at them, then seemed to look closer at Fynn. "Aren''t you the guy who fought with the barkeep last night?"


    "Oh, you''re the weird singing lady," he said as he appeared to recognize her. He then shook his head. "And no, that was just a misunderstanding. I only told him this place smelled."


    "Ah, of course. That''s one of the classics." Rosa nodded her head sagely, apparently not minding being described as a ''weird singing lady''. "I always tell people their homes smell too, and they always get mad for some reason. People just don''t appreciate compliments these days."


    Fynn gave her a slightly confused look. "But I wasn''t trying to compliment him?"


    "Well, there''s your problem then."


    His forehead knitted together as if he didn''t quite understand the meaning behind Rosa''s words, when Allyssa leaned in beside him. "Why would you tell the barkeep that his business smelled?"


    "I thought it would be good if he knew. There was a rotten piece of meat under the stairs."


    The people around the table went quiet for a moment.


    "...Who are these two supposed to be?" Shin eventually asked, looking at Scarlett as he signaled towards both Fynn and Rosa.


    "They are people I have hired, in part to assist you in your work," Scarlett responded. She gestured to Rosa. "Her name is Rosalina. And it appears you have already been introduced to Fynn." She pointed to the white-haired young man next to Allyssa.


    Rosa brought her hand up and fluttered her fingers in what resembled a wave. "You can just call me Rosa."


    Allyssa met her greeting. "Hello. I''m Allyssa. This is Shin. We''re both Shielders."


    Shin gave a short nod.


    "Shielders?" Rosa gave them an inquisitive look, before turning to Scarlett. "You work for her?"


    "That''s right." Allyssa brought out a small blue badge with the Shields Guild symbol on it. "We''re her escorts."


    Rosa raised an eyebrow at that. "You have escorts?"


    "I do, though it is a rather recent development. We can leave any further questions to when we are moving," Scarlett said and started walking towards the exit.


    The others quickly caught up to her after she''d exited the pub onto the narrow street outside. From there she followed the street down to where it ended in a small intersection with another street, before turning a few corners until she eventually reached a slightly wider street that was large enough for carriages to pass through. The Foreign Quarter was a pretty densely populated district in Elystead, but unlike some of the similar areas in Freybrook, you weren''t only limited to traversing on foot everywhere here. Their carriage was parked in front of the opening of an empty alleyway, and the coachman immediately started preparing it when he saw them approaching.


    Rosa looked at the carriage with some surprise as the coachman¡ªwho Scarlett had overheard being called Tobia by the maid lady at the mansion here in the capital earlier today¡ªgreeted Scarlett and opened the carriage door for her.


    "You''re a noble?" the woman asked, glancing at the Hartford crest depicting a deer on the side of the vehicle.


    "I am," Scarlett said.


    "That explains the money," Rosa hummed as Scarlett climbed inside the carriage. The others soon followed, with Allyssa, Shin, and Fynn pressing themselves into the seat opposite Scarlett and Rosa sitting down beside her. This particular carriage wasn''t quite designed for this many occupants.


    Scarlett looked out the window as the carriage rolled into motion. She was planning on dealing with the Cabal Adepts'' equipment today. After that, she was also planning on paying a visit to the Elystead Tower: the imperial mage tower here in the capital. She wanted to get these matters out of the way before the Light Fest began the next day, as things in the city would get a lot busier then. In addition to that, the Elysian Proclamation was supposed to take place on the third day of the event, on the 2nd of September. Almost a whole month after she first arrived here in this world.


    To be honest, she wasn''t quite sure what to expect of the event. It wasn''t something the player was ever involved in when she played the game. She knew it was a gathering in the Dawnlight Palace where a lot of nobles would be, swearing their allegiance to the emperor and reaffirming old oaths. Supposedly it had been a tradition for centuries, ever since the Empire began. She learned that much from a book describing some of the festivals celebrated in the empire, but she hadn''t found anything that went into the particulars of what the nobles did per se, so there was some nervousness present for her. And she was pretty certain it wasn''t something she could skip out on as the head of the Hartford family. But this was why she had spent several days reading up on some of the decorum and noble families before getting here. Hopefully, she would be able to get through it without any major issues.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "So," Rosa sang from the side. "What kind of noble are you? The ''my great-great-grandfather was recognized by the emperor'' kind? The ''my mansion is bigger than your village'' kind? Or maybe the princess-on-the-run kind ¡ª fleeing from being locked up in a castle, wanting to experience the world?"


    Scarlett frowned. "Do not disparage the imperial family," she found herself saying before she even realized it.


    Well, that was annoying. She had noticed signs of this earlier, but there seemed to be some odd fixation on the capital, the imperial palace, and the imperial family leftover from the original that still affected her pretty severely. The funny thing was that, despite being a bit clich¨¦, Rosa''s word wasn''t too far off when it came to this empire''s princess.


    Scarlett turned to look at the woman. "I am a baroness. Scarlett Hartford, Lady of the ancestral Stagmond keep."


    "Hartford?" Rosa Knitted her brows. "I think I recognize that. Didn''t you have a fight with some criminals in Freybrook or something? I remember reading that in the Chronicle."


    "Now that you mention it, I also remember that," Allyssa mumbled.


    Scarlett held in a sigh. "Yes, that was me. However, those claims were greatly exaggerated."


    Rosa let out a small laugh. "I never would have guessed, just looking at you."


    "And what might you mean with that?" Scarlett questioned.


    "You don''t exactly give out the ''people''s hero'' vibe, you know? Unless this isn''t how you usually are, and you just happened to eat a bad olive for breakfast."


    "Describing me as the ''people''s hero'' is an even greater exaggeration than the original claims," Scarlett said coldly. "I will not refute your words; however, I do wonder why you appear to be so certain that it is safe for you to dare speak so carelessly in my presence when that is your assessment of me."


    "You could say I have an eye for these things." Rosa grinned. "I can tell that, deep inside, you have the soul and compassion of a cute little doe."


    Scarlett stared at her.


    "Ok, maybe a porcupine," Rosa said after a moment. "But an adorable one."


    From what Scarlett knew, Rosa didn''t actually have any special ability related to anything like that, so that was most likely supposed to be a joke.


    "You know, I don''t know how I missed it, but now that I look closely." Rosa squinted her eyes. "You''re definitely a noble. I can practically see the nobly-ness ooze off you. Waves of it. Just flowing everywhere." She turned her head forward and nodded loftily twice. "Indeed, quite noble."


    "Wonderful," Scarlett said. She didn''t bother hiding the steely sarcasm in her voice. Nor the slight irritation. "I am glad that I have your approval."


    The carriage descended into silence for a few seconds. "I thought the dress would have been a pretty clear sign she was a noble," Allyssa then suddenly said and everybody''s attention turned to the apparel in question.


    "Is it expensive?" Fynn asked.


    "I think so. I haven''t seen many normal people wear anything like it, at least."


    Scarlett glanced down at her lavender dress. This was still considered an obvious noble dress? Though it was a cut above what she saw most people wear in this world, it was far from the most lavish the original Scarlett had in her repertoire. She, as Amy, had even had one similar to it back in her world. That was even part of the reason she chose this one. Maybe she was underestimating the worth of some of the materials for clothes like these in this world.


    "Oh," Rosa blurted out from next to Scarlett. She glimpsed the female musician look at her dress as if this was the first she had seen of it. Rosa was quiet for just a second, then gave a bright smile.


    "I must have missed that somehow." She gave another short laugh. "I can''t tell left from right with fashion. You could put a dress on an elephant and I wouldn''t be able to tell you if it looks good or not. Not to say you''re an elephant. But if you were, I''m sure you''d be the envy of all the other large noble elephant ladies."


    "Then it is fortunate that the work I would have you do does not rely upon your fashional acumen," Scarlett said. "Nor on your ability to offer compliments."


    "Oh, but I''m great at compliments." Rosa grinned. "It''s all about what kind of compliments I''m giving." She picked up her instrument¡ªScarlett was just going to call it a hurdy-gurdy¡ªfrom where she''d put it on the seat next to her, patting the lacquered wooden side. "But I''m curious. What exactly is this work you want me to do? Most people come to me because of this baby." Her smile grew a bit more playful and she pointed to herself. "And, of course, because of this baby."


    "I am certain that they do," Scarlett said coolly, then gestured to the three people opposite them. "Their job will be to escort me, as well as aid me in future excursions." She looked towards Rosa. "Your job, should you choose to accept it, would include supporting them in their endeavors. This would denote some degree of danger¡ªwhich is the reason for the high wage¡ªbut there is not a large risk of severe injury. Of that, I can assure you. And the potential benefits on your part far outweigh merely the wage."


    Rosa scrunched her eyes up at her. "Benefits like?" she asked, dragging out on the second word.


    Scarlett looked away and out the window. "Being employed in my service would no doubt give you access to artifacts and other useful resources, though I do not know how much would interest you." She paused for a moment. "What might be of more interest to you is the possibility of forging a connection with the head of a noble household. One who happens to hold a large amount of knowledge on a wide number of areas, and whose aid could prove very helpful in the future, should you require it."


    "And that person just so happens to be you?"


    Scarlett gave a nod. "Yes."


    "What makes you so sure I''d be of any use?" Rosa asked.


    "One could say I have an eye for these matters," Scarlett said. She glanced briefly at Rosa, gauging the woman''s expression. While she hadn''t been ready to meet her, and as such hadn''t prepared a proper excuse, she did know something that would almost be guaranteed to convince the woman. But she knew both of them would probably prefer it if she didn''t bring up the matter.


    Thankfully Rosa didn''t seem to mind the vague answer. "Mysterious," the woman said with a smirk. "Now you''ve definitely got me all curious. I think I''ll accept this offer of yours, for now. At least until the other end of the hammer falls."


    She then turned to look at Fynn who had been sitting quietly and listening in on the conversation. "What about you? Did she give you the same offer?"


    His eyes widened slightly. "Yes? No?" He looked at Scarlett. "I''m still a bit confused about the details of what you want me to do."


    "Nothing. For now," Scarlett said. "It would be enough to do as those two, when asked." She gestured towards Allyssa and Shin. "You will have an opportunity to showcase your capabilities soon. Either tomorrow or the day after, presumably. Until then, there is no need to worry about it."


    "Does that hold for me as well?" Rosa asked.


    "Yes, though I do not expect you to always accompany me as they will." Fynn would be really handy to have along¡ªespecially when in more dangerous places¡ªbecause of his excellent perception abilities. As for Rosa... For now, it would be enough to only bring her along when raiding dungeons and on other similar jaunts. "I will ensure that a room is prepared for you at the mansion I am staying in. When I have no need of you, you may do as you wish with your free time."


    "But you''re still paying me?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh, this is definitely too good to be true. Tell me as it is." Rosa eyed her. "This is some kind of scam, isn''t it?"


    "It is not," Scarlett told her.


    "She''s not lying," Fynn said.


    "Well, if he says so, then I guess it must be true." Rosa leaned back in her seat. "Maybe I''ll use the time to finish up the new song I''ve been writing."


    "You create your own songs?" Allyssa asked.


    "Of course I do! No self-respecting bard wouldn''t," Rosa responded.


    Scarlett tuned the ensuing conversation out as she looked out the window at the passing buildings and people.

 Chapter 38 - The fantasy tower

    The first location Scarlett visited with the others was a shop located in The Coins district. She knew from the game that it dealt mainly with magical equipment and artifacts. When she had been thinking of what to do with the Cabal Adepts'' armor it had been one of the first places that came to mind. With most other places, she couldn''t be 100% certain whether they had a tie to the Cabal or not¡ªeven though she assumed most didn''t¡ªbut this one she was sure could be trusted. Chiefly because it, along with the old man who owned it, was involved in one of the questlines to repair a divine piece of equipment¡ªthe most powerful tier¡ªwhen you played the ''good'' route in the game.


    After arriving at the place, she''d had Fynn and Rosa stay behind as Allyssa and Shin helped her bring the equipment inside the shop. The old man working there¡ªwho''d been a dead-ringer to how he appeared in the game¡ªhad looked surprised at the assembly of gear, but hadn''t made any special comment about it. It was possible that he recognized what it was, but Scarlett doubted that. It was more likely that he was just taken aback at seeing several identical sets of such quality, especially with the damage some of the pieces had.


    It turned out the equipment itself wasn''t of much use to him¡ªhe didn''t show much interest in reselling it, and Scarlett had subtly warned against doing so¡ªbut after some negotiating with the man, they had instead come into an agreement regarding the materials themselves, which he did have some interest in. In the end, they agreed that he would buy six of the eight sets she had, with her deciding to keep the two most intact ones in case she ever needed them in the future.


    Unfortunately, the owner hadn''t been able to immediately give her a price for the six sets he bought. He was uncertain of the exact material, and enchantments, placed on the equipment, as well how much of it was repurposable. Apparently, some enchantments on gear could essentially be recycled depending on some factors Scarlett didn''t quite understand, which wasn''t a feature in the game. But that was something Scarlett had had an interest in, so she had asked him to send her a notice when he had appraised everything and to inform her if any of the enchantments could be recycled. His rough guesses for a price from just the first glance had been somewhere in the upper thousands for all six of the sets, which had been less than Scarlett had wished for. But hopefully that estimate would change in the future, after he''d had more time to look into it. The sets were mixes of rare and epic equipment, after all. In the game just one such set could probably run for well over twenty thousand if it was brand new.


    After having finished at that shop and bid their goodbyes, Scarlett had left The Coins district behind along with the others. Traveling along the bustling Sunset Walk to the Ascendant Court at the heart of the city, they''d journeyed past the ever-active Mausoleum as well as the grandiose Ustrum Assembly, all the way to the northern part of the city, where the Wise Quarter was located.


    Elystead was divided into eleven districts, and of those, the Wise Quarter was one of the smaller ones. This part of the city was dominated by fewer, but more extensive, buildings ¡ª several of which Scarlett knew as schools or academies of some sort from the game. It wasn''t quite as busy as the rest of the city was, though there were still a decent amount of people here as the Light Fest itself was just one day away.


    They were currently nearing the eastern end of the district, where a tall and wide tower of smooth white stone stretched into the sky, a few balcony-like framings with blue light hovering above them jutting out from the structure at even intervals all the way to the top. This was the Elystead Tower: the most prominent mage tower in the empire.


    Officially, all of the mage towers in the empire were subsidiaries¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªof the Ustrum Assembly, although Scarlett recalled that it wasn''t quite that simple in reality. While the Ustrum Assembly was the main authority on matters of magic in the Empire, it acted more as an organization or guild. One that the towers belonged to, but didn''t necessarily heed all the time.


    Regardless, Scarlett''s visit to this place didn''t have anything to do with its internal politics or workings. Rather, she''d gone here mainly to get information on a certain matter that related to some of her future plans.


    When the carriage stopped at the edge of a round square in front of the building they all exited the vehicle in short order, with Rosa gazing up at the tall tower and letting out a whistle.


    "It looks even taller up close," Fynn said as he too admired the complex structure. "I almost find it hard to believe that humans could build something like this."


    "It''s the second-highest structure in the capital," Shin commented, his head turning around as he appeared to take in their surroundings. This square was one of the most active spots in the Wise Quarter, with people in different-colored robes milling about to and fro. In other parts of the city it wasn''t too uncommon to see guards and people walking around with weapons on them, but here there was almost none of that. The young Shielder appeared to have observed the same custom, considering he had left his sword and shield in the carriage. "The twin spires of the Dawnlight Palace are the only ones that are taller."


    "Really?" Fynn turned to him with an impressed look. "I''ve only seen them from a distance before. I had no idea they were also that tall."


    "It''s because the palace is built on elevated cliffs. Otherwise the Elystead tower would be thirteen meters higher. They purposely made it shorter back when it was built, as not to offend Emperor Gautier. He was said to be an irritable man."


    "Even when he was the emperor?" Fynn furrowed his brows. "Why didn''t people just stop following him then? I''ve heard rebellions have happened before."


    "There are a dozen different reasons, and while it is true that rebellions have felled dynasties in the past, that has never happened in the empire. It also didn''t help that Emperor Gautier was famed as one of the strongest warriors of his time."


    "Oh. That makes sense then." Fynn nodded his head. "But how do you know all of this?"


    "It''s because he spends all his time with his nose in books," Allyssa said with a joking grimace. "Nobody cares when Emperor Whatever did who-knows-what, but he can''t get enough of it."


    "Maybe if you did care about some of it, I wouldn''t have had to do all of the homework your dad used to give you," Shin casually shot back.


    Scarlett watched the young Shielder girl jam an elbow into her colleague''s side. "Maybe you should keep your trap shut."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Rosa also looked on with a smile. "Ah, young love~" she hummed.


    "Hah." Allyssa let out a short laugh. "He''d be lucky if a girl so much as talked to him. You know, he hasn''t even danced with a girl once in his life."


    Rosa raised a brow. "Oh? But he''s pretty handsome, isn''t he? He''s got that look to him. Cute, with just a splash of rugged to the side. Add a smidge of cool nonchalance, and most girls would be swooning."


    Allyssa shook her head. "It''s the opposite. He just scares them off. If anything, then Fynn would be the handsome one." She gestured towards the white-haired youth that walked to the side, causing him to turn to them with a perplexed expression.


    "Did I do something?"


    "You can ignore it. She gets riled up easily," Shin said.


    "I do not," Allyssa exclaimed.


    Fynn looked on at the two. "But I''m not even a¡ª" he began, but stopped before saying more.


    "If you are about finished," Scarlett cut in as they closed in on the large open brass doors that served as the entrance to the tower. "You can save those conversations for a later time. There is business for me to attend to here."


    Rosa let out a light laugh. "Ah, but don''t you think it''s at least a little bit interesting?"


    "I have no interest in matters of romance, or the lack thereof," Scarlett said. It really was one of the last things she cared to think about in her current circumstances. She hadn''t been on a real date for years before coming here, and now certainly wasn''t the time to start bothering with that. It was bad enough that she had a fianc¨¦ she barely knew.


    She pushed those thoughts to the side and walked through the open doors, entering into a large lobby¡ªit was almost like a chamber, with a curving ceiling lit up by blue magical lights¡ªand moving towards the center of it where a circular area not too dissimilar to a reception was. The rest of the lobby was filled mostly with people in robes, walking between different bookcases spread around the room or conversing at tables that lined the walls.


    Scarlett spotted an empty table and pointed towards it. "These particular proceedings will not require the assistance of any of you. You can wait there until I am finished with what I have come here for."


    "You''re going alone?" Allyssa asked.


    "I am in no danger here."


    "I guess not. But..." The young woman glanced around the room.


    Scarlett stopped for a moment and looked the others over for a moment, considering. "Very well. It would be inconvenient if you all came with, but one of you can. Decide amongst yourselves who." With that, she began walking towards the center of the lobby again, leaving them behind. A little while later Shin caught up to her, giving her an affirmative nod before silently closing in to walk behind her.


    When they reached the center area of the lobby a man sitting behind a crescent-shaped desk peering over a pile of papers looked up at her. He had short, balding hair and wore a deep black robe with long sleeves. "Can I help you?" he drawled out with tired eyes.


    "Yes," Scarlett said, setting herself into the noble persona. "I wish to meet with one of the tower officials."


    There were a couple of things she wanted to discuss with the people here. There were some basic matters that any member could probably give her answers to, but the most important subject point was something that only certain people could help her with. She was going through the list of names in her mind of those who fit that criteria.


    "For what reason?" the man asked, idly bringing out a new piece of paper from a pile to the side and bringing a black pencil up to his lips.


    "Inquiring into the purchase of several magic-related articles, as well as the trade of some highly valuable information."


    He started writing something on the paper. "We have a branch who handles the selling and buying of material and items further down in the Wise Quarter, as well as a small establishment in The Coins that handles any common official requests. I recommend that you try visiting those, I''m sure they''ll be able to help you."


    "Common requests?" Scarlett felt her eye twitch. "I believe I said I wished to meet with an official, not send in a petition."


    "This is the imperial mage tower. Our members are some of the most esteemed mages and wizards in the empire. I realize it might be an inconvenience for you, but they simply don''t have the time to meet with just anyone that asks. The other places I pointed you to are more than capable of assisting you, so once again I recommend that you turn to them." He stopped writing and looked up, his eyes glancing over to Shin who stood behind her. The man''s eyes seemed to stay on the scar above Shin''s left eye for a second. He then looked back at Scarlett, only now seeming to take in her appearance. "What was your name, if you don''t mind me asking?"


    "Scarlett Hartford," she answered. "Baroness Scarlett Hartford."


    The man was quiet for a few seconds. "...Perhaps there is someone who is available at the moment." He bent down, picking up a thick tome from beneath the desk and placing it beside the arcs of paper in front of him. He opened it and flipped through it, stopping at one page and trailing his finger down it. "It appears that Adjunct Mage Allen Fletcher is free. I could have a meeting arranged with them if you wish."


    She had no idea who that was, but an Adjunct Mage wouldn''t be of any use to her. "Is Adalicia Mendenhall here?" she asked.


    The man paused, looking up at her. "...Emeritus Master Docent Grand Wizard Mendenhall is currently on an exchange expedition to the Rising Isle."


    Oh, wow. That was a mouthful. And Emeritus? She was expecting some Latin terms here and there considering how prevalent it was in the English language, and she knew Docent was a rank here so that didn''t surprise her, but straight out hearing an adjective Latin term like that used as one might back in her world felt weird. She really had to look into the linguistical history of Modern Imperial sometime in the future.


    Still, it was a shame that Adalicia Mendenhall wasn''t here. The woman was one of the more important people in the tower, and the one Scarlett felt most confident about being able to work with.


    "Then Kinnard Berkeley?" He wouldn''t know anything about what she wanted, but he should at least have the authority to make a deal with her.


    "Master Docent Mage Berkeley is also on the Rising Isle..."


    Scarlett frowned. "Very well. Then is Swale available?"


    "Do you mean Master Docent Wizard Swale?"


    "Yes," she said. She barely remembered anything about him but his last name, but he was the head of one of the tower''s departments so he should still be able to help her.


    The man gave her a long look. "He is also away on the expedition."


    Was every member of the Elystead Tower on this damn expedition!? Or was this man just straight up lying to get rid of her? She swallowed back a sigh. "If so, then I do not have many other options. Is Merlion Rowley still present? I presume he would not have joined this expedition." He was far from her first choice, but it should still work.


    She saw how the man''s expression grew a bit stale. "Baroness, I understand that you have business you want to carry out with us, but all of the people you have mentioned are highly influential and busy members of the tower. Even if they were here, I would not be able to arrange a meeting with them for you. And that goes twice for Vice-Dean Rowley."


    Scarlett leveled her gaze at the man. "I would not be so certain of that. Inform Rowley that I know the location of a primordial spell and am willing to trade it."


    The black-robed man froze, his mouth stuck in a half-open grimace. "Surely you can''t be serious. This isn''t the place to joke around like that."


    She kept her eyes locked on him. "Do I appear to you as a person who would so carelessly lie about such significant matters?"


    "That''s not what I mea¡ª"


    "Then contact him. Inform him that Baroness Hartford wishes to meet, and that it will not take long."


    The man stared at her for several seconds.


    She crossed her arms. "I am waiting."


    "I-I''ll see what I can do," he eventually said, and began sifting through drawers under the desk. "But I can''t promise that he''ll be available, or even answer. It will take some time."


    "Then I will wait here." She turned, gesturing for Shin to start moving. "Notify me when you have an answer."

 Chapter 39 - Dealings with a Wizard

    "This way, Baroness," the person in a black robe who guided Scarlett said. They were a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair that was pulled up into a bun at the back of their head and had originally come to find Scarlett in the tower''s lobby after she''d been waiting there for about half an hour. As Scarlett had expected, Rowley had agreed to meet with her after hearing about what it was that she was offering.


    Before coming, she''d spent a decent while considering what would both be something the tower would be incredibly excited about getting and something she personally had no use for. The particular primordial spell that she was planning on offering them the location of fit perfectly with that description. It was probably even a little bit overkill¡ªor rather, it definitely was¡ªbut the Elystead Tower was an entity that she trusted to consider their own gain enough not to leak such valuable information to any outsiders, as well as not risk the future relationship with an individual holding that kind of information. She didn''t doubt they''d be generous with their payment too.


    The woman in the robe¡ªwho like most members of the different towers in the empire was most likely a mage of some sort, though Scarlett didn''t know her rank or school¡ªled Scarlett down a relatively simple, but long, hallway to a dark set of wooden doors. The two of them were currently somewhere in the upper part of the tower, as far as Scarlett could tell. The inside of the tall structure was a maze unto itself, and even though she had been here many times in the game, she would definitely have gotten lost after just a few minutes here if she didn''t have someone leading her. To get here, they''d passed through a dozen similar-looking corridors, as well as using a large magical elevator of sorts¡ªwhich she assumed was either incredibly expensive or high maintenance, considering how uncommon they were in the Empire¡ªbefore they arrived at what was ostensibly the office of the Vice-Dean of the imperial tower.


    "Vice-Dean Master Docent Grand Wizard Rowley does not have much free time to spare your visit," the woman said before opening the doors. "So make sure not to linger."


    Scarlett didn''t bother replying as she entered the room all by herself. Shin had been asked to stay behind in the end, and Scarlett hadn''t cared enough to argue the matter.


    The Vice-Dean''s office was a considerable chamber in the shape of a half-sphere, with rows of bookshelves lining the walls and reaching all the way to the domed ceiling. Somehow the books weren''t falling out of the uppermost shelves despite being at an angle toward the floor. There was just one large window in the room, set into the wall to Scarlett''s right between a pair of marble busts of dragons, offering a beautiful view of Elystead as well as the glimmering waters of Rellaria Lake in the distance. From here, the lake almost had a clear green hue to it. At the back of the room stood a wide desk with some lamps, books, an iron cage, as well as some other contraptions on it. In front of the desk was a low wooden table with a silver tray and a thick leather-bound tome on it. Four leather armchairs surrounded the table.


    In one of those chairs sat a man in dark red robes, looking at Scarlett closely after she''d entered the room. He had short white hair that was combed back and started to thin at the temples, as well as a finely trimmed beard that still had some streaks of grey in it. Adding to that, he also had a pair of thick, bushy eyebrows that almost seemed to have a life of their own with the way they moved. Different from what one might expect from an old wizard, though, he had a sharp nose, and his eyes almost made one think of a hawk with the way he was staring at Scarlett.


    "You bear a striking resemblance to your father," the man spoke in a raspy voice.


    Scarlett paused at the entrance. Those weren''t the first words she''d expected to hear from Rowley. "You were acquainted with my father?" she asked.


    "I was." He gave a slight nod. "Though I wouldn''t say we were close. But he was a respectable enough man. Always more of a mage than a man of the aristocracy. It''s only because I heard his name that I even considered accepting this little meeting." He gestured towards the red leather armchair opposite him. "Take a seat."


    Scarlett casually strode over to the piece of furniture and settled into it. "That surprises me. I would have imagined it would be my proposition that garnered your interest. Are you claiming that it isn''t so?"


    "Bagh." His long robe flowed with motion as he waved his hand through the air. "You expect me to believe that drivel? That you know where to find a primordial spell? Don''t insult me, girl. I am not that naive."


    Scarlett stared at him for a moment without saying anything. She pressed down some of the annoyance that burbled up at his words. There was a reason why she hadn''t wanted to meet with him directly. "I must say." She lightly tapped her finger against the armchair. "I find this hard to believe."


    His brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"


    "To me, it would appear somewhat unlikely that someone of your position would not have any interest in the prospect of me knowing the whereabouts of a primordial spell. I do not wish to imply that you are dishonest, but surely you do not mean to say that you only consented to this meeting because of a distant acquaintance with my father?"


    "Don''t be ungrateful, girl. It is obvious you only mentioned the spell because you were desperate to meet me, and I accepted because I had a small amount of time to waste and due to the remote possibility that whatever it was that you truly wished to speak to me about could be something actually worthwhile." He grunted and moved his head. Suddenly the tray on the table floated up into the air and towards him. He picked up a white porcelain cup from it and brought the cup to his mouth. "But if you''re only here to babble on about legends and fairytales of which you have no understanding, then I am disappointed. This truly was an even worse waste of time. I would have expected more of Castor''s daughter."


    Scarlett flinched at the mention of that name. The urge overcame her to pick up the thick tome that lay on the table and throw it at the stupid old man¡ª


    She stopped. Unclasping the tight grip she''d almost unconsciously taken on the chair''s armrest she showed Rowley a small smile, fighting against the torrent of emotions that tried to wrest themselves out of her control.


    These weren''t her issues to deal with. These weren''t her issues to deal with.


    "I see you do not hold back your words," she said with her mask of calm, garnering his attention as the silver tray floated back to the wooden table. "But would those words still hold true if I were to tell you that it is an aeromancy spell?"


    His hand halted for a moment as he was about to take another sip from his cup. Now she saw it. A hint of curiosity in his eyes. Of course there would be. There wasn''t an aeromancer in this world that wouldn''t salivate over the possibility of getting their hands on a primordial spell belonging to their own school. Rowley was no exception.


    "It seems you do not know when to quit," he said haltingly, eyeing her closely.


    "And it seems you do a poor job of keeping yourself informed of current events."


    He arched one of his bushy eyebrows. "What?"


    "It was barely a month ago that a Zuverian ruin was discovered in the region near Freybrook," Scarlett explained. She didn''t actually expect him to know about something like that, but it would work as a decent excuse.


    Rowley nodded slowly. "I am aware. And?"


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Oh? He''d actually heard about it? So Evelyne was right in that this was something the towers were that interested in? Well, whatever. It worked in her favor.


    "Then I presume you are also aware of who it was that discovered those ruins?" she asked him.


    He looked at her wordlessly for a few seconds, silently bending forward to put the cup held in his hands back on the tray, before leaning back in his chair. "You''re saying it was you?"


    "Of course." She couldn''t stop a small sneer from forming on her lips. "It is truly astonishing, the knowledge the old Zuver had of legends and fairytales."


    He sat still for several more seconds, examining her as if he was now studying a subject. "I will have to confirm this with my assistant. But say you''re speaking the truth. What is it that you want in return?"


    She met his gaze, trying her best not to show too much of the emotions that had boiled up at his previous comments. "First off, I thought it would be fitting to agree on a transactional fee before we begin any true dialogue. I am certain that, with the resources the tower has at its disposal, this is not a matter where you will be overly miserly."


    "That would depend on what it is you ask."


    "Nothing much," she responded. "It would simply be convenient to me if the tower could grant upon me and the Hartford household some potions and other magical artifacts, in addition to offering a discount on scrolls and other magical items in the future."


    "Bagh." Rowley shook his hand. "Is that all? What do you take us for? Some minor mage tower in the backwoods? None of that would be an issue."


    Up till now in this world, Scarlett hadn''t given much thought to potions and the like. Healing potions were expensive and not even close to as efficient as a healer was. As most of the things she''d done up till now hadn''t really been too dangerous¡ªthough she had misjudged the Cabal ambush somewhat¡ªshe never prioritized the potion matter. After getting injured in that attack though, she had reevaluated that conclusion somewhat and decided to look further into the subject. Unfortunately, that was around the point where she learned about her current financial situation. Some inquiring on her end had also revealed the fact that the Brook Tower in Freybrook¡ªthe only place selling potions in that city¡ªdidn''t have a large supply of the items to begin with.


    Now that she had already found Rosa, Scarlett might not actually have any need for such potions, as the chipper woman was a pretty decent healer in her own right. But that didn''t mean it wasn''t a good idea to get some now that she had the chance to get some free things. And any artifacts and other magical items the Elystead Tower could give her could either be used or sold for a decent amount. Add on a discount to that and she could probably benefit greatly in the future. Scrolls weren''t a thing she actually had any real need for at the moment¡ªin the game they were just used to learn new spells, which there were spellbooks for here too¡ªbut it could come in handy sometime.


    "Of course, that is not all," she declared.


    "I would expect so." He shook his head. "Out with it. If your information does indeed turn out to be accurate, I will personally see to it that whatever you want is fulfilled."


    She leaned forward. "I require the tower''s assistance in locating a particular person."


    He steered his stare toward her. "That is all?"


    "That is all."


    "Hmph." He turned towards the desk at the head of the room, from which a flat, circular instrument made out of metal started floating towards him.


    He put the object down on the table between them. It looked a bit like a sextant. "Then, of course, it would be of no problem. That is certainly within our means. Who is it that you want to find?"


    "The Gentleman."


    She saw the expression on Rowley''s face freeze, the pupils in his eyes dilating as he went completely silent. The aloof air he''d adopted towards the end of their current conversation was completely gone as he narrowed his hawk-like eyes at her.


    Scarlett continued on. "You should be awar¡ª"


    "I''m afraid we won''t be able to do business with you," he interrupted her.


    She paused, her forehead furrowing into a frown. "What?"


    "As a favor to your father, I will pretend this conversation never happened. I ask that you don''t contact me again," he continued and turned away from her.


    "What? Why are you¡ª"


    He waved his hand, and suddenly the air around Scarlett shimmered. The space around her seemed to shift and bend in on itself, and for just a moment everything turned pitch black. A second later she found herself letting out a painful yelp as she fell tail-first onto solid stone.


    She was outside Elystead Tower again, the soaring structure stretching up before her.


    What... What the hell just happened?!


    Did he just teleport her?


    Did that decrepit old man actually just kick her out?! What the hell did he think he was doing?! How dare he just¡ª!


    She spun her head to look at the people around her. There were at least a handful of people in robes that were staring at her with surprise plastered across their faces. She wanted to scream at them to mind their own business, but she forced herself off the ground as she patted the dirt off her dress, then immediately started marching back towards the tower''s open doors. Entering the building, she strode through the large lobby, her eyes locked onto the center of the hall where the bald man from before sat. He looked up at her as she approached.


    "I''m sorry Baroness, but I''m going to have to ask you to leave," he said carefully, putting down a rectangular object with glowing lines on it on the side of the desk in front of him.


    Scarlett stopped in front of him. "...What?"


    "Vice-Dean Rowley has instructed that you not be allowed on the tower''s premises...and that all dealings with you directly are to be restricted for the immediate future." He paused for a moment. "I think it would be best if you left without delaying before we''re pushed to, ehem...enforce those orders."


    She stared at the black-robed man quietly, processing his words.


    Did Rowley just blacklist her?!


    That old bastard.


    She clenched her teeth as her nails bit into the palm of her hands. It had been a long time since she felt this...humiliated. She knew this wasn''t wholly her own emotions, but she still had to mentally hold herself back from lashing out right here and now. If Kat had still been here and they were back at the mansion, the woman might have been able to help Scarlett vent these feelings. But now she was left here not knowing what to do.


    The man before her visibly grew more anxious the longer she stayed quiet. Eventually, she turned around without a word and began walking towards the exit. Rosa, Fynn, Allyssa, and Shin had apparently noticed her return and started moving towards her but seemed to slow down when they got a closer look at her. She simply gestured for them to follow and kept on walking.


    What the hell was up with Rowley''s reaction? Why did he panic as soon as she mentioned she was looking for The Gentleman? In the game, Rowley was one of the people that helped you find him to begin with! Was there something she wasn''t aware of behind their backstory? Or had something changed? It was impossible for her to know right now. Whatever it was, why would it cause Rowley to restrict all interactions with her because of just looking for The Gentleman? She was offering him a freaking primordial spell! Literally one of the strongest spells in the game! That was supposed to be a wizard''s wet dream in this world. So what if he couldn''t help her with finding The Gentleman. He could at least have made a deal with her regarding the other things!


    The boiling emotions inside her grew even stronger as she brooded on Rowley''s actions. When she reached the carriage that was parked a short distance away from the tower she climbed in without a word and sat down in the seat closest to the window, staring out at the buildings here in the Wise Quarter.


    God damn it. She should have waited with contacting the Elystead Tower until Adalicia had returned and tried contacting her instead. Could she still do that? But she wasn''t even sure how to, now that the tower had essentially banned her. She also had no idea when the woman would return. It could be months, for all she knew. She should''ve asked that before.


    She would have to find another way of getting in contact with The Gentleman, but that wasn''t a matter you could just bring to anyone. She wasn''t even sure which factions it was safe to trade valuable information like this safely with. One of the reasons she''d approached the Elystead Tower was because they were one of the factions she was most familiar with, and one of the few she trusted to want to work with her without trying to screw her over too badly. That didn''t hold as true for other factions, such as the Ustrum Assembly.


    ...But could she even trust the Elystead Tower now? Rowley had said that he''d pretend like their conversation never happened, but then he still went ahead and banned her. How could she be sure he wouldn''t cause issues for her, now that he knew she might have information on the location of a primordial spell and no real relationship with them?


    "Judging by your expression, I''m guessing it didn''t go quite as expected?"


    Scarlett turned her head around and saw that Rosa and the others had also climbed inside the carriage by now. Fynn had a slightly confused expression on his face, while Alyssa looked uncomfortable. Rosa and Shin managed to hide their thoughts fairly well.


    Scarlett looked at Rosa, who had been the one to speak.


    "...No, it did not," she said slowly before turning back to the window. "We will return to the mansion for now. I think it best that you all stay quiet until then."


    She wasn''t sure she would be able to keep her emotions under check if they said anything that triggered her. It was already annoying enough, just being seen in this state.


    They all seemed to follow her words well enough, as the cabin sunk into silence, and soon enough it was in motion back towards the Hartford Elystead estate.

 Chapter 40 - Mystic stress relief

    After they got back to the mansion they were greeted by Whiteley¡ªthe steward-or-whatever that was in charge of taking care of the estate here in the capital¡ªwhere Scarlett simply gave him a short order to arrange another room for Rosa before she left the others by themselves in the foyer. She''d spent a short amount of time exploring the mansion this morning and during that time she saw that it had a small garden¡ªif you could call it that¡ªat its center. It seemed as good a place as any right now, so that''s where she decided to go.


    It wasn''t particularly large; the training ground back at the Freybrook mansion, for example, was several times larger. This little patio was just a square-shaped area enclosed by low bushes and surrounded on all sides by the mansion''s walls. At its center stood a white metal bench, situated so that you got a view of a tiny patch of red flowers that grew next to the bushes. Scarlett sat down on the bench and leaned back, taking a deep breath as she looked at the flowers. They looked like lilies of some kind. Though the pistils were far longer than what she was used to.


    She stayed like that for a while, simply observing them. Those feelings from earlier were still there, simmering under the surface even now that she was just sitting here. It was odd, how long the emotions persisted this time. Was it because she hadn''t gotten the opportunity to do anything about the situation? Other than just accept it and run away? That part almost angered even the Amy side of her.


    God. She almost felt like a child again, running away to hide from her parents due to throwing a tantrum.


    Could she maybe do something to get back at Rowley? Would that make her feel better?


    ...It probably would.


    But that wasn''t an option. Anything she could do right now was more likely to cause her harm in the long term. She just had to accept that this particular facet of her plans would be delayed for the moment. And if she wanted potions and the like when here in the capital she would have to buy them the old-fashioned way. Still... That bastard could at least have treated her with some respect, instead of just kicking her out like that.


    She paused. She was starting to get riled up again. Looking down at her palms, she saw that she''d unconsciously started digging her nails into them again. Shaking her head, she brought her hand up into the air. She needed something to take her mind off things for a bit.


    With a flick of her wrist, a flaming ball of fire appeared above her hand.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Minor Mana-control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 4189/4226]


    [Points: 15]


    She let the ball float further up in the air and grow in diameter as it did, soon reaching the size of a fitness ball back from her world. Its light blanketed her and the garden in a deep orange as she felt its warmth wash against her skin. With some additional mental exertion, a sphere of churning water formed next to the sphere of fire, although only about half the size. The reflections across its surface were interesting to look at.


    It''d been a while now since she had upgraded her hydrokinesis to just [Hydrokinesis], and she had mostly acclimated to the difference. Now both of her skills were at the same level. Hydrokinesis wasn''t as...pliable as pyrokinesis was, though. To her, it felt like the water skill had much more of a weight to it, while pyrokinesis almost felt like playing with playdough. The volume of water she could control was much less than what she could control with her fire. It might have something to do with the fact that her pyromancy was at a higher level. Or perhaps that was just how the different elements worked. That wouldn''t be too unreasonable either.


    She turned her head to the side as another window appeared in the air before her.


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Greater Pyrokinesis] (10 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Greater Hydrokinesis] (10 points)


    [Mana Control] (5 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    Recruiting both Rosa and Fynn had netted her a decent amount of skill points. Her first priority was [Greater Pyrokinesis]. She''d already decided that some time ago. After that, she also wanted to get [Greater Hydrokinesis], but that would have to wait for a bit.


    With five points left over after upgrading her pyrokinesis, she was considering upgrading one of the other cheaper options instead of just saving for the hydrokinesis upgrade immediately. [Hydromancy] and [Greater Pyromancy] wouldn''t be of much use to her when she still didn''t know how to use real magic. From the game, she knew it was likely that they would decrease her mana expenditure for the correlating kinesis skill, but she hadn''t tested that hypothesis out yet. She would eventually, because she would definitely need something like that later on. But right now she still wanted to focus more on raw power. [Mana Control] was the other option, as the New Skills section was unfortunately still locked. Thus far she was no closer to figuring out how to unlock it, or when it would happen.


    Her eyes hovered on the text for the different skills. She''d considered the value of [Mana Control] on several occasions. Because it was a bit of an unknown factor what it actually did in this world she hadn''t brought it into her calculations for any of the builds she had come up with, though she had been curious whether it did anything more than just lower mana costs like it did in the game. That could be what ''control'' referred to. If so, then it was around the same priority level as [Greater Pyromancy] and [Hydromancy].


    But there was of course also the possibility that it did more than that. She''d considered it likely, even, considering that her pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis skills had appeared to work differently in this world compared to in the game. One possibility she had considered was that it could be a skill that''d help her in her efforts to learn spells. That wasn''t too farfetched. No matter how exciting of a prospect that was, however, learning spells wasn''t a priority of hers. She had given it some effort, far from enough to get anywhere noteworthy, but enough to make it clear to her that, even with more help, she wouldn''t become a master mage any time soon. Even if she learned the necessary steps to control and shape her ''inner'' mana¡ªwhich was somehow different from what she did with her other magic, but still a part she suspected could be aided by the effect of skills from the system¡ªshe''d realized that actually learning some of the spells was much more complicated than that.


    She was still dreaming of doing it, eventually. But it wasn''t reasonable to expect her to learn what essentially took some of the mages in this world decades in not even a quarter of that time, even with the system''s aid. At least not judging from how it appeared to work at the moment. And unfortunately she had never been the kind of person that was good at learning those kinds of things.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    But that didn''t mean it wasn''t worth trying to upgrade [Minor Mana Control], at least. Even if it did just affect mana costs, which was the minimum of what she was hoping, it would still be worth investing in when she had points leftover in the future.


    She focused on the upgrade window and the different options in it and imagined herself spending her skill points.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Mana Control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Greater Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 4127/4226]


    [Points: 0]


    As her status window updated itself, she suddenly felt like a small weight was taken off her mind. She looked up at the two elemental spheres that hovered above her, but they were unchanged. Her perception of them, though, was...clearer? Vaguer?


    Both, oddly enough. Even though she previously hadn''t considered maintaining only those two a strain on her mind, now it was clear to her that they had been. She''d just grown used to it. But now? They were noticeably easier to maintain, to the point where she felt she could almost completely forget about them and they''d still remain. In that sense, their presence to her senses was vaguer. But at the same time, she felt a stronger...hold over them.


    She let both spheres dissipate into the air and concentrated her attention on the space above her palm. A basketball-sized ball of water appeared above it, the water swirling across its surface for a moment before she managed to get it completely still. It seemed her literal control hadn''t changed much. This was the largest sphere of completely still water that she could create with her hydrokinesis at the moment. It was something she had experimented a bit with for her Aqua Mines.


    She glanced at her status window.


    [Mana: 3978/4226]


    Before, just conjuring this had taken around 200 mana for her. But now it didn''t even take 150. That was a pretty decent decrease.


    She let the sphere dissipate and created another one of fire a few feet above her. She then let it grow, both in intensity and size. It quickly became larger than the previous one she had made, and she had to pause its expansion when it had reached almost three times that because it was becoming a bit too large for her current space. At this level, it did take her a great deal of concentration to sustain the fire, sweat forming on her brow not only due to the heat, but she was pretty sure she could push it even further. The difference between [Pyrokinesis] and [Greater Pyrokinesis] was obvious.


    After maintaining that fire as it was for over almost half a minute, she let it disappear with a deep breath.


    [Mana: 1765/4226]


    It was leagues more powerful than what she could do before, but also extremely mana-intensive. But it did make her wonder what the higher tiers of the skill were capable of.


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Superior Pyrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Greater Hydrokinesis] (10 points)


    [Greater Mana Control] (10 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    25 points to upgrade pyrokinesis the next time. It wasn''t exactly cheap, but it was definitely achievable.


    She conjured a smaller flame above her hand and started playing around with it, shaping it into different forms, like that of one of the lilies in front of her, as well as the head of a dragon. She''d taken to doing that now and then during her practice sessions lately. She might have gotten it from Kat. The Shielder had entertained the children this way on several occasions.


    It did make Scarlett wonder what level of pyrokinesis Kat was at. Judging from what she had seen, it was probably somewhere around just the common [Pyrokinesis]. Garside was a bit more of a mystery, on that part. At minimum, he was at a level equivalent to where Scarlett was now. She felt like she might be able to extinguish a carriage on fire now, but she wasn''t entirely sure. But it was also possible that Garside''s true capabilities were above that, which would be quite impressive, considering some of the stuff Scarlett had learned about magic since she arrived in this world.


    It was funny, actually, how the skills the system allowed her to learn without knowing any real magic were specifically hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis. Kat had mentioned to her before how that was basically the opposite of how things normally worked, but Scarlett hadn''t quite understood the reality behind that then.


    From the game, Scarlett had known that there were essentially seven schools of magic in this world. Those schools were pyromancy, hydromancy, terramancy, aeromancy, lumomancy, umbramancy, and ''unschooled'' magic which had aspects that weren''t quite as defined. What hadn''t been mentioned in the game was that there were also two types of magic: evanescent and manifest.


    Evanescent magic was by far the most commonly used type and included spells like [Fireball] and [Earth Spikes]. It was effectively magic that couldn''t affect the world itself, but rather created magical phenomena through which to influence the world. While Scarlett didn''t quite understand the underlying mechanics, it basically meant that [Fireball] didn''t actually create a flaming ball of fire, but rather...mimicked¡ªif that was the word to describe it¡ªthe effects in a way. In the same vein of thought, [Earth Spikes] didn''t move the ground beneath it to create spikes, but instead fashioned them out of mana. So while the effects of evanescent spells like these could have a lasting effect on the world, the magic itself always dissipated after a while.


    In comparison, manifest magic referred to the type of magic that altered the world itself, which was supposed to be a much harder process than simply creating a magical phenomenon. She had only seen one such spell herself up till now, when Kat had cast what Scarlett recognized as the [Living Burial] spell from the game to take care of the last of the Cabal Adepts that had attacked them previously.


    From what she could tell, mages normally began with using only evanescent magic. Manifest magic wasn''t something they could even begin using until they were more experienced. Though Scarlett didn''t quite know how ''experienced'' you had to be. All she knew was that pyrokinesis, hydrokinesis, and all the other elemental variants of the same technique, were a more basic application of manifest magic ¡ª and thus, far from beginner-friendly.


    She didn''t really know if there was a large difference in power between the two types of magic. She could think of several of the more powerful spells from the game that were likely to be manifest spells, but she could also think of a few that were evanescent, so it wasn''t as if manifest magic was the same as high-level magic. But one difference that she knew of, and had observed first hand, was that manifest magic wasn''t as susceptible to anti-magic measures as evanescent magic was. It had probably been the main reason she had been able to beat that Cabal Adept by herself back then.


    There had been some spells that had a higher magic penetration in the game, so it was possible that had been related to this. She wasn''t quite sure.


    One question this revelation had raised to Scarlett¡ªback when she originally learned of this difference between the two types¡ªwas why she had started with two skills like that upon first arriving in this world. She''d just assumed it was because the original Scarlett had known them, but that didn''t really fit what she knew of the woman. After all, the original Scarlett was supposed to be a very mediocre mage.


    Despite thinking it over for a while, she hadn''t come up with a certain answer to that question. The original might have been better at magic than she thought, but that didn''t seem very likely.


    Still, in the end that was just one more question added to an already long list of things she didn''t understand about this world and was unlikely to find any answers to any time soon.


    Well, she wasn''t one to waste too much time trying to solve things she didn''t have much chance of understanding without more information. A snap of her finger brought forth a small array of elemental spheres that hovered a little unsteadily around her. As of now, she still had some mana left, and if she was frugal with it she could probably spend a bit more time out here without feeling like she was delaying. Complicated matters that were beyond her right now would have to wait for later.

 Chapter 41 - Sibling love

    After staying outside for a while longer, and having mostly calmed down from her trait-induced anger issues, Scarlett eventually returned inside. From earlier, she had been planning on finding Evelyne, meaning to talk to the younger woman about her current plans as well as see if there were any updates on the business side of things. Walking through a hallway on the second floor of the mansion, she spotted Rosa looking at some large paintings that hung off of the wall.


    As she approached, the curly-haired woman turned her head away from a vibrant landscape painting in front of her to look at Scarlett.


    "You seemed to have fun earlier," she said with a glint in her eye, before shifting her gaze to a large portrait next to the painting she''d been looking at. "Don''t mind me, just sightseeing. Not often you get a free pass to go around fancy places like this, so you gotta take the chance when you can, right? Find some of that artistic inspiration, if you know what I mean."


    "...I see," Scarlett mumbled as she stopped next to her. She''d met enough of the creative sort in her life to know that they came in all kinds.


    She looked over at the portrait Rosa was studying now. It showed a beautiful woman with dark black hair standing in a scarlet dress with golden filaments across it, staring straight ahead with an almost imperious expression.


    "So, who''s this supposed to be?" Rosa asked.


    Scarlett examined the painting for a short while. "This is Mireya Liana Hartford," she eventually answered. "She was the head five generations back, as well as an accomplished mage." There was a family tree of the Hartfords that was recorded on one of the walls in the library back in Freybrook. During the last week, Scarlett had spent some time familiarizing herself with the different previous family members on it, and Mireya Hartford had been one of the more notable ones.


    Rosa looked over the painting for a few seconds. "She sure looks...imposing."


    "I believe that was the intent."


    "Well, your ancestor sure got their money''s worth then," Rosa mused. "It''s good. Although maybe a bit avant-garde."


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow, ignoring the odd use of a decidedly non-English phrase as she looked closer at the painting. "How so?" She couldn''t find anything odd. It was just the portrait, with the background mostly being a blurry brown to emphasize the likeness itself.


    "I get she wanted to try and appear all serious and menacing¡ªand I''m not saying it doesn''t fit with the color scheme¡ªbut, the blood is a bit much, don''t you think?"


    Scarlett frowned. "The blood?"


    Rosa paused and looked at her with an odd expression, staying quiet for a second. Then she smiled. "I''m joking."


    She turned back to the painting, and after a moment she pointed to the area beneath the lady''s eyes. "Doesn''t it sort of look like there''s blood coming from her eyes, the way the strokes are done?"


    Scarlett focused on the portion Rosa was pointing at. "...I do not see it."


    Maybe¡ªif you really squinted your eyes¡ªyou could interpret some of the thicker strokes, that had a slightly reddish hue to them, that way. But that was a far stretch.


    "That''s because you''re all serious and grim. You''ve gotta add some imagination."


    Scarlett shook her head. She herself wasn''t the most creative of people, sure. But she wasn''t that bad.


    Stepping away from the portrait, she turned down the hallway. "I have some business to handle, but feel free to explore to your heart''s content. As long as you stay in my employ the mansion is open to you as you see fit."


    "Oh my. I feel like a princess with the way I''m being treated. And it''s only my first day."


    "That is good. I have no intention of mistreating those in my service," Scarlett said, then started walking away, but stopped for a moment to look back at Rosa. "Be warned, however. We will soon be leaving on an excursion outside of Elystead, where there will be some dangers present. It is likely that your capabilities will be put to the test, though I am certain that you will not have any issues in handling those circumstances."


    Rosa brought her left hand up to her temple in some kind of mock salute. "Your words are my command, captain!"


    Scarlett came quite close to rolling her eyes at the sight, but simply turned around and continued down the hallway, leaving the jesting bard on her own. She had an inkling of where Evelyne''s office in this place was located, and started making her way in that direction. In the process she passed by a young maid that was cleaning a window facing the small garden Scarlett had been in before, the woman almost jumping away in fright when she first caught sight of her. Scarlett didn''t feel like scaring the woman even further, so she elected to simply ignore her and continue her way.


    This was probably the first of the servants she''d seen in this place, if you discounted Whiteley and the older lady who had opened the door for them when they''d originally arrived the day before. She didn''t know how many people they had working in this place. It was probably only a third the size of the mansion back in Freybrook, so it likely didn''t require as large a number of personnel. The number was probably less when the place wasn''t in use by its master either. She would ask Evelyne about it¡ªit probably wouldn''t even be considered weird for Scarlett not to know about something like that¡ªbut this probably wasn''t the time. Maybe she could ask for a report on all the people working for the family sometime in the future though. It''d be good to know. She doubted they had any hidden knights or some such that she didn''t know about¡ªshe wasn''t even sure if there were any knights that served households in this world, or if they all were part of knight orders serving the empire¡ªbut there was still the possibility that there were some particularly useful people serving the house. A barony wasn''t particularly big, but there should still be at least a few people working under them back in their domain.


    Scarlett soon reached a door at the end of a corridor¡ªnot too far from the main lobby¡ªand knocked on it.


    "Wait a moment," a voice rang out from the inside. There was quiet for a short while, followed by the sounds of papers rustling before the voice sounded out again. "Alright, what is it?"


    Scarlett opened the door and entered the room. It was a small office with a couple of bookcases lining one of the walls and a singular window on another wall. Evelyne sat behind a wooden desk opposite the entrance and looked surprised when she saw her. "Scarlett? What are you doing here?"


    Scarlett fought down the emotions that were bubbling up inside her once again, doing her best to ignore the feelings of disgust and hatred that always emerged when she saw the younger Hartford sister. "I have some matters to discuss with you."


    Evelyne looked at her for a second, then pointed to an armchair that stood between the two bookshelves. "Alright. I had something I wanted to know too."


    Scarlett walked over and sat down, leaning back in the chair as she turned to look at Evelyne.


    "Before you say anything, I have to ask." Evelyne probed her with her eyes. "Was that you outside, earlier?"


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Scarlett glanced over at the window. Oh. It did appear to give a view of the garden, though you couldn''t see the ground from here. She looked back at Evelyne. "Are you perhaps referring to the fire from earlier?"


    "The fire?" Evelyne stared at her for several seconds. "I almost thought we were being attacked. It was blinding! For a second I was sure the window was going to melt."


    That wouldn''t have happened. Scarlett had been careful not to keep it too close to the building itself.


    "So it was you then?" Evelyne continued.


    Scarlett thought about if there was any point in denying it for a moment, then nodded her head. "It was."


    "Since when can you do something like that?" Evelyne seemed genuinely perplexed. "Is it because of some kind of artifact?"


    "I suppose you could say that, yes." She wouldn''t have been able to do that with just her own mana supply, after all. [Depraved Solitude''s Choker] was pretty vital to her.


    "Was it another one of those you found in the Zuverian ruins?"


    "No." Scarlett moved her red hair to the side with the back of her hand, showing one of the [Charms of Apperception] that hung off of her ear. "These, however, were."


    Evelyne shook her head. "Where do you actually find all of this?"


    "In the likes of those Zuverian ruins, evidently," Scarlett said. "As for how I find those...I believe I explained before how that is not a matter you should presently concern yourself with. However, while we are discussing the subject, I should inform you that I will be leaving on yet another such excursion soon."


    "Again? But the Light Fest is starting tomorrow. And the Elysian Proclamation is in just three days." Evelyne knitted her forehead. "How long will you be gone?"


    "Not long. I will return before the Proclamation begins."


    Evelyne studied Scarlett for a moment. "Can I at least ask where you''re going?"


    "...North of Elystead. To Temisbrook Woods."


    "Temisbrook?" Evelyne asked, furrowing her brows. "That''s almost a whole day''s travel away."


    Scarlett hid her surprise at that. She hadn''t quite expected it to be that far away. These distance changes between this world and the game were hard to predict. But there was something she really wanted there, and this was a great opportunity to try out her new group.


    "I will be leaving tomorrow," she said. It might be cutting it a bit close, but if they left early tomorrow morning they should be able to make it back in time. She''d rather visit that place sooner than later. "I will not be staying in Temisbrook for long, however," she added.


    Evelyne sighed. "It''s not as if I can stop you regardless. Just...Please don''t miss the Proclamation. We wouldn''t be able to handle the consequences of something like that right now."


    "I have no intention of being absent for it." Even if she really wanted to avoid most of these noble dealings, this didn''t sound like the kind of thing she could afford to skip out on. "On another matter, I have been meaning to ask regarding the results related to the Zuverian ruins. Did that bear any fruit?"


    Evelyne got a serious look on her face. "It turned out the local Shields Guild branch had already gone ahead and cleared the rest of the ruins because so much time had passed since you found it. They were afraid it was going to get looted. Right now they have everything stored in a warehouse back in Freybrook, but I was told the majority of the artifacts found were just lighting crystals. I''ve heard those are worth a decent amount, though. There were also some things they hadn''t identified yet, mainly what remained of some of the traps and other devices."


    She signaled to some of the papers on the desk in front of her. "The Guild might be the ones currently possessing it, but I''m in the process of changing that. They themselves admitted that you were the one that discovered the ruins, and that that gives you the legal right to what''s found. It''s a little problematic because you didn''t collect it yourself, but considering a full month still hasn''t passed, I think I''ll be able to handle it. I''ve already spoken with a representative of the Brook Tower about selling some of the crystals to them, and I think I might be able to get in contact with someone from the Ustrum Assembly who could be interested in studying some of the other things that were found."


    Scarlett listened on with a neutral expression and slowly nodded her head. It seemed she caused more trouble than she expected by not sharing this information earlier. If she ever visited another place or dungeon that she thought could have things that were valuable besides the items she wanted she would have to make sure to inform Evelyne about it.


    "I''ve also continued the work on setting up the orphanage you told me to arrange," Evelyne continued.


    Scarlett paused. Right, she''d almost completely forgotten about that. "And how is that proceeding?" she asked.


    "The orphanage itself is already mostly up and running as far as I know. It turns out Garside had already hired some temporary workers to take care of the children. They were competent enough, and a couple spoke Voneian, so I didn''t have to do much about that. It''ll take some time for the orphanage to be officially recognized though, so it won''t be eligible for any allocations from the city or official donations. That would require passing several inspections and a lot of time, but I''m working on the necessary paperwork right now. You''re going to need to name it, though."


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. "Me?"


    "We''ll be setting it up in the household''s name, and you''re the family head. But if you find it annoying I can¡ª"


    "No, I do not mind." Scarlett waved her hand in the air and looked out the window, leaning her head on her fingers. What should she name it? Naming things wasn''t her forte.


    "Call it The Scarlett Cross," she said after a moment. She wasn''t averse to copying pre-existing groups. She also imagined that people wouldn''t find it particularly odd if she, as Scarlett, named things after herself.


    "Scarlett Cross?" Evelyne seemed a bit surprised at the name. "...Alright. If you say so," she said, looking down as she wrote it on a piece of paper.


    "There was also one more matter I wanted to discuss," Scarlett added.


    Evelyne looked up again. "And what''s that?"


    "It''s regarding some promising business prospects here in Elystead." Scarlett noticed a blank piece of paper at the front of the desk. She raised her hand in the air, focusing, she created a straight line of fire in a shape similar to a pen above the paper. As lightly as possible, she then tried to press the faux writing implement against the paper as she burned a few place names into the sheet. It was a bit hard from this angle, but Scarlett felt like the result wasn''t too bad. When she finished, she turned her attention back to Evelyne ¡ª who was staring at her in shock.


    Gesturing to the paper, Scarlett spoke. "These are locations of three closed-down businesses on the Silver Way that I have reason to believe will make for good investments. I would like for you to inquire into the possibility of us acquiring and managing them in the future, when given the opportunity."


    Apparently still a bit surprised about the whole fire-pen thing, Evelyne reached out for the paper with a doubtful expression. She touched the letters that were burned into it, examining them, before turning the piece of paper around to actually read what it said.


    Scarlett looked on as she did. Using her pyrokinesis like that had mostly just been an off-the-cuff impulse that struck her fancy. It had seemed far simpler than rising from her chair, at least. But she had to admit, it was a little amusing seeing the younger woman react like this to it.


    "What are these places?" Evelyne suddenly asked.


    Scarlett leaned back in her chair as she tried to recall the game variants of the names she''d written down. They were all the places she had visited the day before. "I believe one is a weavery, one is a silversmith, and the last dealt with jewellery of some kind," she said. "I am not knowledgeable of the specific details of these locales, nor of the types of appliances and equipment that are present there; I simply wanted you to explore the possibilities."


    Evelyne looked up at her. "Really? That''s everything?"


    Scarlett gave a short nod. "It is, yes. There is no obligation for us to act on this matter if you judge there to be no value in it."


    Evelyne went quiet. She stared at her as if she was looking at a ghost. Scarlett was beginning to get used to variants of that expression by now.


    "It''ll have to wait until after the Proclamation, at least," Evelyne said.


    "That is acceptable."


    "And there''s no guarantee of us being able to afford to buy these places, even if we manage to sell the artifacts from the ruins. We have other debts and expenses that we have to prioritize."


    "I will arrange some additional funds if necessary. We can consider it as an investment."


    Evelyne went quiet again. Then she opened up a drawer on the desk and put the paper in it. "I''m assuming you won''t tell me why you''re so interested in these places in particular," she stated dryly as she closed the drawer, leaning forward on the desk.


    "You assume correctly." Scarlett could have tried and thought up some lie for this part, but considering how little even she actually knew of these locations she would have been hard-pressed to come up with anything believable. She doubted saying she ''had a feeling'' would cut it.


    Thankfully, Evelyne seemed to give up pretty easily on most matters that had to do with Scarlett. That in itself didn''t exactly bode well for the sister-sister relationship between the two¡ªshe didn''t want to think too much about what Evelyne had to have dealt with over the years¡ªbut Scarlett didn''t mind using that fact at times like this.


    Silence filled the room, and after some time with neither of them speaking Evelyne asked, "Was there something else you wanted to talk about?"


    Scarlett looked at her for a moment, then shook her head. They would have more opportunities to speak in the future. "Then I will take my leave."

 Chapter 42 - Morning preparations

    The next morning, Scarlett found herself walking into the dining hall of the Elystead mansion and saw both Allyssa and Shin, along with Fynn and Rosa, already sitting at the large rectangular table that took up most of the room. That didn''t surprise Scarlett, as she had given them the freedom to treat this place as their own during the time that they stayed here. What did surprise her, though, was the fact that Evelyne was also here ¡ª in the middle of a conversation with both Allyssa and Rosa as they all ate what looked like a hearty meal consisting of bread, soup, and some kind of meatloaf with different sauces on the side.


    Everybody''s attention turned to Scarlett as she walked up to the head of the table and took a seat. While being in the same room as Evelyne this early in the morning wasn''t the most comfortable way to start the day, she wasn''t going to leave just because of that. "I see that all of you have already awoken and seem to be prepared for the outing later today," she voiced, moving aside the large silver lid on top of the plate that had been prepared for her to reveal her own meal.


    "Who''d miss a free feast and service like this?" Rosa said, pausing whatever conversation it was that she had been in with Evelyne and Allyssa to wave a white piece of bread around. "I''d get up even earlier if this was what was waiting for me every day."


    Scarlett saw Evelyne''s eyes widen a little at that, but ignored it. "I am glad that you are enjoying the accommodations. You can expect more of this in the future, should you choose to continue being in my employ." She looked toward the two Shielders working for her. "And you? What are your opinions as of now?"


    Allyssa looked slightly surprised by the question, the young blonde putting her hands up in front of her. "We''re used to sleeping out in the forest when we have to. We can''t complain."


    Shin, who sat next to her, simply nodded his head. "We appreciate the generosity you''re showing us. But like she said, it''s not our place to object as it is right now. We aren''t afraid to get our feet dirty when needed, though."


    Scarlett turned to Fynn, who was in the process of wolfing down the food before him. He already had a couple of empty plates beside him. The sight did bother Scarlett''s instincts somewhat, but at least he was using a fork. "And you?"


    It took him a moment to stop his eating and look up at her. "It''s very large here," he stated.


    Scarlett waited for him to say something more, but that was all. "I suppose you are correct," she admitted. "And I suppose there has not yet been much time to form an opinion exceeding that degree either." Her eyes shifted to the white ring around his finger. "And what of my gift? Have you succeeded in familiarizing yourself with it?" In the game it took a while before he unlocked any of the special abilities related to it, so she wasn''t expecting it to do that much for him yet.


    His yellow eyes also turned to the ring. "...No, not yet."


    As she expected. "I am sure you will eventually," she said before turning back to her meal.


    "He got a gift?" Rosa asked from the other side of the table.


    Scarlett gave a short nod. "Indeed."


    "Can I ask what it was?"


    "You can." Scarlett cut into a piece of meat with a silver knife and fork. "But it is not my place to answer," she added on, bringing the fork up to her mouth.


    Rosa looked at Fynn, but he stayed quiet. "Secrets, eh? I see how it is. Then I won''t pry."


    The room lapsed into silence for a short while before the conversation that Evelyne, Allyssa, and Rosa had been in before Scarlett arrived seemed to get picked up again. Evelyne looked a little bit uncomfortable now¡ªwhich could just be because of Scarlett''s presence¡ªbut from what Scarlett could hear they were discussing the different places Rosa had visited across the empire. Judging from the woman''s words, she''d moved around quite a lot.


    "Right," Rosa said after some time had passed and their conversation had instead shifted to the places Allyssa had visited in her time as a Shielder. "Where is it that we''re going today?" she asked, directing the question towards Scarlett.


    Scarlett looked up from her plate at Rosa. "We are journeying north of the capital, to Temisbrook."


    Allyssa turned away from Rosa to also look at Scarlett. "Temisbrook? What are we doing there?"


    "We will be venturing inside Temisbrook Woods in search of an old location that holds items of some worth. It will also serve as a good test of your abilities, so that I am aware of your limitations for the future."


    "Wait, will it be dangerous?" Evelyne suddenly asked.


    Scarlett looked at the younger Hartford sister. "I do not expect any danger, no."


    She saw Fynn''s head tilt to the side from the corner of her eye. "That''s a lie, though."


    She stared at him. For a moment she felt like sighing. Right, she had almost forgotten he could tell lies apart. Later she would have to talk to him about that. Glancing at Evelyne, she was somewhat surprised to see that the woman''s expression had darkened a little.


    "To clarify," she said, pretending to not care about Fynn''s words. "The location we are visiting will not hold much real danger for any of us. But, as there are certain groups that currently hold malicious interests for me, there is always a risk in embarking on these excursions. That is part of the reason why I have need of all of you. I believe this is something I already explained to Shin and Allyssa."


    "Yeah, Kat told us about the people who attacked you two before," Allyssa said.


    "Attacked?" Evelyne''s head spun to look at the young Shielder. "Are you talking about the time she left with that Shielder for some random trip two weeks ago?" She turned back to Scarlett. "You told me they were bandits."


    Scarlett paused. She had said that. This was probably a conversation she should have waited to have later.


    "It is not unprecedented for bandits to have ulterior motives," she said after a moment.


    Evelyne frowned. "That''s not what''s important here. Doesn''t this mean there''s actually someone who''s trying to kill you?!"


    "Evelyne." Scarlett held a slightly steely tone as she spoke now. This wasn''t the best place to get into another argument just because she was bad at hiding these things. "I have the situation under control. It is not something you need concern yourself with."


    "You''re saying that a lot lately."


    "Because it is the truth. If you wish to further discuss this we can do so at a later time."


    "When is that?" Evelyne asked. "You''re not returning until right before the Proclamation, are you? You want to discuss it when we''re busy preparing for that?"


    "Then we can discuss it after the event," Scarlett said.


    "Right. After you''ve risked your life to go on your little trip." Evelyne looked her in the eyes. "Do you even know what would happen to the house if you were to just die?"


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Scarlett didn''t, actually. She had assumed it just meant Evelyne would be the new baroness. But maybe it wasn''t that easy. "I will not die. The purpose of this ''trip'' is precisely to preclude such a possibility in the future."


    They both stared at each other for a good ten seconds. Then, finally, Evelyne stood up from the table. "Fine. Do what you want. I''ll stay here and do all the work you pushed onto me, as usual."


    She turned to Rosa and Allyssa. "It was a pleasure meeting and talking with you. I hope we have the chance to speak more in the future. I ask that you take care of my sister while you''re out there." With that, she walked off and left the room.


    Scarlett watched the door Evelyne had exited through. That didn''t exactly go well. To think they''d had a productive conversation just the day before. Glancing at the others, who had all been quiet during the whole exchange, she saw that Allyssa looked a bit awkward about the whole thing, while Fynn and Shin looked like they didn''t care about any of it. Rosa''s expression was unreadable.


    "Perhaps we should discuss today''s matters," Scarlett said, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    Later that day, Scarlett and the others sat in a carriage as it began the journey to leave Elystead. This carriage was a little bit bigger than the one Scarlett had used before¡ªapparently it was the one they kept in the capital, so if Scarlett counted right the Hartford family had three or so of them around¡ªbut it wasn''t as adorned or comfortable as the other two Scarlett had used. She wasn''t going to complain, but it was slightly distracting that the carriage rattled as much as it did when it moved. She hadn''t considered it much before, but there probably was some kind of enchantment on the other carriages she''d been in.


    Next time she might use the fancier carriage for a trip like this, though that probably meant it''d need a few days of cleaning and maintenance before she could use it again. It had been pretty dirty when she originally returned from Whistlecreek.


    The district in the capital where their mansion was located was called Eastgate and was, unsurprisingly, located in the eastern part of the city. Oddly enough though, there wasn''t actually a real gate anywhere in the district as far as Scarlett was aware. Elystead, unlike many of the other cities in the Graenal Empire, wasn''t a city that was surrounded by walls. She was far from the best when it came to the history of this world, but from what she knew the main reason behind many of the empire''s cities being walled wasn''t to ward off sieges and the like, but rather to keep away monsters. She didn''t know how large of a problem it actually was¡ªthere were without a doubt dangerous monsters in the wild, which you encountered all the time in the game¡ªbut it wasn''t as if the world outside the cities was a hostile wasteland. There were plenty of smaller towns and villages, like Whistlecreek, where people lived mostly peaceful lives without such defensive measures. Maybe monsters were attracted more to places where a large number of people were gathered, or maybe things like that were more an issue of the past and things had changed since then. Scarlett didn''t know. What she did know was simply that Elystead, at least, never had to bother with those things because it¡ªalong with the immediate area surrounding the city¡ªnaturally repelled the majority of monsters. You had to get a decent distance away from the city before you would even start running into any of them.


    Officially, this was due to the city being blessed by Ittar back when the empire was founded. Unofficially, Scarlett knew that it wasn''t quite that simple.


    Although the Eastgate district was far from as active as the other parts of the city, being mostly where only the more affluent members of society lived and all that, there was still a decent amount of activity on the roads this morning as their carriage moved closer to the borders of the city. Anywhere they passed there were large lights set up along the roads and some of the buildings. Different symbols representing the sun also decorated many houses, and every now and then she saw adults and children walking around with paper lamps on tall sticks in their hands. The Light Fest had officially started, and things were in full movement for the celebration.


    Scarlett didn''t really mind missing the first two days of the event due to this trip. She had never been much of a fan of festivals. But it had occurred to her that some of the others might not feel the same way about it. Although, looking at them where they sat next to her in the carriage cabin, they didn''t seem to care too much about it. Rosa was playing a soft tune on her hurdy-gurdy as Fynn and Allyssa listened on, while Shin was immersed in a book that was almost as thick as Scarlett''s forearm.


    That was good. She was still pretty new to this whole ''boss'' business, so it''d be kinda sad if she had already ruined the morale of those working under her.


    She looked back out the window, casually taking in the sights passing by. This trip didn''t worry her too much, though she did understand that Evelyne would be worried after learning there were actually people who were going after Scarlett. Or, well, she didn''t quite understand it, apparently. She''d been under the impression that Evelyne would have preferred if she died so that she herself could inherit the barony and do something good with it. But assuming it wasn''t that simple¡ªjudging from Evelyne''s words¡ªshe wasn''t certain what to think. It could be that Evelyne actually cared for her somehow¡ªthere were some signs that suggested that could be true¡ªbut it could also just be that there were some complications if a house head were to just die in this world. In the game you didn''t deal with Scarlett until after you''d gotten definitive proof of her crimes, after all.


    Nonetheless, Evelyne clearly didn''t want her to just drop dead on a random trip like this. But Scarlett felt pretty safe with the current set-up she had going. As senior C-ranked Shielders, Allyssa and Shin were guaranteed to be decently strong fighters. In game terms, they would at least be somewhere in their late thirties when it came to levels. Rosa started at a slightly lower level when you first encountered her in the game, but she was also a support character so it didn''t matter as much. Fynn started at level forty, and he was a powerhouse.


    So while her group level-wise probably wasn''t much stronger than the usual Cabal assassination groups that were sent after the player in the game, she was pretty sure they were more than strong enough in reality. And unlike last time when they''d been surprised by an ambush, any future attack was almost guaranteed to be noticed by Fynn well in advance. He was an expert at things like that. As such, unless the Hallowed Cabal decided to send someone actually strong against her¡ªwhich she highly doubted, considering how low of a priority she should be, with them sending only a basic assassination group after her last time, and how busy their higher-ranked members were¡ªshe should be safe on that front. Besides, she wasn''t actually expecting another attack from the Cabal for a while. In the game they didn''t even come once a month.


    No, what she feared the most right now wasn''t the Cabal. Rather, it was the uncertainty of the situation with the Elystead Tower.


    They probably wouldn''t do anything to her, if she were to just judge from the interactions she''d had with the tower in the game. But there was always a possibility that they would. And she wasn''t quite sure how to act if they did.


    If they sent someone truly strong, like Rowley himself, then there literally wasn''t anything she could do to stop him. There were no easy-to-get items that would miraculously help here, and she didn''t know any people in the capital that were both strong enough to protect her and trustworthy enough that she could use her information to pay them. The Guild was an option, but they were occupied with their own business at the moment. The Followers of Ittar weren''t all bad either, but getting involved with them this early would leave her tied to them on a level she didn''t want.


    She could try and turn to the Ustrum Assembly. They were the closest thing the Elystead Tower had to a competitor here in the capital. But they were also a lot more greedy than the tower, so making a deal with them to ensure her safety would essentially guarantee her getting entirely beholden to them. The Rising Isle was better in that regard, and they were definitely a powerful faction even in the Empire, but they didn''t actually have a base in Elystead. She only knew that members visited sometimes, but that wasn''t often.


    In the end, she would just have to hope that if the Elystead Tower did try something, they wouldn''t do it immediately. If she got a few days to visit both this dungeon, and maybe one more after the Elysian Proclamation, then she would at least be somewhat ready to deal with any potential attacks. Though she would still have to figure out an alternative to how she would get in contact with The Gentleman.


    They were a bit shadier than she would have preferred, but she did have a couple of options in mind.


    Of course, she couldn''t forget the Proclamation itself, as the important event that it was. She was still woefully uninformed on what it actually entailed. And she was guaranteed to meet a lot of nobles that knew the old Scarlett there.


    All in all, she had a lot of things to think about right now. In that way, this trip felt almost like a vacation to her. If you overlooked all of the risks related to it.


    God. Things really would have been much easier if she had just transmigrated to this world as your ordinary adventurer. Then she could just have spent all of her time going from dungeon to dungeon at her own pace, not having to bother with all of this crap that got more complicated the more time that passed. But unfortunately, that fate just wasn''t in her cards.


    Well. For now, at least, she''d put all of the annoying matters at the back of her mind and focus on the dungeon they were visiting. Scarlett had been kinda excited about seeing it for a while now.

 Chapter 43 - Fairy tale forest

    The trip north of Elystead turned out to be rather uneventful in the end, with Scarlett and the others making it to the small town of Temisbrook just a short while before the sun had started setting. There, Scarlett had found an inn where there was enough space for both the horse and the carriage before she led the group to the outskirts of the town. Temisbrook was situated right at the border of Temisbrook Woods, which was an old¡ªalmost ancient¡ªforest with massive trees reaching well over fifty meters in height, and Scarlett doubted even a bear would''ve been able to wrap their arms around their trunks. Many of the trees also had an odd, hardened texture to them; the bark on them almost a pale grey color similar to that of stone.


    Though the forest wasn''t particularly large, it was dense. There wasn''t much foliage growing between the trees, but you still couldn''t see much further than a dozen or so meters into it. And with it growing darker every minute, the visibility was quickly dropping.


    "It''s been a while since I was here," Rosa commented as they left Tremisbrook behind and closed in on the forest.


    "You have been here before?" Scarlett asked, looking at the musician.


    "On occasion." Rosa held the hurdy-gurdy she was carrying in front of her for a moment, miming herself playing it. "Even the people in small towns like this need opportunities to relax once in a while. Who am I to deny them those chances?" She grinned. "Besides, there aren''t many places quite as unique as this," she added, looking ahead at the trees.


    "Why are they like that?" Fynn asked, visibly sniffing the air as he stared at the trees. "They look wrong."


    "People say that it''s because they''ve been turned into stone by the fairies inhabiting the forest, to prevent them from withering away," Shin said. "They''re not actually stone, but there is said to be some credence to the view that the cause is fairies."


    "Huh," Allyssa let out, tightening the bandolier around her chest and pulling her goggles out from beneath the cloak she was wearing. She pushed back some of her blonde locks as she put the leather goggles on the top of her head. "Are there really fairies here?"


    "Oh, there are," Rosa answered. "I would avoid angering them if I were you."


    "And how do I do that?"


    "Excellent question!" Rosa looked toward Scarlett. "I''m guessing the boss-lady has some good ideas? The fairies usually don''t like it when people traipse too far into their home."


    Scarlett glanced back at her. "You speak as if you have experience on the matter."


    "Let''s just say that a younger¡ªand oh so cute¡ªversion of me thought it would be a great idea to make some fairy pals." The woman grimaced. "And let''s just say that younger me learned a few lessons about being careful with who you try and make friends with."


    "...I see." Scarlett had heard many odd stories from the Rosa from ''Chronicle of Realms'', but somehow she was still surprised by the woman. She definitely hadn''t heard this one before, at least.


    "Lesson number one: if the first thing a prospective friend does is try and stick you to the top of a tree, it might not be the best idea to try and befriend them with songs."


    Allyssa blinked at the woman. "You actually did that?"


    Rosa shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "I thought they''d be a captivating audience. And I wasn''t wrong there. I just misjudged things a little."


    Allyssa turned her head to Scarlett. "Are we going to have to fight with fairies? I haven''t done that before, so I''m not sure what they''re like."


    Scarlett nodded her head. "It is likely that our mission will require you combating some fairies, yes. However, while I do not doubt your capabilities on the matter, I do not intend to waste time attempting to deal with this forest''s inhabitants." In the game the fairies living in this forest were free XP, but here, they would just be an annoyance. She was already expecting it to take extra time just to find the place she was looking for, and she didn''t want to add to that any more than necessary. "I already have taken measures to ensure they do not bother us, so there is nothing to worry about."


    "Oh? And what are these ''measures''?" Rosa asked.


    Scarlett stopped¡ªonly a couple dozen meters away from the forest now¡ªand put her hand into the [Pouch of Holding] that hung at her waist. When she pulled her hand out she immediately saw Fynn''s expression change into a scowl. She held her palm up to reveal a bronze bell with slits on its sides. She shook it around some and a strong smell wafted through the air.


    "What is that?" Allyssa asked.


    "Rosemary," Shin answered, looking closely at the bell.


    Scarlett turned to him. "That is correct. It is a smell that will repel most fairies in this forest as long as we do not do something to further agitate them." She had made sure to have these prepared before she left for the capital, having contacted a store in Freybrook that had been able to get them made with surprising speed. And pretty inexpensively, at that. These would be enough to get through the forest without having to fight anything.


    She handed the bell to Allyssa, who held it up to her nose to smell it. Scarlett then took out another three bells and gave them to the others¡ªFynn didn''t seem to like the smell too much for some reason, but still accepted the bell¡ªbefore taking out one more that she kept for herself. She had ten of these with her in total, just in case. She then took out a couple of lanterns, which she also handed out to the others, before she then entered the forest itself.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The first few minutes of moving between the large trees were slow, but there was nothing of note that happened. Occasionally, the light from the lanterns would pass over a branch or a small animal that looked like something else in the darkness, but that was all. After some more time passed, however, Fynn suddenly stopped.


    "There''s something following us," he said, looking off towards the side.


    Allyssa turned the face of the lantern she was holding in that direction, but nothing showed in the light.


    "It''s hiding further away," Fynn said and took a step in that direction. Scarlett held up a hand to stop him.


    "Ignore it. It will not come closer."


    He looked at her, his tousled white hair blocking his eyes partly. After sniffing the air loudly a couple of times¡ªhe really didn''t know the meaning of subterfuge¡ªhe blinked. "You''re right."


    He glanced down at the bell held in his hand.


    "More of them are likely to emerge. Only inform us if it appears as if they are coming too close," Scarlett said. Then she pointed ahead in the direction they''d been walking and the others started moving forward again. They continued like that for at least thirty minutes, with Fynn not saying anything in that time, before they started seeing changes in their surroundings. The trees were starting to gradually become smaller the further they moved, and some of them almost looked like they had a slight purple sheen around them. After observing this change for some time, Scarlett eventually held her hand up and stopped the group where they stood.


    Allyssa walked up to one of the trees and leaned closer to the bark, inspecting the strange phenomena.


    "There are over a dozen of them now," Fynn suddenly cut in. "They''re coming closer."


    "How do you know?" Allyssa asked, turning to him.


    "They smell odd. Like the trees, but moving."


    The girl stared at him. "...Okay."


    Scarlett took out a new batch of bells and handed them out amongst the group. According to Fynn the beings closing in on them almost immediately moved further away.


    Then she brought out a bouquet of ordinary flowers she''d arranged¡ªthey''d started to wither a bit from being in the pouch for a few days, but they''d still work as far as she was aware¡ªand held them up in the air in front of her. It barely required any effort on her part to light them up with her pyrokinesis, after which she closely observed the flames. The smoke wafting off the flowers almost seemed to clump together as it rolled in a certain direction, deeper into the forest.


    Rosa leaned close to the burning flowers, eyeing the strange smoke. "Now that''s an odd sight."


    Scarlett simply pointed in the direction the smoke moved. "We are nearing our goal," she said and started walking again. When the flowers were almost gone she simply took out another bouquet and repeated the process, continuing like that for a while until they finally reached a small clearing that was lit up by the moon that was now hanging high in the night sky. Flowers of all colors blanketed the clearing and at the center of it was a small lake of clear blue water. It was completely tranquil, not a ripple on its surface, to the point where the moon''s reflection on it almost looked like the real deal.


    Rosa let out a low whistle at the view, and the rest of the group seemed similarly impressed.


    "Is this what we were looking for?" Shin asked, his eyes scanning the clearing and their surroundings.


    "It is the entrance," Scarlett answered.


    "Entrance? What entrance?" Allyssa had bent over to examine a flower that had petals that were a mix of blue and yellow but now looked up at Scarlett with a knitted forehead. "Don''t tell me it''s the lake."


    Scarlett walked over to the center of the clearing, stopping at the lake''s edge. "It is not," she said and bent down to put her hand into the water. For a moment she tried controlling it with her hydrokinesis, but nothing happened. She''d suspected that wouldn''t work.


    Rosa walked up beside her and also leaned down, collecting some of the water in her palms and bringing it up to her mouth.


    "Oh, that''s good," she said with a smile. "Not often you find water this refreshing."


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. She would have been careful with drinking water she didn''t know the quality of beforehand, but apparently health concerns like that weren''t on the woman''s mind.


    Shaking her head, Scarlett stood up and turned to the others. "From here on, things will become dangerous. If you have any further preparations to complete, then do so now."


    At those words, Shin unclasped the polished metal shield he''d worn on his back and took a firm handle on his strange-shaped sword that was clasped to his side. He wore a set of grey armor along with a pale-blue short cloak that wrapped over one of his shoulders.


    Beside him, Allyssa took out a small hand crossbow from beneath her own cloak and opened the cork to one of the bottles that hung on her bandolier. Bringing out a number of bolts from a pouch on her waist, the girl then proceeded to dip the tips of the projectiles into the bottle before attaching them to a small space on the side of her crossbow. Last of all, she pulled down the goggles on her head and gave a nod.


    Compared to those two, Fynn just remained as he was, briefly glancing at the ring on his finger. He mainly fought with his fists and Scarlett knew that worked for him. But she would have to get him some real equipment that would work for him later on.


    She glanced over at Rosa. The woman was simply looking over her instrument, not appearing particularly worried.


    "I take it you are all ready then," Scarlett eventually said and turned around to look at the lake itself again. "Then we will begin."


    She took out a coin made out of gold from a small pocket on her pants. It had a relief of the sun on one side, and of a man with a spiked crown on the other. This was a coin worth one hundred solars. She would have preferred to keep it, but this was the only way she knew of to do this.


    Turning her eyes toward the reflection of the moon that was at the center of the lake, she paused for a moment. She frowned. This part might actually be a bit too hard for her.


    She looked back at the others. "Come here, Fynn."


    The young man walked up to her with a slightly perplexed expression, which turn into pure confusion when she handed the golden coin to him. "Throw this into the lake, where the moon is reflected."


    He looked up at her, blinking. "But this is worth a lot."


    "That may be so, but this is the only way." She pointed out into the water. "Throw it."


    He hesitated for a second, glancing down at the coin, before taking a step forward. Moving his arm back behind his head, he then brought it forward in one smooth movement and released the coin in flight towards the lake''s center. It struck the moon''s reflection and immediately disappeared beneath the surface, leaving small ripples that spread out around it.


    It was quiet for a short while.


    Then a loud sound like a hundred disharmonized lutes spread out across the clearing. The water closest to them solidified as it formed into stairs that descended into a bright space where nothing could be seen. Scarlett temporarily looked back at the others, who all looked a bit surprised, then took the first step onto the water. Her foot didn''t sink through it. She gestured for the others to follow, then she climbed down.

 Chapter 44 - Is it really a real fairy tale without any fairies?

    Scarlett found herself walking up another staircase of water, surrounded by silver light, and a completely different kind of forest presented itself in front of her eyes when she reached the top of those stairs. The leaves on the trees here were a deep violet, fluttering in strange patterns along with some unseen wind. Fluorescent lines carved themselves into the trunks of the trees, continuing down into the ground, where dozens upon dozens of them met up into a complex weave of veins that seemed to encompass the entire forest floor.


    That wasn''t the only odd thing about this place. The sky was almost completely pitch black, with no stars at all visible in it. The only thing visible there was the full moon. Yet something about this one was off, even though she couldn''t quite put her thumb on what. She knew it was a sort of replica of the moon she had just seen, which had also reached its full phase. The game had been relatively simplistic with its calendar after all, and the moon phase followed that by having a full moon at the end and start of every month. That was also part of the reason she had wanted to visit this dungeon first, although it most certainly wasn''t the only reason.


    She looked back. Behind her was a lake much like the one she had just descended into, surrounded by several strange flowers and plants. Yet, unlike the other lake, this one was situated right next to a cliff wall that stretched high into the air. Water cascaded down one part of the cliff in a waterfall that ended in the lake, but there was almost no sound coming from it. In fact, this entire place was eerily quiet.


    Scarlett heard a light gasp from beside her and turned her head to see Allyssa looking around with a marveled expression.


    "This is amazing," the young Shielder said with wide eyes.


    Scarlett was inclined to agree. It had been a pretty impressive sight in the game as well, but it was completely different witnessing it directly like this. She almost wished she had a camera to catch the view with.


    "It''d be nice to have a drawing of this place," Rosa commented, having come through right after Allyssa.


    Scarlett looked at the woman. They were both thinking on the same track here, it seemed.


    Rosa smiled at her. "If you''re thinking I should do it, then I''ll have to disappoint. I''m afraid this is a bit out of my wheelhouse." She curled one of her brown locks around her finger. "Tried out painting, once, but decided not to. Didn''t want all the famous painters to feel threatened, you see."


    "You certainly acted knowledgable enough on the subject yesterday," Scarlett said.


    Rosa put her left foot back and her hand forward in a very exaggerated bow. "You''re very generous. Thank you."


    Scarlett skipped pointing out that it wasn''t really a compliment, instead looking towards the others. Shin and Fynn both seemed busy examining their current surroundings, presumably for any threats. Fynn had a perplexed expression on his face for some reason, though.


    "Is there something unusual?" Scarlett asked him.


    He paused and shifted to look at her. "I don''t know. This place feels weird. The smells aren''t like they should be, and things sound weird."


    Now that he mentioned it, there was something off about the sound here. Other than that things were just too quiet. There was almost a bit of an off-pitch echo to their words. Only barely noticeable, unless you focused on it. It reminded Scarlett of some of those modulation filters that you could play around with on some phone apps.


    "I believe that is simply an inherent aspect of this place," she said after a while. "It might take time to accustom yourself to it, but I do not think it is something you have to be alarmed about."


    He seemed to accept that, as he went back to observing their surroundings.


    "Where are we even?" Allyssa asked, inspecting a tall flower that had a mix of red and green colored petals and almost reached her waist. She almost looked comical now that she leaned over it with her goggles down.


    "We are still in Temisbrook Woods. To be precise, we are in an interstitial space between our world and the Wandering Realm, known as Temisbrook Glade," Scarlett explained.


    In ''Chronicle of Realms'', the game world wasn''t confined to only one realm. The majority of the game took place in the Material Realm, where the Graenal Empire was. The Blazes¡ªwhich was divided into six circles, each ruled by a Vile¡ªwas another example of a realm, and where the demons originated. And the Wandering Realm was where many of the fairies, spirits and other fey creatures made their home. From a description she''d read in the game, Scarlett knew that the name came from the fact that people sometimes found themselves transported there by mistake because many of the entrances could change positions. As such, it came to be that many believed that the realm itself wandered from place to place, though from what she understood that wasn''t the case.


    "What''s an interstitial space?" Allyssa wondered.


    "It''s an area that connects two different realms, taking characteristics from both and acting as a corridor between them," Shin said. "At least that''s what I''ve read. But this place doesn''t look like any kind of corridor to me. It almost looks like its own realm."


    Scarlett looked at him with slight surprise. Almost a walking compendium, that one.


    "Though it is not incorrect to say that it connects different realms, describing it as a corridor is not always entirely accurate," she said. The majority of the examples she could think of from the game didn''t really fit that description, in fact. While it was possible to move between realms through some of the interstitial spaces, their practical application in the game had often been more as their own dimensional spaces, mostly cut off from the outside world.


    "Nor are they restricted to only connect two realms," she added.


    Her words seemed to interest Shin. "They aren''t? The only mentions I''ve seen of it said that that''s how they occur."


    Scarlett shook her head. "There are most definitely ones that connect more than one realm." The Forgotten Tower was the first example that came to her mind.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "While I''d hate to interrupt this conversation about realms and what-not, I think our little warning bell has found something." Rosa pointed toward Fynn, who was staring at one specific point in the forest ahead of them, a serious expression on his face.


    Allyssa moved up beside him and peered into the enchanted forest. "Is there anything there?" she asked, squinting her eyes.


    He was quiet for a moment, before speaking. "I don''t know. It feels weird. Like something is staring at us." He furrowed his brows. "But I can''t sense it."


    Scarlett turned to where they were looking as well, but she couldn''t see anything. "The rosemary will no longer have an effect here," she said slowly. "I suggest you all prepare to demonstrate your abilities."


    Shin immediately stepped closer to the forest to stand in front of the rest. Rosa clasped her hurdy-gurdy with both hands, while Allyssa pointed her crossbow forward. Fynn stayed where he was.


    Scarlett herself took a step back to give the others space. She was intending to let them take care of things themselves, both to let them get a grasp of things and to get an idea herself of what they were capable of.


    That didn''t stop her from touching at the belt on her waist to double-check that the [Wand of Fireball] was easily reachable if needed, though.


    They stood like that for a while, breathing quietly as they waited. Then, something came flying from among the trees. It stopped at the edge of the clearing they were in, hovering in the air with small wings that fluttered behind it like that of a colibri. Its shape was vaguely humanoid but much smaller, with bent legs and a big rounded head that had black circular eyes whose size was proportionally far too large. In addition to that, its mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth, with its feet and hands having several claws on them.


    "What...is that?" Allyssa blurted out in surprise.


    "A fairy," Scarlett answered.


    "That''s a fairy?!"


    "That''s one memorable fairy," Rosa mused. "The ones I''ve seen were a lot cuter."


    "I heard the appearance of fairies varies a lot," Shin said from the front, still keeping his eyes on the small figure.


    "Yes. This particular one is a Restless Blot-Sprite," Scarlett explained, watching the odd little creature. Its appearance was decidedly ferocious, even though all it was seemingly doing right now was observing them.


    "Isn''t it going to do anything?" Allyssa asked, and just as she did, it darted off deeper into the forest, quickly disappearing between the trees.


    Scarlett''s eyes stayed on the path it had flown off on. "I believe it has."


    "You think our little pal is getting his friends?" Rosa asked.


    Suddenly Fynn let out a low growl and took a step forward, bending forward with his hands in front of him like he was ready to slash something down with them.


    No one had to ask the reason as a high, almost buzzing, noise emerged from the forest barely a moment later, the strength of the sound only amplified further by the odd after-effect of this place. Soon, a wave of the small grey creatures came flying towards them at high speed. The ones at the front showed their teeth as they let out small screeches that echoed out around their group.


    "That''s a lot of friends," Allyssa mumbled just as both Shin and Fynn jumped ahead to meet the oncoming mass of critters. Several crashed into Shin''s shield or were caught in a wide slash from his long sword, but there were so many of them that it barely dented their numbers. Fynn caught a surprising number of the creatures when he slashed out with his hands, a strong wind trailing behind his limbs and knocking monsters to the ground, but still more flew past the two and towards the rest of the group.


    Allyssa seemed to immediately make a judgement and put away her crossbow, taking out a knife strapped to her leg and holding it in her right hand while she pulled out an opaque bottle into her other. Deftly opening the bottle with her thumb, the Shielder threw out its contents in the air in front of her, which spread into a thick brown mist that many of the fairies flew through. Those that did were suddenly coated in it, the substance clinging to their skin and solidifying almost instantly. A large number fell to the ground like small statues, Allyssa slashing out with her dagger at those that didn''t.


    While this move felled much more than Fynn''s and Shin''s original attacks, there were still enough of the creatures that a few made it past. And instead of joining their fellows in responding to Allyssa''s attack, they made for Rosa and Scarlett who stood further away.


    Scarlett was ready to surround herself with a wall of fire if they were to reach her, but Rosa acted before she had to. The bard spun the crank on her instrument, rolling her shoulder with the soft movement, and a strong tune rang out from it. The fairies suddenly stopped right in their tracks, some of them looking around in a state of confusion. Yet another note resounded from Rosa''s instrument, much smoother this time, and Scarlett felt a wellspring of energy rise up from inside her following it. It almost felt like she''d overdosed on caffeine.


    Suddenly, virtually from nowhere, Fynn jumped in from the side almost quicker than Scarlett could see¡ªshe noticed that Shin seemed to have taken on the fairies at the front by himself now¡ªand slashed out at the fairies that were dazed by Rosa''s music. Clumped together as they were, and in their current state, it was enough to knock over half of them to the ground all at once. The remaining ones were struck down by him only a moment later, then he immediately proceeded to jump forward to strike at the ones that were swarming around Allyssa now.


    Scarlett observed as the battle continued, but there wasn''t much left to see. Rosa''s attack had affected enough of the little creatures that it was almost child''s play for the other three to deal with the remaining ones, and after barely a minute, dozens upon dozens of the fairies'' bodies littered the grass around them. Perhaps it would have been considered a horrid image under normal circumstances, but oddly enough there was no blood coming from the creatures. To Scarlett, it almost looked just like a large gathering of dolls¡ªalbeit fierce-looking ones¡ªhad been tossed around on the ground.


    Shin''s head moved around a few times¡ªscanning their surroundings for any more dangers, most likely¡ªbefore he started moving towards Rosa and Scarlett, stepping over some of the dead creatures. Both Allyssa and Fynn also approached them, both having some small cuts across their faces, but nothing major. With her [Charms of Apperception] Scarlett could see their magical defenses¡ªsurrounding them like a faint sheen to her eyes¡ªand they looked decent enough to her untrained eyes.


    "You were right," Allyssa said to Rosa as she put away her knife in the sheath attached to her leg and closed the bottle she''d used in the fight. She then moved her arms back and forth, jumping up and down a couple of times as well. "This really is useful. I almost feel like I could outrun a cockatrice right now."


    "First time I''ve heard that analogy," Rosa said with a smile. "But it''s certainly something I''d like to see someday."


    Fynn opened and closed his hands in front of him. "I didn''t expect it to feel like this."


    "Like what? Amazing?" Rosa cranked her instrument once more and a short, mellow tone echoed from it. Scarlett saw how the cuts on the others suddenly disappeared as a soft purple light enveloped them. "Amazing-ness is my middle name. Right after charming."


    "You weren''t exaggerating it, at least," Shin said when he reached them. He swung his sword up and down with what looked like relative ease. "This will be useful in fights."


    Scarlett''s eyes passed over all of them. It seemed like they''d already had some kind of discussion regarding their abilities sometime when she wasn''t around. That was good. Although maybe something she herself should have double-checked that they do.


    "Well, what now?" Rosa asked and turned to her. "We traipsing into the forest, singing songs as we go on our little adventure?"


    Scarlett let out a little air through her nose at that. "In essence, yes." She nodded her head. "However, the singing will not be necessary." She looked down at the fairies on the ground. "You dealt with this in a satisfactory manner, so I do not predict any issues with the current plan. As such, I will lend you my aid in dealing with any further groups of these creatures."


    That would help things move on a little faster. Her skill set was a particularly good counter against these monsters. She pointed towards the forest ahead of them. "Then, let us continue."

 Chapter 45 - Battle worms

    It wasn''t long after they''d entered the enchanted forest that the next swarm of [Restless Blot-Sprites] appeared, but despite being numerous they were all quite squishy. A wall of intense fire in their path¡ªsurrounded on both sides by smaller walls of water to lessen the risk of the nearby trees catching fire¡ªwas enough to char almost every single one of the little creatures to death.


    Everybody except Rosa stared at her with surprise after witnessing it.


    "You''re a mage?!" Allyssa exclaimed.


    "Nominally? No. However, I can replicate some of their feats," Scarlett said as she scrunched her nose at the smell that wafted into it. Ok, it might be an effective method, but it certainly had its downsides. "I would have thought you to already be aware of this."


    "Kat never mentioned it," Shin said. "She just said you could be crafty sometimes."


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow at him. Crafty? She felt like Kat had some weird priorities over what and what not to share here. "Anyhow, now you are aware. I am quite limited in my abilities, however, and will still require your protection, so do not grow complacent."


    Allyssa gave a sure nod. "We won''t. You can trust us."


    "Good," Scarlett said.


    Allyssa gestured to the defeated creatures. "Are we just going to leave things as they are?" She looked around at some of the plants around them. "I''m not sure about these fairies, but some of these plants look really interesting. It might be worth bringing some of them with us."


    Scarlett shook her head. "Leave it be for now. We cannot carry it all with us, and my pouch is limited in its capacity. We will handle any gathering as we make our return."


    "Ok. If you say so," Allyssa said, though there did seem to be some reluctance in the young woman''s voice as she looked at an oddly-shaped plant.


    As they began to delve deeper into the forest they continued to be accosted by swarms of [Restless Blot-Sprites] every ten minutes or so¡ªthe critters were certainly annoying, the way they didn''t seem to care for their own self-preservation¡ªbut they weren''t a real issue with Scarlett handling them quickly each time.


    Nonetheless, annoying was annoying.


    After about an hour of walking deeper and deeper into the magical woods, Scarlett was beginning to wonder how much they had left. She knew that, in this dungeon, simply continuing in the same direction would bring you to the same place no matter which path you chose. She just didn''t know how long that would take. And while the sights around them were breathtaking, with the glowing lines etched into the trees and the forest bed, the diverse flora, and the beautiful leaves hanging above them, you did get used to the sight after a while. There were only so many times she could see the same color-shifting flower before it wasn''t as special anymore.


    Honestly, she was a bit let down by the experience. Perhaps she would have enjoyed it more before she arrived in this world. Or maybe she was just naturally too much of a cynic when it came to these things. She preferred it in small doses.


    Finally, just as she was starting to worry if the structure of this place had changed from the game, she spotted something other than the now-familiar trees ahead of them.


    It was a large clearing. A tranquil lake sat at the center of it, with a small island situated in the middle of the lake. On the island was what looked like a classical park pavilion, made of old white marble, and overrun with vines and plants that clung to its pillars. Though it was hard to tell from here, there seemed to be some kind of blue light originating from the center of that pavilion.


    The others also appeared to take note of this as they neared the clearing. Rosa squinted her eyes, looking toward the structure. "Looks like a perfect spot for a short little break."


    "It would appear so, yes," Scarlett said.


    "Ok. From that, I''m assuming it isn''t."


    Leaving the underbrush of the forest itself, Scarlett stopped at the edge of the clearing, a dozen or so meters from the lake itself. "A wise assumption."


    The others stopped beside her, scanning the area.


    Scarlett noticed a slight disturbance on the surface of the lake. There was virtually no wind at all here, so the surface was mostly still. "I would suggest you all prepare yourselves," she said, focusing on the spot she''d seen.


    Fynn and Shin took a couple of steps ahead, while Allyssa brandished her hand crossbow. Rosa, as usual, had a small smile on her face as she held her instrument in her arms.


    Everybody was quiet for a while, but nothing happened.


    "Do you really think something is going to come?" Allyssa asked, looking around. Scarlett also noticed Fynn''s head move, as if he was trying to listen for something, but he stayed quiet.


    "I do," Scarlett said.


    Maybe they had to get closer before it started. Well, she wasn''t going to do that. That''s only what you did in games, where dying once or twice wasn''t a big deal.


    She conjured a large ball of fire right above the lake''s surface. Steam immediately rose from under it with a loud whoosh as the flames touched the water.


    A second passed.


    Then something massive emerged from beneath the surface and swallowed the sphere almost too fast for her to even see, before disappearing back into the lake immediately after.


    Well, that went better than she had expected. She only meant to catch its attention.


    A deep, reverberating noise reached their ears as something that resembled a tail created a large splash in another part of the lake.


    "What in Ittar''s name is¡ª" Allyssa began.


    Her words were interrupted as a geyser of water erupted up from the water as a gigantic, elongated creature flew dozens of meters into the air. A high-pitched screeching followed its wake, almost forcing Scarlett to cover her ears to avoid pain. The creature''s skin was a deep beige¡ªalmost coral¡ªtint with bulbous nubs and thick hairs spread unevenly along it, taking on a purple shade the closer it got to its tail. Its head, now turning away from the sky and to them, was just one massive mouth, with a maw of rough, yellowed teeth that grew irregularly. It opened to reveal a pitch-dark abyss. Above it was a pair of stretched, sunken-in eyes that were nothing but black.


    The creature was floating in the sky as if by magic¡ªduh¡ªand reminded Scarlett of an earthworm ¡ª if you''d first put it through some kind of Lovecraftian nightmare machine.


    Rosa let out a low whistle. "I''ll admit, I wasn''t expecting that. It''s been ages since I met someone with teeth that bad."


    The high-pitched screeching echoed out from the creature once more, even stronger than before. This time Scarlett covered her ears.


    "Alright, enough of that." Rosa cranked her instrument and two melodic notes followed each other. Suddenly, the sound around them quietened down considerably. Scarlett lowered her hands, giving the woman a curious glance. She didn''t know Rosa could do something like that.


    "Do we have to fight that?" Allyssa asked, staring up at the horrifying monster.


    Almost as if in response, the behemoth began its descent straight towards their group. Before anyone had the chance to say anything else, Fynn was off. Running ahead to meet the creature, that now focused its attention on him, Fynn bent down just as its large maw loomed over him. He jumped up right before it reached him and struck it just beneath its mouth.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Amazingly, even though the blow seemed limited in its effect, it was enough to knock the monster slightly off-path. Instead of devouring Fynn, its head slammed into the grass behind him with full force, gouging up a mountain of earth as it burrowed through meters of ground.


    The rest of them hastily moved to the side to avoid it. Feeling it would be a waste to miss this opportunity, Scarlett conjured another, larger, sphere of fire of an even higher intensity than before in its path and watched it get devoured with a small smile.


    Even more screeching rang out as smoke left its mouth, but the majority of the noise was canceled by Rosa''s magic.


    Scarlett wasn''t the only one taking this chance either, it seemed, as Allyssa aimed her crossbow and shot off a bolt that went straight into one of its eyes, disappearing in the black sclera.


    All of them moved further away as it finally reached a halt just before the forest edge and turned towards them. More of Rosa''s music sounded out as Scarlett felt a new sense of renewed vigor suffuse her, and once again Fynn came running at the monster, with Shin following.


    It roared at Fynn, meeting the young man head-on. This time, however, Fynn''s jump brought him on top of the monster''s head, where he started bashing down at it with full strength. It started writhing in all directions in response, and soon Fynn was sent flying into the nearby trees.


    Shin came running at it, his shield now on his back as he wielded his sword with both hands. A silver light slowly formed around the blade, soon extending out of it like a long lance, and he used the distraction Fynn gave to slash out at a spot right under its mouth, cutting off a decent chunk of meat. The blade disappeared in the process, however, and now the monster''s attention turned to Shin. It seemed to have a hard time finding him, though, as it spun its head around several times before lashing out. Scarlett now noticed that its right eye, where Alyssa had fired her bolt earlier, had rapidly taken on a sickly green color.


    As Shin managed to jump to the side to dodge the creature''s lunge at him, Scarlett raised her hand to create another fire sphere. The monster didn''t appear to have any special defenses other than its large size. It moved around too much, however, and her sphere didn''t do more than singe the parts of its skin that it briefly touched.


    That was enough to catch its attention, though. Soon it ignored Shin who was slashing at its side with his blade and started flying towards Allyssa, Rosa, and her who were all standing near each other.


    Rosa immediately responded by playing another short musical piece, whereas the air between them and the creature suddenly started moving as if there was a hot fire under it.


    "Move it!" the woman called out as she took Scarlett by the arm and both of them ran to the side, with Allyssa running the other way. The worm monster didn''t seem to even notice their movement as its maw tore straight through the place where they''d been and tossed up a cloud of dirt around it. Scarlett saw another opportunity as it was about to turn around and created four Aqua Mines¡ªamong the largest ones she''d ever created¡ªand detonated them close to its still working eye. Sweat running down her temple, she saw how one of them struck its eye and caused it to let out another bout of high-pitched screeches.


    It started throwing its body around randomly in search of them, like a worm trying to escape on land, when both Shin and Fynn suddenly came running up. Fynn jumped at it once again, landing on its head and only barely hanging on with his whole body. Then Shin threw his sword¡ªwith accuracy that amazed Scarlett¡ªand Fynn caught it by its blade and slammed it straight into the monster''s head.


    Another screech from it was followed by the monster flying up into the sky with Fynn on it. He wasn''t about to let it go though, as Scarlett observed him continuously slamming his fist into it over and over again next to where the sword was. Eventually, it was too far up for her to see what happened, but suddenly she felt the air around them move as the creature let out one more scream, louder than all the others, before stilling in the air and starting to fall towards the lake.


    She saw Fynn grab the sword from its head in its descent and jump off¡ªfrom what would probably be considered a four-story building''s height¡ªand land at the border of the lake without any issue.


    Water flew in all directions as the monster''s dead body landed in the lake, and Scarlett watched on as the giant carcass slowly sunk beneath the water.


    "I feel like I have to take a bath," Allyssa grumbled, wearing a grimace as she smelled her cloak. There was what appeared to be some kind of mucus or slime covering part of it. Luckily Scarlett hadn''t gotten any of that on her.


    Shin walked up to Allyssa and gave her a once-over before nodding his head in agreement. "You do. Maybe two."


    She glared at him.


    "What now?" Rosa asked, moving up beside Scarlett. "We having a picnic?" She gestured toward the pavilion on the island at the center of the lake.


    "Of a sort," Scarlett said, trekking closer to the lake where Fynn was staring down into the water with a frown. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.


    He turned and looked at her for a few seconds. "I don''t know. I can''t sense things well here. Everything is off."


    He pointed down at the lake. "The fish here aren''t acting like they should. Not with a predator this large nearby. Even now they''re barely reacting to it."


    Scarlett tilted her head. He could even sense the fish moving around in the lake? She didn''t know his senses were that good. What she did know was that, for some reason, he usually couldn''t sense things well in the Wandering Realm.


    She thought about it for a minute. "Perhaps it is because there are in actuality no fish here," she said.


    This earned a befuddled look from him.


    "An interstitial space borrows properties from the realms it is connected to, but that does not necessarily mean those properties are wholly authentic," she said and looked out over the lake. "I imagine this type of phenomena could be the product of that trait."


    Not that she knew the details about how this stuff worked. That was just a guess of hers, judging from some of the descriptions she''d read in the game and what Fynn just said.


    She pointed up at the moon that hung in the night sky above them. "Much like the moon, the fish might not be entirely real."


    Fynn''s eyes widened, his bright yellow irises suddenly starting to shift around as his gaze began moving around fervently. It was as if he was taking in their surroundings and the nature around them for the first time. Then he turned back to the lake and, without saying a word, dove straight into it before Scarlett could even say anything.


    "Somebody''s excited," Rosa''s voice sounded out next to her, the bard grinning as she walked up to the edge of the water. "He found a fish he want to catch?"


    Scarlett shook her head. "I am uncertain. However, I wish he would have stayed for a moment longer before leaving."


    "I get what you mean," Rosa hummed along. "Used to have a dog myself, when I was younger. Cutest little mongrel you''ll ever see. Wouldn''t stop running around trying to give people''s legs a shagging, though."


    Scarlett turned to look at the woman. Did she already have an idea as to what Fynn was? As far as Scarlett knew Rosa shouldn''t know about his tribe, so that shouldn''t be the case. But it was true that he wasn''t exactly the best at acting inconspicuous when it came to his abilities either. Rosa getting some kind of idea from that wouldn''t be too surprising.


    "So. How we getting over there?" The woman pointed towards the pavilion. "I''m guessing you''re not planning for us to swim?"


    Scarlett observed her for a moment longer, then turned to look out over the water. "I am not," she said.


    The water''s surface right in front of them was suddenly broken by a head of white locks. Fynn looked up at them with water dripping down his face, his hair sticking to the skin like seaweed.


    "The fish are missing," he said¡ªalmost like a question¡ªas he moved to climb back up on land. "The lake is completely empty except for that monster."


    "Then we have one mystery solved," Scarlett said and stepped in front of him, halting him from climbing up. "Before you leaped into the water, I intended to present you two tasks." She pointed towards where the monster''s body had sunk beneath the surface. "The first is to retrieve the core of that creature."


    Fynn stayed afloat by kicking water¡ªit seemed to be rather deep even this close to land¡ªand spun around to look. "It has a core?"


    "It does, although I cannot tell you where, as I do not know. It will be your responsibility to locate it by yourself. Can you manage that?"


    He looked back at her and nodded. "Yeah, probably. What was the other task?"


    She pointed to the island next. "While it is not visible, there should be a bridge connecting to that island. However, it can only be seen from under the water, so I require your aid in finding that as well."


    From what she remembered, you could avoid the fight with the worm monster completely in the game if you already knew where that path was. Otherwise you had to find it by jumping into the lake, or just swim the entire way to the island.


    Fynn looked towards the island, then the spot where the monster had fallen. Soon he disappeared into the water again without any complaints.


    Scarlett was a bit amazed at his response, actually. Or lack of it.


    While it did fit with what she knew of him, she herself never could have fathomed diving into a lake like this without any concerns. Not when it was this dark out and she''d just witnessed that it was home to a giant monster.


    She shook her head at the fact. Some people were just different.


    They ended up waiting for about twenty minutes before he returned, now with messy clothes that were absolutely covered in gore that was only partially washed away by the water. He held up a hand in which he held up a slightly translucent purple gem that glowed.


    [Doomscreamer Gaspaw''s Core (Epic)]


    {The collected energy gathered by the Doomscreamer Gaspaw from its surroundings over a long period of time}


    Scarlett received the object without any words and placed it in her pouch of holding as Fynn climbed up on land.


    Allyssa grimaced at his appearance. "Did you have to cover yourself in all of its innards?"


    He looked down at himself. "None of this is from its innards though? Its core was in its¡ª"


    Allyssa held up her hand. "I don''t want to know."


    Fynn just looked at her for a moment, then shrugged. Then he turned to Scarlett and pointed to a point of the lake further away. "The bridge you mentioned is over there."


    Scarlett told him to show the way and their group headed off in that direction. Like the game, the spot he pointed out looked like any other part of the lake. The water was tranquil and reflected the odd moon-replica just like normal water would. And even though there wasn''t too much light to lend visibility far beneath the surface, it didn''t look like there was anything there. Yet, after carefully lowering her right foot into the water¡ªfeeling the liquid seep into her boots wasn''t the most comfortable experience¡ªshe found solid ground just as it reached her calf. She gingerly took another step without any issue.


    Turning to the others, she signaled for them to follow. "It is time for the next event."

 Chapter 46 - Dungeon crawling and furniture shopping

    Scarlett crossed the invisible underwater bridge over the lake along with the others, reaching the small island at its center. The soft light from the moon suspended high in the starless sky, along with the almost mystical, violet luster that hung over much of the forest and this space, gave the old marble pavilion on the island a mysterious, supernatural vibe.


    Fitting, really. It was supernatural, after all. The pale blue light that escaped from the center of the pavilion, like small wisps spoke of that much.


    Scarlett walked closer to it, climbing a small set of overgrown stairs to step onto the pavilion''s floor, just out of reach of the strands of blue light that floated off from its center. There was a small altar there, upon which stood a simple stone chalice filled with glowing water that the shine flowed out from.


    "What is that?" Allyssa asked, moving up next to Scarlett.


    Scarlett looked at her. The young Shielder had pulled up her brown leather goggles to get a better look. "If you are curious, you may attempt to touch it."


    Allyssa turned to her with surprise. "Is it safe?"


    Scarlett nodded. "To my knowledge, yes."


    The girl seemed a bit hesitant, but soon took on a determined expression and stepped forward. Before she could get any further, however, Shin grabbed hold of her shoulder and pulled her back.


    "Don''t go running ahead from just that," he admonished her, before looking at Scarlett with a serious face. "What is it?"


    Scarlett looked at him curiously. "Nothing dangerous. It will simply transport her to a separate location."


    "Then I''ll go first." He hung his sword off his side and raised his shield in the air as he walked past an annoyed Allyssa, advancing on the chalice. Scarlett looked on as he put forward his right hand towards the object, and a moment after he touched it he disappeared in a cloud of blue lights.


    She turned to the others. "Who is next?"


    Allyssa immediately went forward and mimicked Shin''s actions, also disappearing in the same manner. After that was Fynn, with Rosa gesturing for Scarlett to go next.


    Scarlett arched a brow at that. "How very generous of you."


    Rosa gave her a smirk. "I''d rather be the one to die last, if it turns out to actually just be a person-poofer in disguise."


    Scarlett let out a low chuckle. "I believe that is the sort of thought one usually keeps to oneself in this scenario."


    The woman gently shrugged her shoulders. "You know what they say. Better an honest truth than an insincere smooch. I happen to be good at both."


    Scarlett shook her head. "I am certain that you are," she said, then stepped forward to the chalice and extended her hand. The moment she touched it, she felt an odd pull on her body. For a brief second, her surroundings became a blend of different colors, before reforming into a completely new image around her.


    It was a wide stone corridor. Dark carpets ran along the floor, and vines grew along the old walls. Odd pieces of furniture were spread out along the walls haphazardly, in ways that didn''t really make much sense. A table stood on its side next to a short bed, for example, with several wooden chairs placed on top of each other almost like a bookcase not far away.


    Shin, Allyssa, and Fynn were all here already, looking around at their new surroundings. After a short while, Rosa also appeared from thin air beside Scarlett, the bard''s head spinning around as she took in their new environment.


    "Well, this place sure is dreary."


    Scarlett took another glance around at the place. She wouldn''t exactly call it dreary, but it was clear this wasn''t exactly the kind of place people lived in.


    "What now?" Allyssa asked, turning away from an upside-down nightstand of dark oak. The corridor they were in terminated in a dead-end just a few meters behind them, continuing in the other direction where it gradually turned left.


    "We continue on, as we have up till this point," Scarlett said.


    Allyssa had already walked a short distance down the corridor, and now stopped next to a small window in the wall next to her.


    "Wow..." she mumbled as she looked out through it. Then she suddenly raised her hand and pointed at some point outside. "Isn''t that where we just were?"


    Scarlett and the others moved closer to peer through the window, where they saw a massive midnight forest stretch out far beneath them. From this point of view, it looked like the leaves on top of the trees were a dark purple, and it all had a much eerier feel to it than down on the ground. In the distance, where Allyssa was pointing, was a lake with a small island at its center. Where they''d just been.


    "And that''s where we started," Fynn said, pointing to a spot that was much closer to where they were now. Looking down, Scarlett saw the wall of the structure they found themselves in¡ªa tall tower that was at least one hundred meters high at their current point¡ªand a high cliff edge not far from where it met the ground. A river extended out from beside the tower, ending in a waterfall that fell to a lake at the bottom of that cliff. That was indeed where they''d first entered this dungeon.


    Allyssa leaned further out the window¡ªShin''s hand going out to stop her from going too far¡ªas she looked down. "Wait, we''re this close to where we began? How come we didn''t see this place when we first arrived?"


    "It might be some kind of illusion covering this place, similar to the bridge we walked over," Shin said behind her.


    Scarlett stayed quiet. That could very well be true, but she didn''t really know the answer this time.


    Turning away from the window, she began walking down the corridor further into this tower. The others caught up with her almost immediately, the air around them turning more serious. The corridor itself was ever-turning, continuing to the left indefinitely. It wasn''t noticeable at first, but it also seemed to be at a slight slope, so every step brought them higher up the tower. After they''d walked for some time the furniture they passed by also began increasing in number.


    "Ensure that you are aware of your surroundings," Scarlett said as she paid attention to the objects.


    "What," Allyssa began. "Are the tables goin¡ª" She didn''t manage to say more before a nearby chair suddenly moved and jumped towards her, but Fynn was quick as the wind and leaped in from the side, his hand slashing down and through the chair and splintering it into pieces.


    All of them stood still for a moment.


    "...Seriously?" Allyssa muttered.


    "I believe I did warn you," Scarlett said. The others placed themselves around her, with Shin at the front of the group and Fynn at the back so that they could react quickly if needed. Like that, they continued following the corridor, with the occasional furniture springing to life to attack them, though it wasn''t anything they couldn''t easily handle.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    After they''d been walking for a while, and destroyed dozens upon dozens of pieces of furniture, they finally reached what appeared to be the end of the corridor. A very large set of heavy iron doors stood before them, guarded on both sides by three pairs of armor. The suits of armor were all a deep black and held different weapons. Scarlett signaled for the others to stop before they got too close.


    Fynn sniffed the air as Shin appeared to examine the armor carefully.


    Allyssa put her hands on her waist. "Let me guess. Those things are going to start moving as soon as we get near, aren''t they?"


    Scarlett nodded her head. "Astute prediction."


    The Shielder let out a sigh. "What''s up with all of this moving junk?"


    "Animated objects are a well known occurrence when it comes to fairies," Shin said.


    "Well, I''ve never seen any myself before, so I didn''t know."


    "That''s because you never studied."


    "Yeah yeah. Whatever." Allyssa turned away from the armor and to Scarlett. "So are these just regular old metal then? If you ignore the fact that they can move."


    Scarlett tilted her head to the side. She wasn''t completely sure, actually. "I would imagine so, yes. However, their weapons are likely to be artifacts or magical in some manner."


    "Alright then." Allyssa gave a slow nod, adjusting her goggles as she turned to the stationary armor. She then pulled her cloak open and shifted the bandolier across her chest so that she could reach the pouches on the side, her fingers passing over a couple of them before grabbing a thin vial that had a thick silvery liquid inside it. It looked a bit like quicksilver.


    Shaking the vial for a few seconds, Allyssa then took a step forward and did a quick underhanded toss with it. The vial landed on a spot between the armor, shattering into a hundred pieces as a metallic cloud immediately spread out in thin strands, soon extending to envelop the two closest suits.


    Scarlett saw how the dark metal of the armor suddenly started frothing where the gas touched it, and within moments it evaporated into a dark cloud of smoke that rose toward the ceiling. As the argent cloud continued to spread, four of the six suits of armor were reduced to essentially nothing within thirty seconds. The last two had only partially been within reach of the gas, but they still lost a full quarter of their plate, revealing an empty space inside as they fell over on the ground.


    The defenders of these doors never even got the chance to start moving before they were defeated.


    Somehow, the weapons that the suits had held were completely unaffected, having clinked onto the stone floor as the suits were destroyed. There were two large two-handed swords, a big rectangular shield with an odd wavy pattern to it, a long spear with a silver edge, a black flail covered in spikes, and a pair of thick bracers with curved blades on their end.


    Rosa let out an impressed whistle. "That certainly saves us time. Didn''t know alchemy could do that."


    "Nor did I," Scarlett said quietly, looking up at the roof where the dark clouds had stuck to the stone ceiling. This was much more than she had been expecting from the craft.


    In the game, there had been no such class as ''alchemist''. It had always been a profession you did on the side, and its applications in combat had been limited to enhancing your normal stats and adding some extra damage when creating coatings for your weapons.


    "It''s the Philter of Ire''s Decay," Allyssa said as she took out another, thicker, vial with a clear liquid inside it. "It''s useful now and then, but takes a lot of time to concoct. And the materials are pretty expensive."


    She walked closer to the cloud of silvery gas that was now hanging still in the air in front of the doors. "It also takes ages to disappear, and you don''t want to breathe it in," she added, opening the new vial and flicking its contents at the cloud. Where the liquid touched the gas it reacted like boiling water and sputtered before disappearing almost completely. She spent a short while doing that, ensuring all of the gas was gone, before turning back to them. "There we go. All clear."


    Fynn walked forward and bent down next to one of the damaged suits of armor, but it didn''t move even as he poked its half-open chest plate.


    Scarlett also slowly moved forward, stopping next to Allyssa. "Your...concoctions. Where do you procure them?"


    "I make them myself."


    Scarlett paused. "...Is that so?"


    Allyssa''s lips curved up, though the smile looked a bit goofy when she was wearing her large goggles. "My mom was an alchemist. She used to work as a researcher at the Elystead Tower before she had me. I started learning from her when I was still a kid."


    Scarlett glanced at the remains of the armor. "It appears you are quite skilled at it."


    The Shielder showed an awkward smile at that and scratched the back of her head. "I wouldn''t go that far, but I''m trying my best."


    "She could have easily become accepted by any tower in the empire if she hadn''t decided to become a Shielder," Shin cut in from the side. "It''s the one thing she actually spends effort on to study."


    Allyssa punched him on a part of his arm that was less heavily armed. "Not everyone is as obsessed with books as you."


    Scarlett observed the two''s interaction for a moment, then spoke. "If you wish, I could look into the prospect of the Hartford barony assisting you in acquiring materials for your alchemy," she said. "In exchange for some of your services."


    Allyssa turned to her with wide eyes. "W-What? Are you serious?"


    Scarlett nodded. "I am."


    "I-I don''t know. I don''t exactly do commissions and things like that."


    Scarlett turned to the weapons lying on the floor next to them. "You do not have to make a decision now. We can discuss it further at a later point, if you are interested. For now, we have other matters to prioritize."


    "Oh, ehm. Yeah, of course." Allyssa nodded along thoughtlessly.


    Scarlett stepped closer to the spear with the silver edge.


    [Spear of Maladies (Rare)]


    {Provokes the blood of those it cuts, ensuring a heavy flow}


    Her eyes passed over the other items.


    [Two-hander of Vim (Rare)]


    [Blade of Biting (Rare)]


    [Bulwark of Courage (Rare)]


    [Fists of Malaise (Rare)]


    [Flail of Bloodletting (Rare)]


    They were all of a decent enough quality, even though they weren''t something she personally had a need for. But they should be worth something at least. Her eyes lingered on the bracers with blades on them. She could ask Fynn if he wanted those later on too, maybe. Though they didn''t really look like his style.


    "Are we going to take all of these with us?" Allyssa asked, gesturing to the weapons.


    "That was my intention, yes," Scarlett said. "For now, however, we can leave them as they are." They wouldn''t fit in her [Pouch of Holding], and it''d be a pain to carry them around. But she already had a solution in mind for that. That was another one of the reasons she''d wanted to visit this dungeon in particular.


    "Aagh!"


    Everybody readied themselves and turned their attention to Rosa, who''d suddenly jumped back from something on the ground. There was the gauntlet of one of the sets, completely still.


    They all looked at her, who was staring down at the gauntlet with a weird expression.


    "Are you okay?" Allyssa asked. "Did it move?"


    Rosa looked up at her, then down at the gauntlet again. "No, it didn''t," she said with a light chuckle as she shook her head. "Just hit my foot on it, and my mind was playing tricks making me think it was after my little toesies. I''m fine."


    Fynn studied her for a moment. "...Are you sure?"


    She smiled. "Of course I am. I''m always fine."


    She lightly kicked the gauntlet away so that it knocked into the stone wall, then pointed towards the doors ahead of them. "So, how we getting those open? I''ve seen buildings that look lighter than that."


    Scarlett eyed Rosa for a moment longer before turning to the doors. "Strength will not be necessary here," she said and walked over to them. With one simple touch against their cold metal surface, both doors smoothly began to open themselves. She heard how a couple of the others breathed in at the sight that was revealed.


    In front of them was a veritable paradise, completely disparate from the comparatively tight corridors they''d been moving through. There was an expanse of flora here that was even more of a spectacle than the magical forest outside. It was a vast room, with shimmering water covering much of it. Lines of trees¡ªeach with vibrant purple lines running across their trunks like the other trees they''d witnessed up till this point¡ªthat were so close that they practically grew into each other encircled the entire area, acting almost like a natural wall for the space. And above their heads hung the open night sky, with the same slightly odd moon from earlier looking over it. Yet now, the moon was suspended so low that it felt like it took up almost half of the sky.


    At the center of this room was a tree like none of the others. Wooden bridges with lights lining them arched up to the roots, where a wide walkway grew into and encircled the tree. The trunk itself was almost brimming with those glowing lines, and the tree''s crown stretched far above the other trees, looking like it could almost reach up to the moon itself.


    The bridges that connected to the root of the tree extended out into the room to large circular wooden platforms that floated upon the lake that made up the floor of this room. Strange plants that had long, sprouting lilac leaves jutted out of the water at random intervals close to these platforms, each plant sporting balloon-shaped caps with web-like patterns over them that shone a pale yellow.


    Most notable of all, though, were the tiny blue and purple shapes that flittered about the space in disorderly paths all over the place. There were dozens upon dozens of them, every single one leaving a small trail behind them as they flew through the air. Focusing closely, Scarlett could tell that those shapes were humanoid, with small wings behind them. These creatures looked much more like the classical fairy one might envision when hearing the word, compared to those creatures they had encountered before.


    She smiled. Here was where the true treasure of this dungeon could be found.

 Chapter 47 - Puzzles

    "Hmm~" Rosa hummed at the sight before Scarlett and the others. "It might just be me, but I''m starting to suspect space is a bit weird in this place."


    "I think you might be right," Allyssa mumbled, looking up at the giant moon above them.


    Scarlett saw a small grin on Rosa''s face in her peripheral. "I do have that tendency, don''t I?"


    Fynn pointed to one of the groups of small humanoid figures that flew past only a few meters away. "Are those also fairies?"


    "They are," Scarlett said. "However, there is no need to fear these. They should not be as aggressive as their relatives, assuming you do nothing to provoke them."


    You could fight all the fairies in here¡ªthey weren''t particularly strong either¡ªbut it wasn''t necessary. It also felt unnecessarily cruel, and would probably clash with her current plans.


    That hadn''t stopped her from doing it in her second playthrough, though.


    She stepped through the open doorway onto the first circular platform inside this ''room''. The floor of the platform consisted of bent and wiry roots that were intertwined over each other. An arching wooden bridge extended out from the platform towards another platform just like it. The small yellow lights that protruded along the side of the bridge reminded her a bit of streetlights.


    Scanning across the room, with all the different platforms and bridges floating above the water, there appeared to be no clear way of getting to the large tree at the center of the room without swimming. Several of the platforms looked like dead ends, and there were dozens of them. The main tree was also a decent distance away from their current position.


    As she examined the room, one of the fairies¡ªthis one glistening with an almost magenta color¡ªapproached Scarlett curiously. It floated around her, stopping a few times to get a closer look. It was about the size of her head, and when it stopped she could see that¡ªwhile it wasn''t wearing any clothes¡ªthe intangible shine that seeped out from its body looked like a flowing dress, starting from its shoulders and drifting down to the knees. The fairy''s hair was long and almost translucent, with its skin being a pale blue with tufts of white strands growing here and there. Its face had slightly alien features, with large round eyes that blinked as they watched her like a child would a new toy.


    It stayed like that for a while, simply observing her, before it finally seemed to grow bored and fluttered away to join a passing group of fairies.


    A few fairies had approached the others too, and Scarlett saw Allyssa move closer to the edge of the platform, slowly spinning around as she took in their surroundings and two fairies that moved near her head. She let out a small chuckle when two more fairies joined in and they all spun around her in an assemblage of colors. "So what is this place?" she asked, looking towards Scarlett.


    "It is no different from the rest of the interstitial space," Scarlett answered as she started moving towards the bridge connecting this platform with the next. "It simply happens to be home to another of the species native to the Wandering Realm, one that is not quite as intrusive."


    When she reached the bridge, Shin and Fynn stepped onto it along with her. Rosa and Allyssa followed a couple of steps behind. As they crossed it, Fynn''s eyes seemed to be locked onto one of the plants that jutted out of the water not far from them with a group of fairies circling it. It was as if he sensed something special about the plant.


    Scarlett wasn''t sure if his instincts were just that good, or if it was simply a coincidence.


    Stepping onto the next platform, she looked around. There were two other bridges connecting to this platform, but the left one led to an empty platform without any further connections, and though the right one had two more bridges, it too led to a dead-end soon enough. Albeit closer to the center.


    "Is that our target?" Shin asked, pointing to the massive tree ahead of them.


    "It is."


    Fynn tore his eyes away from the plant he''d been staring at, examining the tree and the lack of a path to reach it. "How are we getting there? Are we swimming?"


    Scarlett shook her head. "I would advise against diving into the water here," she said, looking down into the lake around them. You couldn''t even see past the surface. She tried using her hydromancy, but like the small lake in Temisbrook Woods it didn''t budge.


    In the game, jumping into the water would bring you to the start of the dungeon. It had been a pain in the game, but here it would be even worse. She did not want to spend all that time walking back here.


    She turned to the plant that Fynn had been looking at. After glancing back, ensuring that both Rosa and Allyssa had made it onto their current platform, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A small Aqua Mine formed next to the glowing bulb at the top of the plant. When she detonated her magic it blasted into the bulb and a loud, echoing sound¡ªalmost like the fracture sounds when skating on an ice lake¡ªrang out as it started swaying back and forth. Slowly, the color of the light changed from yellow to a dull blue.


    The others looked at her with slight confusion, but she stayed quiet as she waited. Then, after a while, the bridge to the right of them suddenly withdrew into their platform and disappeared. Another bridge grew out even further to their left, establishing a connection to another platform on that end.


    "Wow. That''s certainly..unique," Rosa said.


    "How did you know it was going to do that?" Allyssa asked.


    "I was informed of it beforehand," Scarlett said as she casually started crossing the new bridge to the next platform. "We are not the first people to visit this place."


    The next platform had two bridges connecting to it, but Scarlett only looked at where they led for a brief moment before choosing the rightmost one. She then led the way over two more bridges, before eventually stopping at a platform that had three bridges jutting out from it. All of them appeared to lead to dead ends, though.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She frowned as she examined their current location. She was pretty sure this was the correct platform at this point, if you followed the game''s designs. And while they weren''t entirely trustworthy, they''d almost always been correct when it came to things like this.


    She looked out into the water next to the platform. This platform had two plants close to it, instead of just one. Which one was it at this step? She felt like it was the left one. After spending a moment trying to remember, she just shook her head and put her hand into the pouch at her side, bringing out the red leather journal she used to keep notes. She had spent some time trying to memorize this, but it was best to double-check just in case.


    She opened it up and flipped through its pages, making sure to turn it away from the others as they looked on with curious gazes. She eventually found the right page, but what she''d written there made her frown even further.


    ''I think the left one is next, but it could be the right too. Good luck''


    Right...it was this part. That explained why she had a hard time remembering the correct one.


    Although she had gone through this place several times in her playthroughs¡ªit took several attempts to get it right¡ªher memory still wasn''t perfect for this puzzle, even when she''d originally written it down a month earlier.


    She looked up at the two plants.


    Well, she had to assume that the past her was right. But she''d known there was going to be some luck involved in this section. Holding back a sigh, she looked through the rest of the steps she''d written down to refresh her memory before returning the journal to her pouch. Then she raised her fingers¡ªonly feeling slightly anxious¡ªand conjured an Aqua Mine next to the left plant.


    "That''s wrong," Fynn suddenly said.


    She paused, turning to him. "What do you mean?"


    "That one is wrong." He gestured at the left plant, then towards the fairies that were flying around the room. "They know it too."


    Scarlett shifted her gaze to the fairies, and then she saw it. Although their movements seemed to be largely random as they moved around, there was a pattern to them. Or a part of a pattern. She saw as two passing groups of fairies flew by close to both plants, but both groups kept a noticeably larger distance from the left one.


    She almost wanted to laugh at the realization. That explained so much. How had she missed this? In the game, she spent ages originally trying to figure out the correct plants through trial and error. She did think it odd at the time that there would be no way to determine which plants were the right ones, but she wasn''t one to look up the wikis when she couldn''t figure things out by herself. When she had the time to spare she didn''t mind bulldozing through things like this. Puzzles weren''t always her forte, but stubbornness could be.


    She did feel stupid now, though. To think it was something that easy. She remembered having thought it might have something to do with the glowing lines on the surrounding trees, or some nonsense like that.


    In her defense, the pattern in the fairies'' flight was subtle. Even if that was present in the game, she wasn''t entirely certain it''d be something she would notice through the screen.


    Well, whatever. This made things a lot easier. Now the only thing she had to remember was the path she needed to take.


    She dismissed the Mine she had created and conjured another one next to the glowing bulb of the right plant, and detonated it. The same odd sound from before rang out with the blow as the plant changed colors. She held her breath for a brief moment as she waited for something to happen, but soon the bridges started rearranging themselves.


    Thank god Fynn had noticed that before it was too late. Otherwise their platform would have been lowered under the water, and she did not want to restart from the beginning.


    Choosing the bridge she knew was the next amongst the steps she''d written down, they crossed a few platforms more before reaching another one with plants. After double-checking she was picking the right one by observing the fairies and asking Fynn, they then continued on again. After proceeding for a while by repeating that procedure, they eventually reached a platform that was at the opposite end of this room from where the entrance was. This platform, like the others, was mostly empty. There were no plants near it nor any bridge connecting to it other than the one they''d used to reach it.


    "I thought we were aiming for the center?" Allyssa asked, as Scarlett strode towards the edge of the platform.


    "We are," Scarlett confirmed as she bent down. Next to her was what looked like a dirty, army-green leather strap, stuck between two roots that had a small space separating them. The other end of the strap hung over the edge of the platform and was hidden beneath the water''s surface. "However, as I mentioned, we are not the first to find this place."


    She took hold of the rim of the strap¡ªusing just her index finger and thumb, to avoid getting too dirty¡ªand pulled it loose from where it was wedged stuck. She then lifted the rest of it out of the water and held the object up for the others to see.


    It was a green satchel. The image of a face¡ªif one could call it that¡ªwas sewn into its side in turquoise and red colors, with thick eyebrows and thin white eyes that were partly closed. The turquoise was sewn in a manner where it almost looked like a kind of face paint. It reminded Scarlett somewhat of some Aztec imagery. Or perhaps something that''d come out from Majora''s Mask.


    [Bag of Juham (Epic)]


    {A link to the interstitial space originally birthed by the Idol Juham, dwelling in the inner dell of the Forest of Consciousness}


    Scarlett read the small description screen that appeared with the item. The description was a bit fancy, but in the end, it was just a bag of holding. But it was a significant upgrade compared to her current [Pouch of Holding], which was pretty limited in its space as well as what items could fit through its opening.


    An item like this bag was something she''d wanted to get her hands on for a while now.


    "Someone left that here?" Rosa asked with some disbelief.


    "Someone did, yes," Scarlett said.


    "Then they''re someone you know? The same person that gave you all the information about this place?"


    Scarlett glanced at Fynn. "...Not quite," she said after a moment. "I am not aware of who it was that left this here. However, I was informed that it could be here."


    She walked over and handed the bag to Rosa, who received it with a slightly addled face. "For now, I will entrust it to you. Its worth is significant, so do be careful not to lose it."


    The bard held it by the dry part of the strap and turned it so that the front faced her. "Not exactly my style, but if you say so."


    "It''s a bit creepy, isn''t it?" Allyssa said as she leaned close to Rosa, staring at the stitched face.


    Rosa tiled her head as she observed the bag. "Nah, I''ve seen worse. I think it''s cute."


    "What? Really?"


    "Of course! You learn to appreciate these things after a while."


    Allyssa looked up at the older woman with a doubtful expression. "A while of what?"


    Rosa smiled. "Oh, you know. Sometimes you just see an odd face or two. You''d be surprised how many people there are out there that look like they''re walking around with sticks up their shafts most of the time."


    Fynn furrowed his forehead. "People have sticks up their butts?"


    "They sure do," Rosa said as she nodded her head.


    Scarlett decided to leave them to their conversation as she began walking back over the bridge. Then she started backtracking for a while until they eventually reached an earlier platform they''d already passed, from which she started making her way towards the large tree at the center for real this time. Without her having to worry about whether she would activate the wrong plants or not, it only took them about five minutes from there to reach one of the bridges that connected to the walkway that grew into the root of the tree.


    Walking up to the enormous tree''s trunk there was an indentation in the tree where it looked like the bark had grown together to cover a hole. Looking back at the group to ensure they were ready, Scarlett walked up to the tree and touched the bark, and it retracted into the sides to open up into a door inside the tree.

 Chapter 48 - Theres a baroness on your lawn

    The inside of the tree was large. Weaves of glowing twines dangled from somewhere above them, coating the space in a light violet light. They created an interesting crisscrossing tapestry, some coiling together in large luminescent tangles. Only hints of the tree''s hollow nature could be seen through them even further up.


    Scarlett turned her head down and focused on the middle of this ''room''. There, on top of a multi-leveled circular dais of roots and wood that grew from the floor and covered nearly half of the free space, was a gathering of large leaves that arched up in the air like the petals on a flower. They were a bright green and had a clear luster to them, but the edges of all the leaves had started to fade into a more lifeless brown color.


    Between the leaves was an empty space, like an altar or a throne, lined by crowns, where a lean figure with blue-green skin waited. Its features were vague and androgynous, with bark growing in spots across its body, along with tufts of pale hair that glimmered slightly. Thin, long ears pointed up in the air, and the hair on its head was more akin to thin filaments of translucent grass than anything else. The lower half of its body was also soft bark that grew into the wood itself beneath it.


    The being watched them as they entered its abode, one of its eyes nothing but a large golden iris that had an almost childlike gleam to it. The other eye, however, was sickly and colorless.


    This was the last boss of this dungeon. [Eupherbia Wildshimmer].


    Scarlett wasn''t sure if that had been its name in the game, or simply the type of creature that it was. But that didn''t matter.


    She looked back at the others. "Leave the handling of these matters to me, and do not act unless absolutely necessary," she said. After seeing that they all understood, she looked back at the center of the room and cautiously began walking forward, gauging the figure''s reactions as its gaze repeatedly shifted between her and the other members of her group behind her. Thankfully it didn''t seem to find any reason to take any hostile action towards them yet.


    This had been an annoying fight in the game.


    Eventually stopping a few meters away from the flower-like throne the being was part of, Scarlett glanced down at the floor. Several roots, the size of even some tree trunks, began just a foot or so ahead of her and grew around the throne in a circle. This was probably the point she didn''t want to cross past.


    The Eupherbia''s head tilted to the side in a strangely fluid motion, its single eye focused on Scarlett now. "Human?"


    "Human"


    "Hum¡ª"


    "an?"


    "Human"


    Its voice echoed out like a note throughout the inside of the tree, as if it came from several places at once. Both as a question, a statement, and a command.


    Scarlett waited a moment for it to speak again.


    "Why?"


    "What?"


    "Who?"


    "No"


    Although the voices all came at once, oddly enough, she had no issue telling them apart.


    "I am Scarlett Hartford," she declared in a loud voice. "A noble of the Graenal Empire, and baroness of Stagmond. I am here in search of a trade."


    A puzzled expression formed on the fairy being''s face. "Trade?"


    "Barter"


    "Deal"


    "Steal"


    Scarlett looked around. She wasn''t quite sure where the last voice was coming from. It seemed to vary. "I am no thief," she announced. "I would form a covenant to prove as such, and to offer you a bargain."


    The Eupherbia''s golden eye widened "Covenant?"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Dishonest"


    A cacophony of voices sang out at her words.


    A covenant was in many ways similar to a deal with a demon, but was something only those beings related to the Wandering Realm could make. While a deal with a demon was almost guaranteed to be in your own disfavor, a covenant with a fairy was a much more safe thing. If you were a Spirit User, for example, special covenants with these creatures were how you gained much of your power. Scarlett couldn''t strike that particular kind of covenant¡ªthat required some skills she unfortunately lacked¡ªbut she should still be able to make use of the process. In fact, she had to. Otherwise her plans here were likely to all fall apart.


    The Eupherbia leaned forward, its lower half somehow growing forward through the ground as it did. Scarlett saw how the roots on the ground near her twitched.


    "Bargain?" it asked, this time only the single voice coming out.


    Scarlett gestured towards the deteriorating parts of the leaves that surrounded it, and the Eupherbia gazed toward them with a languid expression.


    "Foreign elements have invaded your dwelling. You are weakening. Perishing," she said. Not all creatures related to the Wandering Realm were friendly to each other. "What I offer is something that can aid you. In rejuvenating yourself, and your home."


    The Eupherbia looked at her. "Friend?" it asked, then its eye moved toward Scarlett''s group behind her.


    "Ally?"


    "Help?"


    "Frien¡ª"


    "No"


    "Fiend"


    "EVIL"


    The voices grew in volume, becoming more erratic. The roots in front of Scarlett suddenly shot up from the floor like writhing tentacles, screaming faces forming on the dark bark. The Eupherbia''s expression grew more agitated as dozens of these roots appeared, and Scarlett hurried to take a step to the side, putting herself in front of the fairy''s gaze.


    "We are no threat," she said, holding her hands up in the air in front of her. "We have slain the Doomscreamer Gaspaw. Our purpose here is not to cause you harm."


    The roots stilled for a moment, as the Eupherbia''s attention was now focused solely on her.


    Glancing back, Scarlett saw that the roots surrounded her allies. Although Rosa looked a bit shaken, all of them looked ready to fight any second now.


    Well, this didn''t surprise her. She hadn''t quite expected this reaction either, but she could understand it to some degree.


    Turning back to the ruler of this place, Scarlett put her hand into the pouch at her side and pulled out the core they''d taken from the giant worm monster''s corpse. She held it up in front of her. "This is proof of my words."


    The Eupherbia stared wordlessly at the glowing object. Then another root grew up from the floor¡ªthis one without any faces on it¡ªand reached for the core.


    Scarlett pulled it back and put one hand forward. "A bargain is what I proposed."


    The root stopped where it was. The Eupherbia''s eye was locked on the core in Scarlett''s hand, and it stayed like that for a while. Then it looked up at Scarlett.


    "Covenant."


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    "Covenant"


    A wave of voices echoed across the inside of the tree, and this time Scarlett couldn''t make out one voice from the next as all the faces on the roots around them sang the same word.


    The Eupherbia brought up one of its hands, gesturing towards Scarlett. She cautiously took a step forward, and when none of the roots moved in response she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief before walking up to the fairy.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It held its hand up, palm faced towards her. She brought up her free hand, placing it against the bark on the Eupherbia''s palm.


    "Covenant," it said once more.


    She more or less understood what it wanted. "I, Scarlett Hartford, hereby proclaim that I am not here to precipitate any violence upon you or those of yours, nor take that which is not mine. I have slain the creature that drained your home of its life, and swear to aid you in recovering from the corruption it has caused, in return for a trade."


    A bright green light rose from her hand as a circular shape engraved itself into it. Yet, unlike the time she made the deal with the demon, there was no pain here, just a cool sensation on her skin.


    Now the Eupherbia looked her in the eyes. "Help," it chanted.


    "Help"


    "Aid"


    Scarlett glanced down at the core in her hand.


    The way she understood it, this core was a pure concentration of the mana and life energy that had been stolen from this space by the [Doomscreamer Gaspaw] over a long period of time. The worm had essentially been a very large parasite, and the core was where it saved most of what it took. This also meant that the core itself was worth a lot as a magical item and reagent. That''s why it had dropped from a ''mini''-boss like that.


    Honestly, she would have liked to keep it. But the path she was choosing was far better for her.


    She looked up and offered it to the fairy, who reached forth and grabbed it in both hands. The Eupherbia held it in front of its torso as it stared into the translucent purple surface. It then turned away from her and moved to the center of its natural throne. Scarlett then heard how it crushed the core. A blinding light sprang out and blocked her view for a couple of seconds, but the light itself soon began being absorbed by the Eupherbia''s lean shape. The fairy''s skin grew brighter and brighter, at the same time as the leaves surrounding it began regaining their color on all of the damaged parts.


    The change wasn''t immediate, going on for about half a minute, but when it was finished it turned back to look at Scarlett. Both of its eyes now shone a clear gold. It nodded its head. "Helped."


    "Good"


    "Good"


    "Trade"


    [Side-Quest completed: Help [Eupherbia Wildshimmer] recover its power]


    {Skill points awarded: 2}


    Oh? It tracked that as a side-quest? That did surprise her somewhat. But this was an optional way of clearing the dungeon, so maybe it shouldn''t be that unexpected.


    For a while, the Eupherbia stood completely still as it observed Scarlett. Then it turned its head to the side and moved its arm. Part of its throne morphed at the motion, with three spots in the wood suddenly rising. Three items revealed themselves.


    One was a long staff of curling dark wood. It had several leaves growing off of it, and odd symbols were engraved on its shaft. At its top, the wood coiled into itself around a large amethyst that glittered as light fell on it.


    [Moonshadow''s Crown (Epic)]


    {Endowed within this staff is the harmonious power of the lunar, tranquil in its state as it waits to envelop its surroundings}


    Next to it was the second item. A wooden shield that looked like it had grown out of the trunk of a tree, with twisting roots that spiraled into a tear-shape and had moss covering parts of it.


    [Pastoral Glade''s Bulwark (Epic)]


    {Endowed within this shield is the arcadian power of the forest, calm in its rest as it waits to protect its surroundings}


    Those two items were certainly impressive on their own, but they weren''t where Scarlett''s focus was. She was looking at the third item.


    It was a small ring of carved wood that had an almost golden luster to it¡ªone could almost mistake it to be made of gold, if not for the telltale grooves of the wood itself¡ªwhere its upper part was like two horns that enveloped each other.


    [Lifeblood''s Eternal Circuit (Unique)]


    {Endowed within this ring is the lifeblood of Temisbrook Glade, overflowing and eager with the ambition to support its wearer}


    This was Scarlett''s main goal in visiting this dungeon. Because, while there was a plethora of other powerful artifacts and items that she could try to find, this was one of the few ones that solved one of the largest concerns she''d had recently.


    Namely, that of her own fragility.


    The description of the item itself this time wasn''t too bad when it came to describing the actual effect. But if one were to be more specific, this ring gave her access to the class spell [Sidhe''s Flowing Garbs], which belonged to the Druid class tree, a variant of the Spirit User tree. Just like class spells such as [Adumbral Cape] or [Mana Barrier], [Sidhe''s Flowing Garbs] gave you a magical barrier that defended against damage. Something she had been sorely lacking, considering one attack from most things would be enough to kill her.


    This was also why it had been absolutely vital to her that she sacrificed the [Doomscreamer Gaspaw]''s core to help the Eupherbia. Otherwise, the only way to clear this dungeon was to fight the Eupherbia. Its condition would then rapidly grow worse, and while you still got loot from the encounter, they were corrupted versions of these items; more fit for offense than defense.


    Scarlett bent down and picked the ring up, palming it in her hand as she turned it around. Like when she originally acquired the [Charms of Apperception] and her other items, she felt a warm sensation from the ring for a moment when a connection formed with it. Putting it on, she could feel the connection at the back of her mind, just asking to be pulled.


    She did.


    She saw how a faint shimmer formed around her arms and hands. It reminded her a lot of the magical barriers Kat, Allyssa, and others used, but it was more purple in its coloration. Looking over her body with her artifact-powered vision, she also felt like her barrier was a lot more transparent¡ªor perhaps clearer¡ªthan the other variants she''d seen. It wasn''t quite as everchanging as [Mana Barrier] was, for example. There were also fewer of those points of instability that she''d trained herself to look for in Kat''s and others'' defenses.


    "Pleased?" the Eupherbia''s flowing voice sounded out from beside her.


    "Happy?"


    "Trade"


    "Promise"


    "Covenant"


    Scarlett looked up as the voices echoed out. "Yes, this is a satisfying prize."


    She looked at the staff and shield, moving to pick them up too. They were heavier than they looked¡ªScarlett was still not in the best of shape¡ªbut it was nothing she couldn''t handle. Holding both in her arms, she walked back to her group. The roots that had been surrounding them had returned back into the ground by now.


    Handing the items to Fynn for the moment, Scarlett turned back to the Eupherbia. It looked at her with a curious gaze, then pointed to Scarlett''s group. "Leave?"


    "Go?"


    "Elsewhere"


    "Bad"


    "Away"


    Scarlett paused for a moment, then nodded her head. "Yes. Our purpose has been fulfilled."


    It leaned its body to the side, then pointed at Scarlett herself. "Stay?"


    "Friend"


    "Home"


    "Good"


    Scarlett''s eyes widened slightly. It was expecting her to remain? She shook her head. "No, I will also be leaving. I have a home that I have an obligation to return to."


    The voices went quiet, and the Eupherbia stared at her for a while. Then it moved its hand and a root made its way towards Scarlett. For a brief second she thought it was attacking¡ªFynn and Shin even moved to get in front of her¡ªbut the root stopped a short distance away. Then the tip of the root glowed a light blue and a small blue crystal took shape. Scarlett only barely managed to react and catch the object as it fell.


    "Gift."


    "Gift"


    "Gift"


    She stared down at the crystal.


    [Mark of the Fey (Rare)]


    {A mark of gratitude from a being of the Wandering Realms}


    She had no idea what this was. She''d never gotten it in the game. Was this some quest reward she had missed? But that didn''t make sense. She''d done this in the game.


    She looked up at the Eupherbia, who was looking at her with anticipating eyes.


    As far as she was aware, her actions in this dungeon up till now hadn''t been too different from what she''d done in the game. She was pretty sure this just wasn''t an item you could get in ''Chronicle of Realms'', even if it appeared to have a description and all that here ¡ª a feature she''d thought only in-game items had retained in this world.


    She didn''t really know what to do with this.


    Throwing one last glance at the item description, she gave the Eupherbia a slow nod. "I appreciate the gesture," she said and put the crystal inside her pouch of holding. She would try and figure out what it was later on.


    The Eupherbia smiled, the gleeful expression looking very childlike on its face. Then, without so much as another word, it sunk down into the tree and disappeared.


    [Quest completed: Cleared Temisbrook Glade]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}


    Silence filled the inside of the large tree as the quest completion message appeared.


    "Well, that sure was something," Rosa''s voice sounded out.


    "That fairy was weird," Fynn said as he stared at the spot where it had vanished.


    Allyssa shushed him. "It could still be listening. Don''t be rude!"


    "It called us bad though. Wasn''t that rude?"


    Allyssa shook her head. "No, I don''t think it meant us specifically. Maybe it just doesn''t like humans in general."


    Scarlett turned around to the exit. Shin stepped closer and looked at her. "Will it be safe for you to leave?"


    She gave him a questioning look. "I believe so. Why would it not be?"


    "Many of the collected stories of fairies and the Wandering Realm describe people being abducted against their will. It seemed to want you to stay, so can we be sure won''t try to stop us later on?"


    She gestured to the pouch at her side. "It is unlikely. What it gave me was a sign of gratitude among its kind. It would not express that by also confining me here."


    He leaned his head back, quiet for a moment as he gave her an interested look. "You know a lot about them."


    "That I do." She simply nodded her head and began walking towards the exit, gesturing for the others to follow.


    "It is time that we return to Elystead. I believe we will have ample time for rest during what remains of the night, then we will leave in the morning. Ensure that you gather any useful materials as we move."


    This dungeon had given a good haul, but now it was time for another kind of excitement.


    If you could call it that.


    It was soon time to attend the Elysian Proclamation.

 Chapter 49 - The Elysian Proclamation

    Evelyne watched on as the huge sight of the Dawnlight Palace drew closer and closer. Their carriage was slowly traveling across the Dawnset Bridge towards the palace, a long line of other noble carriages trailing behind them. The gleaming bronze-red walls that surrounded the palace reflected the midday sun, with large banners bearing the imperial crest hanging at even intervals over the stone.


    It had been years since she last had an opportunity to attend an event here. Not since her father had still been alive. She was both a bit nervous and expectant.


    Her head turned to the opposite end of the carriage cabin, where her older sister was looking out the window with a serious expression.


    They hadn''t talked much since Scarlett left for her trip two days earlier. Evelyne had heard that she returned the night before at least. Unharmed, thankfully. After that most of this morning had gone into preparing for the Proclamation.


    Evelyne herself wore a white undershirt with a deep green jacket over it, gilded with silver buttons and studs. It was one of her more expensive pieces of clothing, but not one that was likely to stick out much amongst the noble cliques of the capital.


    Scarlett, in comparison, wore a lustrous dark red dress that left her shoulders mostly uncovered and flowed into a captivating v-neck. It was a tight fit, focusing more on gracefulness than comfort, but it wouldn''t surprise Evelyne if that was what was in fashion right now.


    And while the dress did look relatively simple outwardly, Evelyne knew how expensive it actually was. It was made of blossom satin, after all. She remembered how livid she had gotten when she originally saw the order for it.


    In addition to the dress, Scarlett also wore those same amber earrings that Evelyne had seen before. It surprised her that Scarlett chose to wear them even to this event. Usually, her older sister switched accessories and jewellery as often as she did clothes. But lately, she''d seen Scarlett not only wear those earrings more than once, but also wear the same necklace most of the time, along with a black ring on her right hand. She wasn''t wearing the necklace right now at least, but the ring was still there. Along with another ring Evelyne had never seen before, that looked to be made out of gold-colored wood for some reason.


    Judging from recent events, it was entirely possible that all of those items were artifacts. Or enchanted in some way.


    What Evelyne didn''t fully understand was why she wore them so much these days. The only reason she could think of was whatever threat it was that Scarlett was under, but she had so little knowledge of what was going on that it left her anxious.


    Not that her sister seemed to care any about that.


    She turned her attention back outside. Eventually their carriage passed through the large gates of the palace and into an extensive square bounded by royal oleander trees, the gold-red leaves hanging off them kept ever in bloom through magic even during the colder times of the year.


    The carriages ahead of them in the line continued on to where a large set of stairs began, leading up to the entrance of the palace itself. The carriage at the front stopped at a point where rows upon rows of servants in bronze-gold uniforms stood lined up, ready to receive every single one of today''s auspicious visitors.


    As their carriage neared the front, Evelyne looked on as the large black carriage ahead of them¡ªbearing the crest of a green stag on it, belonging to the Tyndall family¡ªstopped, and the two servants at the head of the row of servants walked up. They bowed, and one of them opened the carriage door to let out a group of five people.


    After that group''s carriage had left and they started climbing the stairs, guided by the two servants, Evelyne''s and Scarlett''s turn was up next. Two more servants approached their carriage. Scarlett was the first to exit the vehicle as the door was opened, with Evelyne following close behind.


    "His Imperial Majesty, the gilded sun of the Empire and the light who shines upon us all, bids you welcome Baroness Hartford," one of the servants said, a middle-aged man with slicked-back black hair. He bowed to Scarlett, then gave Evelyne a short bow too. "Lady Evelyne."


    Evelyne froze at his address. He appeared to notice her reaction as well because his eyes turned a bit nervous. She turned to Scarlett, readying for the outburst¡ª


    Scarlett wasn''t showing any reaction to it at all. In fact, she was giving both of them a strange look like she didn''t understand why they had both paused. She seemed to look at the man for a moment, the other female servant beside Scarlett trying to remain completely quiet, then her forehead furrowed in a frown. As if she only now had realized his words.


    Scarlett clicked her tongue and signaled for the stairs. "Are we continuing onward or not?"


    The man just looked confused now, briefly giving Evelyne an odd look, before lowering his head at Scarlett. "Of course, Baroness. Follow me."


    He turned around and started guiding them up the stairs. Scarlett and the other servant immediately followed, but Evelyne remained still for a second, unsure how to interpret the situation.


    Usually Scarlett would go mad at anyone that referred to Evelyne as ''lady''. But now she let it go without a word?


    Was it just to save face? Did she really not notice? Or was there something more to it? Could she interpret it as Scarlett actually recognizing her position?


    Evelyne shook her head. No, that wasn''t likely.


    As their carriage started leaving behind her and the next carriage began driving forward, Evelyne pushed the matter out of her head for now and hurried to catch up, only briefly glancing at the large gold-plated statues that lined the stairs.


    When they entered the large entrance hall of the palace, Evelyne noticed that Scarlett was staring at the giant statue of Galrath the Great that overlooked most of the hall. Scarlett had always had an odd fascination for the empire''s founder, beyond just what was normal.


    Reaching the center of the hall, the two servants turned to them. The man spoke. "Baroness. I will lead you to the Inaugural Chamber where you may finish your preparations. Please, follow me."


    Scarlett diverted her attention from the statue to him, giving a slight nod. "Very well," she said, following the man as he began walking towards a flight of stairs at the side of the hall.


    The other servant then walked up to Evelyne. "My Lady. I will lead you to the Chamber of Elysia," she said in a low voice.


    Evelyne watched for a moment as Scarlett left, then looked at the servant. "Please do," she said, then proceeded to follow the woman.


    Dawnlight Palace was a massive structure, not only on the outside. As they walked over to the golden stairs at the center of the room, they soon exited the entrance hall and continued through several gilded halls. They passed dozens of guards in polished steel armor, emblazoned with gold along the edges and wearing crimson capes. Imposing swords hung at their sides, and not an inch could be seen of their faces through their helmets.


    Despite barely ever seeing any real combat, the Palace Guards were famed for their discipline, with only a few hundred members allowed within its ranks. They stood lined up on both sides of the corridors she passed through, ready to take action at any second if necessary.


    She imagined that a day like this¡ªwhen they were showcased in front of many of the Empire''s aristocrats¡ªwas among the most important days of the year for them.


    She recalled wanting to be one herself, when she was little. It was after the first time father had brought her and mother along for the Proclamation, when she had seen them and dreamt of being a knight. Of proving herself and joining the Palace Guard, and maybe even the Imperial Solar Knights someday.


    Of course, that was then. Now she had no interest in things like that. She hadn''t even touched a sword in years. Her goal was only as a mage now. To eventually reach the same level as her father, and even further, like the forefathers of the Hartford family.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    After a while, they reached a corridor with a set of open doors at the end, offering a glimpse of other people inside. The servant guiding her stopped a short distance from the doorway, turning to face her and gesturing towards the opening. "Please enter through there, my Lady," she said with a curtsy. "You can find a place to wait until the ceremony begins."


    "Thank you," Evelyne replied, walking past the servant. Passing through the open doors, she entered a truly massive hall of resplendency. Although not her first visit here, the sight of the Chamber of Elysia never failed to leave her breathless.


    The vaulted ceiling seemed entirely crafted from gold, yet it possessed a unique translucency that gave a rich, hued view of the clear sky above. Sunlight streamed through, casting reflections on the hall''s impeccably polished floor. The walls, adorned with stunning tapestry, were made of pristine white marble. Each tapestry probably represented years¡ªperhaps even decades¡ªof intricate workmanship.


    The rectangular hall stretched out before her, and Evelyne had entered through a smaller entrance located in the middle of the hall. On her left, at one end of the room, loomed a tall set of bronze-red metal doors. From them extended a gilded red carpet, stretching across the space and culminating in a short flight of stairs that led to a platform. Atop the platform stood an ornate golden throne beneath a decorated vermilion baldachin. Behind the throne, a curved staircase ascended to a smaller set of doors overlooking the chamber.


    Evelyne''s gaze swept across the assembled guests. Arrayed along the walls were individuals clad in bright white capes and black armor heavily embellished with gold. The Solar Knights were traditionally the only knight order involved in this ceremony, assuming the Palace Guards'' role for the day. Unlike the Palace Guards, however, they weren''t wearing their helmets.


    She recognized a few faces among them. None she knew especially well, but people she had heard of or greeted on some occasion or other.


    As she continued looking around, she couldn''t help but notice that the Solar Knights'' captain was missing. That was odd. Wasn''t he usually in command?


    Instead, she only saw Leon Delmon, the vice-captain of the order and her sister''s fianc¨¦. He stood by the stairs leading to the throne, his gaze fixed ahead, both hands resting on the pommel of his sword, which leaned against the floor.


    Apart from the knights, the large hall only housed about thirty or so people right now, most of whom were gathered in groups near Evelyne, avoiding the central area where the carpet was. Among them were some of the members of the Tyndall family she''d seen earlier, as well as individuals from other influential families.


    There was no one here yet that was from anything less than a count''s household, except for her. As only the sister of a baroness, she hadn''t had many dealings with these people. Her father had done some business with the Tyndalls so she had interacted a bit with the current heir and his brother¡ªboth were twins with dark, neck-length hair in elegant green outfits¡ªbut she doubted any of them remembered her. She''d only been a child back then.


    But all of this was part of the reason she had wanted to attend the Proclamation this time. The majority of her associates were merchants and commoners. She had far too few contacts amongst the nobility. It had also never helped that she seldom had the time or the opportunity to attend events where any nobles outside of Freybrook gathered. While right now wasn''t the time for socializing, during the ball after the ceremony she was planning on talking to as many people as she could.


    While her older sister often made it hard for Evelyne to strike deals with people¡ªin more ways than one¡ªScarlett''s recent achievements and acquisitions had created plenty of chances for Evelyne to forge new relationships.


    For now, she walked up to the gathering of people and situated herself at the edge of the different groups. The only noise that could be heard throughout the hall was the occasional shuffling. Even though there were a few younger family members among the nobles present here, no one spoke a single word. And as the minutes passed more and more people would join from the entrance Evelyne had come through, joining the groups already waiting.


    Seeing a couple of kids near her who were clearly getting tired of standing around without anything happening, Evelyne felt a pang of sympathy. Scarlett had never had an issue with it when they were younger¡ªEvelyne recalled how her older sister would often distance herself from her and her mother and pretend like they didn''t exist during the wait¡ªbut Evelyne herself had been very active at that age. She remembered how she''d almost scared her mother to death after she had been close to crying the first time she was here when she was eight.


    It got easier as you got older, but this ceremony was still hard to endure at times.


    After a long time of waiting, the number of people in the room now reaching several hundred, there was finally some activity. A tall man in black and red dress, the royal herald, had walked up to the main doors with a thick metal staff in hand. He then slammed the staff into the floor, the sound reverberating throughout the whole chamber.


    "His Majesty, Gartelnas Articius Verddun Teronia!" he announced as everybody turned to the throne. "Kneel before Ittar''s chosen light!"


    Waves of rustling noises spread around the room as everyone except the Solar Knights got down on one knee. Soon, the doors behind the throne opened and two members of the Royal Guard entered, wearing elegant white armor with gold inlays and helmets that bore miniature figures of brilliant dragons perched atop them. Each of them walked down one side of the stairs and stopped on either side of the throne.


    Next came the emperor himself, walking out through the door in an intricate set of gold and red robes that trailed on the floor behind him. He had a trimmed beard and wavy blond hair that reached to the bottoms of his ears, and was beginning to lose its color at the edges. On his head, he wore a heavy golden crown that went down over his forehead and had a set of three large gems affixed to its front.


    Immediately following him were the crown prince and the two imperial princesses, along with the imperial advisor¡ªwho hadn''t aged a day since Evelyne last saw her¡ªwho followed a step after them.


    They all walked behind the emperor as he descended the stairs and sat down upon the throne, situating themselves to the sides behind it. Then three more members of the Royal Guard entered¡ªone of which was as large as a mountain¡ªand closed the doors, placing themselves on guard in front of them at the top of the stairs.


    The emperor''s gaze moved across the people assembled on one side of the room, then he gestured with his hand. "Bring them forth," he said, his voice carrying across the chamber clearly.


    Everyone stood up as the royal herald slammed his staff into the ground once more. "First amongst His Majesty''s loyal servants, Duke Ingomar Valentino of Bridgespell has arrived to reaffirm his family''s oaths to his liege and the Empire!"


    The large metal doors opened up and a large man wearing trimmed black clothes and tall white boots entered the hall, a short blade with a gold handle hanging at his side. He had neck-length dark hair that had started greying at the sides, along with a thin mustache.


    Evelyne looked at him with slight surprise. She almost didn''t recognize him as Duke Valentino. He''d grown a lot bigger in the stomach area since she last saw him, and overall didn''t look to be in as good health as she remembered.


    The duke started walking across the carpet at the center of the room towards the throne, a slight limp on his left leg. Reaching the bottom of the stairs before the throne, he knelt down¡ªwith some difficulty¡ªon both knees and touched his head against the floor once before looking up at the emperor.


    "Let this grateful servant of the Empire greet your Majesty, on this day of oaths and testimonies," his raspy voice sounded out. He pulled out the blade at his side and held it up towards the emperor with both hands. "I offer you my blade once more, ever to be in your service and protect your lands in your name and the name of Ittar. Justly and earnestly have I carried out your will, and so I shall until the end of my days. I beg of your Majesty to accept my pledge."


    From his throne, the emperor observed the duke for a moment, before showing a small smile. "Duke Valentino. Your family has always served the empire faithfully. Naturally, I accept your pledge."


    The duke bowed his head. "Thank you, my liege," he said and resheathed the blade. He then placed it at the bottom of the stairs before standing up and walking over to stand at the side of the room opposite where Evelyne and everyone else was.


    The sound of a staff slamming into the floor resounded again. Evelyne turned to the entrance where another person stood in wait.


    "Second amongst His Majesty''s loyal servants, Marchioness Sahra Thackeray of Wildscar has arrived to reaffirm her family''s oaths to her liege and the Empire!"


    The marchioness crossed the hall, repeating the same process as the duke. Her pledge was also accepted by the emperor as she placed her blade at the bottom of the stairs.


    She was then followed by several others, until eventually, it was almost time.


    "Ninth amongst His Majesty''s loyal servants, Duke Santos Tyndall of Windgrove has arrived to reaffirm his family''s oaths to his liege and the Empire!"


    Evelyne''s eyes turned to the door behind Duke Tyndall who started crossing the room. There, she saw Scarlett approaching. Her sister was climbing up a set of stairs and stopped just before the doors, looking completely in her element as she stared ahead at the duke with a confident look. A blade hung by her side from a red belt as well.


    Evelyne had many choice words to describe her sister, but she couldn''t deny that Scarlett always seemed to belong in situations like this.


    Even though they were a mere barony, the Hartford family had always held a more respectful position in the empire than many other baronies. And part of that was because they held such a privileged position when it came to their slot in the Elysian Proclamation. Despite historically being limited in their hierarchical advancement due to other reasons, it could never be disputed that their family had been one of the first families to swear fealty to the first emperor.


    And Scarlett personified that pride in their family.


    Soon, the staff slammed into the floor again.


    "Tenth amongst His Majesty''s loyal servants, Baroness Scarlett Hartford of Stagmond has arrived to reaffirm her family''s oaths to her liege and the Empire!"


    Scarlett began moving, her gait calm as she crossed the hall. When she reached the stairs, she bent down on both knees.


    For some reason, a foreboding sensation traveled up Evelyne''s spine.


    Scarlett touched her head against the floor once, then looked up.


    Evelyne felt her blood run cold.


    "Let this grateful servant of the Empire greet your Majesty, on this day of oaths and testimonies," Scarlett''s voice rang out. She pulled out the blade and held it up to the emperor. "I offer you my blade once more, ever to be in your service and protect your lands in your name and the name of Ittar. Justly and earnestly have I carried out your will, and so I shall until the end of my days. I beg of your Majesty to accept my pledge."


    Evelyne heard the gasps from the people around her, but she could barely tear her eyes away from her sister.


    What had she just done?!

 Chapter 50 - Pledges matter

    Scarlett felt the stares of people bearing down upon her, a strange mood covering the room following her words. The man before her, sitting on a golden throne overlooking the room, had an inscrutable expression on his face as he studied her. The emperor''s gaze felt stifling to her, the lingering emotions inside her urging her between supplicating in front of him and rising up to teach the noisy people around them a lesson.


    She chose to do nothing for the moment.


    She wasn''t quite sure why the original seemed to have such a heavy obsession with the imperial¡ªit definitely was to an unhealthy level¡ªbut it wasn''t something she wanted to feed too much into when she could avoid it.


    "The Baroness appears to have a high opinion of herself," the emperor suddenly said, leaning back on his throne.


    Scarlett felt an odd sensation travel up her back. She wasn''t certain if that was a prompt for her to speak, or if it was meant rhetorically. Her whole current situation was far removed from what she would have wanted.


    She had been nervous for a while¡ªor as nervous as she could get with the system''s traits weighing down on her¡ªabout this ceremony. It was an unknown to her and her knowledge of the game, which made it a danger considering how important of an event it appeared to be.


    The Elysian Proclamation, and other situations like it, were exactly why she had spent so much time prior to visiting the capital trying to read up on the local customs. And while she had learned a lot, detailed information on precisely what went on during this ceremony wasn''t among it.


    For a time, she had hoped that what she had learned of the general noble customs would be enough. She knew most of the correct forms of address among the aristocracy and towards the imperial family, and was wishing that would be enough to make do. And if things really went to hell, she had a couple of contingency plans that would probably ensure her safety, though they would also likely put her in a position where she was indentured to the imperial family in ways she didn''t want, even if she could work with it if necessary.


    Unfortunately it didn''t seem like lady luck felt like smiling at her today. Scarlett''s hopes had quickly sunk after Evelyne and she had been separated after they arrived and that male servant had led her to the ''Inaugural Chamber''. There, they had given her a damn blade out of nowhere¡ªsomething she hadn''t seen any mention about in anything she read¡ªand just left her in a large dining hall along with a bunch of other nobles without further explanations. She had at least been thankful enough that no one spoke to each other there, simply partaking in the light refreshments provided.


    But then more servants had arrived and started leading the nobles away one by one. When it came to her turn Scarlett had actually been brazen enough to try and get some information from the servant leading her, but the servant had simply told her¡ªwith a rather strange look¡ªthat they weren''t privy to the goings-on in the ''Chamber of Elysia'', as it was.


    Left without any other options, when they''d reached a long set of stairs leading up to the throne rooms which she had been prompted to climb, Scarlett had simply kept all her attention focused on the noble a few dozen meters ahead of her¡ªwhich she only then realized was Duke Tyndall¡ªand copied exactly what he did.


    Which had put her in her current situation.


    Although there had been some noise immediately following her words, the hall was completely quiet now as the emperor observed her. Just a few steps to her right Scarlett could feel Leon Delmon''s stare too. As if it wasn''t enough that she''d made a fool of herself in front of this nation''s freaking ruler.


    The person immediately beside the throne suddenly leaned closer to the emperor, and Scarlett''s eyes shifted to them. It was someone she recognized well. Wearing a tight-fitting red dress, with what almost looked like purple scales running down along its sides, and with a long silver staff in hand that had a purple gem affixed to its crown, was the imperial advisor. A woman with long black hair and a striking appearance.


    Evelia Blackwood.


    The woman whispered something in the emperor''s ear, who nodded along slowly. Scarlett''s eyes lingered on her for a moment as she stepped back. The emperor leaned forward on his throne, and Scarlett shifted her eyes back to him, readying herself for what she might have to respond.


    "Well, I am not one to discourage ambition," he announced in a clear voice. "You are of a perennial house, one that has served this empire for longer than most. I will accept your pledge."


    Scarlett paused, unsure for a moment what to do as an almost gratified feeling welled up inside her. Pushing the odd sensation to the side as she focused on the situation, she recalled what actions Duke Tyndall had taken and bowed her head as she returned the blade in her hands to the short scabbard she''d been given.


    "Thank you, my liege," she said, standing up and walking to the foot of the stairs where she put her blade down next to the others. She pointedly ignored Leon¡ªwho had eyes front with a still face now¡ªand turned to the left to walk over to where the other nobles who''d completed their pledge had gathered. Most of their eyes were on her as she approached. A couple displayed poorly disguised outrage on their faces, but most didn''t show much of an expression at all. She ignored them for now, situating herself next to Duke Tyndall, who didn''t seem to want to pay her much attention to begin with.


    The emperor hadn''t gotten angry at her, so maybe she did have some luck after all. She''d work with what she got.


    Looking back toward the platform where the emperor sat on his throne, this was Scarlett''s first real chance to observe the people around him. Most of them she recognized.


    Behind the throne and slightly to the right was a tall man somewhere in his early twenties with bright blond hair that curled to one side. He had a sure smile on his face, wearing an odd mix between a red-and-blue uniform and golden pauldrons and bracers. That was the crown prince, who¡ªwhile not super relevant to the overarching plot of the game¡ªdid appear now and then in ''Chronicle of Realms''.


    At the same spot but to the left of the throne was a young woman with neck-length black hair resembling a bob cut. She wore a tidy set of black-and-red attire with a frilly scarlet cravat, standing with a straight back as she looked on at the current proceedings with a neutral expression.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    This one Scarlett knew best. After all, Princess Regina was one of the game''s companions.


    She turned her eyes away from the princess. Regina might be a companion, but that didn''t mean Scarlett wanted anything to do with the young woman. While having her in your party was fun in the game, having an escaped princess running along with you in this world just sounded like an even worse recipe for disaster than whatever she''d just done.


    Slightly behind Regina was the second imperial princess, a young girl with bright golden hair arranged into a long braid. Scarlett didn''t know too much about her. The second princess had mostly just been an NPC you could share some short dialogue with in the game, but nothing major or plot-related.


    Evelia Blackwood stood in front of both of them, closest to the throne. Scarlett avoided glancing at her for too long¡ªshe didn''t want the woman to think she had any interest at all in her¡ªand instead inspected the five people in golden white armor that surrounded the imperial family. With their helmets on she wasn''t quite certain exactly who was who, but she had some idea at least. She only remembered the names of two of the Royal Guards, though.


    The absolute giant of a figure that stood at the top of the stairs¡ªScarlett wouldn''t be surprised if he would''ve won some kind of Guinness record back in her world¡ªguarding the door the imperial family had entered through had to be Holdger ''The Mammoth''. The sword that hung over his back had to be longer than Scarlett was tall.


    And though she wasn''t quite sure which of the other white-armored guards was Leandra ''The Swift'', there were two that looked more female so it was probably one of them.


    While Scarlett hadn''t paid it much mind in the game, it did occur to her that all the members of the Royal Guard had epithets of some kind. She wasn''t quite sure if that was something you gained when joining, or if there was some other connection behind that. Whatever the reason, in the game it had served as a pretty good indication that they were strong.


    She turned her gaze back to the emperor himself, mostly trying to ignore the feeling of reverence that filled her when she looked at him and the rest of the imperial family. She had no idea why the original was so fixated on them like this.


    But she had to admit that he had an air of grandeur to him, gazing out over the throne room filled with people who were all important in some way or the other. She found it a little bit humorous, however, that he was the one up on that platform that she had seen the least of in the game. He barely appeared in it at all, in fact. The only time she had seen him was in her second playthrough.


    When she assassinated him.


    He always died about one year into the game no matter what you did though. It was just that in her Cabal playthrough, you could complete a long questline where you were the one to do it. Albeit with the help of some powerful members of the Cabal.


    She followed his eyes across the space. The next noble in line had already approached the large doors to the throne room, but there were still countless stares in her direction.


    She paused when she spotted Evelyne among the crowd. The younger woman had a horrified expression on her face.


    For just a brief moment, Scarlett felt a pang of guilt at having been the cause of that, but¡ªperhaps unfortunately¡ªthe emotion didn''t last long.


    "Next amongst his majesty''s loyal servants," the man next to the entrance suddenly announced as he slammed his staff onto the floor. "Count Stockwell Bentley of Farmire has arrived to reaffirm his family''s oaths to his liege and the Empire!"


    Now most people''s eyes turned away from Scarlett as the next noble¡ªan old man with balding grey hair¡ªbegan walking across the red carpet running through the center of the room. When he reached the stairs, he knelt down in front of the emperor on the same spot Scarlett had and touched his head against the floor twice.


    "Let this humble servant of the Empire greet your majesty, on this day of oaths and testimonies," the old man cried out. "I offer you my blade once more, ever to be in your service and protect your lands in your name and the name of Ittar. Justly and earnestly have I carried out your will, and so I shall until the end of my days. I beg of your majesty to accept my pledge."


    Scarlett held back a sigh at the sight. So there were different lines and conduct for different nobles. Then, by copying the noble before her, she''d essentially copied the proper actions for a duke?


    Her eyes shifted to the emperor. That couldn''t be a crime, could it? Considering the emperor had still accepted her pledge like that, probably not. At worst, it was just some sort of faux pas, most likely.


    ...But even if that were to be true, it couldn''t be denied that this had been a major misstep on her part.


    Barely listening to the emperor''s response, her eyes went back to Evelyne, who seemed to look on at the current doings with a distracted expression. In truth, Scarlett could think of a way she could have avoided a situation like this. But she wasn''t quite sure if it was something she could have brought herself to do.


    She only partially registered the old man placing his blade in front of the stairs and walking over to stand by her, as an announcement arrived of another noble''s entrance. The same procedure repeated itself, continuing for a long while. Most of the titles the nobles held gradually grew less important as time went on. Scarlett recognized a few of them here and there¡ªCount Knottley among them¡ªbut it was mindboggling how many of them there were. What was even more amazing was how the announcer fellow could keep track of all of them, as well as the order they were in. While she herself didn''t count, she was pretty sure there were at least two hundred of them, if not more. She''d only seen maybe a sixth of them when she was still there in the Inaugural Chamber, so she hadn''t expected quite this many.


    One of the things she did take note of while observing the train of nobles pledging their allegiance to the emperor was that a baroness such as herself was supposed to touch their head to the floor five times¡ªnot one¡ªbefore addressing the emperor, as well as refer to themselves as ''lowly servant'' instead of ''grateful''. They were minor details, but such things mattered in this culture, she assumed.


    It took hours¡ªliteral hours¡ªfor the entire pledging process to finish. And the entire time everyone was expected to just stand there and wait, doing absolutely nothing but listen. Scarlett was honestly surprised that all of the people present managed it. There were some older people present, and she saw several younger children on the other side of the hall that also had to suffer through it. Her sympathy went out to them.


    Although her situation wasn''t really the best at the moment either. She endured the endless waiting, but her mind often wandered to what she should do next. Even though she now realized what her mistake was, she didn''t know the magnitude of it yet, or the consequences it would have. As long as it didn''t mean actually trying to kill her she would probably be fine, but she didn''t quite know what she would have to pay.


    When the sound of a staff hitting the ground rang out once again, this time louder than all the times before, everyone''s attention turned to it.


    "All present have born witness to the testaments of His Majesty''s servants as they carry on the glory of the Empire!"


    Then people''s attention suddenly shifted back to the emperor, and everyone near Scarlett kneeled. She hurried to do the same, as the emperor slowly rose from his throne. The Royal Guard opened the door at the top of the stairs as the emperor began walking towards them, the rest of the people around him following close behind. Soon enough, after the platform holding the throne was completely empty and the last of the guards had disappeared through the door, a staff strike resounded once more.


    "His Majesty has retired to recoup for the Elysian Ball. The Imperial Gallery will now open up until evening!"


    Suddenly every single one of the black-armored knights who lined the walls of the throne room slammed their fists against their chests as they stood at attention. Scarlett looked around her as people slowly started moving, the nobles on her end of the room towards a set of doors near them that were opened by two knights and the people on the other side of the room towards a similar set of doors.


    Right. So the next thing up was this ball or whatever.

 Chapter 51 - Balls and curiosities

    Scarlett looked out over the throngs of people beneath her, all of them occupied in their matters and conversations. Essentially none paid any attention to her, though she hadn''t exactly situated herself so that people would anyhow.


    She stood at the edge of a large, circular terrace that had a red granite floor¡ªpolished to the level where you could basically see your reflection¡ªand a low marble railing running along its edges. Small plants and trees were placed at even intervals next to the railing in ceramic pots.


    Her terrace wasn''t the only of these platforms around. There were dozens of them, spread out at different elevations, before her, connecting to each other with stairs here and there. Some of the terraces had lavish fountains at their center, while others were home to a wide assortment of impressive displays and exotic-looking plants that Scarlett was pretty sure didn''t exist back in her world. A lot of people were walking around amongst these platforms, taking in¡ªand seemingly enjoying¡ªthe atmosphere around them.


    This was the imperial garden. If memory served her right it was named ''Rosa''s Garden'', or ''Rosalind''s Garden''. Something along those lines, at least.


    And this space was large. Absolutely massive, in fact. The throne room they''d been in earlier¡ªthe ''Chamber of Elysia'', as it were¡ªmight have been big, yes, but this place was on a different level. It was probably over fifty meters to the ceiling, and the entire outer wall of this space was made out of glass, giving an incredible view of Rellaria Lake. The sun hadn''t quite begun to set yet, but it was moving towards evening. Still, some ships could be seen out on the gleaming water. And if you really squinted your eyes, you could just barely make out land on the other side of the lake.


    But the grandeur of this place aside, Scarlett wasn''t really ''enjoying'' herself. The terrace she was on was close to one of the entrances, but definitely one of the more boring ones when it came to the decor. The only ones here, except for her, were a male servant who''d served her a glass of wine earlier and an old couple that sat on a bench a few meters from her.


    She had considered moving on to one of the other platforms, but she didn''t really know what more to do so she''d just ended up staying here. It did give her a good view of the venue, at least.


    After the Proclamation ceremony itself had ended¡ªif that was what that whole thing earlier had been¡ªScarlett, and the rest of "His Majesty''s loyal servants" had been led to a few rooms similar to the Inaugural Chambers they''d been led to at the start. There, they had been given some time to refresh themselves and interact, but that hadn''t resulted in much for Scarlett. No one had bothered to approach her¡ªshe wasn''t completely sure how those who hadn''t witnessed her display already seemed to know something was up¡ªand she didn''t feel certain enough in her current situation to purposefully try and interact with others, so she had just whiled away time by herself in a corner.


    Eventually, a bunch of servants had arrived to announce that the Elysian Ball was about to begin, which was when all of them had been slowly led to this section of the palace, where the rest of the aristocrats who didn''t have titles had also started appearing.


    The other nobles had been quick to begin their mingling, spreading out among the different miniature gardens scattered across the room. And while Scarlett hadn''t done much yet, it was clear that people were avoiding her.


    Some did it naturally, as if she wasn''t a person they would have known to begin with, but others clearly did it intentionally. She''d seen several people throw glances her direction, only to then pretend she wasn''t there. At one point her eyes had even coincidentally met with those of Viscount Clapham¡ªthe noble she had met at the wedding in Ambercrest¡ªon a neighboring terrace, but the older man had awkwardly looked away after the minor interaction.


    Even Evelyne was ignoring her. Although she wasn''t quite sure if that was due to the same reason. She''d often spotted the younger woman, walking around between groups, trying to strike up conversations.


    In a way, she felt that was for the best though. If an argument were to begin between the two of them now it would probably worsen the situation.


    Honestly, there was a part of her that felt glad that people were ignoring her. That she had an excuse not to interact with any of the people here, in this noble culture that was still so foreign to her.


    She had done just fine back in Ambercrest, so she''d had some confidence she would be able to manage conversing with others today. But after her mistake earlier she was a bit apprehensive that she''d mess up even a basic conversation.


    She would probably be able to spin it as she wanted. She had gotten pretty decent at improvising some of these things, after all.


    But, having that responsibility almost forcibly taken away from her...it felt reassuring, in an odd way.


    She wished the entirety of her could have shared that sentiment. Unfortunately, being intentionally singled out and quite clearly ignored was never a nice experience. There was a part of her that felt uncomfortable at the fact, and a part that was fuming.


    This whole day had been an odd mix of emotions that she had not often experienced.


    And it had gone to show that, maybe, some of the ways she had chosen to proceed weren''t the best ones.


    As she looked out across the vista of terraces, Scarlett''s gaze lingered on the figure of Evelyne, seeing the woman try and converse with an older gentleman and his wife next to a miniature statue of a dragon.


    Her mind went back to when they''d first arrived at the palace earlier today. While reciting the oath incorrectly in front of the emperor had definitely been her largest mistake today, it hadn''t been her first. That had probably been when she hadn''t shown any special reaction to the servants'' welcome after she and Evelyne had exited the carriage. Back then Evelyne''s strange look had clued Scarlett in that there was something she was missing, but it wasn''t really until then that it clicked in her head that she had only ever heard Evelyne being referred to as ''Madame'' around her, instead of ''Lady''. And this was despite her having read that ''lady'' was a completely normal thing to address people with when in person if they either held a title or were the heir to one.


    From that, Scarlett had roughly guessed the situation. But it had been a bit late to do anything about it at the time so she had simply ignored it and continued on.


    Still. She did wonder what Evelyne''s view of her was right now. It must be so confusing to her right now, seeing who she thought was her sister acting so erratically.


    Scarlett took a sip out of the wine glass she had placed on the railing in front of her as her eyes moved away from Evelyne, slowly roaming over the other people here. Of the ones that were close enough to make out, there were a few she recognized from the game. Bendon Tyndall, standing at the center of a group of young women in fancy dresses. Count Hayden, standing in a group of other middle-aged men laughing next to a silver fountain. Count Soames, the portly man grabbing another two glasses of alcohol from a nearby servant.


    "Baroness Hartford," a voice suddenly called out from behind.


    Scarlett turned around, and froze for a brief second.


    In the same black-and-red outfit as before, but now with a gold-handled saber hanging from her left side, was Princess Regina.


    A step behind her was one of the Royal Guards, now without a helmet. A woman with sharp eyes and pale blonde hair that was mostly tied up in a bun at the back.


    It took a moment longer than she would have wanted for Scarlett to remember what would be the correct way of address in this situation, as she performed a small curtsy. "Greetings to the first star of the Empire, Her Imperial Highness."


    She really hoped there weren''t any other special rules other than what she''d found today.


    The princess observed her for a moment. Although Regina was younger than Scarlett¡ªmaybe even younger than Evelyne¡ªshe had a very stern expression on her face, along with two golden irises that clashed with her black hair.


    "I think this is the first chance we have had to speak," the princess said after a moment, before gesturing to the woman behind her. "You''re likely already aware, but this is Leandra Alston. The Third Sword of the Royal Guard. She is oftentimes my escort for events such as this."


    The woman behind Regina nodded at Scarlett. "Baroness."


    Scarlett glanced at the woman, giving a slow nod in return. "I am well aware, yes."


    That was definitely Leandra ''The Swift''. It didn''t surprise her that she was the one to guard the princess today. But she didn''t know if the original had ever met Leandra, so it was best to play it safe.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The princess looked back at Scarlett. "I have heard some of you before. You''re Sir Leon''s fianc¨¦e, aren''t you?"


    "...That is correct, Your Highness. Are you well acquainted with Sir Leon?"


    "I suppose you could say that. He''s the vice-captain of the Imperial Solar Knight order, after all. He spends a lot of time here in the palace."


    "I see," Scarlett said. A lot of the normal steeliness and coldness that was usually such a natural part of her speech was easier to control when speaking to the princess, she realized. It was a nice change from what she was used to. Although she would have preferred it if Regina hadn''t approached her to begin with. "Is it common that he speaks of me?"


    "No. Sir Leon does not often mention anything from his private life, as far as I know. Leandra would probably know more about that." The princess looked back at Leandra, who raised an eyebrow in slight amusement.


    "Sorry to say, but I can''t recall him ever mentioning you when I''ve talked with him."


    "There is nothing to be sorry about," Scarlett said, keeping her attention mostly focused on Regina. She wasn''t sure what the young woman wanted. "It sounds as if Sir Leon is good at separating his personal affairs from matters unrelated to them. An admirable quality."


    "Yes, Sir Leon is an upstanding knight after all." The princess turned quiet for a short moment, staring at Scarlett. "I have heard some interesting news about you lately from an acquaintance of mine," she eventually continued.


    Scarlett readied herself. "What would that be, Your Highness?"


    She really hoped Regina''s reason for talking to her wasn''t something that would cause her even more trouble.


    It wasn''t as if the princess was a walking timebomb, but it was frighteningly easy to get her to join your party in the game. And while the following questlines related to her being a princess were interesting from a player''s point of view, Scarlett doubted she would feel that way in real life.


    "Is it true that your house recently uncovered a new Zuverian ruin?"


    Scarlett paused.


    Now that she thought about it, Regina had had an interest in the Zuver in the game.


    "That is indeed true. It was at the beginning of last month, in an area not far from Freybrook. I and a local Shielder were the first to explore the ruins."


    "Truly?" the princess asked.


    While their previous exchange had only seemed like basic niceties to Scarlett, she now saw a small spark in the princess''s eyes.


    "And what were your findings? Was there any new discovery, or anything else special?"


    "There were some artifacts amongst what we uncovered. We did also encounter some undead that appeared to have been buried there and protected the ruins."


    "Undead? Yes, I''ve heard that''s not uncommon." The princess nodded. "Then, what of the artifacts? Which era did they seem to hail from? I''ve read in Myerscough''s Pursuit that many of the Zuverian relics found in the southwestern part of the empire appear to originate from the Datihr period."


    Scarlett blinked at the princess, then shook her head. "I am afraid I will have to disappoint, Your Highness. However, I am not the right person to ask such a question. I am not an expert on the subject, so unfortunately I cannot give you an answer, nor can I speak for the value of the ruins or what was found there beyond some of the artifacts."


    "That is a shame." The princess looked slightly disappointed. "But if so, how did you find the ruins? From what I have heard it does not sound like it was simply an accident."


    Scarlett gently swirled the remaining wine in her glass. "Perhaps one could say that it was partially a coincidence," she said, glancing down. "By happenstance I discovered some research in our family library left by one of my ancestors. It was a collection of old local tales that pointed to these ruins. For some reason it had yet to be used, so I saw fit to change that."


    "Really?" The princess''s eyes widened just barely. "Then might we expect another discovery like this in the near future?"


    Scarlett fought back a frown. She wasn''t quite sure if the princess was just curious, or if she had another aim when asking that question. With what she knew of Regina, both were very real options.


    "...I am uncertain," she said after a moment, taking a deliberate sip out of her wine glass. "We are still investigating some of the information. It is conceivable that this is all that we will find. As such, I do not wish to inaccurately attempt to predict the outcome."


    The princess seemed to study her for a second, then nodded her head. "The Baroness is quite prudent. I don''t think I would act much differently in your situation. Still, I wish for the best in this research. There are still so many things about the old Zuver that we don''t know, and any new findings are a blessing."


    Regina''s head turned as her eyes appeared to move to one of the other terraces. Her gaze temporarily returned to Scarlett. "I will have to take my leave now. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Baroness. I hope we will get more opportunities like it in the future."


    "The honor has been mine, Your Highness," Scarlett said with a small curtsy. The princess then turned around to leave, and Scarlett glanced at Leandra who gave her a curious look before adopting a neutral expression and following the princess.


    Scarlett was once more left to herself. She turned around to the railing once again, eyes wandering over the large array of gardens as she began to ponder this interaction.


    She hadn''t been expecting to even see much of Regina in this world, much less have a conversation with the young woman. Thankfully it at least seemed to have been a much more innocent interaction than she had feared. Regina wasn''t the type of person to ''plot'', per se, so it was likely that her choice to approach and speak with Scarlett really was just due to curiosity.


    The question was if that was where it ended. Because, while Regina had a very strict and dutiful personality, Scarlett knew she wasn''t satisfied with her role as simply being a princess. And while¡ªrealistically¡ªRegina would have no reason to get overly involved or attached to the actions of some minor baroness who superficially only dabbled in some ruin exploration, Scarlett couldn''t shake off the feeling that Regina would want to join her party just because she had already recruited two other companions.


    Maybe it was because this world was still, in many ways, a game to her. It felt real, it functioned like it was real, and it held living people in it. But it was still the world of a game to her. And because of that, sometimes she couldn''t avoid this feeling of being the ''protagonist''. Of being the player. The one everything naturally revolves around, and whom every other person accommodates in some way.


    She was pretty sure that wasn''t the case. Mostly because she hadn''t felt any real signs of it yet. But maybe it was also because she almost didn''t want it to be true. Because that would somehow invalidate everything about this place and her actions here. As well as the people.


    And although she didn''t actually want to live out her life here¡ªfor reasons other than it simply being annoying having her personality shackled by an undecipherable system¡ªshe also didn''t want everything here to be meaningless.


    She shook her head. Whatever. She wasn''t quite sure of Regina''s intentions, but she wasn''t going to spend too much of her time worrying about them either. She had plenty of other things to do that with as it was.


    Looking out before her, Scarlett spotted the princess once more on a terrace a couple of levels below her current one. Leandra walked closely behind in her gold-and-white armor.


    The princess was approaching another platform that had grass growing on much of its bed, sporting several hedges sculpted into different animals and people. There weren''t too many people there at the moment, but on the far end of the platform Scarlett saw a figure in the white-gold Royal Guard armor who towered over even some of the nearby sculptures. The figure was too far away to make out a face, but Scarlett knew that this was Holdger ''The Mammoth''.


    Close to him was the small shape of a child, hunched over on the grass next to a verdant sculpture of a woman. Regina was currently walking over to the young girl, soon stopping next to her. Her escort lined up next to her larger compatriot as the two Royal Guards kept watch over their charges.


    Scarlett watched as the older princess seemed to share a few words with her younger sibling, but her attention shifted when she heard a gathering of heels hitting the floor approaching her from behind. Turning around, she saw a small posse of women around her age, in fancy dresses and wearing jewellery, stop close to her with smiles on their faces.


    "Why, Baroness! It''s been so long since we last met," one of the women declared, a tall brunette in a blue dress.


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow at that. Up until a short while ago people had been avoiding her like the plague, but now these women had just decided to approach her like that? While she was no expert on the subject, her incoming-bullshit-O-meter did go off at this.


    "I love that dress!" another woman said with a large smile as the group stepped closer to Scarlett.


    A third woman shook a wine glass. "Yes, it''s simply amazing. I had one like it before, but it couldn''t compare to the cut on yours Baroness."


    "Was that the first Imperial Princess you were speaking with earlier?" the first woman asked. "To think you would have connections even within the imperial family. As expected of you, Baroness."


    Scarlett eyed all of the women with an impassive expression.


    Right. Being ignored definitely wasn''t so bad then.


    "Was there a matter of which any of you wished to speak to me about?" she asked coolly, earning surprised reactions on their ends. Not that she cared much. She had no idea who any of them even were¡ªshe was pretty sure none of them had been among the nobles swearing oaths to the emperor earlier¡ªbut judging from how they treated her they probably weren''t particularly important.


    The brunette opened her mouth and closed it, before slowly opening it again. "We just wanted to greet you, Baroness. I feel like we haven''t had many chances for so long, after all."


    Scarlett looked at the woman for several seconds, feeling maybe just a little bit too much satisfaction in seeing the woman''s eyes shy away at her stare, then took a step forward. Two of the women almost immediately stepped to the side to make way.


    "If that is all, then this greeting should be enough. I trust we will meet again sometime in the future," Scarlett said, beginning to walk towards the stairs that led down to the next terrace. There was another spot a few platforms away that she felt looked secluded and comfortable enough that she could try moving to for now.


    The women seemed flabbergasted at her words, and none seemed to try and stop her leaving, which fit her perfectly. She had originally come here ready to try and socialize with those necessary¡ªand she definitely didn''t intend to consciously make more enemies than she might already have¡ªbut she had a decent enough general understanding of what kinds of people these women were, and they weren''t people she wanted to bother with right now. One could call it her gut instinct. Or just her prejudices. Whichever it was, she wanted to spare herself the irritation.


    None of the women seemed to follow her, and as she passed over to the next platform¡ªwhich had more people than the one she had been on, but still relatively few¡ªshe placed her wine glass on a small round table she passed by filled with other empty glasses and made her way towards her goal.


    After having crossed a couple of increasingly populated terraces, nearing the one she was aiming for, her attention was caught by a person''s movements in her peripheral vision. Someone who looked like they were advancing towards her. Turning to look, she saw a person in golden black armor weave their way through the crowd of people, their eyes locked on her with a serious expression.


    She paused at the sight. Right. She had completely forgotten about his existence for a time.


    Leon Delmon was making his way to her.

 Chapter 52 - A knights conception

    Leon stood close to the edge of one of the terrace platforms in Rosalind''s Garden, steadily keeping watch over the masses of people that were spread out around the garden. Over one of the largest gatherings of power on the whole continent. Many important deals and connections were forged here every year.


    The Solar Knights were technically allowed to take part in the festivities¡ª and he had let many of the others do so so that they could enjoy the ball with their close ones¡ªbut he himself had refrained from partaking for the moment. With Captain Crowder and a third of the knights currently absent, he was the one in command. And he felt it important to maintain some sense of decorum in his current position.


    He might take some time later to go and greet Trista and her new husband if he spotted them, but he had never enjoyed these events that much to begin with. He had already neglected his mother and father when they had approached him along with his elder brother, citing his duties as an excuse.


    He had a hunch that he knew what it was that they wanted to talk about, though. It had been a little amusing seeing the looks on their faces earlier. That now they were probably going to be the ones wanting to rescind the choice they''d forced upon him.


    Passing his eyes over the crowds, Leon found his attention once again being drawn towards one of the higher terraces near one of the entrances. Where Scarlett had been standing by herself for most of the evening. Doing essentially nothing at all, shockingly enough.


    He had considered confronting her several times now. He still had a hard time understanding her thought process today. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t figure out why she had done that. Whether it was part of some new scheme of hers, or if it was just pure arrogance.


    It surprised him to see that Her Highness and Leandra were now speaking with Scarlett. The princess even looked to be the one to have begun the conversation.


    He furrowed his forehead. After the disrespect Scarlett showed to the other nobles during the Proclamation ceremony she was still approached by a member of the imperial family? What could the princess have to talk about with Scarlett?


    He observed them for a while before turning back to the crowds. While he didn''t like the thought of Scarlett having the chance to spread her falsities around her, it wasn''t his place to decide what the princess did. He doubted Scarlett could, or would, cause any sort of harm to the princess anyway.


    His attention was caught by a group of nobles that stood on a platform adjacent to the one he was on, slightly beneath it. They were just barely within earshot of him. He recognized a couple of them, and the conversation they were having appeared to be about the Solar Knights.


    "Captain Crowder wasn''t the only one absent today, either," an older man with a long mustache said. "I presume I wasn''t the only one that noted there were noticeably fewer of the knights present this year than the previous."


    "Hmm. Yes, I did see that," another man said. "It''s uncommon for all of the Captain''s duties to be left to the Vice-Captain for an event such as this."


    "How about you, Count Wyther? You are a patron of the Amber Knight order, aren''t you? Have you heard anything through your connections?"


    A tall gentleman in a red waistcoat massaged his chin. "No, I have not. But it certainly does appear as if something is brewing. It would not surprise me if we were to hear of it soon."


    Leon glanced at the group with a thoughtful expression. It was only a matter of time before people started asking questions.


    He wasn''t informed of all the details either, but he knew enough about the situation. He would have preferred to have joined the captain if possible, but things were what they were. They all had their duties that they had to perform.


    After some time, he spotted the same head of distinct dark-red hair once more, now moving amongst the crowd. Looking to where Scarlett had been before, he now noticed she was missing. His eyes returned to her. It seemed as if she was making her way towards another of the terraces that overlooked part of the venue.


    He looked over at one of the other platforms for a moment, where a fellow knight was keeping watch. The prince was also only a short distance away, with Dame Iyana behind him. Things were under control.


    Leon considered it for another moment, then he started moving towards where Scarlett was. This was one of the few opportunities he would have to speak with her in the coming week.


    Walking through the crowd of people in front of him, he neared her as she was close to reaching another of the platforms that were relatively empty. Suddenly she paused. Her head turned toward him and she stared at him with a cold gaze. She looked around, then began moving in the same direction as before again.


    Leon stopped for a moment, then started following again. While he had never considered himself an expert on Scarlett, it didn''t seem like she was trying to avoid him.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    His advances stopped once again though when another person unexpectedly walked up and stopped in front of Scarlett. A man with greying hair and a small pair of glasses. "Ah, Baroness Hartford. Could I have a moment of your time, perhaps? I have been intending to speak with you for a while now."


    Scarlett stopped and gave the man a cool, examining look. "Was there something you wished to speak to me about?"


    "Ah, yes there was, actually." The man returned her a polite smile. "I am Baron Loreno Atherton, Master Docent Wizard and dean of Fayrun Tower. I actually sent a missive to your estate two weeks back but I understand that you might have much to do. I wanted to speak to you about the Zuverian ruins discovered last month, and the artifacts found there. You see, the Fayrun Tower would be very interested in perhaps coming to some sort of agreement regarding the rights to examine and buying some of¡ª"


    "I do not mean to be impolite," Scarlett interrupted. "However, all of the matters regarding the managing of what was found in the Zuverian ruins are handled by my younger sister. If you wish to discuss it further, I would recommend speaking with her. I am certain she can be more of aid to you than I in this."


    The man''s eyes widened slightly. "I-I see. Your sister, you say?"


    "Yes. Evelyne Hartford. She is also here today, so if you want to continue this discussion you can attempt to find her."


    He slowly nodded his head. "Then I will do so. I will inform her that you directed me to her."


    "Do so."


    "Then I won''t bother you any more than necessary. I hope you have a good evening," the man said as he left.


    Scarlett only seemed to keep her eyes on him for a second before she started walking again.


    Leon had observed the exchange quietly from a short distance, but he wasn''t entirely sure what it was about. Had Scarlett discovered Zuverian ruins? Or maybe her younger sister had?


    He thought about what was the most reasonable alternative as he began moving again, soon climbing onto the platform Scarlett had stopped on. He slowly approached her, where she now stood beside the railing next to a marble bust of one of the previous emperors. She was looking out the giant windows that made up the southern walls of the Garden, seemingly observing the waters of Rellaria Lake as the sun was beginning to lower.


    She turned to Leon with a calm expression as he stopped next to her.


    "Sir Leon. It has been some time."


    He blinked. Scarlett had never been a woman to show much of her emotions, except when angered, but she usually wasn''t so distant as to refer to him with his knight title. Was she purposefully trying to dissociate herself from him?


    "...What are you up to now, Scarlett?" he asked. He never knew what to say to her, and he''d found ages ago that it wasn''t worth trying to play her games.


    She raised an eyebrow. "I believe you asked me something similar the last time we spoke as well. I can only assume that your assessment of me must be rather abject, for that to always be your first assumption."


    "I learn from my experiences. And I try not to repeat any mistakes."


    Scarlett let out a low huff as if she found that funny. "Is that so? Well, to answer your question." She gestured around them. "I am partaking in the ball. Same as everyone else."


    He looked at the mostly empty area around them. "It doesn''t look that way to me."


    He saw the look in Scarlett''s eyes turn a little harder. "...I see no point in engaging in conversation with people who currently have no desire to speak with me. That is all."


    "You expected anything less? This is your own doing."


    She looked at him for a few seconds, before turning to gaze out over the rest of the garden. "That may be so," she said slowly, trailing off.


    Leon stared at her, unsure what to continue with. That wasn''t the kind of response he had been expecting.


    "My parents spoke to me briefly. Earlier," he finally said. "They''ll probably want to end the engagement after this."


    Scarlett glanced at him. "Very well."


    "...You''ve got nothing to say about that?"


    "What is there to say? If one party no longer wishes for the engagement to continue then there is no point to it."


    He frowned. "But you were the one that was so obsessed with it to start with."


    "And I no longer am." Scarlett started tapping her finger against the railing next to her. "I would have thought this to be good news to you."


    Leon stayed silent for a moment. Studying her expression. He was racking his brain for how this could be a plan for her to trick him into something, but he couldn''t come up with anything reasonable.


    It couldn''t be that Scarlett had found someone powerful she was trying to pursue? Would that perhaps explain why she''d dared to act that way during the Proclamation?


    No, the Scarlett he knew wouldn''t be satisfied relying so much on someone else like that. If there was one thing Scarlett was, it was proud.


    "Then what are you going to do next?" he asked, intentionally avoiding responding to her statement. "This will leave you shunned by most of noble society. And now you won''t even have the family of a marquis to support you."


    "It is of no matter." Scarlett''s eyes seemed to be focused on a certain point that was a few terraces away from theirs. Leon looked over and saw that Scarlett''s younger sister was there, talking with a small group of people.


    "None of this will have any true bearing on how I proceed from hereupon," she continued. "I am not limited simply by how people perceive me."


    He looked back at her. She wasn''t wrong there. She''d always had a scary ability to make sure that just the right people saw her the way she wanted. Even if others saw her for how she truly was.


    She turned back to him. "I imagine we will not have many more interactions in the future, should the engagement be canceled as you said. Is there something you wish to tell me, while you have the opportunity?"


    He knitted his brows. She was taking all of this too casually. Even if he doubted she had ever had any strong emotions for him, Scarlett had always been obsessed with the prestige and power that came with his family name. Doubly so after he became the vice-captain of the Solar Knights ¡ª something he had suspicions she had gambled on transpiring from the beginning.


    Still, he shook his head. "There is nothing."


    Although he had many opinions on the matter, he didn''t think it was worth bringing any of them up with her. It was doubtful she would care about it anyway, and he didn''t doubt that she could try and use it as leverage against him sometime in the future.


    Scarlett simply nodded. "Then I believe we have no further business with each other."


    "...Yes," he slowly agreed.


    She stared at him, as if she was expecting him to leave. Eventually, he turned and walked away.

 Chapter 53 - Deliberating

    Scarlett felt the onset of a headache as she languidly leaned back in her chair. She had been feeling stressed out the whole morning now.


    Right now she was in one of the offices in the capital mansion. It was mostly empty, the only decoration here a couple of bookcases at the edge of the room and the desk in front of her. She didn''t really need more than that right now, so the plain nature of the room didn''t bother her much.


    The ball had already ended the night before, so that wasn''t what was stressing her out now. While it had been far from a pleasant experience¡ª by any definition of the word¡ªand the only true silver lining was that she appeared to have managed to avoid committing any further large mistakes during the ball itself, she didn''t feel the need to excessively worry about it now that it was over.


    The ending of the night had also turned out relatively calm, all things considered. After her interaction with Leon, no more people had approached her, and when things had finally started dying down and people started leaving she had been led back to the carriage and been allowed to leave the palace without any real issues.


    She had been a bit surprised over the whole divorce talk Leon had brought up with her, but it wasn''t really something she cared that much about. From what she remembered he wasn''t a bad man, but she hadn''t been planning on actually marrying him to start with. He was still essentially a stranger to her, and one who had a pretty poor image of her. If their end decided to end things that just made it easier on her.


    No, the current problem was none of that, but rather Evelyne.


    To say that their ride back had been comfortable would be a straight-out lie. Their current situation was...awkward, at best. Scarlett had fully expected Evelyne to tear into her about what she''d done during the Proclamation ceremony, but instead, the younger woman had stayed quiet the entire ride back to the mansion.


    Scarlett wasn''t entirely sure how to interpret that.


    While she had managed to get a decent night''s sleep despite the events of the previous day, that hadn''t meant much this morning. Evelyne had been missing during breakfast¡ªnot that unusual of an occurrence between the two sisters, if Scarlett were to guess¡ªbut her absence had been especially noticeable today. Doubly so as she had been spending a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what she should say to her.


    To keep her mind off of things for a bit, Scarlett had spent a couple of hours after that going through the [Bag of Juham] to create an account of all the loot they''d picked up from Temisbrook Glade, but that had only gotten her so far.


    After that, she had started scanning through her little red book, going through her notes and trying to get a sense of which of her current plans might get affected by or derailed because of what happened at the Elysian Proclamation. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things she was still unsure of when it came to how far-reaching the consequences of that were, so she had been somewhat limited in her conclusions.


    One upside was that attending the Elysian Proclamation had apparently been considered a quest by the system¡ªwhich it definitely hadn''t been in the game¡ªso she had gained five skill points from that on her way back at least. That meant she now had 12 skill points, which would be enough to upgrade her [Hydrokinesis] to [Greater Hydrokinesis]. Her hydrokinesis was a bit limited in what it could do right now, but considering the increase in effectiveness that she had seen after upgrading her pyrokinesis she had high expectations.


    A knock that sounded out from the door caught Scarlett''s attention.


    "Enter," she said coolly.


    The door opened and one of the servants entered. A black-haired woman Scarlett didn''t know the name of.


    The woman curtsied. "My Lady. We received a reply from the Tyndall residence."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. That was a quick response. She''d only asked her servants to send a letter earlier this morning.


    "What did they say?"


    The servant seemed to hesitate. "They declined your request for a meeting, my Lady. They claimed they are preoccupied for the remainder of the Light Fest, and do not have the spare time to fit you in..."


    Scarlett held back a sigh as she felt a rivulet of irritation swell up from inside.


    Like hell they were busy. There was no way they couldn''t spare even half an hour for her.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Send another letter," she said. "Address it to the youngest son. Inform him I have an important business proposal, solely for him. It is something that he is guaranteed to have an interest in, and I need no longer than fifteen minutes of his time."


    The servant woman curtsied. "Understood, my Lady."


    Scarlett watched the woman leave as she thought about the matter. She didn''t want to be too conspicuous when just setting up the meeting itself, but hopefully this would be enough to get him to at least agree to it. It would be annoying if her plans were delayed because she couldn''t even meet the man.


    Turning her attention back to the desk before her, her eyes went to a pile of papers lying on it. Those were the notes she had written down detailing the items from the dungeon. It was eleven artifacts, all in all. The [Bag of Juham (Epic)], [Lifeblood''s Eternal Circuit (Unique)], and [Mark of the Fey (Rare)] were items she was going to keep without question. She still wasn''t really sure exactly what [Mark of the Fey] did or was, but she imagined it might be useful sometime in the future when she next interacted with creatures of the Wandering Realm.


    Regarding what she would do with the rest of the items though, things were still a bit up in the air. She had asked Fynn if he wanted the [Fists of Malaise (Rare)], just to be sure, but he hadn''t shown much interest in them. She would probably just end up selling most of the rare weapons that had been dropped by the suits of armor.


    There was a possibility that Shin might be interested in one of the shields they''d found, [Bulwark of Courage (Rare)] and [Pastoral Glade''s Bulwark (Epic)], so she was considering lending either of them to him. He was technically just temporarily in her employ, so she wouldn''t straight out give it to him. They were bound to be worth a decent amount of money, after all. Especially [Pastoral Glade''s Bulwark], with it being a completely undamaged epic artifact.


    The other epic artifact, [Moonshadow''s Crown], Scarlett was a bit unsure about as well. She would probably just auction it off with the rest of the items. Although she was trying to see if she could figure out a better use for it.


    As for the rest of the loot; when they had made their way back through the dungeon they''d harvested lots of different interesting plants¡ªmostly on Allyssa''s prompting¡ªamong other things. Shin, for example, had pointed out that the wings of the [Restless Blot-Sprites] might hold some value, so they had ended up spending some time gathering those that weren''t too damaged. At that point, Scarlett had slightly regretted having charred so many of them to ash with her pyromancy.


    She glanced down at her right hand, where she had both the black [Ring of Umbral Defiance] and [Lifeblood''s Eternal Circuit]. She was especially satisfied with the golden, carved wooden ring she had gotten from that place. She liked not feeling like as much of a walking target anymore. Though she would still have to experiment some with its limits.


    Nonetheless, they had made off with a pretty good haul of loot from that excursion. She would probably get a good amount of money if she managed to sell most of it.


    Of course, that was one of her current issues. She herself didn''t actually have the connections to sell these things at the moment. Evelyne was the one who was more knowledgeable in that area, and the one who had handled it last time. Scarlett had kind of been banking on the same this time as well, though she had intended to learn more about it at the same time.


    Scarlett looked out the office''s window, into the small garden outside. Evelyne''s office was on the opposite end there.


    She wasn''t sure what kind of mood the younger woman was in right now. It was bound to be bad, though. Scarlett certainly wouldn''t have been happy had she been in Evelyne''s situation, not even really understanding everything that was going on or why it was happening.


    Scarlett leaned forward over the desk and rubbed her temples. The crux of the matter was Evelyne. Despite her instincts not wanting to admit it, she was heavily reliant on the woman in her current position. As such, she really had to handle this situation before it got even worse than it already was. She needed to have a talk with Evelyne. A serious talk.


    A...real talk.


    While she thought things were generally proceeding well for her, she couldn''t go on like she had up till now. It irked her, part of the very core of her being screaming out against it, but the previous day had shown the consequences of her being neglectful. That she had to change how she handled things.


    To be honest, most of what she had done up till now today could have been postponed to later. She was just having a bit of a hard time getting herself to visit Evelyne. She had gone through what she could say in her head a few times by now. Made sure it didn''t sound too unreasonable. That, while not being the truth, it was close enough to seem like it.


    But it was genuinely hard.


    She remembered when she had forced herself to apologize to Evelyne the second time they met, and it had made her feel pretty bad. Angry. Vulnerable. Humiliated, even. But this...


    Even the thought of what she was intending to do made her wince. She wasn''t entirely sure she could do it, even. But she had to try. There were a lot of things she had to speak to Evelyne about. For one, Evelyne was probably her best option at finding out the exact ramifications of what she did during the Proclamation. Knowing that was vital if she wanted to better adjust her plans for the future. In addition, Evelyne might know the best ways to handle the current situation so that she didn''t piss off the other nobles more than necessary. Because, truth be told, a lot of her plans relied on essentially brute-forcing her way through things with her game knowledge. Her main means of earning money was running dungeons, for instance.


    What she was most afraid of right now was that she would go through with this but still fail to convince Evelyne. That would be pretty crap scenario for her. Because unlike many of the other things she had done, she didn''t know a specific game detail that could help her much with Evelyne.


    Scarlett tapped her finger against the desk as she stared into the air in front of her.


    Well, she wouldn''t get anywhere if she just stayed cooped up in here all day. The best way to remove a band-aid was to rip it off.


    She pushed back her chair as she stood up and walked around the desk towards the exit.


    Everything would probably go fine.

 Chapter 54 - Confessions

    Evelyne read over the same passage in the papers before her for the fifth time in a row. She let out a low groan as she grabbed the sides of her head, leaning over her desk. She was barely getting any work at all done today. All her thoughts kept coming back to the same issue.


    Yesterday had been a catastrophe.


    After Scarlett''s insane showing, in front of almost every single noble in the empire, Evelyne didn''t know what to do. Watching her sister do something so presumptuous in front of the emperor had made Evelyne think she was going to faint. Standing there in the Chamber of Elysia for hours, knowing that dozens of people around her knew who she was and were giving her looks, had been one of the most stressful experiences in her life.


    When the Elysian Ball had started, she had at least hoped she could salvage some of the situation. She had gone around and tried to talk with as many people as possible, trying to gloss over Scarlett''s words and forge some connections, but so many just came up with cheap excuses to avoid speaking with her after she introduced herself. Even a couple of her old business partners had ignored her. One of the few who had seemed to have any interest at all in talking to her had been a baron who had been the dean of a mage tower. Introduced by Scarlett, of all people.


    Because of course her sister didn''t know that they had already made agreements with other towers about the materials found in the Zuverian ruins.


    If it wouldn''t have been so stupid in a situation like this, Evelyne would have thought Scarlett was intentionally trying to make everything as difficult as possible for her.


    Scarlett''s actions had caused the majority of noble society to freeze out their family in less than a day. Nobody wanted to be affiliated with a house that publicly offended all the duchies, and showcased such blatant arrogance.


    Evelyne closed her eyes and put her head down on the desk. She was so tired. Yesterday had sucked all energy from her. She hadn''t even had the spirit to question Scarlett about anything on the way back from the palace. The night before she had wanted to do nothing less than just go to sleep and hope it was all a bad dream. But then she had barely gotten any sleep at all because she couldn''t stop thinking about things.


    For a while, she had thought Scarlett was improving. She''d hoped it was true, even despite how much they had argued recently. But no. Whatever business it was that her sister had gotten herself involved in now had clearly gone to her head. Now she seemed to think she could do absolutely what she wanted, consequences be damned.


    Did Scarlett even realize that she had stabbed both of them in the foot with this? Or did she seriously think this was going to bring her higher up the social ladder?


    It was almost funny the lengths her sister was going to, to bring their house to ruin. They were already in a terrible situation financially, and now they were going to be crippled socially among the nobility as well.


    Evelyne lay there with her head on the desk for a while, trying to calm down as she got her thoughts in order. Then she forced herself to return to the documents she had been going through, with only marginal success.


    Eventually, a knock sounded out from the door.


    "What is it?" she asked with a drained voice.


    There was a pause on the other side of the door, before a voice came through. "I believe we should speak."


    Evelyne''s eyes widened. It was Scarlett.


    "...I''m busy."


    She did not want to have whatever conversation this was right now.


    "That may be so, but we still need to speak," Scarlett''s voice rang out. "I do not believe I can postpone this any further."


    The door opened and Scarlett walked inside, looking as fit and elegant as ever in the tight dark dress she wore. She certainly didn''t seem to have problems sleeping.


    "What don''t you understand about busy?" Evelyne muttered.


    Scarlett looked down at the documents on Evelyne''s desk. "...I apologize. However, this is important."


    She walked over and sat down in the armchair situated between the two bookcases in the room, placing both hands on her legs as her head was turned down.


    Evelyne watched with confusion. This didn''t feel like her sister at all. She would have expected her to be even worse than usual, after the previous day.


    "I..." Scarlett began, looking up at her. "I realize that what I did yesterday was damaging to us."


    Evelyne blinked, staring at her sister.


    "And I will admit that I..." Scarlett paused again. "...That I did not entirely recognize the ramifications this might have on our house."


    "You''re...apologizing?" Evelyne asked.


    She saw how Scarlett''s knuckles turned white as she clenched them, folding them over each other. Her sister met her eyes and gave a slow nod. "I am."


    Evelyne was quiet for a while. "Why?" she finally asked.


    "Because I consider it to only be right for me to admit to my wrongs before we begin this conversation."


    Evelyne shook her head. "No. I mean why did you do it?" She stared at Scarlett. "Why did you do something as stupid as to try and put yourself on the same level as a duke in front of the whole empire!"


    Scarlett looked back at her. Evelyne saw the intensity in her eyes. The same stare her sister always had when she got angry at her. But instead of lashing back, Scarlett closed her eyes for a second and turned away towards the window.


    "I believe this is a good transition to the main topic I came here to speak about. The truth behind some of the recent events. Although it will be somewhat difficult to properly explain."


    "...What?"


    "I imagine you have had many thoughts and questions regarding my actions this last month." Scarlett raised one hand and snapped her fingers. A ball of fire appeared in the middle of the room, hovering a meter above the floor. "I believe you have also been curious about my current magical capabilities, as well as the related artifacts."


    Suddenly a ball of swirling water appeared beside it, and the two spheres started circling each other. "Although I did hint to it previously, the truth behind this is that there are no artifacts responsible for my magic."


    Scarlett pushed her red hair to the side and pointed to the amber earring she had on her right ear. "This has a function entirely extraneous to both pyromancy and hydromancy. As do the rest of the artifacts I have acquired. The pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis you see me displaying are solely my own power."


    Evelyne stared at the two spinning elemental spheres, then turned to Scarlett. "That''s impossible."


    Neither her own pyrokinesis nor her terrakinesis was even close to reaching the levels she had seen Scarlett showcase if that were true. What she was seeing here, and had seen a few days earlier in the garden, had to be caused by artifacts or enchanted items of some kind. There was no way Scarlett could do that. Evelyne knew better than anyone that Scarlett had always been terrible at magic.


    "I will not fault you for your distrust, but it is the truth nonetheless," Scarlett said.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "How would that be possible?" Evelyne asked. "You''re trying to tell me that you''ve been hiding this all along?"


    Scarlett snapped her fingers and the fire and water disappeared. "The answer to that ties into the reason I acted as I did at the Proclamation, so I suppose I will begin there."


    Her sister took a deep breath, then continued speaking. "The simple truth is that I had..." Evelyne saw her sister''s jaw tighten. "...Forgotten the appropriate greeting. As such, I instead mimicked the actions of Duke Tyndall."


    Evelyne''s eyes widened as she stared at her sister. "You forgot?!"


    Scarlett nodded. "And that is not the only thing I have forgotten."


    "What do you mean?"


    Scarlett stayed quiet for a few seconds. "Do you recall your visit to the mansion at the beginning of last month?" she suddenly changed the subject.


    Evelyne knitted her brows. That was when she joined Kinsley when he delivered the domain ledgers. She''d wanted to confront Scarlett about her repealing the stipend for the Brook Tower.


    "That is when it began," Scarlett continued.


    "When what began?"


    "It is...complex in ways I cannot fully describe." Scarlett looked as if she was considering what to say. "I presume you are aware of who the Augur is?"


    "Of course I am. But what do the Followers have to do with this?"


    "Nothing. However, that is not what I am implying." Scarlett shook her head. "The Augur is bestowed guidance and visions of the future from divinity. From Ittar himself. Yet the current Augur does not often show herself. Do you know why that is?"


    "Because the work of an Augur is taxing on the mind. They have to spend a lot of time interpreting Ittar''s wishes." Evelyne frowned, although she wanted to sigh. Why was Scarlett going around in circles like this?


    "That is true, in part." Scarlett nodded. "However, it significantly diminishes the severity of the seat, and the consequences of it. The full truth is that the Augur herself is not in a lucid enough state to be presentable the vast majority of the time."


    Evelyne gave Scarlett an incredulous look. "How could you possibly know that?"


    Scarlett gave an almost bitter smile. "Because I am in a not too dissimilar position."


    Silence filled the room. The two of them stared at each other.


    Evelyne was starting to seriously question her sister''s sanity.


    "I did not expect for you to take me at my word," Scarlett said. "Although I do hope you will hear me out."


    "Hear you out about what? You''re saying Ittar is speaking to you?"


    Scarlett gave her a long look. "Not quite, no."


    "Then what?" Evelyne asked.


    "While I cannot speak for the origin of the phenomenon, it is true that I have received a...revelation, of sorts. From some power that is far above myself." Scarlett held up her hand, showing the two rings that were on it, and pointing to her earring. "Knowledge of a future that has yet to come to pass. Information on important artifacts, events, and people, that one would not be able to gather by typical means. Experience with magic that I instinctually understand."


    Scarlett looked her in the eyes. "You wondered where I learned of the Zuverian ruins, and the other artifacts I have acquired? How I could perform magic such as what I displayed earlier without the aid of items?" She nodded at her. "There is your answer."


    Both of them went quiet again.


    "Let''s say I believe you," Evelyne finally said with a tired voice. She didn''t know why Scarlett was trying to come up with all of these outlandish excuses, but clearly her sister had put some thought into it. "You''re saying you''ve forgotten things because some god put visions in your head?"


    "I did not say it was a god," Scarlett cut in with a frown. "Merely a power that is beyond me. Nor did I claim to have received visions."


    Her sister''s mouth tightened. "...Perhaps it would be best to describe them as memories. Separate from what was there before, and frighteningly real in their predictions, yet not always reliable in their accuracy. And, unfortunately, they have made differentiating some information from other difficult inside my mind. Impossible even, at times."


    Evelyne stared at her. "You''re serious?"


    Scarlett gave her a heavy look. "Deadly so."


    "...And it began one month ago?"


    "Yes."


    "...And you just thought it was a good idea to stay quiet about it? To attend the blasted Elysian Proclamation without knowing what to do?!"


    Evelyne bent forward and palmed her temples, shaking her head at what she was hearing. It sounded like just some lie Scarlett was spouting, but it didn''t make sense for her to lie about forgetting things if it wasn''t true.


    Was that part actually true, and Scarlett was trying to cover things up by adding on the rest of this nonsense?


    "That..." She heard Scarlett hesitate. "It is close to the truth."


    Evelyne glanced up at her. "You understand none of this makes any sense, don''t you? Why couldn''t you just have paused to think for a moment, maybe considered telling me about it? Before you went ahead and offended half of the people in the empire!"


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow at her. "That is what I am doing now. However, I did not, and still do not, think it would have been a wise decision on my part to do so earlier."


    "Why not?!"


    Her sister''s gaze on her turned even colder than usual. "I am aware you have been collecting evidence in order to depose me."


    Evelyne stilled.


    "Can you say, while staying entirely forthright, that you would have simply lent me your aid had I approached you one month ago with this information? Had I..." Scarlett scowled. "Admitted...that I am not fully of sound mind, incapable of fulfilling all my duties as baroness?"


    "I-I..." Evelyne was unsure what to say.


    "I do not believe you would. So I judged it best to stay quiet. Though I admit it was arrogant of me, I believed I would be able to make do on my own."


    A dozen thoughts passed through Evelyne''s brain, and she didn''t know what to focus on. But one thing caught her mind. "So you knew?" she asked her sister. "That''s why you suddenly decided to ''help'' Count Knottley in dealing with those criminals. You did just want to hide any traces of your involvement with them, because you were afraid I would find something to implicate you with."


    Scarlett''s scowl deepened. "No, that was not the sole reason I did that."


    "What, you''re going to tell me you actually did it for those kids?" Evelyne let out a derisive laugh. "We both know you don''t care a single thing about what happens to them. You setting up an orphanage is a joke in more ways than one and everyone who really knows you will see through it clear as day."


    "That is not at all what I¡ª"


    "And now whatever you''ve gotten yourself involved in this time isn''t only threatening your life, but the survival of our whole house!"


    "Evelyne," Scarlett snapped. "Let me speak."


    Evelyne felt a cold chill run down her spine as the words halted in her throat, but she shook her head. "No, I won''t let you speak. Do you know how hard it''s been. How after father died I''ve had to watch you bring the barony closer and closer to ruin every year because of your indifference to anything that doesn''t interest you or increase your standing? To watch you ruin people''s, children''s, lives, just to satisfy your own greed. To spend every single day trying to clean up after your mess?"


    She saw Scarlett''s expression worsening by the second, but she didn''t care.


    "Evel¡ª"


    "What? You think things are going to get better just because you threw away some of the skeletons in your closet? Pretend like you''re helping people, and managing to find some artifacts? The truth is you threw away even all that yesterday, and I can''t even say I would ha¡ª"


    "Would you shut up for just a second!" Scarlett yelled.


    Evelyne froze, her eyes unblinking as she stared at Scarlett.


    Her sister looked even more surprised, almost all the anger that was in her expression having disappeared. Scarlett looked at her for a moment, then turned away with a frown. She clicked her tongue as she put her hand to her temple.


    "I have nothing to say of the hardships you have gone through," she said with a calmer voice. "Truly, it is a regretful matter, but it is not something the current me can apologize for. Simply know that I, as I am now, have no desire of putting undue burdens on your shoulders."


    She stayed silent for a few seconds more, then turned back to Evelyne. "My involvement with the Grey Dog Gang was a mistake that the old me performed out of pettiness and improvidence. I decided to deal with them because I witnessed what future that path would have led me down, and it was not a destiny I wished for."


    Her sister had a resolved look now. "Although I regret them, I will not ask for absolution for all of the actions of that nature that I have taken. I will rectify the wrongs that I can, but know this: I will not allow the past to hinder my future."


    Evelyne absorbed her sister''s words in a daze. Only now did it sink in what she herself had said, and she couldn''t quite understand what her sister was trying to say. It was pretentious, vain, and straight-out offensive in their dereliction of culpability, but she also felt there was a promise in those words. Of betterment. Of course, knowing Scarlett it was bound to be just another ploy to confuse her.


    In so many ways her sister''s words were like the Scarlett that she knew, yet so different. And for Scarlett to snap like that...Evelyne couldn''t recall a single time that she had been alive when that had happened.


    Was there truth behind the story Scarlett had told of visions...memories...or whatever?


    Evelyne looked at her sister. Was there a difference between the old Scarlett and the Scarlett in front of her? It had become more and more clear to her that the woman before her wasn''t the same as before.


    The problem was that she didn''t know what kind of Scarlett this was. When had she ever thought that her sister would come out and, genuinely, ask for her help?


    Scarlett let out a sigh from her armchair, pulling Evelyne out from her thoughts. "This did not quite go as planned. I believe we both might have been too affected by our emotions. I have said most of what I came here to say, although I also wished to get your confirmation that you would aid me. But I believe it best if we postpone such discussions until you have had more time to consider what I have said."


    She rose from her chair, giving Evelyne one last, long look. Then she walked out of the office without another word. Evelyne just watched her leave, not bothering to come up with any goodbyes.


    For some time she just sat there in front of her desk, going through the conversation in her head. Eventually, she just let out a tired laugh and closed her eyes as she put her head down on the desk again.


    She really needed to sleep.

 Chapter 55 - Shopping trip

    "There are so many people," Fynn said as he looked out the carriage window and at the masses that crowded the streets. The young man''s eyes seemed to be plastered on a small stall that was selling what Scarlett could only liken to some sort of candied apples to a group of kids.


    "Is this your first time in the capital for the Light Fest?" Allyssa asked him from beside Scarlett.


    "Yes. Where I''m from we don''t have it," he said.


    "Where''s that?"


    Fynn stilled, and Scarlett could practically see the cogs moving in his head as he tried to answer. She knew he was terrible with lies, so she decided to help him out this once.


    "If I recall correctly, you were from Dimfrost, were you not?" she said casually.


    He looked towards her with slight surprise, then slowly nodded his head. "...That''s right."


    From what Scarlett remembered, that was a village that was closely connected to his tribe. In the game it was where he said he was from up until he started trusting you more.


    "Dimfrost? That''s somwhere to the west, isn''t it?" Allyssa asked.


    "It''s situated between the eastern edge of the Whitdown Mountains and the Three Streams. Just south of the Blasted Lands," Shin said, not looking up from the thick book he was reading.


    "Oh." Allyssa''s eyes widened. "Then during the Dragon Rampage you..."


    Fynn''s expression darkened somewhat, and Allyssa went quiet.


    "...I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to bring up something personal."


    He shook his head, turning to look out the window once more. "It''s fine," he muttered.


    Scarlett kept her gaze on him, observing the young man. His eyes were glued to the children visiting the stalls outside.


    Silence descended on the carriage for a while following that. Scarlett eventually shifted her attention to the crowds that were passing by outside as well.


    The Light Fest truly was in full swing now. Earlier they had traveled across part of the Sunset Walk, the large road that ran through the center of the city, and were currently in The Coins district. Its busy streets, filled with pedestrians who were enjoying the festival, made their progress slower than usual, but the bright and lively environment outside made up for part of that. Even though they were several days into the celebration by now there were still plenty of colorful banners hanging from the different buildings, and various sun-themed iconography could be seen on every street corner.


    It was a bit before noon right now, and they had left the mansion about forty minutes earlier. Their current destination was the shop where she tried to sell the Cabal equipment. They had received a notice about it the day before, so Scarlett had decided to handle the matter as early as possible.


    Unfortunately she hadn''t talked at all with Evelyne since they''d had their conversation the day before. She was hoping the younger woman would be ready to talk more later today, but she wasn''t quite certain how Evelyne had taken what she told her. She didn''t want to hound her about it. They had both been a bit...agitated, the day before. And she wanted to let Evelyne fully digest everything before they spoke any further. But just waiting for a response was nerve-racking in its own way. She also felt a bit embarrassed about meeting her right now. Her outburst during their conversation had been surprising in more ways than one. Not only because she had ended up getting a lot more worked up than she had expected, but also because she was pretty sure that a part of her personality had poked through.


    A part of Amy Bernal.


    Honestly, that was the thing that had shocked her the most. For just a brief moment the anger and irritation she felt from Scarlett''s half had merged with her real personality and she had unwittingly acted like she might have back in her world when she was upset. Of course, she had regretted it immediately after. The Scarlett part of her had practically been writhing in shame from the display, and she had ended up basically running away from the conversation soon after that.


    But it also made her a bit relieved. She didn''t know what it meant, but this was the first sign she had seen that the traits shackling her weren''t unbendable. And she sorely wished for a future where she wasn''t bounded by those stupid traits of hers.


    But for now, she wasn''t quite certain how to use this phenomenon. At the moment, it seemed like all it would take was her getting unreasonably angry at her estranged¡ªsubstitute¡ªsister. Easy enough to do in her situation, although not exactly the most constructive way of spending one''s time. Nor was it proven to be repeatable. She had gotten angry at Evelyne plenty of times previously, after all.


    But all of those thoughts were for another day. Right now, she was just hoping she hadn''t royally pooched things even further by telling Evelyne about her situation. Or, well, an abridged and tweaked version of her situation. For the time being, she could do nothing but wait on that front though.


    Scarlett''s itinerary for the whole day was to visit the shop regarding the equipment, perhaps look around for a place where she could get some materials for Allyssa¡ªwho was still thinking about her offer related to the young Shielder''s alchemy¡ªand last but not least, visit the residence of the Tyndall duchy.


    She would have preferred to have delayed the visit to the Tyndalls to a later date. She wasn''t exactly excited about poking the hornet''s nest that was the empire''s noble society more than necessary, and getting some guidance from Evelyne before this meeting had been one of the reasons why she had gone to her yesterday. But unfortunately, Scarlett had received a response to her previous message this morning¡ªthey had been a lot slower with replying this time than the last¡ªsaying that the second son of the Tyndall family was willing to meet with her today. However, only briefly. And the time for the visit was not negotiable.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    At least she had managed to arrange the meeting. That was good news in and of itself. And the meeting wasn''t actually related to any noble matters, so hopefully it wouldn''t go as bad as any of her previous interactions of the same nature.


    She kept pondering over things as their carriage made its way through the district, until eventually, they stopped at the side of the street, next to a large building made out of white wood.


    "Apologies, my Lady," the coachman''s voice rang out from the front of the carriage. "There seems to be a stop in the flow of traffic up ahead. It will take some time before we arrive."


    Scarlett frowned involuntarily, leaning closer to the window to look ahead. Rows of carriages stood still on the road ahead of them, and one of the streets that turned right was completely congested with people and motionless vehicles.


    She turned to the others. "Which of you know the way from here?" she asked.


    Rosa, who had been unusually silent this ride, looked at her. "We''re going to that magic shop we visited a few days ago, right?"


    "That is correct."


    She smiled. "Then I''m your girl."


    "Good." Scarlett nodded her head and gestured to the rest. "We are disembarking here. The remainder will be traversed on foot."


    They all exited the carriage onto the cobbled road outside and Scarlett turned back to the coachman. "Find a location nearby where you can park the carriage. We will return later."


    The older man tipped the wide-brimmed hat he wore to shield his eyes from the sun. "As you wish, my Lady."


    Scarlett then began striding towards the nearby walkway where dozens of people were walking back and forth. It hadn''t exactly been a pleasant experience last time she had walked around like this, and now there were even more people around, but she would just have to suck it up. She didn''t want to waste all of her time sitting around and waiting in the carriage, and she was pretty sure the shop wasn''t that far away.


    Thankfully it seemed like the appearance of her little group was enough to cause some space to open up among the throngs of moving people, only occasionally causing her to bang into other people. Of course, Scarlett would definitely have preferred it if she hadn''t had to knock shoulders with anyone at all.


    As they walked on, Rosa leading the way when necessary, the constant shifting and proximity of all the nearby people were getting on Scarlett''s nerves a bit faster than she expected, so when they eventually turned off onto a street that only had half the traffic she let out a sigh of relief inside.


    The calm didn''t last too long, though, as when they were walking down the street she suddenly felt someone slam into her side, almost causing her to lose her balance. She instinctively activated the effect of [Lifeblood''s Eternal Circuit] to create a barrier around herself as the wave of irritation she had pressed down for a while surged to the surface.


    "Who dares¡ª" she spun around, only to see a child lying on the ground. A small boy that now looked up at her with wide eyes filled with fear. A slightly older girl was kneeling next to him like she was trying to help him up, but she too was completely still now as she stared up at Scarlett.


    Realizing that she was scowling, Scarlett tried to school her expression into something more neutral. But it was somewhat hard when the annoyance was still there.


    ...Apparently, not even children were safe from the original''s anger.


    And to think not much earlier she had been thinking about how maybe she wasn''t letting herself be as affected by the original.


    Both Allyssa and Rosa stepped over and kneeled next to the two children. Rosa had a smile on her face as she gently put her hand on the scared boy''s back.


    Three days sunshine ~


    Three days rain


    Don''t let those tears leave a stain ~


    Soon all will be well again


    Rosa sang calmly as her other hand moved over the boy''s knee which had a large scrape on it from the fall. A soft purple light covered the wound, which soon disappeared to reveal completely smooth skin.


    "There we go. Good as new!" the woman declared. "There''s no need to be afraid of big ol'' Red here. She doesn''t bite unless you''re a large monster."


    The boy threw an amazed look at his knee, before turning to Rosa with wide eyes.


    Scarlett merely observed as the bard and Allyssa helped both the boy and the girl up to their feet. Belatedly, she thought of checking her waist to make sure her pouch was still there. It would have been a bit of a cliche to have it stolen like that, but it was still there. She eyed the kids'' clothes. Well, they didn''t look like they had it especially hard anyways. They were probably just normal kids.


    "Elmer! Maira!" a voice rang out as a woman a few years older than Scarlett came running. "I told you not to get too far away from me!" the woman panted, taking a few deep breaths with her hand to her chest. Her eyes then went to Rosa, Scarlett, and the others. "I''m so sorry. I hope they didn''t cause you any trouble."


    The others'' eyes turned to Scarlett, who studied the woman for a couple of seconds. She then shook her head slowly. "No harm was caused. However, I suggest you pay more attention to your child in the future. Not everyone is quite as forgiving to unfamiliar children that run into them."


    The woman''s eyes widened, and from the looks of it she seemed to have realized that Scarlett wasn''t your ordinary person because Scarlett saw how she glanced down at her clothes and the others in her group.


    "O-Of course. I''ll be more careful in the future," the woman stuttered, holding her two children carefully. Soon enough, she was pushing the two further down the street, away from their company.


    Scarlett glanced over the others in her party, who were all looking at her, before turning around and resuming walking without any further words.


    Probably not the best impression she could have made, but they probably wouldn''t think it was too odd considering how she usually acted.


    As they continued moving, they eventually reached the shop that she had left the Cabal Equipment with previously. The old man that was the shop owner soon came out of a back room, fetched by a younger man, presumably his apprentice, who had been manning the storefront.


    After speaking some with the old man, he had told her that he could give her 40000 solars for all six of the sets she had given him. That was significantly higher a price than he had cited at first after looking at the equipment¡ªhe had originally guessed it would be closer to 10000¡ªbut it was still not even half of what the equipment would have been worth brand-new in the game.


    But much of it was also broken, and he was more paying for the materials and enchantments placed on the equipment, rather than the equipment itself. Scarlett saw no reason to decline the offer, and so they agreed to that price. And instead of him giving her the entire sum right now he would have it sent over to the mansion later on.


    In addition, as he had previously spoken about recycling some of the enchantments, Scarlett had asked him if he could lower the payment and instead reimburse her with an item holding the enchantment on the Cabal helmets that made it so that you could see in the dark. The man had said that he would look into the matter, and contact her about it later on.


    After that, they left the shop to continue on to the next subject of the day.

 Chapter 56 - Theres always a secret organization or two

    "My Lady, we''ve arrived," the coachman''s voice rang out from the front of the carriage.


    "Welcome, Baroness," another voice said from outside the window.


    Looking out, Scarlett saw a man in black servant''s clothing standing before a wide iron gate. On the other side of the gate was a garden with a large mansion overlooking it. The building wasn''t quite as large as the Hartford mansion back in Freybrook, but it wasn''t too far off. It was most certainly bigger than the mansion they had here in the capital, that was for sure.


    "The young master is waiting in his study," the man said as the coachman walked over and opened the carriage door for Scarlett. She wordlessly exited, turning back to see Fynn and Shin follow her out of the vehicle.


    Allyssa and Rosa had stayed in The Coins district, rather than accompanying them here to the Eastgate district where most of the nobles had their mansions. Technically it was so that Allyssa could buy materials for her alchemy¡ªbecause of all the traffic they''d had less time for that before¡ªbut Scarlett had also felt she could let them enjoy the festival a bit too.


    Turning to the servant, she saw him give both Fynn and Shin a mildly surprised look. The man''s attention returned to her as she spoke. "Lead the way."


    He gave a slight bow. "Of course. Follow me."


    He signaled to a guard in a dark green gambeson with black edges who walked forward to open the gates. The servant then led them through the garden and into the mansion itself, where they halted in the middle of a large, decorated lobby that had four large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Curving along the walls up to the second floor was a pair of white marble staircases, with a black banner, hung off the far wall, that had the image of a dark green stag with golden eyes on it.


    It was the same insignia she''d seen in Freybrook a few weeks back, when she had originally traveled to Ambercrest. Although she hadn''t quite been able to place it at the time, she now recognized it as the family crest of the Tyndall ducal family.


    Another servant, a younger woman with short brown hair, stepped over to their group as the male servant turned to Scarlett. "Young Mireya here will guide you to the second master. Your companions may wait in the parlor. We will prepare some refreshments for them."


    Scarlett glanced back at Fynn and Shin.


    Yeah, that would probably be for the best. Some of the things she was about to discuss were best left secret. Even though Fynn''s ability to tell lies from the truth was useful, she didn''t really need it here.


    Shin was giving her an asking look, so she gave a low nod. "I do not believe this will take long. Wait for me until then."


    Fynn''s attention seemed to be focused on a painting that depicted some large beast or other, but Shin at least nodded his head in understanding. "All right."


    Scarlett turned to the female servant, who gave a short curtsy. "Please follow me, my Lady."


    The young woman then walked off, guiding Scarlett up one of the long stairs to the second floor where they continued to walk through a series of corridors until they eventually reached a dark oak door at the end of one of the hallways.


    "The young master is waiting inside," the woman said, opening the door.


    Inside was a dimly lit room filled with bookshelves. A black wooden desk stood at one end with a stone fireplace not far from it, and near the center of the room was a low table with a green couch on each side. On one of the couches sat a man with a pair of glasses, reading a book he held in his right hand. He had dark hair that was combed to the sides so as not to fall in front of his eyes and that reached down to the nape of his neck, and wore a set of deep green pants along with a white shirt.


    Walking into the room, Scarlett noticed a green jacket and black undercoat hanging leisurely over the side of a chair next to the desk at the other end of the room.


    She wasn''t an expert on these things, but she suspected this wasn''t how you commonly greeted other nobles.


    The man''s head turned to her. "Ah, Baroness," he said, leaning forward over the table in front of him and placing the book down on it along with the glasses he''d used. "Or maybe I should refer to you as ''your grace?''"


    Scarlett eyed him. "Baroness will suffice."


    She had learned enough to know that the title of ''grace'' was only appropriate for dukes, people in higher stations, and certain members of the imperial family.


    He made no sign of caring much about her reaction, simply gesturing toward the couch opposite him. "Take a seat. I''ve been curious all day about what this proposal you have for me might be."


    Scarlett moved to sit on the couch, leaning her right arm against the armrest as she took the man in.


    This was Beldon Tyndall, the younger son of the current duke of Windgrove. If she were to guess, he was probably a couple years older than her¡ªsomewhere in his late twenties¡ªand had somewhat of that stereotypical ''handsome noble'' look to him. From just seeing him like this, a slight smile on his face as he looked at her, she might have assumed him to be your typical playboy-type of guy.


    But she knew there was a lot more to him.


    "Well?" he asked, somewhat nonchalantly. "What is it that brings a beautiful lady like you here to see me?"


    Scarlett looked around the room, wondering momentarily if there were any kinds of recording devices here.


    They were a thing, she knew that much. She just didn''t know how common they were. The ones she''d seen in the game had been of Zuverian make, so they were probably a relatively rare element in this world. Although if anyone were to have one, it would probably be this guy.


    "It is a delicate matter," she said after a moment, her eyes stopping on Beldon. "I hope I can trust that you will not allow it to leave these walls."


    Well, she said that, but it wasn''t as if it really mattered that much if he recorded what she was about to say. It wasn''t something he could go around spreading. She was mostly just curious, if anything.


    Beldon let out a short laugh. "When you put it like that it makes me fear it''s something that would put me in danger of having Sir Leon''s envy directed at me."


    Scarlett frowned. Did he have to bring that guy up right now?


    Beldon eyed her for a second with a small smile. "Ah, but maybe that''s not something that I have to fear anymore."


    Ugh. And of course he had to prod at her like this.


    Was this a rumor that was already spreading, or was it just this guy being ahead of the curve?


    Whatever. It didn''t matter.


    "I do not believe Sir Leon is one to easily show jealousy over such trifling matters."


    Beldon raised an eyebrow. "Even when his fiance¨¦ visits another man''s house during the Light Fest like this?"


    "Even then, yes. And what I do on my own time does not concern him."


    She didn''t know if there was some cultural significance to visiting a person like this during the Light Fest, but even if there was it really didn''t matter. It seemed like the engagement was going to get annulled anyways.


    "Anyhow, that is inconsequential to our current discussion. I am not here to deliberate such topics."


    "Is that right?" Beldon leaned further back on his couch. "Do tell."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Scarlett looked at him for a few seconds. "I wish to commission the services of Mirage."


    The smile on his face froze for a brief¡ªalmost imperceptible¡ªmoment. Then he let out a long laugh. "Hah...I didn''t know the Baroness was one for jokes. It''s different from what I''ve heard of you."


    She stared at him. "It was not a jest."


    His laughter died down and he ran a hand through his hair. "I''m sorry, but I find that hard to believe. Who in their right mind would set up a meeting with me, of all people, and ask about Mirage? If you wanted an excuse to see me that badly, you could have just said so," he said, throwing her another smile.


    Scarlett ignored it. She wasn''t exactly expecting him to admit it that easily. Mirage was technically a criminal organization, after all. But they were also one of the best information gatherers in the empire, and one of the few factions in the capital that she felt could help her with this matter without causing too much of a ruckus.


    That wasn''t to say she wasn''t hesitant about getting involved with them. She would have vastly preferred not to. But in the end, she''d judged the pros and cons, and felt like this was her best option for now. Especially after her first choice had gone as poorly as it did.


    Beldon eyed her quietly for a moment, then suddenly leaned forward and picked up a small silver bell that stood on the table. Almost immediately after ringing it, the door to the study opened and the female servant from before entered the room.


    "Yes, young master?"


    "Would you get us some refreshments?" he asked the servant. "Something that fits our guest here?"


    The woman curtsied. "Of course," she said, and left the room.


    Beldon then turned back to Scarlett, his previous playboy smile having returned. "I hope you don''t mind."


    "There is no need to maintain this charade," Scarlett said.


    "...Pardon? I don''t quite get what you mean."


    She arched a brow. "I believe you do. I am well aware of your true vocation."


    He stared at her for a good duration with a slightly amused expression on his face. "Is that so?" he asked.


    "It is," she said.


    "I see..."


    His expression turned completely flat, the look in his eyes losing all signs of mirth. "It seems the Baroness is growing a bit too large for her boots," he said as his whole air changed.


    Although she had been expecting it, the sudden change still took Scarlett a bit off guard.


    "I''m curious what little bird you''ve been listening to, that put these ideas into your mind."


    She studied him for a moment. "Where I learned it no longer matters. There is no risk that it will spread further than me, if that is your concern."


    "You say that," he said slowly. Scarlett now noticed that he was rolling a gold coin between his finger, though she had no idea when he''d taken it out. "But I''ve always been a person who likes to confirm these kinds of things myself. It wouldn''t do if any false rumors started spreading about me, would it?"


    "That would indeed be regretful."


    The both of them looked at each other.


    A knock sounded out from the door. Scarlett turned to look as the servant from earlier entered, holding a silver plate with two cups and small confections on it. There was also a thin, brown leather book on it.


    That was fast.


    The woman walked up and put the plate down on the table between them, placing one of the cups in front of Scarlett. It appeared to be a tea of some kind, giving off a pleasant citrus fragrance. Not her favorite, but she wasn''t going to complain.


    The servant woman placed the other cup in front of Beldon and handed him the book, before wordlessly picking up the plate and leaving the room.


    Beldon made his coin vanish with a small flourish and opened the book.


    "Scarlett Hartford," he said, looking down at its pages. "Vern Cheek. Bodil Pudges. The Blue Skulls. Grey Dog Gang. Although maybe I should strike that last one now."


    Scarlett knitted her forehead. She knew one of those names, but what were the others?


    "You''ve always been an ambitious one, haven''t you? But I never took you for someone to cross that line." He looked up at her. "You''ve been quite active lately. Ousting your former associates. Exploring Zuverian ruins. Selling artifacts. Causing murmurs at the Elysian Proclamation."


    She glanced down at the book in his hands. Was that about her, then?


    "It appears you are well informed of my movements," she said.


    There was a lot more that he had missed, but Scarlett wasn''t sure if that was simply him hiding his full knowledge or if that was just the full extent of it. If she were to guess it was probably closer to the latter, but she didn''t actually know how organizations like this worked.


    It did feel somewhat unreasonable for them to keep full tabs on every single noble at all times, at least.


    "I hear a thing or two from birds, here and there."


    She stared at him, almost feeling the need to roll her eyes. "I was unaware you were such an accomplished ornithologist," she said sardonically.


    "I could say the same of you."


    The room fell quiet as their eyes met.


    Scarlett broke the silence as she leaned closer to the table and picked up the cup of steaming tea near her. "If you are quite finished attempting to intimidate me by spouting what I already know, shall we continue onto business?"


    She blew lightly on the tea, focusing for a second as she used her pyrokinesis to lower its temperature. She had always hated waiting for drinks to cool down in these situations. It might be superficial, but this was probably one of the nicest things about this world. This, and the food back at the Freybrook mansion.


    Of course, magic in general was cool too.


    "And by business, you mean this ''commission'' you spoke of?" Beldon asked.


    Scarlett inclined her head as she took a sip from the tea. For a brief moment she had thought about whether it was poisoned or not, but that would literally be one of the poorest disguised murders in history, so she doubted it. It even turned out to be better than she expected. "Indeed. It is something that I believe your association is well equipped to handle."


    "And who is this commission for?"


    She paused, glancing up at him. "I am the one who is requesting it, if that is what you mean."


    "That is what I''m asking, yes. And I''m sure you understand when I tell you that I don''t trust your answer."


    "And why is that?"


    "I wonder," he said, studying her for a while. "...Every fish has their own pond that they belong in. It is often ill-advised leaving it."


    Scarlett felt her blood rise, though she wasn''t sure if it was because he kept using unnecessary metaphors all the time or because he likened her to a fish. "I ask that you refrain from comparing me with such animals."


    "Would a frog in a well work better for you?" he asked, his expressionless face contrasting with his jesting words.


    She stared at him. "It would not."


    He put the leather-bound book in his hands to the side on the couch as he shrugged. "Simply trying to help. But if you don''t care, so be it. Let me hear what this ''commission'' is about."


    Scarlett took another sip of her tea. "To be precise, there are two commissions. However, neither of them portends any true danger as long as one abstains from acting foolishly." She put the cup down on the table and placed her hands on her lap, focusing her gaze on Beldon. "I require your aid in locating two individuals. For one of them, I need your aid in arranging a meeting. For the other one, you simply have to pass on a short message."


    He stared at her. "That''s all?"


    "That is all."


    He seemed to consider her for a moment, then nodded. "Who are these individuals?"


    "The first one is named Gaven Ridley. He was previously a member of the Vanguards, but now takes on various jobs in the underworld across the empire."


    Gaven had been another of the possible companions in the game, although he was for either an evil or a neutral run. While Scarlett was hesitant about trying to add him to her party, there were several other uses she had planned for him if they were to collaborate. That was why, when she''d decided that she was going to make contact with Beldon and commission the services of Mirage, she''d also chosen to use this opportunity to find where Gaven was.


    "I don''t recognize the name. But if he was part of the Vanguards I don''t think it''ll be too hard to find information about him."


    Scarlett gave a slight nod. "That is what I would have expected."


    "And the other person?"


    She paused. This was the one she had been the most nervous about.


    "Have you heard of The Gentleman?"


    Beldon''s eyes widened by just a little, and a small smile even grew on his lips. "That''s not a name you hear often. And certainly not one I would have expected to hear now of all times."


    Scarlett let out an inner sigh of relief at the fact that he didn''t seem to panic at the mention of the name. From what she knew, it was highly unlikely that Beldon Tyndall would have any relationship with The Gentleman. At most, she assumed he''d heard of him. But she had still been afraid that this would be a repeat of last time''s events.


    Beldon brought his right hand up to his chin, stroking it slowly as he studied her. "What dealings do you have with him that requires our help?"


    "That is of no concern to you. You simply have to complete the task."


    "I think it might be some of my concern, actually, considering we''re the ones who would be looking for him."


    "I imagine that much should be possible with your resources," she said. "As I said, all that I demand is that you pass on a message. You do not have to meet him or anything of the sort. Merely ensure that he hears it."


    "And what would that message be?"


    "That Scarlett Hartford wishes to meet with him."


    Beldon looked at her. "Nothing more?"


    "That is enough."


    She was pretty sure that would be enough to get him to find her. She didn''t want to press for anything more than that at this point.


    Beldon looked thoughtful. "While it certainly sounds interesting," he eventually said. "I''m afraid I''ll have to decline."


    Scarlett frowned. "I have not yet told you of the compensation."


    "And what, pray tell, were you planning to reimburse us with?"


    "The location of Alton Carlyle."


    Beldon froze, and Scarlett''s lips curled up a little at the sight.


    She''d done these questlines in the game in her second playthrough. She knew what Mirage wanted. Honestly, they were probably one of the cheapest available options for her when it came to making deals, with all the information she had. The downside, of course, was the fact that they were technically a criminal organization. There were some risks to getting involved with them. And it would definitely put her on their map.


    "...And how exactly do you know that name?" Beldon asked, a hint of a distrust clear in his voice.


    "Perhaps I will share that sometime in the future, were we to establish a constructive relationship," Scarlett said calmly. "For now, I believe you should focus on whether you judge that being suspicious of my sources is more important than apprehending him."


    Alton Carlyle was a minor character without any importance at all to her. He was literally just a one-time target in one of the Mirage questlines. She wasn''t even sure if he had any lines. But Mirage wanted him because he was a traitor, so this was a decent deal for both of them.


    Beldon stared at her quietly for several seconds, then he nodded slowly. "Very well. You have a deal."

 Chapter 57 - Compromises

    Following her meeting with Beldon, Scarlett had returned to the mansion after picking up Rosa and Allyssa. Currently, she was in her temporary office there, looking through her red leather journal.


    She had been thinking of clearing another dungeon before the Light Fest ended, but as things had ended up a bit more hectic and uncertain than originally planned, she was looking at revising that idea. The dungeon she originally had been thinking of clearing was an underwater cavern that held a decent amount of artifacts that one could sell and a ring that amplified the effects of aeromancy spells. While Fynn technically didn''t cast spells, she was pretty sure buffs like that still worked for him so it would have been a good fit. But that dungeon would probably take some time to find, and it was a decent distance away from Elystead, so that idea was being scrapped for now.


    Instead, Scarlett was looking over the other dungeons she knew of in the local area. Unfortunately, none of them had anything particularly interesting that she wanted right now. At least not of those that she both felt certain they could handle right now, and whose location was certain enough where it would be easy to locate it with her game knowledge. She might have to be satisfied with just choosing some random mid-level dungeon and clearing it for the easy loot.


    That was, if she could find the time for it. As it was, she wasn''t entirely sure what her schedule would look like for the coming days. The Light Fest was nearing its end, but that didn''t mean there weren''t still things to do.


    A knock sounded out from the door, and Scarlett looked up.


    "Enter," she said after putting her journal away in the [Pouch of Holding] lying on the desk before her. She now reserved the pouch for the more personal things, and the stuff she wanted to have close to her. The rest usually went in the [Bag of Juham].


    The door opened and Evelyne walked inside. Scarlett found herself scowling before she even realized it, but quickly managed to temper her expression some.


    Ever since their conversation the day before her emotions had fluctuated up and down a lot more than normal when she thought of the younger woman, and she was still working on how to exactly interpret that. Most of the time it was a mix of irritation and...humiliation, maybe? It was hard to put a finger on it. It wasn''t just the embarrassment she had felt from her outburst the prior day, at the very least. Her relationship with her real sister had also been complicated at times, but she had never felt quite like this before, so she didn''t really have a point of reference on the subject.


    What she did know was that it was annoying.


    Evelyne stood still near the entrance for several seconds, looking at her, before finally crossing the room and sitting down in the chair opposite Scarlett.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes as she examined Evelyne''s face. The woman looked tired. Had Evelyne been like that yesterday as well? Scarlett hadn''t thought about it then. But looking closer, she also noticed that Evelyne''s normally smooth hair was frayed and jutted out in spots.


    Had she gotten any sleep the last few days?


    "I''ve thought over what you said yesterday," Evelyne suddenly said.


    Scarlett shifted her gaze to meet Evelyne''s. "I see. And have you reached a conclusion?"


    Evelyne appeared to hesitate for a moment, but her eyes kept on Scarlett''s. "I''m going to be honest. I have a really hard time believing all of what you told me."


    Scarlett slowly nodded her head. "I expected as much."


    She wasn''t sure how she herself would have reacted in a situation like that, but Evelyne''s and the original''s relationship had never been simple to her knowledge. She couldn''t judge Evelyne for being skeptical.


    "Despite that," Evelyne continued. "I...I don''t think you''re lying about having forgotten things. And asking for my help."


    Those last few words almost made Scarlett grimace, but she took a moment to relax. "That is good. While the truthfulness of my other claim may be more difficult to attest to at this point, I see no good reason for why I would have lied on those two points."


    "Like that has ever stopped you before," Evelyne remarked, though she seemed to regret it immediately after. Scarlett didn''t respond, so Evelyne let out a sigh and shook her head. "No, I''m not here today to argue with you again. I''m too tired for any more of that right now."


    "I would hope so. It would do neither of us any good if we continued to quarrel in our current situation."


    Evelyne gave her a hard look. "It would be nice if you actually tried to suit your actions to your words."


    Scarlett frowned. "I do not¡ª"


    She paused. She was about to say that she didn''t think she said much to cause more arguments, but realized that was just blatantly untrue.


    "...I will endeavor to refrain from speaking in an overly adversarial manner from now on."


    Evelyne blinked, staring at her. Then she turned her eyes down and shook her head with a light chuckle. "That''s right. You are different."


    "I am," Scarlett agreed.


    Evelyne stayed quiet for a moment, then looked up at her. "You said you had visions?"


    "Not¡ª"


    "Right. Not visions," Evelyne interrupted her, and Scarlett had to hold back from biting her tongue.


    Was it just her, or was Evelyne a lot more forward today than before?


    "Memories, revelations of the future, and predictions of what might happen. That''s what you said, wasn''t it?"


    "...In simple terms, yes."


    Evelyne nodded her head. "I don''t think¡ª" She paused, and shook her head. "I don''t know if I believe any of that. But I''ll trust that you''re not lying about forgetting things. And, even though I know how stupid it is of me, I''ll trust that you actually want to make up for some of the stuff that you''ve done. That you''re aware of it."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "That is the truth."


    "Even if it is, don''t expect to get any forgiveness just like that."


    Scarlett stayed quiet. She honestly didn''t care much for forgiveness for things she personally hadn''t done, but saying that now probably wasn''t the best idea.


    Evelyne put her palm up to her temples. "I...Never mind. Right now, we have other things to worry about. Things have been on the decline for years now, and what happened at the Proclamation definitely didn''t help. If I''m being honest, I really hope that whatever this ''knowledge'' is that you have, it will continue being useful to us. Because we''ll be needing it."


    "I can assure you it will continue to be quite beneficial," Scarlett said. "In fact, while I have yet to inform you of it, I procured several new artifacts during my latest excursion before the Proclamation. Amongst those are two artifacts of epic quality."


    Evelyne gave her a confused look. "Epic?"


    Scarlett went silent. Right. Of course they wouldn''t use terms like that.


    "That is to say, they are quite rare and powerful. I believe they hold considerable value."


    "Really? That''s good then."


    "There is also some equipment that I traded earlier today for over thirty thousand solars."


    Evelyne looked slightly surprised at that. Leaning forward, the woman took on a much more serious expression, staying quiet for a moment before she spoke. "Exactly how much do you know? How many more items and artifacts like this would you be able to find?"


    Scarlett''s eyes shifted to the side as she mentally went over the number of dungeons written down in her notes, mindlessly tapping away at the desk. "It is difficult to determine a specific number. I know of a vast amount of locations that could hold worth to us, but oftentimes my insight is vague and lacks detail. However, there would be, at minimum, a few dozen that I feel certain enough to locate without too much difficulty."


    Evelyne looked at her. "A few dozen...what? Are we talking places like those Zuverian ruins you found?"


    "Amongst others, yes. It varies, but many of the sites I know of are old caves, abandoned temples, and other such locations that have not been visited by people for a long time, but still house relics that hold value today."


    "So you do know of even more Zuverian ruins? Because the amount of interest we got from the different towers and other mage organizations was a lot larger than what we can satisfy with what we have."


    "I do, yes. However, that is hardly the most valuable information I hold."


    Evelyne stared at her with a disbelieving expression.


    "You''re serious?"


    "I have not lied once during this conversation."


    The younger woman went quiet again, seemingly studying Scarlett''s face. "If what you''re saying really is true, then I might have to reconsider what I said before about our situation. I was thinking we might be able to repay all our debts, but this might mean we would be able to do a lot more than just that."


    "I would hope so," Scarlett said. "I have been working under the assumption those issues would be dealt with soon anyhow. Our financial woes are not where our current issues lie."


    Evelyne knitted her forehead, and Scarlett continued. "Can I interpret your words as a recognition of you lending me your aid? I am willing to forget any previous disputes between us in order to cooperate on these matters."


    "That might fit you well and all that, but I''m not planning on ''forgetting'' anything. Nor will I ask for forgiveness for doing what I considered necessary," Evelyne said, but then let out a long sigh. "...But right now, if I don''t want our house to fall to ruin, I don''t have much choice but to help you."


    "I do not believe you will regret it, if that abates some of your worries," Scarlett said.


    "That means a lot coming from you."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "I believe it was you who earlier pointed out my inimical conduct."


    Evelyne''s eyes widened. "...That''s true. I''m sorry. Let''s continue onto the main point I wanted to talk about today."


    Scarlett looked at her curiously. "And what was that?"


    "Were you planning on attending the Providing Ceremony in two days?"


    Scarlett frowned. "The Providing Ceremony? I had not given it much thought."


    The Providing Ceremony was an event that was held at the end of the Light Fest, by the Followers of Ittar. She didn''t know much about it because it hadn''t really played a role in the game, but it had come up briefly in her research.


    "I doubt anyone has sent you invites to any banquets or the other gatherings that are going on right now," Evelyne said. "Even most of those who don''t care about what happened are probably going to wait until things calm down before openly interacting with you. But they can''t stop you from attending the Providing Ceremony."


    Scarlett studied Evelyne. "I presume there is a reason you believe I should attend."


    Evelyne nodded. "Right now, rumors about you being arrogant are going to go around no matter what we do," she said, pausing briefly as Scarlett let her expression slip for a moment. "...That''s what they''re going to say in the noble circuits, at least. But what we want to do is stop that from circulating in other circuits. I don''t think many nobles will bother to actively try and undermine a mere barony like ours just because of what you did, but as long as people think they might offend someone by doing business with our house it''ll affect what we can do."


    "And what is it you suggest our response should be?" Scarlett asked.


    Evelyne hesitated for a moment. "It''s a bit blatant, but to start with, if you donate something that is worth a lot during the Providing Ceremony it could help to improve your reputation somewhat. At least among some of the commoners. There will be nobles that think we''re being shameless, but if we can find more Zuverian ruins and other things like you said then we don''t have to care about them. We just have to make sure our house''s reputation doesn''t go any lower than it already has, for now."


    She let out a short, almost derisive, laugh. "Your showing in the Empyreal Chronicle a few weeks ago might even help here."


    Scarlett crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair as she considered Evelyne''s words. "And what would be an appropriate donation, in your opinion?"


    "We can''t afford to donate enough money to make much of a difference, so our best bet would probably be an artifact. Preferably something valuable enough that the priests make a point of publicly acknowledging it during the ceremony. It would almost have to be, to stand out. But...that might be hard."


    "Acknowledge?" Scarlett asked. "Elaborate."


    Evelyne glanced at her. "You''ve forgotten about the Providing Ceremony too?"


    "I recall some details, but I cannot recall the minutiae of what occurs during the event, no."


    The younger woman studied her with an odd face, then spoke. "The Followers are the ones in charge of the offerings to Ittar and the citizens during the ceremony. Everyone is allowed to donate, but they always publicly recognize those who donate the most and record their names in the Hall of Providers. Father''s name is written down there as well."


    The more Scarlett heard about this event, the more it sounded like some kind of charity gala where nobles could spend their money to improve their PR. It did make her wonder what the Followers of Ittar did with all that money. They were the kind of organization where it wouldn''t surprise her if they actually used it to help people, but at the same time, it was entirely possible that they would just use it for their own gain.


    Well, whatever it was, she doubted any of the artifacts she had right now would be worth more than what anyone else would donate. But if she donated both [Moonshadow''s Crown (Epic)] and [Pastoral Glade''s Bulwark (Epic)] she might get a mention, at least. She didn''t have another immediate use for them anyway.


    Although...another thought did cross her mind.


    "There is no other important event tomorrow, is there?" she asked Evelyne.


    Her¡ªinterim¡ªsister nodded. "No. Nothing. But the Providing Ceremony starts at midday in two days, if you''re planning to disappear somewhere again."


    Scarlett did some quick mental arithmetic in her head. She''d already questioned the others in her party regarding the distances to the different dungeon locations she had been thinking of visiting, so she knew roughly how long it would take to reach them. There were a couple that were too far away for her to reach and subsequently return within two days by carriage, so she''d written them off, but...


    Fynn could probably make it in time if he was by himself. She knew he had some crazy stamina. He probably wouldn''t outrun a horse, but he was definitely faster than a carriage. If it was him, he could probably solo the monster in that place without too much of an issue. And if it was about giving the Followers something they considered valuable...well, it was certainly worth a shot. And she always had the other two artifacts if it didn''t pan out.


    She smiled at Evelyne. "What do you know of sacred relics?"

 Interlude - Listen

    The winds parted before Fynn as he raced ahead across an open field, splitting and rallying behind him as he pushed forward, step by step. Every leap flowed fluidly into the next, continuous now for several hours.


    Fynn shifted his head to the side when something entered his senses and he stopped immediately, reining in the trailing winds as they ruffled his hair and clothes.


    He fought back the urge to keep going. To continue and be one with the gale. To heed the words of his ancestors, whispering to him from the ring on his right hand. Shaking his head violently, the impulse slowly faded.


    The elders had always warned him not to fall to inexperience.


    He peered into the forest that was to his left. There was a presence there. It felt exactly like what Miss Scarlett had described. Warm. Pungent. Sharp in his nose.


    She seemed to know the strangest things.


    He started moving again. Without relying on the winds this time. Soon he reached the forest, moving deeper amongst the trees. The smell grew stronger as the trees grew thicker, less of the sun''s light reaching the forest floor here through the treetops. Although Fynn didn''t mind the lack of light.


    As the smell reached its height, the forest opened up into a clearing. Old stone buildings lay strewn about the area, having mostly been overtaken by nature. They reminded him of some of the structures he''d seen in Elystead.


    Turning his head, he looked around. The wind carried traces of humans, but it wasn''t from his immediate surroundings. Miss Scarlett had said the road wasn''t far from here. He didn''t like using it, though.


    He started moving towards the center of the ruins, where there was a crumbling statue with only the lower half remaining. That''s where the smell was at its strongest.


    He didn''t quite understand the reason behind this mission, but Miss Scarlett had explained that it was important. And that he was the only one that could do it. So he hadn''t complained. She had given him the relic of his ancestors. Even though he still wasn''t used to it, the ring had already shown him more than he could have imagined.


    Miss Scarlett was also paying him. She had already given him 100 solars, which he had sent back to the others in Dimfrost as fast as he could. Then she had promised to pay him 300 more if he succeeded with this task, in addition to the 500 he would get monthly. With that, he wouldn''t have to worry any longer.


    To him, Miss Scarlett seemed like a trustworthy person. She was weird, though. He didn''t understand all the things she knew, and while he didn''t want to be rude, some of the things she knew seemed almost impossible to have learned. There was also a hint of falsehood hidden in all her words. Some more than others.


    At first he had been suspicious because of this. He had only accepted her first offer because of the ring. And the money.


    But after a while, he''d caught on that the falseness wasn''t just lies. Instead, it was like Miss Scarlett was always pretending for some reason. The other weird woman was the same.


    He didn''t understand it.


    As he neared the broken statue at the center of the ruins, Fynn scowled and scanned the area with his eyes. This close the smell was making it hard to get a good sense of things.


    Stopping in front of the statue, he examined it more closely. While the upper part was gone, the legs were covered by what was probably supposed to be a robe of some kind, and there were offerings on the ground in front of it, the kind humans around here set up for their sun god sometimes. It seemed this place wasn''t completely abandoned.


    Fynn reached to his shoulder to pull off the magical bag that Miss Scarlett had let him borrow. Glancing at the strange face on the bag''s front for a second, he then opened the flap and pulled out an iron shovel. Walking up close to the statue, he pushed the offerings to the side with his foot. The grass here was fresh, despite things having been lying on top of it for a while. This was also where the smell was coming from.


    He put the shovel to the ground and started digging. It took some time, but a heap of dirt steadily piled up next to him as the hole widened. Finally, a shiny object was exposed under all the dirt. Throwing the shovel aside to the ridge of the hole, he bent down on his knees and started digging out the dirt around the object with his hands. Soon, a gold chalice with bright red gems lining the rim was revealed.


    He dug the rest of the chalice out as he picked it up, leaning it upside down and using his fingers to remove the remaining dirt that was stuck on the inside. Tilting his head to the side, he studied the object, brushing aside some of the dirt stuck to the rim as well.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    What was this doing in a place like this? It looked expensive.


    He knew most people in the empire loved shiny things, so if they had known it was here they would have already taken it. That''s what Miss Scarlett was doing now, after all.


    She had known about the mark of the gale too, and that was supposed to be a secret.


    Fynn didn''t know too much about the empire''s nobles, but he felt that Miss Scarlett was probably special even among them.


    He was curious about these things, but he didn''t think it was likely that she would tell him much even if he asked.


    He threw one last glance at the chalice before standing up and reaching for the magical bag again. Putting the chalice inside of it, he jumped out of the hole and dusted himself off.


    He turned his head to take in his surroundings again. The smell was quickly starting to dissipate now, and with it, the odd presence that had been around this place. But Miss Scarlett warned him of this mission, so he shouldn''t get too relaxed.


    ...But nothing was happening. Even after he had taken the chalice. Had Miss Scarlett been wrong?


    The hairs on his neck rose and his eyes immediately pivoted to a spot in front of the statue. A new presence was forming there. Cold. Resentful. A swirling mass of grey smoke convalesced into the form of a large, floating person. Their body was covered in thick, translucent robes with complicated patterns on them. The figure''s head was covered by a strange, square-looking mask similar to those he had seen some of the empire''s priests wear.


    But those priests never felt this angry.


    The apparition let out a loud shriek, one that he felt all the way down to his bones. It raised an arm, and Fynn immediately leaped to the side as a bright beam of light burst out and slammed into the ground, sending dirt into the air on the spot where he''d been.


    Baring his teeth, Fynn lowered his stance and dashed forward. Swiping his right hand at the figure, he was surprised to find that it just passed right through the apparition''s body, leaving a tingling numb feeling in his fingers.


    He jumped back just in time as another blast of light shot out towards him. The apparition raised both hands and he had to jump back even further to dodge two more attacks.


    This was the first time he had fought something that he couldn''t touch.


    Miss Scarlett had told him that might be the case, though.


    He glanced toward the magical bag as he dodged another bout of attacks.


    She had even lent him one of the weapons they had found in the fairy forest, saying that it might help.


    But he preferred his hands. They were more trustworthy.


    His eyes widened as all of his senses suddenly screamed at him all at the same time. He hastily borrowed from the power of his ancestors to create a burst of wind to leap to the side, but it was a moment too late.


    A burning sensation slammed into his side and he lost his footing as he tumbled to the ground. It didn''t get through his defenses entirely, though. He rushed to stand as he readied for another attack, staring ahead.


    Confusion filled him. The apparition had moved, yet it hadn''t. There were a dozen of them now, surrounding him in a circle, all with their hands raised.


    A blinding light spread across the ruins as they all fired at once.


    It was impossible to dodge this time, but he felt just one burst of light strike his back. With a growl he spun around, trying to determine where the attack had come from.


    He sniffed the air, violently shaking his head. It felt like they were all real. But Miss Scarlett had said it was a trick of the light. Illusions.


    So why did they all have the same presence?


    Another burst of attacks fired off. Once more he tried dodging, but he still felt pain strike his side. This time it had gone through his defense, singeing his clothes.


    Was his head affected? Was this dark magic? Dark magic along with light magic. He didn''t know they could be mixed like this.


    Another blinding set of attacks burst forth, and yet again he couldn''t determine where the real attack was coming from as he was knocked to his knees. He grit his teeth and let out a roar as he pushed himself to his feet, running towards the closest of the figures. Its shape took on a hazy image of itself as his hand passed through it, but he immediately set off toward the next one, staggering through another bout of attacks. The next flickered like the previous one as he reached and slashed out at it.


    He growled as his eyes moved to the other ones. They''d shifted so that they surrounded him again, and their numbers hadn''t changed. As the apparitions prepared another set of attacks, he raised his right hand.


    With a howl, he tapped deeper into the power of the ring on his finger and felt the instincts rush into him. The air around him swelled as blades of wind formed, gushing out from him in rough clusters.


    When the blades struck the illusions they became hazy images like before, and Fynn''s eyes instantly locked onto the only one that was different. Borrowing even more power, he shot out at the apparition and reached it in less than a breath. His first strike passed through it, but there was no haziness now, and the numbness was back.


    The apparition fired another attack that hit the side of Fynn''s face, singeing his hair, but he ignored it and slashed out again. And again. And again.


    His hands kept passing through it without any effect, but he continued, fighting through all its attacks. He felt how the winds surged up around them. How the whispers spoke to him.


    And he listened. He listened and shaped power¡ªhis power¡ªas the whispers said, enveloping it around his hands like claws that tore through the apparition''s body. And where they did, the apparition didn''t immediately reform.


    It tried to launch another attack at him, but this time he slashed out towards its arm and sliced it off. The anger exuded from the apparition intensified, but Fynn didn''t care a bit about that as he tore into the being. Shreds of it disappeared with every blow, and within moments almost all traces of it were gone. He gathered even more power into his fist as he reached out for what remained of its lingering presence, clasping it tight and squeezing it into nothingness as a wailing scream echoed out across the ruins.


    Then there was silence. Fynn stood there, completely motionless. Listening.


    It is still early, the whispers told him. Too early, they said.


    But soon, they muttered as he breathed out deeply, taking in his still surroundings.


    Soon the gale will howl again.

 Chapter 58 - New faces

    Scarlett was in the mansion''s foyer along with the others, getting herself ready to leave. Today was the end of the Light Fest, and when the Providing Ceremony was held.


    Soon, Evelyne came walking down the stairs, stopping in front of Scarlett as she sent an evaluating look at the others behind her. "You''re bringing all of them with you?"


    Scarlett looked back at them as well. "That was my intent, yes. Is there an issue with that?"


    Evelyne gave her a skeptical look. "I don''t think that''s a good idea. People generally don''t bring a large entourage today. Considering what happened during the Elysian Proclamation, I think bringing all of them would just cause even more rumors right now."


    Scarlett''s eyes passed over her retinue, one by one. They all wore what she presumed was their fine wear, after she had told them it was fine. Rosa, especially, looked ready to enjoy herself, dressed in a flowing purple dress with the end of her long, wavy hair tied into a braid that hung over her right shoulder. Her hurdy-gurdy-esque instrument was in her hands, leaning over her other shoulder.


    Shin and Allyssa also wore decently fine clothing.


    Fynn was the only one that wasn''t there. He''d returned from the job Scarlett sent him on a few hours earlier, and he didn''t seem to have any real interest in today''s events, so she had let him rest for the day. He had also looked more beat up than she had expected, so that was probably for the best. Of course, she''d also had Rosa use some of her healing magic on him.


    "I suppose we can leave them in the common section." It was highly unlikely that she would need much defending today. "But I believe one of you should remain with me, nonetheless."


    "I can do that," Allyssa volunteered, glancing at Shin and Rosa. "You two can enjoy yourselves, and I''ll stay with her for the day."


    Shin raised a brow at her. "You sure?"


    "Yeah, it''ll be fine. You can go and buy some boring books or something from the stalls. Maybe go and pay Maggie and the others a visit."


    He looked at her for a second, then nodded his head. "If you say so."


    Looking at the exchange between the two, Rosa turned to Scarlett with a smile. "I certainly won''t complain. I''ve been itching to find a nice crowd the last couple days. The tail end of the Light Fest is a prime opportunity to let loose and give my admirers a nice little spectacle."


    "Then it is decided," Scarlett said, turning to Evelyne. "Was there anything more you wished to say before we make our leave?"


    The younger woman appeared to hesitate for a second, before leaning forward as she spoke in a lower voice. "You remember everything we talked about, right?"


    Scarlett gave a sure nod. "I do."


    "...And you''re not going to do anything random, are you?" Evelyne looked her in the eyes. "There''s nothing you haven''t told me about for today?"


    Scarlett met her gaze. "I will not. And no, there is not. We both agreed on what the correct course of action is today, and I will act in accordance with that."


    Evelyne''s eyes lingered on her for a moment, then she lowered them. "Yes. You''re right."


    The both of them had spent quite some time the day before, going through the details of the Providing Ceremony and what it entailed, making sure that Scarlett was filled in on what she was unsure of or didn''t know about. They had also settled on what Scarlett should try to achieve today, and which people she should try to avoid speaking to right now.


    It was somewhat unfortunate that Scarlett, as the head of the house, had to handle most of the more important matters solely by virtue of her position. Otherwise, Evelyne herself could probably have done more to directly help.


    Although, that might not have been possible anyway. Evelyne apparently had a figurative mountain of work that had to be completed at the moment¡ªsome of which had been delayed because of the last couple of days'' events¡ªso she didn''t actually have the time to join today''s Providing Ceremony.


    Which meant it was all up to Scarlett.


    Evelyne took a step back, looking over Scarlett and her group one last time. "Then I hope everything goes well."


    "It will," Scarlett said with a confidence she wasn''t entirely certain about. She then turned around, pulling off the [Pouch of Holding] she had at her side and holding it out to Allyssa. "You will be carrying this. Ensure that nothing happens to it."


    She had removed some of the more important things from it, but today''s offering was still there.


    The young Shielder received the pouch with only a slightly confused expression, then their group left the mansion.


    As they walked down the stone path to the gates of the mansion where the carriage awaited, Rosa shot Scarlett a curious look. "What was that I heard about the Elysian Proclamation? Did something interesting happen? I don''t want to brag, but I''ve been to a fancy occasion or two, but never something quite like that."


    Scarlett glanced at the woman, then continued walking. "There was nothing of real note," she said, a bit more curtly than she intended.


    "Is that so?" the bard hummed. "Shame. Sounds like a waste of a venue."


    "You''re talking like it''s a concert," Allyssa said. "It''s the Elysian Proclamation. All of the nobles and the imperial family are there."


    Rosa looked at the younger woman with a grin. "Why couldn''t it be a concert? I reckon I could get a few oh-so noble backsides moving with excitement if I wanted."


    She waved her hand in Scarlett''s direction. "Ah, of course, you''re free to dance along too if you want."


    Scarlett shook her head as she stepped towards the carriage. "Perhaps it is best if you save your breath for your upcoming performance."


    Rosa smiled. "It''s fine. I never get out of breath," she said as they all climbed into the vehicle.


    "Have you considered my proposal?" Scarlett asked as the view of the busy streets of the Petal District passed by outside the carriage window.


    "Ah, you mean that about the alchemy?" Allyssa turned to look at her with a look of slight surprise.


    Scarlett nodded.


    The two of them were the only ones left in the carriage. They had left Shin and Rosa in another part of the district, where the majority of people celebrating today were. The section Scarlett and Allyssa were in right now was mostly where the more well-off gathered for the event. There were, among other things, a lot more gardens and expensive-looking buildings in this part.


    "I have," Allyssa said after a while. "And it''s not like I have anything against the idea, but..." she trailed off.


    Scarlett had mentioned it to her a few times during the last few days, but they hadn''t reached an agreement regarding it yet.


    "You are hesitant to accept?"


    Allyssa shrugged her shoulders. "I haven''t done anything like that before. I don''t know if I could."


    "You would not be expected to bear the cost of materials, and you would be amply remunerated. I also do not expect you to do more than you are capable of, so there would be no cause to fret over such things. It would also allow you many opportunities to work with rare ingredients in the future."


    "That does sound nice," Allyssa said. "But...would you give me some more time to think about it?"


    "Of course," Scarlett said, turning her attention back outside. "Take however much time you require."


    Eventually, their carriage reached an open area where there was a lot of traffic passing through. The carriage stopped at the side of the road, where Scarlett and Allyssa exited the vehicle. The coachman then drove off after a brief exchange. He would return here later in the day to pick them up again.


    Scarlett looked around. This area of the Petal District was like a large square, which seemed to have been repurposed almost as some kind of staging area for carriages and wagons for today. A pair of carts not too far from them were off-loading crates that were filled with different sorts of decorations for the festival.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Six streets connected to the square, but three of them were closed off for vehicles at the moment. Large goalposts of wood had been set up at the entrances of the streets, bedecked in gold coloring and paper suns that hung down from strings. It was similar to what had been present around much of the city during the whole week, though there did seem to be even more of the decorations present today. More like them hung from almost every single building continuing down those streets. Among the people walking there, Scarlett also spotted several priests from the Followers of Ittar, with their iconic helmets and robes.


    "Come," she told Allyssa, beginning to move towards the middle of the roads. Evelyne had told her that the Providing Ceremony itself was held at an even larger square that was an intersection between the different district sections, but the event was still some time away so they had another destination at the moment.


    Soon they were walking down the middle street, keeping to the side of the road where there was less traffic. There was still a decent number of people here, despite this being where primarily the more wealthy gathered. Scarlett mostly kept her eyes on the passing houses and some of the smaller gardens around here as they moved.


    "This doesn''t really feel all that different from how the celebrations are in the common section," Allyssa said, looking at two kids who were buying some kind of fruit sweets from a stand along with their mother. "Although it is nice actually being able to move without walking into people."


    "I imagine it would be."


    "Where are we heading right now?" the Shielder asked.


    "To Hamet Garden," Scarlett answered.


    Apparently, that was a common place for some of the more connected and influential people to gather today.


    "Oh, I''ve been there a couple of times before. It''s not usually open to the public though."


    "Is that so," Scarlett hummed, putting that piece of information to the side in her head. "Did you perhaps visit it with your father?"


    "No." Allyssa shook her head, a melancholic look on her face. "It was with my mother, actually. She used to love gardens, so we often visited the Petal District."


    "I believe you told me she was the one who taught you alchemy, if I recall correctly."


    "Yes, but I was still pretty young back then. I don''t actually remember too much of what she taught me, or my visits with her."


    "Then this would be an opportunity for you to explore it once more, would it not?"


    Allyssa smiled awkwardly. "I''ve still got to perform my job as a member of the Shields Guild."


    Scarlett shook her head. "While I did ask you to accompany me, there will not be much for you to do today. It would be enough if you merely remain in the vicinity, so if you wish, you may explore some by yourself later. I have business that I need to attend to, that I suspect would only be uncomfortable for you."


    "Uncomfortable?"


    "Yes, in consideration of the fact that even I do not enjoy the thought of doing it."


    Allyssa went quiet for a moment. "I don''t know if anyone has told you this before...but you''re pretty nice, aren''t you?"


    Scarlett looked at her with slight surprise, before turning her head away and looking forward. "...No, that is not a descriptor people commonly ascribe to me. And for good reason, I would argue."


    She had done her fair share of selfish and stupid things. Just because she tried to be nice sometimes didn''t mean she would call herself a nice person.


    "I merely endeavor to consider the circumstances of others on occasion, when it does not require any particular sacrifice on my part," she said. "That, in itself, does not constitute me as ''nice'', if I am to share my opinion on the matter."


    "But isn''t that what being nice is?" Allyssa asked.


    "No. That is simply common decency."


    She heard the Shielder let out a small laugh beside her at that, as they lapsed into silence and continued down the busy street.


    Scarlett knew roughly where to go, and soon enough they reached a sectioned-off area surrounded by thick hedges that blocked the view inside. The only thing that could be seen from the outside was the top of a large stone manor that appeared to be situated at the far end of this area.


    This was the Hamet Garden.


    The entrance near them had two guards next to it, but they seemed to let most people pass without issue, even though they did keep a watchful eye on those that entered. Scarlett and Allyssa walked through without any fuss and were met with an impressive sight.


    The garden was sectioned into several different parts, each large enough that it could be considered a garden of its own, and having different kinds of flowers and architectural arrangements. All of the paths were also neatly organized into nice rows and patterns, with several beautiful fountains and statues spread out around the sections as well.


    While Rosalind''s Garden in Dawnlight Palace was incredibly impressive in its own way, this place was both larger and felt more like a real garden; the kind one might have expected to see near late medieval or renaissance palaces back in Scarlett''s world.


    Where they had entered they were given a decent view of the whole place, but soon they started walking down a short set of stairs and onto a gravel path that led towards the center of the garden, where there was a large fountain with a lot of people gathered near it. According to Evelyne, that was where most of the important people usually gathered at this time.


    Scarlett glanced to the side, noticing that Allyssa seemed completely immersed in taking in the sights around them, appearing especially intrigued by some of the more exotic examples of flora that they passed by.


    "You may leave and explore on your own now, if you so wish," Scarlett said.


    Allyssa seemed to be pulled out of her stupor, turning to Scarlett with a slightly flustered face. Then she looked around, as if considering it. "I might do that then," she said, turning to look forward towards the fountain at the center of the garden. "Is that where you''re going to be?"


    "Indeed," Scarlett answered. "I will remain there for some time, so there is no need to stress."


    "Ah, then I''ll...be off?" Allyssa said slowly. Scarlett gave her a nod in confirmation, and she soon veered off on one of the smaller paths that led to another part of the garden.


    Continuing forward by herself, Scarlett soon reached the fountain. There were dozens of different groups gathered here, all dressed a bit fancier than your usual commoner. They didn''t all look like nobles, though. At least if she were to judge from what she had seen during the Elysian Proclamation.


    There were small tables that had been set up to the sides, with appetizers and drinks on them, but Scarlett mostly ignored those as she scanned across the groups of people. Evelyne had given her the names of several people whom she should try striking up some conversations with during the day, but as Scarlett only had descriptions to go off, it was going to be a bit tiresome identifying people. She knew that most of them were merchants, though, with a few mages and other individuals lumped in as well. Evelyne had recommended avoiding most nobles for the time being.


    Her head stopped as her eyes landed on a particular figure. A man wearing a set of red robes with light gold emblazoning on the sleeves, similar to what some of the lower priests in the Followers of Ittar wore. Unlike most of the Followers'' priests though, he wasn''t wearing a mask. He had handsome features and bright blond hair that was tied back in a ponytail, a smile on his face as he spoke with a small group of people beside him.


    Although this wasn''t the graphics in a game anymore, Scarlett had no difficulty recognizing the man as Raimond Abram. A member of the Followers of Ittar and¡ªif Scarlett''s memory didn''t fail her¡ªone of the deacons that were part of the Quorum that made many of the church''s decisions.


    She started walking in his direction. She would have to interact with him at some point eventually, so now was as good a time as any to introduce herself. It would also be good to make sure he knew her name, before she presented her offering later in the day.


    As she got closer, one of the people that Raimond was talking to suddenly turned to look at her with a shocked expression.


    "Scarlett?" the woman exclaimed, causing the others in the group to turn around as well.


    Scarlett stared at her. She was short, had long brown hair, and wore glasses.


    "Ah, I''m sorry Ray. I didn''t mean to interrupt you. I was just surprised," the woman said, looking at Raimond.


    "There''s no issue at all, Miss Livvi." Raimond smiled back at her. "Why don''t you introduce this fine lady? Is she perhaps a friend of yours?" he asked, looking at Scarlett.


    "Ah, yes she is. We have known each other since we were young," the woman¡ªLivvi, apparently¡ªsaid. Her eyes turned to Scarlett. "But I wasn''t expecting you to be here today."


    "...Nor I you," Scarlett said slowly. She had no idea who this woman was supposed to be, but she had yet to meet many people that referred to her with her first name like this.


    "I just arrived here in Elystead yesterday," Livvi said. "I''ve been busy with Guild matters for some time, but father had been pestering me about making at least one appearance."


    Her eyes then widened, and she looked at the others. "Oh, I''m sorry. I forgot to introduce her. This is Scarlett Hartford, Baroness of Stagmond."


    "And this is Monika Melton, daughter of the head of the Whiteley Trade Guild." She looked back at Scarlett and gestured to a woman with short black hair in a blue dress. She then gestured towards a man in a green overcoat with light brown hair. "He is Derik Thorp. My colleague from the Shields Guild." Lastly, she pointed at Raimond. "And this is Ray Abraham."


    "Greetings, Baroness."


    "Nice to meet you."


    The man and woman gave short greetings. Raimond¡ªor ''Ray''¡ªhowever, lowered his body in a graceful bow. "I see that Miss Livvi''s friends are just as fair as she is. It is a delight to become acquainted with you, Baroness. Yours is a name I have heard before."


    Scarlett studied the man closely. "I believe I recall having heard your name at some point as well."


    He gave her a bashful smile. "While it would gladden my heart to hear it from the lips of a fine lady such as you, I''m afraid my name is not that noteworthy. You are probably thinking of someone else."


    "Is that so?" Scarlett said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Perhaps I was mistaken then."


    Raimond had been like that in the game as well. Often going around under an alias and pretending like he wasn''t anybody special.


    "I wouldn''t think you would attend the Providing Ceremony, Scarlett," Livvi suddenly said.


    Scarlett turned to look at the woman. Surprisingly, being referred to by her first name didn''t really cause any annoyance on her part. Even though she had allowed it from Kat and the others, it had always irked the Scarlett part of her at least a little bit. Was there something special about this lady?


    "I suppose one could say that recent events called for it," Scarlett said after a moment. "And an occasion such as this does not occur often. I believed it to be a good opportunity to present a certain item of value that I recently came upon. One that the Followers will greatly appreciate."


    She saw Livvi''s eyes narrow ever-so-slightly at her words, as if the woman wasn''t entirely sure how to interpret them. Scarlett ignored it, instead turning to Raimond. "You were a priest, were you not? Are you perhaps involved in today''s ceremony?"


    He let out a low chuckle as he gently shook his head. "I''m afraid not. Were it so, I would likely not be here right now. Important rituals such as these are usually left to more experienced members of the clergy."


    "If so, what is it that you customarily do?"


    "Oh, I do all kinds of things," he answered with a dashing smile. "But nothing terribly impressive. In the end, I''m just a humble servant of Ittar."


    "I see. How very pious of you," Scarlett said. Not that it was much of an answer.


    "If you wish to know more about the duties of a traveling priest such as I, then I''m sure we can discuss it at some other time and I can go further in-depth."


    "Yes, perhaps if you were ever to visit Freybrook you could visit my residence. I will ensure that you are suitably welcomed."


    "Ah, nothing would gladden me more," Raimond said with another bow.


    "I will leave you to your previous conversation once more," Scarlett said as she looked around and spotted a person that seemed to fit one of the descriptions Evelyne had given her. "It was a pleasure exchanging greetings with all of you, but I have prior matters to deal with at present."


    Although it was sudden, the others gave her short farewells as she walked away from their group. She then schooled her expression and tried to enter her best impression of business mode.


    She had a lot of boring conversations to get through.

 Chapter 59 - The two princesses

    After having excused herself from Raimond Abram and the others, Scarlett had mingled with several of the other groups here. None of the conversations she got into were particularly interesting¡ªmostly just basic introductions and her inquiring about and mentioning some potential business ventures Evelyne had asked her to speak about¡ªand she only stayed with one group just long enough that it wouldn''t seem completely rude to leave, but she had still probably been at it for well over an hour before determining that it was enough, right about when some of the people had started leaving the garden.


    It was a bit earlier than she had originally expected¡ªshe was pretty sure there was a decent amount of time left until the ceremony itself¡ªand Allyssa hadn''t returned yet, but that didn''t matter much. If she were to guess the young Shielder would probably come looking for her soon enough, but, as there was enough time, Scarlett didn''t mind exploring the garden some more to find the girl herself.


    Her eyes passed over the remaining crowds as she double-checked Allyssa wasn''t nearby and had just gotten pulled into a conversation somehow. Although there were a lot fewer nobles here than for the Elysian Proclamation, there were still several faces she recognized from there. She wasn''t here anymore, but earlier Scarlett had also seen Princess Regina moving around for a time. She was the only member of the imperial family that Scarlett had spotted though, and the young princess had only interacted with some of the upper-crust nobles that had hung out at the other edge of the fountain.


    Not finding any traces of Allyssa, Scarlett was just about to step onto a smaller gravel path that led away from the center area when she heard a voice calling out to her.


    "Scarlett."


    She turned around to see the woman with glasses from earlier¡ªLivvi¡ªwalking up to her with hurried steps.


    "Yes. Was there something you wanted?"


    Livvi stopped in front of Scarlett, seemingly taking a second to regain her breath. "What''s with you today?" she asked with a slight frown. Then she shook her head. "No, never mind. I just wanted to ask if everything was okay."


    Scarlett gave the woman a long look. "Okay?"


    "Yes," Livvi said with a sure nod. "I''ve been busy for some time now, so I don''t know the latest of what has been transpiring here in the capital, but I have the feeling that something happened. And yesterday when I spoke with my father he seemed annoyed at you for some reason. More than usual, that is. What did you do?"


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. That might have meant more if she knew who this woman''s father was.


    "There was an incident during the Proclamation ceremony," she said. "I believe some may have taken offense to a few of the words I spoke. It is nothing I am not taking measures to deal with."


    "Words?" Livvi furrowed her forehead in what looked like minor confusion, but soon relaxed. "As long as everything is all right. How is Evelyne?"


    This woman knew Evelyne closely as well? Was it because she and the original had apparently been ''friends'' since young?


    "...She is quite busy at present. I believe the last few days have worn her down somewhat, but I am certain she will recover. In general, she appears to be largely fine."


    Livvi grew a surprised expression. "R-Really? I wouldn''t have thought you to¡ª" she paused in the middle of her sentence, turning her eyes downward. "Never mind. Send her my regards, if you could. I hope she manages to get some rest if she needs it."


    They lapsed into silence.


    "Was there anything else?" Scarlett asked after a while.


    "Ah, no. That was all," Livvi said and looked up. "I had been planning on paying a short visit now that you''re here in the capital, but if you''re that busy perhaps now isn''t a good time."


    "No, now would probably not be a suitable time."


    "Perhaps I''ll visit next time I am back in Freybrook, then. But I won''t keep you any longer. It was nice seeing you again, after so long."


    "...Yes. You as well," Scarlett said as Livvi turned around and left. Scarlett kept her eyes on the woman''s back as she walked off.


    She was surprisingly...pleasant, for someone who was supposedly a friend of the original.


    It might have been a bit prejudiced of her, but Scarlett had assumed that all of the original''s friends were the kind of one-dimensional stuck-up aristocrats that were commonly depicted as villains in stories.


    Although, considering the original''s personality, it was entirely possible that Livvi''s ''friendship'' was one-sided. Or that Livvi just said they were friends to fit the situation.


    Watching the woman for a moment longer, Scarlett eventually turned around and started walking away herself. She could ask Evelyne more about who Livvi was when she got back.


    She followed the gravel path into another section, one that looked a lot like a hedge maze. This was the part of the garden one had the least visibility into from the center, so she figured there was a decent chance Allyssa was here considering she hadn''t seen her in any of the other sections.


    The hedges themselves were too tall to see above them, but as she walked closer she realized they weren''t actually arranged in a maze pattern. Instead, there were several long paths winding straight through the ''maze'', with small mini-gardens here and there, half closed-off by the surrounding shrubbery. Scarlett spent about ten minutes strolling around there, then she heard a familiar voice from close by.


    Continuing around a corner and down one of the paths, Scarlett stopped to peek through an opening to her right, into a small space with a circular bed of flowers at its center. Two figures sat hunched over before the flowers, with their backs turned towards her.


    The smaller of the two figures sat to the left and looked to be a young girl wearing a white dress and what looked almost like a bleached coif over her head. Part of the girl''s bright golden hair hung over her shoulder in a long braid, however, and Scarlett felt that the girl seemed familiar.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "¡ªused to mitigate the symptoms from certain poisonous berries. And this one is called Aecolla," the other figure''s voice rang out, whom Scarlett easily recognized as Allyssa. The young Shielder pointed to a flower with yellow, diamond-shaped leaves. "Its stems are good for creating some solvents. It''s pretty rare though, so you don''t see it blooming like this often."


    The young girl slowly nodded her head at the words, pointing to another flower. This one looked a lot like a forget-me-not, if you had increased its size by five times and added thorns on its stalks.


    "That''s a Dawn Swinie. They only grow where there''s a lot of sunlight, and they''re great for relieving pain. Just touching the thin bristles on the back of the leaves numbs you a bit."


    As Scarlett took a few steps closer, Allyssa suddenly turned her head around towards her. "Oh, Sca-I mean...Baroness." She stood up, dusting off her legs with her hands. "Sorry. Did I take too long?"


    Scarlett''s eyes turned to the girl next to Allyssa. "No, it is quite all right. There is still ample time." She froze for a brief moment when the girl turned around. "Greetings to the second star of the Empire, Her Imperial Highness." She went down into a curtsy. "I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford."


    The girl looked on with an expressionless face, even as Scarlett saw Allyssa''s eyes widen in panic.


    "H-Highness?!"


    Had Allyssa been accompanying one of the empire''s princesses all this time, without even realizing it? And why was the youngest princess even by herself in a place like this?


    The princess grabbed the hem of her dress, wordlessly returning the curtsy.


    Scarlett threw a short look towards Allyssa. "I apologize on the behalf of my retainer. It appears she was unaware of Your Highness''s identity. While she had an amiable disposition, I hope she has not caused you any offense?"


    The princess glanced at the shocked Allyssa for a second, then shook her head.


    "No."


    "I am glad."


    Silence fell around them. Allyssa looked unsure what to say, and the princess didn''t show much reaction either. Scarlett''s eyes rested on the young girl.


    ...For some reason, the princess reminded her of her own sister at that age. Back from her world. Despite the two of them not bearing any direct similarities, as far as she could tell.


    "May I ask what Your Highness is doing here by yourself?" Scarlett eventually asked, wanting to break the awkward silence. She wasn''t really certain about what to do in this whole situation either. Should she just excuse herself and Allyssa?


    The princess stared at her. "I''m not alone," she said.


    Scarlett looked between Allyssa and the princess. That wasn''t exactly what she had meant with ''alone''.


    "...Ger," the princess mumbled.


    Scarlett held her breath as a new figure rose up above the hedge to her left, towering over even the bush that was two heads taller than Scarlett. The figure wore a white helmet with gold inlays and a miniature figure of a dragon on top of it, with the handle of a sword showing behind the shoulder.


    The knight¡ªHoldger ''The Mammoth''¡ªstayed completely silent, simply standing there.


    "...I see," she said slowly as she stared at the giant of a man. She had not been expecting one of the Royal Guard to be hiding there. "It appears I was mistaken. Then are you perhaps partaking in the Providing Ceremony as well, Your Highness?"


    The princess nodded. "Yes."


    Scarlett''s gaze lingered on Holdger for a moment longer, before shifting to the flowerbed behind Allyssa and the princess. "I was intending to begin relocating to the site and meant to find Miss Astrey before that. I will admit that I was surprised to discover you here as well, Your Highness. Are you perhaps fond of flowers?"


    The princess turned back to look at the flowerbed, then shook her head. "No."


    "There is nothing wrong with having interests. Especially burgeoning ones," Scarlett said, studying the young girl. If she were to guess, the princess was probably around ten or eleven years old. Her own sister had been pretty...outspoken, in general, at that age¡ªespecially towards her¡ªbut it wasn''t too unusual for kids that age to be uncomfortable around adults they didn''t know. It wouldn''t surprise her if that went double among some nobles.


    "Although if you simply wished to eschew the gatherings, I can understand that as well," she added.


    The princess was quiet for a short while, then looked towards Allyssa. "...It was interesting hearing her talk."


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Is that so. I am sure that gladdens her to hear."


    Allyssa grew a flustered expression. "Ah, yes. Well, ehm...thank you, Your Highness."


    A moment later, Scarlett heard steps on gravel approaching from behind. Turning around, she saw Princess Regina appear at the entrance, wearing a set of black and gold clothing with burgundy pants.


    "So it was true that you were here, Hilde," Regina said as she entered the enclosed space. Her escort, Leandra ''The Swift'', stopped next to the entrance with a neutral expression on her face.


    "And we meet again, Baroness," Regina said as she looked at Scarlett, who responded with a curtsy.


    "Greetings to the star of the Empire, her Imperial Highness."


    The princess nodded in return. "I would not have expected to find you here with my sister, Baroness."


    "I happened upon Her Highness in search of my retainer, Miss Astrey," Scarlett said, gesturing to Allyssa. The young Shielder looked a little overwhelmed now that there were two princesses here.


    Regina walked over to the second princess, stopping next to her. She glanced down at the flowers. "Have you been enjoying the flowers, Hilde?"


    The younger princess suddenly showed a small smile, shaking her head. "No, I was simply exploring. I didn''t want to get in your way when you were talking to the others."


    Scarlett blinked at the stark difference between the young girl now, and just a minute earlier.


    "Next time, inform me if you''re leaving. It worries me when you suddenly disappear," Regina said.


    "Okay, sister," the second princess said with a nod.


    The first princess looked at her younger sister for a second. "And if you want to explore, we can always visit again later. We still have duties to uphold."


    The smile on the second princess'' face stilled for a brief moment, but it soon returned. "I''m sorry, sister. It was my fault. I won''t do it next time."


    "I''m not berating you, Hilde. Just reminding you that father has expectations of us today." Regina went quiet, looking back at the flowers. "...If you wish, we can visit mother together again later today, after the ceremony has finished."


    Scarlett watched on silently as the two sisters interacted, not feeling like she really belonged. There was a clear distance between these two, one that was quite familiar to her.


    "No, it''s fine," the second princess said.


    "...Very well." Regina turned back to Scarlett. "We will be leaving now, although I presume we will be seeing each other again during the ceremony."


    "That we will, Your Highness," Scarlett said.


    Regina looked at Allyssa as well, and gave her a slight nod before she started walking. The second princess curtsied at Scarlett once again, and at Allyssa. "Farewell Baroness, and...Miss Astrey," she said, then started following her sister. As she passed her by, Scarlett spoke.


    "Your Highness," she said gently, not quite sure why she was bothering involving herself with others'' matters. The young girl stopped momentarily. "I do not wish to overstep my bounds, but I believe that sometimes, it is okay to complain. One does not always have to be satisfied."


    The young princess stared at her with an undecipherable look, and Regina also looked pretty surprised. But soon enough they started moving again, with the two Royal Guards disappearing along with them, leaving Scarlett and Allyssa by themselves.


    "...We just met the princesses," Allyssa muttered to herself after a while.


    "Not a common occurrence, no," Scarlett said.


    "Are you kidding me?!"


    Scarlett turned to her, eyebrow raised.


    Allyssa grimaced. "S-Sorry. It''s just...I never thought I''d meet them, of all people."


    "Understandable. I suppose I might have reacted in a similar manner, had I realized I had unwittingly been speaking with a princess. It must have been quite an experience."


    "That''s one way to describe it. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I would meet the second princess like that." Allyssa''s eyes turned to the entrance where the others had left. She was silent for a moment. "But...Don''t you think she looked a bit sad?"


    "...It is not our place to speculate on matters of the imperial family," Scarlett said slowly.


    And maybe she could just ignore the fact that her last words to them had basically been doing just that.

 Chapter 60 - Providing

    After leaving Hamet Garden behind, Scarlett and Allyssa began making their way to where the Providing Ceremony was held. It didn''t take them much longer than ten minutes.


    The space that it was being held in was a massive square, surrounded on all sides by lines of yellow-leafed trees that separated the square from the nearby buildings. Several roads ushered people into the square from all directions, with large crowds already waiting in the mostly-full space. If Scarlett were to guess, there were probably at least a couple of thousand people here.


    The street they had been following from Hamet Garden led into an area of the square that was cordoned off with wooden fences, and mostly only appeared to house those that were more well-off. A decent amount of people were gathered in this section as well, but it was nowhere near the rest of the square. It was also clear that not all of the nobles who had attended the Elysian Proclamation attended this event.


    A large raised platform of smooth white stone stood at the center of the square. On the platform stood several figures, all wearing the elaborate gold-emblazoned red robes distinctive to the full priests of the Followers of Ittar. None of their faces were visible, covered by those strange golden masks that were perhaps best described as an odd octagon of two overlayed squares. Scarlett was pretty sure it was supposed to represent the sun, though that wasn''t the first thing she thought of when seeing them.


    Situating themselves in an empty spot close to the edge of their section, Scarlett and Allyssa waited for things to begin. After some time, one of the priests stepped over to the center of the stage. Unlike the other priests, this priest''s robes also had two silver vestments hanging over his shoulders. As they raised their arms, a lot of the noise and chatter around the square quieted down.


    "Revered citizens of our glorious empire," their voice rang out, somehow resounding out across the whole square. It was a man''s deep voice, and Scarlett could almost feel the reverberations down to her bone. "The end of this auspicious festival is nearing, but there still remains time."


    The priest gave a brief pause, as if waiting for his words to sink in and everybody in the crowd settle.


    "Many of you have endured much through the year. This period is not simply a commemoration of the resplendent glory of Ittar''s light that has been generously bestowed upon us all, but also to celebrate the labor performed by his beloved children. The blood and sweat that has been shed, whose fruits will soon be reaped, providing for us, as Ittar bears his rest."


    The priest continuously rotated as he talked, peering out across all of the people gathered around the center platform.


    "We, the Followers of Ittar and conduits to his will, shall as ever provide our aid during these times. To those destitute and starving, as well as to those in need of Ittar''s grace. This is part of our sacred duty, as it has been since the birth of this brilliant empire. A duty that we have always allowed those most devoted of Ittar''s children to partake in."


    He gestured to one of the other priests, who pulled out a large scroll from their robe, before walking forward and handing it to him. It seemed the priest who was speaking was the head priest for this event.


    "There are yet many efforts shepherded by us followers of the resplendent sun. The renewal of the damage wrought by the blaze-damned dragon of devastation in the Blasted Lands continues to this day, as does the relief given to those affected by the drought in the southeastern regions of the empire the previous year. Blessedly, as in preceding years, there are many in this empire who care for their fellow man and woman, who willingly choose to aid in providing for those who themselves cannot. As is praxis, all of you shall bear witness to these individuals'' selfless displays."


    The head priest opened the long scroll, which unfurled far enough to reach the white stone of the platform he was on. "First amongst those of the providers, carrying on the hallowed charge of their great forefathers and Ittar''s chosen lights, is the offering bestowed upon us by the crown!" he announced with vigor. "All defer yourselves before Her Imperial Highness Hilde Priscilla Verddun Teronia, the second star of the Empire!"


    Scarlett saw how the crowds of people gathered in the square began lowering their heads following the man''s words, and she did the same. Normally, this probably wouldn''t have been considered enough when it came to showing deference to the imperial family, but considering how the people outside of the VIP section were packed tight like sardines, they probably made exceptions for this event.


    A few seconds later, as people started raising their heads again, Scarlett noticed a short figure in a white dress nearing the platform with the priests on it. The second princess was carrying a small gold chest in her hands, climbing up a set of stairs until she stopped before the head priest.


    It was impossible to make out any details at the distance they were at, so Scarlett couldn''t tell much of what the princess was doing, but she did feel that it was a bit harsh forcing such a young girl up on a stage in front of these many people.


    Of course, being a princess, she might actually be used to it. Scarlett had only met her briefly, so she couldn''t really say too much on the matter. And she wasn''t one to often care too much about people unrelated to her.


    ...Still, this one did irk her somewhat.


    The other priest, the one who had given the head priest the scroll, stepped closer to the princess to receive the golden chest in her hands.


    "From the chosen light of the Empire, a gift of twenty million solars!" the head priest announced. "As is due, Her Highness'' name will be recorded in the Hall of Providers along with her ancestors."


    Scarlett almost did a double-take at the amount of money donated. She had not been expecting sums like that to be on the table. That wasn''t something she could beat, no matter what she did. Evelyne had warned her some of the donations were pretty massive, though. And maybe that''s what one would expect from the imperial family, considering they were one of the most powerful families in this world. Twenty million probably wasn''t too much, by their standards.


    The second princess soon left the platform, returning to a section of the cordoned-off area where there were two decorated chairs set up, and a number of Solar Knights standing guard. Regina was there too, as well as the two members of the Royal Guard that had been with the two princesses earlier in the garden.


    "Continuing down the list of providers, in the order in which they were entered, next is Countess Morley of Chillburg!" the head priest''s voice sounded out once more.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    This time a woman looking to be somewhere in her thirties climbed onto the platform, holding an odd-shaped helmet with clear green patterns across the face. It looked somewhat like a beetle head. The same priest as earlier stepped forward to receive it.


    "She presents an old heirloom hailing from Zovivios as her offering," the head priest declared and looked toward his fellow priest. The other priest appeared to study the helmet for a few seconds, before turning to the head priest and saying something that couldn''t be heard.


    "An artifact, it appears!" the priests soon announced. "And estimated at a worth of no less than two hundred thousand solars! A worthy offering for a citizen of the empire!"


    Scarlett arched a brow. Two hundred thousand, just for one artifact? That had to be a pretty powerful item. Maybe even considered legendary-tier in the game. She wasn''t sure if [Moonshadow''s Crown (Epic)] and [Pastoral Glade''s Bulwark (Epic)] would have been able to beat that, if she had decided to go with those as her offerings. And it still didn''t seem to be enough to be considered for the Hall of Providers.


    ...It had been a good choice on her part to not aim for the monetary value today.


    The head priest continued down the list of ''providers'', most of which appeared to be either nobles or rich merchants of some kind. A lot of them just offered money straight out, mostly ranging anywhere from fifty thousand solars to one million. There were still a decent amount of magical items and artifacts though, all of which seemed to be appraised on the spot by the second priest who had to be some kind of appraisal expert.


    Scarlett couldn''t quite figure out how they determined what was considered worthy enough to let you be ''recorded in the Hall of Providers'', though. One count had given nine hundred thousand solars, which was the lowest amount she observed being considered enough when it came to pure cash. But there was one merchant that had gifted an assortment of magical items appraised at six hundred thousand, which was apparently enough for some reason.


    She had originally assumed things like this would have been decided after everyone had given their things, but clearly, that assumption had been wrong.


    "Are you providing something too?" Allyssa asked her at one point after a good amount of people had already performed their donations.


    "Yes, I am," Scarlett said as she observed the central scene. "Although I believe there is still some time until then. Our admission was rather belated."


    Because she had wanted to make sure Fynn was successful with his task before they did anything, they hadn''t sent in the official entry for their donation until early this morning. Evelyne had told her it was fine though. The Followers accepted new entries almost all the way up until the ceremony itself. She had also double-checked with Evelyne that what she was donating was okay. The younger woman had appeared pretty surprised by what it was, but she had said that there shouldn''t be a problem with it.


    "Is what you''re offering as insanely expensive as some of these other things?"


    Scarlett glanced at Allyssa with a small smile. "It depends on who you ask. There are some who would offer no more than one thousand for it."


    There were always vendors in games that wouldn''t pay you any more than scraps for even the most valuable items, just because they were locked into some quest or other.


    Allyssa gave her a curious look. "To me that still sounds pretty expensive, but that''s not really a lot to these people, is it?"


    Scarlett shook her head. "It is not."


    "Sooo, I''m guessing it''s worth more to them?"


    "I would hope so. But we will have to wait and see."


    Allyssa''s eyes narrowed at Scarlett. But soon she shrugged her shoulders, pushing a lock of blonde hair away from her face as she turned towards the platform in the middle. "Kat said you were like that sometimes, as well," she mumbled.


    Once more Scarlett found herself wondering exactly what Kat had told these kids about her, but she decided to ignore it as she focused her attention on the current events.


    People continued to climb onto the platform and give their offerings for quite some time¡ªthere had probably been about two hundred or so of them by now, even though a lot had given relatively small amounts¡ªuntil eventually, Scarlett''s name was called out. She hadn''t been quite certain when her turn was, so she had already moved closer to the center platform to be ready.


    Turning to Allyssa, she signaled for the pouch of holding that the young Shielder had, taking out the item she needed from inside. It was a chalice made out of pure gold that glittered in the sunlight. Along its rim were several bright red gems that almost seemed to shine on their own. As the light reflected on the side of the chalice, strange symbols also appeared at its base.


    Eyeing it for just a moment, Scarlett then started walking towards the center with quick¡ªbut not hurried¡ªsteps. As she reached the platform and started climbing the stairs, the head priest continued speaking.


    "She presents an old item hailing from the early days of the empire, possibly bearing strong ties to prominent members of the clergy," he declared, turning to look at the priest in charge of appraisal as they were about to receive the chalice from Scarlett. That other priest stopped, however, just as they were about to grab it.


    Scarlett watched as the masked person stood still for several seconds, finally reaching out toward the chalice with almost shaking hands. She let it go without issue, and the priest gently held the artifact up as they turned it around, studying the symbols on it.


    The head priest seemed a bit confused as to why things were taking longer than usual, but stayed quiet. Scarlett saw some of the heads in the crowds moving around with slight confusion as well.


    That was also the point that Scarlett realized she was standing in front of thousands of people right now, but she didn''t allow that thought to go too far. It was true that she had never been close to being in front of this many people before¡ªeven if you counted the Elysian Proclamation¡ªbut it didn''t feel uncomfortable at all to her. Rather, she would almost say she felt a sense of enjoyment from it.


    Though that was most likely a remnant from the original.


    Eventually, after almost thirty seconds of relative quiet had passed, the priest in front of Scarlett lowered the chalice and turned towards the head priest, taking a step closer to him. She heard the priest speak in a vaguely feminine voice, but it was too soft for her to make out any details. The reaction from the head priest, however, was quite unmistakable. His head spun to stare at the chalice, and it looked like he was almost about to reach out to it to check it himself. He stopped himself, though, and after a moment he turned his attention back to the surrounding crowds.


    "I-It appears as if the importance of this chalice has been strongly understated. Not only does it hail from the early days of the empire and bear strong ties to Ittar''s followers, but it also bears strong ties to Ittar himself! For this is none other than one of the ten Chalices of Canon!"


    Scarlett heard audible gasps from the other priests on the platform, as well as from a few of the people nearest the platform.


    "An artifact such as this..." the head priest continued, looking towards Scarlett. "Its value is simply not something we can measure in solars. This is a sacred relic of god, belonging to one of the original deacons of the Renascence!"


    Scarlett held back a smile. She had expected them to like it. The original quest to find this item was something you got from one of the deacons, and they''d had a similar reaction when first seeing it. Although at this point in time they wouldn''t be aware of its location, so there shouldn''t be a problem with her finding it by herself.


    "The Baroness'' offering is of a kind we have not seen for a long time," the head priest proclaimed. "Long have the Followers of Ittar been in search of the remainder of these sacred relics, and it is an unmistakable illustration of her dedication and fervor that she has found and returned this Chalice of Canon to us! Her laudable actions will have her name recorded in the Hall of Providence as an exemplary icon of devotion to the empire from one of its citizens!"


    There was some cheering from the crowds as the priest holding the chalice carefully carried it back to one of the other priests who placed it inside a large coffer. Scarlett began leaving the platform, walking down the steps of the stairs with a calm gait as everyone''s eyes were on her.


    She had to admit, seeing the looks on the faces of some of the nobles nearby as they now gaped at her was quite entertaining. Especially as she had seen some of them scoffing at her as she walked up.


    Allyssa was staring at her with wide eyes as she neared her, and Scarlett stopped beside the woman with a small smirk. "It appears as if you were correct. It was indeed worth more to them."


    Allyssa just let out a laugh at that.

 Chapter 61 - Nametaker

    Kat


    Destruction surrounded her.


    Kat was standing in the middle of a wide dirt street, with black-clad bodies surrounding her. The faces of the bodies had strange white symbols painted on them. Every single one of the nearby buildings was ruined beyond recognition, what remained of the scorched wooden pillars and stone littering the street.


    "The entire southern section of the town is on fire!" a voice screamed out behind them.


    Kat turned to look as Thurlow, a fellow Shielder, came running up to them. There was blood running down the left side of his head.


    "The knights are heading there as we speak, but we need to send mages to assist them with controlling the fire," he continued as he stopped close to Kat''s group, bending over as he breathed heavily.


    All of them turned their heads to the south. The night sky was beginning to take on an orange hue there.


    "We''ll go," Wilmer said as the man took a step forward along with Muriel. The two of them were the best among them when it came to hydromancy.


    "I''ll guide you," Thurlow said, standing straight after he''d caught his breath for a moment. Then the three of them immediately took off down one of the muddy streets.


    That left seven Shielders in their group. Two A-ranks and five B-ranks.


    "Can''t believe they''re causing all this destruction," one of the other Shielders muttered. "Blazes...what could they even be after?"


    "I doubt even the Augur could understand these maniacs," Arnall¡ªthe current leader of their group, and an A-ranked senior Shielder¡ªsaid.


    Kat glanced at the bodies on the street, grinding her teeth at the sight.


    "We''ll keep moving. We''ve already taken care of this group, and there''s supposed to be more of them north of here," Arnall said, hefting his large sword onto his shoulder. The rest of them got ready, and soon they were moving through the streets again.


    They passed by countless demolished buildings, each one nearly wrecked down to the base. It had only been a few hours since the attack started, and the town of Brinewick was already ravaged to this state. It was like the Tribe was seeking pure destruction here, and nothing else.


    Or maybe she should say the Hallowed Cabal, considering what she had learned from Scarlett.


    The higher-ups of the Guild had taken her warning seriously too, judging there could be truth to her words after her first run-in with the Cabal. Kat did feel a little bad about inevitably placing some attention on Scarlett with her warning, but for now, those she had talked to in the Shields Guild had agreed to leave the baroness be. And they had decided to place extra importance on Brinewick.


    But they had still underestimated the Cabal. That much was clear.


    The Guild was worn thin. Kat didn''t really know the details of everything¡ªshe preferred having things simple¡ªbut they only had about thirty Shielders here in Brinewick. There were so many other places in the empire that they had to send people as well. Despite that, the number of high-ranked Shielders placed here was much higher than in most of the other places.


    And they weren''t the only ones here either. She had seen several knight orders around, as well as mages from some of the Mage Towers. She had even seen Solar Knights, every one of which would probably be enough to justify A-rank in the Guild.


    And still, things had gotten to this level.


    The Tribe of Sin was a lot stronger than any of them had expected. Both in terms of numbers, and in individual power. Even though most of the Tribe members Kat and the others had run into up till now were handled without too much issue, she knew there were much more dangerous individuals among them. She was also pretty sure that all of the damage around here wasn''t caused by those that she had fought. Some of these buildings were almost literally wiped out of existence.


    She wasn''t even close to being able to do something like that on anything close to this scale.


    "There''s someone over here," one of the others cried out.


    Kat''s attention turned to what remained of an overturned wagon. Arnall and Rolland rushed over to lift the debris away, revealing a brown-haired man with dried blood across his face and a large wound on the side of his stomach.


    "What in the name of..." Arnall muttered with a frown.


    "I thought all the people were evacuated last night?" Kat asked, taking a step back as Aubriana moved forward and kneeled next to the injured man. Kat wasn''t too familiar with the older woman, but she knew she was good when it came to healing magic.


    "They were supposed to be," Ami¡ªthe other A-ranked Shielder in their group¡ªsaid darkly.


    Beaming water formed above Aubriana''s hand and floated in the air towards the injured man, soon mending the damage to his side and washing away some of the blood on his face.


    Arnall snapped a finger next to the man''s head. "Hey. What are you doing here? Everyone was supposed to have evacuated."


    The man''s eyes slowly opened, appearing slightly hazy as he looked at them. "W-Wha..."


    "Focus." Arnall grabbed the man''s shoulder. "You should already have evacuated. What are you still doing here?"


    The man seemed to take a moment to realize where he was. Suddenly, he jolted up, stopped only by the A-rank''s grip. "W-Where am I? Wait, the others..."


    "I said focus. We found you injured under this wagon. Why are you still in the town?"


    The man stared at Arnall for several seconds, then shook his head. "I-I tried to run after everything started collapsing. I-I thought I could make it."


    Kat furrowed her brows at the man''s words, taking a step closer and staring at him over Aubriana''s shoulder. "What started collapsing? Were there others with you?"


    His frantic eyes turned to her. "Uh, t-the cellar we were all hiding in started collapsing. W-We didn''t think it was worth fleeing before, so we stayed. There w-were over a dozen of us, and their families."


    Kat''s heart stopped for a beat. She thought they had been able to avoid most deaths after evacuating all the people to a temporary camp a day''s travel away. She looked at Arnall.


    "There could still be people alive."


    He turned his head to look back at her, a heavy expression on his face. After a short period, he turned back to the man. "Where was this?"


    The man looked around, like he was trying to reorient himself among the destroyed buildings. "N-Near the town square. In that direction." He pointed with a weak finger.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Kat looked to where he was pointing. That was to the east. But they were supposed to go and help some of the other Shielders in the northern part of the town.


    Arnall looked back at Kat and the others. His eyes stayed on Kat for an extra second, then he stood up with a sigh. "We can''t just leave it. Kat, Rolland, and I will go and see if there are any more survivors. The rest of you take this man and continue to the rest."


    Kat saw Ami frown at the order, but the large woman stayed silent as she moved over and lifted the injured man up without issue, placing him over her shoulder. The man let out a groan and some weak complaints, but Ami ignored them, nodding at Arnall as she and the three other Shielders took off in their original direction.


    Arnall turned to Kat and Rolland. "Let''s go."


    The three of them started running in the other direction, towards where the man had pointed. They continued moving for a while, surprisingly enough not running into any of the Tribe''s members before they reached what had probably been the town square. Now, it was just a large open area with rubble spread around it.


    "We''ll start looking around from here. Stay within sight," Arnall said, and they split up to search some of the nearby buildings. Some of them were actually still standing.


    Kat had just finished searching the second of her buildings when she heard a sound from the other side of the square. Turning around, she just caught sight of someone in black clothes getting thrown a dozen meters into a stone wall and falling limp there.


    "Tribe members!" Arnall''s voice cried out as he slammed his sword into the shield of another black-dressed individual near him, beating the person down to the ground.


    Kat started running to help, but she was interrupted when she spotted a handful more Tribe members come running from one of the side streets, their painted faces standing out clearly in the moonlight. Rolland also seemed to be in the middle of fighting even more of them at the other end of the square, so Kat turned her attention to the ones near her, moving her hands as she cast boulder smash.


    The stones formed in front of her quickly, shooting out and slamming into three of the surprised targets, although the others managed to dodge. She quickly cast two fireballs to finish off the ones she had knocked down as the other ones started running at her. Luckily, none of them seemed to be a mage. With a few more spells, she managed to take them down well before they reached her, and she returned her attention to Arnall. The man was standing next to one of the remaining buildings, a few more black-clad bodies than before lying around him.


    Suddenly, the building behind him exploded into a million fragments. Kat put up her arms to shield her face as some of the debris flew towards her. One piece of stone hit her with such force that not even her mana barrier could withstand all of it, and she felt part of her bone crack as she was knocked back.


    Coughing as the cloud of dust that filled part of the square slowly settled, she hurriedly cast earth pulse on herself before pushing herself up with her good arm. The warm feeling pulsed through her arm and into the rest of her body as she squinted her eyes.


    There was someone standing where the house had been. A woman. She wore tight-fitting black clothes with a short hood that reached the top of her head. Unruly violet hair hung down along the edges of her face, and she was staring ahead with bright eyes that practically glowed with the same color as her hair. Covering her neck, and reaching up to the sides of her jaws, was some sort of strange, scale-like growth of a dull silver. It almost looked like a shell of some kind, as if it was growing over her skin.


    Her appearance tickled some memory at the back of Kat''s mind.


    The woman''s eyes traveled over the square, crossing over Kat and Rolland in an almost sluggish manner, and only momentarily stopping on the bodies of the dead members of the Tribe of Sin with a small scowl.


    Kat''s eyes widened.


    If you under any time during these coming events encounter an individual with either violet or silver hair, referring to herself as Vail, then do not under any circumstances clash with her.


    Scarlett''s warning rang through her head.


    Kat threw her uninjured arm up in the air, and cast a spell she had only learned recently. A small flame formed above her finger, then shot off into the sky in an arc, leaving a thin streak behind it. When it reached its apex it flared up and fractured into hundreds of smaller lights, each one floating down like snow as they slowly flickered out.


    The violet-haired woman observed the light show with a curious expression, then set her eyes on Kat, who was just about to prepare to cast another spell when the stones on the ground near the woman suddenly moved.


    Piles of the stone were thrown to the side as Arnall pushed his way free with a yell, covered in dust and cuts. His head immediately sprang to the violet-haired woman, who stared at him quietly.


    "W-Wait don''t!" Kat began yelling as Arnall took one long step towards the woman, striking out with his right arm.


    For a moment it looked like the woman was going to take the attack head-on, but just as it was about to reach her face, her hand moved up and caught his fist. She looked him straight in the eyes, then frowned.


    "Weak."


    Kat''s eyes widened and she stared on as the woman moved her hand, and Arnall''s arm went with it. The moment after, he disappeared as well. Kat didn''t even see what happened.


    "NOOO!!" Rolland''s voice cried out from the side, pulling Kat out of her trance.


    The woman turned her attention towards Rolland.


    Quickly raising both her arms, fighting through the pain from her still-unhealed left one, she hurriedly cast two fireballs one after the other. Both spells flew in an almost straight arc, striking the woman almost straight on. Kat saw how the magic behind the spells unraveled and disappeared into nothingness as they did.


    The woman tilted her head at Kat. "You too."


    Kat was already moving her hands again, putting her all into casting one of her most complicated spells. The ground started to shake according to her will, and the ground beneath the woman suddenly opened up to swallow her whole.


    Silence filled the square.


    Then mounds of rock blasted up into the sky as a large crater formed. The woman walked up from it like it was nothing, not an inch of her body looking injured. She looked at Kat.


    "Manifest," she said, now with a small smile that sent shivers down Kat''s spine. "I''ll give you a chance. I am Vail Nejothreb Terlizzi Titus Kolzryrreg. What is your name?"


    Kat stared at the woman. At Vail. And before she could do anything, Vail moved.


    She didn''t even have time to blink, and suddenly Vail was right in front of her. She tried to step back, but Vail''s hand gripped hold of her neck immediately. Her throat tightened as her feet left the ground, and she was lifted up in the air.


    "BAAASTA¡ª" Rolland''s cry came screaming from the side, but one flick of Vail''s hand sent him flying.


    As Kat desperately clasped at Vail''s hand, the woman''s smile disappeared and she looked at Kat with a disappointed expression. "As I thought. Weak."


    Kat''s eyes widened as the pressure on her neck grew, and¡ª


    "Why don''t you let her down," a gravelly voice called out.


    The pressure stopped, and Vail turned her head. Kat got a glimpse of the person that had spoken.


    A dozen meters away from them stood a man. He had a full head of grey hair and a thick beard, wearing a light set of black-and-white leather and scale armor. A long wooden spear leaned over the back of his shoulder, and a thick book hung off from his side.


    For a moment, Kat felt a hint of relief. It had been agreed that the flare spell she used was reserved for emergencies, but this definitely counted.


    Vail stared at the man, her eyes closely taking him in.


    "What''s your name?" she asked.


    "Nothing I have to share with monsters like your kind," the man responded calmly.


    Pain shot through Kat''s body as Vail jammed one of her hands into her side, but she could barely let out a groan as the pressure around her neck intensified again.


    The man clenched his teeth. "...Gratianus Graham."


    Vail leaned her head to the side. "Gratianus?"


    There was a short pause, before the woman showed a menacing smile. "I like it."


    Kat fought through the haziness that was starting to cloud her mind, removing her hands from Vail''s, and moving them near the woman''s head.


    Fireball


    A blazing explosion enveloped them both, disappearing almost the second it began. Kat felt the side of her face burn as the grip on her neck loosened for a brief moment and she was knocked back through the air. Everything was going in circles in her head as she landed on her back, knocking the air out of her.


    Desperately turning to the side, she tried casting earth pulse on herself again but couldn''t focus on the spell. Loud claps and bursts of air shot out from the two figures near her that were suddenly crashing into each other, but she could barely make any details out through her blurry and red vision.


    Finally she managed to cast earth pulse, relief spreading as the warm feeling spread through her body again.


    "Vail!" a loud voice rang out.


    The two fighting figures stopped momentarily as a third figure appeared at the edge of the square. They were just a muddy black spot in Kat''s eyes.


    "Stop playing around with that old man. We''re finished here!" the figure yelled.


    "No," Vail declared.


    "We were given an order. We''re leaving."


    Kat could barely make out Vail glancing at the figure, before looking back at Gratianus. "...Next time." Vail sounded vexed.


    A moment later the woman was gone, and Kat saw Gratianus'' figure approaching her.


    "You look like you''ve been to the Blazes and back, girl," the man said.


    Kat tried to fight through the pain and push herself up. If things were over she had to check on Rolland and Arnall. And there could still be survivors nearby.


    "Don''t be an idiot. You''re not getting anywhere like that," Gratianus'' voice sounded out beside her as she fell down to the ground. "You''ve done enough for now. I''ll ensure more help comes. Rest for now."


    Suddenly Kat felt so tired. Like the last dredges of energy she had been trying to pull out from her body just disappeared, and there was nothing left but cool languidness. She tried to fight it, but soon, the exhaustion took her and everything went black.

 Chapter 62 - That sure took a while

    The morning after the Providing Ceremony, Scarlett sat in the dining hall along with the others, eating breakfast. Even Evelyne was here today, the young woman seeming to be a bit more refreshed today than the day before.


    "¡ªand in the end I gathered quite the crowd," Rosa said, being in the middle of a conversation with Allyssa at the edge of the table. "I think even your aloof little friend here enjoyed himself."


    "Wait, what? He actually stayed with you all the time?" Allyssa turned to stare at Shin, who was quietly eating his food. "I was sure he would just end up wasting away his time looking at books."


    Rosa grinned. "I had a little chit-chat with him. We both came to the agreement that it would be oh-so dull if one didn''t use such a beautiful day to do something more exciting. And it just so happens that exciting is my middle name. Right after breathtaking."


    "You seem to remember that conversation differently from me," Shin said with an indifferent voice as he bit into a piece of bread.


    "I''m sure I don''t know what you mean," Rosa said, then turned her head to Scarlett. "Anyhow, after all that, we took the chance to also take a gander at the old Providing Ceremony. Can''t say I''ve ever been a fan of listening to those priests drone on and on about how much money rich people have for hours¡ªthey couldn''t put on a good show if it jumped up in front of them and flashed them its bottom¡ªbut that ending certainly was something. Our little resident baroness over here certainly knows how to make things interesting."


    Scarlett glanced momentarily at the woman, but soon returned her attention to her own plate of food. "I suppose I cannot argue with you on that."


    "Do you mind if I ask where you found a relic like that?" Shin asked, seeming interested. "In the last three centuries, only five of the other Chalices of Canon have been uncovered. Even though they''re sacred treasures to the Followers, they''re clearly not something easy to find."


    Scarlett saw Evelyne''s eyes turn to her at the question. Evelyne had doubted her at first, when she told her she knew where to find the chalice. But being able to find it so quickly probably lent a lot to making Evelyne more convinced of everything else she had told her.


    "What''s so hard about it?" Fynn suddenly asked. "You could sense it from miles away. And it wasn''t particularly well hidden."


    Everybody''s attention turned to him.


    "Wait...that''s what you went away to do back then?" Allyssa exclaimed.


    Scarlett held back a sigh. "Fynn. I believe we spoke briefly regarding speaking openly about matters such as these. While it is not a true issue in this particular circumstance, you should still be careful of what you say."


    He moved his head back and forth as he seemed to realize everyone was looking at him. "Oh, r-right. I forgot about that. I thought you only meant that other stuff..."


    She''d asked him to be more careful when it came to sharing things from his past and his abilities, and to ignore when she said things to others that he thought were lies. She knew he was a bit unaccustomed to things like that, though, so she had kind of been expecting him to not always remember it. But he also didn''t know that much. At least not to the point where it was too much of a risk to let the others present know of it.


    "I did not. I hope you will endeavor to be more careful of these things in the future, so long as you continue to be under my employ," she said. "It would also be good for you to keep in mind that not every person can sense these things the same way that you are capable of. To most, those ruins would have simply appeared as ordinary stone."


    He knitted his forehead, almost as if he didn''t quite believe her. Of course, he should be able to tell she was speaking the truth.


    A knock sounded out from the dining hall door, and soon a female servant entered carrying what looked like a newspaper in her hands.


    Scarlett glanced at Shin, before focusing her eyes on that newspaper. Shin would have to be content with not getting a full answer to his question for now, it seemed.


    The servant walked over to Evelyne, who thanked the woman as she received the paper. Scarlett watched as Evelyne turned away from the conversation that had been ongoing and looked down at the paper, then froze.


    She looked up at Scarlett with wide eyes.


    Scarlett returned a small nod. She had told Evelyne that something big would happen in the empire soon.


    "This can''t be..." Evelyne mumbled as she read over the page in her hands. Everybody''s attention turned to her.


    "What? Does the Chronicle say anything special this week?" Allyssa asked.


    Evelyne read on with a serious expression, then she looked up and handed the paper to Allyssa, peeking quite obviously at Scarlett.


    "What?!" Allyssa cried out.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Shin frowned and leaned closer to her. "What is it?"


    "The Tribe of Sin has attacked over a dozen different settlements all across the empire," Allyssa said, her voice trembling slightly. "They say some of the towns and villages have been completely demolished, and that they don''t know how many people have died at the moment."


    [Main questline has begun: Rising action]


    {Conflicts are brewing as powerful factions have started moving on the continent of Tanrelia. The Tribute of Dominion stands as the focal point of these clashing designs, resting in the heart of the ruins of Beld Thylelion}


    [Objective: Enter the ruins of Beld Thylelion before all others]


    [Reward: Additional Skills Menu privileges]


    [Failure: Demise]


    Scarlett blinked as she stared at the wall of text that suddenly appeared in the air before her.


    Was this a...quest? The system was actually giving her a real quest?


    She had already been in this world for this long, but it hadn''t decided to be more active until now?


    It did align somewhat with when the main questline started in the game, but...


    This wasn''t the same main questline from the game. Like many of the smaller hidden quests she had finished previously, this was something completely different.


    Her eyes read through the words in front of her, over and over again, as she digested what this meant.


    In ''Chronicle of Realms'', Beld Thylelion were ancient Zuverian ruins that played a major part in the main storyline. They housed several valuable artifacts, including the Tribute of Dominion: a MacGuffin-esque relic that the Hallowed Cabal wanted to get their hands on to advance their plans, and that many of the other factions wanted to either stop the Cabal from getting or acquire for themselves.


    In the game, Beld Thylelion only opened up at the mid-point of the storyline. Time-wise, this was probably about ten or so months into the game, as there were several time skips during the later sections.


    At this point, the player would often be around level fifty, so while they were far from being among the strongest, they were at least decently powerful.


    The problem was that, when Beld Thylelion opened up, everybody that was aware of it came running. That meant the Hallowed Cabal, Tribe of Sin, Shields Guild, Rising Isle mages, Mage Towers, and more. And as far as Scarlett knew, there were no hidden entrances or anything like it that you could use to get there earlier.


    Even though you always found the Tribute of Dominion first as the player, that was only because the game was set up so that the player would get there first. She couldn''t be certain that, if she were to try and replicate that scenario in this world, it would play out the same. And considering all of the different powerful people that were present at that point, even being near the ruins when they opened up was a real risk.


    Of course, the quest just wanted her to enter the ruins before others. Nothing more. But apparently, failing that led to ''demise''. What that meant, she wasn''t completely sure about. It could mean that the system itself would kill her. Or maybe that this world would somehow be destroyed, if that was something that was within this system''s powers.


    But it could also refer to the consequences of her not reaching Beld Thylelion first. If, for example, her not getting there first meant that the Hallowed Cabal arrived first, then the ultimate consequence of that would probably also be ''demise'', as it''d mean they would get the Tribute of Dominion first. Although that didn''t really fit with the whole ''enter before the others'' part.


    But honestly, while all of that was certainly on her mind, it wasn''t what she had first thought about when seeing this. She wasn''t thinking about how dangerous this quest sounded, but rather about how it was decided that this was the quest she should get at this point.


    It was just too coincidental.


    After all, she had already started putting plans into motion that would ensure she didn''t have to care about who could enter the ruins first when they opened. If she succeeded, there was no question about whether she would be able to finish this quest or not. This had been one of the earliest goals she had started planning for when she arrived here, because she knew it was vital that the Cabal and others didn''t get the Tribute of Dominion while she was still living in this world.


    Was this just providence? The opening of Beld Thylelion was a pretty major event in the game. It could just be a coincidence that the main quest just so happened to fit her plans so well.


    But she felt like she''d had a lot of such coincidences in this world. And just from reading the quest, it was more than clear that something had created it specifically for someone in her situation, just like many of the other quests she''d completed. There was a clear intelligence behind it.


    And in the end, this was the world of a video game. Which of those came first¡ªthe game or this world¡ªor how they related to each other weren''t questions she knew the answer to. But it was clear that things like this didn''t just happen randomly, so coincidences like these were also suspect.


    Unfortunately, like usual, she didn''t have anything real to go on in order to draw any conclusions. All she could do was come up with theories, none of which would help her solve these questions.


    But this did help her with reaffirming her current goal, as well as providing some hope that she would be able to decipher what this system was and who was behind it sometime in the future.


    Her eyes lingered on the reward section of the quest.


    That also looked pretty interesting.


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Superior Pyrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Superior Hydrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Greater Mana Control] (10 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    If she were to guess, the ''additional skills menu privileges'' meant that the New skills section would be unlocked. Which might mean that she could finally unlock some new skills other than those she had started with.


    Considering some of the skills that had existed in the game, this was a very appealing prize. And as her only other choice was apparently ''demise'', she was going to have to clear this quest no matter what.


    In a way, she felt like this quest took away some of the burdens she''d had on her shoulders. She had felt a little bit uncertain about implementing some parts of the plans she had when it came to getting into Beld Thylelion, but now she didn''t have much choice.


    "¡ªarlett?"


    She turned away from the wall of text in front of her as Evelyne said her name. She now realized that everybody was looking at her.


    "Yes, what is it?" she asked, trying to act normal.


    "You weren''t saying anything."


    "...It was quite shocking news," she said, briefly looking at the wall of text before her and focusing on it so that it disappeared. "I was simply processing the ramifications this might have."


    She would have to wait and see what further things she would learn about this system in the future, but for now, she would have to focus on the present.

 Chapter 63 - Returning

    "Now that the Light Fest has ended, I will soon be returning to Freybrook," Scarlett said, looking across the table to where Allyssa, Shin, Fynn, and Rosa sat. They were still in the dining hall, but Evelyne had recently left because she had wanted to check deeper into which places had been attacked by the Tribe of Sin.


    The news reported by the Empyreal Chronicle had probably spread to most people around the mansion by now, but Scarlett had long since been expecting it so that wasn''t her main focus right now. The trip back to Freybrook through one of the capital''s Kilnstones had already been booked for tomorrow, and considering how busy those usually were¡ªespecially at the end of a festival, and under the current circumstances here in the empire¡ªthere probably weren''t many chances to reschedule the trip.


    Because of this, she''d wanted to talk with those in her party before they left.


    "My original offer to you two," she said, looking specifically at Rosa and Fynn. "Was made under the assumption that you would continue to be under my employ even after I had returned to Freybrook. As such, if you are satisfied with the current state of affairs, I will have you accompany me tomorrow. You will be allocated lodging and treated as guests in the Freybrook mansion, and there will be ample opportunity for your current pay and benefits to increase further depending on the development from there."


    "Where is Freybrook?" Fynn asked, earning a couple of odd looks from the others.


    "In the southwestern part of the empire, south of the Whitdown Mountains."


    "All right. Sure."


    "I take that to mean you wish to continue to be in my service?" Scarlett asked.


    "Yes."


    "Good. And you?" She turned to Rosa, who just gave her a smile.


    "Who would say no to that? I haven''t lived this luxuriously for years. And all I have to do is play a little tune now and then? Count this girl in."


    Scarlett nodded, then looked at Allyssa and Shin. "And what of you? While I am aware that you are based in Elystead, the same offer applies. I believe it was also Kat''s original intention that you would continue the contract. That is also why I proposed an arrangement regarding your alchemy, Allyssa. Were you two to terminate the contract, however, I would have to find new Shielders to hire once I return."


    The two young Shielders looked at each other.


    "I don''t think either of us would mind going to Freybrook, but things might have changed now that the Tribe of Sin has returned," Allyssa said. "We don''t know if the Guild''s going to need our help dealing with things."


    Right...Scarlett hadn''t considered that. Kat had been called away because of what was happening, after all.


    Although judging from what she knew from the game, the Shields Guild probably wouldn''t call too many of the lower-ranked members. But she couldn''t know that for sure.


    "And we''re also pretty sure that Kat and some other people we know were involved in what happened, so we''re worried about them."


    "That is understandable," Scarlett said.


    She was also interested in learning how Kat was doing. The woman was relatively strong, but both the Tribe of Sin and the Hallowed Cabal had plenty of members stronger than her. And Scarlett didn''t know exactly where Kat herself had gone this time.


    "However, I would imagine that the Shields Guild will not be the only ones engaged in dealing with the ramifications of these events, nor that they will entirely arrest their usual state of affairs. If they have need of you, I am certain they will inform you of such. In addition, Kat herself is based in Freybrook, so you would in all likelihood have the opportunity to confirm her well-being when she returns there."


    "Would you allow us to visit the Guild branch later today just to confirm the situation?" Shin asked. "We would have to check in with them no matter what, but if we''re going to Freybrook we also have to say our goodbyes and pack things. Allyssa would also need to bring alchemy equipment along, and a place to practice it when we''re there."


    Allyssa turned to him. "Are you making plans for me now?"


    He just shrugged. "I think you should accept her proposal if you can."


    The girl smacked his shoulder with a somewhat peeved expression, but it didn''t look like she was actually annoyed.


    Scarlett studied them for a moment. "I believe we will be able to find a suitable solution for her. If she requires a space to carry out her work we have an abundant number of rooms she can appropriate as she wishes. We will assist her where needed."


    "Wait...really?" Allyssa looked at her.


    "Yes."


    The young Shielder looked surprised by that. "Huh. Maybe I should just quit as a Shielder and go work for you instead."


    "Then do it," Shin said, earning another smack from Allyssa.


    "I wasn''t being serious you goof. Besides, you wouldn''t make it for a week without me."


    "If you say so." Shin shook his head lightly, then turned to Scarlett. "We''ll go and see how things are at the Guild, then we''ll give you our response," he said.


    Scarlett simply gave a nod in reply. "Very well."


    "What are you going to do after returning to Freybrook?" Evelyne asked Scarlett later that day, as the two of them sat in Evelyne''s office.


    Scarlett took a sip out of the cup of tea she had prepared for this conversation ¡ª a way for her to distract herself somewhat from the emotions that rose up from talking to the younger woman. "My first priority will be locating the places of interest I am aware of near Freybrook. The more artifacts and other such items I can gather, the more we can bolster our current position."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Are any of those Zuverian ruins?"


    "Unfortunately not. I believe there will still be some time before I explore the next Zuverian ruin."


    "Hmm, all right. But you''re certain there will be valuable artifacts at least?"


    "I am."


    "Good. Then I''ll look into securing a deal with one of the auction houses here. It would probably be best if you could give me one or two of the artifacts you''ve already found, so that I''ve got something to show for our words."


    Scarlett paused. "You are staying in the capital?"


    Evelyne gave a short nod. "Yes. I still have a lot of things that I need to take care of here. I probably won''t return to Freybrook for at least a few weeks."


    "...I see," Scarlett murmured. "I suppose that is understandable. Then I will present you some of the artifacts from my latest excursion. When you return I hope that you visit the mansion and inform me as such."


    "I will," Evelyne said.


    "And if you so wish, you may stay there when you feel necessary. I will not stand in your way."


    Evelyne grew a strange look on her face. "You mean live in the mansion?"


    "I mean stay. For how long you wish to do so will be your own decision."


    Evelyne stared at Scarlett.


    "I do not mean to say that we must fraternize with each other beyond when necessary," Scarlett clarified. "However, if it would work to facilitate for you in your efforts, I see no need to bar your access to the estate."


    Evelyne stayed quiet for several seconds, before eventually giving a slow nod. "If you say so."


    "In addition, as you will continue to reside here for the immediate future, I will present you notes pertaining to more locations home to defunct establishments that could prove fruitful to look further into," Scarlett continued.


    She had used the day before the Providing Ceremony to, in part, go into town and look up a few more of the places she''d had vague recollections of from the game and rank up her hydrokinesis skill and get used to it somewhat. In addition, she had also received a pair of glasses with some sort of dark-vision enchantment from the shop she''d made a deal with earlier.


    Evelyne raised a brow. "You mean like those three you told me about earlier?"


    "Yes, exactly."


    "Were those also things you knew of because of your new...knowledge?"


    "They were," Scarlett said. "All those locations were home to businesses that fared well in the future, as far as I can surmise. As for why they did so, I am unfortunately unaware. But as I have previously mentioned, I believe it worth inquiring further into."


    Evelyne shook her head slowly, but if Scarlett were to guess she probably didn''t think her words were completely bogus anymore.


    "I''ll look into it."


    "Ensure that you do so," Scarlett said, taking another sip from her cup. "Have you found anything regarding the first three locales?"


    "I''ve only had time to investigate one of them, mostly because I didn''t think there would be much point to it," Evelyne admitted. "It was the silversmith. It seems like most of the equipment and previous paperwork are still there, according to the current owner. I sent a few messages to them, and apparently they inherited it from their grandfather but didn''t have the money to keep it running. They seemed excited at what I guess they thought was interest from my end, and tried to pretty unsubtly convince me to invest so that they could get the place up and running again."


    Scarlett nodded along as she listened on. So that was how things were in this world. "I believe it would be good to do so."


    Evelyne still looked a bit doubtful. "We don''t actually know if it''s worth it. And at the moment we''re still short on the money we''d need."


    "Consider it an experiment. If the venture appears promising, we know that there is potential in investing in the other locales as well. And money will not be an issue for much longer, so simply allocate some funds that we can spare this once. If you wish, you can also use the money from what I sold earlier this week."


    It was still unclear whether the fact that those businesses always succeeded in the game without any real input from the player actually translated into this world in any way whatsoever, but it was worth trying to find out.


    "...All right. I''ll see what I can do."


    "Good." Scarlett placed her cup down on a small table to the side of the chair she sat in. "Incidentally, I presume you recall Miss Livvi?"


    "Livvi? Of course I do. What about her?"


    "I came across her yesterday, and she wished for me to send you her regards. She also said she would pay a visit to the estate in Freybrook sometime in the future."


    "And you accepted it?"


    "I saw no reason not to."


    Scarlett hadn''t really considered it to be an option at the time, to be honest.


    "You haven''t met her for years, so why now?" Evelyne asked.


    "Why not?" Scarlett said. "I will admit, my memories of her are somewhat vague. I can barely remember which house she belongs to, but perhaps interacting with her further will help with that."


    Evelyne narrowed her eyes. "You know she''s Count Knottley''s daughter, right?"


    Scarlett raised her eyebrows. "...I see. That does sound familiar."


    So Livvi was that guy''s daughter. That made some sense.


    "How could you forget something like that," Evelyne said with a sigh.


    "I am unable to control what I do and do not remember in my current state, unfortunately. However, considering the advantages that come with it, I would say that neither of us has much to complain of on the matter."


    Evelyne just quietly shook her head, and Scarlett decided to change the subject.


    "There was something else which I had intended to ask before. What are our current relations with the Elystead Tower?"


    "The Elystead Tower?" Evelyne furrowed her forehead. "They''re one of the towers we made a deal with regarding what was found in the ruins. But that''s all."


    "I see," Scarlett said, tapping her finger against the armrest next to her. "They have not said anything, or sent us any particular complaints lately?"


    Evelyne frowned with confusion. "No, not that I''m aware. Why would they?"


    Scarlett went quiet for a moment. "...One could say that their vice-Dean and I fell into a dispute, of sorts, and he saw fit to ban me from interacting further with the tower. I feared that would also encompass our house, but it appears they did not take it that far."


    Evelyne''s eyes widened. "He banned you? What did you do?!"


    Scarlett shot her a cold stare. "I did nothing. It certainly wasn''t egregious enough to warrant such a response, at the very least. Rowley simply chose to do so of his own volition, for some arbitrary and illogical reasons that I have yet to discern."


    She saw the disbelieving look in Evelyne''s eyes.


    "I am saying this, aware of how I usually act," Scarlett added. "It truly was due to no fault of mine in this particular instance."


    Well, she did ask for help in finding The Gentleman, which Rowley clearly hadn''t liked. But you didn''t freaking blacklist someone without explanation just because you hear a name you''re not fond of.


    Beldon had had a much more reasonable reaction. Say what you want about that guy, but at least he had some manners.


    Evelyne stayed quiet for a while before speaking again. "Then, are you asking me to stop making deals with the Elystead Tower?"


    Scarlett gave her a bewildered look. "Why would I ask that? If they are not raising any undue concerns, and we stand to gain from it, I see no reason to discontinue our relationship with them. I simply wished to inform you of this so that you are aware."


    Evelyne looked surprised at that.


    "What?" Scarlett asked. "Have I not promised to be forthcoming regarding issues such as these? I will admit that I forgot to inform you up till now, but I did not intend on concealing it from you."


    Evelyne shook her head. "No, I''m just not used to it."


    "Then I hope that you grow to be soon," Scarlett said. "In addition, I wanted to ask that you contact a certain member of the Elystead Tower. Her name is Adalicia Mendenhall. She should currently be on an excursion to the Rising Isle, but when she returns I would like it if you could arrange a meeting between me and her. I believe she is likely to accept, but if she does not, you may feel free to inform her that I have valuable information regarding the Zuver that she would be interested in."


    While Scarlett didn''t need the tower''s help finding The Gentleman anymore¡ªand she was banned from interacting with them¡ªit would still be good to establish a relationship with some of their higher officials. Adalicia also held some leverage within the Ustrum Assembly, which could be useful in the future.


    "Adalicia Mendenhall?" Evelyne hummed. "Sure. I''ll send the message."


    "I appreciate your support," Scarlett said, though the words did leave a bad taste in her mouth. She then stood up from her chair. "That is all I have to say for now. If there are any further details you wish to go over we can do so before I leave tomorrow."


    After exchanging brief goodbyes, she left the room and started walking down the mansion''s halls. She had a few more minor things she wanted to take care of by herself while she was still here, but soon she''d be leaving Elystead.


    And then, it was back to Freybrook.

 Chapter 64 - Facile hydrodynamics

    ¡°Welcome back, my Lady,¡± Garside¡¯s raspy voice sounded out. The old butler bowed in greeting as Scarlett exited the carriage in front of the Freybrook mansion¡¯s courtyard. ¡°I presume the latest excursion fared well, judging from your premature return?¡±


    ¡°It did.¡± Scarlett glanced over at the two other servants behind him. Marlon and Harriet. ¡°Are the preparations finished?¡±


    ¡°They are. We inspected the articles delivered this morning. They all comply with the directions you gave.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Good. Bring them to the training ground for now. I will deal with it later.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Lady.¡± The old man stepped aside as Scarlett walked past.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Allyssa asked from behind. The young Shielder and the rest of Scarlett¡¯s entourage had exited the carriage right after her. Most of their clothes were covered in dirt. Fynn¡¯s, especially, looked like they¡¯d rolled through mud several times over and been left out in the sun to dry.


    She had been reluctant about having him ride in the carriage like that, but they hadn¡¯t brought a spare change of clothes, so...


    ¡°I am planning on performing some experiments and required certain materials to conduct them,¡± Scarlett replied absentmindedly. ¡°I had put Garside in charge of guaranteeing their quality before I begin.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What sort of experiments are we talking about?¡± Rosa asked, the bard hefting her hurdy-gurdy over her shoulder. The instrument, at least, was devoid of any muck on it.


    ¡°Perhaps you will see at a later time,¡± Scarlett said as they crossed the mansion¡¯s courtyard.


    It had been several days since they returned from Elystead, and they had been pretty active following that. Shin and Allyssa continued working with her after getting the go-ahead from the Guild Branch, and they had also started preparing one of the unoccupied storages in the mansion for Allyssa¡¯s alchemy. It could apparently be quite volatile.


    In the last few days, they found and cleared two dungeons. Being a low-level area, the items and artifacts found here weren¡¯t the best, but they were still worth a decent amount. Scarlett had previously scrounged together around 30000 solars in a week, after all.


    Eventually, she was going to exhaust the dungeons in this area, but that just meant making full use of her knowledge. Afterwards, she could just go to another area.


    The dungeon run they¡¯d just returned from had been no issue at all. That was a given. Her current party was comprised of people who would all probably be over level 30 in game terms. And like Kat, Fynn could most likely solo all the dungeons in this area, considering he was close to level 40 at the start of the game.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t exempt from some of the more unfortunate realities of dungeon diving.


    Scarlett glanced back at the white-haired young man. This dungeon had been an underground cavern a few hours¡¯ travel away. It had been home to several caves filled with murky pools of water, which in turn had been home to overgrown alligators, several of which the young man had ended up wrestling.


    She was just thankful she didn¡¯t have to do those things.


    After entering the mansion itself, their group split up in order to wash up from the trip. Scarlett went to her chambers to clean herself off and change from her ¡®adventuring¡¯ attire to a more comfortable, dark-blue one-piece dress. Molly, the maid, had stayed near her quarters and offered to assist, but Scarlett brushed her off.


    She assumed things like that were more common in this world, but Scarlett found it bothersome having someone else help her with changing. That was one matter where she didn¡¯t mind diverging too much from how the original might have acted. Not unless she was putting on some dress that was hard to do by herself.


    Truthfully, she¡¯d become more lax with details like that ever since returning from Elystead. Maybe it was because she had already told Evelyne part of the truth, and didn¡¯t feel as much pressure to ¡®blend in¡¯ as she did before. Although, considering how ingrained many of the original¡¯s habits were in her by now, there were still several things she couldn¡¯t diverge on even if she wanted to.


    After changing clothes, Scarlett headed to her office and sat at her desk. After jotting down the loot they¡¯d retrieved from this latest excursion¡ªit was good to have it written down, both for her own sake, and for Evelyne¡¯s later on¡ªshe took some time to look through her notes about the remaining dungeons in the Freybrook area.


    Some had a couple of items that could prove useful, but there wasn¡¯t anything she needed. For now, she was checking the dungeons off in the order she felt surest of finding them.


    The next one she was planning on locating was a hidden-away copse somewhere to the east that she was hoping Fynn could find with his senses. That would save them the irritation of having to look for it for several hours. The entrance to today¡¯s dungeon had taken over four hours to find, which had been somewhat of an oversight on Scarlett¡¯s part. She would prefer if she could avoid such time wastage in the future.


    After looking over her notes, Scarlett then pulled out her status window.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Mana Control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Greater Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Greater Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 3149/4327]


    [Points: 6]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Superior Pyrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Superior Hydrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Greater Mana Control] (10 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    Her total mana was still pretty measly, all things considered. She couldn¡¯t quite remember what her base had been at first¡ªbefore getting the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker]¡ªbut it had at most increased by a few hundred points since then. She had to actively use her mana to increase it, after all. And even then, it only grew at a rate of about 10 mana per day. Considering her goal was to reach a minimum of 25000, she still had a ways to go. More items would help.


    For her skills, as she had upgraded her hydrokinesis to [Greater Hydrokinesis] a couple of days before she left the capital, she¡¯d had a decent amount of time to get used to the upgrade.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Just like when she upgraded pyrokinesis last time, the difference between [Hydrokinesis] and [Greater Hydrokinesis] had been very notable. Now she could even put some genuine force behind the water she controlled, which opened up several potential avenues. She was quite excited about upgrading her two main skills even further in the future, when she gathered even more skill points.


    That was, of course, another reason why she was clearing these low-level dungeons at the moment.


    Scarlett glanced at the clock at the edge of her desk. It might be a good idea to get herself something to eat soon. While in the capital, she¡¯d missed the meals here.


    Scarlett surveyed the items lying on the stone courtyard before her. It was an array of different-shaped metal pieces, ranging from palm-sized to anvil-sized. One, in fact, was an anvil.


    She had moved herself to the training ground that was behind the mansion and stood near the wooden targets that were set up at the far end of the grounds. Once more, she had changed clothes, now into a simple set of black leggings with a white overshirt. It didn¡¯t exactly fit that much with her current preferences, but it was the first thing she had found now that her usual set of clothes for these kinds of things were dirty.


    She should look into getting more clothes that weren¡¯t just different kinds of dresses.


    Scarlett bent down and picked up a thin strip of metal that was on the ground. It wasn¡¯t anything special. Just ordinary iron, barely a millimeter thick. That¡¯s what her request to the blacksmith had outlined.


    A benchmark test, if you would.


    She raised her free hand, holding out her index finger for no other reason than that it felt fitting. Then she conjured a thin stream of water in front of her nail. The action came a lot easier to her now than it had before she upgraded hydrokinesis, and something this minor didn¡¯t even come close to taxing her mind nowadays.


    She lowered the small water-knife she¡¯d created towards the edge of the metal piece, and the liquid split over it.


    Well, that was expected. This was tricky to do correctly. She¡¯d only ever tried it on paper up till now.


    Letting the water vanish, she formed another blade yet again. This time, she put even more attention on maintaining the shape¡¯s rigidity. She also focused more on making the edge of the blade as thin and sharp¡ªor what at least approached ¡®sharpness¡¯ when working with magically shaped water like this¡ªas she could.


    Interestingly enough, she had noticed that she could use her hydrokinesis to force water to act more like a solid. A bit like ice, maybe. She wasn¡¯t sure if what she was doing was just increasing the density or if that was even how Newtonian fluids worked¡ªshe wasn¡¯t a real ¡®science person¡¯, and it was only thanks to Mythbusters that she even knew a term like that¡ªbut it worked, and that was all that mattered to her.


    Although she had to admit that it was pretty hard.


    Once more, she tried cutting downward with her blade, and this time the water didn¡¯t split as soon as it touched the metal. Instead, however, it bent like a very watery piece of wire, trying to maintain the shape she was commanding it to.


    She tried asserting even more force, and even though the water became even more contorted around the piece of metal, the edge of the metal piece also started bending under the pressure now.


    It wasn¡¯t a knife slicing through butter, but she hadn¡¯t been expecting that either.


    While [Greater Hydrokinesis] gave her a lot more freedom with what she could do with her magic, she had quickly realized that it didn¡¯t magically make her proficient at it. Or well, it did. But there were limits to it. For example, how she had difficulties just getting this right.


    She felt like she had the power, but not the precision, to do what she wanted now. Upgrading [Mana Control] further might help with that somewhat.


    If she wanted to cut through this metal with her hydrokinesis, for example, she could probably create a decent enough blade of water and just force it through, with enough practice. One problem was that she had no idea how viable of a tactic that was in this world. For all she knew, that could be one of the most inefficient ways of attacking possible against the people here.


    Another possibility was using the water more like a saw, or maybe even like a water jet cutter. She had imagined herself moving the water back and forth at extreme speeds to replicate the effect, walking around with an industrial-grade weapon at her fingertips.


    Of course, after actually trying it, she realized that was considerably harder than just making the water act more solid. It was also insanely mana expensive.


    Not to mention she had some major doubts about how effective that really was, too. She was pretty sure that water jet cutters back in her world didn¡¯t actually use pure water, after all. They had some abrasive substance mixed in with the water.


    Although maybe she could replicate that somehow, even in this world?


    She had lots and lots of interesting ideas, but her current skill-level limited her possibilities, and some of them were questionable in their usefulness. There was also a limit to how much pressure her hydrokinesis could produce, which was the most important deciding factor. And she had no idea where that limit was.


    She did have an idea of how she could measure it, in a pseudo-scientific way that did not at all speak for her general intelligence. But she¡¯d always lived by the adage that ¡°if it works, it ain¡¯t stupid¡±, and she would continue to do so until it no longer worked.


    ... Or she actually had to get serious about things.


    Putting the metal strip back on the ground for later, Scarlett shifted her attention to a small iron ball lying on the ground. She picked it up and gave it a small shake. It was lighter than it looked because it was hollow inside, filled with water now instead of metal.


    She closed her eyes as she held the ball in her palm.


    Although the idea of her becoming some kind of water samurai with her hydrokinesis was pretty appealing, this experiment was what she had been most curious about. She¡¯d tried lifting a bottle of water before, which had worked without issue. So she assumed that her ability to control water wasn¡¯t entirely limited by sight. She was curious exactly how much could be done with that.


    For some time, she stood there, trying to get a sense of the water inside the iron ball in her palm. Eventually, she succeeded, albeit the connection felt somewhat hazy compared to what she was used to. The ball floated up as she moved the water, though it felt like there was a certain lag to the motions because she was moving the water itself and not the ball the liquid was pushing against.


    Still, the sphere did move back and forth through the air at her command. She tried putting some force behind it and aimed the ball at one of the wooden targets. It struck the target with a bang, but it was nowhere near strong enough to get through the magical barriers the wooden dummies sported.


    She would have to explore the limitations of this particular use of hydrokinesis further. For now, she wasn¡¯t banking on making a weapon out of it. But what she was interested in was if she couldn¡¯t couple this with the alchemy that Allyssa used.


    She tried using her hydrokinesis to make the ball fly again to bring it back to her, but¡ªperhaps because of the distance¡ªshe couldn¡¯t establish a connection with it. Eventually, she went and picked it up herself. Putting it back on the ground, next to the other items, she turned to the anvil.


    Somehow, the blacksmith had created a fist-sized hole in its side and made it partially hollow on the inside. Through the dark hole, she could see vague reflections of a surface that she assumed was water. There were a few other items similar to this, but the anvil was her focus. It was the true benchmark, in a way, for her abilities.


    She took a step back, so as not to be next to the anvil if it were to topple over, then raised both hands. Raising the water was much easier when actually having sight of it.


    At first, the water stopped as it reached the anvil¡¯s ceiling. But she pushed on. A vein on her forehead tightened as she clenched her jaw. Just as she reached her limit, the anvil rose a short distance into the air, slamming back into the ground as she fell to her knees.


    Panting, she eyed the anvil. She¡¯d never been one much for the gym, but she imagined this was how it was when you tried to bench something just above your limit.


    Staying like that for a while, enough to let her pulse calm down, she stood and studied the remaining items.


    The anvil might be too much for now, but she still had lots of other things to experiment with.

 Chapter 65 - Reunions (+Map)

    ¡°My Lady,¡± Garside¡¯s voice called out from the other side of her office door. ¡°We have received a notice from the Shields Guild branch.¡±


    ¡°Enter,¡± Scarlett said calmly as she flipped a page in the book she was reading on old legends and fairytales here in the empire. A few days had passed since she started experimenting more with her magic, and things had been relatively calm as of late. But judging from what she¡¯d read in the latest issue of the Empyreal Chronicle, things were a lot more hectic in the other areas of the empire because of the attacks that had happened.


    Garside opened the door and walked into the room. ¡°It is from Miss Breeden,¡± the old butler said, holding up a piece of paper. ¡°It appears she has returned to Freybrook. Miss Astrey and Mister Thornthon have expressed their desire to visit her, as it appears she will not stay for long.¡±


    Scarlett looked up from her book. So Kat was fine? She¡¯d started growing worried about the woman after not hearing from her after the attacks, so this was a welcome piece of news.


    ¡°Did they wish to leave at once?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It appears so, my Lady.¡±


    Scarlett looked at the silver clock piece that sat on the left side of her desk. It was noon, and she hadn¡¯t planned on clearing another dungeon today, so taking a trip into town would probably be fine.


    She was getting a little nervous about what the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s next move towards her would be, so she had been a bit more paranoid about leaving the mansion in general, but she hired Shielders for a reason.


    ¡°Inform them that we will leave in half an hour,¡± she said.


    ¡°You are accompanying them, my Lady?¡± Garside asked, his thick mustache moving slightly as he spoke.


    Scarlett nodded her head. ¡°That is correct. I am curious how Miss Breeden has fared, and I have a promise to uphold.¡±


    She glanced at the [Bag of Juham] that lay on the other side of her desk. Although this was a bit earlier than expected, she could probably scrounge together something for now.


    Soon enough, Scarlett sat in the carriage along with Allyssa and Shin, moving south from the northern district of Freybrook where the mansion was located and towards the heart of the city. They spoke little on the way, but the streets outside were vibrant with life as usual. Before long, they arrived at their destination, the carriage stopping in front of the large stone building with an overhanging white birch roof that was the local Shields Guild branch.


    Exiting the vehicle after the coachman opened the carriage door for her, Scarlett stepped onto the cobbled stone pavement and glanced around the surrounding square.


    Allyssa was already on her way up the stairs to the building, with a slightly amused Shin close behind. Following, Scarlett passed under the sign with the Shields Guild¡¯s symbol on it and entered the wide lobby inside. There were a few more people here now than the last time she had visited, with several of the spots around the tables in the lobby already filled. Most looked to be customers of some kind, though, rather than Shielders.


    Allyssa was heading straight towards the reception desk at one end of the lobby. Scarlett didn¡¯t begrudge the girl her eagerness, but followed with a much more calm gait.


    The receptionist was the same dark-haired woman Scarlett had met the first time she was here. The woman greeted Allyssa when she stopped in front of the desk. ¡°Hello miss. Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a Shielder,¡± Allyssa said, holding up her Shielder badge. ¡°I heard Kat¡¯s back. Could we see her?¡±


    The receptionist studied Allyssa for a second, her eyes also passing over to Shin as he walked up next to Allyssa. ¡°Kat mentioned she might have guests from the capital. I¡¯ll bring you to her soon,¡± she said, her eyes reaching Scarlett. A surprised look passed over her face. She glanced between Scarlett and the other two, somewhat hesitantly. ¡°Baroness. Are you... also here to see Kat? Or can I help you with something else?¡±


    ¡°I came to meet with Miss Breeden.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Then I will bring you all to see her. She has been talking with the branch head for a while now, but I think they should be finished by now.¡±


    The receptionist leaned to the side to check that there were no other people in line behind them, then started leading them through the same side door and flight of stairs that Scarlett had traveled down last time, eventually guiding them into the waiting room she had been in before at the end of a hallway.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if Kat is free, so please wait here until then,¡± the receptionist said as she left the room.


    Scarlett walked over and sat down in an armchair next to the table at the center of the room. Shin and Allyssa did the same, although the latter did seem confused.


    ¡°Why did she bring us here instead of to just meet with Kat immediately?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°Probably because we have a noble with us,¡± Shin replied, looking around the room. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is the reception room they have for the more important clients.¡±


    Allyssa blinked, turning to Scarlett. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Neither of you have been to this branch before, I presume?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve only been to the branch in Elystead and Ambercrest.¡±


    ¡°The same for me. Although I have also been in the Wildscar branch,¡± Shin said.


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett nodded. ¡°I suppose you two are still young, and have had little opportunity to travel.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not that young,¡± Allyssa said with a small frown.


    ¡°You have yet to turn eighteen, have you not?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, we haven''t.¡±


    ¡°Then you are most definitely still young. I am close to ten years your senior, and I would still hesitate to describe myself as anything other than ¡®young¡¯.¡±


    From what Scarlett had seen of the family tree, the real Scarlett was only about a year older than her.


    ¡°What?¡± Allyssa stared at her. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be older.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Allyssa grew a flushed face. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you...¡±


    ¡°You have a very mature air to you,¡± Shin finished her sentence. ¡°Compared to Rosa, you act a lot older.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scarlett tapped her finger slowly against the armrest. ¡°While I believe you underestimate Miss Hale based on appearances, I do see your point.¡±


    Allyssa knitted her brows. ¡°What do you¡ª¡±


    The door was knocked open. In walked a tall woman in simple clothes, with sun-bleached gold hair hanging in a braid above her shoulder.


    ¡°Kat!¡± Allyssa cried out and got up off her chair, then stilled as she stared at the older Shielder. ¡°Wait, what happened to you?!¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes, noticing that the lower half of Kat¡¯s right chin had a large burn, cracked red skin running over it.


    ¡°Hey Ali. Shin.¡± Kat smiled at the two young Shielders. She pointed at her chin. ¡°This? You could say I got in over my head. And unfortunately, I didn¡¯t quite manage to get myself healed in time.¡±


    Allyssa ran up to Kat, a worried expression on her face as she looked over the older woman. Shin had also stood up to move closer. ¡°Was this from all of those attacks that happened across the empire?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°It was.¡± Kat¡¯s countenance darkened. ¡°We lost a lot of people.¡±


    They all went quiet for a moment. But then Kat smiled again as she looked at her two juniors. ¡°But we can talk about that some other time. Right now, it feels good just seeing you two again. It¡¯s been so long.¡± She grabbed both of them and pulled them into a hug. ¡°Two full-fledged Shielders, ready to make a name for yourselves. To think I¡¯d see the day!¡±


    Allyssa looked uneasy for a moment, but soon relaxed and returned the hug with a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Kat.¡±


    Kat¡¯s eyes turned to Shin. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve been keeping an eye on this one. Made sure she hasn¡¯t gotten into any trouble.¡±


    Shin smiled as he removed himself from the hug. ¡°She¡¯s been relatively well-behaved lately.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Allyssa cried out as she also released herself from Kat, readjusting the goggles on her head that had fallen down over her forehead.


    Scarlett had stayed silent till now, content to let the three of them have their reunion. Now, however, Kat turned to look at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest. I didn¡¯t really expect you to be here as well,¡± the Shielder said, crossing her arms. ¡°Couldn¡¯t stop yourself from seeing your old friend, eh?¡±


    Scarlett gave her a long look. ¡°I would hardly describe us as ¡®old friends.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Not yet, maybe.¡± Kat let out a laugh, gesturing at Allyssa and Shin. ¡°I hope these two have been useful to you?¡±


    ¡°They have,¡± Scarlett said with a nod. ¡°I am glad that you introduced them to me.¡±


    Kat shrugged. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one paying them. It¡¯s good that they get some experience, and I imagined that working with you might be fun for them.¡±


    She looked at the two younger Shielders. ¡°Did you visit any strange places?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah we did,¡± Allyssa answered. ¡°The last week we¡¯ve been going to all of these hidden caves, and a couple of weeks ago we visited this magical forest full of bloodthirsty fairies. Oh, and back in Elystead, I even met the princesses!¡±


    ¡°Bloodthirsty fairies? And the princesses?¡± Kat glanced at Scarlett. ¡°I thought I did weird things.¡±


    Scarlett smirked. ¡°If you are envious, I know of several other such places that you might enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course you do.¡± Kat shook her head, focusing her attention on Allyssa and Shin. ¡°I¡¯d love to chat and catch up on how things are, but I have to talk with Scarlett about a few things first. The two of you could go and ask Kyla where the backroom is and you can stay there for the meanwhile. I¡¯ll come find you later.¡±


    Alyssa looked between Kat and Scarlett. ¡°Talk to her about what?¡±


    Shin put his hand on Allyssa¡¯s shoulder, looking over at Kat. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you there, then. Let¡¯s go, Allyssa.¡±


    The two of them left the room, although Allyssa did it somewhat reluctantly.


    Kat¡¯s eyes stayed on the door for a moment after they¡¯d left, then she turned back to Scarlett. She suddenly looked a lot more tired as she walked over and sat down in the armchair opposite Scarlett¡¯s.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Alive,¡± Kat answered, gently touching her hand against the side of her face. ¡°That¡¯s about as much as I can ask for.¡±


    ¡°...What happened?¡±


    ¡°A lot of things,¡± Kat said, lowering her hand. ¡°But first, I should probably thank you.¡±


    Scarlett leaned her head to the side. ¡°Thank me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I probably wouldn¡¯t be alive if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± Kat looked her in the eyes. ¡°I ran into that ¡®Vail¡¯ you mentioned.¡±


    Scarlett stilled. ¡°...I see. I am glad that you are still alive.¡±


    Vail did not give most people the chance to escape, unless she thought there was a chance that they were strong enough.


    ¡°There are others that aren¡¯t,¡± Kat said with a dark expression. ¡°I was lucky.¡±


    ¡°Where was this?¡± Scarlett asked. She didn¡¯t know for sure where Vail showed up this early in the game, but she had guessed that it would be Brinewick, considering that was the most important location for this occurrence.


    ¡°I was sent to Brinewick, along with some other Shielders. We cooperated with several other organizations to evacuate and protect the place, but we were still overwhelmed.¡±


    Scarlett tapped her finger against the armrest. ¡°...I was afraid that would be the case.¡±


    She had been expecting it, to a certain degree. She wasn¡¯t sure if her warning could have made too much of a difference at this point, no matter what she said.


    ¡°The Guild is on high alert right now, and we¡¯re working all over the empire to help those affected and find out what the Tribe of Sin is up to,¡± Kat said. She turned quiet for a moment. ¡°...And the Hallowed Cabal as well, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you will be occupied for the immediate future?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Probably, yeah. I can¡¯t really say. For now, most of the high-ranked Shielders will be busy. I think only a few will remain at the branches in order to deal with more important and dangerous requests.¡±


    ¡°I see. That is a shame. I had hoped to commission your services once more.¡±


    Kat gave a small smile. ¡°Well, I might be up for it later. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen any fairies before.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me.¡± Scarlett looked around the room. Right, she gave the [Bag of Juham] to Shin. ¡°When you talk to Shin later, ask him to give you the items I spoke to him about. They are a reimbursement on my part.¡±


    Kat gave her a confused look. ¡°Reimbursement?¡±


    ¡°It means compensation.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Kat shook her head. ¡°I know what reimbursement means. I just don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for.¡±


    ¡°When we were originally assaulted by the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s assassins, you lost your equipment along with the burned carriage. If I remember correctly, I promised to compensate you for it, in recognition of the aid you had lent me.¡±


    Kat scrunched her face together, placing her hand on her neck. ¡°You said that?¡±


    ¡°Did I not?¡± Scarlett frowned. She had most definitely promised herself that she would do something like that, but she couldn¡¯t quite remember if she¡¯d ever told Kat about it. ¡°No matter. I will give it to you anyhow.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really owe me anything. I can¡¯t acce¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not attempt to refuse it,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It is nothing remarkable, and certainly not anything I have need of. But it could prove useful to you in the future. Be a good Shielder and accept what I am deigning to bequeath upon you.¡±


    Kat raised both eyebrows in a small smirk. ¡°Someone sure is pushy.¡±


    ¡°I have already chosen the items. There is not much point to me keeping them anymore. You may do with them as you wish.¡±


    They weren¡¯t particularly special items, really. Just what she had on hand. There was a pair of gloves that made terramancy slightly more powerful; a light set of¡ªslightly rusty¡ªarmor that increased some of one''s resistances, and a ring that buffed restoration magic. For someone of Kat¡¯s strength they were probably a bit weak, but it was better than nothing.


    It¡¯d be good if Kat didn¡¯t go and get herself killed somewhere, and Scarlett did feel somewhat indebted to the woman that had helped her when she first arrived in this world. This was the least she could do for the time being.


    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t say no, then.¡± Kat shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It makes me happy, actually. Just a tiny bit. I sort of thought you would have forgotten about me as ¡®that one Shielder you hired once¡¯, so this is unexpected.¡±


    ¡°I believe I told you before that you are quite the memorable individual,¡± Scarlett said.


    That got a short chuckle out of Kat. ¡°Oh, yeah. You did.¡±


    The woman went quiet for a moment, then her expression turned serious again. ¡°...There¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Is there anything else you know about the Hallowed Cabal or the Tribe of Sin that might be important right now?¡±


    Scarlett looked at her.


    ¡°Not that you¡¯re forced to tell me or anything.¡± Kat raised her hands in the air in front of her. ¡°But...it sure would be helpful. And you always seem to know these kinds of things.¡±


    Scarlett leaned back in her chair. There wasn¡¯t much point in sharing what would happen in Beld Thylelion, or over a year from now. The Guild would be aware of a lot by then, anyway. It¡¯d also be strange if she started talking about things that were that far away. And the Cabal would probably stay quiet for now.


    ¡°At present, there is not much that I know,¡± she began, keeping her eyes on Kat. ¡°But if I do learn anything new, I will inform you of it posthaste.¡±


    Kat looked disappointed for a brief moment, but it soon grew into a relieved expression. ¡°Thanks. Seriously. You don¡¯t know how much that means to me.¡±


    ¡°It is the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really that small.¡± Kat shook her head. ¡°But enough about that. I¡¯m curious. What have you been up to since we last met? Mind sharing a little?¡±

 Chapter 66 - A bard never tells

    Later that day, after spending some surprisingly enjoyable time catching up with Kat, Scarlett returned to the mansion by herself.


    Shin and Allyssa were at the Guild branch. She wasn¡¯t about to come between them and their first real meeting with Kat for what appeared to be quite some time. She also didn¡¯t have much in the city to do at the moment, and she hadn¡¯t wanted to wait around until they were done, either.


    And even though she was being more wary about the Hallowed Cabal right now, it wasn¡¯t like there was a high likelihood of them doing anything in the middle of the day when she was out in the open in Freybrook.


    At least, that¡¯s what she¡¯d convinced herself when she had been sitting in the carriage cabin all by herself. In the future, she might bring along Fynn on trips like this too, just to be safe.


    Despite her worries though, she did return to the estate without issue. As she was crossing the courtyard towards the mansion¡¯s entrance, however, she was surprised to find Rosa there, sitting on one of the curved benches that encircled the fountain at the center of the courtyard. The brown-haired woman had her hurdy-gurdy-esque instrument in her lap, slowly turning its crank. By the looks of it, she was in the process of tuning it.


    Scarlett stopped for a moment to observe. Rosa seemed so absorbed in her work that she hadn¡¯t even noticed her yet.


    Suddenly the bard swore, pulling her hands back with a grimace. She sat still for several seconds, staring down at the instrument.


    Scarlett frowned. That was odd.


    ¡°Is everything all right?¡± she asked, stepping closer to the curved bench.


    Rosa¡¯s head spun to look at her with slightly widened eyes. It might have been all in Scarlett¡¯s imagination, but the woman¡¯s face looked paler than usual. The large smile that grew on her face seemed to belie that impression, however.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rosa let out a light laugh, placing her hand against her chest. ¡°At least I think I am, if my heart hasn¡¯t jumped straight out of my throat now. You sure know how to sneak up on a girl.¡±


    Scarlett took the woman in. For all of Rosa¡¯s appearances of being cheerful and sprightly, she always had a hard time reading the woman.


    ¡°I made no attempt at disguising my approach,¡± she said, walking over and sitting down next to Rosa. ¡°You were simply too occupied with your instrument.¡±


    This earned raised brows from the bard. ¡°Well, sorry for taking pride in my craft. I come from a long line of klert tuners, you see.¡± Rosa took on an exaggerated tone, patting her instrument. Apparently, it was called a klert. ¡°In fact, legend has it that my great-great-great-great-great-uncle¡¯s-cousin-twice-removed had an affair with a klert, so it¡¯s practically in my blood.¡±


    Scarlett got the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°I see. And I suppose his brother had an affair with a thread of yarn?¡±


    Rosa gave her a confused look. For a moment, Scarlett thought her joke had been a bit too far-fetched, but soon the bard grinned. ¡°Are you perhaps calling my great-great-great-aunt¡¯s-fifth cousin a spinner of yarn?¡±


    ¡°...You appear to have a rather complicated family tree.¡±


    ¡°Why! I¡¯ll have you know the Hales are a prestigious house that put our esteem above all else.¡± Rosa took on a sultry tone. ¡°We don¡¯t satisfy with a mere tree. We¡¯re not content unless you need an abacus to make sense of it.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I struggle to comprehend what that is even supposed to mean. Although I imagine you have many relatives.¡±


    Rosa turned quiet. She looked forward, at the fountain, and spoke in the same jovial tone as before. ¡°Hmm, yeah. Maybe.¡±


    As the woman¡¯s words trailed off, Scarlett examined her face, considering what else to say. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d sat down to begin with. Or why she started playing along with Rosa¡¯s banter. There was nothing in specific she wanted to speak about with her.


    ¡°Is there a reason as to why you are spending your time out here?¡± she eventually asked.


    Rosa turned back to her. ¡°No, not really. Sometimes you just want a breath of fresh air, you know? Tuning my klert sometimes helps me calm down and think. See things for how they really are, rather than how they appear at the moment.¡±


    There was a smile on Rosa¡¯s face, but Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of it. ¡°That is understandable,¡± she said. ¡°However, if there are any issues with the accommodations provided to you, or if you are uncomfortable with any of the staff, there is no need to hesitate in raising your concerns.¡±


    Rosa gave her what looked like a genuinely incredulous look. ¡°I¡¯m being treated like a guest of honor, at a noble¡¯s mansion of all places. All the while I get to enjoy some of the best food I¡¯ve ever had, and get to go on exciting little adventures several times a week. You¡¯d have to be a real nincompoop to complain about any of that.¡±


    ¡°As long as you are content.¡± Scarlett nodded along. ¡°And the chef is indeed quite proficient at his craft.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement if I ever heard any.¡± Rosa chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d quite literally kill for those scones I had this morning. Ah, and that beef bourguignon...¡± the woman trailed off with a blissful expression.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Scarlett leaned her head to the side, her attention caught by Rosa¡¯s use of a word that was decidedly non-English in origin. Even though she usually didn¡¯t pay it much mind, things like that still came off as odd to her about this world.


    ¡°Why is it named that, would you say?¡± she found herself asking.


    ¡°You mean the beef bourguignon?¡± Rosa rubbed her chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I suppose it¡¯s the same reason all words are as they are. Some old coot thought to himself, ¡®now that¡¯s a gobbledygook if I¡¯ve ever seen one¡¯, and the rest is history. In this case I guess they also happened to be Voneian.¡±


    Scarlett stared at the woman. ¡°...As ever, your way with words astounds.¡±


    Still, she had seen Voneian both in its written and its spoken form. She personally wouldn¡¯t say it was that similar to French, so Rosa implying that it was a Voneian loanword struck her as odd. Although Scarlett was pretty terrible with other languages in general, so she wouldn¡¯t call herself an authority on the matter.


    Besides, the English of this world¡ªor rather, the Modern Imperial¡ªwould have had to get its loanwords from somewhere. She already knew that some of what she considered Latin terms came from the language of the old Zuver here, and that many of the idioms and phrases from her world also existed in this world. Because of this, she¡¯d already guessed that the way Modern Imperial developed would have had to mirror English in some manner.


    But, considering how ridiculously convoluted linguistic history got even after just going back a few decades, she didn¡¯t understand how that was possible. To her, it seemed like the evolution of a language was just too complicated and had too many factors to it for it to be replicated like that, even if it was in a world like this where everything was seemingly inspired by a video game.


    But the other alternative was that everything had just popped into place as is, which seemed even more unrealistic to her. After all, she knew there was history to this world. And as such, the evolution of the languages around here had to be part of that history.


    God, a linguistics scholar would probably have a field day with this.


    Maybe she should spend some time looking into the matter. Did they actually have linguistic scholars in this world? If the Modern Imperial in this world didn¡¯t evolve naturally, there should be some obvious inconsistencies in its history. And even if it did evolve naturally, there might still be clues as to why it was exactly like the English of her world.


    She had been thinking about this for a while now, really. In fact, getting to the bottom of this might even give her some clues to what this world actually was.


    Realizing her thoughts had wandered, and that Rosa had gone silent with her eyes turned downward towards her klert, Scarlett spoke again. ¡°I have been meaning to ask. The magic that you perform. It is unlike anything I have witnessed. Where did you learn techniques such as those?¡±


    In ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯, Rosa had a unique class. And as far as Scarlett was aware, she was the only character that used music for their magic. In the game, the woman had always been vague and secretive about most personal matters, and this was a matter Scarlett had never learned much about.


    ¡°I picked up a few things here and there,¡± Rosa answered, turning her gaze upward. ¡°Met this old lady who taught me a trick or two as well.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± Maybe Scarlett had been expecting a bit too much. ¡°Perhaps you know what type of magic it is? If, for instance, it can be considered to belong to the same branch as aeromancy?¡±


    It¡¯d be good to know what kind of items could improve Rosa¡¯s magic outside of just general buff items.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I do. I¡¯m not really much of a mage, you see. To tell you the truth, I would almost have expected you to know the answer to that.¡±


    Scarlett gave her an inquiring look. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°What, you think a girl doesn¡¯t notice a few things just because you surround yourself with a gaggle of weirdos?¡± Rosa let out a short laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve got this...it to you, you know? This quality.¡± Her tone turned more solemn. ¡°Some people interact with the world as it is, living their lives as they come. Others interact with the world as they think it should be, and they live their lives to make it so.¡±


    The woman fiddled with her klert again, much more deftly now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve met those kinds of people before,¡± Rosa continued, glancing at Scarlett for only a second before turning back to the fountain. ¡°They always seem like they know what to do, making you think ¡®what is it with this person? How do I become like that?¡¯¡±


    ¡°...You would compare me to them?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± Rosa laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve got a knack for these things.¡± She winked at her. ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t hurt that you go around acting like you know quite literally everything, pulling out one unbelievable thing after another from out of nowhere all the time.¡±


    It looked like she was about to continue, but her eyes suddenly widened and she quickly turned away, turning silent.


    Over a dozen seconds passed, before Rosa abruptly spoke again. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a noble, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow at her. ¡°I am uncertain whether or not you are expecting me to answer that.¡±


    ¡°When we first met, you said something about being able to help if I ever wanted to learn anything special, right?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice wavered slightly, her gaze was locked on the fountain before them.


    Scarlett studied Rosa closely, paying close attention to the area under the woman¡¯s eyes. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong at the moment. ¡°¡­While those were not the exact words I used, it is a close enough summary.¡±


    Rosa turned to look at her, the bard¡¯s violet eyes meeting hers. ¡°Does that mean you could help me find information on...anything?¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brows. She was pretty sure she knew what this was about. ¡°Anything within my power.¡±


    Rosa held her eyes for several seconds. Then, she let out another short laugh and returned her gaze to the fountain. ¡°Well, good to know. I suppose if I ever want to know how to make some fairy friends, I know who to ask.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on the woman. ¡°...If there is anything you wish to ask me, or if there is anything troubling you, there is no need to hesitate.¡±


    Rosa shook her head with a smile. ¡°What would I have to worry about? I¡¯m fine. Better than fine, even! Haven¡¯t been in as good a situation as this for years!¡±


    The woman tore her eyes away from the fountain, bringing them back to the instrument in her lap as she started gently rotating the crank again. Some soft notes sounded out as she returned to her earlier tuning.


    Scarlett opened her mouth, intending to prod further, but slowly closed it after a moment.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how Rosa¡¯d react if she knew she was aware of what it was she wanted to know. Worse came to worst, it was entirely possible Rosa would decide to leave if she thought Scarlett knew her secret. At the very least, the woman would be deeply uncomfortable with the fact.


    And it wasn¡¯t as if Scarlett could straight out tell the woman that she could help her. That had risks all on its own.


    ¡°If that is how it is,¡± Scarlett began. ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    The sound of shattering glass blasted out near them.


    Both of them turned to look towards their left, where the edge of the courtyard met the east wing of the mansion. Scarlett couldn¡¯t avoid gaping as she saw a person flying out of one of the second-floor windows, landing in one of the flower beds a moment later.


    Next to the broken window stood a somewhat ruffled Fynn, staring down at the courtyard.


    Scarlett blinked at the sight, holding herself back from crying out.


    What the hell just happened?!

 Chapter 67 - Budding schemes

    Scarlett gaped at the scene before her. A gust of wind swirled across the courtyard as Fynn jumped out of the broken window, touching down next to the person who¡¯d flown out it.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± she cried out, rising from her seat as she looked towards the person lying on the ground. A large patch of flowers had been flattened by the broken glass and the person¡¯s fall, but the surrounding flowers stopped her from seeing much of their figure.


    Fynn looked at her, but his head almost immediately snapped back to the person beside him as they moved. Fynn lashed out, but the person had somehow already made it halfway to their feet and stumbled away from the attack, squashing even more of the colorful flowers under their feet as they stepped back. They wore a dark hood, and two knives flashed into their hands from out of nowhere.


    Scarlett breathed in at the sight. So this was an intruder? Had the Cabal made their move?


    Fynn let out a low growl as he jumped after the figure, the winds running over the flowerbeds along with him. The hooded figure dodged the incoming blow, side-stepping under it and shuffling onto the stone path leading around the courtyard.


    Scarlett lifted her hands¡ªsensing Rosa raising her klert beside her¡ªand readied herself to use her magic. Fynn dove in once more, the young man acting fiercer than Scarlett had ever seen him before. As he swiped out towards the intruder once more, an indistinct green light formed into claw-like shapes around his left hand. Scarlett stilled at the sight, the hooded intruder only barely managing to step out of the claws¡¯ range.


    Since when could Fynn use [Claws of the Tempest]?! She thought it would take him far longer to learn that.


    Scarlett had to push any further thoughts over Fynn¡¯s surprising development to the side, as the intruder tried to dodge yet another swipe from Fynn. It forced them into the path of the young man¡¯s other hand, which also sported claws now.


    The intruder suddenly turned into a hazy streak of red. Fynn¡¯s claws tore through the light red fog left behind as the person reappeared a few meters away, close to the mouth of the courtyard.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened. She recognized that ability.


    Like a predator locking onto its prey, Fynn was already about to jump after the person.


    ¡°Halt! Fynn, stop at once!¡± Scarlett yelled.


    She conjured a thick wall of water in front of him. Fynn smashed right through it, his upper body becoming soaked as he awkwardly tried to arrest his sprint. When he stopped, he threw a quick glance at the hooded figure in front of him before turning to Scarlett with a confused expression.


    Scarlett focused on the intruder, who¡¯d looked like they were about to turn tail and make a run for it up until now.


    At a closer look, it was clear this person wasn¡¯t part of the Hallowed Cabal. While they wore a hood that covered much of their face, their outfit was a simple mix of thick, dark fabric and leather armor, with an assortment of small knives hanging off their side. From their build, and the outlines of a beard seen beneath the hood, she could tell it was a man.


    She lowered her hands, gesturing for Rosa to do the same.


    The hooded man seemed to take this as a sign. He, too, lowered his knives and placed them on his belt.


    ¡°Gaven Ridley, I presume?¡± Scarlett asked, just loud enough that it would reach the man.


    ¡°Huh. So you were expecting me,¡± a rough voice sounded out. ¡°I was starting to think I¡¯d been conned. This sure is a one-of-a-kind welcome.¡±


    Scarlett held back a sigh. She looked toward the broken window and the ruined flowerbed. ¡°This is not how we ordinarily greet our guests.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a guest?¡± Fynn asked, visibly bewildered as he frowned at Gaven. ¡°But I sensed him sneaking around inside. He didn¡¯t smell like any of the others. He smelled bad.¡±


    ¡°...You sensed me, eh?¡±


    Scarlett cringed inwardly at how her previous talks about being secretive about certain things clearly hadn¡¯t produced much result with Fynn.


    ¡°So you saw fit to destroy part of my residence?¡± She locked her gaze on the white-haired young man. He froze, his eyes shifting to the window in question, and what remained of it in the ruined flowerbed.


    ¡°I...I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Scarlett probably didn¡¯t succeed in hiding the irritation in her voice.


    The doors to the mansion slammed open, and she turned to see some of the servants come running out and down the stairs. For now, she ignored it and returned her attention to the intruder. To Gaven Ridley. One of the companions in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯.


    ¡°And you,¡± she said, her voice ice cold. ¡°You believe it acceptable to creep into my home? Without my explicit permission? Did the thought of contacting me prior to your visit not even occur to you?¡±


    Evidently, Mirage had done their job when it came to finding Gaven, but apparently they overlooked giving him clear instructions on how to meet with her. She certainly hadn¡¯t anticipated him trying to sneak into her mansion like this.


    In fact, what she had been expecting was for Mirage to contact her again after they¡¯d found him, informing her of when the meeting was to take place. But clearly, that was too much to hope for.


    Was it just her being stupid when she expected others to act like reasonable people and communicate with each other?


    Gaven simply shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly planning for the boy over there to find me.¡±


    ¡°You should wish yourself fortunate that he did.¡±


    If she¡¯d found herself surprised by a hooded stranger in her home, there was no telling what would¡¯ve happened. While she wasn¡¯t entirely certain she could take down Gaven¡ªhe had one of the highest evasion stats in the game, among other things¡ªit sure as hell wouldn¡¯t have been pretty, for either of them.


    ¡°I take it you are indeed here to meet with me, then?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Me?¡± Gaven crossed his arms. ¡°You¡¯re the one who called.¡±


    Scarlett just shook her head at the whole situation. A moment later, two of the mansion¡¯s servants came running toward her. It was Marlon, the woman in charge of the female servants, and a brown-haired young man named Gilbert.


    ¡°My Lady!¡± Marlon held up the hems of her dress so that it didn¡¯t come in the way of her feet. ¡°Is everything all right?!¡±


    The woman¡¯s head turned¡ªin something halfway between a frown and an expression of worry¡ªto Fynn and the wrecked window, as well as Gaven where he was. While the man¡¯s hood covered much of his face, which looked pretty suspicious in this situation, the belt he¡¯d worn with weapons on it had now disappeared under his clothing.


    Scarlett looked around the courtyard as a few more of the servants exited the mansion, including Garside.


    ¡°I am unharmed,¡± she told Marlon, and pointed to the side where broken glass lay scattered. ¡°Have someone clean that up. Ensure there is no glass inside as well.¡±


    Marlon threw one last look at both Gaven and Fynn, but soon bowed her head. ¡°Of course my Lady,¡± she said, walking off.


    Scarlett turned to look at Garside as he approached, with a couple other servants trailing behind him. ¡°Garside. Contact a glazier to repair that window. And inform the staff that, while an unfortunate accident occurred, the matter has been resolved and that there is no need for worry.¡±


    The man furrowed his brows as he appeared to take in the situation, eyes stopping on both Fynn and Gaven. After a moment, he lowered his head. ¡°As you wish, my Lady.¡±


    Scarlett turned her eyes to the courtyard¡¯s opening, where the archway that connected the two wings of the mansion enclosed the courtyard. Looking past that, and past the garden that was between the building itself and the stone wall that encompassed the entire estate, it didn¡¯t seem like the hired guards had noticed what was going on.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°In addition,¡± she added, turning back to Garside. ¡°Inform the guards that, henceforth, they will patrol the grounds regularly and report any suspicious matters directly to me. I also want you to look into employing more men to increase the shifts.¡±


    The good thing about having Fynn around was that he was great at detecting suspicious interlopers. But they weren¡¯t at the mansion twenty-four seven, so it might be wise to hire more guards. No matter how weak they were.


    ¡°I will do so forthwith,¡± Garside responded with a firm tone. ¡°But, if it¡¯s not too bold of me, may I inquire into what has happened here?¡±


    The small gathering of servants that stood before her now, including Rosa, gave her curious looks.


    ¡°A misunderstanding occurred between one of my retainers and a guest. None of you need bother yourselves with it further than that.¡± She shot a look at Fynn. ¡°That includes you as well.¡±


    He gave her an embarrassed look.


    Scarlett turned back to the servants, gesturing with her hand. ¡°Now, you may all leave. Those that have work to do should return to it immediately.¡±


    The servants got to moving, and even Fynn started walking back towards the mansion with hesitant steps. Scarlett would have to talk with him later, but for now, she looked to Rosa, who had stayed uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire proceedings. ¡°We will have to suspend our conversation here, it appears. I apologize for the disturbance.¡±


    The bard returned a smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Looks like you¡¯ve got a lot on your plate.¡±


    Scarlett turned to Garside, who was also yet to leave. ¡°I will be in the parlor next to my office. Inform Molly and all others that I do not want to be disturbed for the coming hour, and that they should refrain from entering the east wing other than to address the broken window. This includes Fynn and the other individuals temporarily under my employ.¡±


    This probably looked pretty suspicious, but it was better than anyone overhearing things. Fynn¡¯s hearing, especially, was an issue.


    ¡°Your words are our commands, my Lady,¡± Garside said. ¡°But...is it safe?¡±


    She looked at the grey-haired man for a moment, then gave a slow nod. ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I will ensure that your orders are followed to the letter.¡± The butler bowed and started moving back towards the mansion, passing by two servants that had already begun picking up some of the glass scattered about the courtyard.


    Scarlett turned to Gaven, who hadn¡¯t moved an inch during the last minute. ¡°Then, shall we have a talk?¡±


    ¡°Gaven Ridley,¡± Scarlett said the name once more. She sat on a red leather couch in the smaller guest parlor, located close to her office in the east wing. The man in question sat opposite her, now with his hood down.


    Unlike the large reception hall in the mansion, this guest parlor was relatively simple, with a large table placed in its center, surrounded by several expensive-looking armchairs and couches. There were a couple of bookcases lining the walls, and a wall looking out over the eastern part of the Hartford compound, but the rest of the walls only held some modest paintings.


    Gaven Ridley himself was quite similar to what Scarlett remembered from the game. Other than his attire¡ªwhich looked much like what one might expect from a rogue-like character in a setting such as this¡ªhe had a head of thick, flowing, dark-brown hair that parted to the sides and reached to his neck. In addition, he had an unexpectedly well-kept beard and light-brown eyes that had been looking at her with an amused gaze for some time now.


    A fact that only slightly annoyed her.


    ¡°I will not delve further into the fatuity of attempting to sneak into my home without my prior knowledge. I presume you were contacted by someone about my desire to meet with you? But they did not tell you how and when?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Some shady individuals came and made me an offer I couldn¡¯t refuse.¡± Gaven shrugged. ¡°I assumed anytime would be fine. But your kind don¡¯t often take well to working with mine, so I make it a habit to not let unrelated people notice me. Most of the time, I don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°You did this time,¡± Scarlett pointed out. ¡°Perhaps that will teach you to be more heedful in the future.¡±


    She almost wished she could give Mirage a bad review on Google or something like that. For poor customer service. This made her somewhat worried that her other request to them would be handled even worse. But, considering how that request was relatively simple, she hoped that wouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    Gaven smirked. ¡°Heh, maybe I will. I¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡± He leaned back on his couch, folding one leg over the other. ¡°So, what¡¯s a lofty baroness like you want with someone like me?¡±


    Scarlett tapped her finger against the armrest next to her, not bothering to hold back her stare as she studied the man. While Gaven had been a companion in the game, his personality didn¡¯t mesh the best with Scarlett¡¯s. Not to mention the fact that he was technically a criminal.


    But he was also necessary for her plans.


    ¡°It is simple.¡± She locked eyes with him. ¡° I want to hire your services.¡±


    ¡°I kinda figured as much.¡±


    ¡°Then I can only assume you are interested in the prospect.¡±


    ¡°Depends.¡± He smiled. ¡°What do I get out of it? And what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°You will be compensated handsomely for your labor,¡± she said. ¡°Both money and enchanted equipment are on the table. The work itself will vary, although I can assure you I will only assign tasks you are capable of.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    ¡°Locating certain items of interest, as well as certain individuals.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He turned his head as he studied the paintings in the room. ¡°Would any of these items of interest happen to already have an owner?¡±


    Scarlett gave him a long look, then a slow nod. ¡°Some of them, yes.¡±


    A roguish smile grew on his face. ¡°Then I¡¯m listening.¡±


    [Quest completed: Hire companion¡¯s services ¡ª Gaven Ridley]


    {Skill points awarded: 3}


    Scarlett briefly glanced at the small window of text that appeared in front of her, before returning her attention to the man opposite her.


    ¡°To start with, when you contact me in the future, you are to do so through the guards at the front of my estate. I will ensure that they know what to do so that you are escorted straight to me. In addition, I advise that you wear more inconspicuous attire for such visits from now on.¡±


    Gaven gave a short nod. ¡°If you say so, boss.¡±


    Scarlett frowned slightly at the easygoing tone, but decided to let it go for now. ¡°Now, for the first task I would have you perform. I believe you should be familiar with the city of Bridgespell?¡±


    Gaven raised both brows at her words. ¡°I am, yeah. But I have to wonder why a baroness like you would know something like that about little old me.¡±


    ¡°There is much that I know. If you were to stop and demand an explanation every time a matter surprises you, our conversation would not move very fast.¡±


    He blinked, then a smile grew back on his face once again. From nowhere, he pulled out a thin knife with a hole at the bottom and started spinning it around his finger.


    Scarlett felt her eye twitch at the sight.


    ¡°So, what is it you want me to do in Bridgesp¡ªagh!¡± He pulled his hand back as his knife dropped onto the couch beside him, red hot as it seared the leather on the furniture.


    ¡°While I do not expect you to maintain the same standards of decorum as my regular attendants, I would advise you to be conscious of your position.¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice was cold as she conjured a mass of water around the knife to cool it down. A small cloud of smoke trailed up in the air, a faint burnt scent spreading inside the room.


    With her vision enhanced by her [Charms of Apperception], Scarlett had already noted that Gaven didn¡¯t have any defenses up at the moment. It¡¯d been hard to hold herself back from teaching him a little lesson with her pyrokinesis at that point. It was only recently that she¡¯d learned that it wasn¡¯t only limited to creating fire, but that it could also be used to heat up certain objects.


    What a perfect¡ªand satisfying¡ªopportunity to test the ability out in action.


    She definitely wouldn¡¯t do something like this to her other employees, though. She was very particular about her abuses of power.


    Gaven looked at her with a mildly surprised face as he held his left hand in his right. There was no anger there, though.


    ¡°Right, I get it, my Lady,¡± he said, giving an exaggerated bow with his head.


    Scarlett decided to let it go with that.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± she continued. ¡°Having grown up in parts of the city, you should be familiar with the different districts there. In particular, the Lower Ward.¡±


    Now he gave her a wary look, and she returned a small smile. She was purposefully trying to overplay how much she knew in order to get him to trust her even more later down the line, but she was fully expecting him to be suspicious this early on.


    ¡°I have also heard that your name is one that is currently on the lips of several of the local syndicates, meaning there will be some difficulty for you to move readily through the city.¡±


    Gaven frowned. ¡°If the first job¡¯s in Bridgespell, it¡¯s not an issue. Those people wouldn¡¯t be able to find me even if they knew where I was.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°The first job is not in Bridgespell itself. That would be for a later undertaking. No, the first thing I want of you is to prove your worth.¡±


    ¡°My worth?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will provide you with the location of a certain abandoned ruin near Kilsfell. I expect you to find it, explore it, and return with an item held deep within this ruin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...certainly a unique way of proving one¡¯s worth.¡± Gaven opened and closed his hand. ¡°But what about payment?¡±


    ¡°For a simple matter such as this, your payment will be any items of value found during your delve. Excluding the item I need.¡±


    Gaven knitted his forehead. ¡°How do I know it¡¯s worth it?¡±


    ¡°I believe someone as capable as you should be able to determine that yourself when you are there.¡±


    He crossed his arms as he seemed to consider it.


    ¡°Although I doubt it will come to pass,¡± Scarlett added. ¡°If you are not satisfied with the payment after having finished the task, I will compensate you further upon completion.¡±


    Now Gaven grinned. ¡°Then I¡¯m your man.¡±


    ¡°I expected as much,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°In addition, there are preparations that you will have to complete along with this task. I will arrange for transport through the Kilnstones so that you can travel between Freybrook and Bridgespell, but you will have to arrange disguises and anything else that may be necessary for you to be able to openly visit the city without encountering complications.¡±


    He caressed the beard on his chin as he grew a contemplative expression. ¡°And what exactly is this for?¡±


    ¡°You will learn that after you have completed your first tasks.¡±


    He grew quiet for a second. ¡°How much time would I have?¡±


    Scarlett leaned her head to the side as she considered it for a second. ¡°I believe two weeks is a reasonable period of time. After that, I expect you to have returned to me with both matters concluded.¡±


    He let out a laugh. ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t have any issue at all.¡± He leaned forward and held out his hand over the table with a smirk. ¡°I believe we have a deal, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett eyed the dirty hand for a moment. ¡°It appears we do,¡± she replied, not putting forth her own. Gaven didn¡¯t seem to mind as he pulled back onto the couch.


    ¡°What about an advance?¡± He rubbed his thumb and index finger together. ¡°Preparing these things will cost some.¡±


    ¡°You will be provided two thousand solars.¡±


    ¡°Two thousand, eh?¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll probably make do then.¡±


    ¡°I would hope so,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Any further questions?¡±


    Gaven shook his head.


    ¡°Good. Then let us discuss the details.¡±

 Chapter 68 - Foreboding winds

    Scarlett walked through the mansion, absentmindedly taking in the various expensive decors spread throughout the hallways as she passed by. A few days had gone by since her meeting with Gaven, but not much of note had happened since. She was still clearing the surrounding area¡¯s low-level dungeons¡ªcollecting skill points and valuable items¡ªso excitement wasn¡¯t exactly on her itinerary at the moment, even after hiring Gaven¡¯s services.


    Those particular plans of hers would take a while to get moving.


    Besides her dungeon farming, she had also communicated with Evelyne a lot these past few days, sending missives through a carrier service that made use of the Kilnstones.


    There were magical items and artifacts that allowed direct communication over long distances in this world. The [Mirror of Communion] used by the Angler Man and the Hallowed Cabal was a prime example of this. But they were relatively rare¡ªScarlett wasn¡¯t even sure if there were any that weren¡¯t Zuverian¡ªand from what she could tell, no one had set up a network with those to be used en masse. She knew for a fact that the Shields Guild had one for their own use, as did the Ustrum Assembly and some of the other influential groups across the empire, but the public had to make do, it appeared.


    Not that it mattered much to her. The carrier services she¡¯d been using to communicate with Evelyne were efficient enough for now. On occasion, she¡¯d wondered if there wasn¡¯t a promising business opportunity in trying to set up a communication network for the public somehow. But there probably was a reason something like that didn¡¯t already exist. Most likely a mix between the rarity of the needed items and the complicated logistics such a venture required.


    Eventually she¡¯d no doubt try to get her hands on some artifacts like this for her private needs, but she would probably keep using the carrier services even then. They had the added benefit of transporting goods in addition to messages. A feature she had used to send over much of the loot she¡¯d gathered to Evelyne in the capital, where the younger Hartford sister forwarded it to the auction houses and a few interested buyers.


    Scarlett¡¯s attention was caught as she passed by a window that gave a good view of the back part of the estate. Beyond the hedge garden hugging the mansion¡¯s facade were the training grounds, where she saw Fynn running around between the target dummies like a madman.


    The young man had been completely engrossed in training these past days, and Scarlett couldn¡¯t quite understand why. At first, she had thought it had something to do with the run-in with Gaven and the somewhat unfair admonishment she¡¯d given Fynn at the time. But that didn¡¯t appear to be it. When she¡¯d talked to him about the matter¡ªalso reminding him not to openly leak secrets and avoid destroying her property¡ªshe had gotten the impression it had to do with strength. For some reason, he was just intent on growing stronger as fast as possible right now.


    To her, this came out of the left field. As had the fact that he was apparently already able to use [Claws of the Tempest]. In the game he didn¡¯t learn that until level 50, which should theoretically¡ªor as theoretical as one could be when trying to translate a game to the real world¡ªbe some time away from where he was currently.


    She was still trying to figure out what had prompted this premature development in him. It didn¡¯t feel like any of her actions up till now should have had much effect on his strength. The [Mark of the Gale] and dungeon-running were all things done in the game. But she wasn¡¯t sure what else it could be.


    One alternative was that there was some factor, unknown to her, that had changed. But it could just as well be another of those things where it simply differed from the game because of how things translated. Whatever it was, she was holding back her complaints for now. Getting a more powerful companion was a good thing.


    She was just hoping he wouldn¡¯t grow too fast.


    Eventually, having entered the first floor of the west wing, Scarlett reached the far end of a corridor. A worn-out door stood before her, its frame showing signs of disrepair. The west wing was where much of the mansion staff lived, but it was also here some of the age of this place showed itself the most.


    Grabbing hold of the door¡¯s worn metal handle, she opened it to expose a tight set of stone stairs. They led down to a cellar area. The air had that chilly, slightly moist feel to it, common to underground places like these. The stone was also cold to the touch as she traced her hand along the wall, as not to lose her balance on her way down the steep decline.


    The cellar itself wasn¡¯t too large, comprising a short hallway with doors on both sides. Presumably storage rooms of some kind. Scarlett walked over to the closest of the doors and opened it, revealing a simple stone room. Packs of crates lay strewn along the walls, and two long tables stood at the center of the room with a range of odd tools and items placed on them. Placed under one of the tables was an open crate filled with a dozen varieties of vessels made of stone and metal.


    Between the two tables stood Allyssa, brown leather goggles covering her eyes as the blonde girl turned towards the entrance. She was wearing a simple set of brown clothes and a thick apron with dark splodges on it.


    Scarlett scrunched up her nose at the thick smell that wafted to her with a gust of wind. She looked to a small set of windows at the top of the far wall, lending a view of the western side of the estate. The windows were open to allow for some fresh air, but it clearly wasn¡¯t enough to combat the smell.


    ¡°Oh, you were coming here?¡± Allyssa¡¯s muffled voice sounded out as she pulled down a piece of cloth covering her mouth. ¡°I thought I was supposed to go find you later.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her attention to the young Shielder. This morning she¡¯d said that they should talk more about what Allyssa could do with her alchemy, now that the girl had had time to get things set up here in the mansion. Originally, Scarlett had intended to discuss it in the office, but she¡¯d found herself curious about how things looked down here, now that Allyssa was actually performing her craft. As such, she¡¯d decided to pay a visit herself.


    Although she hadn¡¯t quite expected the smell to be this strong. She might have to change clothes later if it stuck to them.


    ¡°I had time to spare, so there is no need to fret,¡± she said, eyes passing over a row of vials that stood on one of the tables. They all contained dark liquids of a few different colors, some of which looked similar to what she¡¯d seen Allyssa use during their various excursions. ¡°I heard from Garside that you have yet to use any of the alchemical ingredients he offered, choosing to first exhaust your own supplies. Is that correct?¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Ehm, yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Allyssa pushed up her goggles and reordered the frayed locks of hair jumbled by the action. ¡°You said that it was ok if I focused on refilling my own supply before I made anything else, so that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been focusing on... But it didn¡¯t feel right using what you gave me for that. And I still had some stuff left from Elystead, so I wanted to use that up first.¡±


    ¡°Does that not limit you in what you can make? Garside spent quite some time compiling all of that.¡± Scarlett walked over to stand next to Allyssa, gently running her finger over the side of a triangular piece of metal on the closest table. The odd piece of equipment had three depressions on its face, with strange lines and symbols running between them. She recalled that this was an item you had used in the game when performing alchemy, though the true purpose of it evaded her. ¡°My understanding is that he acquired a wide range of materials that would be useful for someone of your craft. You are more than welcome to make full use of it, even when it is for your own use. While you are under my employ, any improvement to your capabilities in the field benefits me as well.¡±


    For some reason Allyssa looked as if that thought hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind. Scarlett felt like she had made it clear on more than one occasion that she fully intended to support the young woman in her craft. The potential signified by it held a lot of interest to her, after all.


    Although, considering the invoice for all the materials Garside had gathered totaled several thousand solars, perhaps Allyssa¡¯s reaction made sense. While that amount was basically nothing in the grand scheme of things¡ªespecially to some nobles¡ªit was a good sum of money to ordinary people. It was a decent amount to Scarlett at the moment too. They were still in the process of selling many of the items and artifacts she was collecting. But she had enough cash at hand right now for this much, at least.


    ¡°I¡¯ll...remember that in the future,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°But I¡¯ve already finished most of what I needed to do for myself. There are still some potions and elixirs that I haven¡¯t had the time or materials to create, like the Philter of Ire¡¯s Decay, but I should be fine for now. If there¡¯s anything special you wanted me to try and create, I could probably get started on it soon.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°That is, in fact, what I wished to speak with you about. However, I am uncertain what the limits of your capabilities are, so I do not know exactly what I can request.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Allyssa wore a careful expression. ¡°I don¡¯t really talk much with real alchemists, outside of a couple of my mom¡¯s old friends, so I don¡¯t know how I would compare to others. I think I would at least be considered on the same level as an Alchemist Adept in most towers? Maybe?¡±


    Scarlett knitted her brow. The alchemical ranking system wasn¡¯t something she was acquainted with. If it was anything like the system that mages used though, an Adept was probably a step or two above a Novice, which in turn was a step above a complete beginner. ¡°I am unfamiliar with the practices of alchemists, so that does not tell me much. Would you be capable of creating healing potions, as an example?¡±


    Allyssa''s brow wrinkled as she considered it. ¡°It depends on the level? I usually don¡¯t create those because the materials are so expensive, but I can make at least some minor ones. I know how to make ordinary ones, but I¡¯m not completely sure I¡¯d succeed. It could be a waste to even try.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. In the game, the prefixes for potions and the like went Lesser -> Minor -> None -> Greater -> Superior -> Major -> Argent. [Minor Healing Potions] and [Healing Potions] were weaker than she would have wanted at this point, looking at it from a purely game perspective. [Greater Healing Potion] was more along the lines of what she¡¯d hoped for. From what she had learned, just one of those cost thousands of solars¡ªeven if one didn¡¯t already have a poor relationship with one of the major suppliers¡ªso having Allyssa be able to make them for her at a lower price would have been amazing.


    That the young woman might only create [Healing Potions], at best, was a shame.


    But who knows? Maybe ordinary healing potions were more effective than she thought. It wasn¡¯t as if Scarlett had actually tried any yet in this world. It was certainly better than nothing.


    Hopefully they¡¯d never need them, though. That was what Rosa was for.


    ¡°You may attempt to create some regular healing potions,¡± she said. ¡°As many as you deem reasonable. In addition, I would like you to compile a list of concoctions you are currently capable of, so that I can decide what might prove useful in the future.¡±


    Allyssa gave her a curious look. ¡°Are these all for your personal use?¡±


    ¡°They are, yes. Although if I were to sell any of your concoctions, I would ensure that you receive part of the profits as well.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not really what I was aski¡ª¡± A powerful gust of wind suddenly rushed in from the open windows, blowing a pile of loose papers laying on the table into the air.


    ¡°Agh, nonono!¡± Allyssa cried out as she whirled around, pushing the papers back on the table. Some of them had just been about to fly into a tiny cauldron with a sludgy brown solution in it. The young Shielder let out another short cry as the wind increased in strength, some of the loose vials and other tools in the rooms rattling against each other.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes at the window as the chilly breeze pushed against her skin, making the hairs on her arms stand up. It was increasing in strength frighteningly fast. By the time she reached the windows the wind had almost grown to a level where she only barely managed to force them shut.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Allyssa asked with a bewildered tone behind her. ¡°Is there a storm outside? I didn¡¯t even think that was possible here in the southwest.¡±


    ¡°It is not,¡± Scarlett muttered, peering out through the glass. All storms in this region were supposed to be drawn out south into the Innisling Sea, where the Forgotten Tower was, before they even formed. A storm around Freybrook was essentially impossible, as far as she knew. That, coupled with the fact that it was still bright and sunny outside, lent to a storm not being the cause for all this wind.


    Whatever this was, it wasn¡¯t natural. And it was enough to cause the trees outside the estate¡¯s stone walls to sway heavily, small clouds of dust blowing up along the gravel pathways inside the walls. It looked to originate from somewhere behind the mansion.


    ¡°Come,¡± she said, turning around and walking towards the door, not leaving much room for Allyssa to ask anything else. Exiting into the enclosed cellar, she hurriedly climbed up the narrow staircase to the first floor and moved through the hallways towards the center of the mansion. On the way, they passed by a few of the staff who were curiously observing the strange phenomenon outside.


    Now some of the smaller trees were even rocking back and forth to the level where it looked like some of them might break.


    The two of them ran into Shin as they passed through the mansion¡¯s foyer. The young man had apparently had the gumption to retrieve his strange-looking sword and the large, rectangular shield from Temisbrook Glade that Scarlett had lent him. He wordlessly stepped in behind them, and soon they reached the mansion¡¯s back entrance, exiting into the hedge garden outside.


    ¡°What in Ittar¡¯s name is happening?!¡± Allyssa cried out beside Scarlett. Both of them were forced to keep their hair in check against the winds that violently pushed at them.


    A growing premonition wormed its way into the forefront of Scarlett¡¯s mind as the three of them fought their way through the cyclone of currents, beyond the garden, and in the direction of where all this seemed to originate. Soon, the training grounds came into view.


    Debris of wood and small stone had been spread around in an array of chaotic mayhem. The wooden targets were ripped apart at their limbs, and the shed at the end of the grounds had lost half of its roofing, with more planks threatening to tear off at any moment. At the heart of all this, sitting at the eye of the storm, was Fynn. Hunched together like a cowering beast. Even from this distance, the viridescent glow surrounding him stood out clear as day.


    ¡°Damn...¡± Scarlett swore, not even caring about the presence of two Shielders beside her.


    This wasn¡¯t good.


    Fynn was experiencing his first awakening.

 Chapter 69 - Tough decisions

    This was too early. Far too early. Scarlett never imagined Fynn would awaken this soon.


    This scene was similar to the game, but seeing it like this gave a whole new weightiness to the situation. The powerful winds stemming from Fynn were almost enough to force her off her feet, tearing at her hair and clothes. She¡¯d activated [Lifeblood¡¯s Eternal Circuit], but it didn¡¯t help much against the wind itself. Only the small pieces of wood and scrap flying their way.


    ¡°What is he doing?!¡° Allyssa cried out beside Scarlett, barely audible over the turmoil.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s conscious!¡± Shin shouted, pushing ahead through the storm. He threw his shield up just in time to defend against the lower half of a training dummy that came soaring at him, almost losing his footing as the doll bumped off. Allyssa tried running up to support him but had even more trouble moving forward than him.


    Scarlett focused on the crouching figure of Fynn that sat at the center of all this chaos. If this continued, there was no telling how much destruction would be done to the estate. In the game this had occurred in a field, so she didn¡¯t know how powerful it was.


    Maybe if Kat was here the woman would¡¯ve been able to fashion some kind of temporary stone shelter around Fynn, but that wasn¡¯t an option now. And Scarlett didn¡¯t know any sure-fire way to interrupt what was happening. In the game you just waited it out.


    Was that an option?


    He was a good distance away from the mansion, so the building itself might be fine.


    Shin pressed forward, signaling for Allyssa to back away. The air shifted as the winds surrounding Fynn suddenly grew stronger. Even Shin seemed to struggle now, hiding behind his shield as he approached the center step by step, dodging and trying to defend against the flying debris simultaneously.


    Could they knock Fynn out with an Aqua Mine or two? Or would that even work on him?


    Scarlett blinked as she heard a distinct tune carry across the wind, a flow of energy and calmness rising from inside. Turning around, she saw Rosa come running, klert in hand, and with her curled brown hair mangled in all directions from the wind. ¡°A bit early for a party, isn¡¯t it?!¡± the bard yelled as she stopped before them. ¡°What¡¯s got sourpuss over there all worked up?¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes at the woman. ¡°Rosa. Are you able to calm him down?¡±


    ¡°Depends. Pretty-boy might want to get away first, at the very least.¡±


    Scarlett spun to look at Shin, who was too far away for their voices to reach him now.


    ¡°¡­He will be fine,¡± she said after a moment.


    If Rosa was going to use what she thought she was, then it wouldn¡¯t have any lasting effect on Shin, as long as he kept being pummeled by the winds around Fynn. If not, she was willing to pay for any damages.


    Rosa glanced at her, but soon looked forward with a focused expression. ¡°Well, all right. Let¡¯s hope little wolf-boy likes lullabies.¡±


    She cranked her instrument as several more notes rang out. They had a peaceful, mellow feel to them which belied their current situation.


    To Scarlett, it looked like the air in front of them shimmered as a faint white light moved through it like a wave. When it reached Shin, he tottered and fell down on one knee, but seemed to regain his wits just enough not to get pulled away by the gale bearing down upon him.


    The rippling advanced through the air, reaching Fynn. The young man barely showed any reaction, already hunched over on the ground. But the air around him¡ªand the glow surrounding him¡ªimmediately grew calmer and less distinct. The same went for the powerful gusts raging about, which flurried around as if having lost their direction, soon petering out into a still nothingness.


    ¡°Shin!¡± Allyssa ran up to her friend, leaning down to check that he was okay. It took him a moment to get back to his feet, but he didn¡¯t look any worse for wear.


    Scarlett scanned across the surrounding area. It was covered in small debris, dirt, and the broken branches and leaves from the trees outside the stone walls. It¡¯d take ages to clean all of this up.


    She began walking towards Fynn.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Allyssa walked up beside Scarlett as she stopped before Fynn. ¡°All of that was Fynn, right?¡±


    Scarlett bent down next to the young man, reaching out with her hand to push away some of the white locks that covered his face. His eyes were still closed.


    ¡°It was,¡± she answered. ¡°However, he was not in control.¡±


    ¡°You could say that again,¡± Rosa said. The bard seemed busy trying to untangle her hair.


    ¡°But at least we stopped whatever it was, right?¡± Allyssa looked at the mess surrounding them. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°No. There is nothing good about the current situation.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Scarlett locked herself inside her office soon after the incident. It almost definitely left everybody else thoroughly confused over what had happened, but she had bigger fish to fry right now.


    Fynn appeared to be out for the count for now, not waking up whatever they did. Shin had carried him inside, and Scarlett had set Garside to organizing the staff to clean up the mess that was the training grounds and its surroundings. Now she had to figure out what to do next.


    Not only had Fynn completely lost control, but now they were on a countdown. This was where, in the game, you only had a certain amount of time to continue Fynn¡¯s questline or risk losing him as a companion.


    Scarlett flipped through her notes. They covered much of her game knowledge, along with the plans she¡¯d written down now on how to deal with this premature future.


    She pressed her lips together, the reality of the current situation looming over her.


    Fynn growing stronger had always been a double-edged sword. On one end, it was incredibly advantageous to her, considering how capable he was. On the other, because of his lineage, the stronger and more connected to his powers he grew, the more he would lose control of them if they weren¡¯t handled correctly.


    The real problem here was that Fynn¡¯s first awakening wasn¡¯t supposed to happen until he reached level 50. While Scarlett might have picked him up earlier here than in the game, he definitely shouldn¡¯t have grown to that level already.


    At least, she didn¡¯t think so. It was hard to tell when things like strength and HP weren¡¯t clearly quantifiable.


    Nevertheless, Scarlett never expected him to awaken this early. She¡¯d been racking her brains over what she could have done differently that led to this, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out. To her, it just seemed like everything she¡¯d done up till now with regard to him aligned pretty close to how you did it in the game.


    Give him the [Mark of the Gale]. Go raid dungeons with him. Give him some money now and then. What more was there to it?


    At the earliest, she¡¯d been expecting Fynn to awaken a couple of months from now. It happening this early was probably the largest disparity between this world and the game that she¡¯d encountered yet. Right now, she couldn¡¯t even afford to care too much about why it happened. She had to figure out how to deal with it.


    She crossed her hands, looking down at the open page of her notebook. She¡¯d already crosschecked things with her game-related knowledge. There was only one way she knew of to resolve things after Fynn awakened.


    She opened up one of the desk drawers and picked up the gold bell that lay inside it. It wasn¡¯t used that often nowadays. After ringing it, a knock soon came from the door.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Molly¡ªthe black-haired servant that had been the first person Scarlett met in this world¡ªopened the door and stepped inside. The woman curtsied. ¡°My Lady called.¡±


    ¡°Inform Garside to clear my schedule for the coming week. In addition, I will be requiring passage through the Kilnstones as soon as possible. Cost is not an issue, providing it is settled with urgency.¡±


    ¡°I will have Madame Marlon look into it immediately. Where to, my Lady? ¡±


    ¡°Angersong Post.¡±


    ¡°Angersong?¡± Molly grew a confused expression.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett nodded. ¡°It is a small outpost on the west bank of the Three Streams, south of Dimfrost.¡±


    Molly lowered her head. ¡°As you wish. I¡¯ll inform Master Garside and Madame Marlon.¡± The servant gave another short curtsy before leaving the room.


    Scarlett leaned forward over her desk, staring into the air in front of her.


    Hopefully, booking a trip through the Kilnstones wouldn¡¯t prove to be an issue. Kat had once said you needed to book months in advance, but as a noble, Scarlett had certain privileges. She just didn¡¯t know how far those reached. For the trip to Elystead, they¡¯d booked two weeks in advance, and the same went for the passage to Bridgespell that she had arranged for Gaven. Maybe any sooner than that was impossible.


    If she was lucky, it varied depending on where you were going. Angersong Post wasn¡¯t even a town. It was just a small trading station situated on a thin strip of land between the Whitdown Mountains and the Three Streams river. She imagined it might be used to restock some ships that passed by and things like that, but there shouldn¡¯t be too much traffic to the place. It was only there to begin with because of the Kilnstone.


    Unfortunately, that was also the only Kilnstone close to the Whitdown Mountains. Or at least the only one in the empire¡¯s Kilnstone network, from what she¡¯d seen. Kilsfell was an alternative, but that place was much more heavily trafficked. Still, they would have to take a boat up the river no matter what happened.


    The question was what to do when they reached their final destination. Even if they got there before any further issues arose with Fynn, this was all too soon. Her current party was too weak. Even supposing that Fynn was somehow roughly equivalent to a level 50 in the game¡ªwhich Scarlett doubted¡ªthe remaining members of her party weren¡¯t.


    Kat had left Freybrook already, so hiring her for this wasn¡¯t an option. And there currently weren¡¯t any other Shielders above rank C at the Freybrook branch.


    Maybe she could hire a bunch of C-rankers to help instead? They¡¯d still be too weak, but enough numbers could make up for that.


    ¡­But the Shields Guild might not even accept her hiring people for a job like that. Not unless she lied about how dangerous it was.


    She frowned.


    There was also the matter of secrecy. There was no clause in the Shielder¡¯s contracts that said they had to keep what they saw during their assignments secret. They weren¡¯t mercenaries. Kat had seemed relatively lax about it, but Scarlett doubted that was the rule among Shielders. Hiring them for this was bound to reveal things about this place that she didn¡¯t want to reveal. Frankly, it was doubtful whether she should even bring Shin and Allyssa.


    Letting out a deep sigh, she tapped her finger against the wood under her.


    There wasn¡¯t any organization she wanted to find out about this place. So there was basically nobody she could get help from. But without more help, it was very uncertain whether she could clear this place.


    Should she just¡­not do it?


    It could quite literally cost her life trying to clear it. Not bothering would save her a lot of hassle.


    But that would essentially mean abandoning Fynn. Now that he¡¯d had his first awakening, he would leave for the Whitdown Mountains no matter what she did. And he would probably never return. Unless he got help.


    She could just¡­let him go. It wasn¡¯t as if he was a necessity for her to keep on living in this world.


    She looked up towards the dark oak ceiling, slowly leaning back in her chair.


    Could she do that?


    She closed her eyes.


    No. She probably couldn¡¯t.


    Not only would it mean sacrificing many of her future plans, it also meant giving up several important items she needed. It also didn¡¯t sit well with her to abandon Fynn like that. While she wouldn¡¯t say that what she felt for the young man was quite at the level of fondness¡ªat least in the sense of how she knew him as a real person¡ªhe wasn¡¯t a stranger to her, either.


    No, she would help him deal with his awakening. That much was certain.


    The only question was how.


    How would they clear the first section of the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt?

 Chapter 70 - Perilous propositions

    Allyssa swung her legs back and forth as she looked at the people working outside. She sat on the window ledge in Shin¡¯s room, and the people outside were walking around, cleaning away uprooted bushes, dirt, and all the other things that¡¯d been spread about during the chaos earlier in the day.


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll tell us what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked out loud, rolling a few strands of hair around her finger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Shin answered from behind her. ¡°You could try asking.¡±


    ¡°I already did, didn¡¯t I?¡± Allyssa turned toward where he was sitting, next to a small table at the other end of the room. As usual he wasn¡¯t paying her much attention, occupied with the book in his hands. The sight of him wearing his grey armor while reading¡ªwith his sword and shield lying on the floor nearby¡ªwas fairly funny, at least.


    But after what happened just a few hours earlier, she¡¯d also changed into her normal equipment. She couldn¡¯t be stuck in her dirty old clothes and alchemical apron in case things started up again. She also had her cloak, bandolier, and crossbow placed next to Shin¡¯s weapons for easy access.


    ¡°Then there you have it,¡± Shin said as he flipped a page in his dusty, boring old book. He¡¯d been extra absorbed in reading ever since they¡¯d arrived here in Freybrook. Scarlett had allowed him to read any of the books in her library, which Allyssa imagined was the same as giving a kid free access to a candy stall.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± She rolled her eyes at his reply, glancing over the rest of the room. It was large. And fancy. That was about how she would describe it.


    Back when they had started staying at Scarlett¡¯s mansion in Elystead things had felt kind of weird. Staying in an expensive-looking place like that, getting to enjoy great food, and being served by other people most of the day was so far removed from what she was used to. Still, it had only taken a few days to get used to it. But for some reason, it felt different staying here in Freybrook.


    The rooms were bigger, yes. But they were still about the same level of fancy. The food was, somehow, even better than in Elystead, but it was still just food. And the people working here did basically the same work as the people that had worked in the mansion back in the capital. So Allyssa wasn¡¯t really sure what it was that stuck out about staying here.


    Shin hadn¡¯t seemed to notice anything. Or he just didn¡¯t care.


    Maybe it was in the expectations she had? In Elystead, living in a mansion for a short while was a unique experience, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to last long. But here? Now? She wasn¡¯t so sure.


    For some reason, both Leandro and the branch head in Elystead hadn¡¯t had any objections to Allyssa and Shin continuing the contract with Scarlett when they¡¯d asked about it. Allyssa thought they¡¯d want the two of them to help after what happened with the Tribe of Sin, but apparently not. It had almost seemed like they preferred for them to remain with the Baroness instead. And there¡¯d been no mention of any time limit. Neither from the Guild¡¯s side nor Scarlett¡¯s.


    Allyssa leaned her head against the window frame.


    Maybe that¡¯s why things felt so strange. It was like they were living here now. If she didn¡¯t know any better, she would say they were working for Scarlett, rather than just being in a temporary contract with the noblewoman.


    ¡­Well, Allyssa had been hired by Scarlett for her alchemy skills. But that was just something she did on the side. It would have to end when this contract was over. Although, if she was going to be honest, she loved every minute of it. It¡¯d been ages since she last had this much time to spend solely on her alchemy. And she¡¯d already learned so many things.


    While it had taken some time to get things set up, she now had a place completely to herself. It was much nicer than having to borrow a cellar room from the Guild now and then, like before. Most of her alchemy couldn¡¯t be done at home because of the smell and the volatile nature of the materials she worked with, so just this fact alone felt like a miracle given from above by Ittar.


    That nice old butler had even gathered lots of herbs and materials for her, as well as some old documents on alchemy that Allyssa had never even seen before. Almost half of her time this last week had been spent just poring through those alone.


    She had felt a little bad over that when she talked with Scarlett earlier, though. She probably should have spent more time actually working. But many of the potions and elixirs she¡¯d concocted required a lot of downtime, so she couldn¡¯t have done things that much faster even if she hadn¡¯t gotten distracted. Still, in the future, she¡¯d do better.


    It was doubtful if Scarlett would¡¯ve berated her even if she knew, though. It was true that the older woman acted cold and all stiff most of the time¡ªand sometimes she could be really scary¡ªbut from what Allyssa had seen, she honestly seemed like a kind person. Even if Scarlett herself didn¡¯t appear to agree.


    Most of the things Kat had told them about Scarlett were pretty spot on. Though Allyssa felt the strangeness was underplayed. It was actually pretty fun being brought along by Scarlett to explore all these strange caves and abandoned places every other day, but there was so much weirdness going on at the same time.


    One thing was how Scarlett knew how to find these locations to begin with. Sometimes they spent a few hours looking for hidden entrances and things like that, and those were the times it felt kind of normal. If that was all, Allyssa might have believed Scarlett¡¯s explanation that she¡¯d learned of these places through her research and whatnot. But then, after they actually found these places, Scarlett would occasionally just suddenly know that there was a trap under a certain rock, or a monster hiding further ahead behind the corner. Like she¡¯d been there before. Even more strange was how almost all of these places turned out to be hiding old artifacts and other valuable items, and Scarlett always seemed to know exactly where these were located and what they were, long before they ever got close to finishing exploring a place. At least that¡¯s the feeling Allyssa got from observing the woman.


    She had thought about it a lot, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how Scarlett did all of that. What could she possibly have done beforehand to know those things? Allyssa had even double-checked to make sure that many of the places looked like they hadn¡¯t been visited by other people in ages, so there shouldn¡¯t have been anyone that told Scarlett about it. But it¡¯s not like there were treasure maps for these kinds of things either, were there?


    It almost felt taboo to ask about it. Still, she had, and Scarlett always gave the same vague answers. It also didn¡¯t help that both Rosa and Fynn were pretty weird. Especially Fynn.


    The whole thing earlier today had shocked Allyssa, but now that she was looking back at it, maybe it wasn¡¯t that surprising. He had always acted strange. It made a strange sort of sense that he¡¯d do something crazy like that.


    That didn¡¯t mean that she understood it.


    She shook these thoughts out of her mind for now. Thinking about all this just drove her mad.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if they don¡¯t need my help with anything outside,¡± she said, jumping down from the ledge. ¡°You¡¯re staying here, I guess?¡±


    Shin glanced up at her from his book. ¡°You know they¡¯re paid to do that, don¡¯t you? There¡¯s nothing wrong with letting them do their job.¡±


    Allyssa stuck out her tongue. ¡°And there¡¯s nothing wrong with me helping them if I feel like it.¡±


    She walked towards the door, stopping in front of it for a moment to decide whether she should bring along the rest of her equipment. Things had been calm now, though, and going around with your weapons at the ready probably wouldn¡¯t help any of the people working here relax. If anything happened, Shin would definitely carry the stuff with him.


    Having decided on leaving the stuff, Allyssa was just about to leave when the door was pulled open from the other end by a woman with short blonde hair.


    ¡°Oh, hi Nichol,¡± Allyssa said, stopping in the doorway. The two of them were pretty close in age, so she¡¯d gotten to know the servant fairly well these few weeks.


    ¡°Miss Astrey.¡± Nichol did one of those little curtsies with her hands on her dark dress. ¡°The Baroness has called for the both of you. She is waiting in the dining hall.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Really?¡±


    She leaned her head back into the room. ¡°Hey, hear that? You¡¯re gonna have to put that down after all. Try not to cry.¡±


    Shin looked up at her with a dead expression. After a moment, he placed the book on the table and stood up, wordlessly walking over to her. The two of them exited into the hallway outside and started following Nichol through the mansion.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°What were you reading anyway?¡± Allyssa asked him.


    ¡°A treatise on the Steepmond Border Accords with Voneia.¡±


    Allyssa knitted her forehead. ¡°The what now?¡±


    She saw him shake his head at that. The know-it-all.


    ¡°It was an old treaty forged between our two nations after the border conflicts thirty years ago. The treatise goes over how the borders were defined between us and Voneia after that, how goods and people are allowed to be transported across them. It also explored how it was thought to affect things in the future. There was a brief postscript going further into that, but I haven¡¯t read it yet.¡±


    ¡°Do you really need a whole treatise for that?¡±


    Shin nodded. ¡°Yes. These things are much more complex than you think. It¡¯s surprisingly interesting, as well. I hadn¡¯t heard of this specific treatise before.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Allyssa muttered, turning her attention to Nichol ahead of them instead. ¡°Hey, did the Baroness say what she wanted us to come for?¡±


    Nichol looked back at her with a hesitant expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t think to ask.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°We¡¯ll get to know soon enough anyway.¡±


    She¡¯d noticed that a lot of the people working here¡ªand at the mansion back in Elystead¡ªalmost seemed scared of Scarlett, even though the woman didn¡¯t look that bad from what interactions Allyssa had seen her have with her servants. When asking Nichol about it, the woman had whispered to her that the Baroness used to be a lot worse before, and many of those working under her were still afraid things would go back to how they were then.


    Allyssa herself wasn¡¯t sure what to think about that. Personally, she thought it seemed like the servants just hadn¡¯t spoken to Scarlett much and instead formed their opinions from the way she presented herself. The butler didn¡¯t appear to have any problems interacting with Scarlett after all, and the same went for the older lady who was the head servant.


    But Allyssa also didn¡¯t want to draw conclusions just like that, so she¡¯d mostly stayed quiet on the matter.


    Soon enough, the three of them found themselves in the mansion¡¯s dining hall, which was a large space with a painted ceiling that often made Allyssa wonder whether the painter had been able to fly. Scarlett sat at the head of a long table at the center of the room, which had a beautifully decorated rug under it that Allyssa wished she could have a smaller version of for herself. Rosa was here as well, with Scarlett¡¯s old butler standing to the side next to the wall.


    Nichol guided Allyssa and Shin to two of the chairs at the table before performing a short curtsy and leaving the room.


    Allyssa looked over the table where a few trays of bread and a couple of simple pastries lay. It was a bit early for dinner, but this wasn¡¯t too bad.


    ¡°I imagine you have several questions,¡± Scarlett said, breaking the silence that had been covering the room. Allyssa saw now that there was a large, furled-up piece of paper in front of the woman.


    ¡°Whatever could have given you that idea?¡± Rosa said with a sly smile. The woman had already helped herself to a piece of round bread that looked to be glazed with some kind of white cream.


    ¡°If you do not¡ª¡± Scarlett gave the woman a look. ¡°I suppose we can proceed to more vital matters without ado.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I actually have a few questions.¡± Allyssa raised her hand into the air. ¡°If you¡¯re planning to explain what happened earlier.¡±


    ¡°That depends.¡± Scarlett¡¯s gaze slowly passed over both Allyssa and Shin. A small shiver passed down Allyssa¡¯s spine. ¡°The simple truth is that the details of what occurred are not mine to share. However, as Fynn is currently indisposed, and matters have turned rather urgent, I have judged that certain exceptions have to be made. Be that as it may, me telling you this information is contingent on whether you can be trusted with it.¡±


    ¡°Trusted?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett gave a short nod. ¡°I am aware that, as Shielders, the two of you have certain obligations to uphold regarding reporting what you do during assignments. This is especially important when it comes to matters that you believe could signify danger to the common populace. Am I correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is broadly how it works,¡± Shin answered.


    ¡°Up till now, I have tried to take this into consideration when choosing the tasks we have carried out,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°There are certain matters that I have made sure to avoid having you learn of, as their confidentiality relates to both the prosperity of my household and domain, as well as their safety. And as with Fynn¡¯s situation, there are other things that I simply do not believe I should share without the explicit permission of those involved.¡±


    ¡°Ehm, okay?¡± Allyssa wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. ¡°That makes sense?¡±


    Most merchants, and presumably nobles, had trade secrets and things like that. This felt like it would go double for someone like Scarlett, who felt like she knew a lot of secrets.


    ¡°I shared some of what I knew with Kat because I deemed it vital that she knew of it. But I fear that choice has also meant that I have garnered more attention than I would have preferred,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°And while I will not explain the reasons behind it at this time, I am currently in a perilous position where the wrong type of attention could prove disastrous for both myself and any of my associates. You are all aware of what happened recently in the empire. I assume that by now, you have all understood that times of upheaval may very well soon be upon us.¡±


    Allyssa furrowed her brows. Because of what the Tribe of Sin did?


    Scarlett paused for a moment, and her amber eyes pierced into Allyssa. ¡°What I mean to say with this is that, if you are to continue aiding me with all that I do, there will be things which I must ask that you do not disclose to anyone, including the Shields Guild.¡±


    Both Allyssa and Shin turned quiet at that.


    ¡°I reckon this goes for me as well?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett turned to the woman. ¡°It does. Although I did not expect you to share any such secrets to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡± Rosa smirked. ¡°I¡¯m a fabled tattletale, you know. An old friend of mine once told me about a particular foot issue of his. Next morning, even the yokels next village over were singing ballads about quail-footed Kipp.¡±


    ¡°That may be so.¡± Scarlett showed little reaction. ¡°But I have confidence that you will be able to suppress any such desires while you remain under my employ.¡±


    Rosa blinked at her words. ¡°That¡¯s some trust you have there.¡±


    Allyssa looked away from them and turned to Shin when he nudged her arm. He leaned closer to her. ¡°I think we should agree to what she¡¯s asking.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she whispered back, feeling a little ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯m not saying we shouldn¡¯t, but I thought you would be against something like this.¡±


    Shin shook his head. ¡°The Guild wants us to continue working for her as we have. Even if we were to agree to this, they would probably prefer it over the alternative.¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because the Baroness knows things the Guild doesn¡¯t. They want to maintain a relationship with her. That¡¯s why they let us join her here in Freybrook. Don¡¯t you remember that Kat said the same thing?¡±


    Allyssa stared at him.


    Wait, was that actually it? So she hadn¡¯t been crazy?


    It was true that Kat had told them she thought it¡¯d be good if they continued working for Scarlett when they¡¯d met her. But Allyssa thought that was just because the two of them seemed to be friends.


    ¡°So,¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice brought Allyssa out of her thoughts. ¡°Have you reached a conclusion after your¡­deliberating?¡±


    Feeling slightly embarrassed, Allyssa leaned away from Shin and sat upright in her seat, looking towards Scarlett at the head of the table.


    ¡°Ehm, yeah... I think so?¡±


    ¡°We can keep some things secret,¡± Shin added. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not anything illegal, or could get people injured.¡±


    Scarlett lowered her head. ¡°That will not be an issue. I have no interest in such dealings to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t have a problem.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then onto the matter at hand.¡± Scarlett unfurled the piece of paper next to her over the table, gesturing across it. It looked like a map of the southwestern part of the empire, with mountains and forest taking up much of it. ¡°While I will be brief on the details, Fynn is part of a tribe of people who made their homes in the Whitdown Mountains. As you have perhaps already noticed, he is not like us; he possesses certain traits and abilities that we lack.¡±


    Allyssa couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling slightly when Rosa covered her mouth in mock surprise across the table.


    ¡°What happened today is due in part to a ritual that Fynn¡¯s people are required to go through when they mature.¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°However, as you observed, it is far from safe, both for those around him and for Fynn himself.¡±


    ¡°It also appears somewhat hard to predict,¡± Scarlett added after a moment, and Allyssa felt like she detected a hint of annoyance in the woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°To prevent it from growing worse, Fynn has to visit an ancient sanctuary of his people and pass a trial.¡± Scarlett pointed at the northeastern edge of the map. ¡°There is a problem with this. The trial is not something that the current Fynn can survive on his lonesome.¡±


    ¡°He has to clear a trial, but it¡¯s not something he can do by himself?¡± Rosa asked with a disbelieving expression. ¡°Begs the question of who designed it. I¡¯d certainly want a word with them, if I were in his position.¡±


    ¡°I do not know why it is the way it is,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Merely that it is, and that he will require our aid with this.¡± The woman¡¯s gaze passed over them all. ¡°It will be dangerous. There is also no guarantee that it will be enough, even with our assistance.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there any more of his people that can help?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Scarlett turned to her, voice cold. ¡°There are not.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    She recalled Fynn¡¯s reaction when she had mentioned the Dragon Rampage.


    ¡°That being said.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes turned to the side of the room, where the butler stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°Garside. You were once a companion of my father, were you not?¡±


    The grey-haired man bowed his head. ¡°Yes, that is correct my Lady. It was a long time ago, however. Before you were born.¡±


    ¡°That may well be so, but from what I have heard, my father was reputed for his prowess even since young. The same went for those who fought alongside him.¡±


    The man stayed quiet as Scarlett¡¯s gaze tore into him, rhythmically tapping her finger on the table.


    ¡°Have you ever taken the Shields Guild¡¯s proficiency test?¡± she asked.


    His mustache trembled slightly as he spoke. ¡°I have not, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Then, if you were to take it, what rank do you think you would compare to?¡±


    ¡°My skills are quite meager, my Lady. I am certain both you and Madame Evelyne will grow to surpass this old man before long.¡±


    ¡°Be truthful, Garside. This could very well be a matter of life and death.¡±


    The butler stilled, his eyes fixed on Scarlett. ¡°If so, my Lady... Is it truly necessary to endanger yourself so?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Scarlett answered.


    ¡°I see...¡± he mumbled, lowering his gaze for a moment. ¡°If that is the case.¡± He looked up. ¡°I believe I would compare roughly to those bearing the rank of A among the Shields Guild. I am quite unpracticed now, however.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened.


    She¡¯d met people his age who were still incredibly powerful¡ªlike old Graham¡ªbut they had a completely different air to them. She never would have expected him to be around an A-ranked Shielder in strength.


    ¡°I expected as much.¡± Scarlett nodded slowly. ¡°Then, Garside¡­ Would you join us?¡±


    A hesitant look appeared on the man¡¯s face. ¡°I have long since sworn off most forms of violence, my Lady.¡± He looked at Scarlett for a long while. ¡°¡­But my oath to serve and defend the children of the late lord still holds precedence, I suppose. If you intend to depart on this perilous venture, then I will accompany you without objection.¡±


    Allyssa could have sworn she saw a small smile grow on Scarlett. ¡°That heartens me to hear. Truly.¡±

 Chapter 71 - Extreme mountaineering

    Scarlett held the thick wool shawl close as she looked out across the water. She stood at the bow of a ship, traveling northeast, down a steady stream that stretched out miles before her.


    The Three Streams river was wide. Wider than any river she¡¯d seen. They were close to the western bank, and the other shore was far in the distance, outlined by rocky outcroppings and the low, hilly area north of Kilsfell. It made for a rather dull scenery for any listless maritime passengers.


    This was the first time she¡¯d traveled on a body of water like this for any longer than a few minutes, and although it was a somewhat novel experience, she couldn¡¯t say she was especially fond of it. Seasickness hadn¡¯t proven to be an issue, fortunately, but it was much colder than she thought it would have been. Even though the sun stood high in the sky the temperatures were still declining as autumn began settling on the land. They had also been subjected to chilly winds for a while, which might have something to do with the large mountain range immediately to their west. Maybe. She wasn¡¯t a meteorologist, so she couldn¡¯t say.


    The ship they were on wasn¡¯t particularly large, lacking all but a tiny sail at its center that felt far too small, even for this vessel. A group of rowers had been working hard for the few last hours to maintain their speed, though Scarlett imagined the river¡¯s flow helped a bit as well. Still, they weren¡¯t moving fast. She had long since stopped counting the larger ships she¡¯d seen travel past them.


    Unfortunately, this vessel had been their best option under their current circumstances.


    They had taken the Kilnstone to Angersong Post earlier this morning, after her staff had somehow managed to arrange passage for their group. It had actually gone much faster than what she feared. But six days had still passed since Fynn¡¯s awakening, and they were probably skirting on the edge of what time they had left by now.


    Scarlett had considered whether it wouldn¡¯t be quicker to charter a ship in Freybrook, making the journey all the way from there, but Fynn had been unconscious up till two days prior, and there also didn¡¯t seem to be many ships willing to stop near their destination.


    So instead, after they¡¯d arrived in Angersong Post earlier today¡ªwhich turned out to be one of the few places that was no larger here than it had been in the game, not being much more than a village on a thin piece of arid land, with a small forest nearby¡ªthey had instead gathered up a bunch of the local men and convinced them to bring Scarlett¡¯s party up north with one of their ships. It had cost a few thousand solars to get things moving on such short notice, but she didn¡¯t really have the privilege to care about things like budgeting at the moment.


    With Fynn having been unconscious for far longer than she had expected¡ªpossibly a consequence of them interrupting him when he was first awakening¡ªthe stress had built up. At one point, Scarlett had been afraid he wouldn¡¯t wake up in time at all, which would have spelled disaster. Then, when he did wake up, he¡¯d appeared somewhat out of it. Scarlett had tried to roughly explain the situation, but he hadn¡¯t seemed to care much. Not even the fact that she had shared some of his past with the others had brought much reaction. Instead, he¡¯d been entirely focused on leaving to deal with his awakening.


    It had taken some real persuading on her part for him to wait until they could take the Kilnstone and the rest could join him. And he had been antsy ever since then.


    Currently, he was sitting at the back of the ship, absorbed in his own little world. Scarlett assumed that was another consequence of the awakening itself, though she wasn¡¯t sure about the particulars. She just knew that the longer he went without performing the first trial in the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt, the more it¡¯d affect him. Eventually, he would lose control completely.


    ¡°We¡¯re pulling in near that cliff!¡± a gruff voice called out from the center of the vessel. Scarlett turned to look as a burly man pointed towards an outcropping to their left, shouting further orders at the men manning the ship.


    Her eyes turned to the others in her party who also sat at the back. It was the only section of the ship that had space for them to sit around. She¡¯d gone up to the bow because she was tired of huddling together with everybody, though it was only marginally better here with the wind beating at her. Garside had repeatedly gone up to check that things were alright, giving her this shawl, among other things.


    Rosa had also refrained from sitting at the back. Instead, she was sitting on her lonesome on a small, uncomfortable-looking crate at the center of the ship, near the rowers. The bard had started the trip with her usual merry display, pulling jokes and playing songs for the crew to enjoy. But she¡¯d stopped at some point when Scarlett wasn¡¯t paying attention, shifting to tuning her klert with a distant look on her face.


    Scarlett was pretty sure it didn¡¯t take that long to tune the instrument.


    She observed Rosa as the ship started moving closer to the shore. Her concerns regarding the woman had grown since talking with her the week before. This facet of her character wasn¡¯t something Scarlett had witnessed in the game, and it was always hard to judge the woman¡¯s state because of how she often carried herself. But it felt like these bouts of melancholy, or whatever it was, were growing more and more common.


    Scarlett could probably understand where it came from, but it had still surprised her the first time she¡¯d noticed it. She was still hoping it was just her imagination. Or that she was jumping to conclusions because of her game knowledge. There was enough on her plate with Fynn¡¯s issues right now, so if something else was to crop up, there wasn¡¯t a guarantee that she could deal with it.


    Eventually, she shifted her gaze to the approaching shore. To the right of the cliff they were aiming toward, the shoreline consisted of a long bed of stones that stretched northwards. Following the bank with her eyes, she saw paths that led up to a more elevated area where there were signs of a settlement. They had reached Dimfrost.


    The village was located close to the northern border of the Whitdown Mountains. Here, the closest mountaintops were actually visible, compared to how most of them had been hidden by clouds further down south. Soon, they¡¯d be climbing up those mountains.


    Overall, it took about ten minutes for the ship to get lodged on the stones in a safe enough manner that it wouldn¡¯t damage the ship and allow all the passengers to get off. Most of the crew also took this opportunity to rest on some of the larger rocks. After leaving Scarlett and her gang, they would soon continue back to Angersong Post. She had considered getting them to stay here until she and her party were finished, but she doubted she could get any of them to agree to that without paying a king¡¯s ransom.


    She took one last look at her party. Allyssa and Shin were decked out in their usual Shielder attire, looking about as prepared as one could expect. Rosa had her klert strapped over her shoulder, back to wearing her usual smile now that things were moving again. Scarlett had procured some decent traveling attire for the woman, as well as giving her some simple magical equipment gathered from their different dungeon runs. It wasn¡¯t anything special, mostly just a couple of leather bracers and other items that raised some resistances and such, but it was the best they¡¯d found for now.


    Garside, in comparison, wore an interesting set of what looked like studded leather armor. Instead of leather, however, it was some sort of black fabric, similar to ordinary wool. It was clear he hadn¡¯t worn it for some time, being a bit too wide along some seams and around the shoulders. Still, it made the old butler look a lot more adventurous than Scarlett was used to. He was also in charge of the [Bag of Juham], which hung across his left shoulder.


    She wasn¡¯t sure exactly what kind of armor it was, but he had assured her it had served him well through many conflicts in the past, and would be more than enough for him now. It was almost definitely better than anything she could give him, at least. And considering how he was probably the most powerful member of their group, that made sense.


    She turned to the last in their group. Fynn was staring off towards the mountain peaks with a focused look, as if he was listening to something the others couldn¡¯t hear.


    Scarlett was indeed stressed about the whole situation, but the usually innocent¡ªif somewhat boorish¡ªyoung man was without a doubt the one worst affected by the delay in getting here.


    Finding that everyone seemed ready, they set out and followed the shore and climbed up the paths towards Dimfrost. At the top of a small hill was the building that Scarlett had spotted from the water. It looked to be an old outpost, presumably built to look out over the river. It was a small ramshackle shed with a stone fire pit next to it. Neither looked to have been used for a while.


    Passing by, they continued up. When they reached the crest of the path they were climbing, they were afforded a view of a wide valley leading down to the northwest, surrounded by high cliffsides. Nestled in the valley was a village, with wooden and stone buildings spread out across the land. There weren¡¯t many people moving around however, and the far end of the valley was blocked off by a massive barrier of stone that almost looked like it might have been carved straight out of one of the nearby mountainsides.


    ¡°Is this Dimfrost?¡± Allyssa asked, gazing out over the valley.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°It is,¡± Scarlett said. She turned to look at Fynn. ¡°Do you wish to visit them before we continue?¡±


    He fervently shook his head. ¡°No. Not now. They¡¯d want to come.¡± He pointed to a narrow passage that began at the mouth of the valley, leading into the mountains to their left. ¡°We don¡¯t have to enter the village at all.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes followed the path. It continued up the base of the nearest mountain but quickly disappeared among the steep ridges. It might not be an issue for Fynn and his people, but the thought of climbing all that certainly didn¡¯t enthuse her. While over a month of training had helped her get in much better shape than originally, she was still far off from what she would describe as ¡®athletic¡¯.


    She glanced back at Garside, who had an unreadable expression on his face.


    He was pretty old as well. She had no idea if his strength¡ªas, she presumed, a magic caster¡ªdid anything for his stamina. She also didn¡¯t have any stamina-boosting items to help. The only one she¡¯d gotten so far was the [Plate of Torn Resilience], which sacrificed HP for stamina. And she¡¯d sold that long ago.


    There should be an item like that after defeating the first boss here in the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt at least, so hopefully she¡¯d get her hands on that. In the future, when she didn¡¯t have to prioritize other things, she might also have Allyssa make some stamina potions. For now, they would just have to make do, though.


    She prayed that she didn¡¯t end up giving the old butler a stroke or something.


    They set down towards the valley, veering off onto the path Fynn had pointed out. It was obvious Fynn wanted to go faster, but Scarlett had gotten him to promise not to go off on his own. While she knew where the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt¡¯s entrance was in theory, the Whitdown Mountains were bound to be one of those places that was a lot larger in reality than it had been in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯. They didn¡¯t have time to search through the range by themselves just to find it, so his guidance was vital.


    Thankfully, the path they were climbing wasn¡¯t as bad as she had feared. There was a clear trail up the foot of the mountain, which was relatively bare of trees and other vegetation. The section they were climbing also wasn¡¯t overly steep, so while she definitely had to pause to get her breath back at some sections¡ªand was certain to feel some serious soreness in her legs later on¡ªthey made some good headway, with Fynn leading.


    After about two hours of trekking, they reached an overhang where this section of the mountain connected with another, smaller mountain further into the range. Scarlett inwardly let out a sigh when they stopped near it. This part was another point on the list of things she wasn¡¯t terribly excited about.


    Fynn looked down the steep precipice. ¡°Now we go down.¡±


    The others all looked at him.


    ¡°...You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± he replied. He walked even closer to the edge, leaning over with almost his whole body¡ªScarlett felt deeply uncomfortable at the sight¡ªand pointed down at the mountainside.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t bother going closer and checking as the others did. She already knew what was there. A small crevice on the face of the mountain, which they would have to climb down to.


    ¡°We¡¯re going down there?¡± Allyssa sat down on her knees and peered over the edge, one hand firmly grasped around Shin¡¯s leg. ¡°How?!¡±


    Fynn gave her a bewildered look. ¡°We climb?¡±


    She stared at him. ¡°We¡¯re hundreds of meters up, and there¡¯s barely anything to grab hold of here. We¡¯ll die if we fall!¡±


    Fynn furrowed his brows. ¡°I learned to do this when I was six.¡±


    Allyssa shook her head in disbelief. ¡°The more I hear about you, the more amazed I am. Are you even human?¡±


    Fynn looked like he was about to answer her, then paused and look at Scarlett. ¡°I thought she told you? She already knows everything.¡±


    ¡°I only shared what was necessary with them. If you wish to tell them more, that is up to you.¡±


    Scarlett was unsure what was going through his mind as he looked at her for several seconds.


    ¡°I think I might be able to make this climb, but not everyone can,¡± Shin spoke up, gathering everyone¡¯s attention. He glanced at Scarlett. ¡°Is there a plan?¡±


    Garside took a step forward, clearing his throat. ¡°I believe this is where I involve myself. My Lady has already prepared for this scenario.¡± He pulled off the [Bag of Juham] hanging over his shoulder and extracted a set of thick ropes, iron pitons, and leather belts to tie it all to.


    Scarlett had asked him to procure it all before they left and, remembering what it had been like when she last did this with Kat, took some extra precautions this time. The butler had given her an odd look at the request, but as with most things, he carried out her order without issue. He also seemed to have a flair for the dramatic she hadn¡¯t known about, judging from how he announced it like that.


    His exact thoughts regarding this whole situation were a mystery, however. She knew he¡¯d been in contact with Evelyne about things, but she didn¡¯t know how much the younger Hartford sister had shared about their situation. It certainly seemed like the old man had accepted the sudden changes in Scarlett¡¯s personality with grace, at least. And for now, that was enough for her.


    ¡°Well, well~¡± Rosa hummed as she picked up one of the ropes. ¡°I expected no less from our resident Baroness."


    Scarlett saw Garside frown slightly at the woman¡¯s speech, but he stayed quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯ll still take a while to get down there,¡± Shin said, peering over the cliff edge. ¡°If we¡¯re doing it safely like this, it¡¯ll probably take up to an hour.¡±


    Fynn scowled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t all go down at once. Preparing all the equipment and a way to climb down will also take a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too slow.¡± Fynn¡¯s tone grew serious."We need to get there faster. They¡¯re calling."


    ¡°Who¡¯s they?¡± Allyssa asked, but Fynn didn¡¯t answer. Instead, his eyes focused on Scarlett and the edge, moving back and forth between them.


    For a second, Scarlett thought he was thinking about continuing on alone, but just as she was about to speak, he stepped closer to her and lifted her up in his arms. Her eyes widened. ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    A cry escaped her as the air surged up around them and Fynn leaped off the edge. A sinking feeling tore its home in her stomach as their speed increased at a terrifying rate. Her mind froze for a moment at the stone protrusions on the ground moving closer, and she unwillingly closed her eyes as she reflexively activated [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs]. Suddenly a powerful gust pushed at them from underneath and the side, followed by a jolt through her entire body as they landed on hard ground.


    Opening her eyes, she saw they were now inside the crevice.


    As Fynn let her down on the ground, Scarlett had to take a moment just to regain her balance, feeling a tide of anger well up from inside.


    She turned to glare at Fynn. ¡°Never do that again without my permission.¡±


    He paused and gaped at her, quietly opening and closing his mouth. As if he didn¡¯t realize what he¡¯d just done wrong.


    She felt a serious urge to teach the little fool a lesson and snap at him some more, but she forced herself to rein some of it in as she took a deep breath. Her heart was beating like crazy, and she¡¯d seriously thought she was going to die there for a moment. Voices could be heard calling out from above.


    After taking a short while to calm down, she looked back at Fynn. ¡°Return up and inform them that I am fine. If it is within your abilities, you can also bring them down in the same manner. However,¡± she stressed the last word and locked eyes with him. ¡°Make certain that you do not do so without both a warning and their explicit approval.¡±


    He looked back at her with what was probably a mix between embarrassment and displeasure¡ªwhich just made her even more irritated¡ªbut soon gave her a brief nod and disappeared out the opening of the cave.


    She let out an audible sigh as he left. It didn¡¯t matter how much more efficient it was. This was most definitely worse than last time with Kat.


    Turning away from the opening, she looked deeper inside the crevice. It was a few meters wide at the mouth, continuing just far enough into the mountain for the light from outside to not reach all the way. She put her hand down to her waist, where her [Pouch of Holding] was tightly fastened, and pulled out a pair of black-tinted glasses. Putting them on, she squinted her eyes as the light from outside grew marginally stronger and the surrounding darkness cleared up significantly.


    There was a stone obelisk placed at the far end of the crevice, with peculiar markings etched into its face. Several of them resembled fangs and wolves, but she wasn¡¯t sure about the rest. They were centered on a circular space on the stone that had been carved into the shape of a handprint.


    A loud scream sounded out from behind as Scarlett felt the wind flow past her. She turned to see Fynn land at the opening with a flustered Allyssa in his arms. The young Shielder quickly climbed off him, hand pressed against her chest. Fynn himself immediately disappeared once again.


    ¡°I take it you are not fond of heights?¡± Scarlett asked, stepping over to the girl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind as long as I¡¯m not falling down them.¡± Allyssa raised her free hand to fix her hair, also checking that her goggles were still there.


    Scarlett gave a slow nod. ¡°I am inclined to agree.¡±


    The young Shielder¡¯s gaze moved past Scarlett and into the darkness behind her. ¡°Wait, does this even lead anywhere?¡±


    ¡°It does.¡±


    Allyssa gave her a surprised look, but seemed to accept it without further questions. She pointed at Scarlett. ¡°Are those the enchanted glasses you ordered?¡±


    ¡°They are, yes.¡± Scarlett touched them with a finger. ¡°They are quite useful. If you are curious, however¡ª¡± She waved her hand and conjured a large sphere of fire closer to the roof. Its bright, orange light swallowed the dark darkness surrounding them.


    Allyssa blinked a few times, but then her eyes moved towards the stone obelisk. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That is a good question,¡± Scarlett replied, looking towards the obelisk. ¡°Perhaps we should wait for the others before we pursue the matter any further, however.¡±


    They did not have to wait long, as within a few minutes, Fynn had climbed up and jumped down with the other members of their party. Seeing him carry an old man like Garside¡ªin what almost amounted to a princess carry¡ªwas certainly a sight to behold, though Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure if the amusement she derived from the odd sight was enough to assuage the remaining irritation she felt towards the young man.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± she eventually said as their group pressed together in the crevice''s opening, with Fynn having placed himself the furthest away from Garside. While the butler had stayed quiet down here, Scarlett had her suspicions that he''d had some choice words to share with Fynn back up at the top. ¡°I believe it might be time for you to demonstrate what it is we must do next.¡±


    Fynn threw one look at her, then started walking deeper into the crevice. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± he said, stopping in front of the obelisk. Raising his hand, he touched it to the center of the stone where the handprint was. A brief flash of light filled the space as he vanished.


    The others all stared on.


    ¡°Is... Is that a Kilnstone?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°I do not believe so,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°But it just teleported him somewhere, didn¡¯t it?!¡±


    ¡°The Kilnstones are not the only artifacts capable of magical translocation. Have you forgotten the pavilion in Temisbrook Glade?¡±


    ¡°Oh...right.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re following wolf-boy through that, then?¡± Rosa gestured towards the obelisk.


    Scarlett started walking towards the stone object. ¡°It would appear that is our only avenue.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Scarlett stopped in front of it, throwing one last glance back at the others. ¡°I would certainly hope so,¡± she said and raised her hand.


    Garside stepped forward. ¡°My Lady, wai¡ª¡±


    Her palm touched the cold stone and everything turned white.

 Chapter 72 - Haunts & wolves

    When she opened her eyes again, Scarlett found herself at the top of a platform on the side of a mountain. Spread out before her were countless white peaks continuing for miles, jutting up towards the skies with deep, snow-filled canyons between them.


    To her right, gazing above some of the lower mountaintops, she saw hints of grey highlands in the far distance. Facing forward, closer than the highlands but still only barely visible on the horizon, she saw a large area of discolored land, best described as a scar. Burnt and desolate, massive fissures ran along the ground for what had to be thousands of meters on end. It struck a stark contrast with the mountain range and its surroundings. She couldn¡¯t fault them for calling it the Blasted Lands.


    A light appeared next to Scarlett, and Garside materialized from thin air. The old man¡¯s eyes darted around for a second before settling on her. ¡°My Lady, please. I ask that you refrain from exposing yourself to unnecessary risk. Please allow me to investigate any dangerous unknowns first.¡±


    ¡°I understand your concern,¡± she said, finding his immediate reaction somewhat amusing. ¡°And I dislike needlessly endangering myself as much as you. There was, however, no need for such worries this time. As you can see, it was completely safe.¡±


    The butler didn¡¯t look exactly pleased by her response, but he seemed to accept her words as he lowered his head. Scarlett turned her attention back to their surroundings. The platform was made of simple stone, but it seemed to have been cut out of the mountain itself somehow, creating a balcony sticking out of the mountainside. At its center stood an obelisk, like the one back in the crevice, with the same symbols carved onto its face.


    Another light appeared, and Rosa emerged next to them. The bard opened and closed her eyes, gazing out across the mountain range stretching out before them.


    ¡°Wow... That¡¯s some view,¡± she said, then hugged her arms close to her body. ¡°But it sure is cold.¡±


    Scarlett gestured to Garside. ¡°Give her something warmer.¡±


    The butler bowed and stepped up to Rosa, pulling out a thick coat from the [Bag of Juham] and handing it to the woman.


    While the winds weren¡¯t too bad at the moment, they¡¯d likely grow worse at some point. The air up here was also a lot cooler than where they had been before. Breathing in, Scarlett found herself surprised at how much thinner it felt as well. How high up were they, actually? Now that she thought about it, shouldn¡¯t her ears have popped or something along those lines from teleporting this high so suddenly? Or considering the difference in pressure at these heights, it might have been even worse.


    ¡­Maybe she should have been a bit more careful about touching that obelisk. Relying on some ancient civilization to always have thought about these things for her might not be the best way of approaching matters.


    She accepted a thick coat from Garside as he pulled out another from the bag, pulling it tight around herself. While the cold here wasn¡¯t unbearable, she found herself wishing some of the items she¡¯d gathered up till now would have had frost resistance. [Mark of the Gale] was the only such item she¡¯d found yet, so warm clothes were the only way of handling the cold she had at the moment.


    Soon enough, two more flashes of light announced the appearance of Shin and Allyssa, who were also given clothes by Garside.


    Fynn came walking over from the edge of the platform and pointed to a long stone path that continued up the mountain. ¡°We¡¯re going there next,¡± he said and began moving.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Allyssa called out. ¡°Where exactly are we?¡±


    He glanced back at her. ¡°My home.¡±


    She stared at him. ¡°You live in these mountains?¡±


    ¡°I used to.¡±


    Shin looked around. ¡°Judging from the surroundings, I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re somewhere close to the center of Whitdown Mountains?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is Grehazant,¡± Fynn said. ¡°The second largest peak.¡±


    Shin raised his eyebrows. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a name for it.¡±


    ¡°It has always had one. It means fang of the gale, or gale¡¯s fang. I don¡¯t think you in the empire use it, though.¡± Fynn gave them all one last look, then turned around. ¡°Come. We have to go now.¡±


    Scarlett and the others followed him as he started walking toward the path he¡¯d pointed out, and soon they were climbing up the mountain. The path was rough, but it wasn¡¯t too steep, and they continued for some time. The further they got from the platform, the more the winds began fluctuating in strength, and Scarlett regularly opened and pulled her coat closed to regulate the heat as they moved. Eventually, they reached a wide plateau where the path diverged.


    In one direction was a stone staircase, leading into a low canyon too steep to see much from their current vantage point. It was guarded by a stone statue on each side, both depicting wolves howling up at the sky. Both had large cracks running through their fronts, though, and one had lost most of its back half.


    Fynn ignored the staircase and followed the other path, that seemed to continue up the mountain.


    Scarlett considered the statues as she trailed behind Fynn when she heard Allyssa¡¯s voice from behind.


    ¡°Rosa? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Turning around, Scarlett saw Rosa standing completely frozen, staring at the statues.


    Allyssa put a hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Rosa?¡±


    The woman flinched, turning to Allyssa. For a moment, it didn¡¯t seem like she was truly seeing the Shielder. After blinking a few times, Rosa¡¯s focus seemed to return, and she shook her head with a smile. ¡°Never mind me. I just thought I saw something over there. My mind¡¯s just playing tricks on me.¡±


    Allyssa squinted her eyes and looked toward the wolf statues. ¡°What¡¯s over there?¡± she asked, turning to Fynn.


    He looked back at them. ¡°¡­Nothing. Nothing at all. Not anymore.¡±


    Allyssa turned quiet, and Fynn started walking again.


    Scarlett stayed back for a moment, regarding Rosa. ¡°Is everything okay, Miss Hale?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. ¡®Course it is. I¡¯m fine.¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°Fit as a fiddle, even. All this mysterious exploring just has me a bit too eager, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not every day you get paid for climbing a mountain, you know?¡±


    ¡°...I am glad to hear that.¡±


    While she said that, the woman¡¯s smile didn¡¯t seem as convincing as it usually did.


    ¡°I believe we should continue onwards,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°We would not want to keep Fynn waiting.¡±


    Rosa performed an exaggerated bow. ¡°After you, my Lady.¡±


    Scarlett clicked her tongue as she turned around, continuing after Fynn and the others. Soon they were back to climbing up the side of the mountain once more. The path now was a lot harsher than before, growing more and more irregular the longer they progressed. As did Scarlett¡¯s breathing. Compared to before, this part was quickly pushing her limits as the ache in her legs was growing worse.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Even the others were starting to have a hard time¡ªexcluding Fynn¡ªand it didn¡¯t help that every breath eventually started feeling like it was filling one¡¯s lungs with thin ice. Thankfully, Rosa eventually decided it wasn¡¯t worth saving the mana and started playing short tunes on her klert that eased the worst of it and filled them all with energy. The magic only worked in bursts, but by spreading it out over longer intervals, and taking short water breaks now and then¡ªduring which Scarlett was incredibly thankful for her hydrokinesis¡ªthey managed to make good progress without Scarlett feeling like she would topple over and die at any moment.


    After a few hours, the path leveled out as they reached a terrace of finely cut stone. It was situated on a large overhang, where a section of the mountain seemed to balance over a sharp precipice. The floor of the terrace was covered in the same markings that had been on the obelisk, cleanly carved into the stone. Furthest in on the terrace, cut into the face of the mountain, were several large stone protrusions. Each bore lifelike illustrations of wolves. Some of a wolf running at the forefront of a storm, while others depicted a giant wolf standing before a group of people. There was even one where a wolf stood atop the peak of a mountain, peering out at another mountain peak that had a humongous dragon nestled atop it.


    ¡°Wow...¡± a sound of awe left Allyssa¡¯s mouth.


    The quality of the carvings certainly was impressive. That, coupled with the view of the mountain range afforded to them, gave everything a certain grandeur to it. It had the makings of an epic fairytale.


    Allyssa pointed at one of the other mountain peaks that towered above all of its neighbors. While their mountain also dwarfed most of the others nearby, this one stretched even higher. ¡°Is that the same mountain as on that carving?¡± she asked.


    Fynn stopped to look at where she was pointing. ¡°It is. That is Haetrach,¡± he said.


    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± Shin asked. ¡°If Grehazant was gale¡¯s fang.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s expression distorted. ¡°¡­It means grand dragon. But that¡¯s not important now. We have to start the trial.¡±


    Allyssa looked around. ¡°Is this where the trial is?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Fynn walked towards the middle of the stone protrusions, where there was an indentation in the stone, shaped like an arched door.


    Scarlett looked on as he stopped in front of it and raised his right hand. The white ring on his finger took on a bright glow, and the frigid air around them surged up. The stone in front of Fynn started glowing to match his ring, growing brighter by the second. Finally, an explosion of light engulfed them as the stone disappeared and a torrent of wind rushed past them into the gap.


    Fynn looked back at them. ¡°It¡¯s open.¡±


    Garside stared into the entrance behind Fynn with a knitted forehead. His mustache trembled as he turned to look at Scarlett. ¡±My Lady, are you certain continuing here is wise? This is all very¡­unusual.¡±


    ¡°I am certain, yes.¡± She understood that, from his perspective, all of this would seem incredibly strange. ¡°There are few other alternatives at this point.¡±


    Besides, wasn¡¯t this a bit too late to start complaining about the unusualness of the situation?


    Scarlett started walking, following Fynn as he went inside. They entered a spacious, unlit passage. She conjured a fire for some light. The space shared a lot of similarities with the old ruins she¡¯d explored with Kat outside of Whistlecreek. Murals covered the walls with the same kind of symbols and illustrations as outside. It all spoke a lot of the people who¡¯d gone to so much effort to create this place. Insane fools they were, creating trials like these.


    At least there shouldn¡¯t be any traps here, as far as Scarlett was aware.


    ¡°This place feels a little eerie,¡± Allyssa mumbled as she came in behind them.


    Shin stepped in after her. ¡°Who built it?¡± he asked, examining the murals.


    ¡°The ancestors,¡± Fynn said, his voice echoing off the walls as he moved ahead.


    Shin ran his gauntleted hand over a picture of a wolf running through a field of grass. ¡°And whose ancestors is that?¡±


    ¡°Mine?¡± Fynn answered. The young man stopped for a moment, looking back at them. ¡°They¡¯re getting impatient. We have to move faster.¡±


    ¡°I get that they¡¯re antsy, being dead and all that, but a short rest couldn¡¯t hurt, could it?¡± Rosa said. The woman wore an uncharacteristically tense face, as she seemed to avoid looking anywhere but straight ahead. ¡°I¡¯m in some real need of it, after using all that mana earlier.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Fynn continued forward.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Rosa¡¯s murmur was barely audible. ¡°Happy thoughts it is...¡±


    ¡°Would you care for a mana potion?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The bard turned to her with a surprised look. ¡°You have any?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Allyssa prepared two of them.¡± She pulled out a dark vial from her [Pouch of Holding], handing it to the woman. A [Mana Potion].


    She¡¯d originally intended to have Allyssa prioritize making health potions in case something unexpected happened, but considering Fynn¡¯s awakening, she had judged it good to have some mana potions as well. Unfortunately, Allyssa only had time to make two of them, one of which was a [Minor Mana Potion]. In addition, Scarlett didn¡¯t know how much mana they restored, since she couldn¡¯t afford to test them out before going here.


    Rosa shook the vial delicately as she studied its contents. She pulled the cork off and sniffed it. ¡°There¡¯s no smell.¡± She took a short sip. A grimace formed on her face, but she still turned the vial upside down to drink the rest. ¡°Tastes like sour cranberries.¡±


    Allyssa reached out a hand to receive the empty vial from Rosa, putting it inside a pocket in her cloak. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to change the taste that much.¡±


    ¡°...Feels good though,¡± Rosa added after a moment. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to be able to spare the last one?¡±


    Scarlett glanced down at her pouch. She pulled out the other potion and handed it to Rosa as well. The second one was something she¡¯d preferred to keep for herself, but Rosa¡¯s abilities were more important for the group. Scarlett was also worried about what might happen otherwise, considering the signs the bard was showing.


    Rosa downed the second mana potion quickly, and their group continued their delve deeper inside. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach a large oval chamber that split off into two different paths. One to the right, and one to the left.


    Unlike many of the other dungeons in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯, the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt was divided into three separate sections, and it was impossible to clear them all at the same time. Each section could only be unlocked if you both had Fynn with you, and he had reached a high enough level to have the relevant awakening. This also meant that the sections themselves were relatively short and lacked any real trash mobs like other dungeons might have.


    Scarlett shifted her gaze from one path to the other, then pointed to the left one. ¡°I believe it is best if we begin with that passage.¡±


    ¡°Is the other one wrong?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°Not exactly, no. We will have to traverse both paths, but it is safer to begin with one.¡±


    In the game, both passages had a mini-boss at their end, and you had to defeat both of them to unlock the way to the last boss.


    Scarlett started moving towards the left opening.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Fynn called out. ¡°They¡¯re saying we should split up.¡±


    Scarlett stopped, turning to him. ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying one group should go to the left, and the other to the right.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°We will not be doing that.¡±


    His brows deepened into a frown. ¡°But they¡¯re saying we should.¡±


    Allyssa gave him a strange look. ¡°You keep mentioning they. Who¡¯s they?¡±


    ¡°The ancestors,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°Wait, you mean they¡¯re actually talking to you? Like, literally?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Fynn nodded. ¡°And they want us to split up.¡±


    Scarlett crossed her arms. ¡°What they want does not matter. We will not be separating.¡±


    Fynn gave her a bewildered look. ¡°But I have to pass the trial.¡±


    ¡°That is not part of the trial,¡± she said. ¡°If we were to divide ourselves into two groups, it is unlikely that both groups will survive.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s expression deepened even further. He looked to the side as if he was listening to someone. ¡°They¡¯re...saying we¡¯re too many. If you want to help with the trial, they want you to prove yourselves. So we have to split up.¡±


    Scarlett scowled.


    That didn¡¯t even make sense. If they were too many, why would it be acceptable just because they proved themselves? That just meant things would be even easier during the boss itself. This couldn¡¯t actually be a part of the trial, could it? Even if it was, she couldn¡¯t accept it. It was far too dangerous. Failing the trial would be preferable to accepting such an enormous risk.


    ¡°We will move as a group, no matter what nonsensical thoughts they have regarding it.¡±


    Things went quiet. Then Fynn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°T-They say they can¡¯t accept that.¡±


    ¡°That may be so,¡± Scarlett began. ¡°But th¡ª¡±


    The wind swelled up around them and she froze as a cold aura filled the chamber.


    She locked her gaze on Fynn. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I-It¡¯s not me.¡±


    The ring on his finger turned a bright white and the wind suddenly intensified, rising into a violent tempest. Scarlett rushed to activate [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] just as a torrent of wind crashed into her. The cries of the others rang out as she slammed into the ground, and a terrifying cracking sound reverberated throughout the room. She stared up as several fractures formed on the ceiling above. The wind continued pressing against her, stopping her from getting up. A moment later, the entire chamber rumbled as the middle section of the ceiling tore off, a cascade of stone following.


    Everything shook as a cloud of dust and darkness spread around her. She coughed heavily as the wind settled, hurrying to take out her enchanted glasses from the pouch and put them on. She saw Shin and Rosa lying near her, but there were no signs of the others. A mountain of stone now blocked the center of the room, closing off both the other end of the chamber and the exit.


    They were stuck.

 Chapter 73 - Between a rock and a hard place

    Scarlett¡¯s eyes were locked on the wall of stone, blocking them off. A groan escaped from beside her, where Rosa was slowly raising herself from the ground.


    ¡°H-Hello?¡± the woman¡¯s voice called out quietly.


    Shin grunted in response. ¡°I¡¯m here. Anyone else?¡±


    The sound of stone grinding against stone sounded out. Scarlett looked back as Shin pushed aside a large stone that had landed on him. The side of his chest piece was bent inward.


    ¡°¡­There are only the three of us,¡± she said after a moment. She conjured a fire to clear away some of the darkness for the two of them.


    The young man pushed himself to his feet, walking over to where his shield had landed on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m guessing whatever happened was because of those ancestors Fynn was talking about?¡± he asked as he picked the shield up, giving it a quick inspection.


    ¡°¡­Presumably.¡± Scarlett forced herself up as well. The fall had been violent, but [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] had done a good job protecting her. Getting her hands on the [Lifeblood¡¯s Eternal Circuit] was really proving itself to have been a wise choice. But it wouldn¡¯t do anything to help them in their current situation. She pointed to the mountain of stone at the center of the room. ¡°Can you open a path?¡±


    Shin studied the barrier. ¡°I doubt it. Fynn is the only one who could move some of these stones, and I think it¡¯d be too much even for him, from what I¡¯ve seen. We also can¡¯t trust in him being able to try, if these ¡®ancestors¡¯ can intervene like this.¡±


    Scarlett clenched her teeth. That was true. But what the hell were they supposed to do now then? Would they have to beat the mini-boss by themselves? Her eyes roamed across the walls of the chamber, but she couldn¡¯t spot any other way out, nor did she know of any from the game.


    Damn it. She didn¡¯t even know if the others were safe. Could the cave-in have hit any of them? Fynn was bound to be safe, but she wasn¡¯t sure about Allyssa and Garside.


    ¡°What happens if we¡¯re too slow with clearing the trial?¡± Shin asked.


    Scarlett turned to him. ¡°¡­Fynn could lose control once more. But I fear it would not be as tame this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s tame?¡± Shin frowned. ¡°Then Allyssa and the others would all be in danger.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Right, there was no point in jumping to conclusions when they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. They had to assume the others were safe, which meant they couldn¡¯t take it slow and try to find another way out. Judging from how Fynn had acted when making their way here, they were pressed for time.


    She looked towards the passage that continued further inside the dungeon. ¡°It appears as if we are left with only one alternative¡­¡±


    Shin walked over to the opening. ¡°What¡¯s at the end of this path?¡±


    ¡°A powerful foe. There should be another one on the opposing side. If both were to be defeated, I believe we could meet with the others again.¡±


    He looked at her. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°It does not matter how confident I am. It is the only route I can think of under our current circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Does Fynn know about this as well?¡±


    Scarlett knitted her brows. ¡°I am¡­uncertain. Regardless, it does not matter. He will attempt to defeat it, nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°But can they do it?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, yes.¡± At least if they had Garside with them.


    Shin tapped his foot against the stone, peering down the dark passage. ¡°So it¡¯s up to us then. Do you think we have a chance?¡±


    She walked up beside him, pulling out her [Wand of Fireball] from her pouch, along with two [Health Potions] that she held out. ¡°I cannot say. And I was not willing to venture our safety on such an unknown.¡±


    He accepted the potions, placing them in a thick pouch on his waist. ¡°But you know what kind of opponent it is?¡±


    ¡°To a certain degree.¡± She tried to recall the features of these mini-bosses. ¡°As far as I am aware, it is a type of warg, with no particular weaknesses. It should not be overly fast, but its strength will be too much for you to beat on your lonesome. Its howl can shake the spirits of those who hear it.¡±


    In the game, it had been level 55. Garside might be able to take one by himself¡ªdepending on how strong he was compared to A-ranked Shielders¡ªbut for the rest of them, it was highly unlikely.


    ¡°With this shield, and Rosa¡¯s support, I might be able to withstand it,¡± Shin said, holding up the shield taken from Temisbrook Glade. ¡°That means it¡¯ll be up to you to wear it down.¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could wear it down. She hadn¡¯t tried her magic out against anything of that level yet. And the effect of her [Charms of Apperception] likely wouldn¡¯t work against it, since it was above level 50. This meant one of her main avenues of dealing damage was severely hampered. She had never expected she would fight opponents of this level this early to begin with.


    She turned back to look at Rosa, who had been unusually quiet for a while now. ¡°Miss Hale?¡±


    Rosa¡¯s back was turned to them, and she wasn¡¯t moving.


    ¡°Miss Hale?¡± Scarlett called again, slowly walking up to the woman. She reached out a hand and touched the bard¡¯s shoulder.


    Rosa startled, spinning around to stare at her. ¡°W-What?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed, focusing on the area under the woman¡¯s eyes. It had turned a pitch darker. She¡¯d been afraid of this. She met Rosa¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Rosa blinked slowly, twice, her gaze refocusing. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just a bit shaken. Almost had the ceiling fall on my old noggin, after all.¡± She glanced at the center of the chamber, then looked around them. ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    Scarlett forced her expression to remain neutral. ¡°They are trapped on the other side. If we are to continue, we will have to traverse down that passage and defeat a beast waiting there.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Rosa peeked over her shoulder. ¡°Is that all? Why don¡¯t we get moving then?¡±


    Scarlett took a step in front of the woman before she could move anywhere. ¡°This will be dangerous. Truly dangerous. And while I do not wish to be crass, you do not appear to be in your best state.¡±


    Rosa paused. She gave Scarlett a long look, before smiling weakly. ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired, yeah. Those mana potions must not have been enough. If we could rest for an hour or two, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be right as rain again.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that is not an alternative. We do not know how much time we have, but we cannot dawdle.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Rosa let out a light chuckle. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll just have to grit my teeth for a bit.¡±


    ¡°...Will you be alright?¡±


    The woman leaned down and picked up her klert from the ground. She patted it on the side. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve fought through hangovers worse than this. And from the sounds of it, we don¡¯t have much other choice, do we? Besides, I¡¯ve gotta live up to my name, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Scarlett eyed her. She knew Rosa was far from ¡®well¡¯ right now. But the woman might be able to fight through it for the time being. And the fact was that they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance without her. Waiting was also too risky. In fact, it was likely to make Rosa¡¯s situation even worse.


    ¡°Take this,¡± Scarlett said, pulling off her [Ring of Umbral Defiance] and handing it to Rosa. The dark-type resistance it gave helped defend against most types of mental attacks, which could prove helpful in the upcoming fight. It might be a relatively low-level item, but it was better than nothing. And right now, it looked like Rosa had more need of it than her.


    She turned away from the bard and walked up to Shin. They would just have to hope that Rosa could make it through the fight. As long as they survived that, Scarlett had a couple of emergency measures she could take to deal with whatever situation might emerge.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then set her sights down the passage. ¡°Let us move.¡±


    Shin went at the front, with Scarlett and Rosa following a few steps behind. They relied on Scarlett¡¯s magic to light the way, but she kept her enchanted glasses on in case something happened.


    The passage continued for a short while, eventually opening up into a wide, circular room. Unlike the rest of the dungeon, which had clearly been built by somebody, this looked more like a natural cave. The walls were damp and uneven, with jagged rocks jutting out here and there, and sunlight shone in through a hole in the ceiling. It was concentrated in the center of the room, where a large, curled-up shape with jet-black fur lay, tail in front. Behind the figure, at the far end of the room, was a set of closed stone doors.


    The wolf¡ªor rather, the warg¡ªlooked up as Shin stepped into the room. The young man raised his shield as he readied his sword.


    The beast climbed up on all fours and bared its fangs, letting out a low growl. It stood at roughly the same height as him.


    Shin threw one last glance back at them. Scarlett nodded at him, and he took off towards the warg.


    Scarlett conjured four Aqua Mines in front of the boss, aiming for its eyes. The warg ran straight through the mines with its head lowered before she could detonate them. Notes rang out from beside her, forming a discordant unity as they reached the warg. Scarlett saw how a grey luster attached itself to the boss, its movements slowing just as it bore down upon Shin.


    He held up his shield, catching its teeth on the edges of the metal. The warg¡¯s legs kicked off from the ground as it tried to reach past the shield, forcing him several steps back. Scarlett summoned more Aqua Mines, all larger than usual, and detonated them as soon as she could. Waves of steaming water crashed into the beast¡¯s sides, but it didn¡¯t show any reaction as it continued pushing against Shin.


    As she¡¯d feared, she couldn¡¯t see through its defense at all with her [Charms of Apperception], so all of her attacks were essentially a shot in the dark. As Shin tried to force the warg¡¯s head aside with the shield, Scarlett felt a rush of power stream through her body as another of Rosa¡¯s tunes played out. A moment later, Shin knocked the beast¡¯s head away just long enough for him to cut forward with his sword. The warg leaped back, passing right through the wall of high-intensity fire Scarlett had conjured behind it.


    A loud yelp echoed out across the room as Scarlett let the flames dissipate. Parts of the boss¡¯ fur had been singed by the attack, but it was much less than she¡¯d hoped, and using her fire like that was incredibly costly. But at least this meant she could hurt it.


    A silver light gradually began forming around Shin¡¯s sword. Scarlett recognized it and hurried to form another wall of fire between him and the boss to buy him an extra second. A moment later, the warg came running around the wall. Now, however, its sights seemed to be set on her instead. As she dispelled her firewall, she raised her [Wand of Fireball].


    ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± Shin shouted as he cut in from the side, the light around his sword spread out before him like a brilliant lance. The weapon slashed straight into the warg¡¯s midriff, but it was only enough to create a gash as the silvery lance dissolved in the air. The beast spun towards him with a growl, its mouth shooting out to bite into the young man¡¯s outstretched arm. He let out a scream as its teeth tore through the metal on his bracers.


    Scarlett cast two fireballs in immediate succession, aiming at the side of the warg to avoid hitting Shin. Fiery explosions burst forth, and the warg released its grip on the young Shielder. Unfortunately, the spells didn¡¯t seem to cause any actual damage. Was the spell too low level? Or was it her pyromancy that was too low?


    She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she raised her hand to conjure a low-intensity wall of fire between Shin and the warg, hoping it¡¯d be enough to hold it off for a moment. The warg gave the flames a wary look as Rosa ran forward, stopping a few steps in front of Scarlett. A mellow tune sounded out from the woman¡¯s instrument as a purple light soon enveloped Shin.


    The boss¡¯ attention turned away from the fire, to where they stood.


    Shit.


    Scarlett pushed her hand into her pouch as the warg started running towards them. She quickly detonated as many Aqua Mines as she could to block its path as she tried to delay the warg, but it effortlessly dodged past most of them, charging through the rest. Rosa ran to the side, but the warg kept its eyes locked on Scarlett.


    She hadn¡¯t thought she could outrun this for even a second. She pulled out her hand from the pouch, holding a small glass bauble in her palm, and willed the object into the air. A small connection formed with the water at the center of the object, enough for her to steer it straight towards the warg as it came at her. Then, at the last second, she formed another high-intensity wall of fire between them and threw herself to the side.


    A crack rang out, and something tore into her side. She could feel how [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garb] fought against the blow and a burst of pain shot out from her abdomen. Landing roughly on the stone, she heard loud whimpering from behind her. She looked back at the warg to see it throwing its head back and forth, as several large spots on its face were beset by dark flames.


    While Scarlett had focused on having Allyssa make health potions, that didn¡¯t mean the young Shielder only made those. Scarlett had wanted to experiment, and Allyssa just happened to know several concoctions that were both highly flammable and hard to extinguish.


    A purple light enveloped her and the pain from her side lessened considerably as she felt Rosa¡¯s magic suffuse her. Her injury closed itself within moments.


    At the same time, Shin came running with sword raised, cutting down towards the distracted warg. The blade cut into its behind, leaving a wound and removing some singed fur, but it was hardly enough to bring the boss down. It snarled, its head spinning like a mallet and slamming into Shin¡¯s shield with enough force to knock him back several steps. One of its eyes had been completely burnt by the flames. The other appeared to remain intact, but was closed. Despite that, it seemed to pinpoint Shin without issue as it leaped at him once again.


    Scarlett crawled away and hurried to her feet as Shin exchanged more blows with the warg, aided by more of Rosa¡¯s boosting magic. She stopped when the warg jumped back several meters, lowering down onto its haunches. It let out a low howl that quickly rose in strength. She covered her ears as the noise grew louder, an inkling of dread rising from within, before suddenly spluttering out into nothingness.


    The warg she¡¯d fought back in Whistlecreek had a similar attack, but it had been equally ineffective against her. Still, this one was much louder. She clenched her teeth as she looked to Shin and Rosa, who were both frozen from the attack. So much for lending Rosa that ring.


    While mental attacks in general had proved relatively fruitless against Scarlett¡ªfor reasons she wasn¡¯t entirely sure of yet¡ªshe had no good way of protecting others from them.


    She fought through the pain in her ears until the warg finally stopped howling, then immediately lowered her hands and created scores of Aqua Mines in front of it. Torrents of water blasted into its face and the warg snarled as it jumped back. It growled in her direction, eye still closed as the fur on its snout burned. The damage from her mines was minimal compared to what the alchemical concoction did, but she certainly got its attention.


    ¡°Rosa! Shin!" she called out, but neither of her allies stirred.


    She conjured another wall of fire when she saw the warg move, this time encasing it entirely to buy as much time as possible. She used her wand to cast two fireballs for good measure before running up to Shin. He was staring straight ahead, eyes filled with a strange haze.


    She shook his shoulder.


    ¡°This is no time to idle!¡± she snapped. There was no reaction. She threw a look back towards the boss. Her cage of fire was consuming massive amounts of mana, but at least the warg seemed to be afraid of her magic. But it wouldn¡¯t matter if she couldn¡¯t wake up the others. She turned back to Shin with a scowl. How strong was this effect? The debilitating howl of wargs in the game had usually just been a debuff or a short stun, but this was much more than that. Was it because they were all so much weaker than the warg?


    Not knowing what else to do, she threw her hand up and slapped Shin across the face. ¡°Focus!¡± she yelled as she did it again, noticing a small response. She shook him even more, and his eyes slowly regained their clarity.


    He turned to her with a disoriented expression.


    Scarlett pointed behind her. The warg had finally had enough, it seemed, and jumped straight through her flames to escape from its temporary confinement. She quickly dispelled her flames to save what little mana she had left. She glanced to the side.


    [Mana: 467/4474]


    Maybe she should have saved some of those mana potions for herself. Rosa was still out of the fight.


    The warg let out another howl, this one without any magic behind it, as it ran towards them. Shin shook his head and pushed Scarlett back as he stepped forward to meet the attack. The warg dove into him with all its strength and the two of them flew back. It landed on top of Shin and he let out a scream as claws tore into his sides, its jaws repeatedly trying to get past his shield.


    Scarlett pulled out a second of those glass baubles from her pouch. It was the last one she had. Raising it up, she used this opening to crash it into the warg, where Shin had caused the first wound. The glass splattered and a transparent liquid spread over the injury. A small mental effort on Scarlett¡¯s part was all it took to light it up with a flame.


    The warg roared at the sudden fire tearing into its side and got off of Shin. The young Shielder was covered in blood as he shakily pushed himself off the ground, left hand now limp to the side as he held up just his sword.


    The warg bounced around like mad now, trying to put out the fires across its body, but all it succeeded in was spreading smoke around the room. Scarlett could actually see how parts of its face were beginning to pull off where the flames were touching. While she couldn¡¯t be completely sure about it, the defenses around that area must be weakening. ¡°Target its face!¡± she cried out.


    The wolf kept jumping around. Suddenly, it just stopped, freezing completely for several seconds. As Shin righted himself, the warg turned its attention neither to him nor to Scarlett, instead shifting its snout towards the unmoving Rosa.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened as it started moving. She created another firewall with what remained of her mana, but the warg didn¡¯t even seem to care about that now, continuing straight through the flames.


    Shin wasn¡¯t about to let it have its way, though. He came running from the side, putting his entire weight into it as he slammed into the warg. Both of them were knocked to the stone once more. The warg frenziedly bit into Shin¡¯s shoulder as it tried to throw him off. Shin continued to resist though, putting his whole body up against the beast as he raised his right arm. His sword started glowing again, a miniature variant of his previous silver lance forming.


    Scarlett stretched whatever reserves she had left to create one last sphere of high-intensity fire in front of the warg¡¯s face as it struggled with the Shielder. Just as what remained of Scarlett¡¯s mana petered out, Shin sunk his dazzling weapon straight into its face, digging into the skull. The boss stilled, and Shin¡¯s sword clinked to the ground as he went limp on top of it.


    A sharp pain pushed against the sides of Scarlett¡¯s temple as the exhaustion that came from using all of her mana hit her. She panted as she stepped forward, eyes focused on Shin¡¯s now limp body. Mana depletion was no joke, but she had to help him. She wasn¡¯t sure if Rosa was in any condition to heal him right now. Moving her hands unsteadily, she reached down to her pouch of holding to pull out a health potion. She froze when she looked up again, finding Rosa staring at her.


    And the woman¡¯s eyes were completely black.

 Chapter 74 - A deal once struck

    An eerie smile covered Rosa¡¯s face.


    Scarlett stared at the woman. Some instincts hidden deep down were screaming to run away, but her gaze was locked inside Rosa¡¯s pitch-black eye sockets. They were like a void of nothingness, yet it felt as if they were hiding something terrible just beneath the surface.


    Scarlett pulled herself out of whatever trance-like state they lured her into, and Rosa stepped forward with an almost unnatural grace. Scarlett had to stop herself from backing away.


    ¡°Oh, this is delightful~¡± a dangerously charming voice rang out from the woman. It sent shivers down Scarlett¡¯s spine. ¡°I had my suspicions¡­but you already knew I was here, didn¡¯t you? How interesting. How quaint.¡±


    There was a devouring sense of terror that bore down upon her as the woman approached, unlike anything she¡¯d ever experienced. It pushed against all her mental defenses, and even with the entirety of her being rebelling against it, all her effort was needed just to maintain a mask of calm.


    ¡°Baroness Scarlett Hartford,¡± Rosa hummed. ¡°You are an interesting one. It¡¯s been quite entertaining, watching you frolic about with little dear Rosalina on your adventures. A pleasant diversion from my usual leisure.¡±


    Scarlett grit her teeth. She had hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this anytime soon. This wasn¡¯t a being one could frivolously deal with and hope for getting out unharmed. Even stuck in Rosa¡¯s body, it was clear this being could end Scarlett in a heartbeat. And it wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do so either. She couldn¡¯t reveal even an ounce of weakness here. Showing confidence was vital.


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± she pressed out.


    ¡°Very much so. I especially enjoyed that forest you visited a while back. The Wandering Realm is ever so exciting. Even insignificant hovels like that.¡± Rosa stopped, then looked down at Shin¡¯s still body, lying on top of the dead warg. ¡°Oh? He doesn¡¯t seem in good shape. Don¡¯t you think he needs some help?¡±


    Scarlett glanced down at the bloody and beaten Shin.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± she said slowly. ¡°But I suppose you would not care to be the one to lend it?¡±


    Rosa placed a finger against her chin, a contemplative look on her face. ¡°Ah, but our dear Rosalina is the one who¡¯s obsessed with those healing songs of hers. It is oh so endearing, seeing all of her fruitless efforts. But I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t like the result if I were to help instead.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡± How long did Shin have? Would the health potions even be enough? ¡°I am certain Miss Hale could resolve this situation,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If you were to allow her to return.¡±


    A short, chilling laugh left Rosa¡¯s mouth. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I haven¡¯t quite had my fun yet, you see. And he still has a few minutes to enjoy what remains of his pitiful existence.¡±


    Scarlett scowled as she studied the woman. It was doubtful she would let her give Shin health potions to buy more time. Judging from the atmosphere radiating from Rosa, even asking could mean death.


    But letting Shin bleed out wasn¡¯t an option either.


    She had to deal with it in another way.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Rosa stepped away from Shin and closer to Scarlett. ¡°How did you know about me? Seldom can a human face me and remain this calm, even when in one of these dainty flesh-toys. What little secrets is that tiny head of yours hiding?¡±


    Scarlett met her dark eyes. ¡°¡­Surely you do not expect me to tell you?¡±


    Rosa smiled. ¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t be very fun, would it? Besides, I can¡¯t depart without leaving a gift for Rosalina.¡± The smile morphed into a frightening grin, and she started drifting around Scarlett. ¡°I wonder what face she¡¯ll make this time?¡±


    Scarlett froze at the inexplicable picture that arose with those words, one which threatened to cause bile to rise into her mouth. A silent premonition, and a promise. One that bore no objection.


    Still, Rosa wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt her. If it came to it, Scarlett knew a surefire way to banish the being possessing the bard¡¯s body. But that was only a temporary measure ¡ª one which she¡¯d much rather save for the future.


    However, what she knew rationally didn¡¯t matter right now. Because this wasn¡¯t a rational being, nor were the emotions it evoked. They were almost primal, in the way they tried to ignore her logic and threatened to cloud her thoughts. It was a testament to the original¡¯s imperious personality that she was still standing right now.


    Rosa stopped behind her, and Scarlett had to force herself not to turn around and look.


    ¡°¡­I suggest you forsake whatever vile thoughts you are envisaging. They would serve neither of us in our current situation.¡±


    Rosa chuckled, and a hand brushed up against Scarlett¡¯s hair. ¡°Vile? I dare say that¡¯s an apt description.¡± Scarlett locked up, readying herself for anything. But Rosa soon backed off, continuing to circle her. ¡°What is it that has you so confident? Do you have someone protecting you? Could that perhaps be the source of all that knowledge you¡¯ve so generously shown around?¡±


    The woman paused, gaze roaming down towards Scarlett¡¯s left hand. ¡°I can smell traces of a deal once struck. Is that it? If so, I would be disappointed. It¡¯d be naive of you to think it¡¯ll be of any help now.¡± She waved her hand.


    Scarlett stared as the shadow of a crest revealed itself on her skin.


    ¡°Nothing but a lowly demon.¡± Rosa¡¯s voice had a hint of derision to it, but after a moment her eyes narrowed, the dark emptiness sucking in Scarlett¡¯s gaze once more. It was as if she was trying to forcefully peer into her very being. ¡°Or was that to hide another crest? Are you one of the others¡¯ thralls?¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    For a brief second, it felt as if Scarlett was forced out of her own body, unable to move or speak as the being observed her. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, she regained control of herself again. Like it had just been in her imagination.


    ¡°¡­I am no one¡¯s thrall,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Nor will I ever be. The deal I struck then was a transactional affair, nothing more. I dismissed the demon when it attempted to renege on its end of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°Renege? Dismiss?¡± Rosa arched a brow. ¡°I would either say that you¡¯re completely oblivious to the nature of demons, or that you are far too familiar with it.¡±


    ¡°I will leave deciding which is true to you,¡± Scarlett answered, her attention wandering back to Shin. ¡°You will have to excuse my impatience, but I am sure that you understand why I cannot allow this conversation to continue much longer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now that is cute.¡± Rosa laughed. ¡°You won¡¯t allow it, you say? I can¡¯t wait to hear what you¡¯ll do about it.¡±


    ¡°That would depend¡­ I presume you will not leave Miss Hale be simply because of my request?¡±


    ¡°No, I think not. I am quite fond of this one.¡±


    ¡°Then, perhaps we can come to an agreement.¡± Scarlett looked up at her, holding the being¡¯s gaze. ¡°In return for you leaving Miss Hale alone, I will refrain from revealing your involvement with Count Soames.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Rosa gave her a curious look. ¡°So you even know who I am? And about that little pawn of mine?¡± She leaned her head to the side. ¡°True, it would be inconvenient if he were to be caught. But that won¡¯t be an issue if I carve you up right here.¡±


    Scarlett drew her lips together. The words were said in such a casual manner, but she could still feel the grisly intent behind them, clear as day. ¡°Then I will have to disappoint. I always endeavour to prepare proper precautions, and this is no exception. My sudden absence would only work to expedite his downfall.¡±


    That was mostly a lie. There were, in fact, several reasons for her not to act out against Count Soames. One was that she didn¡¯t quite know how to without causing a mess.


    ¡°My, oh my. Quite the schemer.¡± Rosa leaned closer to her. ¡°This only makes me want to get my hands on you even more. I love the arrogant ones.¡±


    Scarlett held her expression neutral. ¡°Do not waste more of my time. We both know you cannot afford to lose Count Soames yet.¡±


    Rosa stopped a hairbreadth away from her face, gazing into her eyes. A snort left the woman¡¯s mouth. ¡°Oh, I do like you.¡± She spun around and stepped over to Shin, hands clasped behind her back as she tapped the young man¡¯s body with her toe. ¡°But that dull man¡¯s death is far from enough to get me to leave this body. It is a one of a kind.¡± She smirked as she looked back at Scarlett. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you were already aware.¡±


    ¡°I presumed as much,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Then I propose a concession. I will swear not to reveal your involvement with Count Soames, nor infringe upon any matters of his that involve you. In exchange, you will retire whence you came for now, allowing Miss Hale to return so that she can heal Mister Thornthon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d strike a deal just for that?¡±


    ¡°I would also ask that you swear not to cause any further dangerous disturbances. Both for me, and in my immediate surroundings or related to them. If you would agree to that, you would have my word that I will in no way try to interfere with you, nor your current connection with Miss Hale, for as long as the agreement stands.¡±


    ¡°How considerate,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Yet, I can scarcely remember when the last time was that someone tried putting restrictions on me.¡±


    ¡°I believe the terms are fair, taking the current circumstances into consideration.¡±


    ¡°You would, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Rosa studied her for several seconds. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve garnered enough of my interest to live a bit longer. It would be fun to see what other exploits you¡¯ve got planned. I¡¯ll agree to this little plea of yours, but only until the next time I can come out and play. I can¡¯t very well let someone like you slip out of my hands.¡±


    ¡°If that is what it takes.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know exactly how much time that gave her, but in the game, Rosa¡¯s possessions didn¡¯t occur often. This should at least buy them a few months. And it was much better than wasting something as powerful as a demon¡¯s name just to get them to leave temporarily. Next time, she could be more prepared.


    ¡°Then.¡± A vicious grin grew across Rosa¡¯s face. ¡°I believe we have a deal.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°It appears so.¡±


    As the words left her mouth, a flare of pain shot out from her left hand, and she looked down to see smoke billowing out of her skin. She suppressed the desire to voice the pain as a dark purple crest, interlined with thorns, formed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my eyes on you,¡± a fading whisper echoed out across the room. ¡°I¡¯m sure our next meeting will be a much more momentous occasion.¡±


    Scarlett raised her head as Rosa¡¯s body fell with a thump. She hurried over to the woman, grabbing hold of her arms to prop her up. The bard seemed to rouse, looking up at Scarlett through tousled brown locks, the violet irises in her eyes having returned. Trails of sweat ran down her forehead.


    ¡°W-Who¡­¡± she mumbled, then her eyes widened as she frantically looked around. ¡°W-What happened?!¡±


    ¡°I am not entirely certain.¡± Scarlett said. She glanced down at her hand, relieved to see that the crest had disappeared. ¡°We succeeded in felling the warg, but its howl bound you under a spell. Shin was similarly affected; however, not to this degree.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Rosa looked at her, a distraught and bewildered expression on her face. ¡°T-That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Scarlett gave a short nod. ¡°Now, I am afraid there is no time for you to gather yourself. Shin is in dire need of your help.¡±


    Rosa turned. Her mouth opened as she saw Shin and the dead warg next to him. ¡°Ittar¡¯s light. What happened to him?!¡±


    ¡°He fought the warg, in order to protect you.¡±


    A pained look passed over the bard¡¯s eyes, and she pushed herself to her feet, scanning around for a moment. She darted off to where her klert lay a few steps away, picking it up and cranking the wheel at its base. A short set of notes sprang out from the instrument, covering Shin in a purple light. Scarlett watched on as the wounds on his shoulder and other parts of his body very slowly closed up, the blood drying around them. His state was severe enough that Rosa continued for several minutes, only stopping when she looked as if she was about to keel over.


    ¡°That¡¯s as much as I can do,¡± Rosa let out in a mumble, stumbling over and leaning against the nearby cavern wall. She sank down on her behind, eyes closed as she stayed quiet for a while. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t do anything weird while I was out, did I?¡± she eventually asked.


    Scarlett had moved over to check on Shin when she looked at the woman. ¡°¡­You did not, no.¡± She felt the presence of the invisible crest on her hand, a silent compulsion preventing her from saying too much. A mucky, vile feeler, grasping at her with sharp thorns. She might have been able to fight it, but she chose not to. ¡°Is that something I should expect? Your earlier behaviour was unusual as well.¡±


    ¡°No, well¡­ I was just curious. It¡¯s true that I felt a bit out of sorts earlier, but I¡¯m fine now.¡± Rosa smiled.


    Scarlett eyed her. That was perhaps the fakest smile yet.


    The silence returned as Rosa closed her eyes again. Scarlett tried to remove the warg from Shin, its upper body lying on top of one of his legs, but it was too heavy, and she herself felt like she could collapse if she tried any further. Eventually, she had to give up. It looked like he would survive for now, at least, and his pulse was stable.


    She let him and the exhausted bard be for now, instead turning her attention to the set of stone doors on the far end of the room.


    They had beaten their mini-boss. If the other group had made it and beaten the other mini-boss, the exit should be unlocked. Right now, the priority was meeting up with them. She walked over to the doors, slowly raising her hand and touching it to the handprint carved into the middle of the stone. A breath of relief left her when a click sounded out and the doors began sliding to the side.


    Right. Now they only had the real boss remaining.

 Chapter 75 - Old dogs dont need new tricks

    Like the mini-boss room, the true boss room looked more like a cave than a man-made construct, with uneven walls and sharp edges here and there. A shallow pool of water took up the center of the space, with a pedestal holding a large orb in its middle. The orb gave off a pale blue light that, coupled with several large braziers that hung off the walls and lit up as Scarlett entered, lent the cave an oddly calm, but mysterious atmosphere.


    There was no boss to be seen. Though that was to be expected. Scarlett looked to her right, where there was another entrance like hers. A moment later, Fynn appeared in it. His head turned towards her, a relieved but hesitant expression appearing on his face. Soon, Garside and Allyssa exited beside him.


    Garside closed his eyes for a second, hand pressed to his chest. ¡°My Lady¡­I am relieved to see that you are well,¡± he said, and the three of them began making their way to her. The butler froze a few steps from her, staring down at her side.


    While the injury Scarlett had gotten from the warg had been healed almost immediately after, the blood still remained.


    ¡°Miss Hale¡¯s healing has already dealt with it,¡± she said as the man looked up at her. ¡°There is no need to worry.¡±


    She glanced back into the room she¡¯d just exited. ¡°Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the others. Shin, especially, might require further aid.¡±


    Allyssa immediately stepped forward. ¡°What happened? Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°For now, yes. Miss Hale saw to that. But I do not know when he will regain consciousness.¡± Scarlett examined Allyssa and the two others. ¡°It appears you fared far better than us.¡±


    She felt like she¡¯d just run an Olympic marathon, but none of them had even the slightest cut.


    Allyssa leaned over, peering into the room behind Scarlett. ¡°There was a big wolf on our end, but Garside handled it quickly. We were worried about you guys.¡±


    Scarlett blinked, looking at the butler.


    So even a level 55 mini-boss didn¡¯t stand a chance against him? That probably put him somewhere along the upper echelons of A-ranked Shielders. Much higher than she would¡¯ve dared hope. Especially with how ridiculously humble the man was at times. Maybe she didn¡¯t have to worry as much about the upcoming boss fight as she¡¯d feared.


    She noticed Fynn looking between her and the orb at the center of the room.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± she said.


    He instantly focused his attention on her.


    ¡°I will not disparage you for what happened.¡± She turned an eye towards Garside. She suspected Fynn had already received a thorough interrogation on the subject, and she wasn¡¯t interested in delving further into the subject at the moment. There wasn¡¯t any point in trying to argue with those deranged ancestors of his right now, either. ¡°The matter of why it happened can be saved for another time. I understand you need to start the trial soon; however, I ask that you wait a short while longer, if possible.¡±


    He fiddled with the ring on his finger. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They¡¯re telling me to¡­¡± he trailed off.


    His eyes went to Scarlett¡¯s side. After a few seconds, a determined look appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± he said with a serious nod.


    ¡°Good. It will not take long.¡±


    Scarlett led them inside the mini-boss room behind her. Allyssa gasped as she got closer to Shin, finding him bloody and half-pinned under the warg¡¯s body. Scarlett ordered Fynn to lift it off him, as Allyssa picked up Shin¡¯s sword and shield. Together, they then brought the young man into the main boss room at Scarlett¡¯s command and leaned him against a wall. They couldn¡¯t leave him back there, even if he was unconscious.


    They tried prodding Rosa awake too, but the spent woman only roused for a few seconds before falling asleep again, so Fynn ended up carrying her out as well. The bard was drained even more than Scarlett, it seemed. A mix of mana exhaustion and getting possessed was the most likely cause. Honestly, Scarlett would have loved to lie down and rest as well, but she didn¡¯t have that option.


    After they¡¯d ensured those two were taken care of, everyone¡¯s attention turned to the boss room itself.


    ¡°Do we still have to take this¡­trial?¡± Allyssa asked, staring at the glowing orb at the center. ¡°If it¡¯s as dangerous as you said, and we only have the four of us¡­¡± She looked back at Shin and Rosa. ¡°Would we even be able to keep them safe?¡±


    ¡°We do not have much choice, at this point,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°It is our only means of leaving. And ignoring it risks another incident like the one in the chamber before.¡±


    Who knows what Fynn¡¯s ancestors would do if they just stopped here?


    ¡°If that is the case.¡± Garside stepped in front of Scarlett. ¡°I ask that you do not take part in the coming battle, my Lady.¡±


    She arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°You do not even know the level of danger we will face. Yet you believe it wise to lower our fighting capability in a situation such as ours?¡±


    ¡°That is why I am asking this, my Lady.¡± He lowered his head. ¡°You may seek to hide it, but this last clash has exhausted you. Were you to take part in your current state, I fear that an even worse fate would befall you. I will exercise all my efforts so that you do not have to worry, so I beg you, my Lady. Please rest.¡±


    She stared at the man.


    Her mana was depleted, yes. She was pushing herself to remain standing, yes. And there wasn¡¯t any more of Rosa¡¯s magic to keep her full of energy, like on their trek here. She was, in essence, dead weight. But just staying back and doing nothing wasn¡¯t an alternative when their lives were at stake. She had, at the very least, planned on trying to push her limits and assist with the odd Aqua Mine or two. It felt wrong, in more ways than one, to just leave it all up to others.


    Was that why the thought of him being right annoyed her so?


    In hindsight, maybe planning to take part was a monumentally poor idea. She was more liable to annoy the boss and put herself in danger than anything else. Simple Aqua Mines certainly wouldn¡¯t do any damage. And Garside was strong. Maybe they stood a chance, even without her.


    It might have been the mental fatigue at work, thinking she could do much to help now. That felt like a better excuse than blaming it on the system traits this time.


    ¡­She didn¡¯t always have to be in control, did she? Maybe she could view it as delegating.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she said and stepped over to the back wall. Lowering herself to the ground, she placed her hands on her lap as she took in the three others. ¡°I pray that you will overcome this trial.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Allyssa suddenly looked nervous at her words, but Garside gave a clean bow. ¡°I will not disappoint, my Lady.¡±


    Fynn started moving towards the pool at the center of the room. Water splattered around his feet as he walked up to the orb, stretching out his right hand. The ring on his finger took on a bright blue glow, matching the light of the orb. Above, a translucent figure began forming, soon taking the shape of a wolf made of the same blue light. It looked majestic, its radiance scattering across the cave in thin trails, illuminating the entire space. Standing still in the air, the wolf¡¯s head turned down at Fynn, and a powerful howl echoed out.


    The trial had started.


    Perhaps it was because of the exhaustion, but Scarlett could barely keep up with what happened. Fynn leaped at the boss, the wind around the room soaring with him, yet the boss sprang through the air and effortlessly eluded him. The two began a game of cat and mouse, darting around the space faster than Scarlett would have thought possible.


    What was most shocking, however, was that the boss was almost entirely on the defensive. Every time it stopped for even a moment to retaliate, it was met by a blast of searing hot flames. Scarlett could practically see the heat coming off them, even from where she sat.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if Garside was using a spell or if it was just pure pyrokinesis¡ªif she were to guess, it was a manifest spell of some sort¡ªbut the precision of his attacks was impeccable, even when he kept watch of the battle from a good distance away. And while his magic didn¡¯t appear to deal heavy damage to the wolf, it was as if he was using it to direct the movements of both the boss and Fynn, keeping strict control of the battlefield.


    Occasionally, the boss paused for brief moments to let out short howls¡ªoften incurring more injuries from both Fynn and Garside¡ªwhich caused several smaller light wolves to come into being around the room. But Allyssa, who seemed to have trouble keeping up with the boss itself, distracted many of them with her crossbow, before slowly picking them off with the help of Garside¡¯s magic and her alchemical concoctions.


    This was a level of coordination that Scarlett and her party had never even come close to. And it was all because of Garside¡¯s constant direction of events, as he let the others make perfect use of their skills. He seemed to have an even better understanding of their capabilities than Scarlett did, and this would only have been the second time he fought alongside either of the two.


    He really had underplayed his skill.


    She watched on as the fight continued. The light of the wolf boss gradually faded as Fynn and Garside wore it down with their attacks, and Fynn¡¯s control of his surroundings seemed to develop as the fighting progressed. He also made more and more frequent use of the [Claws of Tempest] ability that he¡¯d learned, along with [Gale of Blades] ¡ª an ability that creates blades of wind that tears through enemies. Yet another example of an ability Scarlett recognized, but hadn¡¯t been aware he knew. And it was clear, even to her untrained eyes, that his mastery of the abilities was improving dramatically right now. It was as if he was in a trance, hunting after the boss.


    After about fifteen minutes, it had reached a point where the boss had faded to be not much more than a shadow of its former self. Fynn was the one to strike the last blow. Caging it in an array of intensive flames, Garside locked the boss in so that Fynn could leap up, winds howling with him, and slash at the neck of the wolf. His claws tore straight through its body, and it disappeared into a mote of lights that surged into Fynn as he landed in the shallow water beneath.


    Scarlett stared at the sight, taking it all in. A problem she¡¯d spent almost a whole week worrying herself to death over had been solved just like that. In a long battle of attrition, with minimal fanfare. If it hadn¡¯t been for the situation with Rosa, she would almost have felt ridiculous calling this a real dungeon run.


    To think Garside was that strong.


    Honestly, if it just came to power, she¡¯d gauge him to be somewhere in the low 60s or high 50s range, level-wise. That¡¯s the same level this boss had been, but it was originally expected to be fought by a team of level 50s. And even then, it was supposed to be a hard fight.


    But being around the same level in the game wouldn¡¯t have translated into a curb stomping this big. While Garside himself hadn¡¯t looked overwhelmingly more powerful than the boss, it was clear that his experience more than made up for that. He was used to fighting in groups like this.


    Scarlett thought she¡¯d been pretty clever with how she used her magic in some of her fights, but this made her realize that fighting was about a lot more than just pure power and some simple tricks. Now that Kat was gone, she trained all by herself. But if possible, she had to get Garside to teach her. Even if she could only get a basic grasp of how he controlled the battlefield as he did, it might still be worth more than any other practice she could do.


    Despite her tiredness, she pushed herself off the ground and closed in on the butler. ¡°An impressive display, Garside. I am glad you came with on this venture.¡±


    He looked back at her and bowed. ¡°Of course, my Lady.¡±


    Walking past him, Scarlett trailed around the edge of the pool of water. She passed by Fynn, who¡¯d fallen to his knees with glowing eyes now, after the light entered him. He¡¯d just cleared the trial, so he would probably stay like that for a while longer.


    She continued around the water until reaching the far end of the room, where she stopped before an illustration of a wolf that was carved into the wall. Raising her arms, she pressed her hand against the palm print at the illustration¡¯s center. The wall began moving. Slowly but surely, stone creaking against stone, the wall split and opened into a dark room.


    The enchanted glasses allowed her to see fine without having to use her magic, so she entered the small, unlit hollow, and looked around. Lying on a bed of cut stone in front of her was an array of items. Her gaze passed over them from left to right.


    [Mark of the Staunch (Epic)]


    {This ring, fashioned in the likeness of an ancient artifact, bears an air of frigidness and vigor}


    It was a ring that looked similar to [Mark of the Gale], yet instead of the pure bone-white of Fynn¡¯s ring, it was grey. Like [Mark of the Gale], however, this ring gave a boost to HP and stamina, as well as some frost resistance. In fact, the boosts from this ring were better than the original, but it had none of the other effects.


    It would have been a nice item to have on the way here.


    [Garment of Form (Epic)]


    {Forms of movements once made are engraved into this fabric, begging to flow once more}


    This was a set of interwoven, pale green shirts, with lines of black sewn onto it in curious patterns. Scarlett couldn¡¯t quite remember the specific details of this item, but she was sure it had increased agility in the game.


    [Fang of Remembrance (Unique)]


    {This fang once recalled the verses of old, yet now it sits divided and vacant. It longs to become whole, and to once more sing the songs embedded in it}


    Her eyes stayed on the fang. It was a dull silver, about the length of her hand, and bent at the top like a wolf¡¯s canine. There were several cracks near its base, as if it had been torn off of what held it before, and running along its sides were a multitude of tiny carvings, symbols, and etchings that were indecipherable to her. This was what Scarlett wanted the most, out of all the things here. Unfortunately, it was useless without its other half.


    Evil game design distilled into its purest form. What was even the point of placing it here if you couldn¡¯t get the other half until later?


    Still, at least she had one part now.


    The next item on the stone was an enormous bow of bent, spiraling bone, as well as a spear of similar make.


    [Bow of Ends (Epic)]


    {The essence of those beings felled by this bow rests within it, awaiting more brethren}


    [Spear of Ends (Epic)]


    {The essence of those beings felled by this spear rests within it, awaiting more brethren}


    Frankly, Scarlett had no idea what these did. She¡¯d never used a bow or a spear in the game. If she were to guess, she¡¯d sold them both immediately after getting them in her original playthrough. The descriptions also didn¡¯t help much when it came to giving her details.


    She turned to the next item.


    [Clasps of the Storm (Epic)]


    {Blessed by the spirit of winds, these simple accessories hide the fury of the storm}


    A pair of round, white marbles with clamps at their ends. It didn¡¯t look like much, but they hefted a pretty considerable boost to aeromancy magic. She had been planning on getting something like it for Fynn before, but these were definitely more powerful than what she¡¯d had in mind.


    She examined the rest of the small space. There was a set of stairs that led up a tight stone passage to her left¡ªthe only way of getting out of here, now that the boss room had been closed off¡ªbut there were no more items. Still, this was a pretty hefty haul.


    She looked back into the boss room. Garside stood right outside the opening, and Allyssa was kneeling over Shin and Rosa at the other end of the cave. Scarlett¡¯s gaze shifted to Fynn in his trance.


    She supposed that, technically, all of this loot belonged to him. But she was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t complain even if she were to take it all. Still, she¡¯d talk it over with him later. At the very least, she needed the [Fang of Remembrance]. The rest would all just be a pleasant bonus. But for now, she should gather them up. All the effects would have to be verified as well when they got back to Freybrook.


    The next matter should probably be getting out of this dungeon.

 Chapter 76 - The trek back

    [Quest completed: Cleared The Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt (1/3)]


    {Skill points awarded: 7}


    Scarlett skimmed over the quest completion window before her. It hadn¡¯t appeared until after they¡¯d exited the dungeon this time. She¡¯d long since given up on figuring out the mechanics behind this particular facet of the system. The timing seemed entirely arbitrary to her. Even if it wasn¡¯t, she had a hard time discerning anything from it.


    Her eyes returned to roam over the vast vista in front of her. The entrances to the boss room had been closed off, so instead, they¡¯d exited through the passage at the back. It had led up to a small hollow near the edge of the mountain, sheltered by a thick snow overhang. Here, the spires of the Whitdown Mountains stretched out before them, the last rays of the setting sun glittering across the white sheets that covered much of the mountain tops. Haetrach¡ªshe believed that was what Fynn called the tallest of the peaks¡ªin particular, towered above the rest.


    Her gaze lingered for a moment on the gargantuan mountain, as she wondered what the easiest way of ascending it might be. Though it was still some time before she had to bother with all that. She looked back at the others behind her.


    ¡°How are you faring?¡± she asked Fynn. The young man was carrying Shin over his shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he answered, moving his hand to push away some locks from his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s not heavy.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. While she didn¡¯t doubt Fynn¡¯s strength, Shin was almost as tall as him and wore armor. No matter how ¡®light¡¯, it looked like an awkward way of carrying the young Shielder. Couldn¡¯t be especially comfortable either, having metal pressing against your back like that.


    Still, someone had to carry Shin, and if Fynn wasn¡¯t complaining¡­


    She sized up the rest of the group. They¡¯d taken a few hours to rest up after beating the boss, but some of the exhaustion still remained with them all. She certainly didn¡¯t feel ready to climb down a mountain. Thankfully, Rosa was up and about again, and while the woman looked about as tired as Scarlett felt, she appeared to be in a much better condition than before. No haunted looks left and right all the time, at least. She was even back to cracking jokes and telling odd stories, none of which seemed especially forced.


    That was a true godsend. Without Rosa¡¯s magic, Fynn was probably the only one who could make the trek back down by himself right now. The young man in question didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d just been in a trance for over two hours, or a boss fight before that. Things were relatively calm on his end, and apparently the ancestors had stopped speaking to him now that the trial was completed as well.


    They probably wouldn¡¯t show their presence much for a while, which was all well and good as far as Scarlett was concerned. She had no real way of getting back at them for what they did, so for now, it was best if she just didn¡¯t have to bother with them at all.


    The fact that Shin hadn¡¯t woken up yet was a bit disconcerting, though. But according to Rosa, that was to be expected, considering his injuries. It seemed healing worked differently here than in the game, putting a lot more stress on the body.


    ¡°Will we be returning to the village now?¡± Allyssa asked, stepping away from where she¡¯d been studying a long icicle hanging down from the tightly packed snow ceiling. After being reassured that Shin was safe, the girl had been the most energetic among them, if you discounted Fynn.


    ¡°Soon,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°But first, there is one more site we need to visit.¡±


    She gestured to Garside, who took out the sets of warm clothing from the [Bag of Juham]. Everybody¡ªexcept Fynn¡ªtook a moment to put them on.


    ¡°Fynn. Will you guide the way to the place we spoke of before?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Fynn started moving towards the mouth of the hollow, where a thin path ran along the side of the mountain face.


    Following behind him, Scarlett wondered whether [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] would be of any help at all if she were to fall down the craggy slope. She traced her hand along the cliff side as they moved, trying not to look down at what was more than likely certain doom. After some time, they reached the platform where the entrance to the dungeon was. She doubted it would have been possible¡ªespecially with the ancestors watching¡ªbut it would have been nice if they could just have taken this path to begin with.


    They continued past the dungeon¡¯s entrance, and down the path they¡¯d taken up the mountain.


    Now and then, they took brief rests¡ªa lot more intermittently than when they¡¯d been climbing the mountain¡ªand their general pace was slower than before, but with the help of the bursts of energy that Rosa¡¯s magic gave them, they reached the part of the mountain where the two ruined wolf statues stood within a few hours. The others were once again giving the two guardian statues curious looks, but Fynn continued past without showing much of a reaction. Instead of following the trail that led back to the platform where the stone obelisk was, however, he steered off and trekked down a steep cliff side in the opposite direction.


    The rest of them had little choice but to follow. The sun had gone down by now, so they had to rely on the light from two lanterns carried by Garside and Allyssa to make their way down. Fynn was waiting for them as they reached the bottom of a low gorge on the mountainside. The snow was piled thick here, every step sinking down to the knees. In front of them was what could be described as a forest of stone. Broken, dilapidated pillars of stone stuck out of the snow-covered ground in an area the size of a small sports field, all of them of a familiar style.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Fynn looked at Scarlett. ¡°This is the place you were talking about, right?¡±


    Her eyes scanned over the place, settling on a section near the center where large mounds of snow and ice created several ridges.


    ¡°It¡¯s always been like this,¡± he added.


    ¡°I imagine that it would have,¡± she said. ¡°It has been quite some time since it was abandoned, after all.¡±


    She began trailing ahead, gradually making her way through the snow. This was why she¡¯d made sure to wear a pair of thick and sturdy boots.


    When she reached the center, her attention passed to a sizeable chunk of ice that grew out the side of one of the snow mounds. Trudging up to it, she removed some of the snow covering the ice with her hand and leaned close. It was hazy, but there were signs of something grey inside.


    She stepped back a fair distance, mentally prodding at the system.


    [Mana: 1043/4474]


    This probably wouldn¡¯t be enough. Her mana recovery rate was pretty abysmal.


    She glanced back at Garside. Asking him to refill her [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] earlier would probably have been a good idea. She could do it now, but there was probably a better use for his mana stores.


    ¡°Garside,¡± she said. The butler looked to her with a serious gaze. ¡°I will be requiring your assistance. I presume you have regained some of your mana?¡±


    He lowered his head. ¡°Yes, my Lady. What is it you wish for me to do?¡±


    She turned back to the block of ice. Raising her hand¡ªthe gesture helped with maintaining focus sometimes¡ªshe used her pyrokinesis to begin heating the ice. Water formed at the top of the block as it slowly started melting.


    She wasn¡¯t sure whether this direct use of her pyrokinesis was effective, or if it would be better to just conjure a high-intensity flame instead, but common sense dictated that this should at least be more cost-effective.


    Thankfully, she wouldn¡¯t have to melt all of this by herself. A few seconds passed before several large fires appeared around the ice, drastically speeding up the process. After about a minute a quarter of the outer layer, along with much of the snow surrounding the block of ice, was gone. The object inside the ice grew more and more clear.


    Eventually, Allyssa let out a gasp. ¡°Is that?!¡ª¡±


    The young woman stared on as the outline of the object took shape.


    ¡°Indeed it is,¡± Scarlett said.


    It was an obelisk, but not one of stone like before. The surface of this obelisk was a clear grey, with a metallic sheen that took on exotic patterns as it reflected the flames through the ice.


    This was a Kilnstone.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. What''s one of those doing here?¡±


    Scarlett smiled. ¡°I see no issue with it. This was once a Zuverian outpost, after all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Allyssa turned to look at Fynn. ¡°Did you know about this?¡±


    He shook his head, looking just as confused as her. ¡°We used to play here when we were kids, but I didn¡¯t know it was Zuverian.¡±


    ¡°There are some records that speak of it,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But it appears to be mostly forgotten.¡±


    Of course, she only knew it was an outpost because it had been called Olarion Outpost on the map in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯.


    ¡°Zuverian records?¡± Allyssa asked, looking at Scarlett.


    ¡°Amongst others, yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good ol¡¯ Zuverian records.¡± Rosa nodded her head with a confident expression. ¡°Classic mistake, forgetting to check those first. That¡¯s why it¡¯s forgotten, see?¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s gaze turned to Shin, spread over Fynn¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Shin will go crazy when he hears what he missed.¡±


    ¡°Remember what we spoke of before.¡± Scarlett turned her attention away from the obelisk for a moment. ¡°None of this should be disclosed to others. The reasons why are many, not least of which is Fynn¡¯s current precarious situation.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s excitement lessened somewhat, but she soon grew a determined expression. ¡°We won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Scarlett looked to Rosa, who mimed sewing her mouth shut, then to Fynn, who still seemed surprised about this new discovery so close to his ancestral home.


    It took a minute more, but eventually Scarlett and Garside had removed almost all the ice surrounding the Kilnstone, leaving it floating in the air by itself, surrounded by an area of wet slush and water on pale stone. Scarlett walked up to the ancient artifact and held her hand up to it. As she touched the clear, reflective surface, a surge of faint light moved through the object, from the bottom up. She felt some kind of connection form inside her, similar to familiarizing oneself with the effect of an enchanted item. But that was all there was to it. She searched around mentally and inside herself, but couldn¡¯t find anything else that she could do.


    Maybe it was because this was the only Kilnstone she¡¯d interacted directly with. If she wanted to use it, she also needed to have visited other Kilnstones as well.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t as if she had been intending on using it now, anyway. That would have been bound to cause all sorts of issues, considering how regulated Kilnstone travel was across the empire. But she knew several of these artifacts that weren¡¯t part of the current Kilnstone network employed by the empire, so she still wanted to find as many of them as possible.


    And who knows? Maybe she could strike some kind of deal with those authorities in charge of the Kilnstones in the future, so that she could be allowed to use those in the cities as well. It¡¯d certainly be convenient for the next time they had to get here.


    She took a step back. ¡°We are finished here. Let us return.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Rosa asked, giving her a disappointed look. ¡°I expected a bit more. Where¡¯s all the flair? The great reveal?¡±


    ¡°There is none. This is a Kilnstone, an ancient means of spatial travel. Not a trinket meant for entertainment.¡±


    Rosa smirked. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be both?¡±


    ¡°The ancient Zuver were lauded for their ingenuity, Miss Hale,¡± Garside said. ¡°Not their sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like their loss to me.¡±


    ¡°We can save frivolous conversations such as this for later.¡± Scarlett looked up at the bright moon that now shone in the night sky. ¡°For now, we should make our way to Dimfrost and see if we cannot find accommodations for the night.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that we can arrange something with the local reeve or village head, my Lady,¡± Garside said.


    Fynn shook his head. ¡°They don¡¯t have one of those.¡±


    Garside furrowed his thick brows. ¡°They do not?¡±


    ¡°The last village head died seven years ago when Olgolz¡ª¡± Fynn paused. ¡°During the Dragon Rampage. Since then there¡¯s just an elder. But he¡¯s old. He forgets things.¡±


    ¡°Have they not appointed another in the time since then? Who is the lord?¡±


    ¡°There is no lord? They all died.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Garside looked thoughtful for a second. ¡°Then I shall have to inquire if there are any households that have lodging we may use.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll all be asleep by now,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡±


    Fynn blinked. ¡°¡­We could stay where I lived?¡±


    ¡°Will it accommodate all of us?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°¡­Maybe?¡± Fynn frowned for a moment. ¡°But we¡¯ll probably wake them up.¡±


    Allyssa leaned in curiously. ¡°Who¡¯s they?¡±


    Fynn looked at her. ¡°My brothers and sisters.¡±

 Chapter 77 - Blood ties

    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Bro!!!¡±


    A group of children came bolting towards Scarlett and the others, jumping at Fynn like a gaggle of monkeys. Scarlett watched as he tried to hold them back, placing the unconscious Shin down at the hallway¡¯s entrance.


    They¡¯d just arrived at Fynn¡¯s old home in the village of Dimfrost.


    ¡°Calm down, we¡¯ve got guests,¡± the young man in question said, picking up a boy¡ªwho couldn¡¯t have been over eight¡ªaround the neck. The boy waved his arms around fruitlessly in the air, pouting as he was placed down on the floorboards a short distance away.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± A girl now hanging around Fynn¡¯s elbow stared at Scarlett and the others waiting by the entrance. The girl sniffed the air, then grimaced. ¡°They¡¯re dirty.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eye twitched, but she held herself back from saying anything. She was just a kid. Ten at most. Besides, they¡¯d literally just climbed up and down a mountain. Some sweat was to be expected. Though she personally thought she¡¯d sweated relatively little with how cold it had been.


    ¡°They¡¯re my companions,¡± Fynn said, then gestured towards Scarlett. ¡°And she¡¯s my employer. You can¡¯t say that she smells. It¡¯s rude.¡±


    The girl gave him a confused look. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Fynn¡¯s forehead knitted together, as if he actually had to think about it.


    Inwardly bemoaning her choice of companions, Scarlett decided to save him the trouble.


    ¡°Will you introduce us to your siblings?¡± she asked, taking a step forward.


    His focused expression quickly disappeared, and he pointed to the group of kids around him in order. ¡°These are Velryrth, Themyar, Inayra, and Kelnorin.¡±


    The first among them was a long-haired girl somewhere in her middle teens. Second was a boy, maybe a couple of years younger, sharing a lot of resemblance with Fynn. Third was the girl who¡¯d already spoken, who had her hair cropped short above her ears. Lastly was the young boy Fynn had picked up earlier¡ªwith a bed of hair that looked like it¡¯d been through a storm, sticking in all directions¡ªwho was now hanging off Fynn¡¯s other elbow.


    All the kids shared the same white hair and yellow eyes as Fynn, and were dressed in simple white nightclothes.


    Fynn looked to his siblings, then pointed to Scarlett and the others. ¡°She¡¯s Baroness Hartford. Those two are Allyssa and Shin. The brown-haired one is Rosa, and the old¡ª¡± He paused, peeking at Garside. ¡°That one is a butler. He works for the Baroness.¡±


    ¡°The brown-haired one, eh?¡± Rosa¡¯s mumbling was heard from the side.


    Personally, Scarlett was surprised Fynn had introduced her with her noble title.


    Maybe he could learn these things after all.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Allyssa greeted the kids with a cheery voice, waving her hand. She earned a couple of waves back by Velryrth, the oldest of the sisters, and Themyar, the middle brother.


    ¡°What¡¯s a baroness?¡± the youngest boy¡ªKelnorin¡ªasked, ignoring their greetings completely.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the empire¡¯s rulers,¡± Inayra answered, holding her head high.


    The young boy went wide-eyed, and he stared at Scarlett. ¡°She¡¯s their queen?!¡±


    Scarlett lowered her gaze to him. ¡°I am not. The empire has no queen, nor would I have been one if we did.¡±


    ¡°¡­I like your hair,¡± the boy said.


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°I apprecia¡ª¡±


    ¡°You smell weird though. It¡¯s not good to lie.¡± He turned away from her and pulled at Fynn¡¯s arm. ¡°Come! I want to show you the statue I made!¡±


    Her eyes stayed on the boy as he tried to drag his older brother away, not quite sure what to say to that.


    Could it be that she did actually smell? Even so, hadn¡¯t Fynn just said it was rude to speak like that?


    A dark-haired woman came walking out from a back room, rubbing her eyes as she exited into the hallway. There were traces of grey in her hair, and like the kids, she also wore nightclothes.


    ¡°Fyntrarth?¡± she asked, pausing as she looked at Fynn. ¡°You¡¯re back? Who are these people?¡±


    ¡°Franka! Bro has a queen!¡± Kelnorin yelled, the boy¡¯s arm pulling taut behind him as he failed towing Fynn with him.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a queen!¡± Inayra cried out.


    Velryrth put her arms around the excited boy¡¯s shoulders and drew him back, holding the lump of energy in place as she looked towards the dark-haired woman. ¡°Fyntrarth said they¡¯re his companions. And his employer.¡±


    ¡°Employer?¡± The older lady¡¯s eyes turned to them. ¡°You mentioned it in your letter,¡± she muttered, then her eyes stopped on Scarlett. ¡°T-Then are you the Baroness? W-What is someone like you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I am indeed the baroness,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°And as Fynn had matters to deal with in this area, I chose to accompany him and lend my aid."


    Franka¡¯s attention turned to Fynn. ¡°I-I see. Then you¡¯re not staying for long?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving again?¡± Themyar, the middle brother, stared at Fynn.


    Fynn glanced back at Scarlett.


    She met his gaze, then looked to the rest. ¡°We will only stay as long as is required in order to secure a means of return.¡±


    Fynn nodded at her words. ¡°What she said. They¡¯ll be staying here tonight at least.¡± He stepped forward and lifted his youngest brother up with both arms. ¡°You should be sleeping, though. The rest of you as well.¡±


    ¡°Kelnorin woke up when he smelled your scent.¡± Velryrth smiled. ¡°We couldn¡¯t calm him down.¡±


    ¡°Scent¡­?¡± Allyssa studied the family of white-haired children. ¡°Ehm, Fynn¡­ Are all of your siblings¡­like you?¡±


    Fynn looked at her for a moment, then glanced towards Scarlett.


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°I believe we are well past trying to conceal your background.¡±


    He turned back to Allyssa. ¡°Yes. We are of the Grehaldrael.¡±


    Allyssa gave him a confused look. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t recognize that name.¡±


    ¡°Nor do I,¡± Garside said.


    Rosa grinned. ¡°A secret tribe of wolves then, is it? How romantic.¡±


    Fynn looked at the woman. ¡°You know of us?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rosa gesticulated to herself. ¡°But I do have these things called eyes.¡±


    Fynn furrowed his brows. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let us save these conversations for another time,¡± Scarlett cut in before things derailed any further. ¡°I would prefer if we could have our rest before the night has passed.¡±


    Fynn, still holding his younger brother up in the air, turned around. ¡°Franka, can you help prepare a place for them to sleep?¡±


    The woman still looked a bit overwhelmed by the whole situation, but at Fynn¡¯s words, she seemed to regain some of her focus. She fiercely nodded her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything fitting a noblewoman, but I¡¯ll find the best that we have.¡±


    She disappeared into one of the rooms, and Fynn started pushing his siblings down the hallway, as the rest of them followed.


    The next day, Scarlett was sitting on a wide porch at the back of the house, reading a thick leather-bound book.


    She had tried to find a few books on linguistics, the history of how Modern Imperial developed, and how the language of the old Zuver tied into it, but the general knowledge on the subject appeared pretty scant from what she could tell. There might be more to find if you knew where to look, but unfortunately, she did not at the moment.


    Instead, she had been reading up on the general history of the Zuver people¡ªor at least what was known about them¡ªand what some of the current theories were about what led up to The Severance ¡ª the event that caused the annihilation of the Zuverian civilization.


    Because this was a fantasy world and there always had to have been some sort of major catastrophic event in the past.


    While she was familiar with the subject because of her game knowledge, she was lacking when it came to minor details and what the people here actually knew. As she was often dealing with Zuverian artifacts and ruins¡ªand would undoubtedly garner even more attention related to it in the future¡ªshe¡¯d thought it wise to educate herself further on the subject.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    This particular book also happened to have been written by the same author that Princess Regina had once mentioned to her when they spoke. Myerscough appeared to be one of the most prolific authors on the subject.


    A loud cry rang out from in front of Scarlett, and she glanced up from her pages to see Fynn¡¯s youngest brother flying through the air. The young boy landed on the back of a ¡®statue¡¯ composed of a pile of stones, vaguely arranged in the shape of a wolf. A few meters away stood Fynn with his arms raised.


    Scarlett could only shake her head at the sight. If there was anything she¡¯d learned lately, it was that Fynn¡¯s people were on another level when it came to some of their games.


    The house they¡¯d stayed in for the night was near one of the edges of the valley that Dimfrost was in, with a porch facing the rocky cliffside. The area between that created a backyard of sorts, where Fynn had spent much of the morning catching up with his siblings, romping about, and telling stories of his ¡°adventures¡± in the lands outside. Scarlett had overheard him sharing the fact that he¡¯d had his first awakening and gone through with the trial, which had earned quite the intense reaction from the youngest of the siblings who apparently wanted to come with. She hadn¡¯t bothered paying attention to the ensuing scrap after that, though.


    Right now, Fynn was playing with only the three youngest of his siblings. Rosa sat on the sidelines, chiming in with small tidbits of songs at times. The bard seemed to enjoy the exaggerated reactions from the youngest siblings.


    The older of the siblings, Velryrth, had been sitting at the corner of the house along with Allyssa for a while now, apparently quite fascinated by whatever they were speaking about.


    Shin had woken up for a brief time, earlier in the morning, but he was still recuperating from all the healing, so he was resting inside right now.


    Garside was the only one who wasn¡¯t around at the moment. He had been out for a few hours now, busy at work as usual.


    Fynn had informed them that there was usually a small ship that passed by the village with wares once a week or so, but according to Franka, it¡¯d been here three days prior. The chances of it coming again soon were low, so Garside was currently going around the village, trying to arrange another way for them to get back to Freybrook. It wasn¡¯t as if going north through the Blasted Lands was an alternative, so the Three Streams river was their only option.


    Scarlett had considered joining him on his mission, but this was a relatively isolated village. There wasn¡¯t much point in scaring all its villagers with a sudden visit from a noblewoman.


    Still, she was hoping he would find a way. It might have just been best to pay a few thousand extra solars to have those men that originally brought them here return with their ship. It was exorbitantly expensive, yes, but that was growing to be less and less of a problem for her. And she had to be back in Freybrook in a couple of days, when she was expecting Gaven Ripley to have returned.


    If she hadn¡¯t been so caught up in getting here and how to deal with Fynn¡¯s awakening situation, she might have spent more time thinking about the trip back. She hadn¡¯t even booked a trip through the Kilnstone to Freybrook.


    Well, sometimes even the most basic of things didn¡¯t become obvious until in hindsight. It¡¯d definitely be annoying if they didn¡¯t make it back in time, but it wasn¡¯t life-threatening. Her intentions regarding Gaven didn¡¯t have any strict deadline. There was even a part of her that was hoping they wouldn¡¯t make it back in time, so she would have to delay going through with some of her plans.


    Wanting to sigh just thinking about it all, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind for now and returned her attention to the book in her hands.


    After some time, footsteps prompted her to look up again, and she saw Fynn sit down in a chair next to her. Rosa was entertaining the children by herself now.


    Scarlett studied the young man for a moment. ¡°You appear unusually fatigued,¡± she said, noting the drops of sweat on his forehead.


    ¡°Mm. It¡¯s because of the trial. Still haven¡¯t recovered completely.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± She didn¡¯t know it was something he would have to recover from. ¡°And what did you learn?¡±


    Fynn gave her a curious look. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± she said.


    His eyes lingered on her. ¡°I thought you would.¡±


    ¡°I am not omniscient. Despite what some might say.¡±


    He scratched the side of his head. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I can tell you.¡±


    Scarlett closed the book in her hands. ¡°Understandable. However, I presume what you received was at least worth the effort?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The ancestors told me a lot,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to return later, though.¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°That is within expectations. If you so wish, I will aid you then as well.¡±


    Fynn looked at her for a moment, and it seemed like he wanted to ask something. Eventually, though, he turned away.


    Scarlett held back a smirk. He was curious about her reasons probably, but still didn¡¯t ask. He could be surprisingly good at holding himself back, sometimes. Though maybe not quite enough to make up for all those other times.


    ¡°I had been meaning to bring it up,¡± she said, deciding to change the subject. ¡°There were several artifacts found after clearing the trial. I have several thoughts of what to do with them, but I was curious whether you held any interest in them first.¡±


    ¡°Artifacts?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Were you not aware of them?¡±


    They had looted them while he was still in a trance.


    ¡°No. But I don¡¯t really care. You can take them.¡±


    He might have cared if she told him what the artifacts were worth. But she reckoned it was okay, as long as she continued providing for him, and ensured he could continue to grow. Some might call it exploitation, but she was doing it for his own good. Honest.


    Besides, she had risked a lot in this venture. This much seemed reasonable.


    ¡°Very well. I will ensure they are put to good use.¡±


    They lapsed into silence.


    Fynn¡¯s gaze was focused on his siblings.


    ¡°I wanted to thank you,¡± he said after a while. ¡°Before¡­I didn¡¯t really understand it. But I wouldn¡¯t have been able to beat the trial without you. I think I would¡¯ve died.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for gratitude,¡± she said. ¡°My intentions were far from altruistic. You are a valuable asset. It would have been a waste to allow you to be squandered in a futile endeavour.¡±


    Fynn cocked his head to the side as he looked at her, wrinkling his forehead as if he was having a hard time judging the truthfulness of her words. Surprising, considering who he was.


    Eventually, he seemed to give up and returned his gaze to the space in front of them. Rosa was now teaching Inayra how to play the klert.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what would happen to them if I died,¡± he said.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes stayed on the children for a moment. ¡°You seem to care about them deeply.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re family. Isn¡¯t that natural?¡±


    She slowly looked back at him. ¡°¡­I suppose it is.¡±


    He turned to her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same?¡±


    ¡°The relationship between my sister and me is complicated,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that why you yelled at each other in Elystead?¡±


    ¡°That was in due because of it, yes.¡±


    Fynn peered at her. ¡°Why are you two like that? She¡¯s your sister.¡±


    Scarlett met his eyes for a moment, then shifted her gaze to Fynn¡¯s youngest sister turning the crank of Rosa¡¯s instrument with a wide grin.


    ¡°¡­You have never felt anger at your siblings?¡± she asked. ¡°Frustration over them holding you back, restraining your freedom, completely ignorant of the demanding position they put you in?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered without any hesitation.


    She let out a low laugh. ¡°I suppose you would not. That is laudable in its own right.¡±


    For a short while, she stayed quiet.


    ¡°I will not claim to be a good sister,¡± she eventually said. ¡°Nor will I claim to have suffered through the same grief as you. But our circumstances do bear some resemblances.¡±


    She ran her hand over the book in her lap, trailing her fingertips over the cover. ¡°When our parents passed away, I was barely an adult, with no other family to rely upon. However, I still strove to uphold my responsibilities as the older sibling, despite the hardships it entailed.


    ¡°At first, I would like to think that I fulfilled my role befittingly. I have never been an emotional person, so I had no issue overlooking the grief I felt in order to care for my sister, who was still at a very vulnerable age when what must have been almost her whole world fell apart. But as the responsibilities on me grew, so did the distance between us.¡±


    She looked down at the book cover, eyes passing over the words in the title.


    ¡°Eventually, my sister grew more rebellious, and began associating herself with people I did not approve of. I am still uncertain whether I overreacted at the time, but she had already started listening less to my words. As the stress mounted, I took it out on her occasionally. Not physically, but arguments were common, and I often wondered what it was all for. In my eyes, it seemed as if my sister had no appreciation for what I did for her, nor cared whether her actions helped or made matters worse.¡±


    A rueful smile grew on Scarlett¡¯s face. ¡°I am ashamed to say that not once did I try to see it from her point of view. If I had done so earlier, perhaps we could have talked about it. Come to understand each other. By the point I started having such thoughts, however, the time had long since passed for that to be an option.¡±


    ¡°¡­What happened?¡± Fynn asked.


    She looked up at him. ¡°Not much. Things continued as they were for years, until she reached an age where she could take care of herself.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°And you regret it?¡±


    Scarlett slowly shook her head. ¡°Things are what they are. I regret the way I dealt with things, not realizing how many of my words and actions were smothering her and aggravating the situation. But I do not regret the woman she grew up to be. She was always more capable than I, and there are many things I am proud of as her elder sister.¡±


    Not that she¡¯d often told her that. After her sister had left for college their relationship had improved a lot compared to before, but they still rarely spoke. Despite their rocky relationship though, Scarlett still missed her. She hoped that whatever happened to her body back in her old world wasn¡¯t something horrible. While she had never been able to empathize with her sister¡¯s grief in the same way, she still didn¡¯t want to put her through any more of it.


    Perhaps the relationship between the original Scarlett and Evelyne had been similar. The original most definitely had a worse personality than herself, but their circumstances were at least similar, with the previous Lord Hartford having died when Scarlett was close to Fynn¡¯s age.


    In fact, wasn¡¯t it odd that their situations were so alike?


    She frowned. Was that just another coincidence? Or was it another clue as to why she¡¯d been put into Scarlett¡¯s body specifically?


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it,¡± Fynn said after a moment. ¡°But I do think I understand.¡±


    He looked at her. ¡°You want what¡¯s best for Miss Evelyne, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett blinked. Both because he referred to Evelyne as ¡®miss¡¯, and because that wasn¡¯t who she¡¯d really been talking about. ¡°¡­In a sense, perhaps,¡± she said. ¡°But it would be a lie to say that I would prioritize Evelyne¡¯s needs before mine, in our current circumstances.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s furrow deepened. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There are many reasons. The simplest is that doing so could very well lead to both my demise and the demise of an untold number of others.¡±


    She still didn¡¯t know what her purpose in this world was, but she did know that some force wanted her to be involved in its happenings. And not involving herself risked causing disaster, depending on how you interpreted the vague terms used in the main quest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop it then,¡± Fynn said.


    Scarlett stared at him. ¡°¡­What?¡±


    The young man had a determined look on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll stop whatever you¡¯re afraid of. I owe you a debt, so I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    She kept her eyes on him for several seconds. If it weren¡¯t for the traits holding her back, she was pretty sure she would have broken into laughter right here and now. He had no idea what he was promising her, yet he still resolved to do it. Words held a lot of meaning to his people too, so it wasn¡¯t as if this was something easy to back out of later.


    She smiled. ¡°Are you aware of the consequences your words might have?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. But I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Just how trusting could you be?


    ¡°What if that involves committing wicked acts?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will. You¡¯re not bad.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°You are not the first to say something of the sort to me. I presume you are unaware of my reputation amongst certain groups?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust rumors.¡±


    ¡°What is said about me is not always completely unwarranted, however.¡± She tapped her finger against the book¡¯s cover. ¡°But I suppose it does not matter. Much of it is with regard to a person of the past. I am not bound by such things.¡± She fixed her eyes on his. ¡°That is not to say I will not do what I believe necessary to achieve my goals.¡±


    He held her gaze, staying silent.


    Eventually, she tore her eyes away from his and opened her book again. ¡°I hope you do not forget your words today. If there is one thing I have learned about myself these last few months, it is that I am a greedy woman. It might be that I come to rely on you more than you expect.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Fynn said. ¡°If that¡¯s what you need.¡±


    She gently shook her head. Really, there should be a limit to how thoughtless one could be.


    Still¡­maybe she should reward him some extra from now on. She needed him as strong as possible.


    And if that improved his impression of her in the process¡­


    Then that was nice as well.


    Besides, he had a family to take care of.

 Chapter 78 - A wizards prospects

    A woman sat by her lonesome behind an ornate, black wooden desk, peering down at an array of thick, text-laden papers. Bookshelves lined the room, lit up by the enchanted candles that hung from bronze chains connecting to the ceiling. Clothed in a long, white dress that reached the floor, the woman had sharp features and tanned skin, along with smooth black hair that fell to her lower back. A focused look was drawn upon her face as she jotted down notes in a book beside her, occasionally referencing the texts in front of her.


    A knock sounded out from the door. ¡°Master Docent? Are you preoccupied?¡± a youthful voice asked.


    Adalicia Mendenhall looked up from her work, a slight frown on her brow. ¡°I was, until just a moment ago,¡± she said. ¡°And I would have liked to be for some time further. But it¡¯s too late now. Was there something you wanted?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Docent. I was asked to go see you,¡± the voice answered.


    Adalicia sat up in her seat and placed her pen on the desk before moving some of her hair back over her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Come in.¡±


    The door opened and a short man with glasses entered. He wore robes of a clear blue, with hints of gold lining the edges.


    Adalicia eyed him. If she was remembering correctly, he was Proctor Mage Fiske. One of the younger mages that had joined on the expedition, and not someone she had any special business with.


    ¡°What was this about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Master Docent Berkeley sent me. He said there was an important letter sent to you from the mainland.¡±


    Was that all?


    ¡°¡­Could you not have reported this to me via message?¡±


    The young man shook his head. ¡°We tried. But there was no response.¡±


    Adalicia looked down at the desk, towards the heavy, leather-bound tome that was placed in the corner. The gold tracery on the cover depicted a radiant circle with several spears through it. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she let out a sigh. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She had blocked all incoming magics so that she wouldn¡¯t get distracted during her testing earlier, but she¡¯d forgotten to disable the crest when she was finished.


    Leaning over and opening the tome, she turned to a certain page where a glowing sigil was engraved. The glow faded away as she moved her hand over the crest.


    Having disabled the effect, she looked up at Fiske. ¡°What was the letter about for you to be sent here?¡±


    He seemed to hesitate for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Master Docent. I was only told that it was important.¡±


    Adalicia creased her brows. That was odd. It was unlikely the letter was addressed directly to her, if that was the case. Unless there was some sort of emergency. But if something were to have happened in the empire again, so soon after the last event¡­ The thought brought an unpleasant taste to her mouth.


    She rose from her chair. Her work was mostly finished for the day, and it was best to confirm something like this in person. ¡°I¡¯ll see with Master Docent Berkeley myself then. Thank you for informing me, Proctor Fiske.¡±


    The man straightened his back a little. ¡°O-Of course.¡±


    Adalicia circled the desk and started walking towards the exit.


    ¡°If you want,¡± she said, pausing as she passed by the young man. ¡°You can read over the reports on my desk while I am away. They¡¯re the current status of the collaborative efforts between me, Master Docent Ainsworth, and Grand Wizard Hartford.¡±


    His eyes went wide. ¡°I-Is that okay?¡± he asked, the eagerness clear in his tone.


    Understandable enough. It wasn¡¯t often that mages from the Elystead Tower, the Ustrum Assembly, and the Rising Isle worked together on a project like this. Especially with an Arch Wizard like Ainsworth taking part. But this was quite a unique project, after all. The paper on it would no doubt shake much of academia when it was finished.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s an open collaboration.¡± Despite the Assembly¡¯s¡ªand certain members of the Elystead Tower¡ªbest efforts for the opposite.


    ¡°Just make sure not to jumble any of my papers,¡± she added with a small smile.


    ¡°I swear I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll be back later.¡±


    She left the room, exiting into the intricate hallway outside. The grand, arched windows lent a glorious view of the waterways outside, and the multitude of structures built on top of them, each tracing back further into history than any of the mage towers in the empire.


    Walking down the hallway, Adalicia couldn¡¯t stop herself from marveling at the sights outside the windows as sunlight glittered across the small waterfalls and weirs that connected the different levels of the city.


    The architecture of the Rising Isle never ceased to astound her. So reminiscent of the Mausoleum and other buildings in the Ascendant Court, yet so fresh and unique all the same. Instead of simply copying and reusing some of the ancient Zuverian structures like all others had, the mages of the Isle had succeeded in restoring and enriching what already was. It brought to mind the dreams she¡¯d had as a child ¡ª of joining the Isle and becoming a mage like no other.


    Things hadn¡¯t quite played out as she had dreamed, but she was here nonetheless.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    She had her regrets, but the Elystead Tower was impressive in its own right.


    And things were what they were.


    Leaving the residence and office halls that had been provided for those in their expedition behind, Adalicia walked through the stately foreign dignitary quarter of the Rising Isle, passing by multitudes of mages on her way. Many were visitors, but even more called this place their home. Those were the ones that afforded this place the proud reputation it held as a holy land for all mages.


    Still, one could walk across most of the Isle in under an hour, and it could not compare to the populations of even some of the smaller cities in the empire. But that did not make it any less of a power on the international level.


    Soon enough, Adalicia reached the Chamber of Conjunction, where much of the Rising Isle¡¯s traffic moved through. The large, hemispherical building almost dwarfed the Ustrum Assembly in Elystead and was the only place on the entire Isle where magic from the outside could pass through, as well as where its Kilnstones were located.


    Finding one of the resident mages working here, she had them guide her through the structure¡¯s involved layout to the large office that had been offered to their expedition for their stay. Inside waited two of the Proctor Mages that had joined the expedition, one Adjunct Mage, and Master Docent Berkeley, who sat behind a large stone desk at the back of the room. Several books and large stacks of papers were neatly ordered in front of him.


    The man looked up as she approached, what remained of his greying hair swaying as he did. He pushed a book to the side.


    ¡°Hmph. You sure took your time, Adalicia,¡± he grunted, screwing up his mouth as he righted his glasses with his finger. ¡°I sent the boy ages ago.¡±


    ¡°Not more than twenty minutes have passed since he came to me, Kinnard.¡± She pulled up a white chair, pressing down on her dress as she sat opposite him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop being a grouch and tell me what this letter was about?¡±


    ¡°A grouch? A grouch!?¡± The man¡¯s disgruntled stare met her eyes. ¡°You young people have it easy these days! Exalted opportunities¡ªas if handed down by Ittar himself!¡ªseem to fall down on your laps if you so much as breathe correctly, yet none of you ever show any respect. Hmph.¡±


    Adalicia restrained from rolling her eyes. Kinnard considered anyone under sixty ¡®young people¡¯. And despite his age, he had yet to understand that his own behavior was what prompted this apparent disrespect towards him.


    Still, his words did make her curious. ¡°What do you mean by exalted opportunities?¡±


    Judging from how calm they were here, it didn¡¯t appear to be bad news, as she¡¯d feared.


    Kinnard picked up a piece of paper from his desk and handed it over to her. His overly neat handwriting dotted its face. ¡°There you have it. Apparently that noble has been trying to contact you for a while, but no one bothered forwarding it here.¡± He shook his head. ¡°This latest message was supposed to only be for you, but I doubt it¡¯ll stay quiet for long. Those fools at Relations don¡¯t know how to shut their mouths.¡±


    Adalicia glossed over the text.


    Greetings, Emeritus Master Docent Grand Wizard Mendenhall.


    My name is Evelyne Hartford. I am contacting you on the behalf of my sister, Baroness Scarlett Hartford. As you might be aware, our family recently uncovered a set of undiscovered Zuverian ruins outside of Freybrook, and has for the past month been in talks with the Elystead Tower regarding the management and transfer of ownership of some of the findings.


    Adalicia¡¯s eyebrows rose.


    Hartford?


    Was there a noble family with that name in the empire?


    Were they related to Grand Wizard Hartford here on the Rising Isle? As far as she was aware, though, he had no ties to nobility. But matters of the aristocracy were far from her expertise.


    Now that she thought about it, she did recall another, somewhat prominent mage, with the same name. While she had never met him herself, the Vice-Dean had been acquainted with the man. Him being a noble would have made sense.


    Of course, although she wasn¡¯t familiar with this noble in particular, she had heard about the recently uncovered ruins. There had been much talk about it between the mages here on the Isle after it was announced, though Adalicia had later heard that there didn¡¯t seem to be anything of note amongst what was discovered. She had assumed the towers and the Assembly would still bicker over the findings, but the Isle mages already had more than enough Zuverian relics to care about smaller discoveries like this.


    She continued reading.


    My sister has expressed the desire to meet with you¡ªas an individual, not a mage of Elystead Tower¡ªregarding matters related to our recent discovery, as well as other subjects that are more confidential and cannot be disclosed over letter. I have, however, been informed you are currently in the middle of an exchange expedition to the Rising Isle, and I do not know when this message will reach you. This is not the first time I have tried to contact you, but I do hope it will be the last.


    To this end, I have conferred with my sister, who wished to inform you that the revelation of the Zuverian ruins near Freybrook was no fluke, and that there remains much more to discover. She is willing to negotiate the future application of her research on the matter with you in person, in the hopes that it might help both parties to achieve goals that may be considered beneficial to them.


    If you were to be interested in further talks on the subject, my sister has invited you to visit her at our family¡¯s mansion in Freybrook, where you will be greeted as a welcome guest at the nearest time that suits you.


    Cordially,


    Evelyne Hartford, in lieu of Baroness Scarlett Hartford, Lady of Stagmond Keep.


    Adalicia spent several seconds looking down at the letter.


    She didn¡¯t quite understand the point behind this. Assuming this baroness was telling the truth¡ªand did in fact have research that spoke of the location of more Zuverian ruins and the like¡ªit was of course huge news for most of the towers. But why would she contact her specifically? The two of them had no prior relationship, and the number of people who would have an interest in this couldn¡¯t be understated. Adalicia knew nothing in particular about herself that would attract a noble of the empire.


    Still, the proposal itself was, without a doubt, appealing. While some Zuverian artifacts held little research value to the community at large anymore, the ones that did meant that each Zuverian ruin was still a potential treasure trove. She could definitely understand Kinnard¡¯s envy, and why the others at the Elystead Tower would hold interest. If it meant forging good relations with this noblewoman, they would probably want her to accept this offer before the Baroness started looking towards any of the other mage towers.


    Adalicia looked up at Kinnard. ¡°Were there any letters other than this?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°They probably didn¡¯t bother saving any of the other ones before this one caught their attention. That bunch is as lazy as they come.¡±


    She glanced down at the paper again. It was true that certain sections of the tower had grown more closed and complacent over the last few years, a fact that had only exacerbated since the Dean began spending less attention on tower matters and disappearing more and more frequently. But it wasn¡¯t something she could change on her own, unfortunately.


    Still, she was at the very least curious about whatever this Baroness knew. It would truly be a waste to let an opportunity like this go. Sadly, her current work took priority. And while they were nearing the end of what they could achieve here through practical efforts alone, there were at minimum a few weeks left before she could leave. And travel through the Kilnstone back and forth to a city like Freybrook couldn¡¯t be done on such short measure.


    Adalicia held her hand up to her chin.


    There were other ways, however.


    A certain Arch Wizard, for example, owed her a favor or two.

 Chapter 79 - Conspirators with potential

    ¡°My Lady. A Mister Smith is here.¡± Molly stood at the entrance of Scarlett¡¯s office in the Freybrook mansion. ¡°He said he had prior plans to meet with you?¡±


    Scarlett put down the letter from Evelyne that she¡¯d been reading. ¡°Very well. Lead him to the small guest parlor. I will be there shortly.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Lady.¡±


    Scarlett started arranging the papers on her desk as Molly left the room.


    She glanced at the silver clock piece standing at the corner of the desk. It was nearing three in the afternoon, and she was supposed to have a session with Garside later in the evening. But this likely wouldn¡¯t take too long.


    Their group had returned from Dimfrost earlier in the morning, so things had been somewhat hectic with just getting things in order. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t been so lucky as to have a ship stop by the isolated village as Scarlett had hoped, but thanks to Garside¡¯s efforts, they¡¯d still made it back in time. While she had only heard about it afterward, the butler had apparently gone around the village, harrying its residents until he found some who had a small rowboat that they¡¯d helped bring out into the water. The river was heavily trafficked by ships, which Garside had somehow contacted.


    She hadn¡¯t been present to witness it, but imagined it had to have been difficult getting any of the ships to lower their sails and negotiate like that. It had all sounded like a pretty ramshackle solution to her, but clearly, it worked. Perhaps he used magic of some kind. Whatever the case, Garside had successfully chartered room on a merchant ship that had been carrying timber upriver from the southwestern part of the empire and was on its way back.


    It ended up costing more than the trip to Dimfrost itself¡ªthe ship had essentially been forced to lower its sails and slow its travel to a halt for several hours as Scarlett and the others prepared and rowed out to it¡ªbut now that they¡¯d retrieved some new loot from the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt that wasn¡¯t too much of an issue.


    Fynn¡¯s siblings hadn¡¯t been happy over their leaving before even a full day had passed. The youngest two of the siblings, especially, had simply adored Rosa, and Allyssa had apparently made friends with Fynn¡¯s eldest sister as well. Kelnorin and Inayra had been adamant about wanting to come with, but after some convincing on Fynn¡¯s part¡ªand a promise that he¡¯d come see them for a longer duration later on¡ªthey¡¯d calmed down and let their group leave with only a few complaints.


    It must be difficult for those kids, with their eldest brother out in the world, just trying to ensure they would have a future. While she couldn¡¯t truly understand what they would feel, Scarlett could sympathize with their situation. She was thinking she might help Fynn find a place for his siblings in the future, though she wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted that. While Dimfrost wasn¡¯t his original home, it was the closest to it that remained. Both he and his siblings might have attachments to the place.


    It was a matter she was planning on asking him about later on.


    Ensuring she wasn¡¯t forgetting anything, she soon rose from her desk and left the office behind, making her way to the smaller guest parlor that was located here in the mansion¡¯s east wing. Inside, sitting on one of the red leather couches at the center of the room, was a man with a thick blond beard covering half of his face and a large brown cap that hid his head.


    ¡°Ridley.¡±


    Scarlett moved over and sat down on the couch opposite the man.


    ¡°You may remove those now.¡±


    Gaven reached up to the cap and beard, pulling both off and placing them on the table in front of him. It surprised Scarlett how realistic that beard looked.


    ¡°I was having fun being ¡®Mister Smith¡¯ for a while, you know.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°Not often people treat me all nice like that. Maybe I¡¯ll pay a visit here more often.¡±


    ¡°How people treat you is a consequence of your own choices and vocation,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Do not expect my staff to cater to your every need.¡±


    She had been the one to decide on the¡ªperhaps somewhat uncreative¡ªname he used for this visit, and to ensure that the guards knew what to do if he were to arrive. But she didn¡¯t want those working under her to interact too much with the man. It was best if the matters related to him were left separate from the normal proceedings of her household, to as far an extent as possible.


    ¡°I presume you have carried out the tasks I assigned you?¡±


    ¡°I did, yeah,¡± Gaven answered as he leaned back on the couch. ¡°I gotta say, though, that place sure was odd. There were these messed up dolls everywhere, and these disgusting slimes kept trying to get inside my clothes.¡± He shivered. ¡°A warning beforehand would have been nice.¡±


    Scarlett scoffed. She hadn¡¯t been terribly thrilled over the prospect of visiting Abelard¡¯s Doll Orchard, either. It was nice she could send him to that creepy place instead. ¡°A warning would not have made any difference. Now, show me the item.¡±


    ¡°Hey now.¡± He raised his hands. ¡°Before we get to that, shouldn¡¯t we talk about payment?¡±


    ¡°I believe we discussed this at our previous meeting. You could keep that which you found in those ruins.¡±


    He waved a finger. ¡°Ah, but you said you¡¯d compensate me further if that wasn¡¯t enough. Not sure what you thought would be there, but I found the thing you wanted and that was about it.¡±


    Scarlett studied him closely. ¡°¡­I make it a habit to always properly reimburse those working for me. If a task reveals itself to be more difficult than I initially thought, or less fruitful than expected, I endeavour to provide reasonable compensation for such a scenario as well. What I do not do, however, is allow people to exploit me or those under me for more than what they are owed.¡± She locked eyes with the man. ¡°I will only ask this once. Are you certain your words now were the truth?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He raked his hand through his hair. ¡°Well¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you yourself are uncertain, then I can have that young man you fought with last time brought up here. He has several useful talents, one of which pertains to detecting falsehoods. I am sure he can aid in determining whether your statement reliably reflects the situation.¡±


    Gaven paused, eyeing her for several seconds. Then he grinned. ¡°Now that I think about it, maybe there were a few decent things there. I must¡¯ve forgotten about them in all the excitement.¡±


    ¡°¡­I imagine you did.¡±


    One had to be careful when dealing with this guy.


    She signaled with her hand. ¡°Show me the item.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± He performed an exaggerated flourish, putting his hand inside his clothes as he pulled out a large key. It was completely black, its end looking more like the wired grooves of a comb than the teeth of a key. Towards its head, the shaft was encrusted with tiny sapphires and bent in on itself like a question mark.


    ¡°This is it, right?¡± he asked.


    Scarlett studied the key for a moment. It definitely fit with what she remembered.


    [Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion Key (1/2) (Unique)]


    {Half of a pair of keys leading to Abelard the Doll Maker¡¯s home}


    That confirmed it.


    ¡°That is indeed it, yes.¡±


    Gaven put it down on the table between them, and Scarlett reached forth to put it inside her [Pouch of Holding]. The man¡¯s eyes traveled down to the pouch on her waist as she did. She looked up at him. ¡°Do not get any ideas.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I would never.¡±


    ¡°And I hope it continues as such. Now, have you prepared what is needed to travel to Bridgespell?¡±


    ¡°Sure have. I am ready to leave right this minute, if you tell me what it is you want me to do. And you¡¯re ready to pay for it, of course.¡±


    ¡°Before we proceed to those parts, I want to know how much you already know. I am aware you grew up in the Lower Ward, but left and spent time in Wildscar with the Vanguards.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Gaven let out a low chuckle. ¡°Spot on. One¡¯d think you grew up right there with me.¡±


    ¡°I count myself fortunate that I did not.¡± Scarlett crossed her arms. ¡°How acquainted are you with the current affairs of Bridgespell¡¯s underworld?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders with a smile. ¡°I know enough. I still have a few friends left in the area. And sometimes I take a little trip there myself for business and old times¡¯ sake.¡±


    ¡°Then are you familiar with ¡®the Countess''?¡±


    His smile disappeared. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of her, yeah. She¡¯s a bit after my time, but most around the Lower Ward know to avoid her.¡±


    He paused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me whatever business you have involves her?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°It does.¡±


    ¡°Then I recommend you give up.¡±


    She furrowed her brows. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s bad news.¡±


    ¡°And you are not?¡±


    ¡°A different kind.¡±


    ¡°I was not aware there were more than one,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°There is. And she¡¯s the dangerous kind.¡± He looked at her for a second. ¡°Have you heard of the Red Gloves?¡±


    ¡°I have not.¡±


    Gaven scratched his beard, then leaned forward with both hands clasped in front of him. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that they were a group of unscrupulous fellas who had a bit of influence in the Lower Ward. One day, one of them got a bit annoyed at the Countess loitering around on their turf, and it ended with him riling her up. Day after, not a single one of them remained. Word has it even their base was ground to dust.¡±


    Scarlett held her expression neutral. ¡°Then it is fortunate that I do not intend to ¡®rile her up¡¯, as you say.¡±


    While that description fit with what she knew of the character from the game, she couldn¡¯t ignore things just because there was a bit of risk.


    Gaven shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you get it. She¡¯s not right in the head. There¡¯s no telling what¡¯ll make her go off. People avoid her for a reason.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but my business still involves her.¡±


    ¡°What, you want me to kill her?¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. ¡°No. Your task is to go to Bridgespell and bring her to me. Without causing a disturbance.¡±


    ¡°¡­You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to do that?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I suspect it will be less difficult than you think. You simply have to locate and tell her that Baroness Hartford has heard of her plight and sympathizes with the injustices wrought upon her. If she seeks vindication and retribution for those wrongs, I am willing to aid her, and would like her to visit me here in Freybrook.¡±


    Gaven stared at her. ¡°You know she¡¯s not a real countess, right?¡±


    ¡°What her real identity is does not matter in relation to the task I am giving you. You only need to bring her to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done. I¡¯ve seen her kind before. You can¡¯t predict what they¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°You can trust my word on this. There will be no issue in convincing her, as long as you tell her what I said and do not provoke her yourself.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the issue, see. I don¡¯t trust people that well. Occupational hazard.¡±


    Scarlett tapped her finger against the armrest to her left, considering the man before her. ¡°You will be paid five thousand solars for this task.¡±


    Gaven turned silent.


    That was a decent amount of money for something this simple, but she needed to have both Gaven and the Countess for what came later. If she needed to pay extra here at the start for that, then that is what she had to do.


    ¡°¡­So I bring her to you,¡± he said. ¡°What then?¡±


    ¡°It will depend. You will be assigned another task from there, and I will judge how cooperative she will be with my plans.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what kind of job would my next one be?¡±


    ¡°You will have to wait and see.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer hearing it now.¡±


    ¡°You have yet to prove you can carry out the current task. It would be foolish of me to share the next one already.¡±


    He looked at her for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Guess I can¡¯t argue with that logic.¡± Unclasping his hands, he crossed his legs and once again leaned back against the couch. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll play along one more time. I wouldn¡¯t put much hope into your little plan here, though. Just telling someone you¡¯re nice and wanna help usually doesn¡¯t go far.¡±


    ¡°As I said, providing you do not provoke her, there should be no issue.¡±


    He pushed away a lock of hair that fell in front of his eyes and shot her a smile. ¡°Lady, I haven¡¯t scared away a woman since the day I was born. Mind you, I¡¯ve tried.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°How fortunate for you. I do not care to hear about it, however. Simply carry out the task as assigned, and you will be paid as agreed upon.¡±


    He chuckled and scratched his cheek. ¡°Alright. If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Passage through the Kilnstone here in Freybrook has been arranged for you in the morning. The trip back is by the end of the week. I trust you have prepared transport and all the other requirements already.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got it covered.¡±


    ¡°Next time you return here, make certain that as few people as possible notice you. I will ensure that the same arrangements will be ready for our meeting then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think a week is a bit much for a job like this, though?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But without being certain of how long it will take, I have chosen to err on the side of caution. It is too late to change it now, so you will have to make do as is.¡±


    ¡°Say I get the job done faster, or only need a day to find the woman and convince her. You wouldn¡¯t mind me going about some other business on the side then, would you?¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as it does not jeopardize any of my plans, you are free to do as you see fit with the remaining time.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Are there any further questions?¡±


    ¡°Oh, plenty. None I wager you¡¯d answer though.¡±


    ¡°Then I believe we are finished here,¡± she said.


    Gaven smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a week, then.¡±

 Interlude - Smile

    Rosa woke up skin clammy with sweat, breath caught in her throat. The air was pressing down on her chest, as if the room itself was closing in around her. The shadows lurking on the ceiling crawled out from beneath the beams, drawing her gaze to¡ª


    She shot up from the bed and sucked in a mouthful of air, palm pressed against her chest.


    ¡­Stupid.


    Why had she fallen asleep?


    Placing herself on the bed¡¯s brim, she stared at the empty floorboards next to her feet as she breathed. The terror she¡¯d felt in the dream lingered in her mind, but the details were already fading. Counting down from eleven, she lifted her hand to brush away some of the hair stuck to her temple. She would have to change clothes. The thin white shirt she¡¯d worn earlier in the day was drenched.


    Slowly, she turned her eyes up and out the window next to the bed. The sun was still fighting strong up in the sky, illuminating the beautiful garden as the wind blew away the fallen leaves on the ground. The plain sight looked almost idyllic with how pure it was. A completely unsoiled picture. A false promise.


    Tears started running down the inside of the windowpanes. The smog started inching closer at the corner of her eyes. Everything was pushing in, smothering the world.


    Today was a worse day than usual.


    She stood up and walked over to the tall wardrobe at the edge of the room, gaze locked straight ahead. It stood open a crack, the slit of darkness staring back at her as she reached for the handle. The eyes of a hundred tiny creatures hid in that blackness, glaring. Her hand hesitated at the clattering of a thousand legs, tearing at the back of her head, singing the songs of a horde of wailing souls, crying out at her, judging her, condemning her. She threw the door open and pulled out the first thing she found. A blood-red dress with bones lining the collar. The bones were cold to the touch as her fingers traced the cut along its neck.


    Looking away, she moved over to the dressing table and laid the dress over the back of a chair before picking up a white towel. She removed her damp shirt but paused as she was about to put the towel into the water basin on the table. The thick, dark-red liquid in the basin reflected her eyes, catching the light of the nearby lamp on the wall. She regarded them for a moment, then dipped the towel in. It returned wet and still as white as before. She let out a small, relieved sigh as she began cleaning herself off, then put on the dress. It looked different now. A deep lavender, with gold trimmings along the neck. It went well with the purple bead necklace and silver-ringed earrings she put on as well.


    She looked up at the mirror above the dresser, where violet eyes met her own, standing amidst a black void.


    All she had to do was smile.


    She grabbed a comb to rein back her disarrayed locks, eyes stuck on the reflection. The tips of its mouth were curved upward as it smiled back at her. Her hands stilled as the smile turned into a sneer, the edges of its mouth continuing up into a macabre facsimile of a smile as the reflection started cackling, surrounded by darkness with dozens of staring eyeballs that wanted to¡ª


    Rosa shut her eyes.


    She bent over and splashed her face with the liquid in the water basin. The cold water ran down her cheeks, sticking to her skin as it dribbled down. She counted down from eleven. Everything was fine. She was fine. It wanted her pain, but it couldn¡¯t do anything as long as she smiled. She was fine.


    She took a deep breath, then looked up. The reflection had turned back to normal.


    Smile.


    The likeness smiled back. It stood in front of a completely normal room, just like her. Everything was fine.


    She glanced over at her klert that was leaning against the wall by the exit. They had returned in the morning, so there had been nothing special planned for the day. But the whole evening remained. She could do with something to take her mind off things. Maybe the courtyard?


    She froze as something caressed her shoulder, a nauseating odor reaching her nose. She spun around, but there was nothing there. A creeping sensation traveled up her back, and the shadows near the dresser started growing outwards, taking the shapes of hands and limbs. Fingers latched onto the edges, crawling towards her. Heavy breaths touched the nape of her neck. Rosa closed her eyes.


    Peace. She just needed some peace. Just for today. Then it¡¯d all be fine.


    She walked towards the door and hurried outside.


    There, she found a young woman cleaning the hallway.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Rosa!¡± The woman jerked back the bloodstained leg she¡¯d been sweeping the floor with.


    Rosa smiled, ignoring the pool of blood under the woman.


    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Harriet? Teaching all that dust a lesson it won¡¯t forget, I hope?¡±


    The woman laughed, raising the leg in her hands. ¡°As always, Miss Rosa. I won¡¯t rest until all the dust on this floor has drawn its last breath!¡±


    Soul-crushing howls rang out from under the woman¡¯s dark dress, yet Harriet¡¯s cheerful expression stayed the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the dust rats sleep with one eye open when you¡¯re around.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Of course. I was born for this.¡± The charming little servant gave a sagacious nod. ¡°How are you, Miss Rosa? You all just got back from that trip, so you must have been tired. You¡¯ve been in your room all afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Got me in one.¡± Rosa pulled at her dress. ¡°I ended up taking a quick nap and changing into something a bit more snazzy. Now I feel fit as a fiddle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. Where are you heading?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Rosa swayed her neck as she peered down the hallway. ¡°Who knows? Maybe I¡¯ll go explore some. See where my feet take me. It¡¯ll be a nice little eventide adventure.¡±


    ¡°Sounds lovely.¡± Harriet smiled. ¡°Then I wish you the best on your trip, Miss Rosa.¡±


    ¡°And I you, oh mighty vanquisher of dust.¡±


    With a quick goodbye, Rosa left, fleeing the tortured screams that chased her down the hallway.


    She let her feet carry her through the mansion, passing by endless displays of blood-filled vases, paintings depicting horror-filled vistas, and windows staring out at the luring illusion that was the sunny outside.


    It didn¡¯t matter where she fled to, though. There was no escaping it. All she could do was bear¡ª


    Rosa blinked, staring at the dark mahogany door before her. Darkness drifted around it, clamoring to its rim like thousands of tiny feelers.


    When had she gotten here? This wasn¡¯t where she¡¯d wanted to go, right?


    ¡­Or was it?


    She stared forward, eyes fixed on the shadows. They weren¡¯t writhing toward her, or inviting her to peer into and get lost in their depths. Instead, it was as if they were screaming at her. As if they didn¡¯t want her here. As if they didn¡¯t want her inside this room. Her gaze went to the elaborate silver handle.


    No, maybe she did want to go here. Maybe her own weakness had brought her. And she couldn¡¯t resist the temptation.


    She pulled at the handle, and the door drifted open. A large office opened up before her. A completely normal office, with completely normal bookcases and paintings. And a completely abnormal woman, sitting behind a desk at the end of the room. Scarlett looked up from a pile of papers, a small frown on her face. ¡°Miss Hale? Was there something you wanted?¡±


    Rosa¡¯s eyes stayed on her. The normality of the space around the red-haired noblewoman was almost breathtaking. No hair-raising apparitions or shrieking horrors. No severed limbs or sobbing heads. No blood-soaked dresses or open eye sockets. Just the world as it was. As it always was around Scarlett, ever since Rosa had woken up in that cave back then.


    ¡°Miss Hale?¡±


    Rosa refocused her gaze. ¡°Oh, I was just dawdling around. Thought I¡¯d drop by and say hi.¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a second, with that typical glint in her eyes. The one that said the woman was reading deeper into Rosa¡¯s words than she wanted.


    ¡°...Is that so?¡± the Baroness eventually said. ¡°I believe we spoke just earlier this day. Nonetheless, the gesture is appreciated.¡±


    ¡°You know what they say.¡± Rosa smiled. ¡°Greetings are like the feathers in your cap. You can never have enough of them.¡±


    ¡°I cannot say I have heard that expression before.¡±


    ¡°Well, now you have.¡±


    Rosa glanced around her, stepping deeper into the room. A painting hanging above a small table next to the entrance caught her attention. It depicted a picturesque summer valley, with a tall stag drinking from a tranquil river at its center. The sun¡¯s rays glittered off the stag¡¯s silver antlers, drawing the onlooker''s eye.


    ¡°Was there something else you wanted?¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice brought her thoughts back to the present.


    She turned back to the baroness. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really have much to do right now, so maybe I¡¯ll stay here and keep you company, if you don¡¯t mind. Haven¡¯t read a book in ages either, so that could be fun.¡± She pressed her finger towards her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be as quiet as a mouse, so you can keep doing whatever you¡¯re doing. And whenever you feel like taking a break, you can just look up at this pretty face. I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll give you some motivation.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow, giving her what she was pretty sure was the woman¡¯s equivalent to a look of incredulity.


    ¡°If you want, I can go and get my klert as well.¡± Rosa grinned. ¡°What¡¯s the point of having a personal bard if they don¡¯t give you a show now and then?¡±


    The baroness held up her hand. ¡°No, that will not be necessary.¡± She signaled to a chair in the room''s corner. ¡°If you absolutely must stay, you may sit there. Expect little conversation from me, however.¡±


    Rosa tried to push down the relief that welled up from inside. ¡°Such a grouch,¡± she said, walking over to the first bookcase with a smile.


    She really was pathetic.


    ¡°Mind if I borrow one?¡± She pointed at the books.


    ¡°Feel free.¡±


    She ran her hand over the spines. ¡°Imperial Codes & Statutes. Heirs of the People. The Unresting Steppes: A Delineation of the Undead Council.¡± She counted off some titles. ¡°I can practically smell the dreariness spilling out of these. Isn¡¯t there anything with a bit more oomph to it?¡±


    Scarlett looked at her for a moment, then gestured to another section of the bookcase. ¡°There might be something more closely aligned to your tastes there,¡± she said, then turned back to her papers.


    Rosa moved over to where the woman pointed. ¡°Hmm. What have we got here? Sights of Zovivios. Maybe if there are illustrations,¡± she murmured. ¡°Women of Magic. That¡¯s something. Ah, and what¡¯s this? The Red Witch of Destruction: Catastrophe Incarnate. How dramatic.¡± Her finger paused when she noticed the other woman¡¯s eyes turn up at the last one. ¡°Oh? That one caught your attention. Sounds lively. Should I pick it?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I was simply unaware it was there. You do not recognize the name?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I know of any witch like that. Might be an interesting read, though. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The woman gave her that curious look that she got sometimes.


    ¡°¡­I would not recommend it. Those events would have taken place generations back, and no longer bear any importance. In addition, the contents are unlikely to be particularly pleasant.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Rosa hummed, before continuing to browse through the titles. Eventually, she settled on a book titled Tales of the Realm of Wanderers and sat down in her seat.


    Before she¡¯d even made it more than a few pages in, she noticed Scarlett glancing at her.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re already feeling like taking a break?¡±


    The woman arrested her work for a moment, then returned to writing something on the papers in front of her. ¡°No. I simply meant to ask how you are,¡± she answered coolly.


    Rosa paused. She opened her mouth, and for just a brief moment, she caught herself almost giving in to the false promise behind those words.


    She shook her head and smiled. ¡°Fine, as always. I¡¯m glad to be off that boat. What about you?¡±


    She was letting the uniqueness of the woman in front of her trick her. But she¡¯d been down that road before. ¡®How are you¡¯ was a courtesy, not a question.


    ¡°I am well,¡± Scarlett said, then motioned her pen towards the book in Rosa¡¯s hands. ¡°But will that truly be enough to satisfy you?¡±


    Rosa batted her eyelashes. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re implying?¡±


    ¡°You mean to say you came here merely to read?¡±


    She smirked. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you do want me to get my klert. Wasn¡¯t it you who said not to expect much conversation?¡±


    The woman gave her a long look, before turning back to her papers one last time. ¡°Very well. You may read as you wish. I will not hinder you.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s smile disappeared as she watched Scarlett focus on her work, any interest she¡¯d had in her book vanished. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and let her gaze move upward. For now, she just wanted to enjoy this peace, temporary as it might be. But tomorrow would eventually come, and so would the day after that. As long as she kept smiling, she was sure of it.


    She just wished the day would come when that was enough.

 Chapter 80 - Paperwork and teachings

    As was becoming more and more common when back in Freybrook, Scarlett was spending her afternoon in the office, looking over some documents Evelyne had sent over. Most of them were regarding the business they¡¯d talked about acquiring back in Elystead. Evelyne had been in talks with the owner for a while now and, apparently, come to an agreement. Most of the equipment and preparations of the locale were already in place, so things were moving along quickly. According to the younger woman¡¯s reports, they were currently scrounging for some employees, as most of the people who¡¯d been working there had taken off for other ventures, leaving only the owner.


    All of this had required Scarlett¡¯s sign-off, as the head of the Hartford house, and while she couldn¡¯t say that she enjoyed going through all these things, she did want to stay somewhat informed of the general happenings. There had been some surprising news she¡¯d learned while apprising herself of the situation like this. For example, Evelyne had somehow managed to rope in another investor for this first business venture, lowering costs for their family. Scarlett had given her full authority on this matter, so she wasn¡¯t going to complain about how Evelyne went about things. She just wasn¡¯t expecting others to get involved in this.


    Including the documents relating to the business side of things, it was also starting to look like they were getting some returns on all the loot Scarlett had sent over to Evelyne over the past month. Right now, it was only a small percentage that had been sold off¡ªScarlett had probably sent upwards of thirty low-level items altogether¡ªbut it was just a matter of time. The day before, she¡¯d also sent over the [Bow of Ends] and [Spear of Ends], and she was hoping the two epic-tier weapons would give them a good influx of wealth.


    She hadn¡¯t figured out the exact effects of the two items before she sent them off. She had considered getting them to an appraiser here in Freybrook, but she really had no need for either a bow or a spear, so there had been little point in keeping them any longer. Evelyne would ensure they were better evaluated in the capital before being sold off, and that was all that was needed.


    It was almost easier like this, with Scarlett not having to learn exactly what the two items did. She felt like she had to sell at least some of the loot from the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt, considering how much it would be worth, but all the other items were too valuable to sell.


    Fynn had ended up getting the [Clasps of the Storm], for example, which boosted aeromancy magic. And Scarlett had taken the [Mark of the Staunch] for herself. The added stamina boost the item gave was amazing. She¡¯d felt like a kid with how she was brimming with energy the last couple of days. With it and [Lifeblood¡¯s Eternal Circuit] on, she was probably wearing the equivalent of several houses just on her right hand. Both an amusing and a scary thought.


    The [Ring of Umbral Defiance] that she had been using up till recently had been transferred to Rosa permanently, after what had happened in the dungeon. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how helpful it would actually prove for the bard, but she¡¯d grown to realize there wasn¡¯t much point to herself keeping it. It gave resistance to all dark-type damage¡ªmost of which was mental¡ªand by now, it had been made abundantly clear that Scarlett¡¯s resistance against mental attacks was far above average. A fact she was very thankful for, even though she didn¡¯t quite know the reason behind it.


    The remaining two items taken from the dungeon were [Garment of Form] and [Fang of Remembrance]. The latter would not be of any use until she got its other half, so for now, Scarlett would just be hiding it away somewhere. [Garment of Form], however, she was still contemplating what to do with.


    She knew that, in the game, it was a decent item for Fynn. Most of the items in the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt were. But she was also pretty sure that, with a few simple adjustments that likely wouldn¡¯t affect the enchantment on it, she could use it herself. Considering how much stronger than her Fynn was, she would prefer to get some good equipment for herself first. The things found around Freybrook wouldn¡¯t cut it in any mid-level area or higher.


    She would have to decide after having the piece appraised. She knew it increased agility, and if that was all, it might not be the best for her after all.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Mana Control]


    [Pyromancy]


    [Greater Pyrokinesis]


    [Minor Hydromancy]


    [Greater Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 487/4516]


    [Points: 20]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Greater Pyromancy] (10 points)


    [Superior Pyrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Hydromancy] (5 points)


    [Superior Hydrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Greater Mana Control] (10 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    She would also have to decide how to spend her skill points soon. She¡¯d been saving them up for some time now while clearing dungeons here in Freybrook. With the addition of points from clearing the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt, she almost had enough to upgrade either her pyrokinesis or hydrokinesis to the ¡®Superior¡¯ tier. Of them, she would probably upgrade pyrokinesis first, as that fit best with her upcoming plans and with what she was being taught by Garside.


    But she didn¡¯t need those upgraded immediately. Instead, she was thinking about finally upgrading her [Minor Hydromancy] and [Pyromancy]. Up till now, she¡¯d been heavily focused on increasing her damage capabilities as quickly as possible. But now she¡¯d been in this world for two months, and things were currently in somewhat of a lull. If any time was best for upgrading her supporting skills, it was now. If they truly were supporting skills.


    She had already established that the pyromancy and hydromancy skills themselves didn¡¯t let her literally use spells, and she doubted upgrading them would change that. She was also pretty sure they wouldn¡¯t affect the strength of her pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis skills. Or at least not to the same level that upgrading the skills themselves did. But they would probably lower her mana costs for the corresponding element¡ªas they did in the game¡ªwhich had always been a second priority of hers.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Upgrading [Mana Control] did much the same thing. Although that skill also made controlling her magic easier in general, as she had learned the last time she upgraded it.


    Honestly, even though she¡¯d been disappointed about not being able to cast spells when she first came to this world, she¡¯d grown to realize that hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis were far more flexible than they appeared at first glance. And she felt like she was only grasping the bare minimum of what they were capable of. Like a caveman finding a hammer and not realizing there was a back of the head as well. And unlike actual spells, which would take ages to learn at even a novice degree, they were still relatively easy to use and could be upgraded through a point system that was essentially designed to make her stronger. One could even argue that, in a lot of ways, the two skills gave her more freedom than being able to cast spells would have done.


    Garside¡¯s new instructing had also been helpful in that regard, and getting more used to how she should use her pyrokinesis in an actual fight. She had confirmed that, unlike her, and despite his apparent skill in pyrokinesis, he had indeed been using spells during the fight with the boss in the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt. Even at his level, spells seemed preferable to just using pyrokinesis for things. Perhaps that didn¡¯t speak too strongly for her own aspirations and prospects, but she wasn¡¯t planning on letting that stop her. And Garside had still been able to teach her a lot.


    Though his teaching methods were somewhat¡­ Unique.


    What he taught her wasn¡¯t related to magic itself¡ªapparently the man didn¡¯t consider himself a skilled enough mage to actually teach her anything about pyrokinesis that she didn¡¯t already ¡®know¡¯¡ªbut rather, had been more focused on the strategic side of things. Their first session had been over in the training grounds¡ªwhich were in a state of half-repair, missing a good number of dummies¡ªa couple of days earlier, and they¡¯d had another this morning. The old man had appeared surprisingly excited over the prospect of teaching Scarlett his ways, but the problem was in the manner he described topics.


    One of the first things he¡¯d told Scarlett was that, when acting as a battlemage, she needed to ¡°open her mind¡¯s eye to the field before her¡±.


    To her, that was nothing more than clich¨¦d, esoteric nonsense. For a moment, she had wondered whether he was talking about a literal ¡°mind¡¯s eye¡±, trying to recall if there were any similar skills in the game. He¡¯d eventually informed her that wasn¡¯t it, though, and what he meant was that one had to get a feel for the flow of the battlefield, though those weren¡¯t the exact words he¡¯d used.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t consider herself stupid. She understood what he was getting at. But there was a difference between using flowery language to describe abstract concepts and experiencing them yourself. She¡¯d always preferred learning things through experience. And after listening to him go on about these things for maybe a little too long, she had simply told him as much.


    It was the first time she had seen him showcase any hint of embarrassment. After that, he had instead tried to simulate battles for her, so that she could learn what he was saying through practice. Though that hadn¡¯t stopped him from occasionally presenting an odd piece of advice here and there.


    Scarlett was brought out of her thoughts as a knock sounded out from the door, and she looked up as the man in question entered the room.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± Garside said. ¡°Madame Livvi has arrived. She is waiting in the parlor.¡±


    ¡°Livvi?¡± Scarlett glanced at the clock on her desk. More time had passed by than she thought. ¡°I will be there soon.¡±


    ¡°She appeared with another guest. A Master Abraham.¡±


    ¡°Abraham?¡±


    As in Raimond Abram? What was he doing here?


    Livvi had sent word the previous day asking if she could pay a visit, but Scarlett had heard nothing of the sort regarding Raimond. And he was still going under his alias. She was curious, though. Was he here on Follower business, or was this something else?


    ¡°I will be there shortly. Arrange some refreshments for them while they wait.¡±


    Garside bowed. ¡°As you wish, my Lady,¡± he said before leaving the room.


    Scarlett looked down at the documents she had left on the desk. This world had a surprising amount of paperwork in it. Having Evelyne around to handle most of it was a godsend. She still wanted to read through the rest, though, even if some of the specifics in them escaped her. But she would have to do that later.


    She signed her name on the last few of the papers she¡¯d read through¡ªthe original Scarlett¡¯s signature was easy to recreate with the body¡¯s instincts¡ªand placed them in one of the drawers. Then she stood up and crossed the room to leave. When she opened the door, however, she found Rosa standing there in the hallway, an uncertain expression on the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh, hi there.¡± Rosa¡¯s expression quickly changed into that of a smile as she raised her hand and fluttered her fingers in a greeting.


    ¡°Miss Hale? Was there something you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in particular, no.¡± Rosa shook her head. ¡°Just thought I¡¯d come by and say hello. Maybe read some more of that book I left off.¡±


    Scarlett knitted her forehead. Rosa had spent a lot more time than usual hanging around her lately. At first, she thought nothing of it, writing it off as the woman¡¯s usual antics. But there was definitely something off. She didn¡¯t know what, though.


    From what she recalled from the game, Rosa shouldn¡¯t be at risk of possession anytime in the immediate future, nor should she know about Scarlett¡¯s deal with the being hidden inside her. But Rosa had always been the character whose real thoughts were the hardest to discern, and there were still details about her that Scarlett had never learned during the first playthrough.


    And these details stood out a lot more now that she knew the woman in real life, rather than just in the game. For example, Scarlett was relatively certain that possession wasn¡¯t the only thing that plagued Rosa, as she¡¯d originally thought in the game. Sometimes Rosa acted off in a way that couldn¡¯t be explained only by the occasional possession. Although potential trauma was also a factor that had to be taken into consideration.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t terribly mind the woman¡¯s increased presence, though. It was distracting, at times, and some of Rosa¡¯s antics irked the Scarlett part of her, but having a laid-back person like that close by was also relaxing in its own way. Perhaps that was part of why she enjoyed spending time with Kat as well.


    Though the Shielder definitely came with less baggage.


    Scarlett looked over Rosa. ¡°I am afraid your reading will have to wait for another time. There are guests I must attend to.¡±


    She paused, eyes passing over the woman¡¯s attire. It was a green dress, and it looked presentable enough. Not to say that Rosa usually didn¡¯t wear fashionable clothes.


    ¡°¡­If you wish, you may join me,¡± she continued after a moment. ¡°One of the guests is an individual we might work with in the future, so it would not be bad for you to be introduced to them.¡±


    The bard¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°You sure? I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude on your little meet and greet.¡±


    ¡°They brought another guest without my knowledge. I see no reason I cannot do the same.¡±


    Rosa smirked. ¡°Catty. I like it.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a look. ¡°I ask that you refrain from describing me in such terms.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Ladyship!¡±


    She shook her head as she started walking down the hallway.


    No, perhaps she had been too hasty. There was nothing relaxing about this.

 Chapter 81 - Visits all day long

    Livvi Knottley and Raimond Abram¡ªor rather, ¡®Ray Abraham¡¯¡ªwere waiting for them when they arrived in the parlor. The two were sitting opposite each other on the room¡¯s couches, partaking in the refreshments and drinks arranged by the staff, and turned to look in unison as Scarlett and Rosa entered.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± Livvi said, putting down a cup of tea on the table.


    ¡°Ah, Baroness Hartford. It¡¯s been some time.¡± Raimond gave a dashing smile. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to express my apologies for intruding on this gathering between you fair ladies. And to even be provided these delightful desserts.¡±


    He held a small confection that looked a lot like an alfajor. The blond man had his hair tied up in a long ponytail, wearing a long red coat with the usual sun-crested Follower motif along the sleeves. Livvi, in comparison, only wore a simple blue-white dress, a pair of white-rimmed glasses, and had part of her light-brown hair tied up with a bow.


    ¡°There is no need for the pleasantries.¡± Scarlett walked over to sit down in an armchair that faced the two, gesturing towards Rosa. ¡°This is my retainer. Rosalina Hale.¡±


    The woman gave a small wave. ¡°Hello there.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Livvi Knottley. Scarlett and I have known each other since we were young,¡± Livvi said.


    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Hale.¡± Raimond actually stood up as he greeted Rosa. He bent over and planted a kiss on the woman¡¯s hand, his eyes seeming to study her for a moment. ¡°I am Ray Abraham, a traveling priest spreading the grace of Ittar wherever I can. If you ever are in need of his aid, feel free to just say the word.¡±


    Scarlett felt like rolling her eyes at his theatrics.


    ¡°A traveling priest, eh? I¡¯m flattered.¡± A smirk grew across Rosa¡¯s face. ¡°But you can just call me Rosa. And I appreciate the offer. It¡¯s good to know where to go if I ever need the big guy¡¯s help.¡±


    Raimond flashed an innocent smile to meet hers. ¡°If so, I would be delighted to help.¡±


    ¡°Before we begin,¡± Scarlett said, as the two sat down on the same couch. ¡°While you are more than welcome, Father Abraham, I am curious as to why you are here. I was not expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, how terribly rude of me.¡± The man held his hand to his chest. ¡°As you know, fair lady, I am a wanderer. I go where my legs take me. And as it just so happened that my travels this time brought me to these fine parts, it would have been remiss of me not to pay a visit to my dear friend Miss Livvi here. When I heard she had plans to meet with the Baroness¡ªwhile impolite of me¡ªI could not ignore this opportunity and asked to accompany her. I hope my inconsiderate actions have not caused undue trouble.¡±


    ¡°As I said, there is no issue,¡± Scarlett repeated. ¡°I was merely perplexed over why you wished to meet with me to such a degree.¡±


    Raimond raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is it that surprising? While the Followers of Ittar have been preoccupied with relief efforts after the terrible events that occurred last month, you were still the person to return one of the Chalices of Canon. Many have been curious about how you accomplished such a feat. It has caught the attention of even some deacons of the Quorum.¡±


    So that was how it was. She¡¯d been wondering why the Followers of Ittar had been relatively quiet on that front. After the Providing Ceremony, they¡¯d promised to record her name in the Hall of Providence, but other than that there had been no contact at all.


    Perhaps they really had been busy with everything that had happened. Or they were just considering how to best confront her about the matter. Still, it was amusing that one of the deacons themselves would tell her as much face-to-face like this, while hiding his identity.


    Maybe that was part of how they¡¯d decided to approach her in the end. To build good relations, in case she had any more interesting information.


    ¡°One could say it was a mixture of good luck and laborious research,¡± she said.


    The small smile on Rosa¡¯s face at her words did not escape her attention.


    She was pretty sure most of her companions were convinced she was bullshitting when she said things like that, though she would argue it was at least partly true.


    ¡°If I were to find more relics of the sort in the future, I can assure you that the Followers of Ittar would be amongst the first I notified.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I would expect no less from a magnanimous and righteous lady such as you,¡± Raimond said with admiration. ¡°I happen to consider myself rather learned in studies of doctrine and its related histories, and was actually hoping to discuss the topic with you for a bit, if you have the time to spare.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scarlett nodded along. She had read up some, and knew enough from the game, that she felt she could probably satiate part of his curiosity without revealing too much. ¡°Perhaps we can converse on the topic for a short while, then.¡±


    She also didn¡¯t mind improving her relationship with the man, now that an opportunity showed itself.


    Leaning forward, she picked up a cup of tea that had been prepared for her on the table. Using her pyrokinesis, she made it reach the perfect temperature as she took a sip. Her attention then turned to her left, where Livvi was giving her a somewhat intense look.


    ¡°¡­Is there something you wish to say?¡±


    The woman stared at her for a few more seconds, then seemed to realize herself. She pushed up her glasses as she glanced down. ¡°No, never mind.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°¡­How is Evelyne?¡± the woman asked. ¡°You mentioned she was overworked when we last met. I hope she¡¯s better now?¡±


    ¡°She is, yes.¡± Scarlett took another sip of her tea. ¡°She is currently staying in the capital, dealing with some business ventures we are exploring there. But from the correspondences I have been exchanging with her, there appear to be no further issues.¡±


    Livvi blinked. ¡°You¡¯ve been in regular contact with her?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The woman gave her an odd look, as if not entirely believing her words, but soon a light smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± she said, looking down at her lap. ¡°I was actually planning on visiting a few days ago, but you were out then. Your servants wouldn¡¯t tell me where, so I was almost starting to think it was just you avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°No, I was indeed away at the time. Some urgent business arose that I had to deal with personally, although I cannot share any of the details.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I understand.¡± Livvi held up a hand. ¡°It¡¯s been rather chaotic for everyone this last month. I spent almost two weeks working without rest after what happened. Ever since I got back to Freybrook, my father¡¯s been nagging me to quit the guild because he¡¯s so afraid of what¡¯ll happen in the future.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Scarlett didn¡¯t really know what more to say, considering the woman was essentially a complete stranger to her. ¡°And will you?¡±


    Livvi let out a small laugh as she picked up her tea from the table, pausing as she drank some. ¡°No. I love it there. All my colleagues are great, and I actually enjoy the work itself. Besides, I only deal with administrative matters. The only risk to me is being overworked.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the diminutive woman. So Livvi wasn¡¯t a Shielder? Then what sort of position did she have in the Guild? It didn¡¯t feel like a noble lady would be working as a simple clerk, so perhaps she was in charge of one of the branches, or something like that.


    ¡°Actually, I visited the Shields Guild¡¯s Freybrook branch the other day,¡± Livvi said. ¡°I was surprised to learn that you¡¯d been there recently as well. I had heard about that awful affair with those criminals before, and father mentioned it again now that I got back, but apparently you¡¯re currently hiring two Shielders to work for you?¡±


    ¡°I am, yes. They hail from the Elystead branch.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you liked Shielders?¡±


    ¡°Whether I liked them or not is irrelevant. I had need of their services. It is as simple as that.¡± Scarlett motioned towards Rosa. ¡°Miss Hale has also been of great help in these matters.¡±


    Livvi¡¯s eyes turned to the bard.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± Raimond cut into the conversation, examining Rosa as well. ¡°As one of the Baroness¡¯ retainers, what is it you do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do whatever she wants me to. Sing a song. Dance a waltz. Charm some kids¡­¡± Rosa showed a sly smile. ¡°Of course, she¡¯s asked none of that from me yet,¡± the woman added after a glare from Scarlett. ¡°So I improvise a bit. Whatever fits the situation, really.¡±


    ¡°And what sort of situations are these?¡± Raimond asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    The bard glanced at Scarlett.


    ¡°For the time being, it involves aiding me with some of my current research,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°If you have not heard, I uncovered a set of Zuverian ruins some weeks back. Much of my work goes into finding more sites of similar nature.¡±


    ¡°I heard about that,¡± Livvi said. ¡°The Guild was involved as well, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°They were, yes.¡±


    ¡°Zuverian ruins, you say?¡± Raimond gave Scarlett a curious look, though she doubted he hadn¡¯t heard about it. ¡°That is an interesting find. May I ask how you accomplished such a feat?¡±


    ¡°It is a rather involved matter. I do not think now is the time to explain all the research and events that led up to it.¡± Scarlett paused to finish her tea. ¡°Perhaps another time,¡± she said, placing the cup back on the table.


    ¡°You appear to be quite the learned lady in general, Baroness. I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°I believe I have been prudent in choosing what it is I should focus my attention on, and which individuals could prove helpful. That is all.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for modesty. I am sure there are many who would like to be in your position.¡±


    Scarlett let out a huff. ¡°I would gladly invite them to.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Livvi said.


    Scarlett turned to the woman, whose eyes passed over Raimond and Rosa as she cradled her teacup in her hands. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit ridiculous, considering I¡¯m the one who brought Ray along, but would it be ok if we talked by ourselves for a moment, Scarlett?¡±


    Scarlett eyed her. What was this about?


    ¡°Miss Rosa,¡± Raimond said, turning to look at the bard next to him with a smile. ¡°Perhaps we should leave these two fine ladies to themselves for a while. I would love to hear more about what a woman such as yourself has seen of the world.¡±


    Rosa grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t mind trading a few stories. You¡¯ll have to tell me how the life of a traveling priest is.¡±


    ¡°But of course. I shall recount some of my most exciting encounters, providing you do the same.¡±


    ¡°Sounds fun. Maybe I¡¯ll tell you about the time I herded a pack of cockatrices through the streets of Silverborough with nothing but a drum.¡±


    Raimond chuckled. ¡°Now I¡¯m quite intrigued.¡±


    Scarlett watched on as the two hit it off and left the room, leaving the space oddly silent. She turned towards Livvi. ¡°What was it you wished to speak about?¡±


    The woman gazed at her quietly for several seconds.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting weird ever since we met back in Elystead. Then you¡¯ve also participated in the Providing Ceremony, started doing these strange things with the Guild, and I even heard you did something ridiculous at the Elysian Proclamation. Father couldn¡¯t stop raving about it when I asked him for details.¡±


    Scarlett stared at the woman for a moment. The sudden change in behavior was surprising.


    ¡°¡­While I will not deny that my actions may appear unusual, they are all a consequence of extenuating events and circumstances that forced me to act as I did. That my conduct comes off as strange is merely an unfortunate byproduct of that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well. I thought there had to be another explanation for it all.¡± Livvi looked at her like one might a classmate you hadn¡¯t seen since high school. ¡°But then I saw you now.¡±


    Scarlett creased her forehead. ¡°What is it you are trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I almost want to ask you who you are.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so different from the Scarlett I used to know. What happened?¡±


    Not even Evelyne had seemed to notice something was off about her this quickly, and most people didn¡¯t even notice much of a difference at all when Scarlett spoke with them. But this woman had realized it after they¡¯d only had two brief conversations with each other?


    ¡°I am afraid I do not understand what you mean.¡±


    This could be bad.


    Livvi readjusted her glasses, some of the light coming in from the windows reflecting in them as she locked eyes with Scarlett. ¡°But you do, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s like you¡¯re an entirely different person.¡±


    Scarlett stilled.


    ¡°¡­I fail to see the relevance of that assertion, or why my apparent change would be of any interest to you.¡±


    First, she would have to try and convince her. Otherwise, she might have to kick her out. But she was the daughter of Count Knottley, so that could cause even more¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Scarlett paused. ¡°You are¡­relieved?¡±


    A somber smile grew on Livvi¡¯s face. ¡°Did you know that, even since we were kids, I¡¯ve almost never seen you speak more than a few sentences to your sister?¡± she asked. ¡°I used to feel so uncomfortable when your father told us to play with her, and never knew how to act, not to make you mad. I don¡¯t think I ever saw you two in the same room after his death.¡±


    She let out a short, sentimental laugh. ¡°You just grew so cold to everyone after that. It hurt to watch. I used to believe you hated me as well, and I¡¯m still not sure you didn¡¯t. I always hoped that would change, but eventually, I think I just started avoiding you instead. But I¡¯ve always regretted that. So hearing you like this, and that you¡¯re talking with Evelyne, even if it¡¯s only by letter, it genuinely makes me happy.¡±


    Livvi went quiet, her eyes turning towards the door. ¡°Rosalina, was it? I¡¯ve never seen you let someone act like that around you before. It almost feels like a miracle.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was unaware these were your thoughts.¡±


    She turned back with a bittersweet expression. ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me. I think I¡¯ve always known you better than you¡¯ve known me.¡±


    ¡°And what did you hope to gain by admitting all of this?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°I presume you were prepared for a negative response?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to talk alone. I also didn¡¯t want to ruin Ray¡¯s relationship with you just because of my own problems.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Scarlett considered the woman for a time.


    ¡°I suppose there is no denying that I have indeed changed. The reasons behind it are not something I will share, but I can tell you they have caused me to reconsider my priorities, and the manner in which I approach things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°How fortunate for you. But was that all you wished to say?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡± Livvi turned quiet. ¡°Never mind. That¡¯s enough for now.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps we should invite the others inside once again,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Your companion appeared quite eager to discuss certain topics.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s not waste more time on this.¡±


    That night, Scarlett¡¯s eyes shot open as a loud thump sounded out outside her room. She sat up in her bed, scanning the dark room in front of her. The light coming through the curtains was just enough to see the outline of the furniture, but there seemed to be nothing out of place.


    Another crash rang out in the hallway.


    She shot to her feet and snatched the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] from the bedstand, hurrying to put it on. Her rings were already on her hand, and she¡¯d activated [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] the moment she¡¯d heard the noise.


    Dressed in a flowing white nightgown, she also picked up the [Pouch of Holding], clasping it in her left hand as she crept towards the door. Taking a deep breath, she tore the door open and peered out into the hallway.


    There was Fynn, standing over four still bodies, all dressed in black. The young man was shirtless, with a large gash running across his right arm.


    He looked up at her. ¡°Intruders.¡±


    She stared at the bodies. All of them had gold masks covering their faces.


    The Hallowed Cabal was back.

 Chapter 82 - Cabalic visits

    Scarlett stared down at the motionless bodies on the hallway floor. The Hallowed Cabal had made their move.


    ¡°There are more of them,¡± Fynn said, sniffing the air. He paused. ¡°¡­They¡¯re not guests, right?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°They are not. There is no need to restrain yourself.¡±


    It was them or her. She¡¯d accepted that the last time the Cabal ambushed them. She wasn¡¯t going to pull any punches.


    But to think they¡¯d actually attack the mansion itself this time. Even if it was temporary, this was still her freaking home.


    A loud cry rang out further down the hallway.


    Crap. Would they touch the staff? Most of them were in the mansion¡¯s west wing, but that had sounded a lot like Molly¡­


    ¡°Come with me.¡± She started down the hallway in her nightgown. The cool night air flowed against her exposed legs as her bare feet touched the carpeted floor. But there wasn¡¯t much to be done about that. This was no time for a wardrobe change.


    They soon reached the corridor where Scarlett¡¯s office was located. There they found Molly, the woman¡¯s hand pressed against her chest as she stared at another black-clad body lying on the floor. The servant was one of the few who had a room in the mansion¡¯s east wing, so that she could be of service when Scarlett needed it.


    ¡°M-My Lady!¡± Molly cried out when they approached. ¡°I-I heard a loud sound! A-and then there was a b-body!¡±


    ¡°I took care of him on the way,¡± Fynn cut in from the side.


    Scarlett glanced at him. Thank god she had recruited him. And thought of giving him a room close to hers.


    She turned her attention to Molly. ¡°Return to your quarters and conceal yourself as well as you can. The intruders are unlikely to search all the rooms thoroughly, so you will be safe there. Do not leave until either I or one of the other servants tell you to.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, my Lady.¡± The woman trembled as she tried not to look down at the body.


    They accompanied her to her room.


    ¡°Are there any others in this wing?¡± Scarlett asked Fynn as they left her and continued deeper into the mansion.


    ¡°There were, but I think the old man took care of them,¡± he replied, rubbing the bare skin on his arm. Scarlett had given him one of her health potions to heal the large gash that had been there, so now there was mostly just dried blood left. She needed him in prime condition to deal with things.


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Four, I think.¡±


    She frowned. That meant there had been at least nine Cabal Adepts just in this wing. Considering they often came in groups of four, there had to be more of them left.


    ¡°Can you sense any more of them anywhere else?¡±


    He seemed to focus for a moment, a scowl appearing on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t. But there¡¯s something weird outside.¡±


    Damn. That meant there were other variants among these Adepts. Probably some specifically meant for stealth. It probably wouldn¡¯t have much effect against Fynn close up, but they had larger spells that made it hard to sense things at range. That fact alone might raise suspicions, but it was good for stopping the enemy from telling your position.


    Soon enough, the two of them made it to the mansion foyer. Scarlett stopped upon seeing a burned body close to the entrance. Another Cabal Adept. It seemed like Garside had indeed grasped the situation quickly, and was cleaning up.


    Steps sounded out from the stairs, and Shin and Allyssa came running into the foyer. Shin was dressed in a simple set of clothing with sword and shield in hand, and Allyssa had her bandolier and brown goggles on, along with her hand crossbow. The two young Shielders sent Scarlett questioning looks.


    Allyssa¡¯s attention turned to the Adept¡¯s body. ¡°Ittar¡¯s light¡­ What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Shin asked, staring at the gold mask that covered the body¡¯s face.


    ¡°Intruders,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°There might still be more of them around. Do not lower your guard.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t certain either of the two was much stronger than a Cabal Adept. They worked best as support for Fynn in these kinds of situations.


    A bright light lit up parts of the room as a loud explosion crashed out from the courtyard. Scarlett spun her eyes towards the doors, where red shadows played across the high-facing windows peering outside.


    She turned back to Shin and Allyssa. ¡°Ensure that all members of the staff are safe, then join us in the courtyard. Have Rosa accompany you if you encounter her.¡±


    Allyssa stared at her. ¡°What? What about you?!¡±


    ¡°Fynn and I will find Garside, as well as whoever is responsible for this attack. It is imperative that we do not waste time, so go!¡±


    The two gave her hesitant looks, but soon yielded and turned around to carry out her orders.


    Scarlett briefly glanced at Fynn, then moved towards the front doors. Another explosion of light and crashing sounded out.


    As she opened the doors, she was met by the sight of a half-dressed Garside standing at the foot of the entrance stone stairs leading up to the entrance, a gathering of black-clad bodies spread around the courtyard before him.


    A tall woman with braided dark hair, dressed in clothes that might have belonged in an old pirate movie, jumped to the side at the other end of the courtyard as a trail of ear-piercing ignitions followed her, blasting aside another Cabal Adept in the process. An array of daggers and weapons hung off her belt, and after nimbly rolling away from another sudden blast of air tearing into and burning up on itself, she hoisted up two small axes into her hands. A moment later, they shot off like bullets towards Garside. The old butler moved his hands and two small explosions erupted in the path of both axes, just barely knocking them off course so that they cut into the steps behind him.


    Scarlett blanched. The axes cut into the stone. Like butter.


    She froze at the axe handle that dug into Garside¡¯s shoulder. His left arm was hanging limp to the side.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Fynn let out a low growl as he jumped off the stairs, the wind soaring with him. He landed in front of Garside, near the center of the courtyard, where the fountain and the grass mounds around it had all been ruined beyond recognition.


    The black-haired woman¡¯s attention turned to Fynn, and she pulled up another axe.


    Scarlett blinked. Crap. She couldn¡¯t let this fight go on.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    She summoned a blinding sphere of fire above the courtyard, like a miniature sun lighting up the night. Everybody¡¯s heads turned away, and Garside spun around to look at her.


    ¡°My Lady! Return to the mansion!¡±


    ¡°I will not.¡± She hurried down the stairs, looking towards the woman at the other end of the courtyard. ¡°Stay your hand! I wish to parley!¡±


    She dispelled her fire, letting the moon¡¯s pale light return over the space. Thankfully, the woman actually seemed to listen to her words, judging from the fact that an axe wasn¡¯t sent flying immediately after. The same went for the three Adepts that were still standing.


    Fynn looked ready to pounce any second, in case they moved.


    Garside held out his remaining arm as Scarlett passed him. She stopped for a moment, turning to look at the old man. His skin had grown pale and covered in sweat, the upper half of his shoulder covered in blood that poured down his side.


    God. That axe had cut deep. How was he still standing?


    A blistering rage of emotion loomed as she stared at the wound.


    She took a deep breath before it escalated any further. ¡°¡­Words cannot describe how much I appreciate your concern,¡± she forced out, meeting his eyes. ¡°But I will deal with this.¡±


    She pulled out another health potion from the pouch in her hand. It was the last normal [Health Potion] she had, but even that was unlikely to be enough to deal with an injury like that. Hopefully, it¡¯d do enough for them to be able to treat him later on.


    The man looked like he wasn¡¯t going to accept it, but after a glare from Scarlett, he reached out and took the potion with a pained expression.


    Scarlett walked past him, towards the center of the courtyard. The black-haired woman lowered her axe.


    Scarlett raced through the situation in her head, trying to think of the best resolution. The woman before her wasn¡¯t just your ordinary member of the Hallowed Cabal. Technically, she wasn¡¯t a member at all. She was a part of the Tribe of Sin. But the distinction between the two wasn¡¯t large in this case. It was surprising to see her on what was clearly a Cabal mission, but perhaps that was a sign of how busy they were at the moment. Whatever the reason, this woman was far from weak. If they all teamed up against her, Rosa and the others included, they might stand a chance. But none of them were prepared for such a fight currently.


    And beating her would cause several other issues to arise. The fact that she was here to begin with meant that Scarlett¡¯s place on the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s list of priorities had risen a lot higher than she wanted. Defeating this woman meant her threat level would rise even higher, and next time, they would definitely send someone Scarlett couldn¡¯t deal with. This situation had to be nipped in the bud before it escalated.


    ¡°Well, this makes things easier for me,¡± the woman announced. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the last batch never made it back. You guys are stronger than expected.¡±


    Scarlett stopped beside Fynn, meeting the eyes of Riya, the Tribe¡¯s mad dog.


    ¡°I take it you were the ones who sent people to ambush me before?¡± Some of her anger slipped into her voice. ¡°I had hoped their subsequent failure would be enough to deter you from barging into my affairs again.¡±


    ¡°Wish the world worked like that, love.¡± Riya placed her hand against her hip. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a choice. Either you make that old man back there stand down all nice and quiet so that I can chop it off cleanly, or I¡¯ll tear it off and gather up all the people in this mansion in front of you and get those clothes of yours bloody.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her. The nerve of this woman.


    She glanced back at Garside. He had a beaten expression on his face, but still looked ready to get back into it at the slightest hint of danger.


    She couldn¡¯t imagine herself ordering him to give himself up like that, even for a second. The mere thought brought a taste of bile to her mouth.


    And there was no way the Hallowed Cabal would just leave all these witnesses be, anyway.


    She turned back to Riya. It took all her effort not to yell at the woman.


    ¡°¡­Let us discuss this. Privately.¡±


    Riya raised her brows. ¡°Discuss? Love, you look like you¡¯re ready to slit my throat.¡± She smiled, waving her hand. ¡°But sure.¡±


    Scarlett bit back her reply, giving Garside and Fynn one last look before walking up to Riya. Her heart beat in her ears as she glanced down at the weapons hanging off the woman¡¯s side.


    ¡°I believe I have already ascertained which group you belong to,¡± she spoke in a lower voice, aware that Fynn would still hear everything. ¡°I will simply say this: let us strike a deal.¡±


    The woman stared back at her. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly on the table, love.¡±


    ¡°That is because you are not aware of what you stand to gain from it. I can assure you, what I have to offer is worth far more than you realize.¡±


    Riya considered her for a while. Then she pulled out a reflective piece of grey metal from one of her pockets.


    Scarlett only barely stopped herself from drawing in a breath as the mirror-like object took on a darker hue, a black fog spreading over its surface. A moment later, a sharp voice sounded out from the [Mirror of Communion].


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    A sense of relief filled Scarlett. That wasn¡¯t The Angler Man.


    If it had been, her hand would have been forced.


    ¡°The target wants to strike a deal,¡± Riya said, looking down at the mirror.


    ¡°We do not negotiate with those blind to the truth.¡±


    The woman turned back to Scarlett. ¡°You heard ¡®em.¡±


    She reached for an axe.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Scarlett raised a hand. ¡°I suspect I know what it is you are after.¡±


    Riya held still. Only silence followed from the mirror.


    ¡°Well. Go on,¡± the woman said.


    Scarlett looked between her and the [Mirror of Communion]. She had a hunch about who was on the other side of the mirror.


    ¡°Am I correct in assuming my dealing with the Grey Dog Gang two months ago was what caught your attention?¡± she asked. ¡°My investigations at that point revealed their involvement with you, and at first I believed the following ambush on my carriage to be in retaliation for that. Judging from today¡¯s attack, however, I can tell that is not all.¡±


    Riya didn¡¯t look like she had a care in the world about what she was saying, but the voice in the mirror stayed silent, so Scarlett continued.


    ¡°From your earlier words, I presume you do not wish for me dead. As such, I can only conclude you are interested in what artifact I used to resist the mental prying I encountered when I discovered that artifact in the Grey Dog Gang¡¯s base.¡± She paused, taking a long breath. ¡°In exchange for leaving me and my people be, I can share information about this artifact.¡±


    The [Mirror of Communion] was silent for a moment. Eventually, the answer came.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Scarlett clenched her jaw. Of course that wouldn¡¯t be enough. They could literally just tear any information she had out of her mind. She had to convince them she¡¯d told them everything she knew, and that there was nothing to gain from getting rid of her. It couldn¡¯t reach the state where she spoke with The Angler Man. This was one occasion where showcasing all her knowledge was more of a threat to her than anything.


    ¡°¡­I am willing to compromise,¡± she said. ¡°There must be something more you want. Perhaps you are not aware exactly of who I am, of the influence I can bring to bear, or the connections I have. There is not much either party stands to gain from us opposing each other here.¡±


    ¡°Riya,¡± the voice on the other end said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± the black-haired woman looked down.


    ¡°Kill everybody but her.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Scarlett stepped back as Riya reached for an axe. ¡°I know the location of the Seal of Thainnith!¡±


    ¡°Hold.¡± Riya stopped immediately after the voice spoke.


    A gush of air blew past Scarlett as Fynn appeared beside her, glowing claws floating above his fists as he glared at Riya.


    No one moved.


    ¡°Speak,¡± the voice said.


    Scarlett had her eyes fixed on Riya. A mix of panic and rage made her want nothing more than to blow these people away, but she had to hold herself back.


    She¡¯d just taken a giant gamble.


    There was literally no way for her to cleanly get out of this situation if The Angler Man were to arrive on the other end of the [Mirror of Communion]. And for something this serious, they would definitely call him, even if he was busy. But there was a chance¡ªjust a chance¡ªthat the reason he wasn¡¯t here right now wasn¡¯t just because he was occupied, but rather that he couldn¡¯t.


    And if that was true, there was an avenue she could take.


    ¡°Rimepeak. Northrest. Brinewick. Cloudmoor.¡± Scarlett counted off several names. ¡°I am not the only one that realizes the significance behind the places you attacked last month. But it is likely that no other individual knows the location of the Seal.¡±


    She met Riya¡¯s eyes. ¡°I, however, do. But I will not share this information if you harm me or any of the people under me.¡±


    Once again, silence followed from the other end of the mirror.


    Scarlett held her breath.


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ll speak.¡±


    [Quest completed: Survive the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s assault]


    {Skill points awarded: 8}


    Oh, thank god.

 Chapter 83 - Visits2

    The day after the Cabal¡¯s attack, Scarlett was once more walking down the mansion¡¯s hallways to receive another sudden guest.


    There were a lot of them lately.


    And while this wasn¡¯t exactly the best time for receiving visitors, she couldn¡¯t just ignore this person, either.


    Things around the mansion were a complete mess right now. Scarlett was thankful she turned out to be the Cabal Adepts¡¯ primary target, and that most of the staff had made it through relatively unharmed. Two guards had gotten some nasty head injuries, but Rosa had managed to fix them up to a level where they would recover after a week¡¯s rest.


    In comparison, Garside¡¯s injury from fighting Riya was pretty severe. Rosa had done what she could during the night, and now during the morning, but apparently the healing took even more than usual out of the old man, and the injury had reached all the way down to the bones. He would still make it, but for now, his left arm was out of commission and he would have to spend some time recovering. Scarlett was going to look into if there were any other forms of treatment available as well later on.


    The mansion itself also hadn¡¯t fared well from the assault. The chief victim had been the courtyard, where the fountain and surrounding stonework had been wrecked, and all the flowerbeds either burnt or trampled down. In addition, the building faces facing the courtyard sustained a good amount of damage, as well as some hallways in the east wing where Garside and Fynn had fought the Cabal Adepts.


    Frankly, just the thought of the costs of repairing all this in a mansion like this sent shivers down her spine. This place was bound to be more valuable than anything else the Hartford family had in its possession. Evelyne was sure to have a fit when she learned of it as well.


    Scarlett would have to double down on her efforts to make up for the costs.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she could send a receipt to the Hallowed Cabal for the damages.


    Though she should probably count herself lucky that she was still walking around like this. In order to get the Hallowed Cabal to agree to a deal with her, she¡¯d made a pretty large gamble. Namely, that The Angler Man was currently in his slumber.


    The Angler Man was old. Far too old to still be breathing. As a consequence of how he was maintaining his life, he sometimes had to go into slumbers for extended periods. In the game, this would sometimes happen at the start or end of certain questlines and usually lasted a month or so. Scarlett had heard he sometimes slumbered for much longer periods, though that was probably before the game started.


    One thing she hadn¡¯t known was that he would be in one of his slumbers this early in the timeline. That was why it had been a gamble. But it would fit with what she¡¯d seen, and was the alternative that was most advantageous to her current situation. The Hallowed Cabal usually wouldn¡¯t hesitate in acting against people like her, because they could always get any information they wanted with The Angler Man¡¯s help. But if he was in a slumber, they couldn¡¯t rely on that option. So if a situation were to appear where they needed certain information from her, they would either have to kidnap her and bank on being able to force the information out of her, or compromise and make a deal to guarantee that they got what they wanted.


    In this case, the Seal of Thainnith was tied to what the Hallowed Cabal was up to with their attacks across the empire. The seal itself was split into three pieces. The Cabal should already have one of those pieces, but the remaining two wouldn¡¯t be found until later. In the game, the second was found by the player and then handed over to different groups depending on who they sided with. The third one, however, was a bit different. While it could be found by the player, the truth was that it was technically already in the hands of a certain individual whose goals went directly opposite of The Angler Man¡¯s. The Cabal wasn¡¯t aware of this, however, and would only know that this person was also looking for the other pieces. For them, it was a race against time to find the pieces as soon as they could, which was why there¡¯d been an opening for Scarlett to force them to accept her offer.


    Of course, in order to even get them to talk with her to begin with, she¡¯d had to tell them the location of the second piece. But that much was acceptable, as long as it bought her more time. She had also assured them she would bring them the third piece, in return for them making a deal with her, and promising to leave her alone. After that, they¡¯d left with what essentially boiled down to threatening her not to try anything, and a promise that they¡¯d meet again soon.


    At least they¡¯d had the decency to take their dead companions away with them. Though she wouldn¡¯t have minded a chance to keep the equipment.


    Honestly, the whole affair had been a mess. Scarlett had at several points been an inch from losing it, both because of how angry she had been at the whole situation, and because of how nerve-wracking it was, taking part in negotiations where she knew a misstep could lead to the death of herself and of all those around her. She imagined she¡¯d cut quite the figure, standing in a ruined courtyard in the middle of the night, in nothing but her nightgown.


    And the only thing she¡¯d managed to buy was maybe a few weeks of peace. Either until The Angler Man returned, or the Cabal retrieved the second piece of the seal¡ªwhich was all the way over in the Unresting Steppes¡ªand expected her to deliver the third.


    And she wasn¡¯t expecting for a second for them to actually keep their promise to her after they had the pieces. They literally had no reason to.


    Well, jokes on them. They¡¯d attacked her in her own home. Did they really think she had been planning to just let things go that easily?


    She had wanted none of this. But now that they had forced her into this situation, they would have to deal with the consequences. Things wouldn¡¯t go quite as they wished.


    When Scarlett reached the parlor room where the guest had been led, a woman waited for her on one of the couches. She wore a long white dress that curled up around the neck, with a thick tome hanging off a gold ring that was fastened to her waist, and had straight dark hair that reached down her back, along with tanned skin which you rarely saw on the people here in the western parts of the empire. And while she looked to be somewhere in her late thirties¡ªwith only vague signs of wrinkles growing around her eyes¡ªScarlett knew the woman was about a decade older than that.


    ¡°You must be Baroness Scarlett Hartford.¡± The woman looked up at Scarlett with a pair of clear hazel eyes.


    Scarlett walked over and sat down opposite her. ¡°I am. And I presume you are Emeritus Master Docent Grand Wizard Adalicia Mendenhall?¡±


    A small smile played on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, but Adalicia is enough. Obstinate old mages are the only ones who focus on the titles these days.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Well, that was a wasted fifteen minutes spent memorizing that whole thing then.


    Scarlett glanced at the empty table in front of Adalicia. ¡°I apologize. It appears my servants have lapsed in their accommodations. Would you like for tea or any other refreshments?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s quite alright. And I¡¯m the one who should apologize.¡± Adalicia gently shook her head. ¡°I realize my visit was rather sudden, and it looks like something serious must have happened recently. I almost thought I was passing through a battlefield when I was outside.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there was an incident last night where some belligerent individuals saw fit to assault my home. It appears to have been in retaliation for an event where I aided Count Knottley in dealing with a local criminal network. Thankfully, we succeeded in repelling them, and the injuries sustained were treatable to a large degree. It will take some time to repair the damage to the estate, however.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear no one died.¡± Adalicia held a sympathetic expression. ¡°If I could, I would have visited at another time, but unfortunately I am still in the middle of some important work on the Rising Isle. In fact, I borrowed the help of an acquaintance of mine to travel here temporarily, but both of us will have to return as soon as possible.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°An acquaintance of yours? Capable of bringing you to Freybrook from the Rising Isle that easily?¡±


    Adalicia let out a chuckle. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t necessarily call it easy, but yes. He is a member of the Ustrum Assembly, and an arch wizard. He was rather curious about what business I had that warranted my visit here. I don¡¯t think he appreciated my silence on the matter too much.¡±


    ¡°If they are one of the Ustrum Assembly¡¯s arch wizards, could they be Arch Wizard Ainsworth?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The Ustrum Assembly would only have two arch wizards at this point in time. And considering that teleportation fell under the aeromancy school of magic, there was only one alternative for who it could be. In the game, Ainsworth had been one of the less assholey characters among the Assembly, and you could get several quests from him if you were doing the Ustrum Assembly questline.


    Adalicia nodded. ¡°Yes. Are you well acquainted with mage society?¡±


    ¡°I am familiar with some of the more influential names. However, I would not call myself an authority on the subject.¡±


    ¡°You knew who I was, at the very least. I wouldn¡¯t have expected most nobles to care about someone like me.¡± Adalicia smiled. ¡°Why did you seek for me in particular? I know many people who would have been interested in an offer like yours, several of whom would probably have been more suited for it.¡±


    ¡°There are many reasons,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°For one, from what I have heard, both of your character and capabilities align well with what I have been searching for. And while I do not doubt there are many who could be of similar usefulness, there are few who have as respectable a reputation.¡±


    The woman was probably the closest to a ¡®pure-good¡¯ aligned person you could find among the more powerful mages in the game. And considering she was planning for this cooperation to last for some time, Adalicia was the best fit.


    ¡°I also did not wish to excessively involve myself with the Assembly¡¯s matters, for personal reasons,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°And as I am sure you are aware, the mages of the Rising Isle can be difficult to interact with for a noble of the empire such as I.¡±


    While the empire and the Rising Isle weren¡¯t hostile towards each other¡ªand hadn¡¯t been for over a century¡ªthere was still a certain amount of competitiveness between the two powers. They were both influential players on an international level, in addition to being in close proximity to each other. She knew Evelyne had been trying to get in contact with members of the Rising Isle regarding the Zuverian ruins, but wasn¡¯t sure how that had panned out.


    ¡°Of the mage towers, the Elystead Tower was the best alternative. Even though I cannot say that my last interaction with them ended well.¡±


    Adalicia gave her a confused look. ¡°Your last interaction?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett frowned as she recalled the event. ¡°I met with Vice-Dean Rowley several weeks ago, intending to propose a similar agreement with him. But it culminated in him barring me from the premises before we could have any true discussion of the matter.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The woman blinked at her a few times. ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°He banned me from the premises. And from personally interacting any further with the Elystead Tower.¡±


    Adalicia stared at her. ¡°Can I ask why?¡±


    Scarlett crossed her arms. ¡°I wish I could say. Unfortunately, he did not bother to provide an explanation. In return for part of the information I held, I had asked for his assistance in a certain matter. Instead of simply declining, he seemed to see it fit that I could no longer even speak of the topic anywhere near his vicinity.¡±


    ¡°What exactly was this matter about?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say.¡± She eyed the woman for a moment. ¡°Nor does it hold any significance now. I have already resolved it through other means.¡±


    There was no point in risking getting a similar reaction from Adalicia now.


    The wizard had knitted her forehead. ¡°He didn¡¯t offer any explanation at all for his actions? Rowley can be rash, but he rarely does things without reason.¡±


    ¡°He did not, no. He only promised he would pretend our conversation never happened, and that was all. But as I said, it no longer matters. I require his aid no more. Although I could still make use of yours.¡±


    Adalicia gave her a long look, as if she was considering her words.


    Scarlett was unsure what the woman would think. Depending on what she knew about her, she could feel anything from distrust to sympathy. Adalicia was a kind person, and the original Scarlett hadn¡¯t been.


    But the original had also been pretty decent at maintaining a good reputation with certain groups, so it was entirely possible there wasn¡¯t anything bad for Adalicia to have heard. Scarlett herself had no idea how far-reaching the worst rumors about her were.


    ¡°I¡¯ll investigate more closely what might have been the reason when I return to the tower,¡± Adalicia eventually said. ¡°For now, should we move on to the heart of the matter?¡±


    Scarlett gave a short nod. ¡°Very well then. I will be blunt. What I require is a dependable ally for the near future, who is knowledgeable on matters of magic and has some say in the Ustrum Assembly. One who can protect me from the rapacity of the Assembly¡¯s members and those of the various mage towers, and can aid me in my continued research. In return, as I believe my sister described in her letters, I will share part of the knowledge I have gathered on the Zuverian ruins and other notable sites. Eventually, this might also include the locations of primordial spells.¡±


    Adalicia showed slight surprise at the mention of primordial spells, but mostly maintained a cool expression. Scarlett got the sense the woman was doubting her words somewhat. ¡°Spells. Not spell. You¡¯re saying you know of more than one?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    The woman studied her for several seconds. ¡°Baroness. I hope I¡¯m not breaching some convention I¡¯m not aware of, but that sounds preposterous.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it would. Yet it is the truth. If you find it difficult to believe my word, I could provide further evidence if you were to allow me the time. I can assure you that I do not take any of this lightly.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you tell the Vice-Dean the same thing?¡±


    ¡°I informed him I knew the location of one primordial spell, but that was all. I saw no point in sharing more than that before negotiations had begun.¡±


    ¡°And he believed you?¡±


    ¡°He appeared to entertain the notion. Enough to begin talks. Of course, that was before he kicked me out.¡± Scarlett couldn¡¯t stop a hint of annoyance from seeping in towards the end.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what could have possibly made him act like that, if he truly believed you.¡±


    ¡°It is largely a mystery to me as well,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°To clarify, however: while my research has informed me of the locations of several primordial spells, none of them are easy to obtain. Each would require much preparation, and one might have to risk their life. Nonetheless, I imagine that mages such as you would not let that hinder you. In particular, I can share that at least one spell whose location I know appears to belong to the lumomancy school. There are also several promising artifacts mentioned in some of the records I have found, which I imagine would interest you as well.¡±


    An almost motherly smile appeared on Adalicia¡¯s face. ¡°That certainly is interesting, I¡¯ll say. Even if your words do sound somewhat ridiculous, it¡¯s clear you know how to intrigue me.¡±


    ¡°I endeavor to always be prepared before going into negotiations such as this,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It would not do for me not to be familiar with those I intend to collaborate with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a wise outlook to have in life.¡± Adalicia met her eyes for a moment. ¡°But before I say anything about the offer itself, would you mind if I asked a few questions of you first?¡±


    ¡°Feel free.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve referenced your research a few times. I¡¯d like to know exactly what sort of research that is. Is it work you¡¯ve carried out yourself? And is that what then led to your discovery of the Zuverian ruins outside of Freybrook?¡±


    ¡°It is, in part, my own work, yes. But it is built upon notes passed down by some of my ancestors, who appeared to have had a great interest in the subject. Originally, it was largely a gathering of old legends and tales, with some references to previous ruins that had been discovered. This aided in finding the ruins near here, which were concealed beneath an old stone formation, and had a hidden puzzle that opened the entrance.¡±


    Adalicia nodded. ¡°That is common for Zuverian ruins.¡±


    ¡°I have also cross-referenced much of what I found in those ruins with other sources I have access to in order to determine the location of more hidden ruins. As of now, I have a sufficient enough grasp on this network of ruins to determine the exact location of several, and the general area of many others.¡±


    ¡°Would I be able to take a look at this material?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I am afraid not. None other than I may see it. That is a point I will not negotiate on.¡±


    ¡°But it will be hard to determine how reliable it is otherwise. Finding one set of ruins is far from a revolutionary achievement.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but I am well aware of the worth of this research.¡± Scarlett considered Adalicia for a moment. ¡°And I have already visited more of these sites.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡±


    ¡°Yes. While I have not announced it publicly, I visited a forgotten Zuverian outpost last week. It will not be long before I visit more of them.¡±


    ¡°An outpost? Similar to the one near the Resting Eye?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    The Resting Eye was a massive volcano to the east, which was situated in the middle of a large lake. Like the Whitdown Mountains, it also had a Zuverian outpost near it.


    ¡°¡­That means there was a Kilnstone as well.¡±


    ¡°Correct. However, I will not share the location of this particular Kilnstone.¡±


    Adalicia¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Why not? It would be a tremendous discovery.¡±


    ¡°Because this one does not belong to the empire. And if people were to begin visiting this place, it could spell disaster for many.¡±


    Well, it probably wouldn¡¯t. It¡¯d be inconvenient for Scarlett, though. And there was legitimately a slight risk of catastrophe if people started walking around that area of the Whitdown Mountains and ended up stumbling into the wrong place.


    ¡°So profit isn¡¯t your only goal with this, then?¡± Adalicia asked.


    Scarlett paused. Was that how she interpreted it?


    ¡°It is, to a certain degree. But there are other factors that take priority over such things.¡±


    Adalicia went quiet, and Scarlett allowed her time to think.


    Her gaze wandered across the room as she took in the different paintings and the embroidered tapestry that hung above some of the windows. She should probably consider herself lucky that this room and the others like it didn¡¯t receive any damage during the night. Some of the things in here had to be worth a fortune.


    ¡­Actually, how much were these things worth? Could you sell it? Or maybe that would be a bit too tasteless, considering how old some of it might be.


    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting opportunity,¡± Adalicia said. "If your words are true.¡±


    Scarlett turned back to the woman.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I thought it was all nonsense. But despite what I might believe personally, I am still a mage of Elystead Tower. It¡¯s inevitable that they¡¯ll get involved in some manner if I were to work with you. If that creates difficulties because of Vice-Dean Rowley, there isn¡¯t much I can do. I am not above him in authority when it comes to tower matters.¡±


    ¡°I presume the Dean of the tower is away at the moment?¡±


    Adalicia let out a sigh. ¡°He is. There is no telling when he will return.¡±


    ¡°Then I will simply have to proceed with the requisite caution. I do not believe Rowley will cause issue as long as Elystead Tower stands to gain from their affiliation with my house. There is no intention of meeting with him personally on my end anyhow.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you intend to give Elystead Tower priority when it cames to artifacts and discoveries made from the results of our collaborations?¡±


    ¡°I would give you priority, since this is a partnership between the two of us.¡± Scarlett looked the woman in the eyes. ¡°How the distribution of what remains is decided I will leave to my younger sister. If your cooperation is contingent on allowing the Elystead Tower precedence, I am sure we can arrange something along those lines as well.¡±


    Adalicia smiled. ¡°It would be foolish for me not to take an opportunity like that.¡±


    ¡°Then am I to understand that you are keen on accepting my proposal?¡±


    ¡°I think it will still depend on how things proceed from here, but yes.¡±


    The ends of Scarlett¡¯s lips rose in a smile, and she leaned forward in her seat. ¡°If so, let me elaborate on what exactly this proposal would entail.¡±


    An hour later, Adalicia had left, and Scarlett was walking back toward her office. The two of them had ended up discussing a surprising amount of things related to Scarlett¡¯s ¡°research¡±, and what further information she held regarding the ancient Zuver. Scarlett had been careful not to divulge too much, but there had still been a lot to talk about. Adalicia¡¯s interest in the subject appeared to be a bit more intense than Scarlett had originally thought.


    She found herself glad she¡¯d read up on it lately. While it was clear she wasn¡¯t as knowledgeable on the topic as the wizard had been, with a mix of what Scarlett knew from the game and what she¡¯d learned during the past few weeks, she felt certain that she had presented a reliable enough image.


    Adalicia¡¯s enthusiasm had probably spiked when the conversation had passed on to some of the different artifacts and enchantments that Scarlett knew the Zuver had. Adalicia was a wizard who specialized in both lumomancy and unschooled magic, the latter of which was the most common when it came to magical items and enchantments.


    Eventually, though, the woman had announced she couldn¡¯t delay any longer. Considering an arch wizard was waiting for her, Scarlett couldn¡¯t really protest, even if there were a few more specifics she wanted to go through. The fact that an individual that powerful had helped Adalicia with something this minor spoke of the woman¡¯s connections, despite not being an arch wizard herself.


    Before leaving, however, Adalicia had presented an unexpected question, wondering if Scarlett was related to any of the mages on the Rising Isle. Apparently, there was a grand wizard of that name who held some repute there.


    Scarlett had no idea who this person was. The Rising Isle had over a dozen mages who had reached the ¡®grand¡¯ level, and even when playing the game there hadn¡¯t been any point in learning all their names. She couldn¡¯t remember anything about there being a branch family like that, though, from what she¡¯d seen of the Hartford family tree in the mansion¡¯s library. So she couldn¡¯t even answer if they were related or not, which is roughly what she ended up telling Adalicia.


    She¡¯d have to ask Evelyne about it later on. If their family had such powerful connections within the Rising Isle, it felt as if the younger Hartford sister wouldn''t have been so engrossed in forging connections with the towers and other mage factions earlier. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Or perhaps it was just a very distant branch.


    Though it felt odd that they would have kept the name if that was the case. Scarlett had learned that most branches of noble houses here often ended up creating cadet branches with new names. And from what she¡¯d seen of the family tree, the Hartford family had no such cadet branches in the current generation. Scarlett and Evelyne were the only still-living members of the family, unless you went back over two generations.


    It was an odd piece of information, hearing about this other Hartford, but nothing that directly mattered to her at the moment. Now that she had Adalicia¡¯s preliminary support as a patron on Zuverian matters, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry as much about those particular things. Adding Adalicia to the mix would bring an air of legitimacy to her findings, and put less attention directly on her and her methods. Not to mention how it would make reaching certain ruins a lot easier.


    Now she just had a mountain of other problems looming on the horizon instead.


    Scarlett paused in her thoughts as she reached the hallway outside her office. Molly stood next to one of the windows facing the courtyard, bent over as she seemed to interact with something in front of the window.


    Earlier this morning, Molly had looked like she was about to keel over with how pale she¡¯d been, the events of the night still fresh in the servant¡¯s mind. Which was understandable enough. Scarlett had learned that the woman was a mother¡ªof all things¡ªand when she wasn¡¯t working here in the mansion, she would return to her home in the city and take care of her two young children. The woman couldn¡¯t have much time left for all of that though, considering how often she was here at the mansion, and now she might very well have lost her life the night before if Fynn hadn¡¯t been there.


    What was Scarlett paying the woman?


    Molly looked up as she approached. ¡°Oh, my Lady.¡±


    She curtsied.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze went past her, freezing as she laid eyes on a small shape on the windowsill.


    It was a cat. With pure, jet-black fur and clear amethyst eyes.


    Molly turned to the animal. ¡°I-I found her walking the hallways here, my Lady. I¡¯m not sure where she came from or who she belongs to, but I thought it might have been that guest from the mage tower¡­¡±


    The woman looked up at Scarlett with a hesitant expression. ¡°Should I get Gilbert so that he can remove her?¡±


    The cat¡¯s wide eyes were affixed on Scarlett, as if it was appraising her.


    ¡°¡­No. That will not be necessary. Leave it be and return to your post. I will call you if you are needed.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Lady.¡± Molly threw one last glance at the cat, then padded down the hallway to where her quarters were located.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes stayed on the cat. To think that the time had already arrived.


    The cat meowed and jumped down on the floor, striding up to the office door. Scarlett slowly followed, stopping in front of the entrance for a moment. The cat meowed again, as if it was impatient at her slight delay.


    She glanced down at it, then reached out to open the door. The cat quickly slinked inside, and she followed.


    At the far end of the office, behind her large desk, stood a man with his back turned toward her. On the wall in front of him hung a massive painting depicting a vast, unfamiliar battlefield. A long dark cape was draped over the man¡¯s shoulder, and a top hat sat on his head. His right arm was stretched out beside him, resting atop a tall black cane.


    The cat crossed the room and disappeared behind the desk, soon appearing on the other end as it jumped up and laid down next to some documents Scarlett had gone through earlier in the day.


    ¡°Greetings, Baroness.¡± A dignified voice rang out across the room as the man tapped a finger against the crown of his cane. ¡°I heard you wanted to meet with me.¡±


    The Gentleman had come to visit.

 Chapter 84 - A Gentlemans visit

    ¡°The Field of Broken Pacts.¡± The man¡¯s voice drifted across the room as he regarded the painting in front of him. ¡°That is its name.¡±


    A brief silence hung over the room.


    ¡°It was a battle that ended the life of countless thousands, and decided the fate of untold more. Accounts say even the very skies tore open that day, when the promises of those that came before dwindled into nothingness. It was a time when the hubris of man brought the gods low, yet all the same, when the character of man shone brightest.¡±


    Scarlett moved her gaze to the unfamiliar painting hanging on the wall. It depicted a vast field with several armies on it; tiny figures in armor, spread across a large canvas of interconnected conflict, all pressing forward toward the basin of a deep valley.


    ¡°I make it a habit to always bring a gift when a guest in another¡¯s home.¡± The man turned around, his eyes meeting hers. He held a surprisingly common appearance, with short black hair and dull brown eyes. If Scarlett were pressed to describe him, she¡¯d say he looked much like your average middle-aged man. Exactly why he fit that description, she wasn¡¯t quite sure. But it felt right, nonetheless.


    ¡°I hope it pleases you.¡±


    She shot one last look at the painting. ¡°¡­I was not expecting a gift. It looks to have been made by a master.¡±


    The Gentleman smiled, leaning his cane against the desk. ¡°The artist was famed for his unique work process. He would put months into each piece, working tirelessly for days on end until it was finished. All else was secondary; his only goal being breathing life into his creations. It was quite a sight to behold.¡±


    The man sat down in front of the desk and gestured towards the seat across from him.


    Scarlett watched him wordlessly for a moment, before walking over and sitting down in the chair. This was her own office, yet she still felt like the guest here.


    ¡°You are already aware of who I am. Nevertheless, an introduction is always in order.¡± The Gentleman brought up a hand as he tilted the front of his hat. ¡°I am often referred to as The Gentleman. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±


    She placed her hands on the table. ¡°The sentiment is mutual. I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford. I have heard much about you.¡±


    ¡°I am sure you have.¡± The man gave a gentle nod, briefly looking around the room. ¡°I hope you do not mind the sudden visit. I happened to be in the vicinity and there was no set date on the invite, so I took it upon myself to decide the occasion.¡±


    ¡°That is quite alright,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Although I will admit that I was not entirely certain you would accept.¡±


    ¡°It is not often that someone extends an invitation to me these days. I felt I had to repay the courtesy.¡±


    The black-furred cat that lay on the desk in front of them let out a long meow.


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re right,¡± The Gentleman responded. He looked up at Scarlett. ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse my discourteousness. I almost forgot to introduce my fair companion here. This is Her Royal Highness Tazu¡¯Ivhra D¡¯lhemra Azidazcha Ma¡¯hri Khinzanda, Sovereign over the Endless Jungles of Najjera, the Realm of Ji¡¯Var, the Eternal Dominion of Za¡¯gh, the Sands of Baajirr, and all of the sunbathed lands between.¡±


    The cat let out another meow.


    ¡°Ah, and it appears she has approved of the windowsill outside. She will extend you the honor of it being added to her domain for all hours of the day that it¡¯s graced by the light of the sun.¡±


    Scarlett turned to look down at the cat as it seemed to straighten its back, preening with pridefulness.


    ¡°¡­How very magnanimous of you, Your Highness.¡±


    The cat meowed once more.


    ¡°You can call her Empress.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Thank you, Empress, for this honor.¡±


    Empress gave Scarlett a long look, then put her head down on the desk and started licking her paw.


    ¡°Now, then,¡± The Gentleman continued. Scarlett turned her attention back to him. ¡°With the introductions concluded, shall we proceed to more pertinent matters?¡±


    She inclined her head. ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°As you were the one to summon me, I can only assume there was something in particular you wished to discuss? The fellows who approached me weren¡¯t particularly forthcoming on that front.¡±


    ¡°I hope they did not affront. I had no other methods of contacting you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes, they were rather suspicious, weren¡¯t they? But it is quite alright. I am not one to judge others¡¯ practices, and I understand it can sometimes be difficult to reach an itinerant man such as myself.¡±


    ¡°I am glad there were no problems,¡± Scarlett said, then paused, eyeing him for a moment. ¡°¡­I did confer with the Vice-Dean of Elystead Tower at first, in the hopes that they could afford me their aid with the matter. But mentioning your name only seemed to aggravate the man.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you asked him first?¡± The Gentleman¡¯s brows rose, and he showed a small smile. ¡°No, I suppose the idea wouldn¡¯t enthuse him much.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why that is? If you do not mind.¡±


    The man brought his hand up to his chin, eyes drifting. ¡°It was some years ago now, when certain members of that tower ended up holding an interest in some matters related to me. I do believe Rowley was among their numbers as well. Unfortunately they did not appear to be especially familiar with the concept of courtesy at the time, and their interest grew to be somewhat of an annoyance to me. If I recall correctly, it all resulted in me giving them a rather brusque admonishment. I imagine the circumstances would have to be rather dire for him or any of the others to try and contact me again.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know what to say beyond that.


    So that was the reason behind how Rowley had reacted? She hadn¡¯t heard of anything like it in the game, but that didn¡¯t mean it never happened. And the questline for contacting The Gentleman had been a pretty unique situation, so it wasn¡¯t outside of the realm of reasonability that Rowley would have felt forced to act despite previous experiences with the man.


    Still, even though she didn¡¯t know exactly what counted as a ¡°brusque admonishment¡±, Rowley¡¯s actions felt like an overreaction. There were a million better ways to handle the situation. For crying out loud, just a simple no would have been better.


    Suddenly, Empress let out another loud meow. The Gentleman¡¯s forehead creased as he looked down at the cat. ¡°Mind your manners, Empress. We¡¯re guests here.¡± His eyes turned back to Scarlett. ¡°You will have to excuse her. She hasn¡¯t had her milk this morning.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the dark-furred cat. Empress looked back at her with those large, amethyst eyes.


    After a few seconds, Scarlett returned her attention to The Gentleman. ¡°Would you kindly open the second drawer on your left?¡±


    The man arched an eyebrow at her, before opening the drawer and pulling out the gold bell inside. Scarlett held out a hand, and he handed it to her.


    Its sound echoed out across the room as she rang the bell, then waited quietly for a while. The Gentleman¡¯s and Empress¡¯ curious gazes were fixed on her.


    Eventually, the office doors opened and Molly stepped inside. ¡°You called for me, my Lad¡ª¡±


    The woman stopped, eyes wide open as she stared at their end of the room.


    ¡°You know the Kindle spell, do you not?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Molly blinked a few times, her focus turning to Scarlett. ¡°Y-Yes, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then have a bowl of fresh milk brought from the kitchen. Ensure that it is of a suitable temperature, and make haste.¡±


    The servant held a confused look on her face, glancing at the cat resting on the table.


    ¡°¡­As you wish, my Lady,¡± she said and left the office.


    Scarlett turned back to Empress and The Gentleman. The cat was giving her what seemed like a look of acknowledgment.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°I see you are a rather accommodating host,¡± The Gentleman said.


    ¡°You are my guests. It is only right that I take your wants and needs into consideration. Are there perhaps any refreshments you want, as well?¡±


    The man held up a hand. ¡°I am quite satisfied, thank you.¡±


    Scarlett gave a low nod. ¡°Then let us continue on. There are two topics I wished to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Let us hear it. Empress here believed you were going to demand my backing in some temerarious pursuit or other, though I myself found that somewhat improbable.¡±


    Empress let out a harsh cry, glaring at The Gentleman.


    ¡°I only say it as it is, dear. There is nothing wrong with reevaluating one¡¯s opinion after meeting an individual.¡±


    The cat turned away from him with what Scarlett could have sworn was an indignant expression.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I presume you are aware that Beld Thylelion will open within a year?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± The Gentleman nodded. There was no look of surprise¡ªor anything like it¡ªover Scarlett knowing the fact. ¡°There are bound to be many who are interested in what is hidden there. As you¡¯re bringing it up, I can only assume the same goes for you. It would be hard for you to accomplish much there, however, considering the other players that will be involved.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed true.¡±


    ¡°Were you hoping I would help you gain an edge over the others when it opens?¡± The tone he spoke in was the exact same cordial one as before, but somehow it caused the hairs on Scarlett¡¯s neck to rise.


    ¡°¡­Yes. But not in the manner which you might think.¡±


    She was in no position to make major demands of him. He would never help her with something like fighting the others to begin with, even if he could.


    ¡°What I want your help with is relatively modest. I want you to deliver a single article of mine, that is all. There would be no need for you to personally involve yourself beyond that.¡±


    He seemed to consider her for a moment, his fingers touching the head of the cane resting against the desk next to him. ¡°Whether or not that is simple depends on the article, does it not? I¡¯m curious. May I see it?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡±Unfortunately, it is not yet in my possession. When I acquire it, I would ensure it is provided to you immediately.¡±


    He slowly nodded along. ¡°I understand. You do not have to tell me more than that. I¡¯ll refrain from promising anything until I have seen the item with my own eyes, but if I were to accept your proposal, what is it you would offer me in return?¡±


    ¡°That will depend.¡± Scarlett met his eyes. ¡°What would it take for you to agree to this arrangement?¡±


    This was the first time she¡¯d been in a situation like this. Even with all of her game knowledge, she had no idea what she could use to convince him. None of the information she held would work as payment¡ªas far as she knew¡ªand there were no items she could get that would interest him. When it came to her current plans, this part was without a doubt the biggest unknown. She was solely relying on the possibility that there would be something he wanted.


    The deal with the Hallowed Cabal had been a gamble as well, but there she had at least been aware of the cards in the opponent¡¯s deck. Here, it wasn¡¯t much different from going in blind.


    The Gentleman studied her for several seconds. Finally, he reached up to remove his top hat, placing it on the desk in front of him. ¡°A favor.¡±


    Scarlett''s eyes followed his hands as he dusted off some nonexistent dust from the rim.


    ¡°A¡­favor?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The request itself is not difficult, as you said. A favor will be enough of a payment, if I do indeed judge the request acceptable. Sometime in the future, if I ask you to repay this favor, I would simply like for you to uphold your end.¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t fret. I doubt I¡¯ll ask for anything absurd, if that is what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking nothing of the sort. In fact, I believe this is more than a satisfactory arrangement for me.¡±


    Truth was, she had little choice in the matter. Not knowing exactly what his request would be made her a bit disconcerted, but it wasn¡¯t as if she was making a pact with a demon this time. And she had to get his help here, no matter what.


    ¡°You have my word that, when the time comes, I will uphold my part of the bargain.¡±


    A knock sounded out from the door as Molly returned, pushing in a serving cart with a single bowl on it. The woman moved quietly as she passed Scarlett¡ªstopping only for a moment to glance down at Empress¡ªand placed the bowl down in front of the cat.


    Empress gave it a look, let out a long meow at the woman, then moved over and happily started licking the milk inside the bowl.


    Molly watched on for a while until Scarlett waved her away.


    Empress let out another meow after the woman had left the room.


    ¡°Oh? Is it that good?¡± The Gentleman looked down at his feline companion. ¡°Then perhaps I should leave you here. That way, you can keep enjoying their milk until next time I come here.¡±


    The cat stopped for a moment to hiss at him, then returned to her meal.


    He chuckled, turning his attention back to Scarlett. ¡°If an accord has been reached, then shall we move on? I believe you said there were two points to discuss, yes?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡° Scarlett folded her hands. ¡°I will be blunt. I wish to enter Freymeadow.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± A look of understanding appeared in his eyes. ¡°Now I see.¡±


    Freymeadow was a small village that was related to a certain questline in the game. It wasn¡¯t actually too far away from Freybrook, so reaching the place wasn''t difficult. But entering it was a completely different matter. There was a set way of doing it¡ªrequiring a specific item that could only be found in a side room inside a dungeon that was locked behind several other questlines¡ªbut reaching that point would take a long time, even with Scarlett¡¯s knowledge. Those questlines were also a tad too high-level for her party. With Garside¡¯s help, they might have been able to clear some of them, but it would still take far too long.


    That¡¯s why she¡¯d thought of seeing if she couldn¡¯t simply skip all of that and just ask The Gentleman for help. If there was anyone who could help in this situation, it was him.


    The person in question tapped his finger against the top of the hat on the desk. ¡°I would like to rescind my previous words. I suspect I know what it is you want me to deliver, and I can tell you now that it won¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    Scarlett looked at him. ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He showed her a cunning smile. ¡°It¡¯s rather clever of you, Baroness. Your plan will in all likelihood work, as well. Although I cannot say I envy the path you will have to take to reach that point.¡±


    His attention seemed to shift as his eyes wandered away from Scarlett, and he gazed at the wall behind her with a thoughtful expression.


    Then he let out a short laugh. ¡°How serendipitous. It makes one wonder¡­¡±


    Smile still on his face, he caressed Empress¡¯ back with his hand. ¡°Dear, could you go and fetch it for us?¡±


    The cat turned away from the bowl of milk to shoot him a dirty look.


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t be like that. The milk will still be here when you return. And I¡¯m sure the Baroness here won¡¯t mind heating it up again if it were to turn cold.¡±


    Empress meowed.


    ¡°That is no way for a lady to speak. Especially when our host has been so gracious.¡±


    The cat glanced at Scarlett, then back at The Gentleman. After a few seconds, she strode over to the desk¡¯s edge and leaped down onto the floorboards in a single, graceful motion. Scarlett watched on as Empress crossed the room towards the door¡ªwhich silently opened before the cat¡ªand disappeared out into the hallway.


    ¡°She can be quite the feisty one,¡± The Gentleman said.


    Scarlett turned back to him. ¡°It would appear so.¡±


    A silence fell over the room as the two of them looked each other over.


    For some reason, the stillness made her feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Would a favor suffice as payment for this as well?¡± she asked.


    The Gentleman gently shook his head. ¡°There is no need for any reimbursement this time.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    What, so she was getting this for free?


    ¡°I believe in equal transactions, and it would be unfair of me to demand payment for this. I am only ensuring that an heirloom is returned to its rightful owner. That is hardly deserving of compensation, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help the frown that grew on her face. ¡°I am afraid I do not quite understand.¡±


    He massaged his chin. ¡°No, I suppose you would not. Let us put it like this instead.¡± He held up a finger. ¡°When your business in Freymeadow is concluded, present the item to the person you meet at the end there. That will work, as well. You could even consider this the payment, if you so wish.¡±


    ¡°And that would suffice?¡±


    ¡°That would be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Then I will do so.¡±


    That much shouldn¡¯t be too hard.


    ¡°I am glad we seem to have resolved that.¡± The Gentleman nodded. ¡°I am eager to see where you will bring things in the future. I¡¯m certain there will be lots of interesting events unfolding around you.¡±


    Scarlett stilled. ¡°¡­You appear to know a lot about me.¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, in fact. I know frighteningly little about you. But that alone tells me much.¡±


    She stared at him.


    What could he discern from only that? Might he actually have information about her situation?


    ¡°Perhaps, do you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, let us not dwell on those matters,¡± he said before she could continue. ¡°I could not help but notice the clutter outside.¡±


    He gestured towards the right wall, though there was no window to the courtyard. ¡°Are you perhaps renovating?¡±


    Scarlett reined back the annoyance that arose at his interruption. She wasn¡¯t going to tell The Gentleman¡ªof all people¡ªoff. He had been completely aware he was cutting her short. If he didn¡¯t want to continue a topic, there was nothing she could do about it.


    ¡°We had an unfortunate encounter with some contentious individuals last night. The situation was resolved, but regrettably, not all damage to the estate could be prevented.¡±


    ¡°That is a shame. This is a beautiful home you have here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I can tell there is much history here, and that it has seen many owners throughout the years. I am sure you won¡¯t be the last.¡±


    ¡°One can only hope.¡±


    He let out a calm chuckle. ¡±Yes, hope is always good to have.¡±


    She held her eyes on him, wondering what to say next. Suddenly Empress jumped up on the desk beside her, the cat now holding something in her mouth.


    She hadn¡¯t even heard the door open.


    ¡°Thank you dear,¡± The Gentleman said as Empress placed the item on the desk and went back to her bowl of milk.


    Scarlett looked at the object. It was an old hairpin made of silver. Several rubies were affixed to its head, where the metal had been twisted in the shape of a leaf. There appeared to have once been letters carved onto its side, but those had long since faded away. Even the silver itself hadn¡¯t escaped the passage of time, marred on several spots by a dark, orangy tin.


    [Forgotten Hairpin (Unique)]


    {This hairpin once belonged to a noble young lady. Both have long since been buried by the sands of time}


    She carefully picked it up, examining the hairpin in her hand. In the game you found a bracelet, but considering The Gentleman was the one who gave it to her, this would most likely work just as well.


    It did make her wonder where Empress had gone, though. Scarlett didn¡¯t know the limits of the strange cat, but even The Gentleman would probably have had to spend a bit more time than that if it was the bracelet he¡¯d gone to get instead.


    The man put a hand into his black suit jacket, pulling out a grey pocket watch. ¡°I think that is about all the time I have for today.¡± He picked up his hat, placing it on his head, then shot Scarlett another smile. ¡°It has been a pleasure meeting you, Baroness. I¡¯ll make sure to visit and pick up that item of yours when I have the time, so don¡¯t worry about contacting me.¡±


    ¡°It has been a pleasure meeting you as well.¡±


    As he stood from his chair, Empress turned back to him and let out a short meow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not bother the Baroness any further, dear. I¡¯m sure we can find something for you later.¡±


    The cat¡¯s response was an annoyed flick of the head as she walked up to the edge of the desk and leaped down onto the floor.


    ¡°Thank you, dear.¡± The Gentleman looked back at Scarlett, tipping his hat. ¡°Till next time, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡±


    With that, The Gentleman picked up his cane and rounded the desk, walking towards the room¡¯s exit along with Empress. Scarlett remained in her seat as the door opened and closed behind her, staring at the large painting that now hung across the back wall of her office.


    Unlike a lot of other things she had encountered lately, that had gone surprisingly well.

 Chapter 85 - Unwelcome drop-ins

    Scarlett wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, looking out across the training grounds. Some of the items she used for her training were lined up next to the wooden shed towards the edge, but the grounds themselves had been mostly cleaned up since the Fynn incident. The shed¡¯s roof still had to be replaced though, as well as some of the ruined stonework. But the focus amongst the staff was currently on the wrecked courtyard, so things like these would have to wait. That included finding replacements for the enchanted training dummies that had been destroyed by the incident. That¡¯d probably cost a buck.


    Thankfully, she didn¡¯t need those things to carry out her training. She¡¯d mostly been practicing her hydrokinesis lately, with Garside not being in a good state to instruct her in his methods at the moment. Her proficiency with the skill was still far off from what she would call ¡®combat ready¡¯¡ªother than the occasional Aqua Mine and controlling alchemy bombs as she¡¯d done in the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt¡ªbut she was making progress. Just the other day, she¡¯d been able to cut through a sheet of metal with just her hydrokinesis. Though it had been a relatively thin sheet, and taken some time. It had also looked more like she¡¯d been pushing down a blunt knife through a piece of hard butter.


    Still, it was better than what she¡¯d been able to do when she first started.


    And while the past week had been a flurry of things happening, she¡¯d finally spent those skill points she had been saving up.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Greater Pyrokinesis]


    [Hydromancy]


    [Greater Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 456/4537]


    [Points: 9]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)


    [Superior Pyrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Greater Hydromancy] (10 points)


    [Superior Hydrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Superior Mana Control] (25 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    Her [Minor Hydromancy] had been upgraded to [Hydromancy], [Pyromancy] to [Greater Pyromancy], and [Mana Control] to [Greater Mana Control]. She had performed the upgrades some time from each other, to ascertain for certain what each skill actually did.


    As expected¡ªas far as she could tell¡ªupgrading mana control had lessened her total mana costs, as well as made it easier to work and control her magic in general. Meanwhile, neither [Greater Pyromancy] nor [Hydromancy] seemed to have had any effect on the ¡®control¡¯ or ¡®power¡¯ front. They did, however, lessen her mana costs for the respective element, or perhaps it was better to say they made her mana use more efficient.


    As for how they did that, she wasn¡¯t completely sure. With [Greater Mana Control], she¡¯d quite clearly felt the change in how she used her magic, and her connection with it. With [Greater Pyromancy] and [Hydromancy], however, it wasn¡¯t as clear-cut.


    The best way to put it was perhaps in how she actually interacted with her magic. She would simply focus on wanting to create a ball of fire, and through some unconscious process, the flames would just appear. She could pull on and adjust the connection to those flames, to either increase the intensity or shape them however she wished. Like she was drawing from a well somewhere.


    Now, after upgrading those two skills, it was still very much the same thing, but maybe the ¡®well¡¯ was closer? It was hard to put the abstract sensation into words. All she knew for certain was that it lowered her mana costs, though exactly how much was hard to tell. It seemed to at least have been more effective for the respective element than just upgrading [Mana Control] to [Greater Mana Control].


    How she was conceptualizing it in her mind at the moment was that her magic was the water flow to a kitchen sink in a normal residential apartment. [Mana Control] affected the size of the faucet head and how much she could move it. Continuing with the analogy, the [Hydromancy] and [Pyromancy] skills affected which floor she was on, with lower pressure on the higher floors being equivalent to the lower skill levels.


    There were a couple of issues with the analogy, but it didn¡¯t really matter much. It was just a way of structuring things in her mind as she tried to figure matters out. What was most important with this was actually just that it was another way of increasing how much magic she could do, other than just increasing her mana pool. It meant more time for her to spend practicing as well.


    Though her limit still didn¡¯t go much further than maybe a dozen minutes before needing to rest, even when being frugal with her mana use.


    But progress was progress. She was all about taking things step by step where she could.


    Although she wasn¡¯t sure how long she could continue like that.


    The Gentleman¡¯s visit a couple days earlier signaled the start of things. Many of her plans were being brought into motion. Soon, she would be up to her neck with things that needed doing. Just the day before, they¡¯d cleared the last¡ªor, well, almost the last¡ªof the dungeons Scarlett thought she had any chance of finding near Freybrook. Now she would have to set her sights on new horizons for further loot and skill points. Clearing more of these low-level dungeons wouldn¡¯t be enough to keep up with what was going to happen from now on.


    That was not to mention the arrangement she¡¯d made with Adalicia or the Hallowed Cabal. And they still had to rebuild the courtyard and parts of the mansion that had been damaged.


    Evelyne had been in contact regarding that last part. The younger woman had seemed to think the account of an attack was a bad joke of some kind, and it hadn¡¯t been entirely clear whether she was livid over the news or worried. The letter Scarlett had written to the woman had only vaguely recounted the events, leaving out details about the Cabal and her deal with them. There was no point in telling Evelyne any of that at the moment. She might, in the future. When things were stabler in that regard.


    That wasn¡¯t the only correspondence she had received lately, though. Scarlett had received a letter from the Delmon family as well this morning. At first, it had taken her a moment to remember that was the name of Leon¡¯s family, and that his father was the Marquis of Steepmond.


    While their words had been courteous and flowery, the actual intent behind the letter was relatively straightforward. They were basically implying that they wanted the engagement between Scarlett and Leon to be dissolved.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t been surprised. The only astonishing thing was that it¡¯d taken this long after the Elysian Proclamation for them to contact her. Judging from what she¡¯d heard from Leon, she had thought they couldn¡¯t wait to rid themselves of any affiliations with her after that incident.


    Maybe her showing during the Providing Ceremony had made them hesitate for a while? While she had put herself on the bad side of some of the empire¡¯s nobles, she had also gained some favor with the Followers of Ittar. Maybe that counted for more than she¡¯d thought?


    Whatever the reason, it wasn¡¯t as if it mattered much. She hadn¡¯t been planning on marrying Leon anyway. She barely knew the man. And while she¡¯d heard that the original Scarlett apparently made good use of her connections to the marquisate, that didn¡¯t interest her much. She didn¡¯t even know how to use those connections to begin with. She was far too ignorant about how these nobles did things to try and play their games.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After taking some time to cool down, Scarlett walked over to the corner of the training grounds, where a small table and a chair had been set up for her. There was a carafe of water on the table. She sat down and picked up an already-filled glass. Leaning back in the chair, she looked out at the trees jutting up above the estate walls. The branches were wafting in the wind, leaves having lost their green color as summer passed.


    Other than practicing her magic as she had done now, she still took time to perform some traditional exercises now and then as well. The [Mark of the Staunch] had made these sessions a lot easier, with its stamina-boosting effect. Though she was starting to wonder whether it was a smart idea to use an item like that when exercising. Perhaps relying on enhancement magic was detrimental to her efforts. She would have to look into the matter when she had the time.


    It shouldn¡¯t be an issue keeping the ring on when training her magic, though. It didn¡¯t appear to have any effect on how tired depleting her mana made her. Mana exhaustion made both body and mind tired, no matter what artifacts she wore. It seemed to work on some different principle than the exhaustion you got from physical exercise.


    She was interrupted in her thoughts as Nichol¡ªone of the younger female servants working at the mansion, with blonde hair¡ªcame walking up to her.


    ¡°My Lady, there is a visitor.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. Another one?


    It was starting to feel like the mansion¡¯s gates were just one large revolving door. She was also expecting Gaven to visit again in a couple of days.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes turned down a bit. ¡°A Mister Cullen, my Lady.¡±


    Cullen? That wasn¡¯t a name she¡¯d ever heard before.


    ¡°Was it important?¡±


    Nichol hesitated slightly. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. He insisted on seeing you, saying you were acquainted. We didn¡¯t want to disturb you during your training, so he¡¯s been waiting for an hour. Shall we send him away?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Scarlett shook her head. She had the time to spare, and it was best to not leave these kinds of things alone. You never knew who these people could be. ¡°Inform him I will be with him shortly. I will return to my chambers first.¡±


    ¡°Understood, my Lady.¡± The woman performed a deep curtsy and started walking back towards the mansion.


    Scarlett stayed for a moment longer, downing another glass of water before she rose and began returning as well.


    Soon enough, Scarlett had taken a quick bath and made herself ready. She wore a dark-red dress as she walked down the mansion¡¯s hallways towards the room where the visitor was.


    As she reached her destination, she entered to see a man sitting on one of the couches. He was perhaps a few years her senior, with a thin beard and short black hair that was balding at some spots, and wore a brown vest over a white shirt. The getup looked a bit simple for someone paying a visit to a noble if she was going to be honest.


    ¡°Mister Cullen.¡± She walked over to the armchair opposite him. ¡°What business do you have with me?¡±


    The man met her eyes with a thinly veiled look of irritation. She let it go for now, considering how long he had waited.


    ¡°You should know, Lady Hartford. Mister Cheek sent me because you haven¡¯t been in contact for a while.¡±


    She raised a brow. Mister Cheek? The name sounded familiar. ¡°I have been preoccupied these past months.¡±


    Where had she heard that name? Was it an NPC from the game? No, she couldn¡¯t recall reading the name at any point. She was pretty sure she¡¯d heard it somewhere.


    ¡°Busy with what, exactly?¡±


    ¡°That does not concern you.¡±


    The man¡¯s look turned even more annoyed. ¡°Mister Cheek has been worried. He¡¯s afraid you¡¯re having second-thoughts about our cooperation.¡±


    Scarlett studied him closely. This all felt very familiar.


    Hadn¡¯t she been visited by that slimy guy, the one from the Grey Dog Gang, in a similar manner when she first got here?


    This man in front of her didn¡¯t quite have the same feeling of ¡®ickiness¡¯ to him, but the situation still rang the same bells.


    Ah. Now she remembered.


    Vern Cheek.


    It was one of the names Beldon Tyndall had mentioned when she met him. Vern Cheek had been mentioned in the same breath as the Grey Dog Gang, which most likely meant it was another one of the original¡¯s criminal associates.


    ¡°Now,¡± the man continued. ¡°Mister Cheek was sure you wouldn¡¯t think of doing something as extreme as going back on your word with us, but he still wanted me to go just to make sure. In case you didn¡¯t know, we wouldn¡¯t be the only ones hurt from something like that.¡± He locked eyes with her. ¡°We know a lot of things I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want your other noble friends to learn of.¡±


    A scowl grew on Scarlett¡¯s face as the anger rose from inside. Why did she have to deal with more of this crap? Wasn¡¯t the Grey Dog Gang enough?


    ¡°Mister Cullen,¡± she said in a firm voice. ¡°Is your boss looking down on me?¡±


    The man paused, apparently just now realizing where he was. ¡°No, I was just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mister Cheek has deemed it right to send someone such as you to my estate. To question me, threaten me, in my own home. Someone who has the audacity to act with such disrespect, even while doing so.¡± She stared him down. ¡°How am I to interpret this, if not as your boss looking down on me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what he meant¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is it not? Then are you saying he did not even realize the significance behind his actions, or yours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The man turned quiet as he took a moment to gather himself. ¡°Look here, Lady Hartford. We heard about you helping the count here in Freybrook to deal with one of the local gangs. Anyone would get unsettled by you turning silent after that. I¡¯m only here to make sure there aren¡¯t any problems.¡±


    ¡°Did you have connections to the Grey Dog Gang?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then you have no reason to be concerned. The Grey Dog Gang proved to be an untrustworthy factor which caused several headaches for me, and so they paid the price for their actions. As long as you and your boss do not do the same, there is no issue.¡±


    He turned silent.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know who Vern Cheek actually was, or what business he¡¯d done with the original, but she could wager a guess. Still, considering that the original had been a minor villain in the game, any associates of hers likely weren¡¯t going to be the largest fish in the pond. But if this Cheek guy actually had knowledge of the original¡¯s criminal activities¡ªwhich he probably had¡ªit could still cause serious trouble for her if he were to leak the information. It could literally ruin all of her plans and cost her life if it was serious enough.


    ¡°Of course, the boss doesn¡¯t want any trouble as long as you don¡¯t.¡± The man seemed to have gathered himself again. ¡°We just had to know we¡¯re on the same page, and that things can continue as usual in the future.¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡°And what, perchance, do you consider ¡®as usual¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not exactly privy to the details.¡±


    She glared at him. This Cheek guy didn¡¯t even send a person who knew what their dealings were? Was he an idiot? Lazy? Or did he just not have anyone else to send?


    She could tell that the man was growing uncomfortable under her gaze.


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡± She relaxed her gaze. ¡°I will be in contact when I have concluded my current matters. We can discuss further details at that time. Until then, you can inform Mister Cheek he has nothing to be worried over. And that he should be more cautious about sending people to my home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­tell him that.¡± The man gave a slow nod.


    He remained where he was, sitting there quietly.


    ¡°¡­Do you intend to remain the whole day?¡±


    His eyes widened, and he hurried out of his seat. ¡°N-No, ¡®course not. I¡¯m glad we could get things straightened out. I¡¯ll take my leave then. Excuse me.¡±


    Scarlett eyed him as he left the room, spotting a servant waiting in the hallway, ready to guide the man out.


    She clicked her tongue when the door closed behind him.


    What would she do about this mess now? Last time she¡¯d had knowledge from the game. Things had been easy to handle because of that. Now, she wasn¡¯t that lucky. She barely knew anything at all about whatever happenings the original was involved with here, or what consequences it could have.


    She gazed at one of the bookshelves lining the wall ahead of her.


    Maybe Gaven could help somehow? But how? She barely knew more than these people¡¯s names, so what could she expect from him?


    Beldon Tyndall had information on the original Scarlett¡¯s past associates, so perhaps she could get some information from Mirage? Beldon liked to be vague and all that, so she could probably write up a letter that was enigmatic enough that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if someone else read it first. She knew enough hidden intel from the game that would be appealing to them¡ªbut essentially worthless to her¡ªso she could probably convince them to help her out with minor things like this a few more times, at least.


    The question would be how to handle things after getting information from them.


    But that could be decided later. First, she needed to learn what she was dealing with. Whatever it was, she wouldn¡¯t let herself be brought low easily.

 Chapter 86 - Noble decisions

    Scarlett sipped a cup of warm tea as she waited in the east wing¡¯s guest parlor. It was nearing late afternoon. She had spent much of the morning training, dealing with paperwork and reports sent over by Evelyne, and reviewing her current strategies after receiving new information from Mirage.


    After that Cullen fellow had visited her two days earlier, she¡¯d sent out a letter to Beldon Tyndall the day after, asking about as much information on her different ¡®associates¡¯ as she could get. The reply arrived this morning. The letter itself had been filled with vague pleasantries and Beldon wishing her well, saying he hoped they would have the chance to meet again soon, which had confused her at first. She was embarrassed to admit it had taken her a while to realize there was a hidden message. In a nutshell, some of the words hinted at her using magic to heat the letter up, after which the actual contents had revealed themselves on the paper.


    And what she learned had left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. In full, the letter had described some of the known dealings of Vern Cheek, Bodil Pudges, and the Blue Skulls, all of who were supposedly tied to the original Scarlett. None of it had been quite as bad as the child trafficking the Grey Dog Gang had been involved with, but it was still far from good. The cleanest was probably Bodil Pudges, who ¡®only¡¯ ran several illegal gambling dens and similar in Elystead.


    Things were a bit vague regarding the Blue Skulls. They were a group that was said to raid specific ships moving outside the empire¡¯s waters, mostly to the west and south, but there wasn¡¯t much more beyond that, other than that they were wanted on several charges over in Voneia. Why Mirage thought Scarlett was related to them wasn¡¯t entirely clear.


    As for Vern Cheek, it appeared he acted as a loan shark of sorts over in Kilsfell, and was linked to several deaths in the region. From what Scarlett gathered, Mirage seemed to suspect the original of having cooperated with him to get rid of certain individuals, as well as moving money around in what essentially boiled down to some kind of money laundering. Though they didn¡¯t say as such in so many words.


    There was more info, of course. For example, who Vern Cheek was believed to work with, and some of his close subordinates¡¯ names, as well as the names of some of the ships the Blue Skulls targeted and Bodil Pudges¡¯ places of business. But suffice it to say, none of these were groups you wanted deep ties to if you had goals of being an upstanding citizen. Or just not getting thrown into jail.


    A knock sounded out from the door.


    Scarlett looked up as it opened, revealing Gaven in the same blond disguise as last time. Skulking in the hallway behind him was a slightly hunched figure covered in dark brown robes. There was no servant with them. Scarlett had arranged it so that a guard would lead Gaven to the wing¡¯s side entrance, from where he¡¯d find his own way. No other people should be present in this part of the mansion at the moment.


    The man entered the room. The robed figure followed soon after, their head fretfully moving back and forth as if they were watching every corner.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± Scarlett said to the two. ¡°I am glad no issues appear to have arisen, despite the demand for subterfuge.¡±


    Gaven pulled off his disguise, revealing his thick, dark-brown hair and well-kept beard. ¡°No difficulties is one way of putting it,¡± he said with a small scoff. ¡°But we¡¯re here at least.¡±


    Scarlett chose to ignore the small complaint as she turned to the other individual, studying them closely. ¡°I take it you are the Countess?¡±


    The person froze, their head slowly shifting towards her. Beneath the hood was the face of a woman, dirty and partially covered by loose-hanging bandages. Grimy, soot-colored locks with hints of gold hung down messily over a pair of bright blue eyes that had an almost crazed look to them.


    A sense of revulsion filled Scarlett as they stared at her, and she fought to maintain a neutral expression.


    After a few seconds, the woman blinked.


    ¡°Ah, ah.¡±


    She performed a clumsy curtsy where she stood. Scarlett¡¯s hair stood on end from the mere sight. ¡°Good morning, Baroness. I-I¡¯m so¡­thankful. I-It¡¯s an¡­honor to meet you.¡±


    ¡°¡­The sentiment is mutual.¡±


    The response this woman provoked in Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite on the same level of disgust as Evelyne, but it was still difficult to control her tone. She pointed towards the leather couch opposite her. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    The Countess walked over, then stopped to stare at the piece of furniture. She furtively glanced around the room for a moment, before eventually sitting down with an awkward movement, head turned downwards.


    Scarlett scrunched up her nose as the stench reached her, a mix of wet alley and stale bread.


    Gaven circled the couch to sit down on the other end, his eyes meeting hers. She could tell his annoyance at the situation.


    She turned back to the Countess. ¡°Do you wish for some tea? Or something to eat?¡±


    The woman stilled, looking up at her. ¡°¡­Tea?¡±


    Scarlett gestured towards two silver trays with lids that stood on the table between them.


    After a few seconds passed without a reply, Gaven leaned forward and removed the lids, revealing plates filled with steaming soup, bread, and three cups with tea in them.


    The Countess¡¯ eyes widened as she stared at the food, then turned to Scarlett. ¡°I-Is¡­it ok?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°By all means.¡±


    ¡°So¡­kind.¡± The woman¡¯s words were almost a whisper. Two bandaged hands appeared from beneath her robes and snatched up a piece of white bread. The woman immediately began scarfing it down.


    What had remained of Scarlett¡¯s appetite faded as she saw the woman¡¯s filthy fingers grasping the bread, with half-broken nails that looked to have been chewed down to size, yet were still too long. Within seconds, the Countess was licking the crumbs from her fingers.


    ¡°¡­You may eat as much as you wish,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°There is no need to fret.¡±


    The woman paused with her hands in the air, gaping at her. ¡°Y-You¡¯re truly kind¡­ Thank you for your¡­generosity.¡±


    She picked up another loaf of bread.


    Scarlett looked away as the woman started gorging on this piece as well, turning her attention to Gaven. ¡°It would seem as if you have accomplished the task I assigned you, Ridley. Well done.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you were right. Turned out to be surprisingly simple.¡± The man shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Ain¡¯t been easy, though. Just glad it¡¯s over now.¡±


    ¡°As agreed upon, your performance will be rewarded,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Can I also assume you are willing to continue your work for me?¡±


    He let out a short laugh. ¡°Lady, I¡¯d be willing to kill for what you¡¯re paying, as long as it doesn¡¯t get me killed.¡±


    Scarlett scowled at him.


    He raised his arms. ¡°Sorry, sorry. My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett nodded her head. ¡°There is still much that I have in store for you, after all.¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    She turned back to the Countess, who was in the process of devouring her fourth loaf of bread. ¡°If you are starved, you can also try the soup. I believe it will be more appetizing and filling than mere bread. You may use the cutlery on the tray.¡±


    Gold and silver spoons were lying next to the plates.


    The woman looked at them uncertainly, but soon picked up a plate and an engraved silver spoon that she held gingerly in her hand.


    ¡°Perhaps I should formally introduce myself,¡± Scarlett continued, after ensuring the woman actually seemed to know how to use a spoon. ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, the holder of this estate and Lady of Stagmond Keep. As Ridley here might have informed you, I heard of the plight wrought upon you and could not sit idly still while such injustices were allowed to stand. That is why I have invited you to my home. I wished to meet with you, and aid you in seeking retribution for these wrongs.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Small tears formed at the edge of the Countess¡¯ eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ You¡¯re right,¡± she said in a frenzied tone. ¡°I¡¯ve fallen to this state. They took all from me¡­ They took it all. They¡¯ll pay. I want them to pay¡­¡± She stared at Scarlett from beneath the hood. ¡°¡­You¡¯ll really help me? Thank you! Thank you¡­so much! I can tell¡­ You¡¯re a true noble. You won¡¯t allow them to do this¡­ Thank you.¡±


    The woman¡¯s words continued, soon trailing off into an unintelligible ramble as her head turned downwards, towards the soup plate before her.


    Scarlett noticed Gaven rolling his eyes. It appeared he¡¯d already grown used to this during the short time he had spent with the woman. He pulled at his ear like he was waiting for it to end.


    A loud crash sounded out as the table in front of Scarlett suddenly split in two and caved in on itself.


    The Countess was leaning over where her soup had been, a half-broken and bent spoon in her hand as she stared down at the chaos. ¡°Ah, ah, n-no, no.¡±


    She threw herself to her knees, right on top of the destroyed table and shattered plates, crawling towards Scarlett. ¡°Ple-Please forgive me! I di-didn¡¯t want to¡ªplease, please, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll replace¡ªI¡¯ll replace it!¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Scarlett commanded before the woman could clamber over the whole table. ¡°There is no need for you to beg forgiveness. It is evident it was not your intent to damage the table, nor do I intend to hold it against you. Do not lower yourself so.¡±


    The Countess froze, gaping up at her with a beholden expression. ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯re truly¡­a kind woman. A¡­saint. Thank you. So generous¡­ Thank you¡­ I will repay you.¡±


    The look in the hysterical woman¡¯s eyes told Scarlett enough. Those words were filled with nothing but honesty. Like a child who trusted everything the adults said unequivocally.


    She turned away, gauging the damage to the room. It wasn¡¯t too bad, thankfully. There was a tear at the bottom of the couch Gaven and the Countess were on, where a piece of the table had hit, and clear indentations on the floorboards, but the table had taken the brunt of the damage.


    ¡°Ju-Just wait,¡± the Countess continued. ¡°I will definitely repay your kindness¡­ I look like this now, but¡­ I am actually a countess.¡± She nodded her head slowly. ¡°Once I return to my land¡­ Once I regain everything¡­ I will definitely repay you.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for repayment,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°My aim is to aid you, but there are also certain matters where I might require your help as well. Some of these are related to your restitution, and are worth well more than this table.¡±


    ¡°¡­R-Really?¡± the Countess asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett nodded. ¡°Now, raise yourself from the floor. That is no way for a noblewoman to carry herself.¡±


    The Countess stared at her for a moment longer. Then she put her palms on the broken remains on the table, ignoring the splinters and shards of plate, and pushed herself up. Glancing around fitfully for another second, she lightly touched the bandages on her hands and sat down on the couch again.


    After the woman seemed to have settled herself, Scarlett turned to Gaven.


    ¡°Ridley. Do you recall the key you brought me previously?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes narrowed at her. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°I wish for you to procure the other one.¡±


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s one more?¡±


    ¡°There is.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it in a similar place to the last one?¡±


    ¡°The locations are of a comparable nature, yes.¡±


    The unenthusiastic expression on his face spoke volumes.


    ¡°I can assure you that your reward will be more than satisfactory this time as well.¡± Scarlett met his eyes for a moment, then turned back to the Countess. ¡°This is also part of why I wished for you to come here, Countess. Would you be willing to accompany him on this assignment? Your aid would be greatly appreciated, and I believe it would be vital in securing other conditions required for restoring your title.¡±


    Gaven wouldn¡¯t be able to clear Abelard¡¯s Doll Pavilion by himself. But with the Countess helping him, it shouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    ¡°You want¡­my¡­help?¡± A strange smile grew on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, ah, I¡¯ll help. Of course¡­I¡¯ll help the Baroness. Yes¡­I am a countess, so of course I¡¯ll help¡­¡± She trailed off into an incoherent ramble once more.


    Scarlett waited for the woman to calm down again. ¡°Thank you. I must warn you, however, that this location has some discomforting elements present. It is best that you be careful when there. Although I am certain Ridley will be able to provide any further guidance when necessary.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you, thank you. So kind.¡± The Countess fervently began nodding her head, some of the bandages on her face swaying with the movement.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes passed to the woman¡¯s clothes. While the robes appeared relatively new, the lower half was now covered with crumbs and soup from crawling over the table earlier. Not to mention how the woman herself looked like she¡¯d just been picked up out of a dark alleyway somewhere.


    Maybe they should get her cleaned up. And either get rid of or replace some of the bandages.


    ¡°If you wish, you may remove your robes,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°They are no longer necessary.¡±


    The Countess froze, an agitated glint appearing in her eyes. ¡°No¡­No¡­Nononono.¡± She pulled the robes closer around her, hiding her hands and much of her face. Whispering escaped her mouth. ¡°¡­hideous¡­ Scars¡­ It¡¯s hideous¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Scarlett frowned. The woman had always worn the same garbs in the game as well, but so did most of the characters. It was a game, after all. She hadn¡¯t known there was another reason behind it. Just from looking at her, however, the Countess didn¡¯t look ¡®hideous¡¯. Her appearance was certainly filthy, yes¡ªto the level where it made Scarlett¡¯s skin crawl¡ªbut she didn¡¯t look much older than Scarlett herself, and the parts under the bandage that were visible looked normal. But the bandages were also haphazardly applied, so there was no telling which parts they were actually intended to cover.


    ¡°¡­Very well. I will not force you if you do not wish to,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But there is no need for you to remain in such an unwashed state. I have taken the liberty of having a warm bath drawn in the connecting room, so that you may at the very least clean yourself and take some time to relax.¡±


    The Countess stared at her. ¡°A¡­bath?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett gestured towards a door in the room¡¯s corner. ¡°It is through there. Everything has already been prepared, so there is no need to worry. You can take as much time as you require.¡±


    The woman remained still for several seconds, before glancing towards the door.


    ¡°If you do not wish to take it right now, I can have another bath prepared later.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah. No.¡± The Countess shook her head. Her hands emerged from beneath the robes, clamped over her lap. ¡°¡­A bath,¡± she mumbled and stood. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­become clean¡­¡±


    It was as if their existence had been completely forgotten by the woman now. Rambling to herself, she drifted past Gaven and across the room towards the door. Soon, she disappeared into the next room without leaving another word to them.


    A few seconds of silence passed.


    ¡°Blasted crazy woman¡­¡± Gaven muttered.


    ¡°¡­Watch your words,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°What? She¡¯s insane. Don¡¯t act like you weren¡¯t put off by her either.¡±


    She met his eyes for a moment.


    It wasn¡¯t as if he was wrong. Even discounting the original¡¯s traits, that was an uncomfortable experience. It was the first time she¡¯d ever interacted with a person like that. In either world. Even knowing exactly what she needed to say to convince the Countess, there was still a certain sense of unease one got from interacting with the woman, feeling like you couldn¡¯t be sure what she¡¯d do next. Or whether it was okay to get irritated at a person who clearly wasn¡¯t entirely¡­¡¯there¡¯.


    Scarlett shifted her gaze towards the door the Countess had left through.


    ¡°¡­I am expecting you to cooperate with her regularly from now on, so I would recommend that you refrain from using such language. It serves no one.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really expecting me to work with her?¡±


    ¡°I do, yes.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯ll just do the work by myself, like last time.¡±


    ¡°You would fail. Her aiding you will make matters easier for all parties.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is what I am paying you for. I expect you to be able to tolerate some inconveniences.¡±


    And the Countess was needed for a lot more than just muscle. If it was just pure strength, Scarlett probably wouldn¡¯t have risked it with the woman.


    She leaned back on the couch, resting her arm against the armrest to her left. ¡°In addition to acquiring the second key, there is one more task that I have for you.¡±


    ¡°Does this one also include ¡®the Countess¡¯?¡±


    She tapped her finger against the soft leather. ¡°¡­No. This is to be carried out by you alone. No other person should learn of it.¡± She shifted her eyes to him. ¡°Have you heard the name Vern Cheek?¡±


    Gaven shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have.¡±


    ¡°He is a moneylender, among other things, residing in Kilsfell,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°One that seemingly does not understand his place.¡±


    She paused for a moment.


    Was this really ok? It wasn¡¯t too late to turn back. She could try to find another way. Or just let things play out and go into hiding.


    She didn¡¯t need her position as a baroness. And with her knowledge, she¡¯d probably be able to find a few safe spots where people wouldn¡¯t be able to find her. It¡¯d probably make things easier with the Cabal as well.


    So saying she didn¡¯t have much choice would be nothing but an overindulgent lie.


    What scared her wasn¡¯t that she was going to have regrets, but that she wouldn¡¯t have any.


    ¡­But no. She had already decided how she would progress with things. It didn¡¯t matter how she felt about it. Or her lack of feelings on the matter. She would go through it and not look back. That was what she was going to promise herself.


    She eyed Gaven for a moment, steeling herself.


    ¡°I want you to deal with him.¡±

 Chapter 87 - The smaller things

    ¡°My Lady.¡± Garside lay on his bed, back propped up against the wall behind him. ¡°This servant is humbled that you would take time out of your day to come visit.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± Scarlett said after having entered the room, eyeing him for a moment. She¡¯d been somewhat worried about his condition, which is why she decided to pay a brief visit just to check things. The aged butler¡¯s face appeared pale as he looked back at her, the upper half of his left shoulder supported by a thick layer of bandaging.


    At Scarlett¡¯s request, Rosa had visited the man a few times since the assault by the Cabal to see what she could help with, but the bard said there wasn¡¯t much more healing magic could do for his recovery at the moment. Apparently, there was a limit to how much healing one¡¯s body could handle all at once, and the longer you waited, the less you could do with magic alone. Age was also a factor, it seemed. And while Scarlett would consider Garside to be quite vigorous for his age¡ªconsidering he had less issue than her climbing a freaking mountain¡ªit appeared stamina didn¡¯t equate to better recovery in this context.


    Rosa had done what she could, so it was all left up to Garside himself to recover the last bit. Scarlett had also had what was supposedly the family physician pay a visit from the city, but the man had said much the same. He hadn¡¯t even been entirely certain whether Garside would regain the use of his arm.


    When she¡¯d first heard that, it had surprised her how livid it made her. It was to the point where she¡¯d ended up using a practice session as an excuse to let out some of the anger. She still occasionally found her mind wandering back to the matter. And to the Hallowed Cabal. Especially Riya. Unbidden thoughts of anger directed at the woman had popped up more than once.


    In general, she tried ignoring the matter as much as possible. Letting her irritation slip around others was almost as annoying as the irritation itself.


    It was astounding this was what it took for her to realize she was this attached to the old butler. Of course, that affinity was bound to be a vestige left by the original Scarlett. But up till now, it had been a lot subtler than many of the other emotions left behind by the woman. It made one wonder if Scarlett herself had even been aware of how much she seemed to have cared about Garside.


    To her, to Amy, it was a new sensation. Feeling this strongly about another person¡¯s well-being. She couldn¡¯t recall feeling this strongly even about her own parents or sister. Should she laugh or cry at the fact that even a twisted person like Scarlett seemed to have stronger emotional attachments to others than herself?


    Her eyes passed to the bed table next to Garside¡¯s bed, and the papers filled with text that lay there.


    ¡°I see you have deemed it fit not to abandon your duties while you convalesce.¡±


    ¡°I am this household¡¯s sole butler, my Lady,¡± the man said with a look of certainty that belied his pale appearance. ¡°It is only right that I maintain those duties that I can still, as long as I draw breath.¡±


    She frowned. The way he put that didn¡¯t sit well with her. ¡°I am sure there are other people in this household who are capable enough to assume those responsibilities for the time being,¡± she said. ¡°Yet Marlon informed me you left your quarters this morning to oversee the efforts of the masons clearing the courtyard.¡± She met his eyes. ¡°You have served this family faithfully for a long time. Do not forget that your continued well-being is necessary if you are to continue to do so in the future.¡±


    Garside gave her a long look, an undecipherable expression on his face. She was uncertain what he was thinking behind those wizened eyes. Eventually, he lowered his head. ¡°You are correct, my Lady. I have been imprudent in my actions and shown disrespect towards both you and the barony. Henceforth, I will be more heedful of my condition.¡±


    ¡°See that you are.¡± Scarlett nodded her head before glancing around the room.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d visited this place, but she was always somewhat shocked by the decor. From his character, one would expect Garside¡¯s room to be spartan in its furbishing. Yet instead, it was filled to the brim with vases and different ceramics, some of which looked like they had been made by true masters. Considering he was just a mere butler, it made one wonder how he could afford all this. He must have been saving for a long time. Or maybe he¡¯d gotten some as a gift.


    Whatever the reason, it was curious to see that the old man held such an interest.


    Her eyes stopped on a vase that had strange floral patterns surrounding several intricate murals on its side. The murals seemed to tell the tale of a fisherman, fighting against a large, three-headed beaver-like creature.


    A curious sight indeed.


    She turned back to Garside. ¡°I came here because I wished to inform you that I and the others will be venturing out once more tomorrow morning. We will be travelling northeast of Freybrook.¡±


    ¡°Again, my Lady?¡± The butler¡¯s expression turned troubled. ¡°What if something were to happen?¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°We will be fine. For the time being, there are none who have reason to cause me issue, nor any whom I would allow the opportunity.¡±


    The Hallowed Cabal would have already done something if they were planning on reneging on their end of the deal this early. She doubted they would. Not until she had either handed them the third part of the Seal of Thainnith or The Angler Man had woken up.


    And considering they were the only real threat to her at the moment, she wasn¡¯t afraid of leaving the mansion. They¡¯d left to clear the last dungeon in the Freybrook area a few days earlier without issue, for example. Though Garside and the others had been against that as well.


    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. It is unlikely to take longer than a day. Even if it were to take longer, there is no need for excessive worry,¡± Scarlett said.


    This wouldn¡¯t be the only such trip in the coming weeks. With no other dungeons remaining near Freybrook, they would have to start traveling more and more, booking more trips through the Kilnstone network.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Garside muttered. ¡°Then I pray you will return in good health, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Scarlett exchanged a few more words with the butler, extracting a promise that he wouldn¡¯t leave his quarters to go out and work himself to death or something stupid like that, before eventually leaving the room behind.


    Her mind shifted to tomorrow¡¯s trip as she made her way towards the library in the mansion¡¯s central section. Like she¡¯d told Garside, she wasn¡¯t expecting this trip to take more than a day ¡ª as long as everything lined up with her game knowledge. But it could take far longer if things differed for some reason. That¡¯s why she had delayed leaving until now, so that she could receive Gaven and the Countess when they¡¯d visited the day before.


    The two of them hadn¡¯t stayed for long after their visit, leaving during the night, after Scarlett had spoken further with Gaven about his tasks and forced herself to interact a bit more with the Countess. It might be up to a week before they returned. Scarlett couldn¡¯t say she was particularly excited about it. Both the next meeting itself, and the news it¡¯d bring. Either good or bad.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t complain too much. Everything had gone almost exactly as planned yesterday. The Countess had been alarmingly easy to persuade to her side. The woman had essentially asked for nothing at all in return for working with Scarlett. Of course, she had also accidentally destroyed a table. It wasn¡¯t completely perfect.


    Scarlett would have to come up with an explanation for that. She hadn¡¯t had the servants enter the room yet, but someone would have to clean up the mess there. After finishing in the library, she would need to find Marlon and instruct her to send some servants to clean things up.


    Upon reaching the library, Scarlett paused as she saw both Shin and Allyssa exiting the place together. The two young Shielders stopped and greeted her.


    She glanced at the door behind them. ¡°Were the two of you perusing the library together?¡±


    ¡°Well, Shin was,¡± Allyssa answered. ¡°I mostly just tagged along.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett turned to the young man in question. ¡°I hope you found something that caught your interest.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± He held up a thick, leather-bound book in his hands.


    ¡°What are you doing right now?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Scarlett looked at her. ¡°I am preparing for our excursion tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The young woman¡¯s expression grew hesitant. ¡°Where are we going this time?¡±


    ¡°To a small village northeast of Freybrook. The trip itself is not overly long, so most of our time will be occupied with what we will be doing there. I recommend you bring enough material so that you are ready for any unforeseen circumstances.¡±


    Shin raised both eyebrows. ¡°Will we be gone for long?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But it is best if you prepare as if we will.¡±


    He simply nodded at her words. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Allyssa gave her a hesitant look, though.


    ¡°Is there something you wish to say?¡±


    The girl cringed. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ Should we really be leaving again, considering things?¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a moment. Although it wasn¡¯t serious, she felt like Allyssa had been acting somewhat awkward around her ever since the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s attack. When they left to clear the dungeon, she seemed against the idea as well.


    ¡°Are you perhaps afraid that we will be attacked once more during our excursion?¡± she asked.


    Allyssa¡¯s face suggested she¡¯d hit the nail on the head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­afraid,¡± the girl said. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem like the best idea, if people are out to kill you, right?¡±


    She turned to Shin, hitting him on the back. ¡°He thinks so as well, even if he¡¯s too afraid to say it.¡±


    He just gave her a cool look. ¡°I never said it¡¯s a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°But you were thinking it! Don¡¯t pretend you weren¡¯t!¡±


    Scarlett observed the two of them.


    She had been pretty vague when she¡¯d described the events of the Cabal attack, chalking it up to a criminal organization having it out for her. And while she felt these two usually accepted most of her words without too much issue, Allyssa in particular had seemed uncomfortable with not knowing more about what happened this time. Especially after the attackers had both been allowed to leave without more of a fight and pick up all their dead.


    Still, both Shielders had agreed to only report the part about a criminal attack to the Shields Guild, which Scarlett was thankful for.


    She supposed she couldn¡¯t really fault them for wondering about some of her actions at this point.


    ¡°Where we are going, you will not have to worry about any further attacks,¡± she said. ¡°It is also unlikely that any fighting will occur, so if you wish to stay here at the estate, you may do so.¡±


    That might actually be better, considering the circumstances at this place.


    ¡°W-What?¡± Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯t go. I was just wondering if what we¡¯re doing is really necessary right now.¡±


    ¡°Being cautious is good when one can afford to be so. Unfortunately, I lack the freedom to postpone these matters to a later time, so excessive wariness would not serve me well.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Allyssa pulled lightly at the blonde locks that hung over her shoulders. ¡°So, I guess we¡¯re going then?¡±


    ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°As early as possible. Ensure that you do not forget anything.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll prepare everything tonight, then.¡± Allyssa grabbed hold of Shin¡¯s arm and began pulling him along. ¡°We¡¯ll stop holding you up. See you later.¡±


    Scarlett bid a brief goodbye as she watched the two disappear down the corridor, then turned to the library door.


    It was time to see if she couldn¡¯t find a really old map.

 Chapter 88 - A quaint meadow

    Scarlett pushed aside a branch with annoyance as she sidestepped a root jutting out from the ground, avoiding the soggy pool of mud next to it. She hated wet forests.


    It just had to rain the night before they were supposed to go out into the woods like this.


    They had only been at this for about an hour, but she was already getting tired of it. Unfortunately, there were no roads or actual paths through the forest around these parts. And when everything you had to go off of was a yellowed old map¡ªmaybe even older than the trees currently surrounding them¡ªthe conditions weren¡¯t exactly prime for finding your way.


    Thankfully, they had Fynn with them. He could scout ahead much faster than the rest. Ten minutes ago he¡¯d said he found a place that fit Scarlett¡¯s descriptions, and they were following him in that direction now. She was hoping this wouldn¡¯t have to go on for much further.


    As they pushed through the damp underbrush, finally, the trees opened up into a small clearing. The ground was covered with the fallen leaves of the nearby trees, bearing shades of orange, red, and yellow. They were a few weeks into October in this world, and the fall colors had made a strong appearance here in the southwestern parts of the empire. Strong winds had probably carried most of the leaves here, considering many of the trees in the immediate surroundings still retained much of their foliage.


    ¡°Is this the place?¡± Fynn asked as Scarlett approached him where he stood at the center of the clearing.


    She looked around as she took the area in. The place didn¡¯t look particularly special, so it was hard to tell. ¡°I am uncertain, although I believe it may be.¡±


    There was only one way to find out.


    She put a hand into the [Pouch of Holding] at her waist, pulling out the [Forgotten Hairpin] she received from The Gentleman. The red rubies affixed to its head reflected the quiet sunlight peeking through the clouds that covered today¡¯s sky.


    ¡°What exactly are we expecting to find here?¡± Allyssa asked, the young Shielder exiting out of the forest a short distance behind Scarlett. Rosa followed not long after, ducking beneath a twig drooping from a nearby oak. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Is it another secret fairy place?¡±


    ¡°It is not.¡± Scarlett looked to the side, where Shin also appeared from out of the thicket. With everyone gathered, she then turned her eyes back to the hairpin and held it up in the air.


    For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a weak light stirred inside the hairpin¡¯s rubies. The air in front of Scarlett rippled with faint waves. It looked almost like the refraction above a campfire, in the vague outline of a gate.


    She smiled. This was indeed the right place.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I give it a six.¡± Rosa had walked up next to her, one hand cradling her elbow as she caressed her chin with the other. ¡°The fairy entrance was much more dramatic.¡±


    ¡°Is this another example of a gate that will transport us to another realm?¡± Shin asked, stepping up and examining the odd phenomenon in the air.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Scarlett answered. She eyed the strange ¡®gate¡¯ for a moment, then looked over at the others. ¡°For this, I believe it best if some of us remain here.¡±


    All of their gazes turned to her.


    ¡°¡­Is that really a good idea?¡± Allyssa questioned.


    ¡°In truth, there is no need for anyone other than I entering,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°There is nothing that would pose a threat on the other side.¡±


    Even if there were to be danger there, it wasn¡¯t something any of them could handle. Even if they all worked together.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Scarlett noticed Fynn studying her closely. She was uncertain whether he would consider that a lie.


    He surprised her by shrugging his shoulders. ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll stay.¡±


    He was volunteering?


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch if there¡¯s anything suspicious around here when you get back,¡± he continued.


    ¡°I will stay behind with him then,¡± Allyssa said after a moment.


    Scarlett turned to the girl. She as well?


    That made things easier. The truth was that she would have preferred if none of the others came with, but Allyssa was the one that those concerns held the strongest for.


    She glanced over at the remaining two. Shin and Rosa looked determined enough to come along, though. She supposed she could bring them along for now, so that she could show it wasn¡¯t dangerous, if that¡¯s what they were worried about. And she might actually need Rosa¡¯s help. At least at first.


    ¡°Very well. You two will stay here for now,¡± she told Allyssa and Fynn. ¡°We will most likely not be gone for long, but do not fret if we are.¡±


    Both nodded their heads at her words.


    She then turned back to the strange space in front of them. ¡°Let us move,¡± she said and stepped through. Her surroundings warped, like a ripple spreading across a canvas, and a moment later she exited into the same clearing. But now, she was surrounded by green.


    Glaring sunlight shone down from a clear blue sky, not a hint of clouds in sight. The trees were swarming with young, vibrant leaves that danced in the wind. And the soft, pleasant smell of fresh grass lay thick in the air around her, the fallen leaves that had covered the ground completely absent.


    Rosa and Shin appeared beside her soon after, both stopping and turning around as they took the change in.


    ¡°Is this¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still in the same place,¡± Shin said.


    Scarlett put away the [Forgotten Hairpin]. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°¡­But it¡¯s summer,¡± Rosa pointed out.


    ¡°Astute observation, Miss Hale.¡±


    The bard shot her a boorish look.


    Scarlett pointed towards the edge of the clearing, straight ahead of them. There was a path there now, leading further into the forest. It was slightly overgrown, and didn¡¯t seem to see much traffic, but it was better than the dense undergrowth that had been there before. ¡°Shall we continue?¡±


    ¡°Why, of course.¡± Rosa stepped forward, gesturing for Scarlett to walk ahead with an exaggerated flourish. ¡°Whatever the Lady says.¡±


    Scarlett decided to ignore it as she strode past the woman, proceeding onto the forest path. Though perhaps calling it a trail was more accurate, as it was barely wide enough for them to walk side by side. And the footing was pretty uneven as well. But at least she didn¡¯t have to bother about tripping on a branch or stepping in a pool of muck now.


    They followed it deeper into the forest, the trail eventually widening slightly as the surrounding trees started growing less dense. After a few minutes, they spotted signs of another opening ahead of them, and Scarlett could hear faint sounds of running water. Soon, they exited into a large glade with a thin river running around its outskirts. The river passed by near them, disappearing into the forest further north. Close to where it disappeared, at the other end of the glade, stood a small village, with simple wooden-roofed buildings and a low stone wall encircling it. A small herd of sheep moved around in an enclosure next to the village, with a couple of human figures walking among the animals.


    ¡°How quaint,¡± Rosa said, looking out over the clearing.


    Shin mostly seemed to be puzzled by the sight. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°This is the village of Freymeadow,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Why is it hidden away like this?¡±


    She turned to him, eyeing him for a moment. ¡°¡­Perhaps you will learn later on.¡±


    Preferably not, if she had anything to say about it.


    She didn¡¯t wait for him to ask any more questions as she started walking deeper into the clearing. A simple dirt road began near the river and continued towards the village, and following that road, it only took them a short few minutes to reach the settlement. The path trailed the stone walls around the village until it reached a small opening that could only generously be called a gate.


    As they entered Freymeadow, the heads of two middle-aged women sitting outside a nearby house turned towards them. Both women had baskets filled with wool next to them, with wooden tools that looked a bit like large brushes in their laps. Scarlett felt like she recognized the tools, though she couldn¡¯t remember their names.


    Rosa gave the two women a gentle wave and a smile. The two women just returned surprised looks, mixed with what looked like curiosity and wariness.


    Scarlett continued down the dirt road and further into the village. On the way, they passed by even more people, each giving them similar looks as the women had. They clearly weren¡¯t used to outsiders. In spite of that, there wasn¡¯t anything that stood out as odd about the people here. Their clothes were simple, and so were most of the activities they were carrying out. They looked just like any of the other people Scarlett had seen in this world. If she were to compare this place to Whistlecreek or Dimfrost, there really wasn¡¯t much to point out.


    Soon, they reached an open area that had a raised wooden platform in the middle¡ªperhaps used for larger gatherings and celebrations¡ªand served much as the center of the village. A group of kids stood near the platform, playing some sort of game with sticks and stones on the ground.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes turned towards the edge of what was essentially the village square, where one of the larger homes had a small porch that looked out over the space. A woman was sitting on a chair there.


    From here, one could see that the woman had straight, raven-black hair that reached down to rest on her shoulders, with a streak of white running through it just above the left temple. As Scarlett crossed the square and approached her, she could see that the woman¡¯s eyes were a pale green, with hints of wrinkles and darkened skin beneath, as well as two beauty marks under the right eye. Her clothes were a dark set of loose robes, with simple decorations around the fringes.


    She held an almost vacant gaze as she peered out over the square, seemingly watching the playing children.


    Scarlett stopped in front of the porch, and the woman¡¯s head turned to them.


    ¡°Oh? Visitors?¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyebrow rose. ¡°Scarlett Hartford?¡± She studied her for a few seconds. ¡°That¡¯s a new name.¡±


    ¡°These are my retainers, Rosalina Hale and Shin Thornthon.¡± Scarlett gestured towards the two beside her. ¡°We hail from Freybrook, and have come here to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The woman¡¯s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, before passing over to Rosa and Shin. Finally, she turned her attention back to the square. ¡°I¡¯ll have to disappoint then, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m not much to meet.¡±


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Scarlett said. Her eyes drifted to the space behind the woman, where there was a red-tinted wooden casket with gold latticework standing on a stool.


    [Locked Jewellery Casket]


    {A woman¡¯s jewellery casket. There appears to be no way of opening it}


    Studying the object for a short while, she eventually looked back at the woman. ¡°I wish to be taken in under your tutelage.¡±


    The woman stilled, slowly turning to her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I wish to be taught under your counsel.¡±


    The woman stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re here to learn from me?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The woman narrowed her eyes, as if she was trying to peer through her words, to see if there was a meaning behind them. After a moment, she relaxed her gaze and pointed to the empty air beside Scarlett. ¡°Show me what you can do.¡±


    Scarlett looked to where she was pointing. ¡°You wish for me to showcase my abilities?¡±


    ¡°What else is there to do? Now, hurry up.¡±


    She glanced back at Shin and Rosa, signaling for them to step back. Then she raised both arms, holding her hands up in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she summoned all of her focus.


    A giant sphere of fire blazed into existence a dozen meters ahead. A wave of heat blasted into her. This was the highest intensity she could muster with her pyrokinesis, and with a diameter of well over two meters, it was gorging through her mana stores even with her recent skill upgrades. Still, she managed to maintain it for almost twenty seconds before she dismissed it, drops of sweat forming on her temple.


    [Mana: 1435/4575]


    Loud cries sounded out from the children near the center of the square, who were staring over at her with wide eyes. Scarlett ignored them, turning back to the raven-haired woman.


    ¡°Does that satisfy you?¡±


    The woman seemed thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the answer is no.¡±


    Scarlett held back from showing her disappointment. She really had been hoping it¡¯d be that easy.


    ¡°Then is there something I can do to convince you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not that generous.¡±


    ¡°I am not asking for your generosity. Only that you teach me, in exchange for whatever it is you may want.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m saying no. You don¡¯t have what it takes.¡±


    Scarlett studied the woman¡¯s expression. It didn¡¯t look like she was going to let herself be persuaded.


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Scarlett reached up to her neck, pulling off her [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] and holding it out towards Rosa. ¡°Take this and refill it.¡±


    [Mana: 495/1575]


    Rosa blinked a few times, before slowly accepting the necklace and putting her hand over the violet crystal that hung at the center of its thin black band. A pale light appeared over the crystal¡¯s surface as the bard started filling it with her own mana.


    If Rosa hadn¡¯t come with, Scarlett would have been stuck just relying on her own mana.


    She did this sometimes when she trained with Garside as well, though only on days that she had nothing else to do afterward. While she could technically keep having the necklace¡¯s mana recharged in order to stock up her mana, it was unfortunately impossible to only use the mana stored in the artifact. At least from the experiments she had run. Using this method more than once also wasn¡¯t much different from mana exhaustion.


    Still, it was useful on occasion. Especially when she had lots of time to spare.


    She waited quietly for the few minutes it took for Rosa to do her work, then happily received the now-full necklace. Briefly stepping up onto the porch, she picked up an empty wooden chair standing next to the raven-haired woman before walking back to where she¡¯d been, placing the chair on the ground in front of the building.


    She took a seat.


    The woman looked down at her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°You said I am not fit to be under your tutelage, yes?¡± She snapped her fingers as two small spheres of fire and water appeared in the air before her, spinning around each other in a cyclical formation. ¡°Then I have no other alternative than to continue practicing, do I not?¡±

 Chapter 89 - Practice, practice, practice

    Scarlett knitted her forehead as she compressed the two fire spheres in front of her further and further, trying to focus on, and grasp, the strands of mana that made the magic up. It was like trying to clasp a piece of clay in your hands. Forming and shaping it was as easy as clenching your fist, but trying to separate the clay into its different constituting parts was as good as impossible. Or at least it felt like it was.


    After a while, she finally succeeded in grabbing hold of a handful of ¡®strands¡¯. She pulled at them gently. Immediately, they slipped out of her grasp. All the other strands came loose along with them, like a bundle of rubber bands. The fire whose strands she had pulled dissipated into nothingness, leaving her with only one sphere left. She let it disappear as well, picking up a small towel from her lap to wipe away the sweat from her temple.


    This was hard.


    It was only recently she¡¯d realized that her magic was more complex than she had originally thought. It wasn''t simply just a clump of mana moving according to her will, but rather an immense gathering of tinier strands working together in ways she didn¡¯t quite understand. Her upgrade to [Greater Mana Control] might have been part of what helped her notice this. She didn¡¯t have any skill to see the mana per se, so the vague connection she had to her magic was the only way to gauge these things, and mana control appeared to be the only skill that affected that weird sense.


    [Mana: 843/4575]


    She would have to recharge the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] again soon. Though it would probably be best if she rested for half an hour first. She had recharged the necklace twice today, and it was already stretching the limits of what could be considered ¡®comfortable¡¯. Her arms and legs were starting to feel like spaghetti, and she would be lying limp on the ground if it weren¡¯t for the chair she was in. And this was with her taking things slow.


    She wasn¡¯t looking forward to how she would be feeling later today.


    Taking some time to regain her breath, she turned to look at the porch beside her. The raven-haired woman sitting there hadn¡¯t moved an inch, gaze affixed on the book on her lap for the past two hours Scarlett had been spending practicing her magic. At times she¡¯d glanced up, watching the kids who had been playing on the village square earlier, but she didn¡¯t seem to care much about Scarlett.


    Right now, things weren¡¯t looking that promising.


    This whole tutelage thing was Scarlett¡¯s own idea and not something you did in the game. As such, she had no idea if it would work. Still, there wasn¡¯t much else for her to do here at the moment, and she felt like it was the best alternative. Considering the woman didn¡¯t seem to think she was strong enough, it wasn¡¯t likely she¡¯d be able to unlock any of the ¡®quests¡¯ that were related to this questline.


    But that was exactly why she had to make the best use of her time here, while she could.


    After resting for a while, she returned to her training.


    It was getting late. The intense sun, which had started high in the sky when they got here, was now closing in on the horizon.


    Scarlett breathed heavily as she forced her arm up, wiping away more of the sweat on her face. It bothered her, being seen in this condition in such a public space, but she had to fight through that discomfort.


    Rosa had continued refilling her necklace as the day passed. Scarlett had taken longer and longer rests between the training sessions, forcing herself close to mana exhaustion every time as she pushed her magic further. And it all led to her feeling like she was going to die. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she was more tired now than she¡¯d ever been before. Perhaps the sensation could be compared to studying for ten exams at the same time for twenty-four hours straight, all the while running a marathon.


    She wasn¡¯t even aware one could feel this tired. She would have thought one would have fainted hours ago. It really wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience.


    But as long as there was even a morsel of benefit she stood to gain from this, she was willing to continue.


    Leaning back in her chair, she glanced up at the descending sun. Would it be possible to force out one more session if she rested for long enough?


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still moving,¡± the voice said from the side.


    Scarlett closed her eyes for a brief moment, then slowly turned to look at the woman on the porch.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late,¡± the woman said. ¡°You should probably leave.¡±


    Scarlett lingered on her for a while, then gave a soft nod. ¡°Very well.¡± She turned to Shin, who was sitting on the ground in front of the porch. He looked up from the book in his hands. ¡°Call for Rosa.¡±


    The young man put away the book as he stood and called over to the bard. Rosa looked up from where she sat on the edge of the platform at the center of the square, klert resting on her legs as they dangled in the air. She jumped down and started moving towards them.


    While Scarlett had been focusing on her training, both Shin and Rosa had seemed to find their own ways to pass the time. Unsurprisingly, Rosa had entertained the kids¡ªafter they¡¯d tired of watching Scarlett¡¯s magic¡ªuntil they had been picked up by some of the wary parents when it started getting late. After that, the bard had spent most of her time just strumming away on her klert.


    After spending so much mana refilling Scarlett¡¯s necklace repeatedly, even Rosa was looking a bit tired as she approached them. Still, the fact that she was still standing showed how lacking Scarlett was when it came to her mana. Rosa had at least five times as much as her, not to mention a much better recovery rate.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± the bard asked as she reached them, holding her instrument by its neck in her right hand. ¡°Need me to share some more of my youthful vigor? Or maybe a song to cheer you up this time?¡±


    ¡°While I am loathe to admit so, the latter is more fitting,¡± Scarlett said. She gestured to her legs. ¡°We are leaving; however, I am in no condition to move on my own. I would appreciate your aid.¡±


    Rosa blinked a few times, then looked over at Shin and the woman on the porch. ¡°What, are we finished here?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Scarlett confirmed.


    The bard eyed her for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Alright then.¡± She brandished her klert. A smooth tune rang out from the instrument, and with it, Scarlett felt a wellspring of energy rise from inside her.


    It was far from enough for her to recover completely, but now she didn¡¯t feel as much as a dead fish. Gradually rising from her chair, she turned to the raven-haired woman on the porch and gave a nod. ¡°We will take our leave. I believe we will see each other again soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will,¡± the woman said.


    Scarlett turned around and, somewhat unsteadily, started walking. Rosa and Shin followed.


    Soon after they¡¯d left the village, as they were walking along the dirt road towards the part of the forest where they had originally arrived from, she noticed both of the other two giving her curious looks.


    ¡°So, what was all that about?¡± Rosa asked after a while.


    Scarlett kept her attention forward. ¡°To what are you referring?¡±


    ¡°I was expecting a bit more after all that buildup. Especially after you spent the whole day with your fancy displays. What was the point behind that, if we¡¯re already leaving?¡±


    ¡°It is exactly what it looked like. I was practicing. And the ¡®point¡¯ is for me to be taught by that woman.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t seem that enthusiastic about the prospect,¡± Shin said.


    ¡°Perhaps not. But we will see how matters proceed.¡± This much was within Scarlett¡¯s expectations, anyway. The truth was that she was probably still too ¡®low-leveled¡¯ for this place. Considering the rather unique circumstances of this place, though, it was still worth a try.


    ¡°Who was she?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°If you were curious, you could have inquired about it with the woman herself. Although I am not certain she would have given an answer.¡±


    Even Scarlett didn¡¯t know the woman¡¯s name, after all. It had never come up in the game. She had always been referred to rather vaguely, like ¡®Unknown Woman¡¯ or ¡®Dark-haired Woman¡¯. Whether there was a reason behind that wasn¡¯t entirely clear. In the game, at least, her name hadn¡¯t been necessary for the player to know. She was supposed to be mysterious like that.


    Scarlett had avoided asking today, however, in case there actually had been a hidden reason. She was planning on asking later, though. It would make things a whole lot easier when interacting with the woman, having a name to refer to her with.


    Forgoing any further conversation¡ªScarlett felt a bit too tired, and Rosa¡¯s magic was beginning to lose its effect¡ªthey soon reached the edge of the forest. Treading along the same path that brought them here to Freymeadow, they trekked through the woods until they reached the clearing where they had originally entered this place. The bright orange of the setting sun was drawing its last streaks across the sky, painting a rather intimate scene over the silent glade.


    At the center of the space, the strange gate still remained. A pocket of air with strange ripples to it.


    Scarlett continued up to the gate, then stepped through. The world morphed around her, with her surroundings taking on the colors of fall as the clearing returned to how it was before they left. At the same time, she felt refreshed, as if all the tiredness and mental exhaustion she¡¯d piled up over the past hours was nothing but a dream, floating away with the passing breeze.


    [Mana: 4575/4575]


    A small smile grew on her lips. It seems like her suspicions were correct.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice called out to the side.


    She turned to look at the young Shielder, who was sitting on the ground a short distance away along with Fynn.


    ¡°Whoa¡ª¡± Rosa suddenly appeared beside Scarlett, the bard placing a hand against her chest as she blinked.


    Shin stepped out next to her, his brows furrowed as he turned his eyes up to the cloudy sky.


    ¡°Was there nothing there?¡± Allyssa asked. She was studying the three of them curiously.


    Shin paused, looking down at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She gave him a confused stare. ¡°I was expecting you to be gone longer. Was it just a dead end?¡±


    ¡°¡­There was a village there.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡±


    Shin sent a glance Scarlett''s way. ¡°How long were we gone?¡± he asked Allyssa.


    The girl cocked her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t count.¡± She turned to Fynn.


    ¡°Seven and a half minutes,¡± the white-haired young man said.


    ¡°Oh, okay. Wow.¡± Allyssa blinked at him, then looked back at Shin. ¡°There you have it.¡±


    Rosa laughed. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the bard as she showed a wide smile. ¡°Well, time sure flies by when you¡¯re having a blast, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The sun stood high in the sky once more as Scarlett walked down the dirt streets of Freymeadow with Rosa and Shin in tow.


    Just like it had in the game, the time of this place passed differently than in the real world. You could only enter while it was ¡®day¡¯, and after you left, the next time you returned it would automatically be day again, no matter what time it was outside.


    It was exactly because of this quirk that Scarlett had wanted to visit this place as early as she could, to make use of the opportunity it afforded. The caveat was that the number of times you could enter ¡®in a row¡¯ had been randomized in the game. As such, she wasn¡¯t expecting to be able to spend an infinite amount of time. After this place closed, one would have to wait at least a few days before returning.


    Another unfortunate detail was that, while any exhaustion she piled up while here seemed to disappear when she left, that also seemed to go for any other physical¡ªor metaphysical, if you wanted to call it that¡ªchanges, like increasing her mana. But the ability to train here and be able to push herself to her limit with no real drawback more than made up for this.


    Although, if she actually had a choice in the matter¡­ She probably wouldn¡¯t have come to this place if it wasn¡¯t completely necessary.


    For now, the best she could do was to keep some of the others in her group away as best she could. Allyssa had been excited about coming with and exploring this ¡°mysterious¡± village after hearing about it from Shin and Rosa, but Scarlett had ordered her to stay behind.


    She was thinking about doing the same for Rosa and Shin, now that she had demonstrated that it was safe. But she needed at least one of them in order to refill her mana. Rosa was the better option of the two, considering Shin was a fighter. He wouldn¡¯t have much more mana than your average person. Though, apparently, that was still more than Scarlett had.


    But she was honestly hesitant about keeping both of them around.


    The longer she waited, the worse it was bound to get. She didn¡¯t know what she was supposed to tell them, though. If she could convince the woman in the village first, it could solve the issue of not having another person to refill her mana. But she wasn¡¯t banking on that.


    As they continued deeper into the village, they eventually reached the village square from the day before. It was roughly the same time of day now as then, but there were no kids playing around now. Scarlett had spotted a few of them helping their parents with different tasks as they walked through the village. Maybe the children would come around again later. They¡¯d all looked excited when Rosa had given them a wave.


    Crossing the square, Scarlett stopped before the building where the raven-haired woman was sitting on the porch. ¡°Good afternoon. I hope the day finds you well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s yet to be seen,¡± the woman said, looking up from the book in her lap. Her eyes stayed on Scarlett for a moment. ¡°I see you¡¯re the persistent type.¡±


    ¡°When the circumstances demand it of me.¡± Scarlett walked over and picked up the chair she¡¯d used the day before, placing it on the ground in front of the porch. ¡°Unfortunately, lately, I often encounter many situations where they do.¡±


    She raised her hand, conjuring a mix of water and fire before her.


    It was time to return to her practice.

 Chapter 90 - Bottlenecks

    ¡°Would you stop treating it like a bundle of yarn made of glass?¡± the voice complained from the side.


    Scarlett flinched. The tiny clump of fire magic she¡¯d spent the last ten minutes trying to carefully untangle bundled up again. All those hundreds of mana strands she had only barely managed to separate into clusters were yet again blended into a dense throng where she could scarcely tell one part from the other.


    She closed her eyes, letting out a long breath as she let the fire dissipate. So much for that attempt.


    She turned to her right and the porch there, where the raven-haired woman was looking at her. ¡°I was under the impression that you did not intend to give me any directions.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± the woman said. ¡°Nor am I planning on taking in an apprentice, or teaching you spells. But there¡¯s a difference between that, and sitting here watching you make a mockery of my craft for two days. The least I can do is point out the basics. Things even a beginner mage should know.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. Neither Garside nor Kat had ever had anything to say about these ¡®basics¡¯ when witnessing her magic. They had seemed more impressed with her skills than anything. And both were pretty proficient with their corresponding schools of magic, so it wasn¡¯t as if they were beginners.


    ¡°Then what is it you would suggest that I adjust?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®suggesting¡¯ anything.¡± The woman shook her head. With the flick of her hand, a flame appeared beside Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯m saying that the way you are using your mana is fundamentally flawed if improving your control is what you¡¯re aiming for. It¡¯s the equivalent of tying a rope by first separating all its individual threads and then trying to tie them together all at once. No matter what you do, another hundred hands won¡¯t grow out of your back just like that.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the flame that danced next to her head. Was she supposed to notice anything special about it? The flame faded in and out of existence in cycles, as though a glimmering light. But that was all.


    ¡°If you want more control, then learn to use the tools you have properly.¡± The flame disappeared completely with the woman¡¯s words.


    Scarlett turned back to her. ¡°¡­I am not certain I entirely understand.¡±


    ¡°Then think about it for a minute.¡± The raven-haired woman turned away from her, returning her attention to the book lying on her lap.


    Scarlett knitted her forehead. She felt like she¡¯d been making progress, though? She had definitely gotten better at differentiating the different strands of mana that made up her magic. And she hadn¡¯t even been working at it for that long. Although, she would admit that individually controlling a large number of those strands felt impossible. Still, she imagined it would become easier with practice. She was curious about how her magic actually worked, and this seemed like the most reasonable avenue for figuring that out.


    But was this way of approaching things wrong, then? What was she supposed to do instead? Give up on understanding it and simply rely on her instincts as she had before? That felt lacking in its own way. Surely there had to be a better way of doing it. What she had been doing until now felt more like using a sledgehammer to strike a nail in. Her hydrokinesis in particular felt like it needed something more if she wanted to reach the degrees of control she was aiming for.


    Then, what was the alternative the woman was referring to? What tools did Scarlett have, other than simply ¡®shaping¡¯ the mana under her control, with the instincts afforded by her skills? Was she supposed to go the middle way? Instead of trying to focus on the strands of mana that made up her magic, perhaps she should focus on the clusters that they seemed to create naturally? That felt more manageable, at the very least. But wasn¡¯t it the same as trying to control the mana strands, just on another order of magnitude?


    She studied the woman sitting on the porch. It would have been nice if she had given her a bit more to go off of.


    As Scarlett was about to turn back to her magic, she recalled the other thing she had been meaning to ask. ¡°May I pose another question?¡±


    The woman glanced up at her. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What is your name? I have yet to have had the opportunity to learn it, after greeting you yesterday.¡±


    She seemed to consider her for a moment. ¡°You can call me Arlene.¡±


    ¡°Arlene?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± To think it was that simple to get her name. Maybe Scarlett had overthought it. Though one would think something like this would¡¯ve been brought up in the game.


    ¡­It couldn¡¯t be a fake, could it?


    Well, whether it was didn¡¯t matter much at the moment. She turned her attention back to her magic, ready to begin her dutiful training again, just like she had for the past one and a half days.


    Following Arlene¡¯s words, she gave up on trying to separate the individual strands of mana, for now, instead trying to figure out what the woman had insinuated she do instead. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t make much progress. Even with Rosa continuously recharging her necklace, and when pushing her magic to the limits, by the time the sun had started setting, she didn¡¯t feel as if she had discovered anything new. Arlene also hadn¡¯t shared any more words on the subject.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late,¡± the woman eventually announced. ¡°You should probably leave.¡±


    Scarlett stopped what she was doing, dissolving the remainder of her magic as she fell back in her chair. If she¡¯d felt tired yesterday, then she felt like dying today.


    Like yesterday, leaving this place would make all the tiredness and mental exhaustion disappear. But perhaps that wasn¡¯t exactly the same as it not having happened at all. She did feel like she had been awake for several days in a row now, even though this was only the second day. Doing this again tomorrow might not be entirely feasible. Maybe she would have to take some proper rest if they could return the next day.


    She waited for Rosa to come over. After the woman had shared some of her reinvigorating bardic magic with her, Scarlett forced herself out of the chair and turned to Arlene. She eyed the woman for a moment, then looked at Rosa and Shin. ¡°Leave us. I wish to speak with her in private.¡±


    Rosa gave her a curious look, but neither of them complained as they started walking over towards the center of the village square.


    ¡°Was there something else you wanted?¡± Arlene asked.


    Scarlett held her gaze on the backs of the two leaving for a moment longer, before returning her focus to the older woman.


    From what she¡¯d seen, Arlene hadn¡¯t left that chair for even a second since they had arrived. She spent almost all of her time reading that book lying in her lap. As for which book it was, Scarlett had no idea. It was of dark grey leather and had no title on the cover. A minor detail like that also hadn¡¯t ever been expounded upon in the game.


    ¡°¡­Are you not curious as to why I wish to be taken in under your tutelage?¡± she eventually asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a good reason. But that¡¯s none of my concern.¡± The woman¡¯s tone made it sound like it was a matter entirely unrelated to her. Perhaps that was reasonable enough, but¡­


    ¡°I can fulfill your deepest desire,¡± Scarlett said.


    Arlene¡¯s expression froze.


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°If you were to teach me, it would be possible for me to reach a state where I can carry out your wish.¡±


    The woman stared at her with a heavy gaze. It was as if her words had brought up something that had long since been discarded.


    Several seconds passed, with neither of them saying anything. Eventually, Arlene shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re overestimating your own abilities. I¡¯ve watched you enough these past two days. Your magic speaks of extraordinary talent, but there¡¯s nothing more to it. It¡¯s all going to waste. You should be careful with those ambitions of yours, so that you don¡¯t end up getting yourself burnt.¡±


    ¡°I say this wholly aware of the limitations and barriers that stand in my way,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°And I am well acquainted with my faults. Yet I am still telling you this: I can carry out your wish.¡±


    ¡°Then show me that with your skill.¡±


    She frowned. She had already tried that. And the woman had no way of knowing about the system, or that she could upgrade her skills. Nor could she tell her about it. So convincing her here and now would be difficult.


    ¡°¡­Then I will do so,¡± she said. ¡°Until then, wait. Watch and wait, and I promise that I will show you what it is you want to see. I promise that I will bring about that which you wish for. Of this, you have my word.¡±


    The look in the woman¡¯s eyes as she listened to her words wasn¡¯t one Scarlett could decipher. Perhaps she was annoyed. Or sad. Maybe she was pitying Scarlett¡¯s apparent naivety. Whatever it was that was hidden behind that look, however, it didn¡¯t speak much for her trust in Scarlett.


    She studied the woman for a few seconds longer before turning around. ¡°Then I will take my leave. We will meet again.¡±


    She¡¯d prove her words with action. Even if it may take its time.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Arlene didn¡¯t say much to Scarlett when they returned the next day, other than a short greeting. There had been little to say, anyway, since Scarlett had ended up spending almost the whole day fast asleep. Rosa had propositioned one of the villagers, who¡¯d been kind enough to let Scarlett rest in their home for a time. Though what she had planned to be only a brief rest somehow ended up becoming over twelve hours. The sun had almost set by the time she woke up, and she barely got any training in before they had to leave.


    At that point, she¡¯d been worried that was the last opportunity to enter Freymeadow for a while, but thankfully the gate turned out to still be open for the next day. Arlene hadn¡¯t been especially talkative when they returned this time either, but that didn¡¯t stop Scarlett from spending numerous hours practicing her magic in front of the woman, trying to make sense of what it was the woman had hinted at with her previous words.


    By evening, she was starting to think she was onto something.


    While she had originally been under the impression that an efficient way of looking at her magic was to try and focus on the specifics and ¡®micromanage¡¯ things, the more she explored that avenue, the more it dawned on her that Arlene was probably right about the futility of that approach.


    Or perhaps ¡®futility¡¯ was the wrong way of putting it. But, while there was nothing stopping Scarlett from trying to control every single strand of mana, there was an issue with it, other than the inherent difficulty in trying to manipulate so many elements at once. It was a problem that felt somewhat obvious at second glance.


    She had no idea what to actually do with those strands.


    When she was just using [Greater Pyrokinesis] or [Greater Hydrokinesis] respectively, things looked so simple. After all, she already instinctually knew what she had to do to create these phenomena, and the mana just moved according to her wishes in order to realize her desire.


    But after spending so much time identifying and separating some of these strands of mana¡ªa tiny number, compared to what it took to create even a basic Aqua Mine¡ªshe still couldn¡¯t figure out how they actually worked. Even after completely removing some from their source, maintaining control as the strands just ¡®floated¡¯ in the air, there wasn¡¯t anything more. Unlike when she normally used her skills, there was no instinctive knowledge or intuition that helped her understand these strands or how to shape them.


    She had tried comparing them with the ones she could observe in her own, functioning magic, in order to figure out exactly what they did to produce the effect they did. But she couldn¡¯t determine any pattern. Of course, it was very hard to tell with just her limited ability to ¡®observe¡¯ these things¡ªrelying on the somewhat ambiguous connection she had to her magic¡ªbut it all just appeared completely random to her. Almost like it wasn¡¯t how the strands were arranged that mattered.


    At this point, she had really started to think it might be stupid to spend so much time on what Arlene had already warned against. But Scarlett would be damned if she couldn¡¯t understand at least why these things didn¡¯t work.


    So to test things, she had ended up spending upwards of five hours repeatedly recharging the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] as she experimented on the topic. Her tests had basically been to create a normal fire sphere, filled with naturally formed clusters of mana strands which she didn¡¯t quite understand, then gradually¡ªand incredibly vexingly¡ªsiphon some of its mana into the air beside it until it reached a size where it should be able to create a flame of its own. But no matter how many times she tried, or how she ¡®configured¡¯ the strands, it didn¡¯t work. Not until she started letting the strands coalesce into clusters.


    Which meant there was something inherent in clustering the mana strands that even allowed her magic to work to begin with. And it didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with how the mana was arranged in the clusters, because it worked even when she tried forcing them into disarray.


    Truly, there didn¡¯t appear to be any logical way behind how this worked. Or at least not one she could decipher. She didn¡¯t know what the reason behind this clustering was, nor what it meant for her magic in general. If it even meant something.


    Perhaps there was no point in even trying to figure these things out. This was probably the point where she should just return to how she had been practicing earlier. It wasn¡¯t as if it hadn¡¯t been working. And upgrading her skills in the future would no doubt make up for at least part of her ignorance when it came to her magic.


    But... She had already dived this deep into the rabbit hole.


    Mages had existed in this world for literal millennia. As a craft, it was almost guaranteed that countless numbers of people had studied magic and figured out how it worked. Or parts of it, at the very least. And that had to include ways of improving one¡¯s magic. Even if pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis as skills were relatively difficult compared to normal spells, there were bound to be people who¡¯d figured out how to more efficiently make use of them. And judging from Arlene¡¯s words, the woman was one of them.


    It was only normal that Scarlett would want to make as good a use of her skills as possible. To improve as quickly as possible. That was one of the reasons she was here to begin with, even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily the main one.


    Although if things continued like this, she would eventually have to cut her losses and just give up on figuring these things out until she could convince Arlene to actually help her. While she had a lot of time in this place, it wasn¡¯t infinite.


    Eventually, the time came for Arlene to announce it was time for them to leave this day as well.


    Hearing the words, all thoughts concerning her magic disappeared from Scarlett¡¯s mind as she turned to the woman.


    ¡­Right. It was already the fourth day here.


    Her eyes lingered on Arlene as the woman returned her attention to her book. Soon Rosa and Shin came walking over from the center of the village square. The bard used her magic so that Scarlett had the energy to move again, and Shin helped carry the chair back to the porch.


    Both of the two retainers had spent the last four days with Scarlett in this village without a single complaint. And while most of the villagers seemed to keep away from the square when Scarlett was practicing her magic, the two of them had started getting to know the kids and some of the parents.


    She had given them a brief warning at the start, but she really should have put an immediate stop to it the second they arrived. Hadn¡¯t she been the one to tell herself she wouldn¡¯t even let both continue coming with her? Yet in the end, she hadn¡¯t done much at all. Because it had been easier that way when she was already exhausting herself so much these last few days. She¡¯d also delayed coming up with a good excuse for why they shouldn¡¯t come. She really shouldn¡¯t have put so much focus on her training. That had been negligent of her. It had been lazy.


    If the portal to this place didn¡¯t lock this time either, she would be left with coming up with something on the spot. Not that she could come up with anything that would be particularly believable in the long run.


    ¡­Screw it. She would just have to do things the forceful way. She was the boss, so it wasn¡¯t as if it mattered much. A lesson for the future.


    Both Rosa and Shin gave her expectant looks as they made ready to leave. Scarlett turned back to Arlene. ¡°Then we will take our leave.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°¡­We will see each other again.¡±


    The raven-haired woman glanced up from her book at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure we will.¡±


    The same response as every other time.


    Scarlett locked eyes with the woman, but her expression was as unreadable as ever.


    She turned to leave. Rosa and Shin joined her in silence as they left Freymeadow, following the dirt road leading out to the border of the forest that enveloped the peaceful glade the village was nestled in. Perhaps the two noticed that her exhaustion wasn¡¯t the only reason for her unresponsiveness this time.


    Eventually, they reached the clearing where the entrance to this place was. As usual, a shade of red enveloped the place at this time of day, as the sun set over the horizon.


    ¡°So, how many times are we going to do this?¡± Rosa asked as they approached the center of the clearing.


    Scarlett stopped in front of the rippling gate that led back to the real world. ¡°¡­I do not know.¡±


    It was up to chance whether they would be able to enter again immediately or not. Even if they were, Scarlett wouldn¡¯t be spending any time training this time.


    ¡°However many times it may be, though,¡± she said, ¡°neither of you will be joining the next time.¡±


    She stepped through the gate. As always, all the piled-up tiredness and exhaustion disappeared as things returned to normal, autumn once again claiming its rule over the world. But now, in addition to the usual wet forest smell, there was a faint, ashen scent in the air.


    Allyssa and Fynn were sitting on the ground a few steps away, where they had spread out a large blanket to protect from the damp leaves and grass. Fynn creased his forehead as he looked up, sniffing the air. He turned to look at the space behind Scarlett.


    She looked back. The air still rippled with faint waves as it had before, but now there was a dim red tinge to it as well. It almost seemed like there were traces of smoke on the other side.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Fynn?¡± Allyssa asked.


    A moment later, Both Rosa and Shin stepped out from the gate.


    Scarlett watched the rippling air closely. It didn¡¯t disappear. Which meant there was at least one use left.


    ¡°Hey, what did you mean earlier?¡± Rosa asked, looking at Scarlett. The woman paused, scrunching her nose together. ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±


    Rosa frowned. Both she and Shin turned back to look at the gate behind them. ¡°¡­What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you have to concern yourself with,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°And I meant exactly what I said earlier. Neither of you will join me when I return to Freymeadow this time.¡±


    Shin turned back to her. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because there is no longer a need for it. As you have seen, it is perfectly safe. There is nothing more for you to do there.¡±


    The looks she received from Rosa and Shin looked doubtful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you guys are doing on the other side all the time,¡± Allyssa spoke up. Scarlett looked back at her. ¡°But are you really going to go back right now?¡±


    ¡°I am, yes.¡±


    The young woman pointed at the gate. ¡°Okay, but is it supposed to look like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is.¡± Scarlett gave a slow nod. Then she turned around, making to move through the rippling gate. Before she could, however, both Rosa and Shin stepped forward.


    She stared at the two, a hint of irritation rising up. ¡°Move.¡±


    Rosa eyed her. ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s best if we accompany the ol¡¯ Baroness after all.¡±


    ¡°This is not a matter that is up for debate. You will both be staying here.¡±


    The bard shared a look with Shin. ¡°Sorry, but that doesn¡¯t exactly lend us the most confidence.¡±


    ¡°That is irreleva¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Fynn declared.


    Scarlett turned around to look at him. He had a determined look on his face.


    ¡°You will not.¡±


    Him joining was almost as bad as Allyssa coming with.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we join, if it¡¯s safe?¡± Shin asked.


    Scarlett looked back at him. ¡°Because I say so. You will stay. That is an order.¡±


    The others fell silent at her words.


    Eventually, Rosa let out a low cough. ¡°You¡¯re sure there¡¯s not suddenly anything dangerous there this time?¡± she asked, sounding more serious than usual.


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°¡­I am certain, yes.¡±


    The bard¡¯s gaze turned back to Fynn.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying.¡±


    Scarlett glared at him. ¡°I am not,¡± she said. ¡°There is a risk of danger, but it is miniscule, and unlikely to affect me if I do not actively seek it out.¡±


    At that, he turned quiet.


    ¡°Then, how about this?¡± Rosa said. As Scarlett shifted her attention back to the woman, she paused. The bard had a heavy, but somewhat familiar, look on her face. It was as if she was saying she¡¯d seen through part of Scarlett¡¯s reasoning. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you, and the rest¡¯ll stay here. If there¡¯s no danger, then great! We¡¯ll whistle a few tunes and shake a few tushies, just us old ladies. Then there¡¯s no issue. And if there¡¯s suddenly a fire-breathing dragon waiting to gobble us up on the other end, well, then we¡¯ll at least go out together, yeah?¡±


    The bard showed a smile that belied the atmosphere. ¡°With this, the others won¡¯t feel like they¡¯re completely abandoning you, you know. ¡®Course, you can trust me not to go tattling about whatever priceless treasures you¡¯re actually trying to keep a secret over there.¡±


    Her words were said in a playful manner, but Scarlett could tell she didn¡¯t think that was her real reason for keeping them away.


    She looked at the woman for a long while. ¡°¡­Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°When am I not?¡± Rosa grinned. ¡°I am the most certainest person there is. Certainty is my middle name, right after heart-stirring.¡±


    ¡°And will that be acceptable to you?¡± Scarlett looked at the others.


    All of them gave slow nods, though Fynn didn¡¯t seem fond of the idea.


    Scarlett turned back to Rosa. ¡°Then let us proceed.¡±


    The woman nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±


    Shin stepped to the side to let her through, and Scarlett walked past him through the gate. Her surroundings warped, spreading out and morphing as she exited into the other version of the clearing again. But things had changed. Now it was dark, and the scent of burning clung to the air. In the distance, above the trees in front of her, thick clouds hung low in the sky, reflecting a deep red as smoke trailed up towards them.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Rosa¡¯s worried voice appeared beside her.


    Scarlett turned to look at the woman.


    ¡°A nightmare.¡±

 Chapter 91 - A grisly meadow

    Rosa stared up at the reddened sky. ¡°A nightmare¡­?¡±


    ¡°Remaining here is still an option,¡± Scarlett said.


    The woman turned to her. She shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m coming with.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    They walked forward towards the forest ahead of them. Scarlett created a pair of small flames to lend them some light, though even with that, she had a much harder time finding her footing compared to during the day.


    The deeper they got, the thicker the scent of charcoal hanging in the air got. When they reached the other end of the forest, exiting out into the glade where Freymeadow lay, a gasp left Rosa beside her.


    The entire village was on fire.


    Smoke trailed up from many of the houses, some of them nothing more but charred skeletons of their original frames, flames licking at their remains. Even the stone wall sheltering the village had been toppled over and scorched beyond recognition in spots, surrounded by sleets of seared, dead grass. The enclosure for the sheep had also burnt down, nothing left but a smoldering piece of rubble spread out over the field. The animals themselves were nowhere to be seen.


    Rosa wore a horrified expression. ¡°W-What the Blazes happened here?¡± She blinked, then turned to Scarlett. ¡°We have to get the others. There could be people that need help!¡±


    Scarlett gave her a long look. ¡°There are none to help.¡±


    The woman stared back at her. ¡°¡­You knew this was going to happen.¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet.


    ¡°All those people¡­!¡±


    ¡°Their fate had already been decided.¡± Scarlett shifted her gaze towards the village, searching across the ruined homes. ¡°I cautioned you against joining. There is nothing we can do.¡± There was no movement amongst the buildings other than the fires themselves. ¡°I will only say it once more.¡± She looked back at Rosa. ¡°You may still stay here, if you so wish.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re going over there, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± Things wouldn¡¯t progress from here unless she did.


    The bard remained silent for a while, a dark expression on her face. Eventually, though, she took a step forward. ¡°¡­I said I¡¯m coming with,¡± she said, raising her klert in the air. ¡°And I am. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the woman. Though her countenance was a far reach from her usual merry one, the sparkle of determination in her gaze spoke volumes.


    They started moving, walking past the narrow river that ran around the open glade as they stepped onto the dirt road leading up to Freymeadow. The closer to the village they got, the heavier the scent of burnt wood mixed with another; putrid and tanned blended into one. When they reached the gates, it was almost to where Scarlett could taste it. Breathing in through the mouth just made it worse.


    The first thing they saw was a corpse. Lying on the ground outside one of the ravaged buildings, the body had been burnt to the point beyond recognition.


    Scarlett regarded the display.


    Without question, it was horrible. Beyond horrible. It wasn¡¯t something any person should ever have to see. The sort of sight that traumatized. That normal people, actual normal people, had nightmares about.


    Yet she felt nothing other than revulsion at the scene. Not abhorrence, horror, or frightfulness. Just revulsion at how it looked. And annoyance at the stench.


    She wished she could at least say she felt terrified by her lack of reaction. But there wasn¡¯t even that. What she knew one should logically feel at a time like this didn¡¯t matter at all.


    ¡°Who¡­ Who would do something like this?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice trailed off next to her.


    Scarlett turned to the bard. There was a quiet rage behind the woman¡¯s eyes, mixed with dread. Yet Rosa was taking the sight far better than most others would.


    Scarlett left the body behind, continuing further down the street. Rosa silently followed along. They passed by more displays like the first, with scorched remains lying on the dirt, or stuck among the burning buildings. Some smaller than others. Perhaps it would not have been an exaggeration to call this place hell, had that been a term used by the people of this world. To them, maybe this was how they imagined the six Blazes.


    Eventually, they reached the center of the village. There, they were met with even more of the same, with groups of burnt corpses spread out across the square, clustered around the still-burning platform in the middle. There was a strange stand on top of the platform, made of a deep black stone that was melting into the wood beneath it.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    At the focus of all this chaos was a lone figure, kneeling on the ground next to the platform, with their back turned to them. Dark, raven-colored hair hung over the person.


    Arlene.


    ¡°There¡¯s still someone alive!¡±


    Scarlett put her arm out, blocking Rosa from running off. The woman gave her a bewildered look, but Scarlett continued walking ahead gradually. She crossed the square with her gaze held forward, carefully striding past the bodies of those that had once lived in this village. Her focus was on Arlene.


    The raven-haired woman¡¯s shoulders were moving. Like she was sobbing.


    She didn¡¯t appear to notice them as they got closer. Scarlett stopped in front of her. The woman was staring down at the ground.


    Rosa stepped up next to Scarlett, pausing at the sight. ¡°¡­Are you injured? What happened here?¡° she asked the woman.


    Arlene stilled. Slowly, she looked up at them. Tears were streaming down her face.


    ¡°I-Is there anyone else left?¡± Rosa asked again.


    The woman didn¡¯t answer. Her eyes moved to Scarlett. Her gaze was like none Scarlett had ever seen before. As if the woman¡¯s existence was just pure anguish.


    Rosa kneeled on the ground, placing a hand on Arlene¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Please, if there¡¯s someone¡­ Anyone¡­¡±


    The woman stayed quiet, eyes fixed on Scarlett.


    Red embers bloomed into existence around the three of them, floating gently through the air. A faint haze started spreading across the square. Rosa paused, looking around in confusion. The haze quickly enveloped them, turning into a dense cloud as their surroundings suddenly morphed. It was like a giant brushstroke was drawn over the world, replacing it with a mishmash of colors and shapes.


    Arlene was the last of the grisly scene that remained, her now-empty gaze staring at Scarlett as everything around them changed. Then she too gradually became a part of the kaleidoscope of colors that was closing in, leaving only Scarlett and Rosa. Scarlett looked at the bard, who held a dazed expression on her face. The woman¡¯s mouth formed words, but no sound seemed to escape.


    Things remained like that for a brief while, as the colors around them became clearer, taking on brown, red, orange, and yellow hues, transforming into trees and a forest. Some of the colors became people, and the faces of Shin, Allyssa, and Fynn slowly crystallized in front of them. Finally, as if the last jigsaw piece of a puzzle was locked into place, everything manifested as one, and Scarlett and Rosa found themselves in the clearing once more.


    Allyssa gaped at them. ¡°What¡­ What just happened?¡±


    Scarlett glanced at Rosa, who was staring at their surroundings with wide eyes.


    ¡°We have returned,¡± she said.


    ¡°No, but¡­¡± Allyssa waved her hands around. ¡°That wasn¡¯t how it looked when you came back before.¡±


    Shin held a deep frown. ¡°You just materialised from thin air.¡±


    ¡°We chose another means of exit this time. That is all.¡±


    Allyssa gave her a skeptical look. ¡°What happened over there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of note,¡± Scarlett said.


    Rosa seemed to pause at her words, finally turning around to meet her eyes. They looked at each other for a few seconds.


    ¡°¡­That was one strange exit,¡± the bard eventually said, letting out a small laugh as she looked at the others. ¡°I¡¯ll have a hard time topping that in the future.¡±


    It was at times like this that Scarlett appreciated the woman¡¯s talents as an actor. ¡°I do not see why you would have to,¡± she said, shifting her attention to the center of the clearing.


    She stopped, staring at the space. The gate was still there, faint ripples moving across the air, just like when they had first arrived. There was at least one more use left.


    She turned back to Rosa. ¡°It appears things are not yet over. Will you accompany me once more?¡±


    The woman blinked, then looked at the gate. ¡°Again¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The choice is up to you; however, I believe you may want to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what about us?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°Should we just stay here again, or can we actually come with this time?¡±


    Scarlett considered the girl for a moment. ¡°It is as before. You will remain here, along with Fynn. As will Shin.¡±


    The expression on Allyssa¡¯s face suggested she wasn¡¯t especially fond of that answer, but she didn¡¯t voice any complaint. Nor did Shin or Fynn.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Scarlett told Rosa, before once again stepping through the portal. Her surroundings warped as she exited into the other side of the clearing.


    It was day once more, the sun hanging high in the clear blue sky as the bright green leaves on the trees wafted with the wind. The air was fresh, the smell from before completely gone.


    Rosa appeared behind her a moment later. The woman looked around carefully. Scarlett let the woman take things in for a few seconds before she started moving towards the forest path ahead of them.


    She could explain things to the bard, but it would be easier to just show her.


    They traversed quietly through the forest until the trees thinned as they neared the clearing where Freymeadow was nestled. Scarlett could tell Rosa was preparing herself for the sight. But the woman¡¯s expression completely froze when they made it out into the bright clearing.


    There stood Freymeadow, completely intact. The houses were as they were when they first arrived here, the wall and grass encircling the village untouched. Sheep were moving around in the enclosure next to the village, with a couple human figures walking amongst them.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Rosa trailed off, then looked at Scarlett. ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    ¡°As I said, their fates have already been sealed. There is nothing any of us can do.¡±


    Scarlett started walking off towards the village. Rosa stayed where she was for a moment, before hurrying after. They passed by the river and stepped onto the nearby dirt road, continuing along it until they reached the village¡¯s gates. Inside, the heads of two middle-aged women sitting in front of one of the nearby buildings turned towards them. They were the same women they¡¯d seen on the first day they arrived here in Freymeadow, and they held the same looks of curiosity mixed with wariness as they had then.


    As Rosa gawked at the two, Scarlett continued deeper into the village. Every person she passed by gave her the same look. There was no recognition in their eyes.


    Finally, she reached the village square, where the children who¡¯d been playing there the first day were gathered next to the wooden platform at the center.


    Rosa caught up once more, her gaze now lingering on the children instead as Scarlett began crossing towards the large building on the other end. Sitting on a chair on its porch, staring out at the square with a vacant gaze, was Arlene. Her current quiet image painted a stark difference compared to the tortured appearance Scarlett had observed just a short while earlier.


    The woman¡¯s head turned as Scarlett stopped in front of the porch.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Arlene said, eyes locking onto her. ¡°A visitor?¡±


    Scarlett looked at the woman for a moment, then she spoke. ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Scarlett Hartford. I have come to be taken in under your tutelage.¡±

 Chapter 92 - Dark new shores

    Scarlett watched the passing houses in silence as their carriage moved through the cobbled streets of central Freybrook. She wasn¡¯t paying much attention to the buildings themselves¡ªshe¡¯d long since started growing used to the novelty of this medieval-like world¡ªbut rather the scenery of it.


    It had been two days since they returned from Freymeadow. The experience there was a strange one, that was for sure. Many might even describe it as haunting. She hadn¡¯t lost any sleep over it, but she understood the sentiment.


    After witnessing the destruction of the village, they had only been able to enter once more. Scarlett would have liked it if she had more time there, but six entries were still more than what she had originally expected. She should probably consider herself lucky she got that much. If ¡®lucky¡¯ was the way to put it.


    The hidden little settlement had been a unique one, even in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯, and the same held true in this world. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, the loop Freymeadow experienced every five days was hard to describe in words; both in how it worked and in the dreadful end that awaited at its conclusion.


    She hadn¡¯t wanted any of the others to witness that sight, or the factors that were behind it. Yet she had still allowed Rosa to join, even revealing the repetitious nature of the place to her. The woman had taken it surprisingly well, though perhaps that was to be expected. Scarlett didn¡¯t know exactly what Rosa had gone through in the past, but some of it was bound to have been similarly gruesome, even if not necessarily on the same scale.


    After they had entered the village again, Rosa had realized pretty quickly that none of the villagers remembered the events from the previous loop. This included Arlene, the older woman acting much the same as the first time Scarlett had introduced herself to her. The second attempt at convincing her to train Scarlett had also ended similarly terribly.


    Not that it had stopped Scarlett from going back to her practice at the time. She wouldn¡¯t quit just because things didn¡¯t go her way at first. If there was one thing that Freymeadow afforded, it was time. If the system was what let her increase the power she had at her disposal, then Freymeadow was going to be what she used to hone that power so that she could achieve her goals.


    For now, though, things would have to continue as they were. Outside of Freymeadow, there were still a lot of things that had to be done.


    The previous day since returning had mostly been spent doing some preparations for the coming days, with just a bit of training in the morning and late evening. One thing that had needed doing was to ensure Evelyne had a room ready in the mansion when she visited. The younger Hartford sister was supposed to return from the capital in a few days. While Scarlett wasn¡¯t exactly looking forward to interacting more with the woman, it was a necessity for her to continue operating as a baroness. She didn¡¯t exactly have the time or opportunity to learn how to be a real noble by herself at the moment.


    Other than that, though, most of her preparations had been related to their current undertaking. The destination of their ride this time was the city of Darkshore, closer to the eastern parts of the empire.


    It was finally time for Scarlett to get the third piece of the Seal of Thainnith.


    She had arranged this trip a while back, not long after making the deal with the Hallowed Cabal. She hadn¡¯t wanted to retrieve the third piece too early, in case the Cabal would just use that as an opportunity to attack her immediately after. It was best if she found the piece as near their next meeting as possible.


    Although that was still technically over a week away. But since she couldn¡¯t exactly be sure how long it would take to find the seal, and had other things she needed to deal with, it was the best she could do.


    For their time spent in Darkshore, she was expecting anywhere from one to three days. The act of procuring the seal itself shouldn¡¯t be too troublesome. You could retrieve it relatively early in the game after all, around level 40. In comparison, the second piece was much harder. But that is also why that¡¯s the one she sent the Cabal after. The thought of traveling out into the Unresting Steppes and messing with the Undead Council didn¡¯t exactly excite.


    However, even though getting the third piece was easier, locating it could still be a bit tricky. It depended on how much the region has changed from the game. She was hoping it wouldn¡¯t take too long, though. There were a few other dungeons in the Darkshore area that had decent enough items, and it¡¯d be nice if she had the time to find and clear those. Further expanding her repertoire of artifacts and equipment never hurt.


    She glanced down at her current clothes. The outer layer was the same dark travel attire she usually wore for these excursions. Beneath that, though, hidden by her shirt, was a set of interwoven green shirts. The [Garment of Form], looted from the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt.


    After having had the item¡¯s effects confirmed, Scarlett had it delivered to a tailor here in Freybrook who had experience working with enchanted equipment. The man had been able to perform some minor alterations so that it fit her snugly. It was a bit hot at times, wearing it as an underlayer under her normal clothes, but it was bearable. And while she wouldn¡¯t exactly call the piece of clothing ugly¡ªit was actually rather elegant, in its own way¡ªit was far too garish for her to bring herself to openly wear it when there was another option. She wasn¡¯t even sure that was just the original¡¯s fashion sensibilities speaking, either.


    In the end, though, what mattered was that she got the item¡¯s effects. The effects in question included a boost to one¡¯s agility, as well as what essentially amounted to a short-range teleport. Being an enchanted item of epic tier, its defenses were also a notch higher than anything else Scarlett could bring to bear at the moment. She wasn¡¯t quite sure where its limit lay¡ªshe somewhat doubted the cloth would stop a sword going straight for her heart¡ªbut it was at least to the level where she couldn¡¯t tear the material apart with her hands.


    Although, to be honest, its defensive qualities weren¡¯t the most important part. That was only the last line of defense. An emergency measure, if everything else had failed. If it ever reached that point, she was probably already screwed. The magical defense afforded to her by [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] was much more important in that regard. The effects of the [Garment of Form] had been the main focus to begin with.


    The increase in agility, for example, would probably be quite helpful in several situations. She hadn¡¯t quite tested it out yet, but the change was definitely noticeable when wearing it. In addition, the short-range teleportation would probably be worth far more for saving her life than the ability to tank another strike or two. The best thing was that there was no upper limit on how many times she could use it per day. Instead, the [Garment of Form] had three charges, each taking roughly five minutes to recharge.


    It definitely blew items like her [Wand of Fireball] out of the park. Granted, the [Wand of Fireball] was an early game item, but still. She was quite satisfied with the [Garment of Form]. It was nice to have nice things. And she wanted more.


    Her eyes glanced over to the side where Fynn sat. The young man¡¯s gaze was fixed out the other window, absently tracking the people outside.


    ¡­She did want more, but maybe she wouldn¡¯t steal it from one of her companion¡¯s ancestral sites next time.


    She turned her attention back to her window and the houses passing by. Eventually, their carriage reached the large square where Freybrook¡¯s Kilnstone was located. As usual, there were two lines on both sides of the marble structure at the center. A long one filled more with people and wagons of different kinds, and a shorter one with mostly carriages in it.


    Their carriage moved over to the shorter of the lines, where they only had to wait for about fifteen minutes before it was their turn. The coachman steered the carriage onto the marked area in front of the floating Kilnstone, exchanged a few words with uniformed people in charge, and soon the ancient artifact¡¯s reflective grey turned completely black as their time to teleport came.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    All the surrounding light flowed into the floating obelisk, leaving them in a black void for a brief moment, before color was once more spat out into the world and a new view appeared before them.


    The city of Darkshore was one of the larger ones in the empire, built on the bank of a vast lake with a large volcano at its center. The volcano was known as the Resting Eye and was¡ªdespite what one might expect with a large settlement right next to it¡ªnot dormant. As far as Scarlett was aware, much of the lake surrounding it was also uninhabitable for wildlife. The city itself relied on trade and produce from other nearby cities. Silverborough, for example, which was apparently referred to as the ¡®Sterling Breadbasket of the Empire¡¯, was only a day¡¯s travel away.


    Their carriage slowly made its way out of the busy square where Darkshore¡¯s Kilnstone was. As they got further away from the throng of people and wagons that inundated the area, cresting the height of a street leading out of the place, it became increasingly clear where the city had gotten its name from as more of the volcano itself got into view in the distance. It didn¡¯t actually look much different from a normal mountain, a massive mass of grey jutting out from the ground, but the thick smoke trailing from its tip was almost pure black, painting great clouds in the sky.


    Scarlett took in the sight.


    That being considered normal was weird. What did they do on days when the wind blew in the city''s direction? That had to be a safety hazard, even if most of it was up high in the sky. Maybe they had some way of managing it she didn¡¯t know of. Or maybe the wind just didn¡¯t move east in this region. What did she know? It wouldn¡¯t be the weirdest thing in this world. The Forgotten Tower and the Unresting Steppes were prime examples of weather phenomena that didn¡¯t play by the rules.


    Whatever the situation was, she couldn¡¯t imagine herself feeling comfortable living so close to a volcano like this. The people here had long since gotten used to its existence, though, and probably weren¡¯t ever expecting for it to erupt. Supposedly, it had been mostly quiet for centuries. Since before the empire was founded, at least. There were also plenty of valuable resources that could be gathered from it and its surroundings. The way Scarlett understood it, much of the city¡¯s economy was based around the gathering of those resources.


    Still, that didn¡¯t change the fact that it was a ticking time bomb.


    Allyssa, Shin, and the others seemed enraptured by the view of the volcano in the distance, but Scarlett soon turned her attention to the city around them. Eventually, they reached what looked to be its commercial district, with wider streets and several storefronts visible. They also passed by some larger markets and other scenery that caught the eye, like small parks and wooden stages with small troupes on them. In general, there was a lot to see, and the architecture of the city had mostly shorter and wider buildings that didn¡¯t block much of the view.


    Scarlett kept a close eye especially on the storefronts as they went past. In truth, she wasn¡¯t that familiar with Darkshore. Even in the game, she hadn¡¯t visited here as much as some of the other cities. Now that it was all in real life, she was essentially a stranger to the place, only having vague memories of what store went where. She had a much better recollection of the surrounding region and its dungeons.


    None of the coachmen that were employed in her service¡ªthere were two of them: the older man who¡¯d driven around Ambercrest and Elystead, and the young man who often drove them around the Freybrook area¡ªhad been here before either. So, she had to be on the lookout.


    As they traveled down a long street where there seemed to be a lot of smaller stores and the like, Scarlett called out for the carriage to stop. The older coachman pulled up near a smaller alley, whispering some words to the horse as Scarlett exited. She told everyone but Shin to stay put for now, before walking up to a store she¡¯d spotted that had a couple of books and maps visible through its window.


    A bell above the door rang as they entered. Scarlett sent a few glances around the establishment. It was a relatively simple shop, with most of the wares arranged on wooden shelves hanging from the walls, showing a somewhat meager assortment of common-day items. A table stood in one of the corners, with a few books and rolled-up parchments on top of it.


    Walking over with Shin, she picked up one of the parchments and unfurled the paper. It looked to be an old nautical chart of the nearby lake, though the detail of the work surprised her. It even included the depth and features of sections of the lakebed, marking points of interest. Did they perhaps mine things underwater here? Or something along those lines? She doubted they saw much mercantile traffic on the lake, considering ships would have to travel through hundreds of kilometers of wetlands and rivers to reach the ocean.


    ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± a voice sounded out from the side.


    Scarlett turned to look at the counter to her left, where a man had exited from a back room. He had a bald head and wore a simple brown vest over a white shirt. His chin was ill-shaven, with slightly chubby skin and stubble covering a small mole, but the man¡¯s demeanor had a friendly air.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. He looked familiar.


    He smiled as his gaze met hers.


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± she said, shifting her attention back to the parchment she was holding. ¡°I am searching for a map of the nearby region. Preferably one as detailed as this chart.¡±


    ¡°A map, you say?¡± The man glanced at the nautical chart in her hands, then at the table next to her. ¡°Well, you have a couple there, but most of those are for traversing near the Eye.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°I might have something in the back, though. Wait just a minute.¡± He disappeared into the back room he¡¯d entered from.


    Shin stepped up next to Scarlett, picking up one of the books on the table and looking it over. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°The mountainous regions to the east,¡± she said.


    ¡°For?¡±


    ¡°We will be searching for ruins.¡±


    ¡°As usual, then?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Soon, the shopkeeper returned with a large piece of furled parchment in his hand. He chuckled as he held it out towards Scarlett. ¡°Used this one myself when I was younger, exploring the wide world. I was quite the daredevil, you know.¡±


    ¡°I am certain you were.¡± She received the paper, stepping closer to roll it out on the counter. Like the nautical chart, this map was also of high quality. It even beat most of the maps she had back in Freybrook. The surrounding regions were all depicted in high detail, with names of all the notable landmarks and places. She studied it for a while, tracing her finger along a small hilly region that moved to the northeast, stopping when she found what she was looking for. A small illustration of a statue.


    If this map was as accurate as it looked, then they might not even have to waste any time trying to locate their destination.


    She looked up at the shopkeeper. ¡°What do you ask for this map?¡±


    He seemed to consider it for a moment, arms crossed. ¡°I think two hundred solars is fair.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. Last time she bought a map, it had been for ten solars.


    Granted, that one had been of significantly lower quality than this one, and quite old as well. But it wasn¡¯t as if she would have problems affording things like this. Their finances might have taken a bit of a beating because of the recent damages to the mansion and the costs involved just in cleaning things up, but two hundred solars were chump change in comparison. Evelyne had sent over enough of the profits from the sold loot to buy this map a hundred times over.


    She pulled out the coins from her [Pouch of Holding]. After placing it on the counter in front of the man, she rolled up the map and handed it to Shin.


    ¡°Glad to do business with you,¡± the shopkeeper said with a wide smile.


    Scarlett merely nodded at him and turned around to leave. She stopped as she noticed the words on the cover of the book in Shin¡¯s hands.


    Tales and Accords of Darkshore ¡ª The Old Ways


    She furrowed her brows. That sounded a lot like it could have been a book from the game. In fact, the name felt familiar. She held out her hand. ¡°May I see that?¡±


    The young Shielder gave her a surprised look but handed it over without a word. She quickly flipped through its pages, skimming through the contents until she stopped at a particular page. Studying its contents for a moment, she then closed the book and turned back to the shopkeeper. ¡°I will be purchasing this book as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, fond of old fairytales and folktales, are you?¡± The man sagely nodded his head. ¡°My daughter was the same, before she decided she got too old for those sorts of things.¡± He held up two fingers. ¡°It¡¯s yours for twenty solars.¡±


    She pulled out the coins and placed them on the counter. The man swiftly snatched them up.


    Placing the book into her pouch, Scarlett paused for another moment before leaving. She glanced at the shopkeeper, that familiar feeling still lingering at the back of her mind.


    Had he perhaps been an NPC in the game? If she¡¯d visited this place in one of her playthroughs¡­


    ¡°You would not happen to have a certain problem that you require help to deal with?¡± she asked. ¡°From one who is acquainted with exploration and danger.¡±


    The man blinked. His smile turned even wider as he rubbed his hands together. ¡°Hah, what a coincidence. Actually, I do have a slight issue right now. You see, I recently ran out of Sprig Floret, and my back isn¡¯t what it used to be, so I can¡¯t go and fetch more myself, but if you could¡ª¡±


    ¡°I see. That is all I wanted to know.¡± Scarlett turned around for the exit. Fetch quests were annoying enough in games.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Allyssa asked after they had returned outside and climbed into the carriage again.


    ¡°Good,¡± Scarlett said, sitting down in her seat. ¡°It appears as if our timetable has been moved forward.¡±

 Chapter 93 - Cryptic crypts

    ¡°That¡¯s one large statue~¡± Rosa sang as their group crested the last ridge, treading along the craggy path that trailed the hillside.


    Before them stood a tall rock statue of some kind of knight¡ªat least thirty meters in height¡ªthat held up a giant shield in front of it. The head had broken off and there were several large nicks and gashes in the bare stone that made the statue¡¯s age apparent, but it was an impressive sight nonetheless. This place probably didn¡¯t see much traffic, considering how out of the way it was, but it was at least notable enough to be marked as a minor point of interest on the map that Scarlett had bought.


    She gazed across the nearby landscape. It was nothing but rolling hills, covered with clusters of rock and yellowing grass. Even with the statue being as tall as it was, trying to find it would have taken a while if they¡¯d had to search through the entire region. She was lucky they found as good a map as they did. Following its directions, they had been able to cover at least three-quarters of the way on the carriage. The rest had only taken about two hours on foot. With the stamina boost afforded by the [Mark of the Staunch], a trek like that wasn¡¯t an issue for Scarlett anymore.


    As they made their way to the foot of the statue¡ªwhich sported several haphazardly spread stones that might have once been part of the statue itself¡ªthe others in the group stopped. All of them looked around.


    ¡°What now?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Scarlett turned to the girl.


    Right. Discounting the Zuverian outpost near Fynn¡¯s old home, none of them had actually been there the last time she found a Zuverian ruin. They wouldn¡¯t know what to expect.


    She threw one last look at their surroundings, searching for any movement. Not that she was expecting to spot any. If anyone were following them, she¡¯d be the last to notice. Fynn had already checked if there were others nearby, though, and she was confident enough in his abilities. Whatever tail the Cabal was bound to have placed on her probably wasn¡¯t around at the moment.


    The fact that they¡¯d traveled through the Kilnstone from Freybrook to Darkshore so suddenly might have helped with that. Then they¡¯d immediately left Darkshore to find this place, so it was highly unlikely anyone would catch up to them.


    And, well, even if someone was hiding nearby, they probably wouldn¡¯t stay an issue for long.


    Scarlett walked closer to the statue, stopping slightly in front and beneath the large stone shield it was holding. The shield had eight circular designs etched into its face, arranged in a rupee-like shape. Lines connected all the shapes, but it didn¡¯t look like much more than decoration on the stone.


    Let¡¯s see if she could remember this correctly or not.


    She raised her hand and conjured five small Aqua Mines in front of the etched circles. She detonated them in a set order, then waited a few seconds.


    Nothing happened.


    Okay, that wasn¡¯t right.


    She pulled up her notebook from the [Pouch of Holding], tracing her finger over the page as she used her pyrokinesis to strike out the first of the sketches she¡¯d made. Then she looked over the sketch next to it.


    She repeated the process, conjuring more Aqua Mines and detonating them in another order.


    Once more, nothing happened.


    ¡°You having fun?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice rang out from behind her.


    Scarlett glanced back at the woman, then back at the statue. ¡°I ask that you do not disturb me while I am occupied with this. It is uncertain how much time this will require.¡±


    She looked down at her notebook and the third illustration on it. Worst-case scenario, it would take a few thousand tries to figure out the correct order. She couldn¡¯t remember much of high school maths, but with eight different ¡®buttons¡¯ and a five-step sequence, there were a lot of potential combinations.


    She had thought she remembered the right one¡ªor at least something close to it¡ªbut she hadn¡¯t known for sure.


    Continuing onto the next sketch, she struck them out one after one as she moved down the list of alternatives. She had filled a few pages with the combinations that aligned closest with her memories.


    After trying out about a dozen of them, she shook her head and put the notebook back into the pouch with a frown.


    Clearly, she had overestimated her memory. There wasn¡¯t any point in spending any more time on this. There was another alternative open to her now.


    It just wasn¡¯t as satisfying.


    She pulled out the book she bought from the shopkeeper in Darkshore earlier.


    Tales and Accords of Darkshore ¡ª The Old Ways.


    It was a gathering of old tales from the region, mostly told to children from the looks of it. Scarlett had been rather surprised to see it in the store, considering it was a book in the game. One of many minor lore records that could be found here and there. In the game, they served both to further flesh out the world and to¡ªon occasion¡ªreward those players devoted enough to read through them.


    She flipped through its pages until she found the one relevant to her.


    The Warden of the Vale and his sentinels, read the text at the top. Beneath was a short story about a great warrior who was once said to watch over the region around Darkshore along with five of his sentinels. It recounted how, together, they had beaten back a vast army of giants coming from the northeast, ensuring peace in the land. Along with the story were a few simple illustrations, where each sentinel had a sign linked to them.


    Scarlett had no idea if the story actually held much truth to it. It was an old folk tale, after all. But there was, without doubt, one part that wasn¡¯t taken out of thin air.


    She raised her eyes, examining the circular symbols present on the statue¡¯s stone shield. Some of them resembled the signs in the book. She held up her hand once more, conjuring another set of five Aqua Mines. Each was positioned in front of the symbols shown in the book. Then she detonated the mines in the order in which the sentinels had been introduced in the story.


    There was a brief lull, then a loud grinding sounded out. Scarlett took a quick step back as the shield suddenly slammed down into the ground, sending pockets of dirt and grass into the air. Allyssa coughed to her side, spitting out some dirt that seemed to have gotten into her mouth. Shin stood next to her, dusting away some from her cape.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± Allyssa shouted with a grimace.


    ¡°I¡¯d call that flair.¡± Rosa smiled as she stepped out from behind Fynn where she had been hiding. The young man¡¯s white hair had a large patch of soil stuck in it. ¡°These symbols¡­ Zuverian, right?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Scarlett said, patting away some of the dirt that had gotten on her with a frown. She hadn¡¯t been expecting that.


    ¡°And I thought those old coots didn¡¯t have it in them.¡± Rosa walked up and trailed her hands over the shield that was now cutting into the ground, examining it for a few seconds. Then she turned back to Scarlett, gesturing at the statue with her thumb. ¡°Now all that¡¯s missing is him bursting into dance.¡±


    ¡°I doubt the Zuver would have added such a feature.¡± Scarlett paused as she noticed Fynn raise his right hand. The [Mark of the Gale] on it lit up a soft green as the wind around him soared. His hair rippled as the dirt suddenly blew away, and Scarlett blinked as the same happened to her.


    That was convenient.


    ¡°Thank you, Fynn,¡± she said, then walked up next to Rosa to study the shield.


    It really wasn¡¯t as satisfying to solve puzzles like these if you could just check what the right answer was. Still, she wasn¡¯t about to waste several hours just because of her stubbornness. Finding this book should be considered a stroke of luck, and it meant they had so much more time to spend on other things. Besides, she couldn¡¯t even imagine how annoying it would have been if she actually had to trial-and-error her way through it.


    She moved around to the other side of the shield. There, carved into its inside, was a rectangular gateway with a deep black surface that seemed to absorb all the surrounding light. It looked much like the Kilnstones did as they prepared to teleport people.


    ¡°There is our entrance,¡± she said, and pointed at the gateway.


    Allyssa followed her behind the shield and eyed the entrance closely. ¡°¡­A bit elaborate, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not if it¡¯s not supposed to be found,¡± Shin said. ¡°I imagine this place was hidden for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Astute observation, Mister Thornthon.¡± Scarlett watched as Fynn came around and was the first to walk up to the gate. The young man glanced back at her, and she gave him a nod. He placed his hand against the black surface and disappeared.


    Scarlett waited for a few seconds, then followed. As she touched the gateway, her surroundings warped. A moment later, she found herself at the top of a stone staircase. Small sconces with dark green crystals hung from the walls, illuminating the space with a dim light. Fynn stood a few steps down from her, and the rest of the party joined them soon after.


    ¡°So this is a Zuverian ruin¡­¡± Allyssa mumbled after she arrived, looking around.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Shin had stepped closer to examine one of the Zuver faces that were carved into the stone walls.


    Scarlett started walking down the stairs. ¡°While one could call this a ruin, it is in actuality a crypt.¡±


    Well, technically, the last ruin she¡¯d visited had been a crypt as well. But this one had it in the name.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°I suppose it would be the location. We are currently underground.¡±


    When Scarlett reached the bottom of the stairs, they opened up into a wide chamber. She held up an arm to block the others from entering as they moved up beside her.


    At the center of the chamber was a hulking construct of a dull grey steel with faintly luminescent blue lines running along it like veins. Its limbs were an interconnected set of large, bulky blocks, with its fists resting on the ground and the protruding knob that passed as its head turned downwards. The blue lines that ran along its body followed it all the way to the floor, where they ran from the construct to the walls of the chamber. There, they connected to four different crystals at each end of the room.


    She raised a hand and conjured four Aqua Mines next to each crystal. Cracks formed in them as she detonated her mines, and the blue light passing to the construct immediately faded. She creased her brows. She couldn¡¯t for the life of her figure out why such an obvious design flaw would exist outside of the game. Still, it saved them a lot of trouble.


    ¡°Ehm, did you just turn that thing off?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°It would appear so, yes.¡± Scarlett looked at Fynn. ¡°Would you care to confirm?¡±


    The young man stepped forward without hesitation. The unmoving mountain of steel didn¡¯t move an inch as he walked up to it, reaching out a hand to touch its surface.


    Satisfied with that much, Scarlett walked out into the chamber as well. She quickly went past the construct, towards the other end of the room. There, on top of an elevated platform, was a small stone altar. Scarlett climbed a set of stairs to the altar, where a small hand-sized object shaped like a rounded triangle rested. It had several intricate lines and symbols across its face and looked like it might have fit together with two other pieces.


    [Seal of Thainnith (1/3) (Unique)]


    {A third of a whole. A seal upon that which cowered}


    She paused. That was an¡­odd description. She wasn¡¯t sure what it meant with ¡°cowered¡± in this context. That didn¡¯t really fit in with what she knew from the game. Or maybe it did, in some way she wasn¡¯t aware of?


    She shook her head. Being confused by the system wasn¡¯t exactly something new.


    Turning her gaze upward, she took in the wall behind the altar. It was absolutely lined with the same kind of symbols as the seal, the language of the old Zuver. Beyond that, however, was also a large map that seemed to have been etched into the center of the wall. It looked like a topographical map of the empire and its surrounding regions, with several locations marked on it.


    Eyeing it for another moment, she soon shifted her attention back to the altar. She didn¡¯t really care about what the map was saying. That was for megalomaniacs and crazies.


    She picked up the seal, placing it inside her pouch of holding.


    [Quest completed: Assemble the Seal of Thainnith (1/3)]


    {Skill points awarded: 4}


    Oh? She got points for getting just one piece of the seal? That was nice.


    ¡°We are done here,¡± she said, turning back to the others.


    They gave her surprised looks.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Rosa asked.


    ¡°It is, yes.¡± Scarlett walked down from the altar.


    ¡°I was expecting a bit more after that grand entrance.¡±


    ¡°The purpose of this place did not extend beyond safeguarding its prize. It does not need to have more than this.¡±


    Rosa looked a bit disappointed at that, but it wasn¡¯t as if there was much to do about it.


    Scarlett was about to cross the room to leave, but stopped as she passed the magical construct at the center. She eyed it for a short while.


    Certain mages and wizards would, without a doubt, go crazy over the possibility of getting their hands on something like this. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t exactly bring it with her. And revealing this place to outsiders might not be the best of ideas. While it wasn¡¯t a certainty, such an action could provoke the Hallowed Cabal.


    She glanced around the room and at the sconces that were spread around the walls. The same couldn¡¯t be said for all of those, though.


    ¡°On second thought,¡± she said. ¡°Before we leave, I want you all to collect those crystals and place them inside the storage bag.¡±


    Those sold for a pretty penny, if she was remembering it right.


    Only after having ensured all the lights were gathered¡ªwhich included the magical crystals that had powered the construct¡ªdid Scarlett leave with the others.


    Exiting through the same gateway they had entered through, all of them stepped out beneath the large stone statue.


    [Quest completed: Cleared the Crypt of Osen Allanar]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}


    Scarlett read through the quest completion message. It was more than she had been expecting. Maybe it was because it was a dungeon related to the game¡¯s main questline?


    ¡°Oh?¡± a refined, mature voice suddenly spoke from nearby. ¡°Not quite who I was expecting. That¡¯s disappointing.¡±


    All of them turned around.


    A short distance away, next to the stone foot of the statue, stood a woman. She was tall and had a lithe figure that was mostly covered by a golden yellow robe with a stark red showing on its inside. Its hood wrapped around her head, with the upper half of her face hidden by a white marble mask that had thick golden inlays tracing along the edges and the front, with scarlet rubies obscuring the eyes. Her skin under the mask was pale, almost white, and a small smile played across her deep-red lips.


    Fynn let out a low growl as he lowered into a fighting stance.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± the woman said. In her right hand, she held a long grey staff, its head a winding arrangement of curled bronze with a small azure gem in its crown. ¡°Down, boy.¡±


    As she spoke the words, the gem lit up a light blue. Fynn froze, his teeth bared as he was locked into place.


    Allyssa stared at Fynn¡¯s unmoving figure. ¡°What¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Those Grehaldraels really are all the same, aren¡¯t they?¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°All that thin air. It must be doing something to their heads.¡±


    Shin pulled out his sword and stepped up next to Fynn. He held his shield up to cover the rest of them.


    The robed woman gave him an amused look. ¡°Oh, what do we have here? Next is the Kereq. I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll go much better than for your little friend.¡±


    The crystal on her staff lit up once more. A moment later, a pale white sheen enveloped Shin¡¯s shield as the young man was pulled to the ground like a sack of stones.


    ¡°Shin!¡± Allyssa exclaimed.


    Scarlett held the girl back with a hand on her shoulder. Kneeling on the ground, Shin tried¡ªand failed¡ªto pry his hands loose from the shield.


    ¡°Anyone else feel like testing their brilliant ideas?¡± the woman asked. ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to oblige, really. Perhaps I¡¯ll even throw in a surprise or two this time.¡±


    Both Rosa and Allyssa had their attention fixed on the woman, but neither spoke.


    ¡°No? Shame. I was starting to hope I didn¡¯t get out of bed this morning for nothing.¡± The woman turned her attention towards Scarlett. ¡°Now, who might you be?¡± There was an almost alluring undertone to her voice as she appeared to look over Scarlett. ¡°I was expecting someone a bit¡­ More. Not a¡­¡± She moved her free hand in the air. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll keep that to myself. I have a modicum of decency, at least. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Scarlett held an impassive expression. Look at this woman, acting like she had no idea who she was and as if this was the first time she¡¯d seen her. But that¡¯s about what one could expect.


    ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford.¡± She gestured to the others. ¡°And these are my retainers.¡±


    ¡°A noble, hmm? Wasn¡¯t expecting one of those around here. Especially not meddling with my plans.¡±


    Scarlett pulled out the Seal of Thainnith from her pouch. ¡°I presume you are referring to me acquiring this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. That.¡± The woman waved her hand. ¡°Not that there¡¯s much else left in that dreary old cellar, other than that sorry excuse for a guardian and its afterlife tagalongs.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. Afterlife¡­? Oh, right. There had been ghosts present when you fought that boss in the game. She¡¯d completely forgotten about that part.


    ¡°Now, be a good little noble and hand me that seal so I can erase your memories and return it to where it belongs.¡± The woman held out her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll promise I won¡¯t jumble things about too much. I¡¯ll try, at the very least.¡±


    ¡­She wasn¡¯t sure if the woman was serious or not.


    ¡°I have another proposal.¡± Scarlett returned the seal to the pouch.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have. And I happen to have a craving for poached dragon egg with a side of grask. Unfortunately, there¡¯s not a lot of that flying around.¡±


    ¡°I believe this proposal is something you will welcome.¡±


    The robed woman studied her for a few seconds. ¡°Why, aren¡¯t you a confident one? I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be terribly fun, and usually I love myself a woman with a bit of aplomb, but I¡¯m far too stingy for charity. Now, will you give it to me? I¡¯d prefer it if you didn¡¯t make me do all the work.¡±


    ¡°You have the Essence of Zenthas, do you not?¡±


    The woman paused. A smirk grew across her lips. ¡°I take it back. Maybe I can afford a smidge of generosity, just this once. Consider yourself honored.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at Fynn and Shin. ¡°Before we proceed¡­ Is it truly necessary to treat my retainers in this manner?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re spry young men. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t leave a girl hanging and go changing subjects,¡± the woman said. ¡°You¡¯ve got at least a finger¡¯s worth of my curiosity raised, you know. That¡¯s more than about any other noble I¡¯ve met in this dreary place.¡± She turned quiet, eyeing her for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re not one of that old miscreant¡¯s people, are you? I wouldn¡¯t take a Grehaldrael to join up with them, though. And I¡¯d be disappointed now if you were.¡±


    ¡°I am no one¡¯s person.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, yes. It¡¯s dreadfully drab, isn¡¯t it?¡± The woman gestured at Scarlett with her hand. ¡°Now, out with it. Tell me whatever trifling ploy you¡¯ve got cooked up here. Don¡¯t worry, it can¡¯t be much more banal and crude than what I am accustomed to.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her. In the game, this woman had been an entertaining character. She wasn¡¯t quite as charming when you were at the receiving end of her personality, though.


    ¡°It is simple. You will hand me the Essence of Zenthas, and in return, I will give you the seal.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I spoke too soon.¡± The woman¡¯s tone turned flat. ¡°And here I was, going around catching expectations. One would think I¡¯d know better at my age.¡± She raised her staff. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll take a quick look into that dimensional bag of yours. I won¡¯t pry too much, though. A lady¡¯s privy to her secrets.¡±


    ¡°I believe you misunderstand.¡± Scarlett looked into the rubies that hid the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I did not say I would give you a piece of the Seal of Thainnith. I said I would give you the seal.¡±


    The staff paused, held aloft above the ground. ¡°¡­That is one large claim you are making. Surely you should know better than you make promises you can¡¯t keep?¡±


    ¡°That is true. Perhaps I should clarify.¡± Scarlett pulled out the seal piece once again. ¡°In truth, this is the only piece I can give you. But what I am offering is not the seal itself. Rather, I am offering the location of another piece, and the possibility of retrieving the third. This should not differ much from your own plans, no?¡±


    The woman slowly lowered her staff. ¡°You do seem to know a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I make it a priority to be informed before I undertake any meaningful pursuits.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you do. And I do so love working with competent people.¡± The woman stayed quiet for a while. The crystal on her staff lit up as Fynn was suddenly released from his stasis.


    He stilled for a moment, then growled at the woman.


    ¡°Say, poodle-boy, what do you say of this master of yours'' words?¡±


    He blinked, gawking at her.


    ¡°Well?¡± She placed a hand against her hip. ¡°I don¡¯t have all day. Some of us have matters to tend to. Or at least pretend to tend to.¡±


    Fynn glanced at Scarlett, who gave him a nod.


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The masked woman returned her attention to Scarlett. ¡°Hmm. Well, I suppose that¡¯ll do for now. Fortunately for you, I¡¯ve always had a penchant for striking deals that would be better left alone.¡±


    ¡°So you will hand me the Essence?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Not like I have much more use for that rotten thing anymore. But that will have to wait for a while.¡± The woman seemed to grimace under her mask. ¡°If I knew I¡¯d need it, I wouldn¡¯t have thrown it into that place.¡±


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure where ¡®that place¡¯ was, but she suspected she didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°After you have retrieved it, I will fulfill my end of the bargain. Until then, I presume you will not oppose me keeping the seal? It should not pose an issue for you to retrieve it, should you so wish.¡±


    The smile returned to the woman¡¯s face. ¡°You know just what to say to pique my interest, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m dying to pick your brain.¡± She turned quiet, looking to the side for a moment. ¡°That will have to wait until another time, unfortunately. The chicken coop is calling.¡±


    She tapped her staff on the ground, and a shimmering gate appeared in the air beside her. She threw one last glance at Scarlett and the others. ¡°Until next time.¡±


    As she stepped through the portal, it disappeared along with her. The next moment, Shin fell onto his back as his shield clattered to the ground.


    The others stared at the space where the woman had been.


    ¡°¡­Who was that?¡± Allyssa eventually asked.


    Scarlett returned the seal to the pouch. ¡°My contingency.¡±

 Chapter 94 - Loot and chill

    [Quest completed: Cleared The Decayed Catacombs]


    {Skill points awarded: 3}


    ¡°Well done, everyone,¡± Scarlett said as they climbed up a set of mossy stone stairs, exiting into a dilapidated, ruined temple. What had once been its main gallery and the aisles running alongside it were barricaded by broken-off fragments of the ceiling and the altar at the end of the hall could only barely be recognized as one. Behind what had presumedly been a statue of whatever deity was worshiped here, the light of the midday sun made its way in. ¡°This will be the last excursion of this trip. Soon, we will return to Freybrook.¡±


    ¡°Already? And here I thought we were on a roll,¡± Rosa said. The bard went over to sit down on a piece of rubble next to what might have once been part of a wooden bleacher. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t have any more strange places you want to show us?¡±


    ¡°We do not have the time,¡± Scarlett answered, observing the woman strum her instrument for a moment. ¡°Passage through the Kilnstone has already been arranged for the evening.¡±


    She shifted her attention to a large opening in the wall near them, through which the sprawling hills outside were visible. This temple was about an hour away from where there had once been a minor village settlement. Both had apparently been abandoned a few generations back when there had been rampant monster issues in the region. The catacombs beneath the temple had turned into a dwelling space for the undead after a while, but it was nothing their group couldn¡¯t handle. It had also been an easy find, with the map Scarlett bought in Darkshore.


    All in all, they had stayed in this region for four days now. This was the third dungeon they¡¯d cleared in that time if you discounted the Zuverian crypt where they picked up the seal piece. The gains from these dungeons were a lot better than the ones in the Freybrook area, so it was worth the time spent traveling around Darkshore¡¯s countryside.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Greater Pyrokinesis]


    [Hydromancy]


    [Greater Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 4635/4635]


    [Points: 27]


    She had gotten a good amount of skill points these last few days. Now, she had enough to upgrade either her pyrokinesis or hydrokinesis. She was leaning heavily towards the former, considering her current priorities.


    She glanced down at her left hand, where there was a thin silver bracelet around the wrist.


    [Prayer of Salvation (Epic)]


    {The prayers of old linger in this bracelet, bolstering its wearer}


    In addition to the skill points, they had of course collected a decent number of artifacts as well. This item in particular was one that improved your magical defense in the game. Since she relied on the skill [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs]¡ªwhich she got from [Lifeblood¡¯s Eternal Circuit]¡ªthe strength of her defense had a set limit. She couldn¡¯t level it up because the effect came from an item, and while it did take mana to maintain, increasing her total mana also didn¡¯t help. But as far as she was aware, items like this bypassed those restrictions.


    The dungeon they¡¯d cleared yesterday also had a rusty old dagger called [Fireguard Knife (Rare)] that she was thinking of keeping. It slightly empowered pyromancy spells, which could be useful for her if it worked with her pyrokinesis. She was planning on trying it out after returning to Freybrook. If it did work, she would have it brought to a blacksmith to be restored to a better state.


    Those were the only two items found that had any worth to her, but that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t anything for the others.


    Fynn was wearing a new necklace made of deep black bone, known as the [Dark Wolf Pendant (Rare)], which boosted strength. It had been found in the first dungeon they cleared, a den belonging to a pack of wolves who lived in the nearby hills.


    Rosa had gotten a bracelet that matched Scarlett¡¯s. [Prayer of Devotion (Epic)] was its name, and it strengthened healing spells. It had been found along with the [Prayer of Salvation], the two bracelets coming as a set. A fact that Scarlett was quickly starting to lament. They had found them just half an hour ago, but it had already prompted several jokes from the bard that Scarlett could have done without.


    As for Allyssa and Shin, Scarlett hadn¡¯t outright given them anything. Like she had previously with Shin, however, she had let Allyssa borrow an old metal crossbow called the [Willow Bolter (Rare)] that was found the day before. The young Shielder had noted that it was slightly larger than the normal hand crossbow she was used to, but she was giving it a try, anyway. It had an interesting effect where each bolt would build up a sense of vertigo in the victim, which was especially useful for someone relying on a lot of alchemy like Allyssa.


    There was more than this, of course. Both other artifacts and a bunch of useful materials and resources. But nothing that was a good fit for anyone in their group, so the rest would just be sold off.


    Scarlett spent a short while longer resting with the others in the temple before finally getting ready to leave. For now, all their business in the Darkshore area was finished.


    The carriage traveled along the gravel path leading up to the Freybrook mansion¡¯s front, stopping before the archway that led into the courtyard. Marlon and another servant greeted Scarlett and the others as they exited.


    ¡°Welcome back, my Lady. I hope your trip has gone well.¡±


    ¡°It has,¡± Scarlett said. She looked to the side, where there stood two parked carriages. She gestured at the vehicles. ¡°Are there guests?¡±


    ¡°Madame Evelyne and Madame Livvi are currently staying in the guest parlor, my Lady.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± She eyed the carriages. She knew Evelyne was supposed to have returned by now, but she wasn¡¯t expecting the woman to visit the mansion this soon. Especially not with Livvi in tow. Had they just coincidentally visited at the same time?


    ¡°I suppose I should greet them.¡± She walked past the two servants. ¡°Have someone catalogue the items that we have brought back from the excursions, then bring the bag to my office.¡±


    Behind her, Shin handed the [Bag of Juham] over to the servant next to Marlon.


    Scarlett passed under the archway that connected the mansion¡¯s two wings and into the courtyard, taking in its current state. Most of the damage caused by the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s assault had been cleaned up by now, though it had taken surprisingly long to have the ruined and scorched stonework removed. Most of the flower beds had been pulled up¡ªeven the ones that made it through unharmed¡ªleaving just bare dirt lining the edges and much of the space at the center of the courtyard. The broken fountain had also been completely removed. It was much like a clean slate, ready to be rebuilt once more.


    The real restorations would have to wait, though. They probably couldn¡¯t postpone them forever¡ªshe supposed nobles had an image to maintain, in the end¡ªbut she at least wanted to have a better idea of how much it¡¯d cost before they started anything. Also, it would be best if they were as financially stable as possible when they got to it. She was still considering if it was worth restoring the fountain, for example. It had been nice, sure, but it wasn¡¯t exactly the simplest feat of engineering. Well, at least not the ones back in her world. Didn¡¯t those rely on gravity, before electricity became a thing? Maybe they had a better method here, considering magic was a thing.


    As she crossed the courtyard and entered the mansion foyer, she turned back to the others who had followed her. ¡°This will be all for today. Feel free to do with the remaining time as you wish. We will most likely leave on a brief trip tomorrow as well, although not all of you are required to join.¡±


    ¡°Are we going back to Freymeadow?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    The young man shrugged his shoulder. ¡°Then I don¡¯t see why we all wouldn¡¯t join this time as well.¡±


    ¡°That will be up to you,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Simply be aware that I will be entering by myself or with Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    ¡°Then I will see all of you later.¡± She turned around and made for the stairs that led to the second floor, where she then started making her way towards the guest parlor. There, she stopped before its dark wooden door for a moment, taking a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself before opening the door.


    The evening sun entered the room through the large windows facing north, reflecting off the marble floor and highlighting the two women sitting opposite each other at the room¡¯s center. Both Livvi and Evelyne turned to look at her.


    The familiar feeling of veiled disgust reared its head inside Scarlett. It had been over a month since she and Evelyne had last met and the intensity of the emotion almost caught her off-guard despite expecting it. Still, she was relatively certain she managed to maintain a somewhat neutral expression as she walked over to them.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Evelyne said, looking down at the travel attire she was wearing. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to return today. You never said where you went, so I thought it would take a while.¡±


    ¡°I was in Darkshore,¡± Scarlett answered. She sat down in an armchair that faced both of the women, glancing at Livvi. ¡°Although I could say the same of you, Evelyne. I was not expecting either of you to be here.¡±


    Livvi showed a small smile as she cradled a cup of tea in her hands. ¡°Evelyne mentioned that she would be returning from the capital today, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet up. It¡¯s been a while since we last spoke.¡±


    ¡°And you said I could stay here,¡± Evelyne said, wearing a slightly peeved expression.


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°My words now were not meant as a disparagement. I was merely surprised that the both of you would be here at the same time.¡± Perhaps she¡¯d sounded a bit more annoyed than she had thought.


    Evelyne¡¯s expression softened.


    ¡°I trust you two had an enjoyable discussion?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°¡­Yes. There¡¯s been a lot to talk about.¡± Evelyne looked over at Livvi. ¡°We were reminiscing a bit, just before you entered.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Livvi said. ¡°We were talking about that time our fathers held that small competition for the local nobles on the grounds of this estate. I still remember that day fondly.¡± The bespectacled women looked out the windows overseeing the back of the estate. ¡°Do you recall when my brother challenged your father for a chance to sit next to you at the celebrations, Scarlett? I think that was the first time I ever saw him so forlorn.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not recall that, no.¡±


    Evelyne glanced at Scarlett. ¡°I remember that day, but mostly just the duel our fathers had at the end. It was the first time I really felt like I wanted to be a mage over a knight.¡±


    Livvi let out a soft laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t let my father hear you say that. He¡¯d be heartbroken if he learned his showing that day discouraged a budding new knight in their ambitions.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was his fault.¡± Evelyne shook her head. ¡°It was just the first time I¡¯d seen father in actual combat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was a very impressive man.¡± Livvi threw a small look Scarlett¡¯s way, though Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure of the meaning behind it. The woman shifted her attention down to the teacup in her hands, staying quiet for a few seconds as she brought it up to take a sip. ¡°I have a surprising number of wonderful memories from this place. It broke my heart to see what had happened, both to the courtyard and the grounds at the back.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s face turned ugly at that. The younger woman looked at Scarlett. ¡°I was informed of the courtyard through letter, but the training grounds came as a surprise to me as well.¡±


    Scarlett stilled.


    Oh.


    She had completely forgotten to mention that to the woman, hadn¡¯t she? She¡¯d been so focused on the Fynn issue at the time.


    Evelyne regarded her. ¡°I wish you had at least told me about Garside¡¯s condition.¡±


    ¡°Garside?¡± A worried expression appeared on Livvi¡¯s face. ¡°What happened to him? Is he alright?¡±


    Scarlett looked between the two. It had been Garside¡¯s own wish that she didn¡¯t tell Evelyne about it, but she couldn¡¯t very well say that now. It would just sound like an excuse.


    ¡°He is alright, yes. There is no need to fret,¡± she said. ¡°He was injured during the assault on the mansion, but we had a capable healer present that treated him soon after. Since then, he has been convalescing inside his quarters. There do not appear to be any major complications with his recovery.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Livvi released a breath. ¡°I¡¯m glad. He always used to keep an eye on us when we were younger, but I feel like it¡¯s been so long since I last saw him.¡±


    ¡°You may visit him, if you wish. I do not believe he will take offense.¡± Scarlett turned to Evelyne. ¡°That goes for you as well, if you have not yet seen him.¡±


    ¡°I did when I first heard the details earlier today, but he was sleeping at the time. I was planning on checking in later.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Scarlett gave a curt nod, then rose from her seat. ¡°I will leave you to continue your discussion for now. As you can see, I am not currently in the most presentable of states.¡±


    She gestured to her attire. They¡¯d stayed at a relatively large inn in Darkshore these past nights, so it wasn¡¯t as if she had spent days out in the wilderness. But she hadn¡¯t cleaned herself since before they cleared the last dungeon, so it would be nice to take a proper bath. She¡¯d just wanted to check what brought these two here first, but thankfully, it didn¡¯t appear to be anything important.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Evelyne said, ¡°before you leave.¡±


    Scarlett looked down at her. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Delmons¡­¡± The younger woman paused for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°Actually, never mind. It can wait till later.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say so. Then I will take my leave.¡± Scarlett sent one last look towards Livvi. ¡°Until next time.¡±


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll be staying here in Freybrook for a while longer, so I might pay more visits if that is alright.¡±


    ¡°I am certain something can be arranged,¡± Scarlett answered coolly, turning around to exit the room.

 Chapter 95 - Back to the grind

    ¡°Were you hiding your abilities yesterday?¡± Arlene¡¯s voice sounded out from the side.


    Scarlett smothered the two large spheres of fire she¡¯d been focusing on, turning to look at the nearby porch. The woman was eyeing her closely.


    ¡°I was not. Since then, however, I have had a realization of sorts.¡±


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Superior Pyrokinesis]


    [Hydromancy]


    [Greater Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 3453/4646]


    [Points: 2]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Pyrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Greater Hydromancy] (10 points)


    [Superior Hydrokinesis] (25 points)


    [Superior Mana Control] (25 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    After getting back to the mansion yesterday, Scarlett had upgraded her pyrokinesis. She had to admit, the boost it gave was somewhat intoxicating. The upgraded skill felt several times more powerful than before. And while she didn¡¯t know exactly what the growth rate between these skills was, she was at the very least certain it wasn¡¯t linear. Previously, she¡¯d been going around with what was essentially a level 30 skill in the game¡ªfrom her admittedly rough estimation¡ªbut now it¡¯d probably be somewhere closer to level 50.


    Not that things translated that neatly into this world. For one thing, all her other ¡®attributes¡¯ were significantly lower in comparison. Actual skill was also an important factor ¡ª that is, her proficiency with the magic. Her Aqua Mines were a good example of how one could get a lot more out of these skills than one would think at first glance.


    As for where the limits of [Superior Pyrokinesis] lay, she wasn¡¯t sure yet. All she knew was that judging from what the skill was currently capable of in her hands, she certainly wouldn¡¯t want to stand at the receiving end of its power.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen many go through breakthroughs in my life,¡± Arlene said. ¡°But none this extreme.¡±


    The woman studied her for several seconds. ¡°It must have been one profound realization you had.¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes. All of this must look incredibly odd to her. The last time they¡¯d been here in Freymeadow was before they left for Darkshore. For Scarlett, days had passed since. But for Arlene, it must have seemed like she had left the evening before and come back several times stronger in the morning.


    ¡°This is what you should come to expect of me,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am far from your common practitioner.¡±


    Arlene raised both eyebrows, a disbelieving look on her face. After a moment, she returned her attention to the book in her lap without a response.


    Scarlett kept her gaze on her for a while longer before returning to her own training.


    [Mana: 187/4646]


    Scarlett heaved the warm summer air, glancing at the mana that remained. She¡¯d been at it for several hours now, cycling from ever-shortening training sessions to increasingly long periods of rest. For the time being, her focus was on familiarising herself with [Superior Pyrokinesis]. She had barely touched hydrokinesis except for the occasional wetting of the towel she had on her lap.


    She peered up at the bright blue sky. The scorching afternoon sun blared down on her and the wide dirt square around her. The perpetual summertime in this place was nice at first when compared to the rather chilly winds that were starting to go around Freybrook, but she really could do without the extra heat when she was already experimenting with so much fire.


    She had taken this into consideration, bringing along a lighter set of clothes comprised of a loose white shirt and black cotton pants, but it was sweltering even with just that. If possible she would¡¯ve preferred wearing just enough to protect her modesty, but there was no way she could bring herself to wear something like that in a public setting. The original¡¯s sensibilities inside her cried out at the mere idea.


    Bringing up the towel to clean her face, she released a sigh as the relative coolness of the fabric touched her skin. She would need to take a good long rest before she could get back to training again. What she did during these resting sessions varied. If she had the energy, she would often read some book or other to further familiarise herself with this world. At other times, she would try to find a place with shade and relax there. When she was well and truly exhausted, she¡¯d sometimes just stay in the chair and do nothing. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable of positions, but sometimes you just didn¡¯t want to bother.


    She had never realized it before, but subjecting herself to this endless cycle of training to collapse had taught her how nice it could be to sometimes just do nothing. It was amusing to think that the spoiled modern person in her would have balked at the idea a few months back.


    She wasn¡¯t quite at that level of tiredness yet, though. For now, she would be satisfied if she could find a suitably refreshing spot in the shade before she started resting.


    Her gaze moved to the porch where Arlene sat.


    Actually, why couldn¡¯t she just move there? There was plenty of space, and a low wooden ceiling jutted out from the building behind the porch to afford nice protection from the sun. She had avoided the space before because she didn¡¯t know where Arlene¡¯s boundaries were, and she didn¡¯t want to annoy the woman more than necessary. But was there any real point to that this early? She would have several more tries to convince the woman in the future, and it wasn¡¯t as if Arlene would remember it after things reset in a few days.


    Standing from her seat on weak legs, Scarlett picked up her chair with an inward groan. It felt heavier than she thought it would. Still, she maintained as steady a poise as she could, walking up to the porch.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    This is where it would have been helpful if she had allowed Shin to join. The Shielder didn¡¯t seem to mind dealing with minor inconveniences like this. But things would turn into a pain if that were the case, considering she would have to figure out how to explain things in a suitable manner. And calling Rosa over for something this small felt unnecessary.


    Arlene glanced up at her for a second as she stepped up on the porch and placed the chair on the floorboards, but the woman said nothing against it.


    Okay, Scarlett had definitely been overthinking things.


    She sat down, relishing in the coolness that came with the shade here on the porch. In fact, this was a lot cooler than she had expected. It was almost unnatural how perfect the temperature was here. She¡¯d only been up here for brief moments, so she had failed to notice it before.


    She looked at Arlene. Was the woman doing something?


    Whatever the cause, she had no complaints.


    Leaning back in her seat, Scarlett closed her eyes, enjoying the relative peace. She might have dozed off for a while because the next time she opened her eyes, it was to several cheerful cries ringing out from the village square in front of her.


    Near the platform at the center of the square was a gathering of the village kids. Rosa was among them, and the bard seemed to be in the middle of sharing some tale or other as she taught them how to tie wreaths out of a pile of grass and sticks lying on the ground. Scarlett hadn¡¯t seen the kids earlier when she had been practicing, so they must have been out gathering all the materials for some time.


    She kept her eyes on Rosa as the woman looked over a green wreath a short blonde girl had made.


    It still surprised her how willing the woman was to interact with the people of Freymeadow, even after what they witnessed. Rosa hadn¡¯t even questioned Scarlett when she said there wasn¡¯t anything they could do to help these people. She just accepted the situation as it was, still keeping up a smile around the kids in spite of the reality before her.


    Did the woman have that much trust in Scarlett? Or maybe she was thinking there was some way to save the village? One that Scarlett either hadn¡¯t told her about or found yet?


    Scarlett was hoping it wasn¡¯t anything like the latter. She had no intention of truly ¡®saving¡¯ Freymeadow, nor any inkling of how it could be done. What happened to this place was terrible, yes, but as far as she was concerned, it was already history.


    Suddenly, Rosa placed a hand on the little girl¡¯s shoulder and turned her around, pointing over towards her.


    Scarlett frowned as the girl started padding in her direction, wreath in hand. Soon, the girl reached the porch and climbed up on it, stopping a step away from her. She held out the wreath with a timid expression.


    Over by the platform, Scarlett could tell Rosa was enjoying the situation. That blasted woman.


    She eyed the girl for a moment, trying to relax her harsh expression. ¡°You have made this for me?¡±


    The girl slowly nodded her head.


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett reached out to receive the wreath, examining it in her hands. It wasn¡¯t well-made, much of the grass hanging loosely around the branch frame underneath. But the girl looked proud as she inspected it.


    What was she supposed to say here?


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    Was that enough? Or should she lie and say it was beautiful?


    The answer seemed to satisfy the maker at least, as a smile grew on the girl¡¯s face. She remained standing where she was, though. Scarlett was uncertain what else to say as the girl looked at her intently. Was she expecting more?


    ¡°Your gift has made her embarrassed. That means she likes it.¡± Arlene¡¯s soft voice reached them from the side. ¡°But she¡¯s probably tired from all her work. You shouldn¡¯t bother her for too long. Go back and continue playing with your friends and the nice lady.¡±


    The girl turned to look at the woman. She stared at her for a few seconds. Then she spun around and started trotting back towards Rosa and the others.


    Scarlett glanced over at Arlene. ¡°It appears as if you get along well with the residents.¡±


    ¡°I make do.¡± The woman had turned back to her book, turning a page. ¡°I could say the same of you. The kids seem to enjoy your little performances.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe my relationship with them is anything of note. This was most likely a result of a ploy concocted by my retainer. Her proficiency at socializing and ingratiating herself with the young is commendable, although she also bears certain predispositions that I do not always approve of.¡±


    Arlene looked up, gazing out at the children gathered around the bard. ¡°I can see what you mean.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes stayed on them for a while. There was a tenderness in that look, one that felt out of odds with the woman¡¯s harsher exterior.


    ¡°¡­You seem fond of them,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The children, that is. This is not the first occasion I have seen you watching over them.¡±


    Arlene responded with a light chuckle. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like children? Could you say you don¡¯t, after receiving that gift just now?¡±


    Scarlett looked down at the wreath in her lap. ¡°I can, yes.¡± She didn¡¯t really know what to do with it. It wasn¡¯t as if she had any use for it. And most items you brought with you outside this place would just disappear. For now, she placed the wreath on the floorboards next to her chair. ¡°In general, I am not especially fond of children. I do not mind them; I simply have never been proficient in their handling.¡±


    Arlene let out another short laugh, one that felt slightly more genuine. ¡°You remind me a lot of another noblewoman I knew. She was terrible with kids, never minced words, no matter the occasion, and expected competence above all else.¡± The small smile on her face weakened. ¡°There also wasn¡¯t anything she would let stand in her way.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. She couldn¡¯t recall ever telling the woman that she was a noblewoman. Although she wasn¡¯t exactly hiding it, either. Both with how she spoke and with the fact that she was walking around with a literal ¡®retainer¡¯.


    ¡°But these are good kids,¡± Arlene continued. ¡°The more time you spend around them, the more you¡¯ll be able to tell that. They have bright futures ahead of them.¡±


    Scarlett stilled at those last words. Her gaze wandered over Arlene as the woman looked at the children with a wistful face.


    ¡°¡­You say that, yet you are the one who does not intend to allow them the possibilities within that future.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression froze.


    ¡­Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure what had prompted her to say that. But now it was too late to take it back.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Arlene wore a dark smile, head turned downward as she traced her hand over the book in her lap. ¡°If you know that much, then¡­ I must seem like a monster to you, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. I cannot deny that.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you stop me?¡±


    ¡°I would if it were within my ability. However, I believe we are both acutely aware of what would happen were I to try.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s not much to say, is there?¡± Arlene¡¯s smile turned solemn.


    Scarlett stared at her for several seconds. She then shifted her gaze towards the square. ¡°Perhaps you are right.¡±


    Neither of them exchanged any further words after that.


    Scarlett continued observing Rosa¡¯s merrymaking with the children until she felt she had recovered enough to get some more training in. At that point, she picked up her chair again and moved to step down from the porch.


    ¡°What¡¯s the reasoning behind you wanting to learn magic?¡± Arlene suddenly asked.


    Scarlett stopped, looking back at the woman. ¡°I suppose necessity is the prime culprit.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. What is it you¡¯re trying to run away from?¡±


    She frowned. ¡°I am not running away from anything. I am preparing myself in order to face it.¡±


    ¡°Often the two are the same.¡±


    ¡°What is the reason you are asking me this?¡±


    ¡°I want to know the reason you sought me out,¡± Arlene said.


    ¡°I was under the notion that you did not intend to help me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m free to do whatever I wish.¡± The woman eyed her for a moment. ¡°At the moment, I felt curious. Who knows how long that¡¯ll last. But it¡¯s clear you¡¯re having a hard time grasping your new abilities.¡±


    Hard time? Scarlett hadn¡¯t noticed any real problems with her upgraded pyrokinesis. She was getting used to it pretty quickly, in fact. But what if there was an issue she was overlooking?


    ¡°¡­Are you referring to anything in particular?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Arlene asked.


    The woman didn¡¯t elaborate, even after Scarlett¡¯s eyes stayed on her for several seconds. Eventually, Scarlett turned back to the square. ¡°I will take your words into consideration. If that is all, I will return to my activities.¡±


    Hopefully, she would figure out whatever this was about.

 Chapter 96 - Teachings

    When Scarlett and Rosa returned to Freymeadow the next day, they were surprised to see Arlene standing from her chair and stepping down from the porch as they neared.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± the woman told Scarlett before turning around and walking away.


    Scarlett shared a look with Rosa. ¡°I will see what this is about. You remain here.¡±


    The bard glanced after the departing woman. ¡°¡­If you say so, boss.¡±


    Scarlett began walking after Arlene, who had exited the village square. She caught up with her as they passed the simple wood and stone buildings that made up these people¡¯s homes and proceeded towards the wall that surrounded the settlement. Eventually, they reached a section in the wall where a small gate led out into a spot near where the villagers kept their livestock. Arlene continued past the enclosure where the sheep grazed, and Scarlett upped her pace to keep up. Two men tending to the animals watched as they walked by, but neither seemed to offer any greetings.


    Soon they reached the edge of the forest, where Arlene continued into the thick underbrush without an ounce of hesitation. Scarlett followed, trying her best to avoid the errant thorn branch and other bothersome vegetation. They trekked through the thicket for several minutes until they reached a small clearing where rocks and dead trees littered much of the ground.


    Arlene stopped near the mouth of the open space, turning back to Scarlett. ¡°Alright. Show me what you¡¯ve got once more. Give it your all this time.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the raven-haired woman for a moment. This wasn¡¯t exactly the best place to test her abilities¡­ But if this was what she thought it was, she couldn¡¯t very well say no.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the forest,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Just focus on your own work.¡±


    ¡­Alright then.


    Scarlett looked down at her waist for a moment, where the [Pouch of Holding] was. She had tested the [Fireguard Knife] the day before, and its empowering effect seemed to work with her pyrokinesis as she¡¯d hoped. The effect wasn¡¯t massive, but it was better than nothing. Though perhaps it was better to do this without the aid of an artifact like that.


    She raised both hands. With a reasonable amount of mental effort, she summoned a dozen medium-sized Aqua Mines; the limit of what her current hydrokinesis would allow her. Centered on a large tree trunk nearby, each Mine blazed like a tiny miniature star. She detonated them in order, and splinters blasted away with each impact as pockets of steam burst forth. When she was finished, the trunk was left with several large chunks missing.


    She glanced at Arlene, who held an impassive expression at the display.


    Taking a deep breath, Scarlett gathered even more of her focus. A wave of heat drowned the clearing as four large spheres of fire flared into existence, each enough to swallow a person whole. If she hadn¡¯t activated [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] before starting, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle the increase in temperature.


    The flames were a dark red at first. As she concentrated, their color turned lighter and lighter. Soon, they passed a whitish orange into an almost bright white. Scarlett kept them as they were for a few seconds, narrowing her eyes as the image threatened to burn itself into her retinas. Finally, she moved all the spheres together, morphing them into a behemoth of a fire that would have engulfed even an elephant with no trace.


    She paused as Arlene started walking towards the flames.


    ¡°Keep it up,¡± the woman said.


    Scarlett blinked, then returned her focus to the magic. Sweat had started running down her brow. This was eating through her mana stores quickly, but she could maintain it for at least a bit longer.


    Arlene stopped to study the giant mass of fire, apparently not bothered by the heat at all. Scarlett blanched as the woman then stepped into the flames.


    But she didn¡¯t let her magic dissipate.


    After a few seconds, the woman reappeared with a calm expression from where she had entered.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± she said.


    Scarlett immediately dismissed her fire.


    A warm gust blew across the clearing as the temperature dropped. Her gaze passed over the surroundings, but none of the nearby vegetation seemed to have been affected by the flames, save for a small segment precisely under where her spheres had been.


    Arlene walked towards her, not a hair out of place after walking into a literal fire.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t been expecting her magic to be at a level where it could do much to the woman. That much was true. But that it would be completely worthless point-blank like this? When she was giving it her all? That was insane.


    It was also a good showing of how powerful Arlene truly was.


    Not that Scarlett actually knew her level. In the game, certain characters had question marks instead of numbers for levels when you first met them. Arlene had been one of them. The question mark didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were incredibly high level, though. Just that the game simply wouldn¡¯t tell you their actual level at the time. Often it was revealed at some later point. But there were instances¡ªlike with Arlene¡ªwhere you never learned their real level even after completing the relevant questlines. As such, much of what Scarlett had to go off when it came to the woman¡¯s strength was from context clues. There was just one occasion where you actually saw a level for Arlene, but she was pretty sure it was artificially lowered for that specific quest.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some drive behind your flames, but there¡¯s too much flair.¡± Arlene stopped in front of her. She held up a hand and a small fire appeared above it. ¡°What do you see?¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Scarlett inspected the flame dance in the air for a few seconds. ¡°I see nothing beyond a fire.¡±


    A frown grew across Arlene¡¯s face. ¡°You haven¡¯t learned to perceive mana?¡±


    ¡°I have not learned spells of any kind. That includes ones that would aid me in observing mana.¡±


    ¡°¡­That shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± the woman said. She went quiet, brows furrowing even further. After a moment, she lowered her hand¡ªher fire dissipating into the air¡ªand waved her hand to the side. ¡°Alright. You conjure a flame.¡±


    Scarlett summoned a simple ball of fire.


    ¡°You seem fond of spheres,¡± Arlene noted. She pointed at the fire. ¡°What do you see?¡±


    Scarlett turned an eye to her. The woman had realized she had a way of perceiving her own mana, at the very least. Turning back to her magic, Scarlett scrutinized it closely. What was she supposed to see? ¡°Beyond the fire, what I see is an accumulation of mana.¡±


    ¡°And what does that consist of?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is gathered in clusters of mana.¡±


    ¡°And those?¡±


    She stayed silent for a bit. Next would be the strands of mana that made up those clusters, but was that was the woman was asking? ¡°¡­Are you perhaps referring to the mana itself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What does it consist of?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If I were to speculate, I would say it is some form of energy. At least I would gather that much to be obvious.¡±


    ¡°Energy?¡± Arlene raised her eyebrows, seeming to consider the answer. She nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s about as good an answer as any, I suppose. Then, how would you say that mana¡ªor energy¡ªcreates fire?¡±


    Scarlett turned to her. ¡°I will admit that I am at a loss in that regard.¡±


    Arlene gave her a long look. ¡°¡­You aren¡¯t much of a mage, are you?¡±


    ¡°I have never claimed to be.¡±


    The woman shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle you can do as much as you can. You can release your mana for now.¡±


    Scarlett did as she said.


    ¡°What do you think the difference is between this¡ª¡± Arlene raised her hand again and performed a simple motion. A small flame appeared in the air. ¡°¡ªand this?¡± Another flame appeared beside it.


    Scarlett eyed the two flames. She couldn¡¯t see a difference, but that didn¡¯t say much. ¡°One is evanescent magic, and the other is manifest?¡±


    ¡°Wrong. One is evanescent, and the other is true pyrokinesis. The same thing you are doing.¡±


    Both flames disappeared.


    ¡°The difference between manifest magic and pyrokinesis is miniscule. They could even be said to be variations of the same technique, depending on which mage you ask. What they aren¡¯t, however, are true manifestations of their elements.¡±


    Arlene looked over at Scarlett. ¡°Have you heard of the term ¡®true pyrokinesis¡¯ before?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I have not.¡±


    ¡°What do you think it means?¡±


    ¡°¡­From your previous words, I would imagine it refers to pyrokinesis which creates actual flames?¡±


    ¡°The opposite.¡± Arlene¡¯s lips curled upward slightly. ¡°The nomenclature among mages isn¡¯t always the most descriptive. In truth, manifest magic and normal pyrokinesis are the closest thing you can get to actually recreating the elements they draw upon. A flame created through normal pyrokinesis will bear almost no difference compared to a real flame. It also shares the same limitations. True pyrokinesis, however, isn¡¯t bound by those laws. It draws from the root of the element itself. It¡¯s the hallmark of a true beginner to believe that the element of fire is the same thing as actual fire. True pyrokinesis is shaped more by the will and skill of the user than anything else.¡±


    Scarlett considered the woman¡¯s words. She did not mind being referred to as a ¡®true beginner¡¯ as much as she would have thought. It was the truth, anyhow. ¡°If I am understanding you correctly, does this not mean that true pyrokinesis is a superior variant of pyrokinesis?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. It¡¯s more difficult to use, yes. I¡¯ve only known a handful of people capable of it. But it could be compared to using a great sword to cut bread, when a knife would both be more precise and efficient. Still, it has its uses. Mainly when it comes to the development and application of some higher-level spells that require bending the laws of the world to even work.¡±


    ¡°Such as primordial spells?¡±


    ¡°Exactly like primordial spells.¡±


    Scarlett nodded slowly. ¡°If so, why have I not heard of true pyrokinesis before this?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever spoken with a mage about it before?¡± Arlene asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then they likely didn¡¯t know the difference. Some mages never learn the correct theory. Just look at yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well. Let us say that is the case.¡± Scarlett looked Arlene in the eyes. ¡°What does this mean for the application of my magic?¡±


    Arlene regarded her for a few seconds. ¡°It means you¡¯re holding yourself back trying to learn unnecessary things.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like I said. There¡¯s a difference between pyrokinesis and true pyrokinesis.¡±


    Arlene turned to the side. Another bright-red flame appeared in the air, this time without any movement from the woman¡¯s end. ¡°This is normal pyrokinesis,¡± she said and gestured at the fire. The color intensified, shifting towards a bright white before finally reaching a bright blue. ¡°What do you think this color means?¡±


    Scarlett eyed the flame. ¡°It has reached a higher temperature, has it not?¡±


    Although she was far from an expert on the subject¡ªshe only remembered minor details¡ªshe at least knew that temperature was one of the main things that affected a flame¡¯s color. Blue equals hotter. Other factors was the fuel that was burning and different kinds of chemicals, she was pretty sure.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­mostly correct. Though I suspect not for the right reason. It is hotter. But more importantly, when mana is the source for the magic, this color shows you¡¯re utilizing it more efficiently, cycling the mana as you need to, and ensuring it gets the air it requires to breathe properly. You¡¯re taking these factors, and several more, into consideration, in order to make sure there is less waste.¡±


    Another flame appeared beside the first, bearing an orangish, bright white color.


    ¡°This one is the same temperature as your fire was earlier. So, which one is hotter?¡±


    Scarlett eyed the flames. ¡°The blue one, no?¡±


    Arlene shook her head. ¡°The other one is twice as hot.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow.


    The white flame suddenly changed color, turning a clear yellow. ¡°Now, which one do you think is hotter?¡±


    ¡°¡­I presume it is still the yellow flame. Although I cannot claim to know why.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s three times as hot as the blue one right now.¡±


    Arlene dismissed both fires and turned back to Scarlett. ¡°Like I said, true pyrokinesis isn¡¯t bound by the same laws as manifest magic and normal pyrokinesis. The problem is that you¡¯re treating yours like it is. That¡¯s no different from tying your hands behind your back when riding a horse and trying to steer with your legs. This is the most fundamental of mistakes you¡¯re making, but there are many others.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the woman for a few seconds. ¡°Can I take this to mean that you have decided to teach me, despite your previous stance on the subject?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking if I¡¯m willing to take you in as a disciple?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But after seeing the change between the you two days ago and the you today, I decided it would be a sin to let all that potential be wasted on basic mistakes such as this.¡± Arlene¡¯s face turned darker. ¡°But I think we both know that having me as your master wouldn¡¯t bring anyone much good.¡±


    ¡°I disagree. I believe it would be beneficial for the both of us,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll most definitely want to take those words back one day.¡±


    ¡°We will see.¡±


    The woman gave her a long look. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll see. Regarding both things.¡±


    Scarlett gave a short nod and glanced to the side.


    [Mana: 343/4646]


    Her earlier display of her magic had been a bit wasteful. But now that they were here, she didn¡¯t want to go back just yet.


    She turned to the center of the clearing and conjured another small flame. ¡°For now, perhaps you can tell me what it is I can do to improve. I would not want to have my hands remain bound forever, after all.¡±

 Chapter 97 - Noble visits

    Scarlett spent two more days in Freymeadow being instructed by Arlene about the difference between normal pyrokinesis and true pyrokinesis. Those days had been used refining what the woman had told her, trying to gauge the difference between the two ¡®skills¡¯. Unfortunately, beyond explaining that there was a difference, and showcasing a couple of examples, Arlene hadn¡¯t actually deigned to provide much further explanation, so Scarlett was still in the process of actually trying to figure out how to implement the new knowledge with her magic.


    Right now, however, they had returned to Freybrook, and she had other matters to prepare for. Evelyne had left shortly after she and Livvi visited a few days earlier, and the woman had left some documents regarding the fiefs for her to go over. Scarlett didn¡¯t really know much about noble duties, tax laws, fief management, or even the land that belonged to the Hartford family, so much of the contents went over her head. It seemed Evelyne had suspected as much, though, since there had been written outlines summarizing much of the material, which was helpful.


    As far as Scarlett understood things, the majority of the Hartford family¡¯s revenues and assets didn¡¯t actually originate from their fief. They had an old keep¡ªStagmond Keep¡ªto the northwest of Freybrook, which had a small number of staff ensuring its upkeep, but it didn¡¯t appear to serve any real purpose other than being the family¡¯s ancestral home. In the region near Stagmond Keep, there were a few villages that belonged to the barony, but none of them seemed to have any major exports. Their populations didn¡¯t even surpass a few hundred. All in all, the Hartford barony probably didn¡¯t encompass more than a thousand people, which was nothing when compared to just some of the towns that bordered it, not to mention Freybrook itself.


    Despite that, the Hartford family had been a relatively prestigious house throughout the empire¡¯s history. They owned several mansions, had several notable mages in their family tree, and were even at the level where the emperor himself would acknowledge them. It was somewhat of a conundrum to Scarlett how the family was as prestigious as it was, considering its ¡®humble¡¯ origins. She¡¯d learned enough about the empire¡¯s aristocracy to know that there were a dozen other baronies of similar size just around the Freybrook area.


    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t exactly an encyclopedia for these kinds of things. Not to her knowledge, at least. There were probably family chronicles and the like detailing most, if not all, of the empire¡¯s noble houses, but she doubted any of them had a simple answer written in plain text. From what she could gather, though, it was a mixture of the Hartford mage-producing endeavours and them just making good business decisions.


    Or at least it had been before the original Scarlett became the head. She was neither a skilled mage nor a talented businesswoman, if any of what she knew was true. Noble politics seemed about the only thing the original had been truly skilled at¡ªmaybe¡ªbut that was so far out of Scarlett¡¯s area of expertise that she still couldn¡¯t be entirely sure. All she had to go off of was other people¡¯s reactions to her actions.


    She wasn¡¯t sure whether things started getting worse for the Hartfords before or after the original became the baroness, but she doubted the woman¡¯s actions had helped the situation any, at least. Over the last few weeks, she¡¯d gone through past financial accounts on more than one occasion and seen some of the costs the original Scarlett had racked up. Even for minor things, like clothes and jewellery, the numbers had astonished her. It was figures in the six digits. Probably enough to buy an entire neighborhood in this world.


    Still, all of that was in the past. Things were on the upswing in those regards now. The money Evelyne had been bringing in from selling all the loot was slowly mounting up. Scarlett had also made sure to sell some of the more expensive jewellery pieces she found. Even with the expected costs for repairing the mansion¡ªwhen that time came¡ªshe wasn¡¯t expecting any actual issues on the financial front, as long as they weren¡¯t pressed for time.


    Although that was assuming no other sudden costs popped up out of nowhere. Their current expenditures ranged everywhere from salaries for the employees spread out across their different homes and fiefs, to costs for the new orphanage that was now up and running or the business investments Evelyne was in charge of, as well as a few miscellaneous costs here and there that included a few different stipends and the like that the family had been financing since previous generations.


    Honestly, all this management and economy stuff was a bit much for Scarlett. Even with her already delegating the majority of the work to Evelyne and others, she didn¡¯t enjoy having to look over what still ended up at her desk. In fact, it annoyed her even having to bother with most of it. Sometimes she felt like she would die of boredom from some of the documents. But she also didn¡¯t feel comfortable just ignoring all of it.


    ¡­Actually, that was a lie. She was pretty sure she could ignore all of it without feeling an ounce of regret. In general, she¡¯d always felt a sense of ambivalence to most matters that didn¡¯t directly affect her. That went doubly now that her personality had been affected so by the original Scarlett¡¯s. There were a lot of things she just didn¡¯t care enough about.


    But she felt like she should. Or rather, she thought that she should. Which was all the reason she needed to force herself to do it anyway.


    Besides, she was in a position of power now, even if she hadn¡¯t asked for it. That meant that it was only right she performed some minor sacrifices herself where she could¡ªlike spending time reading through boring documents¡ªin order to ensure that those under her had it good. Or at least decent.


    She didn¡¯t feel that empathy was a necessity when it came to taking other people¡¯s circumstances into consideration.


    When she finished going through the last of the documents Evelyne had left, she placed them on the side of her desk for now. She was planning on returning them to Evelyne in the evening. The younger Hartford sister had informed her she¡¯d be staying at the mansion for a few days, apparently still concerned about Garside¡¯s condition, even though the butler had been recovering without issue lately. There were even signs that the butler¡¯s injured arm might heal to the point where he could use it again, despite what the physician had said about its prospects.


    Scarlett stood from her chair.


    But all that was for a later occasion. Right now, she had other things to deal with. It should be about time. This morning she had received a message from Gaven Ridley that he was back. He and the Countess should be here shortly.


    Scarlett was waiting inside the east wing¡¯s parlor when a knock sounded out from the door. It opened a moment later.


    Gaven entered, wearing the same disguise as usual. He was followed by the robed figure of the Countess. The woman¡¯s head nervously moved back and forth, taking the room in as if this wasn¡¯t the second time she came here.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± Scarlett said, gesturing to the seat across from her. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    The table that had been destroyed last time had been replaced, this time by a thick stone countertop Scarlett had brought up from the cellar. It wasn¡¯t as ostentatious as the rest of the room, but she thought it might be best not to risk losing another piece of furniture quite so soon.


    ¡°I trust that things have gone well?¡± she asked.


    Gaven sat down on the couch as he removed his disguise.


    ¡°There were some minor complications,¡± he said, glancing at the Countess as the hooded woman carefully moved to sit next to him. ¡°But we got the job done.¡±


    He put a hand inside his vest, pulling out a black key. It was almost a carbon copy of the key the man had retrieved from Abelard¡¯s Doll Orchard. A sapphire-encrusted shaft that bent in on itself like a question mark, with a comb-like end.


    [Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion Key (1/2) (Unique)]


    {Half of a pair of keys leading to Abelard the Doll Maker¡¯s Home}


    Scarlett reached and received the key, placing it inside the pouch of holding that lay next to her. This made two in her possession. With this, she had exactly what she needed in order to enter Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion. Now she just needed to wait until the right opportunity.


    ¡°Well done.¡± She looked up at the Gaven. ¡°¡­And the second task? Did you carry it out as well?¡±


    A smirk appeared on his face. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about on that front. I did exactly as you instructed. Everything, including potential loose ends, was taken care of.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Scarlett gave a slow nod as she let the meaning of his words actually sink in.


    How messed up was it that she felt relieved at them? Hearing that, what was essentially a hit ordered by her, had been successful? No matter if the targets had been bastards or not, it was, objectively, pretty terrible.


    She closed her eyes.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡­Whatever. What point was there in overthinking the matter? This was another world. She was essentially another person. This wasn¡¯t the first death she¡¯d been involved in here. Despite the clich¨¦ of the situation, she wasn¡¯t going to cling to all of her old morals. As long as she wasn¡¯t crossing any lines she didn¡¯t want to cross, she would continue as she was.


    She had never been a saint, anyway.


    ¡°I will ensure that you are properly compensated for your services.¡± She opened her eyes and looked at Gaven, then turned her attention to the Countess. The bandaged woman had been sitting quietly in her seat, a distant expression on her face. ¡°It is a pleasure to see you once more, Countess. I hope things have been well since our last meeting?¡±


    The woman blinked. ¡°Ah, ah. Y-Yes. Yes¡­ Thank you¡­thank you. I have been well.¡±


    ¡°I am glad. I feared Abelard¡¯s Doll Pavilion would prove an unpleasant experience for you, but it appears there was no need for concern.¡±


    She fervently shook her head. ¡°No need. No need. I¡­ Did as Mister Ripley said¡­ There were no problems.¡±


    A snort left Gaven beside her. ¡°Yeah, tell that to what remains of that place¡¯s roof.¡±


    The woman stilled. Her wrapped hands clasped tighter around the robe¡¯s fabric across her lap.


    ¡°As long as you fulfilled the goal, nothing else matters,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°You have done well, Countess. Thank you for your assistance with this task.¡±


    The woman looked up at her with wide eyes. An unsettling smile grew across her face. ¡°So kind¡­ Yes. Yes. You¡¯re welcome. Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us proceed on to other matters.¡± Scarlett shifted her eyes away from the woman. Even if the Countess¡¯ appearance was in a better ¡®state¡¯ than last time, it still raised the hairs on her neck. She was pretty sure the woman hadn¡¯t bathed since then, as well. The smell told her as much. It was a good thing she was paying Gaven as much as she was. Otherwise, she wasn¡¯t sure he would accept working with someone like that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me,¡± the man in question said as Scarlett looked at him. ¡°There are more of those creepy pavilions or whatever that we need to rob, aren''t there?¡±


    ¡°No, there are not,¡± she said.


    She would have preferred sending Gaven to the next place in that questline if that was an option. But he wouldn¡¯t be able to clear Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion by himself with just the Countess helping him. It required more than two people to get through that place. Or at least more than the one-and-a-half self-sufficient people she had here. Besides, there was another thing that she needed him to get done in the meantime. Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion would be left to herself and her group to deal with. There were at least two important items that she needed there. It was her second priority at the moment, right after dealing with the Hallowed Cabal.


    The only problem right now was that she wasn¡¯t certain her current party could clear the place either, with Garside being out of the picture. They would either have to wait until he fully recovered, or find someone else to help. Maybe if Kat was available sometime soon? Or perhaps they could hire another powerful Shielder? Convincing Adalicia to join was also an option if the wizard returned from the Rising Isle soon. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure when that would be, however.


    ¡°Your next task involves procuring an old artifact that will be of vital importance to our plans. Regrettably, it is currently in the possession of another, one who neither realizes its worth nor its potential. It will be up to you to ensure that it finds a new, more suitable owner.¡±


    The man smirked. ¡°Yeah, I bet. What¡¯s the item?¡±


    ¡°It is a small dagger, known as the Memory of the Covenant,¡± Scarlett said.


    He stared at her for several seconds. ¡°¡­You¡¯re pulling my leg.¡±


    ¡°It would appear you know of it. That is good. I can assure you, however, that this is not something said in jest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a couple of things about it, yeah¡­¡± Gaven scratched his beard. ¡°But those are just old superstitions among senile swindlers. Guys more likely to pluck out a gold tooth from their mam¡¯s mouth than spout an honest word from their own.¡±


    ¡°The artifact¡¯s existence is no superstition,¡± Scarlett said. She crossed her arms. ¡°Although I will admit that the dagger does not hold much value on its own and, as such, may seem useless. However, I know how to bring out its full potential. As I said, we will also have need of it in our plans, so it is fortunate that you are an individual that is well suited for these sorts of tasks.¡±


    Gaven eyed her for a moment, as if he was trying to really make sure he wasn¡¯t the butt of some joke right now. ¡°¡­Alright. Sure. Sounds interesting. If it can really do what those old tales say, I wouldn¡¯t mind getting the chance to try my hands at it.¡±


    ¡°You seem convinced that I would allow you the opportunity. Remember, you are procuring this for my use. Not yours.¡±


    ¡°Lady, I¡¯ve dealt with enough idiots in my time to know when I¡¯m talking to the opposite. You wouldn¡¯t give someone like me the job of getting this thing if you weren¡¯t intending for me to use it as well.¡± He let out a chuckle. ¡°Though if you would, I suppose I should tell you that you¡¯d do best to rethink who you do business with in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­No. You are correct. It is indeed my intention to have you make use of this artifact. But ultimately, even that will still be on my behalf, so I recommend that you do not develop any absurd ideas.¡±


    ¡°What can I say?¡± Gaven brushed away some imaginary dirt from his arm. ¡°I¡¯ve got a talent for telling this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that you do.¡± Scarlett shook her head at the man¡¯s theatrics. ¡°Returning back to the job in question, know that, this time, carrying it out surreptitiously is of vital import. You are not to be caught, nor are you to interact with the current holders of the artifact or their staff in any way.¡±


    The people currently in possession of the [Memory of the Covenant] were just some old, rich, noble couple. They had done nothing wrong, and as far as Scarlett could remember, they¡¯d actually been pretty decent people in the few dialogues they had in the game. While she would technically be stealing from them, there was no point in causing unnecessary harm in the process.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Gaven nodded his head, then sent a look towards the Countess. ¡°Something like this, though¡­ I¡¯d have to do it by myself.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brow. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t be busy being a nanny while doing a job like this.¡±


    The Countess gave him a confused look. ¡°¡­Nanny¡­?¡± she mumbled.


    Scarlett glared at him. ¡°Ridley.¡±


    He held up both hands. ¡°Sorry, sorry. A chaperone, then. Better? You know what I¡¯m getting at.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes shifted to the Countess. It was true that it might be difficult to bring the woman along if she wouldn¡¯t be of any help to the mission itself. But what would they do with her in the meantime? She wasn¡¯t exactly the sort of person Scarlett felt comfortable leaving on her lonesome until they needed her again. That¡¯s one of the reasons why she¡¯d wanted to team her up with Gaven like this to begin with.


    ¡°How long do you believe this task would take?¡±


    ¡°Depends.¡± Gaven leaned forward. ¡°You sure you want it done all sneaky-like?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then where is it right now?¡±


    ¡°In Fayrun,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The current holder is a baron by the name of Branson. He lives in a mansion in the city. The artifact should be kept in their gallery.¡±


    Gaven seemed to think about it for a moment, scratching at his beard again. He held up two fingers. ¡°Give me two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Two weeks?¡± she asked.


    That was more than she had expected.


    ¡°Getting inside a noble¡¯s mansion without causing a ruckus is far harder than just robbing some old, abandoned ruin for a key or whatever. You¡¯re not expecting this to be a cakewalk, are you?¡±


    ¡°You did not appear to have much issue infiltrating mine.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Yeah, but that didn¡¯t exactly end well, did it?¡±


    ¡°I doubt they will have the same level of detection available as I have,¡± she said.


    ¡°Still.¡± The man shrugged his shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to prepare if it¡¯s in Fayrun. I didn¡¯t go prancing into this place without a plan, you know.¡±


    Scarlett considered him for a moment. ¡°I have already arranged passage to the city. You will arrive as early as tomorrow morning, so that will not be an issue.¡±


    ¡°Took that much for granted.¡± Gaven held up his fingers again. ¡°Still the same deal. Two weeks, to be on the safe side. And you wanna be on the safe side for something like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± she said. She turned to look at the Countess sitting next to him.


    What was she supposed to do with this woman for that long a period?


    ¡°D-Dagger¡­¡± the woman suddenly muttered. Her eyes focused on Scarlett. ¡°What¡­what is the dagger¡­for?¡±


    ¡°It will serve to help you in the future,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°M-Me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An odd expression grew on the woman¡¯s face, a thin smile on her lips as she stared down at the table.


    ¡°Until then, would you agree to staying at this mansion as my guest?¡±


    The Countess stilled. She blinked, looking up at her again. ¡°Me¡­ Stay here?¡±


    ¡°That is what I asked, yes.¡±


    ¡°I-Is¡­that alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Scarlett nodded. ¡°You are an associate of mine. I see no reason as to why you should not be allowed to reside here.¡±


    A snort left Gaven.


    Scarlett shot him a look. She didn¡¯t especially like solving things like this either, but he could at least try to keep up appearances a bit.


    ¡°T-Thank you¡­ Thank you.¡± The Countess lowered her head again, and again, repeating the same phrase. After doing that for several seconds, though, she suddenly stopped. She slowly glanced up at Scarlett, words coming out in a whisper. ¡°¡­h-help me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    The woman froze, bandaged hands clasped tightly together. ¡°Dagger¡­ You said¡­dagger¡­the dagger will help me¡­ How?¡±


    Scarlett stared at her for a moment, unsure exactly what to answer. She hadn¡¯t been expecting the woman to actually ask any questions about what they would be doing, considering how she had been acting up till now.


    ¡°¡­You have a sister, do you not?¡±


    The Countess¡¯ eyes widened, and a frenzied look entered them.


    ¡°S-Sister?¡± She gawked wordlessly at Scarlett for a while, pulling at her robes. Her eyes started shifting around the room as if she was looking for something. ¡°T-That¡¯s right¡­ M-My sister¡­ My sister¡­ My poor sister¡­ T-They took her¡­ My sister¡­sister¡­¡±


    Scarlett scowled as the woman¡¯s words continued. She hadn¡¯t thought bringing the subject up would lead to this kind of reaction. As the Countess¡¯ ramblings turned more and more incoherent, the woman¡¯s eyes locked onto Scarlett once more.


    ¡°M-My sister! They¡­they took her¡­! They killed her¡ªno, they took my sweet sister! They came¡­into our home¡­ They took her¡­from my grasp¡­they want to use her¡­injure her¡­those evil people¡­ They killed everyone¡­ N-No, they took everyone¡­? Everyone gone? They have to pay! Yes¡­ The Baroness is kind¡­! Make them pay¡­! P-Please¡­m-my sister¡­¡±


    Scarlett schooled her expression as much as she could as she listened to the woman¡¯s ravings. In the Countess¡¯ mind, what did those events look like? How had things become so twisted that the woman herself didn¡¯t even seem sure of what happened?


    It might have been better if Scarlett hadn¡¯t brought up the sister at all yet.


    ¡°¡­That is right,¡± she told the woman, mustering the closest thing she could to a soothing voice. ¡°The depraved people who took your sister will see justice. I will ensure that you get to meet her again. This I swear upon my name.¡±


    The Countess stopped in the middle of her rambling. She stared at Scarlett. The crazed look in the woman¡¯s eyes was still there, but it looked like her words had some effect. The woman lowered her head, her raving turning into a quiet mumble that was barely discernable from a whisper.


    Scarlett turned to Gaven. ¡°¡­Then it would seem the Countess will be staying here, for now. I am expecting you to return in two weeks, with the Memory of the Covenant in your possession.¡±


    The man shot her a smile as he leaned back in his seat. ¡°Have I failed you yet?¡±


    ¡°No, you have not. And I would like for it to continue that way in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sure. ¡®Course it will.¡± He glanced at the mumbling woman beside him. ¡°I might have gotten the easy job, though. Having been on that end for the last week or so, I can¡¯t say I envy your side of things.¡±


    ¡°Ridley.¡±


    ¡°Just saying. Sounds hard. Nothing more to it.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°Let us proceed on to the specifics, so that you know what will be required of you.¡±


    For now, she would leave the Countess alone. She would figure out how to deal with all of that later.

 Chapter 98 - Sisterly talk

    Later, after Gaven and the Countess¡¯ visit, Scarlett was waiting in front of her desk in the office. A knock came from the door and Molly entered the room, performing a low curtsy.


    ¡°My Lady called?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett put aside an old ledger she¡¯d been going through that detailed the room and chambers in the mansion. She had asked Marlon for it earlier since it bore accounts of what they were currently used for, and consequently, what they weren¡¯t used for. ¡°There is something important I wish to discuss with you.¡±


    She fixed her eyes on the woman before her. ¡°Know that this is a very sensitive matter. It is imperative that you do not speak of this to anyone else. That includes Garside, Marlon, or any of the other staff here in the mansion. Is that understood?¡±


    The look on Molly¡¯s face grew uncertain, but she slowly nodded her head. ¡°I understand, my Lady. I won¡¯t say a word of it to anyone.¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a few seconds. Her previous experiences with the servant were positive enough, so she didn¡¯t feel it likely that the woman would break her word. Just to be safe, though, she¡¯d get Fynn¡¯s help later on to confirm the woman wasn¡¯t lying. She had done the same thing for all the staff after the Hallowed Cabal attacked the mansion, to ensure there were no spies or the like among them.


    ¡°For the time being, there will be a guest residing here in the east wing. Their circumstances, however, do not allow for much interaction with others. They are particularly sensitive to their environment, so during their stay I will have you aid them and ensure their needs are met with no further complications. You are being assigned this task because you have proved yourself both attentive and capable, and I do not wish to leave this individual¡¯s handling to someone unqualified.¡±


    Molly looked at her for a time, as if she was digesting the meaning behind those words. ¡°¡­Are they dangerous, my Lady?¡±


    ¡°As long as you do not agitate or excessively bother them, there should be no issue,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I will hand you a list of what to do and what to avoid in their presence. For most of their stay, I believe they can be left to their own devices, so this should not occupy too much of your time. I would also ensure that you receive appropriate compensation if you were to shoulder this responsibility.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, my Lady, but thank you for the consideration.¡± The woman performed another short curtsy. ¡°I am your faithful servant, so it is only right that I carry out your commands. I will take care of this guest for as long as they remain here in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°The compensation was not up for discussion, but good. I will introduce you to the guest later today. Until then, you may return to your normal duties.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± the woman said and left the room.


    Scarlett looked back at the papers on her desk. She¡¯d spent the last few hours trying to figure out exactly how to go about things after realizing she would have to take care of the Countess herself. One issue had been just finding suitable accommodations.


    There was plenty of room in the mansion, but considering the Countess¡¯ unique situation, Scarlett didn¡¯t exactly want other people running into the woman. That meant the west wing¡ªwhere most of the staff stayed¡ªwasn¡¯t an option, nor was the central part of the mansion where the reception hall and most other public spaces were. Which left only the east wing.


    There was less traffic here in this part of the mansion, but it wasn¡¯t as if she could keep the place empty all of the time. Fynn, for example, would definitely notice the Countess¡¯ presence. He probably already had the first time Gaven had arrived with the woman. Luckily, a few words would probably be enough for Fynn to leave her alone, so he in particular shouldn¡¯t be an issue. Other people still were, though.


    Scarlett had narrowed down the feasible options to either the cellar, where there wasn¡¯t much happening to begin with, or an older guest chamber on the top floor. The Countess probably wouldn¡¯t complain about staying in the cellar¡ªand it would definitely make it easier to keep her hidden¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t exactly the most humane of accommodations. Which meant Scarlett would need to have the guest chamber prepared as quickly as possible instead. Hopefully Molly could manage that on her own. Or perhaps Fynn could help.


    What was most important, however, was that the woman would be able to take care of the Countess without any problems occurring. It¡¯d be a pain if there was an incident where someone got injured or more of the mansion got destroyed.


    Of course, if the woman¡¯s presence here wasn¡¯t going to cause other issues further down the line, there were also other things to take into consideration. The most important one, though, was simply keeping it as much of a secret as possible. Any other issues could hopefully be dealt with as they happened.


    Returning to the other subject Scarlett was focusing on at the moment, she continued for a while until another knock suddenly sounded out from the other end of the office.


    ¡°Enter,¡± she said as she looked up from a couple of legal papers she¡¯d been taking notes from.


    Evelyne stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Scarlett placed the papers on the side of her desk. ¡°I thought you would not arrive until evening.¡±


    ¡°I finished my business in the city earlier than expected,¡± Evelyne said. She walked over and took a seat in front of Scarlett¡¯s desk.


    ¡°I see. Have you had the opportunity to inspect the accommodations I had prepared for you, then? I hope they are satisfactory.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re my old rooms, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s much to see. Things have changed, but it¡¯s enough just being able to stay there for now.¡±


    Evelyne trailed off, and Scarlett studied her for a moment. She felt like she¡¯d grown out her hair lately. The light-brown locks, with shades of red to them, had previously reached the woman¡¯s nape¡ªand were only just about the right length to partially cover her right eye¡ªbut now they were starting to reach down towards her shoulders. Was she too busy to even have it cut at the moment? Things had been calmer around the barony lately, though, hadn¡¯t they? Maybe she just wanted to grow it out?


    ¡°¡­Scarlett,¡± the woman began.


    Scarlett was pulled out of her ruminations, waiting for Evelyne to continue. A hint of annoyance bubbled up seeing the woman hesitate with her words, but she forcefully pushed those feelings down. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with being uncertain about things now and then.


    She shook her head as she tried to move her mind onto another track of thought. ¡°Was there anything in particular you wanted to discuss with me?¡±


    Evelyne eyed her for a few seconds longer, then nodded. ¡°Yes, there are a couple of things.¡±


    ¡°Then please, elaborate.¡±


    ¡°First of all¡­¡± Evelyne leaned her arms on the desk in front of her. ¡°Did you know Leon Delmon visited me while I was in the capital?¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. ¡°No, I did not. When exactly was this?¡±


    ¡°A few weeks back, not too long after you left.¡±


    ¡°What was this visit about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He said he wanted to meet you, but he didn¡¯t stay long after I told him you had already left for Freybrook.¡±


    Scarlett leaned back in her chair. ¡°And was there a reason as to why you chose to not inform me of this over letter?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t leave any message to pass on,¡± Evelyne said. She met Scarlett¡¯s eyes. ¡°And I didn¡¯t think we needed to damage our relationship with the Delmons more than we already have.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have grown quite bold, haven¡¯t you? Declaring that in front of me.¡± Oddly enough, it only made Scarlett slightly more annoyed than she already was.


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Evelyne asked.


    Scarlett rested an elbow on her armrest. ¡°I do not know what further relationships there are to damage with them.¡±


    The woman gave her a long look, then let out a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s true. You know they recently backed out of a business deal we had with them over in Steepmond regarding the transportation and exchange of the coming years¡¯ harvests? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have much luck over there in the future, but Windgrove is too far away by carriage and we¡¯ll never find a suitable partner that¡¯s available here in Freybrook. We might have to start looking at some of the trade routes further inlands if we want to make sure we¡¯ve got somewhere to sell Stillshire¡¯s and the other villages¡¯ produce.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that is to be expected.¡± Scarlett nodded along. Stillshire was one of the villages that were part of the barony, that much she knew. What she didn¡¯t know was how much this would affect their house. ¡°Do you deem this to be an issue we need to prioritize?¡±


    ¡°No, I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Evelyne brushed away some of the hair from her face, revealing part of her amber eyes. ¡°Prices had already been declining on that front for a while, after Voneia started increasing tariffs across the border. We might even be able to find a better deal because of this. It¡¯s just that it¡¯ll take a lot of work, and the margins are already low on what the villages produce. But if we don¡¯t do anything about it, our tenants won¡¯t have anywhere to sell their harvest. Worst-case scenario, we would have to buy it off them directly. It probably wouldn¡¯t affect us too much at first, considering the money we¡¯re starting to make at the moment, but it would still be a waste. And definitely not sustainable in the long run.¡±


    ¡°That does sound bothersome,¡± Scarlett said. And she wasn¡¯t just being facile. That actually did sound annoying.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll be you doing it,¡± Evelyne said, a hint of exasperation in her voice.


    Scarlett let the remark go, giving a quick shrug of her shoulder. It was true enough. ¡°Returning to the previous topic, did Leon not give any hint whatsoever as to what he wished to speak with me about?¡±


    ¡°No, not from what I can remember. But I think he might have plans to visit again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Then I suppose it has something do to with the annulment.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her. ¡°The what?¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°The annulment of the engagement between Leon and me.¡±


    The woman blinked. ¡°Since when has this been a thing? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I assumed you were aware. Were you not talking about the Delmons cutting their ties with us mere seconds ago?¡±


    ¡°I never heard about this, though! How am I supposed to, if you don¡¯t tell me about it?¡± Evelyne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I wasn¡¯t expecting for the engagement to be annulled, but these are the sorts of things it would be good if I knew about¡­ And why are you so calm about it? I thought you would be livid when this happened.¡±


    ¡°I do not see why I would care,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am not losing much under the current circumstances. The Delmons would not be of much aid to my goals, and there have never been any strong feelings between Leon and me. In fact, them raising the matter first makes things easier for me.¡±


    Now she wasn¡¯t the one ¡®offending¡¯ the other family by pulling out of the engagement. Although, it would be a lie to say she didn¡¯t care at all. There was a speck of irritation at being shown this kind of disrespect by the Delmons. But she could ignore this level of pettiness, at the very least.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Evelyne asked.


    It seemed her composure in this situation still surprised the woman.


    ¡°I would not say so if I was not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the woman for a moment. ¡°What more was there you wished to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Evelyne¡¯s expression turned more focused. ¡°You know that the Tyndalls are holding their annual ball in Windgrove next month, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I was not aware, no.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, you haven¡¯t received an invite?¡±


    ¡°Not to my knowledge.¡±


    Evelyne leaned forward in her seat, hands clasped on the desk. ¡°I was expecting that, in a way. Duke Tyndall might still feel offended by your actions during the Elysian Proclamation.¡±


    Scarlett thought back to the man in question. If she remembered correctly, he had been just before her in pledging his fealty during the Proclamation. Having her follow him up would leave an impression.


    ¡°Did you receive an invitation?¡± she asked Evelyne.


    The woman showed an awkward smile. ¡°I did. Not sure why, even. It could be that they¡¯re trying to denigrate your name even further by showing that they¡¯re favoring your technical heir. Our poor relationship isn¡¯t exactly a secret.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°That seems like an excessive amount of effort for a duke against a mere baroness.¡±


    ¡°You used to do the same thing, didn¡¯t you? Spend weeks just deciding who and what people to invite when you held your banquets?¡±


    She paused. ¡°¡­Perhaps I did.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t remember?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°No, my recollections on the topic are faint. It does indeed sound like something I would do, however.¡±


    The woman gave her a long look, then shook her head. ¡°Alright. Regardless, that¡¯s not what I wanted to ask.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you are curious whether I would allow you to go or not?¡±


    ¡°Allow?¡± Evelyne shot her a look. ¡°I don¡¯t think you speak for whether I decide to go.¡±


    Scarlett observed her for a few seconds. ¡°¡­I misspoke. What I meant was if you were curious if I wished for you to go, or if it would conflict with any of my aims in some manner.¡±


    The woman¡¯s gaze calmed down, a hint of embarrassment showing on her face. ¡°Yes¡­That¡¯s what I wanted to ask. If you have those¡­revelations. Memories, or whatever¡­ You should know if it¡¯s worth for me to go or not, right?¡±


    ¡°That is not how it works. The knowledge I possess is far from detailed regarding matters like this, nor is it particularly reliable when it comes to events I have already affected with my previous actions. You would most likely be more suited to determine that in this situation. I have not kept myself informed of the current state of affairs in those circles due to other priorities.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡± The younger woman seemed to think about it for a moment. ¡°Then¡­ It would definitely be bad for your image if I attended. It might affect your legitimacy in other people¡¯s eyes, though I¡¯m not sure how much you even care about that anymore. I can say that it would probably be better for the barony as a whole, at the very least. There are a lot of powerful people attending that I can try to foster connections with, and they might be more willing to work with me if they think I¡¯m in a better standing than you.¡±


    ¡°There you have it,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If you believe it to be better for the barony if you go, then do so. I do not mind what others think of me, as long as it does not cause disproportionate harm to the affairs of me or those around me.¡±


    Even if she had been invited, she didn¡¯t feel especially inclined to go herself. Attending another large ball for the empire¡¯s nobility just sounded like a pain. The last one had been far from an enjoyable experience, even discounting the fact that everybody had purposefully snubbed her all evening.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°I am. Could it be that you do not wish to go as well?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just that, if things continue like this, it might affect how people treat you more than you think in the future. I know you¡¯ve been focusing on other things, but¡­even if the barony is fine, are you really okay with that?¡±


    Scarlett studied her. ¡°Do you think it would be better if I attended as well, then?¡±


    Evelyne knitted her brows. ¡°Well, yes, of course. That would be the best solution. It would show people that your situation isn¡¯t as bad as it appears if you¡¯re still getting invited to events like this one. But that¡¯s not an option at the moment.¡±


    Scarlett lowered her arm, tapping a finger against the armrest. Going would be a pain, but if it really strengthened her position, it might still be worth it. And with Evelyne¡¯s help this time, she might manage to avoid offending people again. There was a month of preparation as well.


    ¡°¡­It is possible that I might be able to procure an invitation, if that is the case.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am acquainted with Beldon Tyndall, the second son of Duke Tyndall. Recently I exchanged letters with him and he has mentioned wishing to meet with me again more than once. If it would be beneficial for us, I could most likely convince him to arrange another invitation for me.¡±


    Beldon didn¡¯t strike her as the kind of man that feared his father¡¯s ire, so persuading him shouldn¡¯t be a problem. If he said no, she still had a few tidbits of information she could trade in for a favor.


    Evelyne was giving her a disbelieving look. ¡°You actually know Beldon Tyndall?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I became familiar with him during our stay in Elystead.¡±


    Evelyne seemed to consider her words for a moment. ¡°Would he really be able to get you an invitation, though? If his father specifically chose not to invite you, it might be hard for him to do anything.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe that will pose an issue for Beldon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. Then, sure. Do that.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I shall.¡± Scarlett lowered her gaze to the papers on the desk. ¡°With that out of the way, was there anything else you wished to discuss?¡±


    ¡°No, that was it.¡±


    She reached out to pick up a pile of documents that had been put on the edge of the desk. She held them out towards Evelyne. ¡°These are the documents you left with me. I have read through them and there was nothing to call attention to. You may continue as you have with the fiefs¡¯ management.¡±


    The woman received the papers with an uncertain look. ¡°You read through these in the past two days?¡±


    ¡°I did, yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Scarlett tilted her head to the side. ¡°Was that not your intention in handing them to me?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡± Evelyne eyed her for a moment. ¡°¡­Nevermind. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m still surprised. As long as you don¡¯t have any complaints, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    She placed the documents on her lap.


    ¡°Before you leave,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°There was something I wanted to bring up with you. It might be pertinent, considering you will be staying here at the mansion for a period.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It is nothing especially notable, but for the coming weeks, I will be hosting a guest on the upper floor here in the east wing. I merely wished to inform you of that, and make you aware that their presence is not to be disclosed to anyone, nor are they to be disturbed in any way.¡±


    Evelyne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re up to the same kinds of things as with the Grey Dog Gang again.¡±


    ¡°I am not. However, the circumstances of this guest are rather unique, and I have to take this into consideration while allowing them to stay here.¡±


    Evelyne gave her a long look. ¡°You promised you would be honest about things like this to me.¡±


    ¡°That is true. But I am afraid this is an exception. It is a complicated matter and the details are not mine to share, nor does it pertain to our house or any of our affairs. You knowing of it would not make a difference.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say so.¡± Evelyne seemed to let out a small sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to avoid that part of the mansion, then. Not that I usually move about there, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Scarlett gave a short nod.


    Even telling Evelyne this much wasn¡¯t necessary. But considering she had been pretty bad at sharing things with the woman lately, she thought it prudent to try and better herself on that front where she could. It¡¯d be detrimental to their relationship if Evelyne accidentally found out about the Countess by herself and then proceeded to question Scarlett on the subject.


    Of course, it was also for the sake of the Countess. Considering the woman¡¯s state, Scarlett wanted to ensure there weren¡¯t any unexpected events during her stay here, and Evelyne was the only person who wasn¡¯t directly under Scarlett¡¯s authority who ran a risk of running into her. Removing minor hazards like these was the least thing she could do for the Countess, given how much the woman would be helping.


    Although¡­


    Scarlett observed Evelyne for a moment. This reminded her of something she had been curious about.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± she began, trying to think of how to put this. ¡°No, rather¡­ There is one more thing I wish to inquire about.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°Say I were to grow less¡­stable,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If my mental faculties were to be¡­compromised, to a state where I would no longer be fit to remain as the head of the house¡­ Moreso than I currently am.¡± The words left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. ¡°What would you do then?¡±


    Evelyne met her eyes. ¡°¡­You mean what I would do with you?¡±


    ¡°Assuming you were placed at the head of the house instead and had to choose what to make of me, yes. What would be the common way of handling such a scenario?¡±


    The woman frowned. ¡°¡­It probably varies a lot. Some families would probably try to cover it up, sequestering away a family member like that in a residence somewhere. Others might try to take care of them¡­maybe find some way to help them¡­ I¡¯m not sure what I would do, though.¡±


    ¡°How would those that do not belong to noble families act?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I imagine most wouldn¡¯t have the resources to take care of someone like that, so it¡¯s likely the person in question would end up on the street.¡±


    ¡°Are there no facilities whose goal is caring for such individuals?¡±


    Evelyne gave her an odd look. ¡°Maybe? I suppose there might be wards that focus on taking care of manic patients at some of the Followers¡¯ hospices.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brow. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    That¡­wasn¡¯t exactly an option when it come to the Countess. Not least because there weren¡¯t many places that could keep the woman against her will. The Countess¡¯ situation was also a complicated one, as well as a tragic one.


    In the game, there was no ¡®happy ending¡¯ for her. There was a whole questline with her as the focus, and even though it wasn¡¯t as if she died by the end of it, she wasn¡¯t miraculously ¡®cured¡¯ either. Her mental state wasn¡¯t the consequence of some curse or anything like that. Presumably, she had just ended up like that as a result of her experiences. Even Scarlett didn¡¯t know all the details leading up to it. But, considering how much she would be using the woman¡ªshe didn¡¯t quite want to call it exploitation¡ªshe¡¯d at least been wanting to find a way to help her after their business with each other was finished.


    But what was there to be done? She¡¯d been hoping there might be some form of experts in this world that could help, or maybe mental hospitals that had experience with these kinds of things. Proper hospitals. Not just asylums where people were ¡®hidden away¡¯ from the world at large.


    But it might be that that was too much to ask for in a world like this. It¡¯d be sad if the common way of dealing with problems like these was pretending like they didn¡¯t exist, but that was much how things had used to be back in her world, too. It might be worth looking into those hospices, at least. Maybe there was something to be found there, despite how it seemed.


    Still, the chances weren¡¯t exactly high. But Scarlett had no idea what else could be done. She had never dealt with this kind of problem, so figuring out a solution felt far outside of her capabilities.


    Should she just give up on it, maybe? The Countess had been able to survive as she was until now. It wasn¡¯t as if she was likely to die, at the very least. Scarlett didn¡¯t have any real emotional attachments to the woman, either.


    She pinched the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes.


    Whatever. It was annoying to think about. Maybe something would show up in the future. Or things would work themselves out and she wouldn¡¯t have to bother. It wasn¡¯t as if she could fix every problem in the world. She could choose for herself what to care and not care about.


    She turned her attention back to Evelyne. The woman held her gaze down at her hands, a thoughtful expression.


    Soon, she looked up and locked eyes with Scarlett. ¡°¡­Does this have anything to do with those revelations you have?¡± she asked. ¡°You told me they¡¯ve been affecting your memory, but that it could have been worse than that. Like with the Augur. You said she¡¯s not entirely sane because of her connection with Ittar.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°¡­It might be somewhat related, yes. But there is no need to worry about that happening to me. I was merely asking on a whim.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was worried.¡±


    ¡°Then there is even less cause for concern.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her for a long while. ¡°¡­You¡¯re sure there¡¯s no risk of that happening to you?¡±


    ¡°I am certain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll trust that you¡¯re not lying,¡± the woman almost muttered.


    Scarlett shifted her attention to the clock on the desk as she felt that the air around them turned slightly awkward. She hadn¡¯t been meaning to actually bring up concerns regarding her mental health here. ¡°If there is nothing more you wish to bring up, then I believe we are finished here.¡±


    Evelyne clasped her hands around the documents on her lap, then gave a slow nod. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll come over later and give you a report I wrote up of who I think will attend the ball this time. It might be good for you if you want to prepare.¡±


    ¡°That would be helpful,¡± Scarlett said as the woman stood to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, then.¡± Evelyne gave her one last look before leaving the room.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    The door to the office closed.

 Chapter 99 - Hospitality and scheming go hand in hand

    Scarlett idly took in some of the wall decorations¡ªpaintings of landscapes, people, buildings¡ªas she climbed the stairs to the top floor of the mansion¡¯s east wing. This floor felt more like an attic than the rest did, with no windows and a lower ceiling, but it was far from ¡®lacking¡¯, if you asked her. Especially if you compared it to a normal person¡¯s home in this world.


    She made her way down the hallway, stopping to gently knock on the thick door at its end. There was no response. She waited for a bit before slowly reaching to open the door.


    Inside was a bedchamber roughly the size of Scarlett¡¯s office, with a large, canopied bed near the center and a table placed between the bed and a mostly empty bookcase. The robed figure of the Countess sat hunched over the table, back turned to the entrance.


    Scarlett lightly cleared her throat.


    The woman¡¯s shoulders stirred.


    ¡°I hope I am not disturbing you,¡± Scarlett said, glancing around the room. It was surprisingly tidy. She had half been expecting to see broken furniture spread around the place. The smell also wasn¡¯t that bad. Maybe Molly had done more than she needed to and helped the Countess in keeping things clean. The servant would only have had one day to prepare the room, so it was impressive that she had managed it.


    At the table, the Countess slowly turned around to reveal her bandaged face hidden beneath her robe. A strange smile formed on the woman¡¯s lips. ¡°Ah, ah. Baroness. No need for apology, no need¡­ Welcome.¡±


    Scarlett approached the woman. ¡°At present, I am preoccupied with other matters, but I wished to pay a brief visit in order to ascertain how things are. Are the accommodations to your satisfaction? Do you lack anything?¡±


    The Countess pulled her arms closer to her body, seemingly trying to cover whatever had been on the table that she¡¯d been focusing on. Scarlett caught a glimpse of what looked like a decorated napkin of some kind right before it disappeared beneath the woman¡¯s robes. Did she do embroidery? That was surprising. Perhaps Molly had given her the materials.


    ¡°Everything¡­¡± The Countess seemed to think for a moment. ¡°Everything¡­ Everything is good.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Scarlett nodded slowly, choosing not to pry into the question of what the woman had been doing. ¡°Despite that, however, I wish to offer you my apologies. Having to conceal yourself in a room like this is not ideal, no matter the circumstances. I will endeavor to ensure that the secluded location is made up for, where possible.¡±


    ¡°There is no problem¡­ No problem.¡± The Countess shook her head vigorously. ¡°I am¡­grateful. So grateful¡­ It is just¡­unfamiliar.¡± The woman grew quieter, mumbling to herself as she seemed to carry on the conversation by herself.


    Scarlett watched as the Countess appeared to become lost in her own mind. She¡¯d learned that there wasn¡¯t much to do in these situations. After a while, the woman¡¯s attention finally returned to Scarlett, a look of confusion on her face. Then a flash of recognition appeared in her eyes. ¡°Ah, ah¡­ Sister¡­where is my sister?¡±


    Scarlett fought back the frown that almost wormed its way onto her brow. She really shouldn¡¯t have brought up the sister back then.


    ¡°Your sister is not here. But you will have the opportunity to meet her again eventually. This I promise.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Yes¡­¡± The woman nodded several times. ¡°I-I am grateful¡­ To the Baroness¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that,¡± Scarlett said, waving her hand. ¡°Have you had the opportunity to grow more acquainted with the servant I tasked with helping you?¡±


    It was best to change the topic before the woman lost herself again.


    The Countess gave her a puzzled look. ¡°¡­Servant?¡±


    ¡°Molly. The woman that has been visiting you lately. She has black hair.¡±


    A look of realization passed over the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes¡­she brought me food¡­ Very kind¡­ Very kind.¡±


    ¡°I am glad to hear that. If there is anything else that you feel you lack, you can simply request it from her and she will arrange whatever it may be.¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­yes¡­¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes shifted to the Countess¡¯ hands which were wrapped in loose bandages. The woman was fiddling with the fabric of her robe, close to where she had hidden away what she¡¯d been working on.


    ¡°¡­That was all I wanted,¡± she said and began turning around. It might be best to leave her alone for now. ¡°I will take my leave. If you wish to meet with me again later, you can tell Molly such whenever you have the need.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­¡± The Countess¡¯ attention seemed to have dispersed somewhat again. Her head nodded absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on the wall in front of her.


    Scarlett sent one last, long look at the woman, ensuring there was nothing strange, then left the room. Her visit really was just to make sure things were in order before she returned to the business at hand. While the woman¡¯s mental state hadn¡¯t exactly gotten better since their first meeting, the Countess appeared to be mostly harmless, for now at least. That was about as much as Scarlett could ask at the moment.


    Returning to the stairs, she descended two floors and moved down the hallways until she reached her office. There, she sat down at her desk and straightened herself, ready to get back to the work she¡¯d abandoned before dinner and her quick visit to the Countess. There were various documents and bulky, legal books spread out on the desk, along with several maps detailing the empire¡¯s different regions.


    She pulled out her notes from the [Pouch of Holding] where she usually kept them safe.


    Much of today and the previous day had been spent going over the current matter. Over and over again, she¡¯d thought things through in her head, to make sure she wasn¡¯t missing something glaringly obvious. To ensure things would go exactly the way she wanted.


    Tonight was when she was meeting the Hallowed Cabal again. Tonight was when she was supposed to provide them with the third piece of the Seal of Thainnith.


    She put her hand into the pouch on the desk, pulling out the artifact in question.


    [Seal of Thainnith (1/3) (Unique)]


    {A third of a whole. A seal upon that which cowered}


    If the Hallowed Cabal got their hands on this, things would change for the worse for everyone. The Cabal already had the first piece, and with the information she¡¯d given them before, they had probably found the second piece as well. With the third piece, the empire would probably be the one most affected by the Cabal¡¯s following moves. But she held no illusions that she would get away unharmed. They had no real reason to leave her alone, even after getting the third piece, after all.


    Besides the seal, she was also technically supposed to deliver the ¡®artifact¡¯ that let her resist The Angler Man¡¯s mental probing. When she¡¯d originally made that promise, she had actually been planning on giving them an old diadem that existed in the game. She knew for a fact that it countered his abilities, so it would have been a decent enough excuse. The thing with that particular item, though, was that it was in a problematic spot. Even attempting to get it would cost her both a lot of time and resources.


    Which is why she¡¯d decided just not to bother. Her current plan didn¡¯t involve giving the Cabal anything at all to begin with. Everything she needed was already prepared. She had been in contact with the guest of honor for tonight¡¯s proceedings, scouted the meeting place, and gone through a list of the most likely Cabal members that might show up. Any surprises that could occur were within her expectations. Even if The Angler Man himself woke up from his slumber now, it should still be possible to keep things under control.


    It might get a bit problematic if someone like Vail came with, yes, but that was unlikely. The woman would consider something like this a waste of time, and the Cabal didn¡¯t have any reason to force her to join.


    No, Scarlett had thought through this a lot. She knew who she was dealing with. Things were in her favor.


    She was actually starting to grow a bit excited.


    At first, after the Hallowed Cabal originally attacked the mansion, anger had been the prime emotion she felt regarding things. It diminished somewhat over time, and she had channeled some of it into her efforts of coming up with her current plan of action, but it hadn¡¯t exactly ever passed. Until now. Now, as she was getting closer and closer to actually carrying things out, the anger had almost been entirely replaced by a self-assuredness around the situation. It wasn¡¯t the normal haughtiness that came with the original Scarlett¡¯s personality, nor would she call it arrogance. But she also wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call it deserved quite yet, either.


    What she was planning was pretty bold, after all. Not to mention incredibly risky.


    To the Cabal, it probably looked like they were dealing with a minor, mostly harmless, but well-informed, factor. One which they clearly didn¡¯t see as an actual threat. And they were right. She was nowhere near being able to go against them or harm them by herself, nor were there many people who had the power¡ªor inclination¡ªto protect her from them to the degree that would be needed if she antagonised the Cabal. But she had the advantage, in that she knew a lot more about those she was dealing with than they did her. The current shot-callers in the Hallowed Cabal were exactly the kind of clever, calculating people her plan had a good chance of working against.


    She wouldn¡¯t have to go against them, nor would she need the protection of someone powerful enough to keep the Cabal away. Because the Cabal would do that for her. As long as her plan worked out as intended¡ªand she was feeling pretty certain about that part¡ªthen they wouldn¡¯t have much choice in the matter.


    Of course, it would have been ideal if they had never turned their attention towards her to begin with. But now that they had, this was the best way she could think of to get them off her back permanently. Or at least semi-permanently.


    After this, she would have a lot more freedom to focus on other things. Sure, she would have to be more careful about eyes on her than before, but that was a necessary sacrifice, considering things. She would just have to learn to cope with it. Fynn might have to work overtime from now on, as well. Thankfully, the young man wasn¡¯t one to complain about such things. Scarlett would make sure to pay him well.


    He would be joining tonight¡¯s meeting. She¡¯d already told him exactly what would be required of him, since he was the only one she was bringing along. Having any of the others come with would just cause trouble. Fynn, however, was a necessity.


    Although, considering how his backstory tied into the Cabal in the game, bringing him along came with its own risk. But, for the time being, he didn¡¯t know all the details there. If a problem were to pop up, it wouldn¡¯t be this early. Scarlett would have to be a bit careful in the future, though. But for now, it would work fine. That was what mattered.


    She stayed in her office for the remainder of the evening, reviewing things a few more times as she completed the last of the preparations. Finally, not long after the clock on her desk struck ten, a knock sounded out from the door.


    Fynn stepped into the office.


    It was time.

 Chapter 100 - Old grudges

    Scarlett walked through the dark forests outside Freybrook, along with Fynn. The moon lent little light that penetrated through the dense canopy above, but with her enchanted glasses on, she could see the opening among the trees ahead of them clearly.


    ¡°Are they still maintaining their distance?¡± she asked Fynn in a lowered voice.


    The young man looked around for a moment, then nodded his head. ¡±They are. There are more in front of us, as well.¡±


    ¡°I trust that you have not forgotten what to do.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡±


    He had a determined expression on his face.


    Scarlett returned her attention forward. Soon, they entered a small glade. Arranged in a half-circle on the end opposite them were dozens of Cabal Adepts, each of the black-robed figures standing completely still. Their ornate, gold masks were aimed at her and Fynn, and at their center stood two other figures.


    One was short, like a child, and concealed by a crimson robe that revealed only a white mask. Pale, blonde hair stuck out from under a hood, running down and covering the sides of the mask. The mask itself only held three large eyes, each a bright lavender. The third eye, sitting vertically on the forehead, blinked as it appeared to take Scarlett and Fynn in.


    Next to this figure stood a veritable giant, standing well over all others in the glade and looking much like a knight of old ¡ª if that knight was cursed and lived in an old abandoned swamp. Their frayed black vestments reached down towards the ground like wrangled threads and their head was entirely hidden by a cylindrical black helm that lacked slits. In their hands, they were grasping the hilt of a tall sword whose tip rested on the ground.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes were locked on the figure for a few seconds. She knew he would be big, but it was a different thing seeing it in real life like this. They weren¡¯t even close yet, and it already felt like he was looming over her with his stature. The only person she knew that was of a similar size was Holdger ¡®The Mammoth¡¯ of the Royal Guard, and even that was uncertain.


    To add to this knight¡¯s imposing presence, there was also a large crow perched on his shoulder. The bird looked almost like a statue, staring straight at Scarlett with an unnatural fixation from across the glade. If she hadn¡¯t known better, she would almost have thought it was taxidermied with how still it was.


    She removed her glasses as she and Fynn continued forward. Placing them inside her [Pouch of Holding], she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A huge sphere of fire appeared above them all, bathing the space in its warm light.


    None of the Cabal members showed any reaction at the display, at least not physically. She could practically feel the tension in the air as dozens of eyes followed their movements. Beside her, Fynn was practically oozing with alertness in return, though he wasn¡¯t taking any overtly threatening actions.


    Scarlett stopped a few meters away from the two figures at the center of the Cabal Adepts, examining the two a bit closer. These were Nol¡¯viz and Carnwedain. Both important members of the Hallowed Cabal, though not shot-callers per se.


    ¡°How many are there?¡± she asked out loud.


    ¡°Thirty-six,¡± Fynn answered.


    She looked around. There was about half that number in the glade. ¡°I see. Shall we begin?¡±


    In front of them, the hooded figure¡ªNol¡¯viz¡ªtilted her head curiously at Fynn, while the dark knight next to her removed a hand from his sword¡¯s hilt. The wind stirred behind Scarlett as Fynn stepped forward, glaring at the two. He didn¡¯t seem to mind the fact that the knight stood several heads above his height.


    Carnwedain showed no signs of noticing Fynn¡¯s action, simply pulling out something from beneath his frayed clothing, a reflective piece of grey metal appeared in his hand. The [Mirror of Communion] took on a darker hue as a fog grew across its surface.


    ¡°Do you have it?¡± a sharp voice sounded out from the mirror a moment later. The same voice that had spoken with Scarlett the last time, when the Cabal attacked her mansion.


    ¡°A pleasure hearing from you, as well,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Do you have the last piece?¡±


    Wow. They sure were eager to get down to business.


    ¡°From your reply, I presume you have already located the second piece of the seal. Just as I promised you would if you heeded my words.¡±


    ¡°Bring it out.¡±


    ¡°It would do you well to entertain some patience,¡± she said, eyeing the two in front of her. ¡°Before we proceed to the matter of the seal, I think it would be prudent to first revisit what our original deal was. It would not do for one party to have forgotten the details regarding how to uphold their end, no?¡±


    Carnwedain showed no reaction to her words, standing like a statue with one hand around the hilt of his sword and the other holding the [Mirror of Communion]. The crow on his shoulders was similarly stationary, though its head was now cocked to the side as it stared at Scarlett.


    Nol¡¯viz was still studying Fynn, now with an almost transfixed gaze. Up close like this, it was even more clear that the eyes on her mask weren¡¯t just decorations. Tiny black pupils¡ªsurrounded by unnaturally large and almost transparent irises¡ªmoved in unison as they roamed over the young man.


    It seemed like neither of the two Cabal members cared much about interfering with the negotiation itself, at least. And if any of the Adepts were to try something, Fynn could hold them off for at least a moment, which would be enough.


    ¡°¡­What is it you want to confirm?¡± the voice on the other end of the mirror asked.


    Scarlett returned her attention to the artifact. ¡°I believe your promise was that your organization would leave me and my people alone, in exchange for the two pieces of the seal that I would assist you in procuring.¡±


    ¡°That was not all.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. There was also the artifact I spoke of. The artifact which protected me from the mental prying of your other affiliate.¡± Scarlett nodded along. ¡°In exchange for the seals and that item, you agreed to leave me be. These were the terms of our agreement, were they not?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, before I hand you the last piece of the seal and that item, I have simply one question. I wish to know what is stopping you from reneging on your word after our business has been concluded.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will keep our word. Stop wasting time. Give us the seal.¡±


    ¡°You say as much, but what would happen if you were to break your word?¡± she asked. ¡°Know that I am only asking so that I can have a sense of reassurance for me and my people, not because I doubt your trustworthiness.¡±


    The voice turned silent. It stretched out over several seconds as both ends stared each other down.


    ¡°Carnwedain, Nol¡¯viz,¡± the voice finally said, its tone implying it had already grown tired of this. ¡°See if she has the seal on her.¡±


    A growl escaped Fynn as he moved in front of Scarlett with hands raised. The large knight in front of them lifted his sword from the ground with his one free hand. At the same time, something moved under Nol¡¯viz¡¯s robes.


    ¡°That will not be necessary,¡± Scarlett declared and held up a hand. She moved her other hand towards her waist. ¡°I will hand over the seal, exactly as promised.¡±


    ¡°Halt,¡± the voice commanded.


    Both Carnwedain and Nol¡¯viz stopped, almost immediately returning to their original positions.


    ¡°I had wanted to see what reactions that might engender, though I suppose there was nothing in particular I wanted to gauge,¡± Scarlett said as she brought a hand into the pouch of holding. ¡°Call it a whim, if you will. I already knew the answer, after all.¡±


    She pulled out the seal.


    [Seal of Thainnith (1/3) (Unique)]


    {A third of a whole. A seal upon that which cowered}


    ¡°With that in mind, I find it fortunate that I do not actually have to acquiesce to your demands.¡± She showed a small smile. ¡°Is that not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Take the seal,¡± the voice said immediately.


    ¡°¡ªso, Mistress?¡± Scarlett finished.


    ¡°You are a dramatic one, aren¡¯t you?¡± a soft laugh sounded out as an ethereal, yet strangely mature, voice seeped into the glade. Both Carnwedain and Nol¡¯viz froze in place just as they were about to move, as did all the Adepts around them.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The air shimmered next to Scarlett as a gate formed in the empty space. A moment later, a woman in gold-red robes garbs stepped out, the upper half of her face hidden by a decorated marble mask. She looked out over the Cabal members, the azure gem at the top of her staff glowing a light blue. Her gaze then turned to Scarlett, the tips of her mouth rising in a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t enjoy it, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­Theilenna.¡± The voice on the other end of the [Mirror of Communion] spoke slowly.


    The masked woman turned to the artifact, which was still held in the hand of the large knight. ¡°Vior, is that you? I see you¡¯re still the same bore, slaving away for that decrepit old reprobate. One would think you¡¯d grow tired of it eventually.¡± She shook her head. ¡°And haven¡¯t I told you? I go by Mistress now. Do try to remember it. We wouldn¡¯t want something awful to happen because you can¡¯t adjust to a name change or two, would we, dear? I¡¯ve only had so many.¡±


    Her words were met by silence.


    The woman, Mistress¡ªthe game had really had a thing for its descriptive sobriquets¡ªtapped her staff on the ground and the light from the gem on top faded. At the same time, all of the Cabal members seemed to be released from whatever spell had been holding them. The Adepts all raised their khopeshes, while Nol¡¯viz and Carnwedain had their attention fixed on the woman. Yet, no one moved.


    She let out a small laugh, turning her head as she appeared to consider them all. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it looks like you were in the middle of something. I do hope I¡¯m not disturbing.¡± Her tone took on an excessively friendly tone. ¡°It would be a shame if I were to be a nuisance¡ª¡± The woman stopped in the middle of her sentence, letting out a short cough.


    ¡°Ahem, one moment please.¡± Another couple of coughs followed before she wiped her mouth with her sleeve. ¡°Haaah. No, enough of that.¡± Her voice turned derisive. ¡°Any more and I might develop a rash. Shows me to try and add a little spice to things.¡±


    Her focus shifted towards the seal in Scarlett¡¯s hand before turning back to the [Mirror of Communion]. ¡°Well, I detest speaking with that miscreant¡¯s lackeys about as much as you do me, so I won¡¯t draw this out longer than necessary. Yes, it¡¯s me. Yes, I¡¯m actually here. Yes, I¡¯m taking the seal. No, I don¡¯t care what godforsaken, anathematized pit you¡¯re threatening to throw me into because of it. Yes, more than I can count. And no, it wasn¡¯t me, though I¡¯m sure I wish it had been.¡±


    Finishing, the woman took a deep breath. ¡°There. I just had that whole conversation for the both of us. Aren¡¯t I nice?¡±


    ¡°¡­You will regret this, Baroness,¡± the voice from the mirror said.


    ¡°Perhaps. We will see.¡± Scarlett looked to Mistress. ¡°Did you bring what we agreed to?¡±


    ¡°Why, of course. Although I almost wish I hadn¡¯t.¡± The woman¡¯s mouth contorted. ¡°Viles know why I thought it a good idea to leave it in that place.¡±


    Scarlett reached down to her waist and pulled out a thin pile of furled papers from her pouch, holding them out towards the woman. ¡°What I promised is in there.¡±


    These were a gathering of maps and notes she had prepared in the previous days. They detailed the location of the first piece of the Seal of Thainnith¡ªcurrently in the possession of the Hallowed Cabal¡ªalong with places where the second piece could be.


    She was pretty sure of the first piece¡¯s location because there was a questline to steal it in the game, but the second piece would only just now have been found by the Cabal. She couldn¡¯t be certain they would have moved it to the same place. They probably wouldn¡¯t, so she had tried recalling the general locations of other relevant Cabal bases instead. From there, Mistress would most likely be able to pinpoint the exact position herself.


    To be honest, though, Scarlett wasn¡¯t exactly hoping for the woman to find the second piece, nor did she think the odds were that high either. She¡¯d decided to give Mistress what information she had, yes, but that was only because the woman wasn¡¯t the kind of person one doublecrossed. Scarlett wouldn¡¯t actually benefit from Mistress getting all three pieces, though. It just wasn¡¯t as bad as if the Cabal got them.


    Of course, she also used this as a chance to have the woman sow some chaos among the Cabal ranks. There were only a couple of members in the Cabal that could stand up to Mistress, after all.


    As the woman received the papers she didn¡¯t even bother looking them over as they disappeared into thin air. She then reached out and grabbed the empty space in front of her, and her fingers grasped hold of something that hadn¡¯t been there the moment before. It looked reminiscent of a heart, but with the lower half being made of some red-wine-colored bone material that had a slight sheen to it. At the top were several thick blood vessels that bore a sickly, sallow color.


    [Essence of Zenthas]


    {The still heart of one who abandoned impermanence, grasping for truth}


    From the corner of her eyes, Scarlett noticed several of the Adepts flinch at the sight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be kind and fill you in on what¡¯s happening, Vior,¡± Mistress said out loud, shaking the object in her hand. ¡°See, I¡¯ve finally found something useful to do with that rotten coot¡¯s heart. Namely, trading it for that nice seal of yours.¡±


    ¡°¡­You dare¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do.¡± Mistress smiled. ¡°You should take notes, darling. This is how you get things done. It¡¯s all about give and take. You just have to make sure you¡¯re giving less than you take.¡±


    She held out the heart towards Scarlett, who looked back at Fynn and gave him a nod. The young man walked up. Just as he was about to take the heart, however, Mistress pulled her hand back and raised a finger. ¡°Ah-ah-ah. Don¡¯t go expecting much if this little trade of yours turns out to not live up to my expectations.¡±


    ¡°There will be no such problem,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°As long as you are capable enough to make use of what I have disclosed to you.¡±


    She was giving away exactly what she had promised.


    The masked woman looked at her with a smirk. ¡°Well, then we won¡¯t have an issue, will we?¡± She handed the heart over to Fynn, who stepped back behind Scarlett.


    He knew what to do from here.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s it for me, then,¡± Mistress announced. ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do and people to bother. After that, maybe I¡¯ll relax; treat myself to some wine as I think of that codger¡¯s face when he hears of this. I¡¯d say I¡¯ve earned it.¡±


    The woman tapped her staff on the ground. Another shimmering gate appeared in front of her. She turned to look at Scarlett. ¡°Best of luck dealing with these eyesores. It¡¯ll be fun seeing if you¡¯re still alive for our next meeting. I hope you have something interesting prepared for me then as well. I¡¯d say you owe me, but why state the obvious?¡±


    With that, she stepped through the gate and disappeared without another word.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± Scarlett said. The wind flared behind her with the command.


    If any of the others moved even a single step towards them, he was to move to stab straight through the heart. No hesitation. Something that wouldn¡¯t completely destroy it. For something like that, Fynn was the prime candidate. Not even these powerful people would be able to stop him in time.


    Scarlett turned her eyes to the tall figure of Carnwedain. The [Mirror of Communion] was still in his hand.


    ¡°It appears as if your subordinates have correctly understood the situation at hand,¡± she said. ¡°But for the sake of clarity, I shall elucidate. The article currently in my retainer¡¯s hands is the Essence of Zenthas, which had previously been in the possession of the woman known as Mistress. If any of your men were to act out of line, my retainer will destroy the Essence instantly, with no consideration for his or my own fate.¡±


    What Fynn was holding was the heart of The Angler Man. If it was damaged, so too would The Angler Man be.


    Mistress had kept this in her possession for a long time in order to keep the Hallowed Cabal from annoying her too much. But they had always been locked in an odd stalemate where neither party could truly deal with the other for various reasons. Now, though, Mistress didn¡¯t have any real need for the Essence anymore, and she was more than willing to trade it off. Which is why Scarlett had decided to act on the opportunity this afforded.


    Like the Cabal, Mistress also wanted the Seal of Thainnith. Both parties were in a race to get it before the other. But the Cabal didn¡¯t know that Mistress had always been aware of where the third piece was. In the game, if you picked up the third piece of the seal while playing as a member of the Cabal, the woman would use that piece to track you down after a while and try to find the other piece that was in the Cabal¡¯s possession.


    All Scarlett had to do was offer Mistress what she had originally been aiming for, just making things easier. And in exchange, she got a powerful bargaining chip against the Hallowed Cabal.


    A long silence had followed Scarlett¡¯s previous words, but eventually, the voice from the mirror spoke. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t act unless on my command.¡±


    The Cabal Adepts all lowered their weapons.


    Scarlett smiled. ¡°I believe it is time for the actual negotiations to begin. You all acted quite conceited during our previous talks. Do not think I have forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it you want?¡± the voice asked.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Scarlett hummed, eyeing all of the Cabal members for a moment. She was feeling a bit too much satisfaction from this situation. She wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d ever felt this self-assured before. It was, without a doubt, not at a healthy level, considering the circumstances.


    There was an inherent risk behind this plan of hers. While it was true that she now had in her possession one of the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s largest weaknesses, they still had the power to obliterate her and everything connected to her without any real opposition. So, with both parties able to so easily hurt the other, but neither willing to receive that damage, it made it hard to know exactly where the line would be drawn.


    How far could she push them before she crossed it? Because when she did, it wouldn¡¯t matter if she had the Essence of Zenthas. She would be crushed all the same. But the same went for the Hallowed Cabal. If they went too far, The Angler Man would die, which would cause irreparable damage to their organization and cause.


    Scarlett¡¯s greatest advantage in this situation was that she was a mostly unknown factor. The Cabal didn¡¯t know how far she was willing to go, while she at least had a rough sense of their side.


    ¡°My wish in itself is quite simple,¡± she said. ¡°However, I will not say the same for its implementation. We will strike a deal, but unlike before, it will be a true contract. One in which, among other things, you will agree to not disturb me in any way, and I will agree to not destroy the Essence of Zenthas. This time, however, I suggest that you do not attempt to fool me with those empty ¡®promises¡¯ of yours. I am not, nor have I ever been, that na?ve.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± The voice did not sound happy. ¡°You will be left alone.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Do you think that will suffice? It appears you fail to completely comprehend the current circumstances. This is not a matter where such vague terms will be enough.¡± She pulled out an additional pile of papers that she had prepared from her pouch. ¡°I said it will be a contract. That includes all that such a recourse entails.¡±


    The contracts in her hand had been fashioned after the legal documents of this world. Although the Hallowed Cabal wasn¡¯t a group that would recognize the authority of any judicial organs in the empire, these documents and the way they were structured still served as a good framework for Scarlett to build upon. After all, she was now essentially in a state of mutually assured destruction with the Cabal. What¡¯s worse, she was a mere individual, and they were a large and powerful organization. What she stood to lose, were relations to break down, was literally everything.


    Of course, there was also the fact that she wasn¡¯t actually willing to give her life just to off The Angler Man.


    She would be damned if she didn¡¯t make the terms extremely clear now, when she had the upper hand and the Cabal was still unsure about her. If the terms were too vague and the Cabal did something she didn¡¯t like in the future, she wouldn¡¯t be able to say much in complaint. Her only option for retaliation was killing The Angler Man, after all. And considering she wanted to live, that wasn¡¯t a real option.


    No, it was best to tie the Cabal¡¯s hands and feet as early as possible. They would regret the day they messed with Amy Bernal, Scarlett Hartford, or whatever one would call her.


    She pulled out the first of the documents. ¡°Then, let us begin with the terms and conditions concerning any activities conducted by the Hallowed Cabal or any of its affiliates that pertain to or affect the Hartford barony.¡±

 Chapter 101 - Morning afters

    [Quest completed: Conclude negotiations with the Hallowed Cabal]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}


    [Quest completed: Broker a truce with the Hallowed Cabal]


    {Skill points awarded: 8}


    Scarlett eyed the quest completion messages. The words floated in the air next to her as she walked through the darkened forest.


    She glanced at Fynn, who was moving beside her. The young man had been on constant guard of their surroundings ever since they left the mansion, but now, after the negotiations, he was clasping the [Essence of Zenthas] in his hands as well, ready to act any second.


    ¡°Are there any eyes on us?¡± she asked him.


    He shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    That was good. That meant the Cabal was actually keeping to their word. Not that she was expecting them not to. In the current situation, it wouldn¡¯t be wise of them to act that bold.


    A period of silence followed as the two of them continued making their way back towards Freybrook, where a carriage would be waiting for them near the gates. She was looking forward to getting some proper rest when they returned. Even if the [Mark of the Staunch] afforded her a boost in stamina, it did little for mental exhaustion. She had spent the majority of the past two days focused on and preparing for this meeting. Things had gone according to her expectations, but the effort still took its toll.


    As they neared the forest border further ahead, Scarlett shifted her attention back to Fynn.


    ¡°Remember,¡± she said. ¡°You are not to speak of this with any of the others. Is that understood?¡±


    He turned to her, then gave a nod. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    His gaze stayed on her for a moment longer. ¡°¡­Why does it have to be a secret, though?¡±


    Scarlett looked ahead. ¡°Why, you ask?¡±


    Shin and Allyssa couldn¡¯t know because they were Shielders, that much was obvious. Nothing good could come out of the Shields Guild knowing she had dealings with the Cabal, no matter how innocuous.


    It was better to leave Rosa in the dark when it came to this kind of thing, as well. Everything the woman learned would also be leaked to the being possessing her. And while Scarlett wasn¡¯t exactly scared about letting it know some of her plans, matters related to the Cabal were best kept secret.


    ¡°Simply be aware that telling them could pose a danger, both to me and them,¡± she said. ¡°It is not within anyone¡¯s interest that tonight¡¯s dealings are shared with anyone not directly involved.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Fynn seemed to think for a bit. ¡°But who were those people? They were the ones who attacked us before at the mansion. Then, they looked down on you. Now they listened to you.¡±


    ¡°They are an organization known as the Hallowed Cabal. They are also immensely powerful, which is why they did not believe it necessary for them to show me any true respect during our first encounter. As you might have ascertained, however, the object in your hands is something that they deeply value. So this time, they had little choice but to heed my words.¡±


    The young man scowled, looking down at the strange, half-petrified heart he was holding. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why they care. It doesn¡¯t feel special. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Precisely what it appears to be,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°A heart.¡±


    ¡°But half of it is hardened¡­ And it¡¯s missing its owner.¡±


    ¡°You, of all people, should be aware that there are more than simply physical connections that matter in this world.¡±


    Fynn glanced up at her, then eyed the heart. ¡°What would happen if I actually crushed it?¡±


    ¡°It would mostly likely injure the owner quite severely.¡±


    To be exact, it would kill him. But while she couldn¡¯t exactly lie to Fynn, it also might not be wise to outright share all the details in this particular situation. While he wasn¡¯t aware of his grudge against the Cabal yet, it was better to play it a little safe.


    ¡°And the owner is part of that group?¡± Fynn asked.


    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s bad.¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The young man nodded his head as if he understood, although his brows soon creased once again. ¡°How is he alive without his heart, though?¡±


    ¡°I am afraid I do not have an adequate answer for that,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It is not something I entirely understand myself.¡±


    Magic nonsense. That was all she could say.


    ¡°With this, though, you forced those Cabal people to agree to that contract thing,¡± Fynn said.


    She nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because if I had not, they would have continued to persecute the life of myself and those around me.¡±


    ¡°But was a contract necessary? Couldn¡¯t you just have told them what to do directly? Instead, now you agreed to some of their demands as well.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°Let us say that I did as you say, attempting to enforce my will upon them with no concessions. What do you think would happen if one of their number were to break their word and act against me in that situation?¡±


    ¡°That would force you to break this heart, wouldn¡¯t it? And they don¡¯t want that, so they wouldn¡¯t do something like that?¡±


    ¡°They do not want that, no. But that is not a guarantee that nothing will happen. And if I were to indeed break the heart, I would not live for much longer. This leaves us in a precarious situation where both parties stand to lose from provoking the other. As such, it is imperative that the balance is always maintained. One minor transgression from either side could incite a chain of events that leads to one side being forced to act or otherwise jeopardize their own position. This, in turn, would force the other side to retaliate, and we will be left with both parties having caused irreparable damage to the other.¡±


    Scarlett examined Fynn for a few seconds. ¡°Do you understand what I am trying to say?¡±


    He stayed quiet for a moment, a serious expression on his face. ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Had I not set forward clear and understandable terms as to what both parties are allowed to do, it would have given the Cabal more freedom to interpret or bend the words of the agreement to their benefit after having gained a better understanding of me and my limitations. And I am in a position where I lack the power to properly respond to any of their actions without endangering myself. With this contract, any such action from their end now carries considerably more risk, since it would be a direct breach of the agreement.¡±


    ¡°¡­So because they¡¯re much stronger, you wanted to tie both them and yourself down under as many promises as possible.¡± Fynn glanced back to where they came from, deeper into the forest. ¡°And you wanted to do it before they have time to find out how far they could push you?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°That is an apt way of describing it, yes. Although I would not say that I am as burdened by this agreement as they are. As an individual, I simultaneously have the most to lose, as well as the least, if one side were to break their word. Because of this, and the relative insignificance a single person plays to a group as large as theirs, the terms of the contract benefit me far more than it benefits them.¡±


    One of the head clauses that Scarlett had pushed through, for example, had been that the Hallowed Cabal was not to interfere with any of her matters. Of course, in return, she wouldn¡¯t interfere directly with their affairs either. But a subclause of that had been that it didn¡¯t count ¡®retroactively¡¯, so to speak. That is, if the Cabal were to interfere in something she was planning to do before she did it, then it was fine. This was to prevent either side from accidentally breaking the agreement. But the Cabal stood to lose a lot more on an organizational level if she were to impede their major projects in ways that the clause allowed for.


    And unlike them, she already knew a lot of their plans, which gave her a lot more freedom. This meant that, according to their contract, she could snatch things from right under their noses and they couldn¡¯t do anything but accept it. Or breach the agreement, of course. But it would have to take something pretty serious for them to go that far, with the life of The Angler Man on the line. He was vital both to their organization and their goals, after all.


    In general, the Cabal hadn¡¯t had much leeway in these negotiations. She¡¯d had the lead on all of this, and because of the circumstances, the Cabal didn¡¯t have the opportunity to postpone discussions. And most of her terms had been things that, at face value, seemed reasonable when it came to maintaining a sense of non-interfering neutrality between two parties. They¡¯d almost definitely been aware of which terms favored her, though. But she¡¯d allowed them some renegotiation on certain parts. It was important that she didn¡¯t tempt them too much to act out against her. Upholding their agreement with her had to seem like the less risky alternative.


    But in the end, they would only push things so far when such an integral part of their organization was at stake. Especially when they didn¡¯t know enough about their enemy.


    So even though she had in some regards tied her own hands with this contract, she was very satisfied with how it had all turned out. She¡¯d even managed to potentially solve some of the problems she¡¯d been worrying about a lot for in the future. The major one had been what she would do if she succeeded with the main quest and reached Beld Thylelion before the Cabal and they found out about it. With this contract, they technically couldn¡¯t do anything in response. There was some uncertainty in that particular regard, considering how important the Tribute of Dominion resting in that place was, but it was definitely better than what she had before.


    The only actual threat at the moment was if the Cabal were to somehow try to get back the heart from her. She didn¡¯t think they would, considering the risk involved, and had showcased part of Fynn¡¯s perception abilities to drive that part home. If they were to send an assassin to her home or anything like that, they would have to succeed in taking the heart from Fynn without even giving him the chance of reacting. Even for the most powerful of the Cabal members, doing something like that would be hard. It was much more likely they¡¯d fail or get detected long before they even got the chance to try.


    To be safe, she and the others would probably have to keep their eyes open from now on. Other than that, though, things were definitely looking up.


    Scarlett sat in the dining hall for supper the next day. After returning from the negotiations in the dead of night, she¡¯d spent much of the morning and earlier parts of the day sleeping in, at Fynn¡¯s prompting. The young man in question had decided not to rest at all, instead standing watch outside her room until she woke up. She had wanted to tell him it wasn¡¯t necessary, but that wasn¡¯t entirely true. She also knew he could go several days without sleep if he needed to, so in the end, she¡¯d allow it until they established some other means of maintaining their guard. There were already some plans she had made in that regard, related to the next dungeon she was hoping for them to visit.


    For now, though, Fynn was choosing to stay close to her, to the best of his ability. Currently, he was seated to her right, his attention fixed on the food in front of him. Shin, Allyssa, Rosa, and Evelyne were also present in the hall. It was rare that all of them were gathered in one place like this. The last time had been the morning before they left Elystead, when the news of the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attacks across the empire first broke.


    At the moment, Evelyne was in a conversation about famous alchemists with Allyssa. Sitting opposite them at the table, Rosa and Shin were discussing the local history of the Freybrook area, of all things. Scarlett was content just listening in on some of their discussions as she concentrated on her meal. Today, it was steamed mussels with grilled sausage. Apparently, mussels were starting to get into season, and the chef here at the mansion had done a sublime job as usual. She hadn¡¯t even known mussels could taste this good.


    She would have to send the man her regards again. Something she felt she¡¯d done more than a few times, really, ever since arriving at this place.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    She was brought out of her thoughts by Evelyne¡¯s voice. The woman seemed to have finished her conversation and was now looking at her.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I had been meaning to ask¡­ I heard you left with one of the carriages last night. What was that about?¡±


    Scarlett paused, a frown appearing on her brow. It seems like either the coachman or one of the guards had a loose tongue. She had specifically told them to keep things quiet¡­


    Well, that would have to be dealt with later. Figuring out who was responsible wouldn¡¯t be hard, with Fynn¡¯s help.


    ¡°¡­There was a matter that I had to tend to, along with Fynn,¡± she said. ¡°It was not something that could be performed within the city walls, however, which is why we made use of the carriage.¡±


    ¡°What ¡®matter¡¯ was this?¡±


    ¡°The specifics of it do not concern you. Simply know that we needed a suitable location to assess some of Fynn¡¯s capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Capabilities, eh?¡± Rosa asked. The carefree woman smiled at Fynn. ¡°That sure sounds on the up-and-up. What sort of things did you have our youngling pup get up to? Are travelers going to run into what remains of the local critter wildlife for the coming months, perhaps?¡±


    The white-haired young man looked up as everybody¡¯s questioning gazes turned to him. He adopted what was probably supposed to be an aloof expression and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Scarlett groaned inwardly.


    ¡­At least he tried.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we already seen enough of Fynn¡¯s weirdness?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°We don¡¯t mind it, so wouldn¡¯t it have been best to bring us along as well? What if something had happened?¡±


    Next to her, Evelyne furrowed her brows. ¡°There were people after you, Scarlett, weren¡¯t there? Leaving the city like that in the middle of the night with only one person accompanying you was an enormous risk.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°There was no such threat this time. I took the proper precautions. And while I am loath to withhold information from all of you, I also have an obligation to Fynn as his employer to protect his secrets.¡±


    Everybody turned to look at him again. The young man in question now wore an impartial expression as he was busy trying to pull out the meat from one mussel with his fork.


    ¡°¡­I feel like I am lacking a lot of information about this retainer of yours, Scarlett,¡± Evelyne said. She turned back to her own plate. ¡°But alright. I¡¯ll let it be.¡±


    The others also seemed to leave it at that, as a momentary silence descended upon the dining hall for a short while before the previous conversations picked up again. Scarlett remained outside the discussions, continuing her own meal.


    ¡®Pushing¡¯ the blame onto Fynn might not be the best of excuses, but it was effective enough. People usually accepted her keeping things hidden if she claimed it was someone else¡¯s secret, funnily enough. There was also no point in claiming anything that would force Fynn himself to try lying for real.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly optimal that she had to lie to Evelyne and the others like this, though. Especially considering she¡¯d decided to try to be a bit more open with Evelyne in general recently. But there was an exception to everything, and having dealings with the Hallowed Cabal was likely to be a crime against the empire. That was definitely the sort of thing that was best kept secret from the woman. For both of their sakes.


    The supper continued like that for a while longer, until one of the female servants entered the dining hall. A short, blonde woman, who Scarlett recognized as one of the younger servants among the staff.


    The woman performed a small curtsy. ¡°My Lady. There is a visitor.¡±


    ¡°A visitor?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°He introduced himself as Leon Delmon.¡±


    She blinked. Leon? He was here? In Freybrook? She turned to Evelyne, sharing a look with the woman. ¡°Were you aware he would come?¡±


    Evelyne shook her head. ¡°No. He mentioned nothing of the sort when I last met him.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. Then why was he here? Was it still about the whole engagement thing? That shouldn¡¯t require him to visit Freybrook personally like this, though, right? He was the vice-captain of the Solar Knights. It wasn¡¯t as if he could just leave the capital whenever he wanted.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Fynn asked, looking up from his food.


    ¡°He is an acquaintance of mine,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°One which I did not expect would visit personally.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nichol.¡± Allyssa turned to the young servant standing at the room¡¯s entrance. ¡°Did you say his name was Leon Delmon?¡±


    The woman lowered her head. ¡°That¡¯s right, Miss Astrey.¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡± Fynn asked.


    Allyssa shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of him.¡±


    Scarlett put down her cutlery on the table and picked up a white napkin to clean her mouth. ¡°Have him brought over to the guest parlor. I will be there shortly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± The servant woman performed another curtsy and left the hall.


    Scarlett pushed her seat back as she stood.


    ¡°You¡¯re meeting with him right away?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°I am, yes.¡± It was best to get this over with quickly. ¡°Do you wish to join?¡±


    The younger woman shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. I barely know him, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will share what he had to say later.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I appreciate it.¡±


    With that, Scarlett left the dining hall behind.

 Chapter 102 - Dealing with a knight

    Scarlett moved through the mansion¡¯s hallways in the direction of the guest parlor.


    Of all people, she hadn¡¯t been expecting Leon to suddenly show up like this. It¡¯d been almost two months since they last met, so she thought he wouldn¡¯t bother with her anymore now that talks of the annulment were in progress. That¡¯s the impression she¡¯d gotten through interacting with him, at least. It was clear he wasn¡¯t a fan of the original Scarlett.


    Not to mention how he hadn¡¯t even cared about sending word before his visit. Wasn¡¯t that common practice around here, most of the time?


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t. There were a lot of people that visited her unannounced, actually.


    She took a moment to smooth her clothes as she arrived before the parlor, then opened the doors. Entering the room, she saw Leon sitting on one of the couches situated at the center. The dark-haired man was dressed in the same black uniform she had seen him wear during the wedding back in Ambercrest, with gold trimmings running along the chest and collar. Or it could just have been a similar uniform. This one did look a bit more casual, missing the medals and a couple of other minor details.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± he said, turning his head towards her.


    ¡°Sir Leon.¡± She walked over to take a seat opposite him. ¡°I was not expecting you to pay me a visit. To what do I owe the pleasure? Does the vice-captain of an imperial knight order not have more important matters to tend to in the capital?¡±


    The man examined her for a couple of seconds. ¡°We¡¯ll be moving out on an important mission soon. It¡¯s expected to take some time, so the captain recommended we take care of any business we have left before then.¡±


    ¡°I see. And I presume this ¡®business¡¯ involves me or my household,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Was there a reason you refrained from informing me of your visit beforehand, however?¡±


    She noticed a small wince on his part. ¡°¡­I only have a few days, and there was a fellow member of the order who already had passage here to Freybrook. I didn¡¯t have the time to wait just to send you a letter in advance.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± She eyed him for a moment. ¡°And what, exactly, is it that you are here for? Could it be related to the reason behind your visit to my mansion in Elystead last month? My sister informed me she met with you at the time.¡±


    ¡°You know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I can surmise that it is related to the voiding of our betrothal, but I will not claim to know the specifics. Is that truly something that warrants inconveniencing yourself merely to come here?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Leon narrowed his eyes, then closed them and sighed. ¡°What is it you want, Scarlett?¡±


    She cocked her head to the side. ¡°There are a great number of things that I wish for, although I do not think that is what you are asking. You will have to be more specific.¡±


    ¡°You can quit acting ignorant. I don¡¯t feel like playing your mind games.¡± He pressed a hand against his forehead. ¡°You¡¯re already aware my family wants to end the engagement, but that they¡¯ll never be the ones to initiate it. That doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t try to make things harder for you in other ways, however. We both know this betrothal isn¡¯t going anywhere now, and I don¡¯t want to be caught in the barrage between you and my family, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m just going to ask: what do you want from me to end things cleanly?¡±


    Scarlett stared at him.


    She¡¯d been under the belief that his family was already in the process of getting the engagement annulled. They hadn¡¯t said so outright in the letter they sent previously, but it seemed like the reasonable conclusion. She had just been waiting for more news on that front, honestly.


    From the sounds of it, though, it seemed like ending the engagement required her agreement as well? Or perhaps being the party that initiated the annulment was frowned upon in this case, for some reason? Could the original have made some sort of contract with the Delmons that they didn¡¯t want to break?


    Whatever the case was, it didn¡¯t seem Evelyne was aware of it, judging from their earlier talks. She would have to speak with the woman about it later just to make sure, though.


    ¡°To clarify,¡± she said. ¡°You have come here hoping to convince me to be the one to break the engagement, rather than your family?¡±


    She assumed that, if she didn¡¯t break it, there was a good chance the Delmons would continue to be on her back about it. Like how Evelyne had told her they stopped their business with their barony over in Steepmond and blocked their other routes in the city.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Leon nodded.


    Scarlett scowled. ¡°I would have expected more from the family of a marquis. If they are displeased with the current arrangement, then they should move to resolve it themselves. I did not expect for them to hide away from the situation in this manner.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Whatever deal they had with the original, they still were a freaking marquisate. It was definitely within their power to have the engagement annulled, even if there were some consequences. And considering they had agreed to things to begin with, one would think they should be ready to deal with those consequences.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know I¡¯m here,¡± Leon said. He didn¡¯t look perturbed at all at how she spoke of his family.


    ¡°I would argue that makes it worse.¡±


    He just shook his head. ¡°So, what do you want, Scarlett? As I said, I don¡¯t care about the politicking between you and my family. I¡¯ve earned enough as a member of the Solar Knights to pay you, if that¡¯s what you want. If it¡¯s something else, then tell me what and I¡¯ll consider it. I won¡¯t allow anything illegal or that might hurt the citizens of the empire, though.¡±


    She schooled her expression, putting the matter of what she was starting to suspect was a family of assholes¡ªLeon excluded, for now¡ªat the back of her mind. ¡°I am not certain what I would want from you. It is not a topic I have paid much thought to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not convinced this wasn¡¯t part of your plan from the beginning,¡± Leon said with a disbelieving expression. ¡°Regardless, neither you nor I stand to gain anything from this engagement anymore. There¡¯s no point in having it continue.¡±


    Scarlett tapped her finger against the armrest next to her as she thought over his words. She was very curious about exactly what the original had done in the past to make this guy so paranoid around her.


    ¡°That may be,¡± she said after a while. ¡°However, I will still have to give the matter more thought. It is not something one decides on the spur of the moment, after all.¡± She turned her eyes towards the room¡¯s exit. ¡°I will also have to confer with my sister. For now, I ask that you return at a later date.¡±


    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t be staying in Freybrook for long. I can return tomorrow, at the latest.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid I will not be available tomorrow. I will be leaving early in the morning for other affairs.¡±


    Leon¡¯s forehead creased. ¡°When are you free, then?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps in a few days. Although that will depend.¡±


    Well, she already knew when she would return, but what her schedule would look like from there wasn¡¯t set in stone. And she didn¡¯t exactly feel pressured to deal with this immediately. Not before she knew the specifics of the situation, and what the arrangement with the Delmons actually was.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Autumnwell.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing in Autumnwell?¡±


    Scarlett fixed her gaze on him. ¡°We may currently be in an engagement,¡± she said, ¡°but do not presume that to mean I hold the obligation to share all of my affairs with you. My business in Autumnwell is mine alone.¡±


    The city was where the next dungeon she wanted to clear was. Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that she would be clearing the place. Neither Kat nor Adalicia were available at the moment, and Garside was still recovering. Bringing the Countess wasn¡¯t exactly an option, either, so clearing the whole dungeon would probably be too difficult with Scarlett¡¯s current party.


    Still, she didn¡¯t want to delay doing it too much. That¡¯s why she had booked passage to Autumnwell anyway, just in case any of the people that could help were to become available. If she didn¡¯t find anyone¡ªas was appearing to be the case¡ªshe was planning on visiting the Shields Guild there to see if there were any strong Shielders free that she could hire for the time being. If there wasn¡¯t, she¡¯d been thinking of just spending the time clearing some of the other dungeons in the area and returning at a later date.


    Leon glared at her. ¡°Then why¡ª¡± He paused, then he shook his head with another long sigh. ¡°¡­Sure. Have it your way, Scarlett. I grew tired of all this political maneuvering years ago. Just tell me if it¡¯s money or something else that you want.¡±


    She frowned. Hadn¡¯t she just told him she would have to think about it? Did he believe she was being purposefully circumlocutory? She understood he didn¡¯t have much time, but she wasn¡¯t going to rush things just because of that, no matter how much he annoyed her about it. He would just have to deal with it. He was strong enough to¡ª


    She paused, an idea coming to her.


    ¡­Actually, if he was going to hound her like this, then who was she to turn away his efforts? He was one of the strongest knights in the empire, after all. Her ties to the man weren¡¯t going to exist for much longer, so why not make good use of him while she could?


    She studied him closely for a moment. He seemed to be waiting for her reply.


    ¡°You are curious what it is you can do to convince me, yes? While I cannot give a full answer yet, there is something you could provide aid with that might affect my view on the matter somewhat.¡± The tips of her mouth rose in a small smile. ¡°It is something that the skill set of a Solar Knight would be especially suitable for.¡±


    Leon eyed her. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Before that, I would have to ask whether it is possible for you to delay your other plans and join me in Autumnwell for one or two days.¡±


    ¡°Join you?¡± He gave her a wary look. ¡°¡­Depends on what it is.¡±


    ¡°I will interpret that as a yes, then. If so, I can inform you that I am traveling to Autumnwell in order to help fulfill the request of an acquaintance in the region. The request itself involves the exorcising of a certain estate, and it is a task where I believe your aid would help to greatly expedite matters.¡±


    ¡°Exorcising?¡±


    ¡°That is what I said, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re talking about removing ghosts or undead from a location?¡±


    ¡°Mostly revenants, to be precise. As well as some specter variants, though I do not expect those to pose much danger to me.¡±


    Leon furrowed his brow. ¡°Since when have you known anything about things like that? Or cared, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Since it became relevant for me to do so.¡± Scarlett placed her hands on her lap as she met his eyes. ¡°So, what is your answer? Will you lend your aid with this?¡±


    He seemed to consider it for a moment. ¡°You said you¡¯re leaving tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll agree to ending the engagement yourself?¡±


    ¡°I did not say it would be enough to make me agree to that, no. However, I will take it into consideration when deliberating the matter.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, it holds quite a lot of meaning,¡± she said. ¡°I do not take my word lightly when I see fit to give it. I would recommend you seize this opportunity while it is still available to you. Know that the only thing you will save me is time, which I now have plenty of. For someone of your ability, I believe this is a rather generous offer.¡±


    He observed her for a few seconds, seemingly mulling her words over. ¡°Tell me more precisely what¡¯s involved with this job.¡±


    Scarlett smiled. This would make things easier.

 Chapter 103 - Joyride

    A long silence reigned over the carriage cabin as the vehicle set off from the mansion, venturing out into the wide and mostly open spaces of Freybrook¡¯s northern district. Scarlett¡¯s gaze was focused on the small forests that separated many of the estates in this district, mindlessly observing the passing trees. It was ridiculous how large the northern district was, really. The nearest home to the Hartford mansion was a few hundred meters away, so it would be a stretch to even call them a neighbor.


    After they had been traveling for a while, Rosa¡¯s voice finally rang out from the seat next to Scarlett. ¡°So, the two of you are acquaintances, I take it? How acquainted are we talking, exactly?¡±


    Scarlett turned to look at the woman, who, in turn, was looking at the seat opposite them where Leon was sitting. The dark-haired man wore the same uniform as yesterday, and he seemed to hesitate before answering. ¡°We¡¯re¡­betrothed.¡±


    Silence fell upon the cabin again.


    Allyssa turned to stare at Scarlett from where she sat to Leon¡¯s left. ¡°You had a fianc¨¦?!¡±


    Rosa also looked at her, an impish grin on the bard¡¯s face. ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know the usually cold Baroness had a special someone. Here I thought that prickly exterior of yours would have strangled the very notion of romance in its cradle before it even had the chance to rear its head in your presence.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a pointed look, but Rosa¡¯s smile didn¡¯t disappear. Across from them, Leon frowned at the interaction, but remained quiet. Scarlett shook her head and returned her attention out the window. Rosa had without a doubt already realized that Leon¡¯s and her relationship wasn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°The air is stifling with this many people here,¡± she said after a moment, just as silence was about to descend over the carriage once more. ¡°I find it difficult to think that you did not have your own means of travel, Sir Leon.¡±


    When she¡¯d asked him to join them on their trip to Autumnwell, she hadn¡¯t been expecting him to literally join like this. He was the son of a marquis, as well as the vice-captain of the Imperial Solar Knights. One would expect him to have his own transport. A horse, at the very least.


    ¡°You were the one that asked for my help, Scarlett. If you¡¯re regretting it, I can step off right here.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I am saying. I merely find the reasoning behind you having to travel with us puzzling. Did you not arrive in a carriage at the mansion earlier?¡±


    ¡°That belongs to the family of a comrade of mine,¡± Leon said. ¡°He¡¯s the son of Baron Acton. I can¡¯t use it for a personal trip to Autumnwell.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She decided to let things be at that. It wasn¡¯t as if it mattered much. They would have to get a larger carriage in the future, though, in case there were more situations like this. Six people barely fit in their cabin. Allyssa and Shin were packed together next to Leon¡¯s tall frame in their row, and it didn¡¯t look especially comfortable. Scarlett herself also wasn¡¯t overly fond of having to press into Rosa, even if she didn¡¯t mind the woman herself.


    Their ride continued southwards, deeper into the city. The morning sun was rising on the horizon by the time they left the northern district and entered the more trafficked streets of Freybrook. They¡¯d left early in the morning because Scarlett knew it might take some time to finish the preparations in Autumnwell, and she wanted them to reach their final destination before it turned dark. With the end of October approaching, evening had started setting a lot earlier in the day, even though they were in one of the more southern parts of the empire.


    She had said her goodbyes to Garside and Evelyne the day before, as well as informed the Countess of her trip so that the woman would be aware of the situation. She¡¯d also spoken a bit with Evelyne regarding the details of the original¡¯s engagement with Leon, but unfortunately, the younger woman hadn¡¯t seemed to know much more than Scarlett herself on the matter.


    She would have to spend some time looking through records when she came back to the mansion. If the original really had some sort of contract with the Delmons, then there had to be documentation of it in some form. Hopefully, it wasn¡¯t in a place where it couldn¡¯t be found.


    ¡°It feels a bit surreal, sitting next to you like this, Sir Leon,¡± Allyssa said as their carriage entered the heart of the city.


    Scarlett shifted her eyes to the girl as Leon turned to her with a small smile. He seemed to appreciate someone finally starting up a conversation.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve heard of me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course I have. Who hasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I think most people, actually.¡±


    The girl looked at him with both eyebrows raised. ¡°You¡¯re famous in the Shields Guild, though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Shielder, then? From the Elystead Branch, I presume? I¡¯ve heard they¡¯ve been spreading some rather exaggerated stories about me ever since the order cooperated with them to drive away that adolescent dragon last year.¡± He eyed her for a moment. ¡°Earlier, you said your name was Allyssa Astrey, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then, are you related to Arnaud Astrey, by any chance?¡±


    An awkward smile grew on Allyssa¡¯s face. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s my dad.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Leon nodded along slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of good things about him. He¡¯s an impressive man, if even a fraction is true.¡±


    Next to him, the young Shielder fidgeted with a lock of blonde hair while looking down at the floorboards. ¡°People often say that, yeah. But to me, he¡¯s just ¡®dad¡¯.¡± She paused, then looked back up at Leon. ¡°Ehm, not to say I don¡¯t appreciate it. I¡¯m genuinely glad that someone like you would think that about him, really.¡±


    ¡°Is he that special?¡± Fynn suddenly asked. The young man was studying Leon closely.


    ¡°Do you mean Arnaud Astrey?¡± the knight asked.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Fynn shook his head. ¡°No. You.¡±


    Allyssa sent him a look that said a lot about what she thought of Fynn¡¯s rudeness, though she didn¡¯t seem annoyed. ¡°I told you yesterday, didn¡¯t I? He¡¯s the vice-captain of the Imperial Solar Knights. They¡¯re the strongest knights in the empire, so yes. He is someone special.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that special,¡± Leon cut in. ¡°My purpose is simply to serve the Imperial Family and the citizens of the Empire. There are many others like me that deserve much more respect, and not only among the Solar Knights. The five Swords of the Royal Guard are especially impressive individuals.¡±


    Scarlett studied the man. It seemed like he was both humble and polite, as long as he wasn¡¯t interacting with her. She¡¯d say his humbleness might go a bit too far, though. While she wasn¡¯t sure what level he could be considered this early in the game¡¯s timeline, he would still be one of the strongest knights in the empire in the not-too-far-away future. A few members of the Royal Guard were probably the only ones that were on a similar level, if you were talking pure knights. Carnwedain and one of the other companions were the only other two exceptions.


    ¡°The Imperial Order of the Solar Knights only accepts fifty of the most talented swordsmen in the empire. Every single one of their members is generally considered to be at least equivalent to an A-ranked Shielder,¡± Shin spoke up next to Allyssa. ¡°Being one of the youngest vice-captains in the order¡¯s history is something most would consider enough to be called ¡®special¡¯.¡±


    Leon¡¯s attention shifted to study the young man for a moment, eyes seemingly lingering on the scar across Shin¡¯s right eye. ¡°You were Shin Thornthon, correct?¡± He gestured with his head towards the back of the carriage. ¡°I apologize for changing the subject, but I noticed your sword before we got in. Was that a pran?¡±


    ¡°It was.¡±


    ¡°Are you from the Steppes?¡±


    ¡°My parents were,¡± Shin said. ¡°They moved to Wildscar when I was still young, so I¡¯ve spent most of my life in the empire.¡±


    Leon gave a short nod at that. ¡°I¡¯ve always found the Kereq¡¯s weapons intriguing. It would be interesting to see it used.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind showing you in a sparring session later if we have the time.¡±


    The man glanced at Scarlett. She met his eyes briefly. ¡°¡­If we find the time, then.¡±


    Scarlett looked to Allyssa, who had leaned over to Shin. The girl stared intensely at the side of the young man¡¯s face, though Shin himself seemed to ignore her.


    ¡°¡­You must be thrilled now, am I right?¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t try to hide it. You weren¡¯t even sneaky there. I know getting the chance to spar with the vice-captain of the Solar Knights is sending you over the moon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good opportunity,¡± Shin answered remotely. ¡°Any swordsman that wants to improve their skills would take it.¡±


    ¡°Suuuure.¡±


    ¡°Can I fight you as well, then?¡± Fynn asked from his seat opposite them, staring at Leon.


    Scarlett turned to look at the white-haired young man. Why was it starting to feel like her retainers were about to start a fight club with her temporary fiance?


    Allyssa seemed similarly surprised by Fynn¡¯s question, gaping at him before shaking her head. ¡°Boys¡­¡± she muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be the one saying that,¡± Shin said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one asking to fight a solar knight the first time I meet him.¡±


    ¡°But you did tell him straight to his face how amazing it was to meet him.¡±


    Allyssa scrunched her eyes up at Shin. ¡°Quiet, you. It¡¯s rare to meet famous people.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your dad strong as well?¡± Fynn asked, a confused look on his face.


    ¡°No, well, that¡¯s different. And there¡¯s also a difference between strong and famous. Not that my dad isn¡¯t strong, but that¡¯s not the point.¡±


    Fynn knitted his forehead as he seemed to consider her words. He pointed at Leon. ¡°Then, is he more important than that princess you met before?¡±


    Allyssa blinked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not at all what I meant. There¡¯s a difference between imperial important and other important, you know?¡±


    Leon gave her a curious look. ¡°You met one of the princesses?¡±


    She looked back at him. ¡°Ah, y-yeah, that was¡­¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, weren¡¯t there two princesses?¡± Rosa smiled at Allyssa. ¡°Like something out of a fairy tale.¡±


    The girl¡¯s face grew redder. ¡°You¡¯re making it sound much more impressive than it was. And I didn¡¯t even know she was a princess at first. Besides, it¡¯s unlikely they would even remember me.¡±


    ¡°When was this?¡± Leon asked.


    ¡°Ehm, it was when I joined Scarlett during the Providing Ceremony. We were in Hamet Garden, and I ran into Princess Hilde in one of the enclosed patios. The first princess arrived not long after that as well. I¡¯m not sure what I would have done if Scarlett wasn¡¯t there.¡± Allyssa paused, then shook her head. ¡°Ah, but what am I saying? You must have met the princesses plenty of times, so this wouldn¡¯t be anything special to you.¡±


    ¡°I have met both of them on several occasions, that¡¯s true. But there¡¯s nothing wrong with you sharing your encounter, as well,¡± Leon said. His expression turned into a slight frown as he looked at Scarlett, though. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t say anything to the princesses, did you?¡±


    She gave him a long look in return. ¡°Are you perhaps suggesting I should have disregarded the Imperial Family and ignored them? If so, I am sorry to inform you that I did no such thing.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. You didn¡¯t try any of your schemes with the princesses, did you?¡±


    ¡°I have no such ¡®schemes¡¯ to attempt, nor would I ever act to disparage the imperial family, even if I had.¡±


    Leon let out a small scoff. ¡°You say that after what you did during the Elysian Proclamation?¡±


    ¡°Did His Majesty himself not acknowledge my vow that day?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°As a knight acting in the faithful service of His Majesty and the Imperial Family, I would expect that to be enough for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard to forget all of your history, Scarlett. As a knight, it is also my duty to ensure there are no threats or nuisances bothering the princesses.¡±


    ¡°Our meeting with them was pure happenstance, in case you are thinking I somehow precipitated the event.¡±


    He eyed her for a while. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    The others in the carriage were looking on silently during their conversation, and an awkward atmosphere fell over the cabin now.


    ¡°So, can I fight you or not?¡± Fynn asked.


    Scarlett glanced at the young man, having to fight down a small smile. Sometimes, his overly sincere nature wasn¡¯t so bad after all.


    ¡°If we have the time, I don¡¯t mind sparring with you as well,¡± Leon said. ¡°Are you also a Shielder? I never knew Scarlett to keep too many people around her.¡±


    Fynn shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m her enforcer,¡± he said.


    Scarlett stilled, and Leon¡¯s expression grew darker. Next to Scarlett, Rosa was trying to hide a laugh as she coughed into her hand.


    ¡°Miss Hale.¡± Scarlett glared at the bard.


    ¡°Eh, Fynn.¡± Allyssa looked at the young man. ¡°Who told you that you were an enforcer?¡±


    He pointed to Rosa next to him. ¡°She did.¡±


    The woman in question held up her hand to her chest in an affronted manner. ¡°Wha¡ªme?! I would never lead a young, innocent lamb like our sweet Fynn astray. Ahem.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°I might have told him, at one point or another, that he seemed particularly talented at helping our dear employer out with her problems, and it¡¯s possible that the word ¡®enforce¡¯ might have been brought up somewhere around there, but that¡¯s just pure coincidence, I tell you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you sai¡ª¡±


    Rosa covered Fynn¡¯s mouth. ¡°Look at him. Now he¡¯s all confused.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Poor boy.¡±


    Fynn furrowed his brows, staring down at the hand covering his mouth.


    ¡°Miss Hale,¡± Scarlett said.


    Rosa let her arm down and turned to Scarlett. ¡°Yes, dear employer? What can I do for you? Would you like me to play a song?¡±


    ¡°I hope you are not going around, causing unwelcome rumors to spread about me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Definitely not.¡± The woman shook her head fervently. ¡°Only the good kind, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am uncertain whether I should be relieved or even more troubled.¡±


    Rosa smiled. ¡°I find that the best balance is always a smidge of both.¡±


    Scarlett studied the woman for a moment, then turned back to the carriage window with a small sigh. ¡°Sir Leon, I expect you to be discerning enough to surmise which words to believe and which not to. It would be a shame if this were to cause any unfortunate misunderstandings, yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She nodded her head, eyeing some of the people moving about on the streets outside. She was starting to suspect this might be a longer ride than first expected.

 Chapter 104 - Provoking accommodations

    The city of Autumnwell was situated at the end of one of the distributaries that fed into the main body of the Three Streams River, northwest of Elystead and east of Windgrove. The settlement was nestled in a natural canyon, surrounded on both sides by low, verdant cliffs covered in fields and small forests. A large fort overlooked the city from atop a tall hill to the north, acting as a natural barrier of sorts. This meant that, unlike many of the empire¡¯s other cities, Autumnwell wasn¡¯t enclosed by walls built by previous generations to shield them from the dangers outside.


    As for the city itself, there remained plenty of room in the canyon for it to expand. The ground held a gentle incline from the harbor to the south towards the hill to the north, with lots of open space surrounding the inhabited sections filled with smaller pastures and woodlands.


    Scarlett and the others were afforded a magnificent view of it all as the buildings sprawled out before them as their carriage left the harbor area where the Kilnstone was, traveling towards the heart of the city. Most of the structures here were made of brick, with additions of wood here and there, though some of the homes closer to the edge of the city had more simple wattle and daub structures.


    ¡°Where are we heading now?¡± Leon asked after they veered off one of the more well-traveled thoroughfares onto a long road that carried off eastwards.


    Scarlett turned her attention from the window she¡¯d been looking out of, watching the man for a second. ¡°First, we will be visiting members of the local nobility.¡±


    ¡°The acquaintances you spoke of yesterday?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with the Withersworths?¡±


    His eyebrows rose. ¡°Lord Withersworth was the previous Lord Marshal, if I¡¯m not mistaken. I¡¯ve also heard tell that Lady Withersworth was rather influential among the nobles of the capital.¡±


    ¡°Lord Withersworth holds a barony northwest of Autumnwell, which just so happens to be where our final destination is. Before journeying there, however, we will have to speak with him regarding the matters related to this venture.¡±


    ¡°They retired from high society years ago, didn¡¯t they?¡± Leon eyed her closely. ¡°How do you know them?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that, technically, I do not.¡± Scarlett returned her gaze back out the window. ¡°But that is hardly relevant for today¡¯s proceedings.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She stayed silent after that, and after realizing the conversation wouldn¡¯t be going much further than that, Leon also remained quiet. It wasn¡¯t long before another discussion was sparked among the other inhabitants of the carriage cabin, however, which the knight occasionally chimed in on.


    As they entered the more affluent parts of the city, their transport making its way towards a large mansion with a modest garden surrounding it, Scarlett began preparing herself mentally. Her eyes passed over the others, listening in on their conversation that had somehow turned into a bet on what they would be doing for this excursion.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dragon, I¡¯m telling you,¡± Rosa announced, a confident look on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°We have three fair maidens and a knight, so it¡¯s a must by this point.¡±


    Opposite her, Allyssa sent an uncertain glance at Leon. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to fight a dragon¡­¡±


    ¡°We would not be able to survive against anything but the youngest of dragons,¡± Shin said, only momentarily looking up from a book he had been reading for much of the trip. ¡°And I have heard nothing of a dragon being sighted anywhere in the empire for over a year.¡±


    ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t. If you were a giant, fire-breathing lizard living for millennia, would you like it if a rabble of puny humans came around to your lair and poked their little spears into your belly just because you kidnapped a maiden or two?¡± Rosa held up a finger to her lips. ¡°They do it on the hush-hush, clearly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think those tales about them kidnapping maidens are true,¡± Allyssa said.


    Rosa gave a sage-like nod. ¡°That¡¯s what they want you to think.¡±


    ¡°Dragons do whatever they want, whenever they want,¡± Fynn declared from the side.


    Allyssa gave him a long look, as if trying to determine whether his words were supporting Rosa¡¯s claims or refuting them. Eventually, the girl shook her head. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not dragons. I¡¯ve been preparing a bunch of Philters of Dawnlight and Brews of Fireworks lately. It has to be undead of some kind.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Rosa knitted her forehead. ¡°I see¡­ Undead dragons. Does that mean they prefer undead maidens, as well? A unique choice, for sure, but who am I to knock on people¡¯s tastes¡­¡±


    Leon seemed to be watching this with a look of consternation, seemingly unsure of what to say of the conversation.


    Shaking her head at it all, Scarlett turned her eyes back to the gate in front of the estate that they were approaching. She hadn¡¯t told the others where they were going this time because she hadn¡¯t been certain they would be going until the day before. Still, she¡¯d had Allyssa prepare some of the relevant concoctions, in addition to more health and mana potions than she usually had the young Shielder make.


    A footman at the front of the estate¡¯s gates walked up to their carriage before it stopped. He wore a simple brown uniform, the emblem of a white pine emblazoned on the chest, and glanced briefly at the coachman before shifting his eyes towards Scarlett through the window. ¡°May I ask who you are, my Lady?¡±


    ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, Lady of Stagmond Keep.¡±


    The man¡¯s forehead creased at that. ¡°Do you have business here?¡±


    ¡°I am here to meet with Lord Withersworth.¡±


    He studied her for a moment, looking back towards the mansion behind him. ¡°Sorry to say, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s available right now.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. She¡¯d been unsure whether or not they would be expected, but she had sent a message about her potential visit beforehand. There hadn¡¯t been a reply, which she supposed was an answer in and of itself.


    Eyeing him for a while longer, she then turned to Leon, sitting opposite her. ¡°Inform your masters that Vice-Captain Leon Delmon of the Imperial Solar Knights is here to pay a visit as well.¡±


    The footman¡¯s eyes widened. Even if he wouldn¡¯t necessarily recognize Leon¡¯s name, the order of the Solar Knights was famous enough. The man appeared to hesitate for another moment, however, glancing at the side of Leon¡¯s face through the window before eventually clearing his throat. ¡°Please wait here for a bit, my Lady. I¡¯ll go and see if the Lord and Lady are free.¡±


    He walked back to the gate, opening a small side door next to it before disappearing over to the mansion beyond.


    ¡°You¡¯re using me to get inside?¡± Leon asked, a furrow on his brow.


    ¡°Is there a reason I should not? You are here alongside with me, and I presume you will be joining in on my meeting with Lord Withersworth or his wife.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at her, but stayed quiet. Soon, the footman returned and opened the large metal gates for them. ¡°The head butler will receive you in the foyer, my Lady. You can park the carriage in the courtyard.¡±


    They rode past the gates and into the estate, stopping at the side of a small, circular courtyard surrounded by low hedges. Scarlett exited onto the gravel footpath leading up to the mansion along with the others and started walking up to the doors. An older woman in servants¡¯ clothing stood there to open them for her. Inside, a gentleman in a neat brown uniform with wavy, flaxen-blond hair and a thick, well-trimmed mustache greeted them.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford, I presume?¡± the man said in a dapper manner, sending a watchful look across Scarlett and her company. ¡°My word, there are quite a lot of you. The mansion will be practically overrun with visitors at this rate.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She studied him for a moment. This guy¡­ She definitely remembered him from the game.


    ¡°Yes, I am Baroness Hartford. These are my retainers, and this is my fianc¨¦, Sir Leon Delmon, Vice-Captain of the Imperial Solar Knights. We have come to meet with your Lord and Lady.¡±


    The butler¡¯s gaze stayed on Leon for a few seconds, seemingly examining the knight¡¯s black-and-gold uniform. ¡°Yes¡­ I heard as much. I do apologise if I came across as impertinent just now, and I hope you¡¯ll forgive my unabating boldness, but I assume the Baroness has arrived without arranging a meeting with milord or milady in advance? I certainly do not recall seeing any correspondence confirming any conclave of the sorts lately, and I dare say there isn¡¯t much in this household that goes past me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡° Scarlett showed a cold smile. ¡°No, I suppose there was no such arrangement, that is true. But if you are indeed informed of what communications pass through this household, you should be aware that I have sent several letters in the past week trying to arrange exactly that. Unless those letters were ignored, for some reason.¡±


    The butler paused. His eyes met hers for a moment before shifting away. ¡°Hmm, yes, perhaps¡­ After further reflection, there might indeed have been something of the sort arriving at the estate these last few days. However, it was ever so unfortunate that neither milord nor milady had the time to reciprocate your requests. I, the dutiful and steadfast butler that I am, chose to delay the response until a later juncture more favorable for all parties. I was certain that an educated and respectable lady such as the Baroness would understand this particular quandary of mine, but as you appear to have found yourself here in this mansion in spite of that, I can only surmise that there has been some confusion on the end of the Hartford household.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing of the sort,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I simply judged that Lord Withersworth and his wife appeared uninformed of the offer I had prepared for them, and the benefits they stood to receive from associating with me on this occasion. As such, I decided it would be best for both parties if I expedited matters by visiting in person.¡±


    The man clasped both hands behind his back. ¡°You have my unending gratitude for so generously taking milord¡¯s and milady¡¯s interest into consideration; however, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accommodate you with the opportunity to have a word with either of them at this precise moment. Being pervicacious on the matter will not help whatsoever, my Lady. Milord is currently in his study dealing with affairs of vital importance, and milady left early in the morning in pursuit of business and has yet to return.¡±


    ¡°That will not be an issue.¡± Scarlett looked back at the others. ¡°We will wait here until either of them is available.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, my Lady?¡±


    ¡°We are not lacking in time, so if waiting is all that we must do, then we will do so.¡± She turned back to the butler and gestured towards Leon. ¡°While Sir Leon may be my betrothed, I would not have brought along an imperial knight today if my business with Lord Withersworth did not warrant it. We will wait for as long as it takes.¡±


    The butler looked at Leon, a somewhat miffed expression on his face. ¡°¡­Of course, you¡¯re all too right, my Lady. I¡¯m ashamed not to have taken this into consideration. Having heard this, I wouldn¡¯t dare question the rationale behind your unheralded visit. I will¡­inquire into when milord is next available. In the meantime, would you like me to guide you to the drawing room? I¡¯m sure that a party as well-travelled as yours appear to be would have no problem drifting in that general direction by yourselves should you deem it fit to do so, but I would be remiss not to offer the hospitality one such as yourself deserves.¡±


    ¡°That will do perfectly.¡± Scarlett stepped in line behind the man as he began leading them down one of the decorated hallways in the foyer.


    ¡°What affairs did you say Lord Withersworth was currently preoccupied with?¡± she asked after a while.


    ¡°I did not say, my Lady,¡± he replied. ¡°I gather that it pertains to a certain plot of land that has proved rather troublesome for milord¡¯s domain and the denizens within it lately, and I am sure he is working endlessly to ensure everyone¡¯s peace of mind on the matter. A most noble task, if I do say so myself.¡±


    ¡°Troublesome in what manner?¡±


    ¡°For that, you would have to speak with the Lord himself. I am not privy to the specifics of milord¡¯s ventures, and on the remote possibility that I were, it would, of course, not be something that I could share so freely with outsiders, even if they were to be what I¡¯m sure are eminently esteemed members of our empire¡¯s vaunted nobility.¡±


    The butler looked back at her, and Scarlett could swear he was waiting for a reaction on her end. His mustache moved in ever-so-slight disappointment as she kept her composure, and he turned his attention forward again. ¡°Unless I¡¯m quite mistaken, in which case I apologize profusely, as a noble lady you would be far more well-equipped to gauge the type of complications that are wont to occur when managing one¡¯s people and lands than a far-removed house butler. Otherwise, that would be a truly tragic affair. Truly.¡±


    Scarlett held back an annoyed sigh. ¡°Yes, that would be tragic, would it not? Fortunately, that is not the case. I have a fair notion of what it is that might be troubling Lord Withersworth.¡±


    There was no point in getting into an argument with the butler here just because he was an asshole. She expected him to be when she chose to come here. Though she did wonder why anyone would ever hire this guy. It just felt like asking for trouble when you were dealing with a class of people as conservative and self-important as nobles.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you do, my Lady,¡± the man said. When they neared the end of a hallway, he looked back at her again. ¡°I will have to inform milord about your visit. What do you want me to state as the reason for your stay?¡±


    ¡°I suspect it is related to the very problems you spoke of earlier,¡± she answered. ¡°But as not to cause confusion, you may inform the lord that I am here regarding what Abelard Withersworth left behind.¡±


    The butler gestured his hand towards one of the doors. ¡°I am sure milord will be overjoyed at the news,¡± he said in a dry tone as he opened the door for her.


    They were led into a wide room with two leather couches placed in front of an adorned fireplace. The pelt of some unknown beast covered the floor between the couches. Lining the walls were several bookcases, and hanging low from the center of the room was a bronze chandelier with faint, magical candles on it that lit up the room. It all had a very rustic feel to it.


    ¡°Feel free to do whatever you may so wish while you wait here,¡± the butler said. ¡°I only ask that you avoid frolicking, excessive revelry, inappropriate dalliances, or other behavior deemed uncouth by civilized people.¡± He paused to look at the klert that Rosa had brought along with her. ¡°Also, no music.¡±


    He performed a curt bow before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.


    ¡°No inappropriate dalliances¡­?¡± Allyssa muttered, staring back at the door.


    ¡°It comes from a place of jealousy, I¡¯m sure,¡± Rosa said, shaking her head forlornly. ¡°It must be hard, living life while using words like ¡®pervicacious¡¯ so naturally.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Rosa smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not stubborn enough to try and find out.¡±


    The bard traipsed over to one of the couches and sat down with a low thud. She immediately placed her instrument on her lap and started cranking the wheel at its bottom. A soft tune filled the room, one that fit well with the atmosphere. It almost felt like they were in a cabin out in the woods. All that was missing was the live fire.


    Scarlett walked over to sit down next to Rosa. She looked up as Leon sat down on the couch opposite her, giving her an intense look.


    ¡°Is there something you wish to say?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Other than how you breached a dozen protocols just now and practically forced your way into a lord¡¯s home by using my name?¡± He stared at her. ¡°What in Ittar¡¯s name are you up to, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°Wait, how was Scarlett the one breaching protocol?¡± Allyssa asked, sitting down on the same couch as Leon. Behind her, Shin had started looking through one of the bookshelves, and Fynn was walking around the room doing who-knows-what as he stared at the walls. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the butler the rude one?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Leon said. ¡°But there are certain customs to uphold among nobility. Scarlett showing up without an invitation in a context like this would be considered unacceptable by most in high society.¡±


    ¡°He is not wrong.¡± Scarlett nodded her head. ¡°Just like when a certain person did so at my home, it is generally not considered proper to arrive unannounced.¡±


    Even though people kept doing it all the time at her place. However, she supposed people like Livvi and Adalicia had decent enough reasons for their visits, and some of the others weren¡¯t exactly ¡®upstanding¡¯ citizens of the empire to begin with.


    Leon frowned at her. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between the two situations, and you know it. We¡¯re already familiar with each other, for one, and only you are the head of a house. But a Baroness visiting another Baron like this is an entirely different thing. Frankly, I never thought I would see you of all people do something like this.¡±


    ¡°Then you may consider yourself fortunate,¡± she said. ¡°You have witnessed something you previously thought inconceivable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s something I wanted to see. If people start talking about this, it¡¯ll be my name that is dragged through the mud along with yours again.¡±


    ¡°That would be regrettable, I suppose.¡± Scarlett brought out a book from her [Pouch of Holding], opening it up as she leaned back on the couch. ¡°We are fortunate that you have no interest in any of that ¡®politicking¡¯ then, yes?¡±


    A short snicker left Rosa next to her. The bard paused her music for a moment, looking up from her instrument and at Leon. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind little old me, Mister Knight Sir. Not very often you get to witness a lover¡¯s spat quite like this one first hand, that¡¯s all. They¡¯re usually not this interesting.¡±


    Leon¡¯s expression darkened somewhat. ¡°This isn¡¯t a lover¡¯s spat.¡±


    Rosa held up a hand in a gratifying gesture. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She is sure,¡± Fynn said from where he now stood, at the center of the room, staring down at the floor for some reason.


    Scarlett looked up at the young man.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± Rosa called out. ¡°What have we said about white lies?¡±


    ¡°That they¡¯re for people¡¯s own good,¡± he answered casually, kneeling down to run a hand over the floorboards. ¡°But you were lying back then, so I wasn¡¯t sure if I could trust it.¡±


    ¡°Is there something that has caught your attention?¡± Scarlett asked as she watched his strange actions.


    He looked up at her. ¡°There¡¯s something weird about this place. Especially down there.¡±


    She looked down at the floor where he was pointing. ¡°As perceptive as ever, it would seem. You do not have to concern yourself with that for now, however. We will discuss exactly what it pertains to later.¡±


    The young man sent one last look downwards, then shrugged and stood to sit down along with the rest. Rosa and Allyssa sent curious glances Scarlett¡¯s way after the brief exchange, but both appeared patient enough not to ask more at the moment. Leon, however, held a confused expression.


    ¡°What is he talking about?¡± he asked.


    Scarlett observed the man silently for a good while, then turned her attention back to the book in her hands. ¡°I wonder. I suppose we will have to wait and see.¡±

 Chapter 105 - Noble negotiations

    Scarlett and the others were still waiting in the drawing room when the butler returned, stopping by the room¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford,¡± he said in a mild tone. ¡°Milord still finds himself preoccupied with the duties of his office; however¡­it would appear milady has returned from her previous ventures and has expressed an interest in meeting with the guests that saw fit to visit her abode.¡±


    Scarlett put down the book she¡¯d been reading and looked up at Leon. ¡°Shall we?¡± she asked, rising from the couch.


    He stood up as well.


    Grabbing her [Pouch of Holding], she pushed it into the man¡¯s hands and turned to the others. ¡°I think it best if the rest of you remain here for now. We will return when the talks are concluded.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Rosa said. The woman patted the instrument on her lap. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll survive by ourselves for a bit, at least. What¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡±


    The butler cleared his throat. ¡°I hope the Miss has not forgotten my earlier words regarding music, and the prohibition of said act. While it is all well and good for those of the common masses to have something to distract them while they squander away their time in their backstreet taverns and the likes, this is a distinguished and respectable household belonging to esteemed members of the city¡¯s nobility. We cannot allow just any minstrel from the street to ply their ¡®trade¡¯ here, so to speak. Of course, I do not mean to imply you are one such minstrel. As an associate of Baroness Hartford, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re a well-experienced lyricist who only employs the most poignant of balladry, but understand that we can only be so careful.¡±


    ¡°But of course,¡± Rosa replied in a wholly serious tone. The fact that the woman had been playing away on her klert up till a minute earlier¡ªwhen Fynn had noted the butler¡¯s approach¡ªwasn¡¯t apparent in her expression at all. ¡°What sort of butler would you be if you did not work to ensure that none but the most fantabalous of serenades reach your noble masters¡¯ ears? A humble bard such as I could only dream of performing in a room as exquisite as this. A drawing room, no less.¡± She shook her head dramatically. ¡°Perhaps, one day. For now, I will have to satisfy with merely having had the exhilarating opportunity of having witnessed this place.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Quite.¡± The butler looked back at Scarlett. ¡°Come with me, my Lady. Sir Leon.¡±


    Scarlett and Leon followed him out of the room. Neither of them spoke as they moved through the mansion¡¯s carpeted hallways, eventually reaching one of the outer wings, where they stopped in front of a door. The butler turned back to them. ¡°Milady is waiting inside the parlor."


    He opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Scarlett passed him by.


    The parlor was furnished in a similar style to the drawing room, with fine leather couches and animal pelts spread on the floor. Next to one of the walls was a lit fireplace, with two windows on either side overlooking a small garden. A long oak table stood at the center of the room, with an older lady in a dark dress sitting next to it with a steaming cup of tea in her hands. Her greying hair was arranged in a neat bun at the back, and her eyes held a cool bearing as she looked over at Scarlett.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Withersworth,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure meeting you, Baroness,¡± the woman answered. Her gaze turned towards Leon behind Scarlett. ¡°And I presume you are Sir Leon Delmon?¡±


    He stepped up next to Scarlett and gave a polite nod. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Only good things, I hope.¡± Lady Withersworth gave a gentle smile and gestured towards the couch opposite her. ¡°Please, have a seat. Make yourselves at home.¡±


    They walked over to sit down. Scarlett picked up a cup that had been prepared, while Leon left his alone.


    Lady Withersworth looked at the butler at the door. ¡°Henley, will you be a dear and close the door?¡±


    ¡°Of course, milady.¡± The man stepped out and pulled the door shut behind him.


    The old woman shook her head for a brief moment. ¡°I¡¯ll have to speak with him later. That man is such a rapscallion, yet it is also what I like about him. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m becoming more and more like my husband the older I get.¡± She turned her attention back to Scarlett and Leon. ¡°Now, it¡¯s been a while since my husband and I retired from the capital and all of its doings, but that doesn¡¯t mean I am entirely ignorant of the latest gossip. To think I would have the young new Vice-Captain of the Solar Knights and his notorious fianc¨¦e visit personally.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°Notorious?¡±


    The woman smirked. ¡°Dear, one doesn¡¯t cause a ruckus at the Elysian Proclamation in front of all the nobles in the empire without ruffling a few feathers. If anything, I find it impressive that ¡®notorious¡¯ is the worst description I have for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I suppose there is truth in your words.¡± Scarlett didn¡¯t really have any reliable way of knowing what others said about her, though she didn¡¯t doubt the woman¡¯s words. Fortunately, the rumors surrounding her didn¡¯t matter that much, as long as they weren¡¯t taken too far.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford¡¯s reputation notwithstanding, I have been Vice-Captain for over two years now, my Lady,¡± Leon said from beside her. ¡°I am unsure whether ¡®new¡¯ is an apt way of describing me at this point.¡±


    Scarlett turned to look at him. The man sure knew how to change his tune in front of other nobles, it seemed. Wasn¡¯t he the one that said he didn¡¯t care about things like that?


    ¡°The previous Vice-Captain served for more than ten years, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± Lady Withersworth glanced up at him from her tea. ¡°I was acquainted with her personally, in fact. I think that, in honor of her service, the least you can do is accept an inconvenient descriptor or two, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The polite smile on Leon¡¯s face grew a bit stiffer. ¡°¡­Of course. I did not mean to make light of Dame Rosanna¡¯s achievements.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t.¡±


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure if Leon noticed the small smile that was hidden behind the woman¡¯s teacup.


    ¡°So, what was it you two wanted to discuss with my husband?¡± Lady Withersworth expression turned more serious, and she seemed to study Scarlett closer.


    ¡°As I explained to your butler, I am here regarding that which Abelard Withersworth left behind.¡±


    ¡°He did tell me that, yes. But I am afraid you will have to be a bit more specific as to what exactly you mean by that. Abelard Withersworth was the head of this house generations ago. Listing everything that he might have left behind would prove a formidable task indeed.¡±


    Scarlett raised her cup to take a sip of the tea. It was lavender, and the taste suggested whoever had steeped it was relatively proficient at what they did. Better than she herself had ever managed to get, at least. It was slightly too hot for her taste, though, so she used her pyrokinesis to lower the temperature to a more comfortable level.


    ¡°From what I have heard, your husband¡¯s family has been enduring adversities caused by Abelard¡¯s old estate for some time. It has gone on for long enough that it would almost appear to be a tradition for the head of the Withersworth house to deal with it, albeit an unwanted one. I have also come to be aware that the conditions in the regions near the mansion have worsened considerably as of late, and that Lord Withersworth is currently in the process of trying to locate measures with which to mitigate these issues.¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s countenance darkened slightly at her words, but the woman nodded her head slowly. ¡°It would seem my husband¡¯s efforts at stopping news from spreading haven¡¯t gone quite as well as he hoped. Yes, what you say is true.¡±


    ¡°I am here to provide you with aid on the matter.¡±


    ¡°And how, exactly, would you do that?¡±


    ¡°By removing the root of the issue that is within the mansion.¡±


    Lady Withersworth gave her a doubting look.


    Scarlett gestured towards Leon. ¡°It is not for nothing that I have brought a Solar Knight with me. I can assure you that it is well within my power to handle this task.¡±


    The woman gave Leon an estimating look. ¡°Does this mean that the Imperial Solar Knights are endorsing this endeavour?¡±


    The man shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m doing this as a favor to the Baroness. I¡¯m not entirely sure what sort of threats we would be facing, but you have my word that I will give my all into taking care of things.¡±


    She studied him for a few seconds more, then turned her eyes back to Scarlett. ¡°The reputation ascribed to members of the Solar Knights is not something I can argue against, so who am I to say anything regarding the qualifications of their current Vice-Captain? Unfortunately, however, this is not a problem that can be solved through pure strength alone. Otherwise it would have been dealt with ages ago.¡±


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Scarlett said. She settled her teacup on the table and reached for the pouch of holding Leon had placed next to him, bringing out two items. She placed both on the table between them.


    [Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion Key (1/2) (Unique)]


    {Half of a pair of keys leading to Abelard the Doll Maker¡¯s home}


    [Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion Key (1/2) (Unique)]


    {Half of a pair of keys leading to Abelard the Doll Maker¡¯s Home}


    Lady Withersworth stared at the two keys.


    After some time, she leaned forward, picking up one and inspecting it close. Eventually, she returned it to the table.


    ¡°Henley,¡± she called out.


    The door to the room opened and the butler stepped inside. ¡°Yes, milady?¡±


    ¡°Fetch my husband right this moment.¡±


    The man¡¯s brows furrowed, his mustache wobbling as he seemed to process her words. ¡°But, milady, milord is still in the middle of his work. I¡¯m sure that whatever business Baroness Hartford is here for can wait until a more opportune time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it can,¡± the woman said. ¡°But this is something I am asking you to do. This is not something that can be verified by my eyes, so that husband of mine will have to get his head out of that stuffy study of his and do it himself. Now, go.¡± She waved her hand at him.


    The butler sent an uncertain look Scarlett¡¯s way before turning around and exiting the room.


    Lady Withersworth turned back to them. ¡°If you do not mind me asking, Baroness, where exactly did you find these?¡±


    ¡°That is not something I am at liberty to share,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°What matters is that I am currently in possession of them, and that I intend to use them in contribution to your household, no?¡±


    The woman gave her a long look, then showed another small smile. ¡°Right you are. I will just have to be satisfied with that much, won¡¯t I? Judging from that perplexed look of his, there doesn¡¯t appear to be any point in inquiring with your companion for further information.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at Leon, who was staring at the keys as if he was trying to decipher exactly what they were. ¡°I only had need of him for his strength, so it was unnecessary to share any other details with him,¡± she said.


    The man blinked, turning to look at her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lady Withersworth picked up her teacup again, tapping a finger against its side as she observed the two of them. ¡°Yes, I know what you mean. Sometimes it¡¯s best to leave the men ignorant, isn¡¯t it? Leaves less of a mess to clean up and makes things easier for everyone involved.¡±


    Leon¡¯s frown was met by another smile from the woman.


    They waited in the parlor for a while longer until the door opened once again and an older man in a black suit entered, with thinning silvery hair and a thin mustache on his upper lip. He only looked over at Scarlett and Leon for a moment before turning to Lady Withersworth. ¡°What was this about something urgent, woman? I was in the middle of something important, dagnabbit!¡±


    The woman clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re always ¡®in the middle of something important¡¯, you daft old man. Do you think I would have called you if this wasn¡¯t more important? Can¡¯t you see what this is?¡± She motioned at the table, then gave him a disapproving look. ¡°Where are your glasses? You didn¡¯t leave them behind, did you? Is that memory of yours already starting to go?¡±


    Lord Withersworth¡¯s focus shifted to the keys lying on the table. He paused, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer. ¡°If I needed my glasses, you should have said so¡­¡± he muttered as he stopped and picked up the closest of the keys. Holding it in front of his face, he squinted as he scrutinized the object. ¡°Ittar¡¯s light¡­¡±


    ¡°You will have to excuse my fool of a husband.¡± Lady Withersworth looked at Scarlett and Leon. ¡°Ever since he retired from his previous office, he¡¯s grown more and more lax in his hospitality. A fact I¡¯m saddened to say he appears to relish in.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait until I¡¯m in the grave before you start smearing my name in front of me,¡± her husband grumbled. Eventually, he placed the key back on the table, turning his attention to Scarlett and Leon with furrowed brows. ¡°Baroness Hartford and Sir Leon, was it? You brought these items?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Where did you find them?¡±


    ¡°I have already discussed this with her, dear,¡± Lady Withersworth said.


    ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t discuss it with her again? The girl still has a mouth, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®girl¡¯ is perfectly able to speak on her own behalf, yes.¡± Scarlett met the older man¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you wish for me to repeat myself, I can inform you that the location from which I procured these items is not something I can share. That fact will not change, no matter what opinion you might have on the matter.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°Now calm down and listen to what she has to say. She claims to be here to deal with that wretched curse of a mansion your ancestor left us.¡±


    ¡°Deal with it?¡± Lord Withersworth looked between his wife and Scarlett. ¡°You mean she¡¯s here to help us?¡±


    ¡°I am, yes,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°To be more precise, I am here to discuss the terms of my help.¡±


    The man eyed her for a moment, his expression quickly turning more calculative. ¡°What is it you ask?¡±


    She leaned forward to pick the two keys up and returned them to the pouch of holding. ¡°First and foremost, I ask that you renounce all claims to any items or artifacts found within the mansion and relinquish the rights to me.¡±


    He raised a hand up the end of his mustache, twining it as he seemed to think it over. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. I have no idea what would be in there to begin with, in truth. I just want to be rid of the place.¡±


    ¡°I am glad to hear that there will be no contention there, then,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The second term is related to monetary recompense. In dealing with this matter, I am placing that of my own safety and of my people at risk, and as such, it would only be expected that proper compensation is paid. I am sure that you agree?¡±


    The older man narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°If I had the keys, I could pay to have it dealt with myself.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt that you could; however, I have no intention of parting ways with them, considering the effort that went into procuring the items.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The man rubbed at his mustache. ¡°Putting it straight and getting to the point, I see. Fitting for a Hartford.¡±


    ¡°You are familiar with my family?¡±


    ¡°I am familiar with all the houses of the empire,¡± he answered with a huff. ¡°I served His Majesty and the Imperial Court as Lord Marshal for over two decades.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. While she had been reading up a lot on the nobility and hierarchal structure of the empire, she wasn¡¯t too familiar with all the different offices of state yet. She knew that the Lord Marshal was a chivalric title, as well as an office that oversaw the tasks and duties related to the Heraldic Council. The Heraldic Council itself was a bit more of a mystery to her. Other than that they held jurisdiction over heraldic matter¡ªwhich was obvious enough¡ªand the granting of Coats of Arms, she wasn¡¯t too sure about what they actually did.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± She just nodded along slowly, not wanting to sound disinterested in what clearly was something he held great pride in. ¡°Returning to the matter at hand, however, what say you of the proposal?¡±


    ¡°Are the Hartfords in such dire straits that they need to deal with the lesser plights of others to make do?¡± Lord Withersworth asked.


    ¡°Not as of now, no. But I would be remiss if I did not take advantage of the opportunities presented before me. And I think we are both aware that this is no longer a mere ¡®lesser plight¡¯ to your territory, is that not so?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°How much are you asking for?¡±


    ¡°What value would you personally accredit to the task?¡±


    The man went quiet for a moment, looking to his wife. The woman in question appeared to have decided to leave the discussion to her husband, however, as she drank her tea with a refined expression. He turned back to Scarlett. ¡°We can do forty¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Porcelain clinked against wood as Lady Withersworth put her cup down on the table. She looked up at Scarlett with a smile. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to cause offense by extending an offer that doesn¡¯t accurately represent our vested interest in the matter. Would it be okay if we gave you a reply after we have looked over the specifics and determined the effects it would have on our fief?¡±


    Scarlett met the woman¡¯s eyes for a moment, then gave a short nod. ¡°That is acceptable, yes. However, I will be proceeding with the task forthwith, so your decision will have to be reached after I am finished.¡±


    Getting paid for this wasn¡¯t her priority, so it didn¡¯t really matter to her whether they decided now or later. As a noble house with an image to maintain, she doubted they would outright try to scam her just because she gave them a chance to decide on the pay retroactively.


    Besides, to her, it sounded like Lady Withersworth had just stopped her husband from proposing an offer the woman thought was too small. Scarlett was all for giving them more time if it also meant she might get more out of it without trying.


    ¡°You will be doing it immediately?¡± Lord Withersworth creased his forehead.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Scarlett turned her gaze to him. ¡°In fact, that brings us on to the third condition. I will be requiring access to your basement.¡±

 Chapter 106 - That which lies buried

    Leon glanced at Scarlett¡¯s back as she and her retainers walked down the cold stone hallways of the Withersworth mansion¡¯s underground cellars. The woman walked forward as if the master of this place, despite its real master being right beside Leon.


    ¡°You appear well-informed of the layout of my home, Baroness,¡± Lord Withersworth said as their group passed by a set of doors with signs next to them. They looked like storage rooms, some of them marked for furniture and the sort.


    ¡°I would say it is not as much me being well-informed as me ensuring I have the correct people by my side,¡± Scarlett replied. She gestured towards the white-haired person walking next to her. Fynn¡ªa young man that Leon could only describe as ¡®odd¡¯¡ªhad his gaze fixed forward. ¡°He is accustomed to detecting that which does not belong.¡±


    The Lord didn¡¯t seem to object, though he did send a look towards Fynn, letting out a short harrumph as the young man turned a corner and began moving down another corridor.


    The Withersworth¡¯s cellar network was surprisingly extensive for something that was built in a large, populated city. Just from how far they had already walked, Leon judged that it spanned at least the entire estate, maybe even a bit beyond. It was old as well.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what all the space was for, to begin with. His own family¡¯s home back in Steepmond had a much smaller cellar area. One only needed so much storage.


    As they continued forward, soon turning around yet another corner, Leon turned his eyes towards the man next to him. ¡°Lord Withersworth. Could you tell me what exactly it is that we can expect here? I¡¯d prefer as many details as possible regarding potential threats and the related circumstances, to be suitably prepared.¡±


    The older man looked between him and Scarlett walking at the front. ¡°Has Baroness Hartford not already told you what you need to know? She seems perhaps even more familiar with the specific circumstances than even I, though I would very much like to know how.¡±


    Leon shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, she hasn¡¯t seen fit to share much with me yet.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was out of some petty sense of revenge or if she just enjoyed keeping him in the dark. Whatever the reason, he¡¯d accept it for now. At least if it helped convince the woman to put the whole betrothal mess to a rest. If she took things too far though and tried to use him in other ways¡­


    He wouldn¡¯t stay still.


    Not that he had seen signs of that yet. From the looks of it, Scarlett legitimately needed his help with whatever it was that troubled the Withersworths. He¡¯d been curious about her underlying motives at first, but the previous meeting with Lord and Lady Withersworth had made things clear enough. She needed money. And she was willing to use a favor from him to get it.


    Maybe she was also trying to create a connection with the Withersworths at the same time?


    While the couple had retired from most high society matters, it wouldn¡¯t surprise Leon if they still held some influence in certain parts. Lord Withersworth was the previous Lord Marshal, so it was possible Scarlett somehow wanted to use that to advance the position of her house. It¡¯d take a lot more than that to achieve anything major, but it made sense considering her actions at the Elysian Proclamation.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t satisfied with being a ¡®mere¡¯ baroness.


    He had no idea exactly what was going through her head, but she was, without a doubt, up to something. That he was certain of. Her movements these last few months had been too strange. It bothered him that he couldn¡¯t tell how much of it was part of some calculations of hers and how much was just because of pure arrogance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t envy you,¡± Lord Withersworth spoke in a lower voice, peering ahead at Scarlett. ¡°That one is difficult to handle.¡±


    ¡°You are not wrong,¡± Leon replied, looking back at him. ¡°I will say, Lady Withersworth seemed like a headstrong woman as well, though.¡±


    The man let out a huff. ¡°I¡¯m half-convinced that woman¡¯s goal is simply to drive me to a premature death. That way, she can berate me even further for not fulfilling my duties. She is a beast unto herself, that wife of mine. Although I suppose that is why I married her to begin with.¡± His gaze turned cloudy for a moment, then he shook his head. ¡±But that is not what you originally asked. You were wondering about the mansion, were you not?¡±


    ¡°By mansion, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not talking about our current location? If that¡¯s what our final destination is, then yes, I¡¯d like to learn more about it. But first, I would like to know where we¡¯re going right now.¡±


    Lord Withersworth held up a hand, stroking the thin mustache above his lip. ¡°I suppose there is no point in keeping mum if you are the one supposed to handle the matter in question. They are connected, in a way; the mansion and this place.¡± He gestured around them. ¡°However, I¡¯m uncertain why the Baroness would ever want to visit this place in particular. My family has had dozens of priests and mages examine it over the generations. None have succeeded in removing whatever foul magic that haunts it. They all agree that the cause is somewhere else, presumably inside the aforementioned mansion, and without dealing with the source, there is nothing we can do.¡±


    ¡°What kind of place is it, exactly?¡±


    ¡°It used to be a storage room, like all the others you see down here. Just so that you are aware, you do not want to enter the ones that are lacking signs. They are like that place, though not quite as forgiving.¡±


    The man gestured to an old wooden door that they passed by, missing a sign describing its contents.


    ¡°Roughly one hundred and fifty so years ago, the head of the house was a man known as Abelard Withersworth. Supposedly, he was a genius like no other when it came to the study of magical artisanship. It was never clear exactly what happened, but at some point, he went mad. Accounts say he started eating less, arguing with those close to him, and placing less of his attention on house matters and more on his magical artisanship. It became an obsession, one that he eventually took a step too far. In his insanity, he delved into topics that should never be touched by the hands of man. The results of his misdeeds still remain here and in the old mansion that used to be his home, located in the northern part of my fief, and it has haunted us ever since.¡±


    Leon narrowed his eyes. ¡°What did he ¡®delve¡¯ into?¡±


    ¡°I cannot know for certain,¡± Lord Withersworth said. ¡°Much of the details surrounding the circumstances back then have, perhaps unsurprisingly, been lost to time. I do not even know if the things that inhabit this place are a result of it, but one of the few things we know that he did was to combine the teachings of necromancy with his own craft. In pursuit of what, exactly, is unclear.¡±


    A scowl grew on Leon¡¯s face.


    Necromancy. A banned school of magic, separate from the other schools commonly practiced in the empire.


    He had suspected necromancy would be involved, considering Scarlett had mentioned specters and revenants before. But naturally occurring ghosts and undead had also been a possibility.


    ¡°I find it difficult to believe something like this could have gone unnoticed by officials or the Followers of Ittar for so long,¡± he said.


    Lord Withersworth¡¯s expression turned darker. ¡°To say it has gone unnoticed would be a lie. The Imperial Family were well aware of this when it originally happened, and I can only assume the same was true for the Followers. After Abelard¡¯s death, his name was removed from both the Followers¡¯ registers, the Imperial Register, and the Heraldic House Register. This could only have been allowed through the grace of the Imperial Family, as they forgave our house for his actions after we helped ensure he paid for his crimes.¡±


    The man ran a hand through his thinning, silvery hair as he let out a low sigh.


    ¡°Yet after this, any ambitions we might ever have held to grow past being a simple barony were crushed there and then. It is only through diligence and hard work that we have reached the state we are in today, where I could atone for some of the shame brought upon our house by my ancestor¡¯s foolish actions by dutifully serving His Majesty in one of the Empire¡¯s offices of state.¡±


    Leon considered the man¡¯s words. ¡°If the consequences of Abelard¡¯s actions still remain today, what kind of effects do they have?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The man turned to look at him for a moment. ¡°Are you aware of what House Withersworth¡¯s prime export is, Sir Leon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Wilerion Wine, is it not? I recall my father often bringing it out for our family dinners.¡±


    ¡°Right enough, my boy.¡± Lord Withersworth nodded his head. ¡°And do you know what the principal ingredient in Wilerion Wine is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It is Wilerion Grapes,¡± the man said. ¡°Named, of course, after Wilerion Valley, situated east of Ruofield Ridge and south of the Dominating Mountains. They are quite sweet, as far as grapes go, and serve as a great and varied product for our territory. Grapes usually do not grow in the soil this far north, so the land of the Wilerion Valley is really quite special. Unfortunately, however, it is also situated next to the forest where Abelard¡¯s old home was made. This means we have to deal with the errant¡­outcast now and then.¡±


    ¡°Outcast?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The entire forest directly surrounding the mansion is overflowing with some sort of nefarious aura. It is always night, and the area is packed with undead and other cursed inhabitants that boggle the common mind. What nefarious deeds Abelard must have performed to create such a place, I cannot even imagine. Our only saving grace is that they largely remain near the mansion, so you are safe as long as you do not approach too near. However, on occasion, some of these inhabitants, outcasts, if you will, escape into the nearby lands and wreak havoc. Attempts have been made to deal with the problem directly, but entering the mansion has proved impossible without the keys that Abelard himself was recorded to have created.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve done a decent enough job up till now,¡± Leon said. ¡°As I understand it, the Withersworth house is one of the most prosperous baronies in the empire.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡± There was a hint of pride in Lord Withersworth¡¯s voice at the reply, though it quickly disappeared as his eyes moved over another unmarked door that they passed by. ¡°We try to locate any outcasts before they cause too much damage, and always endeavour to ensure suitable reparations are made to those affected by any such incidents. As you might have heard, however, things have taken a turn for the worse during this last year.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°More and more of that accursed mansion¡¯s inhabitants are leaving the forest, entering our plantations and villages in Wilerion Valley. The majority appear to be ghosts of some kind, attacking people on sight and causing misgrowth in the areas where they linger. There have also been reports of sudden bouts of insanity among villagers; people attacking their friends and family without warning and acting out in delirious ways. Yet they remember none of it when¡ªand if¡ªthey return to normal. The rates of these occurrences have increased at a frightening pace, especially these last few months. I fear what it might mean for the future of my territory.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what type of ghosts these are?¡±


    Lord Withersworth shook his head. ¡°I am afraid I do not. I have been in many talks with people more knowledgeable about the issue, but my expertise lies in other subjects. What I do know is that our previous measures have proved insufficient. It is difficult to properly deal with threats when they can appear from almost anywhere, and when they move in silent and erratic ways. The only permanent solution that has been proposed is, as I said before, dealing with whatever the source of everything is inside the mansion.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Leon furrowed his brows. The ghosts mentioned could be of many different types. Most ghosts visible to the normal person were hostile to people, and auras of decay that could affect the local plant life weren¡¯t unusual. The bouts of insanity suggested the involvement of specters, at least, which fit with what Scarlett had told him.


    If he had a choice, he would have postponed any further action until they could speak with someone more informed about the specifics of this threat. Hopefully, they would get an opportunity to do that after they dealt with whatever was in this cellar and left for the mansion in Lord Withersworth¡¯s territory that he spoke of.


    ¡°The unmarked rooms here.¡± Leon looked at another old door that was close by. ¡°They¡¯re also home to these ghosts, then?¡±


    If the Withersworths truly had large groups of undead or ghosts hiding in their cellars it could be a threat to the entire city. The fact that something like that was allowed by those aware sounded strange. Even if they couldn¡¯t figure out how to permanently deal with the issue, he would have expected barriers of some kind to be erected at the very least. But he couldn¡¯t detect anything of the sort from these doors. There had been one at the entrance to the underground area, but would that be enough if something happened?


    Lord Withersworth cleared his throat. ¡°Not exactly, no. I¡¯m not sure exactly what they are, but the things that are left here are more¡­docile, so to speak.¡± He seemed to hesitate for a moment. ¡°They are¡­dolls.¡±


    Leon blinked. ¡°Dolls?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Dolls.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll have to elaborate.¡±


    ¡°I was coming to that, but I suppose it would be simpler to show you,¡± the man said as he looked forward at Scarlett, who had stopped in front of one door in particular. He walked up to stand next to her. ¡°So you have found your destination then, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett gave a curt nod. ¡°It would appear so.¡±


    ¡°I should warn you,¡± Lord Withersworth said. ¡°What you might see on the other side of this door is not for the faint of heart. You also must not touch anything in there, so you can bring nothing outside. Do you still wish to enter?¡±


    The woman eyed the man closely for several seconds. ¡°Your warning is appreciated, but know that none of that will deter me.¡±


    The older man met her gaze with a quiet stare. ¡°Hmph. If you say so.¡±


    Scarlett turned back to the door. ¡°Fynn, if you would?¡±


    The young man stepped up and placed a hand against the door. Then he pushed it open.


    A surprised gasp left Allyssa¡ªthe blonde girl with protective goggles on her head¡ªas their group walked inside.


    What light that was present came from a magical lamp held aloft by Shin¡ªthe other Shielder hired by Scarlett¡ªand illuminated rows of dusty old crates that were haphazardly spread out around the large room. Dark tarps covered other articles of furniture, mostly situated towards the back, with the legs of stools and tables visible in some places.


    Nestled in between all of these items were the dolls Lord Withersworth had mentioned. There were dozens upon dozens of them, ranging in size from shin height to some that might even reach Leon¡¯s waist. Their appearances differed wildly, some seeming to mimic a person with detailed dresses and hairstyles, as well as disturbingly accurate faces. Others were unsettling in how unlike people they were, with stiff, emotionless marble faces that held strange smiles or lacked features like the eyes or nose.


    Most of the dolls were lying on the floor or leaning against the side of the various crates, their impassive faces turned towards the center of the room.


    Leon¡¯s hand went to the hilt of his sword attached to his belt. Normally, he would not pause even at a sight like this. Dolls were inanimate. Even if they could look strange, with their human-like appearances, they were nothing more but simple toys. At first glance, these dolls looked to be much like that, spread around the room like odd decorations. Yet his instincts told him that there was indeed something more to these dolls. That their dull eyes weren¡¯t entirely empty. Coupled with Lord Withersworth¡¯s warning, it was clear appearances were deceiving.


    Another gasp left Allyssa, and the girl pointed to a section hidden between two crates in a nearby corner. The magical lamp turned to light the spot up.


    A skeletal foot was sticking out from behind the crates.


    ¡°Is that a body?¡±


    Leon''s eyes narrowed. He searched across the rest of the room. Now that he was paying closer attention, he saw even more signs of what might be skeletons, hidden among the disorder and darkness of the dreary cellar room.


    He turned to Lord Withersworth. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    The man shot a look at the remains Allyssa had pointed out. ¡°These are what is left of the people who visited here before and made the mistake of touching any of the items here. A similar fate would befall you if you did the same.¡±


    Leon pulled his sword out of its sheath, inspecting the nearby dolls as he stepped closer to the body.


    ¡°Sir Leon.¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice rang out from behind him.


    He stopped, turning to look at her.


    ¡°Surely you do not intend on touching that body, after the Lord¡¯s words just now?¡± she asked. ¡°I will remind you that, while you may be strong enough to fend off any threat to your person, you are not the only one here.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to touch it. Just examine if I could tell the cause.¡±


    ¡°Is that much not already evident?¡± Scarlett sent him a questioning look, then gestured to the dolls around the room. ¡°I would hope you are not blind to the truth in front of you merely because it does not appear possible at first glance.¡±


    He eyed her for a moment. He could tell the dolls were probably responsible as much as she could; however, he wanted to know how they did it. But it was true that the people with him right now weren¡¯t his fellow knights. He would need to pay more attention to their safety until he had a good grasp of their abilities.


    He kept his sword unsheathed, lowering it to his side as he stepped back over to the others.


    Scarlett turned around and began moving down a thin aisle that was open between the dolls and all of the crates, cutting deeper into the room. The rest of them followed, with Leon near the back and Lord Withersworth after him. Behind Scarlett, her retainers were careful not to accidentally touch anything as they moved, though the lady with the curly hair and klert in her hand often stopped to examine some of the dolls.


    ¡°You know,¡± the woman said from in front of Leon as she bent over to inspect a doll that was leaning against the leg of a half-covered chair. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered what sort of person would get excited about dolls, of all things. I imagined it¡¯d be some old noble in a mansion somewhere, with just the right level of cuckoo-ness and wealth to buy an army of the things whenever he wished. It doesn¡¯t seem like I was too far off with that guess, but I never knew they would be so creepy. Just look at this little cutie.¡± She rested her klert over her knees as she stared into the doll¡¯s eyes. It had a white marble face with a small child¡¯s dress on. ¡°You can tell that it¡¯s just itching to jump at me and slit my youthful, dainty little throat to shreds.¡±


    Leon reached out to grab the woman¡¯s hand as it moved to touch the doll.


    She looked up at him, her amethyst eyes holding a slight smile. ¡°Easy there, tall-lanky-and-handsome. I know better than to touch. I was just going to give it a bit of amusement.¡±


    He released her hand with a scowl. What was that supposed to mean? What was this woman thinking? ¡°How can you be certain whatever you were intending to do won¡¯t have the same effect?¡±


    She stood up, wiping away some dust from her legs. ¡°I can just tell. Besides, the ol¡¯ Baroness over there would have said if we had to be extra careful.¡±


    Leon¡¯s eyes went over to Scarlett. How did that make any sense? What had Scarlett done to earn that kind of trust? ¡°Surely you don¡¯t agree with this, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I trust the judgement of Miss Hale, if that is what you are asking.¡± The woman turned back to look at them for a moment, then shifted her attention to Rosa. ¡°That being said, perhaps it is best if you do not try to purposefully antagonize everything that you see, Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s not antagonizing,¡± the woman replied. ¡°I just felt bad for it, that¡¯s all. Felt that, considering my gruesome death was out of the picture, the least I could do was let it have some fun. Maybe imagine what it¡¯d be like if it could murderize me, you know? But you¡¯re the boss. From now on, I¡¯ll aim to be nothing but heartlessness and coldness personified, by your command!¡±


    Scarlett seemed to dismiss the woman¡¯s words with little thought and turned around to continue forward again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re talking about dolls as if they¡¯re cold-blooded murderers,¡± Allyssa said. The girl shook her head as she looked at the doll in question for a moment before she started following Scarlett again.


    ¡°¡­But¡­¡± she spoke again soon after, looking back over her shoulder at Rosa. ¡°If they¡¯re actually¡­you know¡­alive¡­, and the ones that killed all these people, then they¡¯re monsters, aren¡¯t they? Why would you feel bad for it?¡±


    The woman shrugged. ¡°Even monsters can be sad. And I don¡¯t think being one means you don¡¯t deserve pity. Isn¡¯t their very nature a tragedy?¡±


    ¡°But they kill people. Isn¡¯t that just disrespectful to their victims?¡± Allyssa shivered. ¡°And just look at how creepy they are. I don¡¯t understand how you can be so calm about it.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve seen worse.¡±


    That made Allyssa pause, and the conversation died down.


    Leon studied Rosa for a while as they proceeded forward. Perhaps he had misjudged her. The way she talked didn¡¯t sound like someone ignorant of the dangers around her. Just someone that wasn¡¯t afraid of them. Or good at hiding that fear.


    And her words about monsters¡­


    There was a truth to it that he couldn¡¯t deny.


    In his time as a knight, he had faced many different kinds of threats. Both towards the empire and its citizens. Most were beasts and savage monsters. Openly hostile towards anything human, moving out of instinct and lacking intelligence to assess or truly understand their actions. Then there were those dangers that were intelligent but outright evil, like the few demonic presences he had encountered in his career. True monsters that only wished to inflict suffering on all that they could.


    However, there were other categories. Some were monsters only by slim definition, more so forced by nature or circumstances to stand in opposition to humanity or the empire, but not necessarily as instinctual or primitive as animals were. Beings that, in any other situation, might have been considered harmless or even able to coexist with people. Beings with an intelligence or demeanor not necessarily at odds with what humans were.


    The Ancient Dragon that ravaged the land southwest of Autumnwell seven years ago was probably considered a monster by most. As were many of the other dragons that made their homes across the world. Yet, it most likely wasn¡¯t as clear-cut as that.


    Leon had helped drive away and severely injure an adolescent dragon the year before, after it had injured many of the merchants and travelers on the roads near Chillburg. It had been called a monster by many of the residents, and their joy at seeing members of the Shields Guild work together with the Imperial Solar Knights had been a sight to behold.


    Yet dragons didn¡¯t act without reason.


    The issue was only ever investigated more thoroughly after the dragon had been driven away. Its territory had been encroached upon by a suit of mercenary poachers, who had erroneously thought they could find the legendary dragon eggs in its nest. The people responsible had been charged with the damage and deaths brought about by their actions, but by then, it was too late. Both the dead people and the dragon could be said to be victims of that situation.


    But that didn¡¯t mean Leon would have acted any differently, even had he known all the details from the start. The reality of the world was that some things would always be in opposition, and the only response one could have was to prioritize between them.


    Eventually, their group¡ªwith Scarlett at the front¡ªreached an open space that was surrounded by crates and dolls spread out in a half-circle. At the far end stood a large rectangular shape, taller and wider than Leon, and hidden beneath a dusty black canvas.


    Scarlett gestured at it, and Fynn walked up to remove the sheet. Next to Leon, he heard how Lord Withersworth was about to let out a shout in protest as a cloud of dust flew away from the object.


    Leon¡¯s eyes scanned their surroundings, keeping watch on the dolls and the other dark spaces in the room. There wasn¡¯t any movement.


    ¡°W-What¡­?¡± Lord Withersworth¡¯s voice trailed off.


    A wooden door frame now stood in front of Scarlett, isolated from any wall. It had two keyholes above and beneath a spot where it looked like a door handle might have once been.


    A large frown had appeared on Lord Withersworth¡¯s face. ¡°¡­From what I have read, this action of yours just now should have brought about all of our deaths, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°And yet it has not.¡± Scarlett looked back at him. ¡°Ah, but do not mistake this for your knowledge being faulty. This is simply an exception to the rule. It would still be unwise to touch anything else down here.¡± She held out a hand towards the man. ¡°You brought the item I spoke of, did you not?¡±


    He sent a confused look between the door and the surrounding dolls. Finally, he shook his head and pulled out something from inside his clothes. It was a round door knob, made of polished clear bronze. ¡°Ahem, yes, of course. I had always wondered what this was for, but I did not know its purpose was for something within my own home.¡±


    He stepped forward and handed it over to Scarlett. She took it and put it in the door. Then she pulled out the two keys she had shown during their meeting earlier.


    Lord Withersworth stared at the keys as if he had just had a realization. ¡°W-Wait just a moment! The keys as well? Dagnabbit all! Are you saying the keys are not for that accursed mansion, but for this door?! This is not at all what the records said!¡±


    Scarlett placed both keys into their respective keyholes before turning them at the same time. A soft click sounded out from the door. ¡°I do not see why they cannot be for both. It is common to have more than one way of exiting and entering one¡¯s home, no?¡±


    It opened with a creak, revealing a curtain of pure blackness.


    Leon narrowed his eyes.


    So it was a portal of some kind.


    He stared at Scarlett. Not even Lord Withersworth seemed aware of its existence, so how did she know?


    ¡°This is where we will be parting ways, Lord Withersworth,¡± she said, looking back at the older man. ¡°Unless you wish to accompany us inside Abelard¡¯s mansion?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened at that. He looked between Scarlett and the dark curtain within the door. Understanding seemed to dawn on him. ¡°I see. So that is how it is.¡±


    He let out a low chuckle and shook his head. ¡°No, I do not think I will be joining you, Baroness. I am far too old and inexperienced with these matters to be of much aid, and it appears you are more well-informed than me besides. I am afraid I would only hold you young folks back.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Scarlett seemed to have expected as much. ¡°Then I suggest you begin making your way back now, before you are left here on your lonesome.¡±


    She turned to the others. ¡°As for the rest of you, I hope you are prepared for what comes next.¡±

 Chapter 107 - A dance at the mansion

    Leon found himself in what looked to be a large ballroom, with old yet burnished decorations running along the walls and silver chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. Chairs and long tables lined the edges of the room with an old piano in the corner, its fallboard and lid propped up as if waiting to be used.


    There was almost no dust to be seen, and the space had an air of expectation to it that belied the apparent dereliction. Leon didn¡¯t know why he felt like it, but it was as if the emptiness was only temporary, and any second now a suite of guests would stream in through the wide entrance at the end as a quartet started playing.


    It was also strange how there were no visible lights here, the chandeliers empty of any candles, yet it was still bright enough for him to make out so many details. He had encountered similar phenomena in places with a lot of dormant magic in them before, but it wasn¡¯t common.


    Behind him, Scarlett appeared as she stepped through the same black curtain that he had. On this end, the portal leading here was also camouflaged as a simple wooden door, standing on its own at the center of the room. A strange sight if one didn¡¯t know what it was.


    Scarlett¡¯s retainers soon arrived as well, and the woman seemed to look them over for a moment before proceeding to move past Leon.


    His eyes followed her as she pulled out a strange knife from the pouch at her waist and raised her other hand.


    ¡°What are you doin¡ª¡± he began.


    A large sphere of fire suddenly formed above one of the chandeliers further down the room, enveloping the crown completely.


    A shrieking wail sounded out.


    Leon raised his sword as a transparent shape in a flowing blue dress flitted down from the chandelier to escape the flames.


    A face twisted in rage turned towards Scarlett.


    Several smaller spheres appeared, swarming around the ghost¡¯s figure and reflecting the flames¡¯ light in a strange way.


    Leon frowned. Was the outer layer of those spheres water? What spell was that?


    The spheres exploded in bursts of steam that tore through the ghost¡¯s dress, each attack removing parts of its body and causing more shrieking to fill the room. The ghost started flying straight towards Scarlett when, suddenly, a wall of fire bore into existence in front of it. One last wail sounded out as it ran through the flames, its form quickly reduced to nothingness.


    The fire died out soon after, and Scarlett lowered her hand.


    Leon relaxed the grip around his sword¡¯s hilt and turned his attention to her. ¡°What was that?¡±


    She looked back at him. ¡°I believe that was a Malignant Apparition,¡± she answered matter-of-factly. ¡°I have read that they are quite common in places such as this. One would have thought you would notice it before I did.¡±


    ¡°I meant whatever spells those were. Since when could you do that?¡±


    As far as he knew¡ªdespite coming from a famed family of magic casters¡ªScarlett could barely be called a mage. The display he just saw shouldn¡¯t have been possible for someone at her level.


    His eyes shifted to the knife in her hand. It had a bronze cavalier hilt and a short iron blade that had rusted over on most parts. Was that some sort of artifact?


    Now that he thought about it, Scarlett seemed to be wearing several items that looked like they could be enchanted in some way. The most obvious were the two rings on her fingers and the necklace around her neck. The necklace, at least, was an odd choice of attire for a place like this if it wasn¡¯t magical in some way.


    ¡°It has been some time since I learned those ¡®spells¡¯, as you describe them.¡± Scarlett seemed to have noticed his gaze on the dagger in her hand, though she didn¡¯t make any further note of it as she returned it to the pouch hanging from her waist. ¡°But if you must know, they were applications of pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis. Not spells in and of themselves. They have their limits, but prove quite effective against opponents of this sort.¡±


    She turned away from him and walked deeper into the ballroom, looking around for Ittar-knows-what. ¡°That should be all for this chamber,¡± she announced after a moment. ¡°If you would all gather here. Soon, we will proceed onto the other sections of this mansion.¡±


    The other members of Scarlett¡¯s little group walked past Leon. The curly-haired woman, Rosa, gave him a small smile as she went by. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get far here if you get stumped by even the smaller things. Here¡¯s a tip: when you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, just smile and nod.¡±


    He watched her as she walked up with the others and gathered around Scarlett, like this was something they were used to.


    ¡­Was that in reference to what Scarlett just did? If so, should he expect more?


    The last couple of days with Scarlett had been filled with more questions that he lacked answers for than he cared to admit, but what he had just seen was perhaps the farthest from the truth he thought he had known. Forget about Scarlett being a mage or not; she wasn¡¯t a fighter. That much he had been certain of. Yet the ease with which she moved here showed at least some familiarity in the area.


    The woman in question turned to look at him. They were waiting for him.


    Leon walked up to their group, stopping behind Allyssa and Rosa, keeping a close eye on Scarlett over their shoulders.


    She didn¡¯t look out of place at all. Just like in Lord Withersworth¡¯s cellar, her air was that of someone in complete control of the situation, despite being in a place that could be filled with even more ghosts, undead, and Ittar knows what else. The ballroom aside, it was an environment far removed from anything Leon had ever associated with Scarlett.


    How much of her composure was an act?


    ¡°As you may all be aware,¡± the woman said, looking over the group as a whole, ¡°we are currently in a separate location from the Withersworth¡¯s home in Autumnwell. This is an old mansion on the northern ends of the Withersworth Barony. Once, it belonged to an artificer and wizard named Abelard, but that was long ago. As you might have surmised from the cellar we were in before, and the apparition I just dealt with, Abelard was a man that dabbled in some rather esoteric and dangerous subjects.¡±


    Rosa raised a hand. ¡°This Abelard fellow wouldn¡¯t have happened to be a dragon of any kind, would he?¡±


    Scarlett gave her a long look. ¡°No, he was not.¡±


    Allyssa leaned close to the woman. ¡°What did I tell you?¡± she whispered.


    Scarlett continued. ¡°Our primary aim while here will be to remove the root of the curse that is haunting this place and its immediate area, as agreed upon with Lord Withersworth. Beyond that, however, the usual priorities for these excursions apply. Lord Withersworth has agreed to relinquish any artifacts or other valuables to me, so if you find anything that you believe to be valuable and safe to bring with, you may do so.¡±


    All of the others¡¯ heads nodded along with her words. Leon wasn¡¯t sure what these ¡®usual priorities¡¯ were, but it seemed they were, at least. How many times had Scarlett done this before?


    ¡°This estate houses many secrets, as well as dangers, so take caution as you proceed. To achieve our first objective, we will divide into two groups. Fynn and Mister Thornthon will move with me while Miss Hale and Miss Astrey will be joining Sir Leon.¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°We¡¯re splitting up?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°We¡¯ve almost never done that before, except when, you know¡­¡± The girl looked over at Fynn for some reason.


    ¡°It has never been necessary before,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°Under the current circumstances, however, it is the best course of action to take if we are to proceed with things in an orderly and productive manner. From what I have gathered, amongst the many inhabitants of this place, there are two that could be considered the mansion¡¯s ¡®custodians¡¯, for lack of a better description. Locating and dealing with them is a prerequisite before we begin addressing any of the other objectives. They also have to be dealt with in a relatively close time-frame of each other, which is why we are taking this approach.¡±


    Leon crossed his arms as he considered her words.


    How would she know something like that? From what Lord Withersworth had told him, this mansion was supposed to have been closed to all outsiders for over a century. Yet Scarlett was speaking like she already knew everything there was to know about this place. Whatever source of information she had found was unlikely to be that accurate. If priests and mages had already tried investigating the matter before, with little success, it probably meant that any sort of divination magic didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°How do we find these ¡®custodians¡¯?¡± Shin asked. The young man with a scar across his eye looked ready to start moving with his sword and shield in hand.


    ¡°One of them should be present somewhere in the east wing, which is where we currently are,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The other will be wandering around in the west wing, which is where my group will go. As for how we will be locating them, that will be left up to all of you. Their appearance should be conspicuous enough, so I do not think it will be difficult identifying them. Fynn and Sir Leon will hopefully be able to aid in tracking them, as well.¡±


    The group¡¯s eyes turned to the two of them.


    Leon raised his eyebrows, looking at Scarlett. ¡°You¡¯re expecting me to find this ¡®custodian¡¯?¡±


    ¡°That was my hope, yes. Though I will admit they have diminished somewhat, seeing as you did not immediately detect the Malignant Apparition in this room,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But you are a Solar Knight, no? Sensing the presences of the dead and beings of that nature should be something you are accustomed to.¡±


    He drew his mouth together. ¡°It¡¯s not our expertise, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°It may not be, but you are still capable of it to a certain degree. Is that not so?¡± Scarlett gestured to the others. ¡°That is more than can be said for the rest of us, barring Fynn. But even were you unable to detect it by yourself, I do not believe it will hamper your chances significantly. It simply means the three of you will have to be more observant.¡±


    ¡°Did you just choose these groups out of who you thought had the best chance of finding these custodian fellows then?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°It was also based on what I deemed to be the safest compositions available. Sir Leon is more than capable of acting as a front for the two of you by himself, and I can provide sufficient support to Mister Thornthon and Fynn. It should allow both groups to move about relatively unchallenged in this part of the mansion. We have also brought a suitable amount of mana and healing potions, should they be needed. Is there a reason you are asking?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just curious.¡± Rosa fiddled with the neck of her instrument. ¡°Sounds good, though. I¡¯m sure you and your noggin have spent a good amount of time thinking all this through, so there aren¡¯t any complaints from me.¡±


    ¡°I still feel a bit unsure about this, actually.¡± Allyssa looked between Scarlett, Shin, and Rosa. ¡°Isn¡¯t it still dangerous? Splitting up like that, I mean. We¡¯ll have Sir Leon with us, but you guys¡­¡±


    ¡°There is nothing that poses an unsurmountable threat to us in this part of the mansion,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°You have the Philters of Dawnlight that I asked you to brew, do you not?¡±


    ¡°Ehm, yeah.¡± Allyssa walked over to Fynn, who had a green satchel hanging over his shoulders. There, she pulled the satchel over to his front to reveal the strange face that was sewn onto it and put a hand inside. Leon had assumed it was a bag of holding of some kind, and the fact that the girl managed to pull out a number of large bottles with a pale yellow liquid in them proved as much.


    ¡°Here they are. I also have the Brews of Fireworks.¡± Allyssa pointed to another line of vials hanging off the bandolier on her chest.


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett gave a short nod. ¡°There are several variants of specters in this place, so all of you should imbibe these before we leave. Otherwise, you may risk falling under their possession.¡±


    Allyssa handed the bottles out to everyone. Leon took his and downed it quickly, grimacing at the taste. If the girl truly was an accomplished enough alchemist to brew these, then it was impressive enough considering her age, but it was clear she hadn¡¯t quite learned how to stop her concoctions from tasting like dirt yet. That was common among alchemists still focusing on the efficacy of their potions. He was used to it tasting better when working with the order. Still, what mattered in the end was the effect.


    Not that he was at much risk of getting possessed by a specter of any kind. But it wouldn¡¯t do for a knight to get complacent. Before an assignment, members of their order strived to always take as many precautions as possible. One could never be too prepared.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking one as well, Scarlett?¡± Allyssa had handed the red-haired woman the last bottle, but Scarlett had just placed it into her pouch instead of drinking it.


    ¡°I have no need for it,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Perhaps I should have informed you of as much earlier, considering the price for the materials. For now, I will keep it and see if it can be sold at a later time.¡±


    Leon blinked at the statement. Exactly how desperate for money was Scarlett at the moment? And where did that self-confidence come from? The woman had never been averse to throwing money around before. If anything, he thought she would be the first to make use of philters like these.


    ¡°Any further questions?¡± she asked, seeing that they were all ready.


    He raised a hand. ¡°What sort of threats can we expect from now on? If we¡¯re talking specifics.¡±


    Whatever was up with Scarlett would have to wait. It was best if he got as good a handle on the situation as he could now. If anything went sideways, it would be up to him to get everybody out of here safely, no matter what she might have to say about it.


    ¡°As I mentioned, there will be several variants of ghost and specters here.¡± Scarlett gestured to the chandelier where the ghost had been hiding before. ¡°The Malignant Apparition just now was such an example. Unfortunately, it was also one of the few which I knew the name of. I can tell you that you should expect to see more of the dolls that were in Lord Withersworth¡¯s cellar, though they will not be as docile now that we are in their domain. In addition to that, there may also be some undead, such as skeletons and their kin. As far as I am aware, however, we are unlikely to encounter those on the upper floors of the mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± He was just going to ignore his growing concern over where she was getting all of this from. For now, he would act under the assumption that she was telling the truth. ¡°Then, these ¡®custodians¡¯ we are looking for. What do they look like? We¡¯re going to need more to go off of than them simply being ¡®conspicuous¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I was about to expound on that.¡± Scarlett turned to look around the room for a moment, her eyes stopping at a large painting hanging off one of the walls. ¡°This is quite convenient. Inspect that painting closer, if you would.¡±


    Leon looked at the painting. Its canvas had faded to nothing more than a bleak, grey surface, so there wasn¡¯t much to see.


    Scarlett walked closer to it, however, and so the rest of them followed.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± she asked, pausing in front of it and looking back at him.


    ¡°There is nothing¡ª¡± He stopped right next to her. Suddenly, there was a pale, green sheen around the painting. He looked closer, closing his eyes to make sure he wasn¡¯t imagining it. When he opened them again, the painting had changed to show a drawing of a ballroom on it, with masses of people dancing around on the floor.


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Rosa muttered. ¡°That¡¯s¡­macabre.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Allyssa peered at the image, stepping a bit closer. ¡°What is? They¡¯re just people, right?¡±


    Leon narrowed his eyes. After a while, he realized what the woman was referring to.


    The painting most certainly wasn¡¯t depicting people. Or rather, not real people. Some of their limbs were in odd or unnatural positions, and there was a strangeness to how they were all arranged. And after looking very closely, one could see that there were strings attached to them. Every single figure in the painting had a thin line drawn from their bodies that led up to somewhere in the ceiling, where some unseen hand was ostensibly directing their movements.


    Had this been here since before the mansion was abandoned? It would be a strange piece to have in a ballroom, unless you were trying to make a statement of some kind.


    A strange growl left Fynn¡¯s throat as the young man glared at the painting.


    Wondering what caused the reaction, Leon¡¯s attention was brought back to the canvas when all the dolls suddenly moved. Dozens of lifeless eyes turned to stare at them.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Allyssa stepped back. ¡°Are they looking at us?¡±


    Shin stepped closer to the painting, and the girl¡¯s hand shot out to grab his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t move closer when you hear that, stupid!¡±


    He looked back at her. ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m not touching it. And besides, it¡¯s still a painting.¡±


    ¡°Since when can paintings do that?!¡±


    ¡°Since now, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Pay attention.¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice brought everyone¡¯s focus back to the image in the painting.


    The figures in the painting had moved again, a step towards all of them. It was as if the dolls wanted to escape out of the frame, clambering to freedom. One second when you looked at them they would be in one position, then you blinked and they were in the next. Yet¡­ Their movements were awkward. Their limbs got caught in one another and they stumbled over their own legs. As they scrambled forward, many of them fell over each other, and soon all the dolls were just lying in piles on the floor.


    That was when another figure entered the frame. A transparent man, with an almost palpable gloom hanging over him. He was dressed in an antique black suit, with an arrangement of iron chains dangling off his arms. Floating over to the dolls, he stopped momentarily at each one to cut its string and pull it free from where it was stuck, lobbing the dolls over his shoulder where they disappeared into nothingness. It looked like he was cleaning up just another mess.


    Soon, all the dolls were gone, and the man left the ballroom, the canvas returning to the bleak, empty surface it had originally been.


    ¡°That,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Is your first target.¡±

 Chapter 108 - Hallway crawling

    Leon walked down a dimly lit hallway, with Allyssa and Rosa following close behind. Keeping a close watch on their surroundings, he eyed the different corridors and doors leading deeper into the mansion that they passed by. Occasionally, he glanced back at the other two to make sure everything was fine.


    Both of his companions had turned a lot quieter ever since they separated from Scarlett and the rest of the group. Most of Allyssa¡¯s attention appeared to be focused on their surroundings as well, a pair of brown leather goggles pulled over her eyes as she held up a strange hand crossbow made of metal with decals running up its side.


    From Leon¡¯s own experience, he knew it wasn¡¯t uncommon for Shielders to be laxer than most others in dangerous environments such as this. This quality had both its good and its bad sides. Allyssa seemed to know there was a time and place for casual nonchalance, though.


    The same couldn¡¯t be said for the woman walking next to the girl.


    Or at least, that was Leon¡¯s original impression. From what he¡¯d seen of Rosa up till now, he would have expected her to make jokes and other odd statements as they proceeded with their job. And she had, to a certain degree. But¡ªand this was something he wasn¡¯t even completely sure of himself¡ªit felt like something in the woman¡¯s demeanor had changed since splitting with Scarlett¡¯s group. And unlike Allyssa, she seemed to consciously avoid paying attention to their surroundings.


    Leon paused, turning his head as he sensed a presence nearby. A low whisper emanated from the wall to his right, next to a derelict chiffonier where an empty painting was. He narrowed his eyes.


    A ghostly hand exited the frame. It was followed by a woman¡¯s face, partly hidden by a mound of rippling black hair. The figure tried crawling out of the painting with two slender arms, but Leon didn¡¯t let it. He gathered his aura and struck with his sword the second enough of its body was visible, cleaving the woman in two.


    A wail left her throat as the ghost was torn apart by the brilliant glow of the sword¡¯s edge and dissipated into nothingness.


    He turned to look at the other paintings that covered the walls of the hallway. It was impossible to tell which ones were hiding something inside them. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t detect anything until whatever was present inside tried to exit as well. It didn¡¯t help that all the paintings were supernatural in some way and appeared empty until one got closer to take a look.


    ¡°That one looked almost normal compared to the last one,¡± Allyssa muttered.


    He looked back at the girl as she gave another painting a wide berth, crossbow raised in one hand as the other clasped the bandolier hanging across her chest.


    She glanced at him. ¡°Are all ghosts always this varied?¡±


    ¡°It depends,¡± he said. ¡°Some ghosts are the product of real events. Echoes of the creatures and people who were once alive, you could say. Others are just a natural consequence of places like these, where the boundaries between life and death are thinner. The latter can take the shape of almost anything you can imagine, while the former usually looks more normal, as long as the inciting incident wasn¡¯t something too terrible.¡±


    ¡°So the ghost we ran into before this one was an example of the latter?¡±


    ¡°¡­It could have been, yes.¡±


    The one before this had appeared as a person with sewing marks all across their body, as if their limbs had been reattached posthumously. It could definitely have been a natural result of a convergence of negative energies in the area, but Leon doubted it. Echoes of people were almost always a result of something that had happened in real life.


    He started moving down the hallway again, returning his attention to keeping watch for any other threats.


    They¡¯d been roaming around this part of the mansion for almost an hour now, and they still hadn¡¯t found any signs of the ¡®Custodian¡¯ Scarlett wanted them to find. These hallways were also strange in that they never seemed to end. Yet, at the same time, they¡¯d passed by several stairs and other corridors that clearly led to other sections and wings of the mansion. More than should have been possible, at least, no matter how large of a mansion this was.


    At first, he thought the cause was some sort of spatial magic. But he was growing more and more skeptical of that as time passed.


    Whatever the underlying reason, though, it proved annoying enough. Scarlett had told them to leave the Custodian alone for the first hour and a half or so if they found it within that timeframe, so that she and her group could make it to the west wing first. But with how large this place was, and how few traces they¡¯d found this far, he was starting to doubt whether they would even find their target to begin with.


    More time passed as they moved throughout the mansion, and eventually, Allyssa spoke again. ¡°What do you think happened here, for this place to become like this?¡±


    Leon looked back at her. ¡°I only heard about this place the first time earlier today, so I don¡¯t think I know much more than you.¡±


    Allyssa blinked at him. ¡°Scarlett didn¡¯t tell you anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what kind of relationship you thought I had with her, but our previous interactions should have made it clear that us being betrothed isn¡¯t due to any fondness on either of our ends.¡±


    ¡°No, well¡­ I could tell that much, I guess. I just thought that¡­¡± The girl¡¯s words trailed off. She shook her head. ¡°Well, whatever. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    He eyed her for a moment before returning his attention forward. ¡°I noticed earlier that all of you were used to working with Scarlett in this fashion. Does she usually ignore telling you what¡¯s going on when you¡¯re in situations like this?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say she ignores it.¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice came from behind Leon. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I think she only tells us what she thinks is necessary? Usually, that¡¯s more along the lines of what kind of monsters we can expect, or where traps and such might be. Sometimes she skips even those, though, if she¡¯s confident that we can deal with things as they are.¡±


    To him, that sounded like a terrible way of leading. If he were to command his knights into the field while only sharing the most essential of intel with them, how could he expect them to react properly if uncertain situations arose? How could he even expect them to trust him if they knew he was hiding things related to their missions?


    Honestly, he doubted any Solar Knight would accept those sorts of conditions unless directly ordered to by the captain or His Majesty.


    But perhaps the circumstances weren¡¯t comparable. The Imperial Solar Knights were some of the most elite and disciplined knights in the empire. At least when it came to their work. Each and every one could be trusted to keep what they learned secret, no matter the circumstances, and he didn¡¯t have to worry about them not properly understanding what information was shared with them. They were a prideful bunch as well; a lesson he had learned the hard way when he originally became a member. But like many things in life, one only started to appreciate that fact after spending some time with them.


    In comparison, Scarlett was relying on Shielders and people hired to work for her.


    For as long as Leon had known her, the noblewoman had never placed all of her trust in another person. Not to his knowledge, at least. Being paranoid about other people¡¯s motivations was probably par for the course for someone like her. In her mind, it probably made perfect sense to only share what was absolutely necessary. And there was probably some truth to that, in some way.


    Nevertheless, he doubted it was the best way of going about things.


    He was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized one set of steps had disappeared from behind him.


    Spinning around, Allyssa met his eyes with a confused look before looking to her own side and then further back in the hallway.


    Rosa had frozen on the spot a dozen steps behind, transfixed in front of one of the paintings.


    Bulwark of the Egis.


    A pool of light spread out from Leon¡¯s sword and formed a shimmering barrier around Allyssa and him. When it had finished forming, he shot up the hallway with eyes locked on to Rosa and the frame in front of her. It took him two seconds to reach the woman and pull her back, placing himself between her and the painting. He readied his aura to deal with whatever might come out.


    ¡­Yet nothing came.


    As he blinked, the empty canvas changed into a drawing of an abandoned village landscape with dilapidated dirt trails running through it. But there was nothing in particular that stood out about the picture, nor could he sense anything off about it.


    Behind him, Rosa seemed to rouse from whatever daze had afflicted her. He glanced back at her with one eye still on the painting. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She stared at him for a second, then sent a look at the painting. ¡°Y-Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Perfectly fine, thank you very much. Must have been something¡­strange with that painting.¡± A small smile formed on her face. ¡°Funny. I thought those potions we drank would stop mental thingies like this, but guess it got through anyway. Thank Ittar we¡¯ve got a tall and dependable knight right here, ready to save damsels like me when we need it, right?¡±


    The woman reached up a hand to adjust some of her hair, then looked down the hallway to where Allyssa was half-hidden by the barrier of light. ¡°Think you might have scared the youngling, though.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to explain things.¡± Leon examined her for a few more seconds, then returned his attention fully to the painting. Still no signs of a specter or anything of the sort hiding inside. He also couldn¡¯t detect any sort of bewitchment or charm coming from it. It was just a picture of an abandoned village.


    But the look he¡¯d seen on Rosa¡¯s face, for just a brief moment¡­ That wasn¡¯t the look of someone seeing a simple village.


    He would have to be more alert from now on. It was clear that things in this mansion weren¡¯t as simple as they appeared.


    The two of them returned to Allyssa, who hadn¡¯t seemed especially happy about being stuck inside the barrier of light.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked Rosa as the barrier fell around her.


    ¡°Just dandy,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Might have to take a few more safety measures from here on, though.¡±


    She held up the instrument in her hands and played a few notes. Leon felt a strange clarity enter his mind as a sense of tranquil peace came over him.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t used this one much lately, but it always gives me the urge for a warm cup of coffee.¡±


    Allyssa grimaced at that for some reason.


    ¡°Just make sure not to lose any arms, legs, or other precariously attached limbs,¡± Rosa continued. ¡°This one is a pain to maintain, and it¡¯d be even more of a pain if I ended up having to do it while reattaching errant body parts.¡±


    Leon studied her curiously. He¡¯d assumed the woman knew bardic charms from the fact that she was carrying around a klert all the time. That fact alone was rare enough in the empire. But the effect of this charm was what shocked him the most. It was surprisingly powerful for someone not a member of the Velvet Dancers of the Luicean Isles.


    ¡°Can you really reattach arms and legs?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Rosa cocked her head to the side. ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ve never tried it.¡±


    She pointed to a thin silver bracelet around her wrist. ¡°With this, it might actually be possible. Maybe. Possibly. I¡¯d prefer not to find out today, though. I can tell you that much.¡± Shooting the two of them a grin, she signaled down the hallway. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t be loitering around here forever, can we? I¡¯m sure we have several closets full of ghosts and bed-monsters just waiting to meet us.¡±


    Leon kept his eyes on her for a moment longer before finally turning around and resuming his position at the front of their formation, keeping a closer watch ahead and behind. They walked in silence for a while, until finally, a subdued rustling of metal sounded out around the corner.


    They stopped.


    ¡°That sounded like chains, didn¡¯t it?¡± Allyssa whispered from behind. ¡°Is that our target?¡±


    He looked back to make sure both of them were prepared, then gestured for them to follow him. Soon, they rounded the corner at the end of the hallway to find another hallway that ended in a single door with a painting hanging on either side of it. There were no signs of what had made the noise.


    Looking back from where they¡¯d come, Leon found that the hallway they had been walking down now looked slightly different; new furniture and paintings lined the walls, and the carpet on the floor had gone from an intense vermillion with gold trimmings to a dark green, lacking any decorations whatsoever.


    Allyssa pointed past him. ¡°Should we try the door?¡±


    He turned back to examine it closer. Most rooms they¡¯d tried up till now had either been locked or empty. But this was the first time they might have heard a sound from one.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± he told them in a low voice, then crept down the hallway. His eyes were locked onto the empty frames next to the door, which soon changed to display a pair of dark, empty forests where the night sky showed through the dense canopies.


    Even after stopping and waiting for several seconds, there were no signs of anything trying to leave the paintings. Waiting for a while longer, just to be safe, he then stepped closer to the door. He tried the handle.


    It crept open without making a noise.


    He glanced back at the other two, who gave him short nods.


    He opened the door fully, revealing a pitch-black room. It didn¡¯t harbor the same magical illumination effect that much of the rest of the mansion seemed to have.


    A touch came from his arm as Allyssa stepped up beside him and pulled out a thin vial from beneath her cloak, gesturing to cover their eyes.


    He readied his sword and raised a hand to shield his eyes. The young Shielder threw the vial. A moment later, an explosion of light spread out. Leon moved in front of Allyssa as the light quickly subsided to a manageable level, a thin pool of illuminating liquid having gathered on the floor at the center of the room.


    A gasp sounded out from behind his shoulder as they took in the now lit-up space.


    It looked like a playroom, if that was the word to describe it. Miniature rocking horses and several other toys were spread about almost haphazardly. Wide, dull windows that looked out into a gloomy forest were half-hidden behind a set of heavy black curtains, the darkness from outside almost seeming to want to sneak into the room and not shying away from the light.


    There was a group of six dolls leaning against the walls of the room. Yet, these weren¡¯t the same dolls that they had seen in Lord Withersworth¡¯s cellar. These were at least as large as a child, with the looks and clothes of children as well. Their pale marble faces gazed out into empty air¡ªmouths, noses, and eyes painted on with impressive detail¡ªand in their hands, they each held a pair of scissors. Scissors large enough to be mistaken for a short sword.


    There was complete silence in the room as Leon observed the dolls. None of them showed any sign of reacting to either the light or the noise.


    ¡°That looks expensive,¡± Rosa¡¯s voice came from behind him. A hand rested on his shoulder as the woman in question almost leaned over him and pointed at the other end of the room.


    There, lying on a carved wooden chest, was a long, curved blade with a silver sheen to it. Hints of red ran along the metal of the blade, and at the base, there was a large hole, as if it attached to something.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here for artifacts,¡± he whispered back at her.


    ¡°Not sure Scarlett would agree.¡±


    He held back a groan. She was right. Scarlett had said they should pick up ¡®valuable¡¯ things when they could.


    That woman and her greed¡­


    Turning back to the room, he let out a small sigh.


    ¡°Stay back,¡± he told the other two before taking one step inside.


    All of the dolls¡¯ heads spun to look at him.


    ¡°Is it time?¡± A symphony of chilling giggles filled the room. ¡°It¡¯s time to cut~¡±


    In the blink of an eye, all of the dolls had stood up.


    They were fast.


    Divided Blade¡¯s Quintessence.


    He focused his aura in his sword as he stepped back and shut the door. Barely a second later, a cacophony of slashing noises tore through the door as it shook in front of him.


    Rosa and Allyssa moved back even further, the Shielder raising her crossbow and the bard her instrument. Leon waited for a few seconds longer as the sounds of the door being broken down continued, ready to unleash his counterattack at the right time.


    Without warning, the noises stopped.


    A moment passed, and the rattling of chains rang out from the other side of the door.


    He hurried to open it again and was once more met by a pitch-black room.


    Sword held at the ready in case of an attack, he peered into the darkness, searching for movement. Nothing came at him.


    He looked back at Allyssa, who pulled out another vial and stepped up to him. He covered his eyes once more as light filled the room, then scanned the space. The dolls were back in their original positions, but there was no sign of the origin of the rattling chains.


    Another sigh left him.


    Playing it safe here clearly wouldn¡¯t work. Seemed like he would have to do it the hard way.


    Bulwark of the Egis.


    A barrier of light formed to cover the three of them near the entrance to the room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this again,¡± he muttered to himself, then looked back at the other two. ¡°Stay back for now. I¡¯ll deal with this.¡±


    Then he stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him.


    All the dolls turned to stare at him.


    ¡°Is it time?¡± Giggles filled the room as they stood up. ¡°It¡¯s time to cut~¡±


    A flare of light loomed across the blade of Leon¡¯s sword as he raised it in the air in front of him.


    Allyssa glanced at Sir Leon¡¯s back as the man walked down the eerily lit hallway in front of her.


    It still felt strange, being so close to and talking casually with a person she¡¯d only heard of in rumors before.


    Leon Delmon seemed to be exactly like he had been described, but at the same time, he wasn¡¯t. Allyssa couldn¡¯t count the times she¡¯d heard Maggie and the others at the Guild Branch talk about how they¡¯d seen him both fight a dragon and do a number of other impressive things you only heard in tales.


    In many ways, she¡¯d expected those impressions to have been exaggerated. But surprisingly, he lived up to the expectations, with his tall and handsome appearance, the friendly way he acted, and the way he seemed both able and wanting to protect those around him.


    At the same time, though, he was also a person. This much had been made exceedingly clear to Allyssa. Not even in her wildest dreams had she been thinking that she would one day get to see the Solar Knight¡¯s Vice-Captain in a squabble. With Scarlett, of all people. And more than once in the span of just a few hours.


    Never had she been expecting Scarlett to squabble with anyone, for that matter. From what she¡¯d learned of the woman, Scarlett didn¡¯t as much argue as just roll over everybody around her until she got what she wanted. A fact that was about as impressive as it was somewhat worrying.


    The way Allyssa had understood it, the woman just didn¡¯t know any other way of going about things. It was almost cute, in an endearing, awkward kind of way. Probably not for the people on the receiving end of the noblewoman¡¯s actions, though.


    That said, Scarlett usually seemed to have good reasons for what she did, so Allyssa didn¡¯t want to seem like the type of person that complained about a lot of things. She wanted to continue working with the woman for as long as she could. And it wasn¡¯t only because it gave her so many opportunities to improve her alchemy.


    When it came to Scarlett¡¯s relationship with Sir Leon, however, things weren¡¯t as simple. At the moment, Allyssa was oddly thankful for that, because it made the sudden meeting with the knight a much less jarring experience. She imagined this was similar to how many viewed her father at first, before witnessing how he acted around her. People were always at least slightly different from the stories.


    Not that she was glad that Scarlett and Sir Leon seemed to dislike each other. Things like that were never good. Especially if you were supposed to get married.


    But she also knew nobles were weird like that. She was curious about exactly what might have happened for their relationship to get to where it currently was, but it wasn¡¯t like they were her affairs to pry into. She wasn¡¯t like Rosa, who could say the most daring of things right to people¡¯s faces. Or Fynn, who could seemingly fail to pick up on the most basic of social cues. Or Shin, who spent all day with his nose in his books and didn¡¯t seem to care one bit about what everybody else thought about him.


    In fact, was she the only normal person in this group?


    The thought had never struck her before, but now that it had¡­ What in Ittar¡¯s name had Kat actually gotten her into? She was so going to give that woman an earful the next time they met.


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes shifted to her left, where Rosa was walking. The usually cheery woman had been quieter than normal lately. She was looking around the hallway as if she was prepared for something to pop out of the walls any second now. Which, fair, was an actual possibility. But Rosa often struck Allyssa as the sort of person who didn¡¯t know what fear was, so this level of vigilance felt a bit out of character.


    Maybe it was because she was scared of falling under the same kind of spell that she had earlier, back when Sir Leon had helped her. Allyssa wasn¡¯t sure what had actually happened back then, but considering where they were, anything was possible. This creepy mansion had all kinds of strange things about it.


    A shiver went down her back as her thoughts returned to some of the things they¡¯d encountered up till now. The ghosts were bad enough, but the dolls were the worst if you asked her. She was almost glad that Sir Leon took care of those last ones by himself, even if it did make her feel a bit useless.


    Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t found any traces of that Custodian ghost Scarlett wanted them to find. He hadn¡¯t returned even after they exited the room with the dolls inside, it seemed. Not immediately, at least. The strange blade that had been there was the only thing they got out of it.


    Allyssa was currently carrying it, wrapped in one of the curtains that had been in the room. None in their group had a spatial bag, so there weren¡¯t many other alternatives. For some reason, Scarlett always wanted Fynn to carry the larger bag that they¡¯d originally found in the fairy realm nowadays, and the woman never separated from her own spatial pouch.


    Allyssa paused in her thoughts as her eyes fell on a door further down the hallway. It seemed different from the others. There was an odd feeling to it, one that she found hard to describe.


    She looked at the others. ¡°Wait,¡± she called out.


    Both Sir Leon and Rosa stopped to look back at her. Neither of them appeared to have noticed anything in particular.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something behind that door. It¡¯s different from the others.¡±


    ¡°Different?¡± Sir Leon¡¯s forehead creased together. He eyed the door she was pointing at. ¡°I can¡¯t sense anything.¡±


    ¡°Neither can I,¡± Rosa said.


    ¡°¡­Really?¡± Allyssa looked back at the door. Wasn¡¯t it obvious, though? It screamed ¡®special¡¯.


    ¡°Want to look inside?¡± Rosa asked, that small grin that the woman usually wore having returned to her face.


    ¡°It might be another trap.¡± Sir Leon stepped up to the door before they could. ¡°I¡¯ll check first.¡±


    He tried to open it, but the door didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong.¡± Allyssa moved up next to him and reached for the handle. He caught her hand before she could touch it.


    She blinked, then looked down at her hand.


    ¡­What did she just try?


    She looked up at Sir Leon. The tall man was studying her with a serious expression.


    ¡°I think we should leave this room alone.¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡± Allyssa turned back to the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly affecting you in some way. Remember what happened with Miss Rosa earlier.¡±


    ¡°I get that, but¡­¡± Allyssa eyed the door¡¯s handle, a twisting set of bronze threads in the shape of a wing.


    She could tell that there was something off about this feeling, but at the same time, she didn¡¯t think it was bad. Not necessarily. It was something¡­familiar? No, not familiar. But not something new.


    ¡°I think we should still try it,¡± she said.


    Sir Leon watched her for a few seconds longer, then turned to look at Rosa. ¡°Can you try that charm you used earlier?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a melody, but sure. Can do.¡± The bard placed both hands on her instrument. ¡°I¡¯ve been using it quite a bit now, though, so don¡¯t go expecting too much of me if there¡¯s action later and I haven¡¯t had the time to rest.¡±


    A short tune sounded out from the klert. A sense of clarity filled Allyssa, along with the same tranquil peace that she had gotten used to from the previous times Rosa used the same magic. Still, it didn¡¯t affect the feeling the door gave off to her.


    Sir Leon looked back at her. ¡°Is there any difference?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I still think we should try it. I can tell that there¡¯s something different about this one. Something I should see.¡±


    He gave her another long look before finally nodding his head. ¡°Alright. But I¡¯ll be going first. You¡¯ll stay close to me unless I say otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Allyssa reached out for the door handle again. For some reason, she knew exactly what to do. She began by pulling it outwards. At the same time, she placed her other hand on the door and pushed inwards. Then she pulled the handle downwards. Something clicked, and the door swung open.

 Chapter 109 - The chains that bind

    A wide bedchamber opened up before Allyssa. Paintings, mirrors, and other decorations hung off the walls, and near the center was an ornate bed with a marble dressing table next to it and a chest placed at its foot. There were no windows, yet an indentation in the ceiling held a panel that lit up the room in a soft, white light. The panel looked like it could have been made of the same material most magical lamps were, but it was massive compared to them. She couldn¡¯t even imagine how expensive that would be.


    Her eyes passed over the bed and a few bureaus that were placed around the room. There were dolls on them. Not as many as in some of the other rooms they¡¯d seen up till now, but they looked to be the same¡ªor at least a similar type as the ones back in the Withersworth cellar.


    ¡°Stay here for now,¡± Sir Leon said and stepped past her into the room, his sword at the ready.


    None of the dolls moved.


    He continued even further inside, but the dolls remained still.


    The knight looked back at Allyssa and Rosa. ¡°You can enter. Stay close to me.¡±


    They walked through the door, looking around as they took the rest of the room in. Unlike the other parts of the mansion that they had been in, this room felt a lot calmer. It didn¡¯t have that same sense of foreboding that seemed to stick to the rest of this place like a veil of untreated Nettle Tar. There was a tranquility to this room. As well as something else. Something that Allyssa couldn¡¯t quite place.


    ¡°I can¡¯t detect anything in particular here, discounting the dolls,¡± Sir Leon said, eyeing them closely. Then he looked back at her. ¡°But you¡¯re still saying it feels special in some way?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Or, yes, I guess. But not really. It¡¯s obviously different from the rest of what we¡¯ve seen, with just how calm it is here. But there¡¯s something more to it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lived in. That¡¯s what¡¯s different.¡± Rosa¡¯s somber tone reached Allyssa from the side. ¡°Or it was, once. The feeling just never left.¡±


    She turned to look at the bard, then froze when she saw Rosa move to pick up one of the dolls sitting on the marble dresser. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    The doll was picked up without issue.


    Rosa turned to look at them. ¡°These are just ordinary dolls. Ordinary dolls for an ordinary bedroom. The only one in this place, it seems.¡±


    Allyssa blinked, staring at the doll in the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh¡­ I-I see.¡±


    How was she supposed to know that?! All the dolls looked the same, and it wasn¡¯t as if there was a sign saying what was so special about this room in words she could understand!


    ¡°How could you tell?¡± Sir Leon asked, his forehead creased together.


    Rosa shrugged. ¡°Who knows? Maybe I¡¯ve got a knack for this kind of thing? People¡¯ve got all kinds of talents up their sleeves that they just don¡¯t know about yet.¡±


    Allyssa eyed the woman. Rosa usually seemed like such a straightforward person, but sometimes she wondered whether Scarlett and the bard had a competition going over who could be the most mysterious and evasive. The woman¡¯s answer just now didn¡¯t answer much at all.


    Rosa returned the doll to the dresser after examining it for a moment longer. She then turned to look at something behind Allyssa, letting out a whistle. ¡°That¡¯s not something you see every day.¡±


    Allyssa spun around to see what the woman was referring to.


    Hanging on the wall was one of the paintings. Like all the others of its kind in this mansion, it showed nothing but an empty canvas as she first laid eyes on it. After a few seconds, it changed to show a portrait. It was of a girl, around Allyssa¡¯s age, sitting in front of a picturesque garden with several rare flowers in it. Allyssa could name most of them, but some were types even she didn¡¯t recognize. But they weren¡¯t the focus of the portrait. It was the girl. And if she were to be described in one word, it would be ¡®breathtaking¡¯.


    She had long, flaxen blonde hair that was tied into a loose braid and reached past her shoulders, as well as smooth, yet graceful, features that might have been at home on a princess from a fairytale. Instead of wearing exquisite and expensive clothing that might have fit with her surroundings, however, the girl was dressed in a simple white dress that you might have found on any other girl walking the streets in Elystead.


    Still, her clothing didn¡¯t do anything to take away from the beauty of the girl. Even Allyssa could admit that much, although it felt odd to do so.


    The girl¡¯s beauty was to the point where it could almost be called unnatural. Like the dolls that made this mansion their home, fittingly enough. But it was clear that this girl wasn¡¯t a doll. Her face held a blank and emotionless expression in the painting, but there was life behind those eyes. Whoever had painted this portrait had been incredibly talented to be able to capture the likeness of this girl so well.


    Allyssa¡¯s gaze stayed on the painting for a long while.


    That sense of¡ªwell, it wasn¡¯t familiarity, but perhaps understanding¡ªwas present in it. She didn¡¯t know this girl, but she felt like she definitely understood her, despite knowing absolutely nothing about her.


    A hand was placed on her shoulder.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sir Leon asked.


    She turned around to meet his eyes, giving a slow nod. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Promise. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± She glanced back at the painting. ¡°This girl¡­ I guess it would be hard to explain to you so that you understand, considering even I don¡¯t, but¡­I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s what feels so special about this place for me.¡±


    The man examined the portrait. ¡°¡­Her appearance is striking, I will admit that. But that¡¯s also what one might expect from a painting. They¡¯re not always accurate representations of reality. As for if there¡¯s more to the picture¡­I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell what you mean.¡±


    Allyssa shook her head. ¡°This painting caught her exactly as she was. I can tell. And I¡¯m not sure I would say that there¡¯s necessarily more to it, other than it just¡­is.¡±


    Sir Leon narrowed his eyes. After a while, he seemed to give up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell what it is you¡¯re seeing. But since it¡¯s only affecting you, and we¡¯re unsure about what it is¡­ I think it¡¯s best if we leave for now. We can return when we have more information.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at it the wrong way,¡± Rosa said as the woman stepped up next to him and looked at the painting. ¡°You have to look at it. Get it? Allyssa knows exactly what she¡¯s doing right now, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    Allyssa gaped at her. Rosa seemed a lot more sure about this than she herself did. But she didn¡¯t exactly think the woman was wrong. Whatever strange phenomenon this was, it didn¡¯t feel dangerous.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡®get it¡¯, no.¡± Sir Leon eyed Rosa. ¡°But if you¡¯re claiming it¡¯s safe¡­ Are you prepared to take responsibility for your words?¡±


    The tips of the woman¡¯s mouth rose in a smile. ¡°Responsibility and I don¡¯t exactly have the warmest of relationships. We ignore the other like the plague, really. Tends to be the best choice for all involved. But¡­sure. Just this once, me and ol¡¯ Responsibility will call it a truce.¡±


    Suddenly, the rattling of chains echoed from just right outside the room.


    Allyssa¡¯s hand reached up to the vials strapped across her chest as she spun to the entrance. Moments later, a man in an old black suit stepped straight through the door. Long iron chains hung off his arms and trailed across the floorboards beneath him as he floated in the air, feet dangling above the floor. There was this gloom surrounding his vaguely transparent body, almost palpable to the touch. And Allyssa could practically taste the resignation coming off him.


    This was the ¡®custodian¡¯ Scarlett wanted them to find.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The ghost man stopped in front of the door, his eyes locking onto Allyssa.


    Sir Leon moved in front of her with his sword raised. Almost without thinking, she grabbed his arm to stop him, and the knight gave her a wary look.


    She didn¡¯t know why she did that, but she didn¡¯t think attacking this ghost man immediately was a good idea. He wasn¡¯t looking at her like some of the other ghosts had; like they wanted to eat her, tear her limbs apart, or do some other equally horrifying thing. He was looking at her as if he was trying to figure out who she was.


    Over a dozen seconds of silence passed, with no one doing anything, then a look of recognition appeared on the ghost¡¯s face. It soon turned into an expression of relief as he started floating closer to them.


    ¡°Ah, so this is where you were.¡± The man¡¯s voice came out as a strange echo across the room. The chains hanging off his arms rattled as he moved. Sir Leon took one step back but seemed ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°We were all wondering where you had gone to, young lady.¡±


    Allyssa stared at the ghost. ¡°Young lady? You mean¡­me?¡±


    That sounded so¡­weird.


    ¡°Who else?¡± the ghost man responded. ¡°It heartens me to see you in good health, still, young lady.¡±


    She looked at him and the portrait on the wall. Was he mistaking her for the girl in that painting? The resemblance wasn¡¯t even close if you asked her. The somewhat blonde hair was about the only trait they shared. It shouldn¡¯t be enough to confuse the two of them. But, maybe¡­


    ¡°Do you know my name?¡± she asked, turning her eyes back to him.


    The man¡¯s voice softened. ¡°The young lady¡¯s name, you say? Why, of course. Thinking of it hearkens me back to when young lady Orelia first graced us at this mansion with her appearance. It is not a day easily forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s fine for you to just use my name,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me young lady.¡±


    A horrified expression found its way onto the man¡¯s face. ¡°I could never! To show such disrespect to your personage?¡± The chains clattered against the floor as he shook his head. ¡°Unthinkable.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh. A-Alright then.¡± She tried to hide her grimace. ¡°Ehm, are the other¡­servants, also nearby?¡±


    The ghost righted the cuffs on his sleeves, ignoring the chains hanging off them. ¡°I am sure they are all attending to their duties at present, young lady. Although I am certain they would all greatly appreciate your kindness, there is no need to worry about them.¡± His countenance darkened. ¡°But young lady¡­ I must inform you that the Lord wishes to see you.¡±


    ¡°The Lord?¡± Allyssa glanced at the painting. ¡°You mean¡­my father?¡±


    He gave her a perplexed look. ¡°No¡­? I apologize, young lady, but none of us have heard anything regarding anyone claiming to be your father sending a message.¡±


    The man went quiet for a while, a vacant gaze crossing his face before he returned his attention to her. ¡°Ah, but the Lord wishes to see you. He will be mad if you disobey his orders.¡± He shook his head once again. ¡°Ah, young lady. That you would be forced into such an unfortunate position. All of us lament that something like this would be the fate of someone as compassionate as you. Yet, as the Lord¡¯s faithful servants, we are oath sworn to carry all of his burdens as they come, and to continue as such for as long as we can. We are undeserving of your kindness, young lady, but know that you will always have our loyalty and support. That is why I must ask you to not disobey the Lord¡¯s command and anger him unnecessarily. It would rack us all with undescribable grief if something were to happen to you.¡±


    Allyssa took a moment to process his words, but before she could say anything else, the expression on the ghost¡¯s face twisted into a frown.


    ¡°Young lady, what is that you have on your face? And what is with the way you speak? Did we not teach you how to speak while in this mansion, as not to anger the Lord excessively?¡±


    Her hand shot up to her alchemist-treated leather goggles. She quickly pulled them off, hiding them behind her back. ¡°Ah, these are just¡­nothing, really.¡± She tried to remember how Scarlett usually talked. ¡°Then, the Lord¡­where is he right no¡ªI mean, where is he at the moment?¡±


    ¡°He should be in the conservatory.¡± The ghost¡¯s expression calmed for a moment, only for the frown to return immediately after as he seemed to notice Sir Leon and Rosa. ¡°Who are these people, young lady?¡±


    Allyssa looked at the two of them. ¡°Oh, ehm¡­ These are acquaintances of mine. They are here to help me with some¡­matters.¡±


    The ghost man¡¯s brow furrowed even further, and he seemed to be eyeing the sword in Sir Leon¡¯s hand. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t keep such dangerous company, young lady. Strange men cannot be trusted. And the Lord will not like hearing about you meeting with outsiders.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a strange man. He¡¯s a, uh¡­ A knight.¡± Allyssa nodded her head. ¡°Indeed. He is an imperial knight, part of the¡­¡± She frowned. Did the Solar Knights exist whenever this ghost lived? How old were they, even? Shin would know, no doubt. Maybe she should have listened to him more¡­


    ¡°I am Leon Delmon,¡± Sir Leon said. ¡°Vice-Captain of the Imperial Solar Knights. I am here on the authority of Captain Grimbald Crowder, serving under the order of the Empire¡¯s gilded sun and light, His Majesty the Emperor. As a Solar Knight, it is within my jurisdiction to ensure that no undue proceedings are taking place on this soil or any of the other lands governed by its lord.¡±


    The ghost stared at the knight for several seconds. Then he turned back to Allyssa like the man¡¯s words hadn¡¯t registered at all. ¡°Should I lead you to the lord, young lady?¡±


    ¡°Ah, wait. Before that.¡± Allyssa looked around.


    While she did find this room, she still couldn¡¯t tell if there was something special she was supposed to do here. The feeling she had here was far too vague. Seeing this ¡®Lord¡¯ was unlikely to be the best choice, though, if he was even still alive. Besides, the task Scarlett had given them related specifically to this ghost in front of them. Nothing else.


    Since she couldn¡¯t find anything other than the painting of the girl that stood out to her about this room, Allyssa turned back to the ghost. ¡°You¡­¡± she began, studying him for a moment. ¡°¡­ What are your duties in this mansion?¡±


    The man raised his hands to straighten the tie around his neck, paying no attention to the rattling of the chains. ¡°I am one of this mansion¡¯s custodians, young lady. It is my obligation to tend to the estate, as well as ensuring that everything is kept in order and that nothing strays from its intended purpose.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ All of the dolls that are in this place, you are responsible for them?¡±


    ¡°They are, of course, the creations of the Lord, but I am indeed the one that oversees them.¡±


    ¡°Could you perhaps¡­not do that? For just a few hours?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°Pardon me, young lady?¡± The man gave her a confused look.


    ¡°Ehm, I would appreciate it if you could¡­¡± She searched for the words in her head. ¡°If you could refrain from tending to the dolls for some time, while I and my acquaintances move through the mansion, it would be very helpful. With that, I would also be able to go to see the Lord sooner.¡±


    ¡°I cannot, young lady. The Lord would be enraged if I were to be negligent in my duties, and it would pain me if that anger would affect you.¡±


    ¡°Please?¡± She gave him a pleading look, the one that always worked on her father.


    ¡°Young lady¡­¡± He held an uncertain expression. ¡°¡­Very well. But you must not speak of this to the Lord. When he learns of it, he must not know it was upon your request.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say a word. I promise. Thank you.¡±


    The ghost man looked around for a moment, as if he just remembered something important. ¡°I am afraid I must leave, young lady. It would be seen as odd if I remained here for too long.¡±


    ¡°Wait, one last thing.¡± Allyssa raised a hand. Scarlett had asked them to ¡®take care of¡¯ this ghost, which the woman probably figured was enough for whatever their goal here was. What Allyssa had just asked would hopefully be enough, because she didn¡¯t actually want to kill this ghost. But there could be something she missed. ¡°Uh, might there perhaps be some doors and other areas in this mansion that I won¡¯t be able to reach by myself? Maybe I need a key of some kind if I want to reach the Lord?¡±


    ¡°A key?¡± The ghost seemed to think about it for a moment, then pulled out a thick key from a pocket on his suit. ¡°Do you mean like this one, young lady?¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°Yes, exactly like that. Can I borrow that for a while, please?¡±


    ¡°But, young lady¡­¡±


    ¡°I promise I will give it back when I¡¯m done, okay?¡±


    He looked at her for a few seconds longer, then slowly held it out to her. ¡°You must make sure to not anger the Lord, young lady.¡±


    ¡°I will not. You have my word.¡± She received the key, placing it inside one of the pockets in her cape.


    ¡°I must leave now. Be safe, young lady, and I will see you later.¡± With that, the ghost man turned around and floated through one of the walls. The sound of chains rattling quickly faded away along with him.


    Allyssa stared at the wall where he had exited.


    ¡°It would have been better if we dealt with him immediately,¡± Sir Leon said after a while.


    She turned to the knight. ¡°What? Why?! This worked just as well.¡±


    The man gave her a serious look. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t hurt us!¡±


    ¡°If he hadn¡¯t confused you for this ¡®young lady¡¯, he would have moved to kill us the moment he saw us. Don¡¯t mistake the confusion of a ghost for a lack of malice.¡±


    She looked back at the wall.


    Was that true?


    ¡­She felt that it probably was. Or rather, she could instinctually feel that it was. But it wasn¡¯t wrong to feel for the ghost despite that, was it?


    She glanced back at Rosa. The woman held an unreadable expression on her face, but Allyssa suspected that the bard probably understood her. Because now, she could sort of grasp what Rosa had meant earlier when she said even monsters could deserve pity.


    ¡°I still think it was the right choice.¡±


    ¡°Even though it wasn¡¯t what Scarlett asked you to do?¡± Sir Leon asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll mind.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so certain of that?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a kind person.¡±


    The man stared at her. ¡°¡­You truly believe that?¡±


    Allyssa nodded. ¡°She has her flaws, and I think she has trouble trusting people¡­which can be annoying, at times. But yes, despite that, I think she¡¯s a nice person.¡±


    He gave her a long look, then shifted his eyes to Rosa. ¡°And would you happen to think the same?¡±


    The woman was pulled out of whatever thoughts she¡¯d been thinking, turning to look at him. She cocked her head to the side. ¡°That¡¯s a difficult one to answer. I suppose I¡¯d say¡­¡®yes¡¯. Just don¡¯t forget the dozen or so caveats that come with that response.¡±


    ¡°And what, exactly, does that mean?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re her betrothed. You tell me.¡±


    Sir Leon seemed to consider Rosa for a moment, then let out a short sigh as he scanned across the room. ¡°If this is where we¡¯re leaving things, then it looks like we¡¯re done here for now. Next would be meeting up with Scarlett¡¯s group again, but that might take a while. What do we do until then?¡±


    Allyssa also looked around. She was still uncertain about what had brought her here to begin with, but she also didn¡¯t feel like there was much more to do in this room specifically. ¡°I guess we do what Scarlett usually asks us to do at this point?¡± she said.


    Sir Leon looked at her. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    Her eyes went to the chest that stood at the foot of the large bed at the other end of the room. ¡°Find all of the ¡®loot¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 110 - Confounding discrepancies

    ¡°Well done, both of you,¡± Scarlett told Fynn and Shin after what remained of their target scattered away with one last blast of her pyrokinesis. She walked up to the center of the spacious chamber they were in, kneeling down to pick up a rusty old key that was nestled inside a pile of slightly glowing iron chains.


    [Chains of beleaguerment (Rare)]


    {The chains shaped by one cursed by the burden of their loyalty}


    She looked up at Fynn, gesturing towards the chains. ¡°Place those inside the bag.¡±


    The chains weren¡¯t an artifact per se, but they had been a crafting component in the game. Not anything she was likely to need, but if it could be sold, it was useful.


    The white-haired young man walked over and picked the chains up, corralling them into the [Bag of Juham] hanging over his shoulder.


    Scarlett stood up and scanned her eyes across the room. Their fight had left a small mess, but nothing too bad. The [Custodian] they had been hunting down had proven an easier target than expected. Not only had Fynn been able to locate the ghost with relative ease, but the fight itself had also turned out rather anticlimactic. Fynn had¡ªof course¡ªbeen part of the reason for that, as had Shin, but what had surprised Scarlett the most was how effective her own magic had shown to be against the ghost.


    In fact, it had been unexpectedly powerful against most things they¡¯d encountered in this mansion, really. It also helped that none of the enemies up till now seemed to have passed the level 50 breaking point that made her [Charms of Apperception] ineffective¡ªalthough she imagined they were all close¡ªwhich meant she could see their weak points.


    Still, she supposed that [Superior Pyrokinesis] was the main reason why this time, things differed compared to some of her previous experiences. She thought she¡¯d already gotten a decent handle on the skill¡¯s power before coming here, but clearly, that wasn¡¯t completely true. Although there might be something else behind it as well. It did seem as if both her hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis were particularly strong against the ghosts in this place¡ªthe dolls they¡¯d encountered could take a bit more damage from her¡ªso perhaps it was related to some weakness she was unaware of? While undead were weak against fire in the game, that did not go for ghost and their kin, so maybe it had something to do with the ¡®true¡¯ variants of pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis that she apparently had?


    It was hard to know for sure, considering she hadn¡¯t had much time to understand that part of her magic yet. It was something she was planning on delving deeper into when she returned to Freymeadow, though.


    But whatever the reason was, she wasn¡¯t going to complain. She also wasn¡¯t going to let it get to her head. The real dangers in this dungeon lurked in the later section.


    ¡°What are we doing next?¡± Shin asked. The young Shielder walked up to her, giving the key in her hand an inspecting look.


    ¡°Next, we will track down the others again,¡± she replied. ¡°After that, we will proceed onwards to the next section of the mansion. If things have gone as planned, Sir Leon and the other two should already have dealt with the target on their end or will soon do so.¡±


    In the game, the two Custodians would just revive the other if you didn¡¯t deal with both of them quickly enough. It didn¡¯t matter if you¡¯d already looted them or anything like that.


    That¡¯s why she wanted them to split up for this part. It was a lot easier than running around the mansion as one did in the game. Especially considering that this place was a lot bigger here than she could remember it being in the game. That had definitely been a wise decision on her part. And with Leon here, even when split up, neither of the groups was likely to be in any real danger as long as they stayed in the middle section of the mansion.


    When they were finished with everything else, they would move down to the lower section. That was where you originally entered the dungeon in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯, and while it didn¡¯t house any particularly powerful enemies or items, loot was still loot. Normally, she would have started there to begin with, but it was a lot easier entering this place through the Withersworths'' mansion in Autumnwell rather than traveling all the way by carriage.


    What was the point of knowing the game¡¯s shortcuts if you weren¡¯t going to use them?


    Scarlett ordered the other two along as she left the chamber where they¡¯d cornered the Custodian and resumed traveling through the mansion¡¯s winding hallways. The odd ghost or two that tried attacking them from the various paintings spread about the place were promptly dealt with by Fynn.


    Scarlett opted to save her mana as much as she could. Their previous fights had taken about a quarter of her stores, which wasn¡¯t too bad, really. She¡¯d mostly used variations of her Aqua Mines, since they were one of her most mana-effective attacks at the moment ¡ª despite not necessarily being as powerful as just blasting her enemies with pure fire.


    As they continued down the hallways, they would stop at some of the rooms now and then, whenever Fynn felt a presence of some kind inside them. Those rooms that weren¡¯t locked would quickly be cleared out and any valuables would be gathered before they moved on. Groups of either ghosts or dolls were the most common encounters there, but it was nothing that Fynn and Shin couldn¡¯t take care of, with only some basic support from Scarlett in the back.


    She made some use of the concoctions prepared by Allyssa in the process¡ªlike the [Brew of Fireworks], which stunned undead and ghosts¡ªbut since they hadn¡¯t run into anything too dangerous yet, she had been able to take things relatively easy. In fact, the smoothness with which they were progressing had provided her ample opportunity to just stand back at times and try to get a read of the situations, putting into practice some of the things she¡¯d learned from Garside during their sessions.


    Unfortunately, the loot they found in most of these rooms was disappointing. The majority didn¡¯t even have any real items in them¡ªenchanted ones, that is¡ªso instead they ended up simply bringing along whatever other articles looked like they could be worth something.


    Scarlett had already lost count of the amount of fine cutlery, jewellery, and the odd silver candelabrum that Fynn was lugging around in the [Bag of Juham] now. In a way, she felt like a graverobber with how they were essentially picking up everything that wasn¡¯t nailed down. Not that she was letting that stop her from doing so. She¡¯d already gotten permission from Lord Withersworth. Even though the man himself had never set foot in this place, he was still legally its owner.


    As they continued through the hallways, she intermittently checked inside her [Pouch of Holding] to ensure the key she¡¯d picked up from the Custodian hadn¡¯t disappeared. The fact that it remained there told her that the others had probably been successful at their end of things, which was good.


    It took a little over an hour before they finally reached the eastern wing of the mansion again, mainly due to them stopping to clear so many of the rooms and the fact that the hallways here were as warped and confusing as they were. From there, however, tracking down Leon and the others wasn¡¯t too difficult because of Fynn. Within twenty minutes, they turned around a corner to find the three others exiting one of the rooms down the dim hallway, the door creaking shut behind them.


    Surprised looks crossed over their faces as Scarlett approached them.


    ¡°It appears you are all in good condition,¡± she said, looking them over. Her eyes stopped on Leon, who was studying her cautiously. He¡¯d been doing that a lot today. ¡°Can I take it that things went well on your end?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t encounter anything that wasn¡¯t manageable, if that is what you mean,¡± the man answered. His attention shifted to Allyssa. ¡°As for how things went, I¡¯m probably not the best to answer that.¡±


    Scarlett turned to look at the girl, who seemed to shrink a little under her gaze.


    ¡°We, eh, we found that custodian you mentioned,¡± the young Shielder said. ¡°But we didn¡¯t as much ¡®take care of him¡¯ as we¡­eh, made a deal with him?¡±


    ¡­They made a deal with one of the Custodians? How would that work?


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly clear what you wanted,¡± Allyssa hurried to add. ¡°So I sort of did what felt right at the time.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow at the girl. ¡°That is because I did not expect there to be any other alternatives to handling the Custodian than to remove it. Ghosts and similar apparitions are not the type of beings that would allow for any sort of parley with the living.¡±


    This held true for the majority of ghosts she had encountered in the game, barring some very rare exceptions, mostly related to one of the companions in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯. In addition, she was pretty sure that there was no ¡®second¡¯ option when it came to the Custodians in the game. Either you killed them, or they killed you. The Custodian they¡¯d run into in the west wing had been furious at just seeing them, so she didn¡¯t understand how one would even begin attempting to speak with it.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    She glanced at Rosa.


    Had the woman done something bard-y to the ghost?


    ¡°I think he might have been calmer because I found this strange room,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°I can¡¯t really explain how, but the room seemed a lot less¡­haunted, than the rest of this place. There was this painting of a girl in there as well, and when the custodian-ghost-man showed up, he sort of mistook me for her. That¡¯s why I could talk to him.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. She didn¡¯t recognize that from the game. What exactly had they done?


    ¡°I convinced him to stop going around reviving dolls and whatever else he was doing, and he also gave me this key.¡± Allyssa took out a key that looked the same as the one Scarlett had found. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted, right? It didn¡¯t feel right to just¡­kill him. Not after hearing what he said.¡±


    The girl gave Scarlett an uncertain look, clearly worried about what her reaction would be.


    Scarlett considered it for a moment.


    The reason she had wanted to take care of the Custodians immediately after getting here was that it unlocked several hidden paths. It also just made the clearing of this place a lot easier in general. Not taking care of them wasn¡¯t really an option. Especially in the later section where they would keep reviving the mobs patrolling the hallways, which meant you could quickly become overrun.


    She wasn¡¯t sure about letting whatever Allyssa had done slide if it could put her plans at risk, but¡­


    Well, it did seem like it had worked this time, considering that the second Custodian hadn¡¯t been revived yet. It should be fine. In the future, though, she would have to take things like this into further consideration. Perhaps giving more specific directions when needed would be a good idea.


    ¡°Very well then,¡± she said. ¡°As it does not appear to have caused any issues this time, I see no reason to reprimand you for your actions. Henceforth, however, if you feel uncertain about something, do not hesitate to inquire with me for clarification. I will provide you with an answer if it is within my ability, and something that I am at liberty to share.¡±


    The girl¡¯s expression relaxed a little at her words.


    ¡°I will,¡± she said.


    Suddenly, she seemed to remember something as she opened her cape and pulled out an object wrapped in black fabric. ¡°We found a few things that might be artifacts, by the way, although I¡¯m not sure exactly what they do.¡±


    Allyssa unwrapped the object to reveal a long, curved blade with a silver sheen and streaks of red running through it.


    [Life¡¯s Limit (1/?) (Unique)]


    {A part of a whole, yet it will never be complete}


    Scarlett examined the blade.


    Right. She had almost forgotten that the first piece of that set was here.


    It was useless at the moment, but it could prove useful in the future if she got the other parts. She gestured to Fynn, who took the blade and placed it inside the [Bag of Juham]. After that, Allyssa pulled out three more items, handing two to Fynn and displaying the last to Scarlett.


    [Tome of Hopelessness (Rare)]


    {An ancient tome carrying secrets that should remain unspoken}


    It was a leather-bound tome, gingerly held up by the girl with a piece of cloth. It gave off a dark atmosphere, one that even Scarlett could sense, despite her inexperience with magic and spiritual matters. She couldn¡¯t know for certain, but she suspected that this tome boosted necromancy spells in some fashion.


    In the game¡¯s magic system, necromancy spells had technically been part of the umbramancy school of magic. But in this world, it seemed to be considered a school of its own just because of how taboo it was. The people performing umbramancy magic in this world¡ªwhich included some of the Followers of Ittar¡ªprobably also didn¡¯t want to be associated with necromancy in any way whatsoever.


    Still, the tome would most likely fetch a high price with the right buyer, just considering how rare it was. But finding that kind of person would be hard without prior connections. Not to mention illegal.


    She shot a glance Leon¡¯s way. He was scowling as he looked at the tome.


    Yeah, fat chance she was going to try something like that. Especially not when a knight literally saw her get the item.


    ¡°Sir Leon,¡± she said. ¡°I presume you understand what this is as well? I will admit to some surprise that you would even allow her to show me this.¡±


    He silently met her eyes. She stared at him for a short while, then clicked her tongue. She was pretty sure he was testing her.


    ¡°This is not something that my household has any experience in handling,¡± she said. ¡°Could I leave it to you to ensure that it is dealt with appropriately?¡±


    He studied her for a moment longer, then gave a slow nod. ¡°I¡¯ll do something about it when we¡¯re finished here.¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated.¡± For now, Scarlett grabbed the tome with her bare hands¡ªit wasn¡¯t as if it was contagious¡ªand placed it into her pouch to give him later. She then turned her attention to the other two items that Allyssa had taken out, currently being held by Fynn.


    One was a statue that looked much like a miniature gargoyle.


    [Statue of Longevity (Rare)]


    {A statue filled with the vigor of youth, slowly suffusing its surroundings}


    This item wasn¡¯t one that she remembered from the game, but that didn¡¯t mean much in and of its own. There were hundreds of items in the game ¡ª maybe even thousands. She mostly only remembered those that she had at some point made use of in any of her playthroughs, or at least had sold for a decent amount.


    Considering that this item was only of the rare-tier, she doubted its effects were especially major. It also had an area-of-effect trait, it appeared, and those were always weaker than others. That didn¡¯t mean that the item itself couldn¡¯t be useful, though. She might not have need for it in a fight, but perhaps it could be placed in her office? The description made it sound like it could help her out when she was working with paperwork and things like that.


    For now, she waved for Fynn to put the statue away and looked towards the last artifact.


    [Tablet of Sovegrephor (Epic)]


    {Within lies the unbridled power of change, harnessed and controlled}


    A smile formed on her face. She¡¯d been hoping they would find this here.


    The item was small. A finger-sized metal plate, with its center being made of some sort of glass that had a mess of colors swirling within.


    In ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯, [Tablets of Sovegrephor] weren¡¯t artifacts in the normal sense, but rather items for upgrading your existing artifacts. They were rare and limited in quantity, so you had to use them carefully. They also had their limitations.


    A tablet that was epic-tier, for example, would only work on items that were epic-tier or lower. If it was lower, the tablet would upgrade the item to the bottom epic-tier, which was in the 40-50 level range. This included scaling any effects those items had that might have been locked to lower levels. If the tablet was used to upgrade an epic-tier item, however, it would only increase the item¡¯s stats, usually not much more than so that it equaled an item of maybe five or so levels higher.


    In general, epic-tier items could be found in the 40-65 level range. Because of that, Scarlett had always thought it a waste to use epic-tier [Tablets of Sovegrephor] on those items. Higher stats were nice, but you could always find new items with stronger stats in the future. It was much better using a tablet on low-level items that had rare or unique traits that you wanted.


    And it just so happened that Scarlett had an item exactly like that. One that she had been nearing the limits of for a while now. She would have to upgrade her [Charms of Apperception] soon, when they had some more breathing space.


    ¡°Well done,¡± she told Allyssa and the others. She took the tablet and placed it into her pouch. ¡°It must have been arduous for you, procuring these artifacts.¡±


    It was much better than the junk they¡¯d found on their end. She had known there was a [Tablet of Sovegrephor] in this dungeon, but she hadn¡¯t been sure whether they would find it. The rooms in this part were random, after all, and with the size of this place, she couldn¡¯t be certain that they could explore all of it. Allyssa and the others managing to find it this quickly was impressive. If she remembered things correctly, there had also been a pretty strong mini-boss guarding that room.


    ¡°The experience itself wasn¡¯t the best,¡± Allyssa said with a small shudder. ¡°But we had Sir Leon with us, so it wasn¡¯t that difficult. Those last two artifacts were also just lying in a chest in the room I told you about, so they were super easy to get.¡±


    Scarlett turned to the girl. They didn¡¯t fight a mini-boss?


    ¡­Was she misremembering things, then? Mixing up items, maybe?


    ¡°Where exactly was this room?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Allyssa¡¯s forehead creased as she looked around the hallway they were in. ¡°I¡¯m not sure? I don¡¯t think I could find it again, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡±


    Scarlett looked at Leon.


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not the one that found it.¡±


    She glanced at Rosa, who just pointed back to Allyssa. ¡°It was all her.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brow. ¡°Are you certain there was nothing more in that room? No ghost or other threat that revealed itself after you found these items?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°But it was like¡­¡±


    Her expression grew more focused. "Well, it¡¯s hard to explain, but there was this¡­connection that I felt to the room, I guess you could say? To the girl who used to live there. And like I mentioned, the Custodian also mistook me for her for some reason, talking to me about some lord.¡±


    ¡°If he mentioned a lord, it was most likely Abelard Withersworth- He was a very powerful mage that made his home here before. But I am afraid I do not know which girl it is that you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°Ehm, I think her name was Orelia? Like I said, there was this large, incredibly detailed and fancy painting of her, and the Custodian was calling me ¡®young lady¡¯ and everything.¡±


    ¡°Young lady?¡± Shin asked. He gave Allyssa a somewhat amused look.


    She grimaced. ¡°It was weird, okay? I bet you wouldn¡¯t like being called ¡®young lord¡¯ by a strange ghost-man either.¡±


    Scarlett pushed their conversation to the side of her mind, putting one hand to her chin as she thought over Allyssa¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what this meant, but clearly, the girl had triggered some kind of event that wasn¡¯t in the game. Or at least not in a shape that Scarlett had encountered it. What the consequences of this would be, though¡­ They would just have to wait and see.


    It was curious, in a way.


    While there had been plenty of things in this world that differed from what she knew previously, all of the dungeons they¡¯d been in had fit the game almost to a tee. At least in all the regards that mattered.


    So, was this the first example of something more major that diverged from the game¡¯s setting, or simply a natural consequence of real-world factors interacting with the elements that had already been present in the game?


    She would have to keep her eyes open, whatever the answer was. At the very least until she had a better grasp of the situation.


    Turning away from the others, she looked down the hallway they had come from. For now, though, the next step would be to continue to the next section of the mansion.

 Chapter 111 - Disbelief in the study

    Scarlett and the others stood before an old wooden door. It was located at the end of a narrow stairway hidden away in the mansion¡¯s central wing. In the game, the natural way of progressing to the next section of this dungeon was through the main lobby, but that was the annoying way to go about things.


    She pulled out the key she¡¯d taken from the Custodian, placing it into the door¡¯s keyhole. The mechanism inside clicked, and the door slid open.


    Taking the servants¡¯ entrance would save them several unnecessary fights.


    Along with the others, she stepped through into a dim hallway that stretched forward a dozen or so meters. A thick wool carpet ran along the floor up to a point where the hallway split in two. What was probably most notable about this place¡ªcompared to the part of the mansion they¡¯d just been in¡ªwas that there weren¡¯t any paintings hanging off the walls. From a game-design perspective, that made sense. There were other threats to deal with here. The reason for it in this world, however, was unclear.


    ¡°Where are we going now, Scarlett?¡± Leon asked as they began moving down the hallway. The knight and Fynn took the lead, with Shin in the rear. ¡°Your knowledge of this place¡¯s layout is intimate enough, so I assume you have something in mind.¡±


    She studied the man¡¯s back. ¡°I have learned enough in my research to have a general idea of the mansion¡¯s structure, yes; however, there is still much that I do not know. As for what our current objective is, that would be the study.¡±


    ¡°The study?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The workplace of Lord Abelard, the master of this mansion. That would make for a suitable location to investigate, would it not?¡±


    He glanced back at her. ¡°¡­Sounds like a wise choice, yes. But what are we investigating? What¡¯s your goal after that?¡±


    She raised a brow at him. ¡°I will have to ask you to be more specific. Are you inquiring over what my overarching purpose in visiting this mansion is? Because I thought I made that abundantly clear in our conversation with Lord and Lady Withersworth.¡±


    For some reason, that earned her a surprised look from the man. ¡°If anything, that made it even more unclear.¡± He shook his head. ¡°But no, I¡¯m talking about what we¡¯re doing after we find the study.¡±


    She eyed him for a moment. ¡°I suppose you will have to wait and see for yourself.¡±


    Leon frowned. ¡°Or you can tell us right now. This isn¡¯t the kind of situation where you keep secrets from your allies because of some distorted obsession with keeping secrets.¡±


    Next to Scarlett, Allyssa took in a sudden breath, while Fynn turned his head and sent a puzzled look between Leon and Scarlett. Shin and Rosa pretended like they weren¡¯t listening.


    Scarlett kept her eyes on Leon for several seconds, studying the man.


    She supposed that was a¡­reasonable perspective to have. Though it annoyed her to no end that he would go out and just say it like that.


    As for why she didn¡¯t just tell him what they¡¯d be doing in the study¡­


    Was that really necessary? For him, it might make things more convenient, yes. But for her, it genuinely felt simpler to let the others see things for themselves rather than having to explain every single detail each time they visited one of these places. She would admit that she might be a bit too reticent at times¡ªlike earlier with the Custodians¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t necessary to share everything. There was just far too much.


    Besides, it was easier to pretend like she had learned things through her ¡®research¡¯ if she didn¡¯t go around describing locations in detail before they even got there. Although, that particular point might be moot, considering she doubted any of her companions ever bought into those claims to begin with.


    But still.


    She shook her head, turning her attention from Leon and ahead instead. ¡°I suggest that you return your focus to the matters at hand. This is not the type of place where one can afford to be negligent in one¡¯s vigilance.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because, while this part of the mansion does not appear to house any further haunted paintings in it, from what I have gathered, there will still be other threats patrolling the hallways. Mainly more of those dolls that we have previously encountered, though I suspect that these are not ones you can afford to be as lax in handling.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many of them are there?¡±


    ¡°You expect me to know an exact figure?¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°While I understand that it may appear as such, I am, in fact, not omniscient. It would do you well to remember that, and not to allow your thoughts to stray towards useless misconceptions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡ª¡± Leon turned his head and looked back at her, then let out a tired sigh and looked forward again. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll keep my eyes open.¡±


    With that, the party descended into silence once more.


    Eventually, after they¡¯d been walking for a few minutes, Fynn suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. The rest of them came to a halt as well.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Allyssa whispered, stepping closer to him. ¡°Did you notice something?¡±


    The young man¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he shifted to stare down the hallway ahead of them. Moments later, a figure appeared from around the corner.


    It looked almost like a person, standing at the same height as a short adult, with long, flowing hair running down to hide its shoulder. Its face was in the image of a delicate girl, with large, pale blue eyes that turned to look at them. Most probably would have mistaken it for a real girl. But at second glance, it was clear that something was off. Most of it was smaller things, like the rigid way it turned its head and the way the eyes didn¡¯t actually seem to move or blink. Its smooth, marble-like skin was also a bit too perfect. It definitely belonged in the uncanny-valley region of strange.


    The long blades in place for hands were also a pretty big giveaway.


    Fynn took off without warning. A gust of wind surged down the hallway as he hurtled towards the doll with a growl. A brief protest left Leon, but by then, Fynn was already nearing his target.


    The young man¡¯s right hand shot out at the doll like a hammer. A loud thud rang out through the hallway as the doll blocked the attack with its arm, barely budging from where it stood.


    That surprised Scarlett. Fynn had been able to beat down every other opponent they¡¯d met in this mansion without issue. She knew the dolls in this section were supposed to be a lot stronger, but this was a pretty major leap in strength.


    Fynn¡¯s other hand slashed out, a pair of glowing claws forming above it. One of the doll¡¯s blades went to intercept the attack. The claws dug a finger¡¯s width into the blade, but the doll¡¯s other blade moved in response, forcing Fynn to bounce back to avoid getting cut.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open.¡± Leon left Scarlett and the others with a warning, then took off towards Fynn and the doll as well.


    Scarlett had wanted to observe the man¡¯s abilities for a bit, but her attention was soon caught by a noisy clattering coming from behind them. Turning around, she and the others were met by the sight of a small wave of miniature dolls come rushing down the hallway in their direction. The tiny dolls¡¯ stiff movements didn¡¯t make the sharp blades and scissors in their hands look any less threatening.


    ¡°Allyssa.¡± Shin sent one quick look in his companion¡¯s direction, then stepped forward to cover the rest of them.


    In response, one of Allyssa¡¯s hands went up to the bandolier across her chest and pulled out a thin flask. She threw it over Shin¡¯s shoulder and down the hallway. The glass shattered in front of the incoming dolls, spreading a black viscous fluid over the carpet and floor. The fluid almost seemed to multiply at first, increasing to cover a lot more area than the size of the flask would have suggested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use any fire,¡± the girl said.


    Scarlett lowered her hand.


    The tide of dolls pushed forward, rushing into the black solution. Almost immediately, the wave turned into a mess as the dolls started clambering over each other when their limbs got stuck in the goo. The ones at the bottom got crushed by the legs and blades of those at the top, who in turn would fall down and get stuck further ahead. Only a handful succeeded in getting past it all, and those were quickly dealt with by Shin¡¯s sword.


    Scarlett watched with interest as the young man proceeded to deal with the dolls that were stuck, along with Allyssa.


    This was a surprisingly effective way of dealing with the dolls, considering things. These assaults were pretty annoying to deal with in the game unless you had powerful area-of-effect abilities. She wasn¡¯t completely sure her pyrokinesis could take out the dolls fast enough to stop them from reaching her and the others¡ªher hydrokinesis definitely couldn¡¯t¡ªso this made things easier.


    She looked back at Leon and Fynn.


    In the end, however, these smaller dolls were a relatively minor threat. She could barely keep up with the movements of the two as they fought with the larger doll.


    Credit where credit was due, though, Leon had already managed to cut off one of its arms, while Fynn was in the process of trying to get past the blade on its other arm.


    She cringed inwardly as one of the doll¡¯s¡ªrather sharp¡ªfeet struck Fynn in the chest, sending the young man flying into a nearby wall.


    The doll was about to follow up on the attack when Leon¡¯s sword lit up a bright gold, the light moving to form a circle around him and the doll. Its attention immediately shifted to the knight as it aimed a cut towards his head. Leon managed to grab its elbow, bending it in a move that forced the doll onto the floor, where he used his knees to push it down further. Its legs, however, bent up into unnatural positions and slammed into his sides with enough force that the wind from the blast reached Scarlett.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Leon grimaced at the blow, but soon wrested its legs and remaining arm away and brought down his sword. The fight was cleanly finished off as the grappled doll¡¯s head was separated from its body.


    Fynn had gotten up, somewhat unsteadily, and walked over to Leon as the golden circle dissipated. The young man¡¯s head moved around as he sniffed the air, clearly wary of more enemies. For a moment his eyes turned back to where Shin and Allyssa were dealing with what remained of the smaller dolls before eventually falling back to Leon as the knight stood up, dusting himself off.


    With both threats largely handled, Scarlett walked up to the two, along with Rosa. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked, eyeing Fynn.


    He blinked, then looked down at his chest, where part of his clothing had been ripped open. There were traces of blood. ¡°It was strong,¡± he muttered, touching the injury with his fingers.


    ¡°I surmised as much.¡± Scarlett turned to Rosa. ¡°Miss Hale. Would you care to lend him your aid?¡±


    The bard smiled. ¡°Sure. But if you ask me, it¡¯s Sir Leon over here that took the hardest beating.¡±


    She nodded towards the man, who held up a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you looking as if you ate an unripe orange there earlier was just your normal expression, then? Good to know.¡± Rosa shot him a small grin as she readied her klert and played a short tune. Her magic quickly took effect, and the wound on Fynn¡¯s chest started healing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had worse,¡± Leon replied, shaking his head. The magic seemed to relax him a bit, though. ¡°What Fynn said wasn¡¯t wrong, however. That doll was strong. A lot stronger than I thought a construct like that could be.¡±


    ¡°I believe that much is to be expected from something created to protect the domain of an archmage,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°What?¡± His expression turned heavier as he looked at her. ¡°Abelard Withersworth was an archmage?¡±


    She stared at him. That much wasn¡¯t obvious?


    ¡°Of course he was. I would like to know what other caliber of mage could fashion a place such as this that still remains in place generations after their death.¡±


    The knight¡¯s forehead creased together. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not wrong. But to be honest, I¡¯m not sure even an archmage could create something like this mansion by themselves. With the convergence of negative energies present in this place, I was expecting part of the cause to have been a disaster of some sort. Or perhaps some kind of unknown artifact.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Scarlett turned around to look as Allyssa and Shin approached them. ¡°That might also have been part of it, yes. But I can assure you that those dolls were the work of Abelard, and no one else.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say so.¡±


    ¡°What did we miss?¡± Allyssa asked as she reached them.


    ¡°Nothing of note,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°We were about finished here, in truth. Come, let us not delay in these halls.¡±


    She walked past the limp body of the now headless doll¡ªthere was nothing worth looting on it¡ªand started moving down the hallway again. The others hurried to follow.


    Soon, they were moving in formation again as they proceeded through the mansion. Within half an hour, they had encountered another two sets of those larger dolls along with waves of the smaller ones. Both times, Leon took on the larger dolls by himself, while Scarlett and Fynn helped Shin and Allyssa in dealing with the other ones, allowing Allyssa to save some of her materials.


    Eventually, after having meandered around for quite some time with little in the way of direction¡ªScarlett¡¯s game knowledge didn¡¯t help much here¡ªthey reached a wide vestibule of sorts that had an arched ceiling and a broad set of doors at one end. The doors were made of a dark oak, with carved adornments running across them.


    They all paused to examine the doors.


    ¡°Is this our destination, then?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°It is.¡±


    Shin stepped forward, reaching out to try to pull one of the doors open. It didn¡¯t budge. In addition, there was no noticeable way of unlocking them.


    ¡°Unfortunately, that is unlikely to work,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°How are you planning for us to get inside?¡± Leon looked at her. ¡°We¡¯re not beating them down, are we?¡±


    ¡°You are welcome to try, if you so wish. I have my doubts that even you would be successful in such an attempt.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another entrance, then?¡± Shin turned away from the doors and to her. ¡°Like the servant¡¯s entrance earlier.¡±


    She gave him a satisfied nod. ¡°Indeed, there is.¡±


    She started moving in the direction of a corridor connecting to the vestibule, continuing down it for a while before turning around a corner. There, she stopped before another door. This one had two keyholes in it. She pulled out her key and put it into the first hole, then looked back at Allyssa. ¡°If you would be so kind,¡± she said, gesturing towards the other hole.


    The girl looked between her and the door for a moment, a flash of realization passing over her face. She reached into her clothes and took out the other key. After she placed it into the second keyhole, a click sounded out and the door slid open.


    Scarlett stepped through first.


    She entered into a sizeable study that had a high ceiling. The floor was made of a polished granite, and bookshelves lined the walls, with tall paintings hanging between some of them, depicting various youthful women in different sceneries. There was also a small balcony alcove above a fireplace in the corner, with a wooden railing that hid parts of a chair and a door.


    ¡°How old is this place? Like, actually?¡± Allyssa asked after the rest of them had entered the chamber. The girl ran her finger over a telescope that stood near the wall, then held it up and inspected her clean fingertip.


    ¡°This whole mansion has been awfully clean for a place that¡¯s supposed to have been abandoned, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Rosa said as the woman also looked around.


    ¡°I do not know its exact age,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°but approximately one hundred and fifty years should have passed since the mansion was ¡®abandoned¡¯, at least.¡±


    ¡°Wait. That long?¡± Allyssa spun to gawk at her. ¡°That¡¯s ages! Who¡¯s going around cleaning this place? The dolls don¡¯t have brooms, do they? And other than that custodian, we haven¡¯t run into the ghosts of staff or anything like that.¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°We have run into many of them.¡±


    Allyssa blinked, her expression turning gloomier. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her attention back to the room itself. ¡°Now, there is no rush, so feel free to explore as you wish. Inform me if you find anything of note, however.¡±


    She walked over to one of the bookshelves and started looking over the titles on it. ¡°For those that have nothing else to do, you may help me. Abelard was supposed to have a secret entranceway somewhere in his study. I do not know its exact location, but I do know that there is a way to open it hidden somewhere here. That is what we will be searching for.¡±


    Her eyes paused on a nearby chiffonier that had a silver carafe on it. She reached out and placed the carafe into her [Pouch of Holding]. Didn¡¯t hurt to bag some extra loot while she was at it.


    The others spread out around the study. Surprisingly enough, Shin didn¡¯t immediately make for the bookshelves, but rather for a wide desk that was located at the other end of the room. There were a few books and documents stacked on it, but not much more. The young Shielder started leafing through the piles.


    ¡°Find something interesting?¡± Allyssa asked him after they¡¯d all been looking around for a few minutes. The girl had mostly been searching through a few drawers here and there.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Shin answered. He held up a thin leather-bound book. ¡°These look like journals of some kind, written by this Lord Abelard. I¡¯m trying to find more detailed information about what happened here.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s expression changed as she walked over to the desk, grabbing the book from his hands.


    He stared at her, then at the book. ¡°¡­Are you okay? You didn¡¯t get possessed by one of those ghosts earlier, did you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to be interested in books as well, you dunce.¡± She sent him an annoyed look as she began flipping through the pages.


    While they were doing that, Scarlett continued to comb over the rest of the room along with the others. At one point, Leon walked up beside Scarlett, pulling out the books from one of the bookshelves and examining the wall behind. ¡°What exactly are you looking for, Scarlett?¡± he asked, his voice quiet.


    ¡°Have we not already had this discussion?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking about in this room, or whatever other answer you were planning to give. I¡¯m asking what your true end goal is here. At first, I thought it was about money, but things don¡¯t add up.¡±


    She turned to him, considering him for a moment. ¡°¡­I will be frank. I see no reason as to why I would be obligated to share that with you. Do not forget that you are merely here to aid me, in return for my consideration in the betrothal matter. You being aware of the reasons behind this excursion holds no importance to me.¡±


    ¡°It is important if what you¡¯re doing here is something that can affect others in the future. We¡¯re dealing with necromancy and Ittar-knows what other magic here. The fact that this place exists to begin with is bad enough, but if what¡¯s found here can bring further harm, I can¡¯t allow you to just leave with it.¡±


    She stared at him.


    Right. He was a knight of the empire. His duty was to it and its citizens, and likely held priority over all else in his mind. She didn¡¯t doubt for a second that he would turn her in if he genuinely thought he had enough reason to.


    ¡°¡­What is it that you see when you look at me?¡± she found herself asking.


    He frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Never mind. It is nothing that you have to concern yourself with. As for your worries¡­ What I want from this mansion presents no risk to others¡¯ lives. I am not planning on doing anything that might threaten the empire, if that is your concern.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t entirely true. Her primary objective here was to get an item that was needed for her plans with Gaven and the Countess. Those plans weren¡¯t exactly ¡®legal¡¯ or ¡®virtuous¡¯¡ªand depending on who you asked, they could very well be considered a national threat¡ªbut she would at the very least try to ensure that no innocents were harmed. She also didn¡¯t have much choice in the matter.


    Leon¡¯s eyes stayed on her for a few seconds. Then he turned back to sifting through the bookshelf. ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t implying that you were.¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t stop the scoff that she let out at that. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    The man remained silent in response.


    Soon, she left and walked over to another part of the study to search through a bureau and its drawers.


    After a while, Rosa passed by closer to her. ¡°Hey, mind sharing exactly what we¡¯re searching for? I¡¯ve been looking around like a miller in Silverborough but haven¡¯t found anything but a bunch of far-too-clean books. With a secret entrance being, you know, secret, it¡¯d be helpful if you knew what that secret looked like.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for you,¡± Scarlett said.


    It¡¯d been a while since she had been here in the game, and this was such a minor puzzle that she couldn¡¯t remember exactly what it had been like.


    ¡°Most likely, we are searching for hidden levers or buttons of some sort. Two or three of them.¡±


    The bard let out a thoughtful hum, then shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    They continued for a while longer. Eventually, Fynn found a small lever hidden inside the fireplace, and not long after, Leon found another one in one of the bookshelves.


    Even after they pulled both, however, nothing happened. Which meant that there was probably at least one more that they had to find. After looking around for another ten minutes without finding traces of it, though, Scarlett pressed her lips together in thought. They had already scoured most of the study.


    ¡°What about up there?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett looked to where the woman was pointing, up at the alcove above the fireplace.


    ¡°That does seem like the only place we have yet to look,¡± Leon said.


    ¡°How about it?¡± Rosa turned to Scarlett. ¡°Feel like going for a climb?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Fynn said, stepping towards the fireplace.


    ¡°No, that is quite alright.¡± Scarlett met Rosa¡¯s mirthful gaze. ¡°I would not want to disappoint Miss Hale, after all.¡±


    The woman gave her a surprised look. ¡°Yeah, really? What are you planning on doing?¡±


    In response, Scarlett walked over to stand in front of the fireplace, looking up at the alcove. After a second¡¯s focus, a thin mist sprung up around her. The moment after, she was standing on the alcove. The others stared up at her as she looked around for a lever. She quickly found it. A thin metal rod sitting on the wall next to the door that was up here.


    She pulled it down.


    A collection of clicks and grinding sounded out as one of the bookshelves shifted, sliding inwards and dissipating away like an illusion. It revealed a stairway that led down into complete darkness.


    Mist formed around Scarlett once more as she teleported back down to the others, affording Rosa a small smile. ¡°Does that satisfy you, Miss Hale?¡±


    The woman chuckled. ¡°I guess it does, yeah. That¡¯ll teach me not to expect the unexpected.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Leon asked, studying Scarlett.


    ¡°It was merely the effect of an artifact of mine,¡± she said.


    Up till now, they hadn¡¯t encountered any actual situations where she had to use the short-range teleportation ability that came with the [Garments of Form], so this was the first time she was using it outside of her training sessions. Considering it had three charges, and each charge only took five minutes to recharge, it wasn¡¯t exactly a waste to use it on something like this.


    ¡°Now then,¡± she continued and looked towards the new entrance in the study. ¡°Shall we proceed to the next part?¡±

 Chapter 112 - Hidden laboratory? Check

    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Scarlett asked, her gaze moving over the others beside her, stopping on Allyssa. The girl blinked, looking up from the book she had been reading, her eyes then darting between Scarlett and the entrance that had opened up in the wall.


    ¡°Oh, eh, kinda?¡± she said.


    ¡°Find anything interesting in there?¡± Rosa asked, pointing at the book.


    Allyssa looked down at it, running a finger over its half-yellowed pages. For some reason, it didn¡¯t seem to be in as good condition as the other books here. ¡°I¡¯m still reading through it. It seems to be a journal mostly containing this Lord Abelard guy¡¯s daily musings. Some of his thoughts, though, they¡¯re a bit¡­strange.¡±


    "Strange as in scaring-servants-by-walking-around-in-undies-strange, or as in lives-in-a-mansion-filled-with-homicidal-dolls-strange?¡±


    ¡°Both?¡± Allyssa sounded uncertain. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand all of it yet. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll start making sense soon.¡±


    Rosa turned to Scarlett. ¡°You know something about that?¡±


    ¡°Not much more than Miss Astrey will learn from that journal, I would venture,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°However, Abelard was a deranged man. That much I can tell you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The bard held up a hand to her mouth. ¡°Who would have thought?¡±


    Scarlett eyed the woman for a moment before turning back to the others. ¡°If that is all, then I propose we continue.¡±


    ¡°Is it fine if we bring some of the books here?¡± Shin asked, gesturing to the bookshelves around them. ¡°There¡¯s no telling what could be in them.¡±


    She considered it for a couple of seconds. Books could be worth a pretty penny. And all these were at minimum 150 years old. That either meant they were totally worthless, or worth more than your average book, so it might indeed be worth gathering some of them up.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°Bring as many as you wish.¡±


    Shin began moving around the study, picking out books with Fynn¡¯s help and putting them into the [Bag of Juham]. Leon was observing this with an odd expression, but Scarlett didn¡¯t pay him too much mind. Instead, she walked along the bookshelves to see if there weren¡¯t any titles that might interest her, placing a few inside her [Pouch of Holding] for later perusal.


    Eventually, they all prepared to enter the secret entrance. Scarlett started walking down the dark stone stairway, conjuring a small fireball above her head to light the way. It was longer than one might expect, so it took her at least a minute or two, but finally, she reached the bottom. There, a worn wooden door blocked her path.


    Leon, who¡¯d been moving just behind her, reached out an arm past her. ¡°It¡¯s best if I go first,¡± he said, grabbing hold of the door handle.


    She glanced back at him. ¡°¡­Feel free.¡±


    She stepped closer to the wall, allowing him to pass. The man gripped the hilt of his sword with one hand and pushed the door open with the other. Scarlett waited a few seconds before following.


    Waiting on the other side was a wide stone chamber, though it was so dark that one could barely make out most of it. She gestured for Fynn and Shin to bring out a pair of lamps, then conjured another set of fireballs that she dispersed around the chamber. Their light revealed a low, vaulted ceiling, with various chests, shelves, and tables with different tools spread around the place. Lining the walls were several variants of the dolls they¡¯d seen throughout the mansion, hanging off of wooden racks of sorts. Most looked to be unfinished in some way, missing arms, legs, or other parts, with their metal frame skeleton visible beneath.


    While the half-finished dolls certainly gave the place an eerie feeling, it wasn¡¯t quite as horrible a sight one might have feared from what was ostensibly a madman¡¯s hidden laboratory.


    Leon was eyeing the dolls closely, clearly expecting them to start moving any second now. Scarlett didn¡¯t bother telling him that they weren¡¯t even alive. She doubted he would let his guard down, anyway.


    As the others entered behind them, Allyssa looked around the chamber. ¡°Actually.¡± She spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°We won¡¯t run into the ghost of Lord Abelard down here or something, will we?¡±


    ¡°I do not think that is especially likely, no,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°There is a much higher likelihood that he is in the mansion¡¯s conservatory, from what I have gathered.¡±


    The girl paused, head turning to look at her. ¡°Wait, so he is actually still around?¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°Why would he not be? Have we not already encountered the ghosts of this mansion¡¯s other residents?¡±


    Allyssa frowned. ¡°Yes, well, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just thought he¡¯d be long dead.¡±


    ¡°Technically, he is,¡± Shin said. ¡°He¡¯s a ghost.¡±


    She shot him a look. ¡°You know what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I corrected you.¡±


    The girl shook her head, looking back at Scarlett. ¡°Are we looking for anything special here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I am, yes. You may once more do whatsoever you wish, for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± Allyssa returned her attention to the journal she had carried down with her.


    Scarlett turned to take in the rest of the chamber. Leon had made his way to the center, having already checked those of the dolls that were closest. Near her, Rosa walked past a doll whose face was half marble¡ªwithout any other features yet¡ªwhile the other half had been replaced by what looked like some sort of leathery skin that might have once belonged to an animal.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a little disturbing,¡± the woman said, though that didn¡¯t stop her from poking the face.


    Scarlett looked away at the sight. ¡°In that, we are in agreement.¡±


    Rosa turned back to her. ¡°So, you¡¯re looking for something down here, am I right? When you find whatever that is, what then? What are we doing after that?¡±


    Scarlett pointed to a pair of doors at the other end of the chamber. ¡°There should be paths connecting from here to other parts of the mansion. We will have to locate the correct one, but from there we can proceed on to wherever we may wish to go. But as you said, before that¡­¡±


    She stopped next to a nearby shelf, looking over some of the old papers and books on it. The items down here seemed to have aged much worse than in the rest of the mansion, but she still found a couple of documents where the words and illustrations were somewhat legible. She read through them for a moment, then walked back over to where Allyssa was, leaning against a wall next to the entrance.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The girl looked up from the journal in her hands as Scarlett held the papers out to her.


    ¡°What are these?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Alchemical notes and recipes, it would appear.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened. She reached out with her hand but paused, shooting a hesitant look around the chamber and down at the journal in her other hand. ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m not sure I want them.¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a few seconds. Then she put the papers into the pouch on her own waist instead. ¡°I will hold on to them for you to look at later, if you are to change your mind. The origin of the knowledge does not diminish the value it holds or the good it might do, if that is what worries you."


    Allyssa blinked at her words, but soon gave a quick nod as Scarlett left her and walked over to the other end of the chamber. By now, Shin and Fynn had placed out a couple of lamps to light the place up, so she dispelled her own fires to save mana.


    Passing by Leon where he stood near the center of the chamber, she gestured for him to follow. ¡°Sir Leon. Would you lend me a hand?¡±


    He gave her a wary look. ¡°¡­Sure.¡±


    The two of them walked over to a corner at the far end of the chamber where a set of worktables was spread out in a square. The man¡¯s eyes turned to the three almost-completed doll frames that hung from racks at the middle of the tables.


    Scarlett¡¯s own attention passed over the instruments that were strewn across the worktables. She had no idea what most of them were. There was a mix between glass receptacles of some kind¡ªwith odd gauges and tubes attached to the sides¡ªand different tools, like chisels and files. Some of the tools looked a lot sharper than one would expect, with carved lines running along their blades and handles.


    She moved to one table in particular. It was circular and smaller than the others, placed at the edge of the space like it held a different purpose. The other tables were also made out of wood, while this one was made of a deep black stone with grooves etched into its face in strange shapes. At its top was a human skull with a strange, violet gem set into its forehead. The gem had more facets cut into it than Scarlett could count, and it looked slightly different from each angle she viewed it from.


    She turned back to Leon. ¡°Help me remove this gem.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw the skull, though that didn¡¯t stop him from stepping over and reaching out to pick it up. The skull was affixed to the table, however. It took a moment for Leon to tear it off, the sound of the skull cracking in two echoing out across the room.


    An awkward expression appeared on his face as he glanced at Scarlett, but she simply waved for him to continue.


    With the upper section of the skull in his hand, he then tried pulling the gem out, but that seemed to be even trickier. After a few attempts, he pulled out a small dagger from somewhere on his body¡ªshe wasn¡¯t sure where¡ªand used the blade¡¯s tip to carefully pry the gem off.


    She held out a palm with a small smile as he finally placed the gem in her hand. That looked like it might have taken a little bit of strength, yes, but she mostly just hadn¡¯t wanted to touch a dirty old skull herself.


    ¡°Do you actually know what that is?¡± Leon asked her.


    She held the gem up in front of her.


    [Gem of Athanasia (Unique)]


    {The impermanence of death lies in the connections that bind us, embodied in this gem}


    ¡°I do, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    She looked at him. ¡°You would not have an interest in genealogy?¡±


    ¡°In what?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not. Or perhaps you would consider it part of heraldry. To put it in a way that you might understand, this is an artifact that remembers that which runs within our blood.¡±


    The connections the description was speaking of were probably a reference to the blood relations between people. Perhaps there was more to it as well, but what she knew from the game was that this gem theoretically held the power to ¡®remember¡¯ the identities of those connected to a person by blood.


    Although ¡®remember¡¯ probably wasn¡¯t the best word to describe it, considering the item somehow knew about people that both it and the person themself might never have met. It also wouldn¡¯t work unless you also had the [Memory of the Covenant], which she had sent Gaven to collect.


    Abelard had clearly been able to make use of the gem for his own purposes without it, though, but she didn¡¯t know exactly how. She wasn¡¯t an archmage, after all. It didn¡¯t matter to her, either. As long as it worked as it should later when she tried it, she¡¯d be content.


    ¡°That explanation doesn¡¯t make things much clearer,¡± Leon said.


    Scarlett placed the gem into her pouch. ¡°That is regrettable. Unfortunately, it is the extent to which my understanding of the artifact goes.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t lying. She didn¡¯t know how the [Gem of Athanasia] could know who your relatives were just from looking at your blood. To be honest, she thought the whole concept was complete bull. But that was just magic in general, wasn¡¯t it? She wouldn¡¯t complain more than necessary. If it worked, it worked.


    Leon stared at her for several seconds. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Only about as dangerous as that sword you are holding.¡± She pointed down at the blade in question. ¡°Any further questions?¡±


    He met her eyes for a moment, then shook his head.


    ¡°Good.¡± She turned away and walked over to the other tables. Finding the [Gem of Athanasia] was her main objective here, so she would have been satisfied with this much, but there were a lot of old potions and magical instruments that did god-knows-what here. It would be a waste not to bring those along as well. Who knows what all of this might be worth? And sure, this wasn¡¯t a game, so drinking a 150-year-old potion might not be the brightest of ideas, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were worthless.


    Calling Fynn over, they spent a while just moving around the lab, pocketing anything that wasn¡¯t broken or too large to fit in the [Bag of Juham]. She didn¡¯t know what the storage limit of the spatial bag actually was, but until they reached it, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw more stuff in. They could always toss out the least valuable items later on if it was filled. That was the classic way of inventory management, passed down through generations of games.


    As they were finishing things up, Allyssa walked up to the rest of them with a somber expression on her face. It seemed she had finished reading through that journal.


    Scarlett put away another alchemical document that she¡¯d been looking over as she watched the girl pause and move over to one of the doll frames.


    For a moment, Allyssa just stood there, seemingly looking into the unfinished doll¡¯s empty eyes. ¡°Rosa,¡± she said out loud. ¡°Before, you said that even monsters deserved pity. You also said that the dolls looked¡­bored, or something, right? How could you tell that?¡±


    The bard, who wasn¡¯t standing too far away, turned to look at her. ¡°¡­I just knew.¡±


    The young Shielder reached out to touch the doll. ¡°¡­I found out how he created these. Abelard, I mean. He described it towards the end of the journal.¡±


    Shin and the others also stopped in what they were doing, looking over at Allyssa.


    ¡°Apparently, they¡¯re made from the souls of captured fey. Like those fairies we met outside of Temisbrook.¡± Allyssa stayed quiet for a moment. ¡°He captured them, killed them, and then somehow brought them back again. But when he brought them back, he warped their souls so that he could place them into these dolls, forcing a single purpose on to them that ruled their being. It would be like an obsession to them. Their entire existence revolved around it.¡± The girl¡¯s voice held a bleak tone now. ¡°How sad is that? To have a purpose imposed on you. And there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. They weren¡¯t even released when he died. Instead, they must have been forced to just sit still for over a century, not even able to fulfill the only desire that they now had.¡±


    She looked at Rosa. ¡°How could you tell something like that from just seeing them one time?¡±


    The bard met the girl¡¯s eyes, then shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I only knew what I knew.¡±


    Allyssa turned back to the doll. ¡°¡­Despite what he did to them, Abelard wasn¡¯t satisfied with what he had created. He wanted more. Something perfect. That¡¯s when he found his ¡®muse¡¯.¡± There was a distaste for the word hidden in the girl¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, but his writings from this point on turned even¡­freakier, than before. He already seemed to have this weird fixation on creating some new living thing, but after this, it almost seemed like he became as obsessed with this as the dolls he¡¯d created were with their own purposes.¡±


    She paused for a moment, looking back down at the journal in her hand and opening one of its pages. ¡°¡®Hair like the fabled golden shores of Zovivios. Eyes like the jewels of the sea. Perfection in the shape of living flesh.¡¯¡±


    A grimace appeared on her face at the description.


    ¡°¡®A character that charms all those around. The entire staff is already enamored with her. Only an act of divine will could have brought her to me. The sheer serendipity behind these facts proves as much.¡¯ That¡¯s how he described the girl from that painting earlier. It was like she was a doll, created only for him.¡±


    Scarlett studied Allyssa for a few seconds.


    All of that was a bit more than she knew herself. She was aware the dolls were fey in origin since they shared some resistances, but the details hadn¡¯t been described in the game, to her knowledge. This ¡®muse¡¯¡ªthe Orelia girl Allyssa had described¡ªwas also a bit of an unknown. It was possible she had been present in the game. It almost seemed likely. But she hadn¡¯t been a major presence, if so.


    Allyssa turned to Scarlett. ¡°You said the ghost of Lord Abelard might be in the conservatory?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    A serious expression had appeared on the Shielder¡¯s face. ¡°Then I think I know what it is that I¡¯m supposed to do now.¡±

 Chapter 113 - A conservatory melee

    Along with the others, Scarlett made her way through the hidden paths of Abelard¡¯s Doll mansion that had connected to the secret laboratory. They¡¯d climbed dark stone stairways, squeezed past tight passageways running behind the mansion walls, and now, they eventually found themselves exiting out from behind a large painting frame into a long lobby with painted walls and bright, magical lights hanging from the ceiling. There was a tall set of doors at the end of the lobby, with a doll guarding either side. Both dolls turned to them, but neither moved from their position.


    Scarlett looked around. They were before the conservatory¡ªor rather, the boss room¡ªand had skipped most of this section of the dungeon. It wasn¡¯t exactly optimal, at least not when looking at it from a loot-gathering perspective, but that wasn¡¯t an actual issue. They could always backtrack through the mansion later, after they dealt with things here. It was easier doing things in that order, really.


    She shifted her eyes to the two dolls, studying them for a moment.


    To her artifact-empowered sight, the telltale signs of their weak points showed as small whirlwinds of movement in their magical defenses.


    It seemed the [Tablet of Sovegrephor] had done its job. She¡¯d used it on her [Charms of Apperception] before they left the laboratory since it could be useful to see these things in the upcoming fight. The new ¡®level limit¡¯ for the charms was unknown, but considering the tablet had been epic-tier, she wagered that the [Charms of Apperception] would now work against enemies somewhere in the 65-70 range if you went by the game¡¯s power levels.


    That should be enough for this place.


    She gestured towards the dolls. ¡°Sir Leon. If you would take the lead.¡±


    The tall man gave her a brief look before readying his sword and moving down the lobby. Both dolls remained motionless until he was within a few meters of the doors behind them. Then, as if on command, both raised their blade-like arms and lashed out at the knight.


    Leon¡¯s sword lit up as he blocked one set of arms, the other doll being pushed back by a burst of light from the blade. A moment after, Fynn came rushing in like a truck, leaping at the second doll with both arms raised and glowing claws above his knuckles.


    It shifted its focus to him just in time to block the attack. Then its head was knocked back as a small bolt struck beneath its eye, creating a thin crack in its marble face.


    Beside Scarlett, Allyssa quickly got to reloading her crossbow.


    Fynn jumped on the opportunity and slashed his claws through the doll¡¯s left arm, almost tearing half of it off. Scarlett conjured a wall of fire to block its sight to the left, and Shin came striking with his sword from the right. The doll blocked the man¡¯s attack without issue, and it didn¡¯t appear afraid of Scarlett¡¯s flames. That was its mistake though, as a second later, Leon¡¯s sword came soaring through the firewall and separated the doll¡¯s head from its body in one fell swoop.


    Fynn quickly moved on to break apart what remained of the doll, as the rest of them shifted their attention to the second doll to distract it for long enough that Leon could finish it off as well. A dozen or so seconds after the fight had started, both dolls lay unmoving on the floor.


    Leon turned back to Scarlett with a surprised look on his face as she and the others approached him. ¡°Did you do that intentionally?¡±


    ¡°I presume you are referring to the wall of fire that I created? If so, then yes. It seemed a suitable way of handling things without wasting too much mana.¡±


    He stared at her for a moment, then sheathed his sword and turned to the doors behind him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had experience with things like this.¡±


    ¡°I have had my butler tutor me on the subject recently,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°While I am yet far from ¡®proficient¡¯, the understanding and knowledge his teachings have given me has proven indispensable.¡±


    She glanced to the side, prompting the system to show her current mana stores.


    [Mana: 3386/4698]


    Up till now, she had afforded to be frugal with her mana, but this was where things would get serious. Placing a hand into her [Pouch of Holding], she pulled out the rusty [Fireguard Knife] and put it into her belt. She was still planning on having the item restored, but its effect of boosting her pyromancy¡ªpyrokinesis included, it turned out¡ªworked despite that. Her experiments had shown that the boost wasn¡¯t that strong. Maybe a bit under 10%? But it was better than nothing.


    It went without saying that she already had her other items equipped as well. [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] was activated and amplified by the [Prayer of Salvation] bracelet, in addition to several health potions that she had at the ready.


    She also pulled out two mana potions. The others waited as she drank both. The taste was far from pleasant, but it refilled enough of her mana.


    [Mana: 4434/4698]


    There were only two more where those came from, unfortunately. Not only were the materials rarer for these than for the health potions, but there was also a limit to how many mana potions you could drink before suffering some side effects similar to mana exhaustion.


    She turned to look at the others. ¡°Are you all prepared for what comes next?¡±


    They all nodded their heads.


    ¡°Good. Then let us proceed.¡±


    She gestured for Leon to go first. He walked over to the doors and leaned forward as he pressed his hands against them. Loud grating filled the lobby as the doors slid open to reveal what lay beyond.


    The boss room was a large, circular chamber with a vaulted glass ceiling that showed the night sky and the stars above. Lining the walls was a veritable army of the dolls they¡¯d been dealing with throughout this section of the mansion. At the center, jutting up from the floor, was a small glass dome with a green liquid inside, and attached to the top of the glass was a large emerald.


    In front of the dome, seated on a chair facing the entrance, was yet another doll. Where the other dolls were human-like in their appearances, yet still clearly artificial, this one was almost indistinguishable from an actual person. It had long, blonde hair and a youthful appearance that would make most men¡ªand probably some women¡ªturn their heads. Scarlett really wouldn¡¯t have thought it to be a doll if she didn¡¯t already know of it from before.


    The others in her party sent wary glances across the room, most of their attention focused on the doll in the chair.


    After all of them had stepped inside the room, the space above the glass dome shimmered as a figure started taking shape. A billowing black robe was the first thing that formed, draped over a tall, bony, and half-translucent frame. Seeping out of the robes was a faint green glow, which eventually coalesced to create a gaunt face with a pair of intense eyes that stared right at them. Or rather, right at Allyssa.


    The ghost of Abelard Withersworth had appeared.


    Behind them, the doors to the conservatory closed shut.


    Allyssa looked back at Scarlett and the others with a light nod.


    Scarlett could guess the meaning behind it, signaling for her to go ahead. The girl had wanted a chance to do things by herself first, before they began for real.


    As Allyssa took a few steps forward, the ghost of Abelard started floating down towards her.


    Both Leon and Shin moved forward as well, seemingly ready to act within a moment¡¯s notice if necessary, but Abelard didn¡¯t even appear to notice them.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Hmm. Orelia, is that you?¡± the ghost spoke as he approached Allyssa, studying her. His brows furrowed into a frown. ¡°Why are you late? I sent word for you ages ago. Ages.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I came as soon as I could, Lord Abelard.¡±


    His frown deepened.


    ¡°¡­Fine, fine. It matters no more. You are here now. Come. Sit.¡± He turned, gesturing towards the chair where the blonde doll sat. ¡°We do not have any time to waste. Those fools do not understand the majesty of my work here, but that will not stop their meddling. They will be here any moment now, but I will not allow them to interfere with my work! Quick. Move your feet.¡±


    Allyssa stayed where she was. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Abelard stopped, slowly rotating in the air to look at her. ¡°¡­What was that? Why are you dallying? This is no time for your nonsense, girl. Come, hurry.¡±


    ¡°But there aren¡¯t any people coming here. They¡¯re all dead. Can¡¯t you tell me what this is first?¡±


    He went quiet, his gaze turning steelier. Then his eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­You think to trick me?¡±


    ¡°What? No.¡± Allyssa stepped back and raised her arms. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡± Abelard moved his hand.


    Allyssa froze, then jolted forward as something escaped from her body. Behind her, a vague, barely perceptible shape of a girl in a flowing white dress took form.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. That looked familiar¡­


    Leon and Shin both hurried up to help Allyssa, and Abelard¡¯s attention finally shifted to them.


    The atmosphere around him took on a much heavier presence. ¡°Intruders? In my home?¡±


    He uttered a phrase Scarlett recognized.


    ¡°You fools. You have come to seek your own doom. This is my domain!¡±


    Allyssa seemed to recover from whatever happened just in time as Abelard floated back to the center of the room, stopping to hover above the glass dome.


    ¡°Come, my dears,¡± he cried out and raised his arms into the air. ¡°Show these intruders their folly!¡±


    The blonde doll came alive, rising from its seat with a gracefulness that the other dolls had lacked. Its eyes focused on Leon as the knight moved in front of the others.


    At the same time, three of the dolls spread around the room also took a step forward.


    Rosa¡¯s soft voice enveloped Scarlett as the bard started performing her magic. Three different tunes quickly replaced each other, and Fynn and the others all seemed to lean forward slightly, as if filled with energy.


    Scarlett felt as if a state of pure focus washed over her. Not only Abelard, but all of the dolls around the room suddenly stood out like beacons to her, including the location of each of their weak points. Their presence almost called for her mind to notice them, and she only had to exert the bare minimum of effort to comply.


    It was also immediately discernable to her that the movements of the three normal dolls had become slightly slower.


    Next to her, Rosa let out a long breath. ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure that one¡¯d work. Never tried so many at once before, but suppose there¡¯s a first for everything.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her for a second, then turned her attention back to the dolls. The boss doll, the blonde one, was staring at Leon as its sisters approached from the sides of the room.


    All at once, they sprang forward.


    ¡°Back!¡± Leon shouted as his sword lit up to meet the boss doll¡¯s advance. A boom rang out as blade met limb. The shockwave from the blow was enough to send Scarlett¡¯s hair flying.


    It was best to leave that doll to him.


    Instead, she focused her attention on the other dolls that were rushing towards them.


    Fynn¡¯s clothes shook as the wind soared up around him, and he ran ahead to face the two dolls that were coming from the right side of the room. Shin made to meet the last one coming from the left, which Allyssa had already started firing her crossbow at.


    Scarlett took a few steps back, getting an overlook of the battlefield.


    She was in no rush to strike at the dolls herself. While her magic could probably injure them if she struck their weak points, in the end, these dolls were too strong for most of what she could bring to bear without getting too wasteful with her mana. They weren¡¯t much weaker than the last boss had been in the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt. As for the boss doll, it had been level 65 in the game. Leon should be stronger than that, theoretically, but it was still unlikely that he could afford to split his attention between it and the other dolls.


    Raising a hand, she conjured a high-intensity Aqua Mine next to one of the dolls that Fynn was fighting. With its attention focused on him, the Mine blasted through part of its defense and destabilised it just enough for Fynn to avoid the twin attacks that came from both his opponents.


    Scarlett then turned her attention to the left, creating a film of water around the head of the doll that Shin was fighting. It quickly heated up and created a cloud of steam around the doll, which afforded Shin a short opportunity to retreat from its assault. The moment after, one of Allyssa¡¯s vials came flying and landed at its feet, spreading a black goo over the floor.


    Scarlett lit the substance on fire, and the doll¡¯s legs lit up like a bonfire as it made to follow Shin.


    Continuing to split her attention between Fynn and Shin, she gave her support wherever needed. Shin was by far the one at the largest disadvantage, having neither the strength nor the speed to stop the doll¡¯s advances, but with her help, Rosa¡¯s magic, as well as Allyssa¡¯s concoctions and crossbow attacks, they managed to keep him on his feet for the time being.


    Their side did suffer injuries a couple of times¡ªespecially Fynn, who wasn¡¯t wearing any real armor, and whose own defense wasn¡¯t quite at the level where it could stop these dolls¡ªbut Rosa was quick to heal them with her songs. Any time she did, however, she had to halt one of her other effects for the duration.


    Eventually, with Scarlett¡¯s help, Fynn succeeded in separating one of his opponents¡¯ arms from its body, but it had taken too much time. At least a few minutes had passed since the start of the fight, and they weren¡¯t making any real progress.


    Leon was still keeping the boss doll busy, their fight literally causing her ears to hurt with its intensity, but it didn¡¯t look like it was ending soon either.


    Everything about this fight had followed the formula she was familiar with from the game, including Abelard not joining the fight himself yet. That meant that, if things continued at this current pace¡ª


    ¡°Go, my dears! Teach these fools the consequences of their actions!¡± Abelard shouted across the room.


    Another two dolls standing by the walls started moving.


    ¡ªit was only a matter of time before more enemies joined in.


    Scarlett looked at Fynn and Shin. Neither could deal with any more enemies.


    Leon seemed to have noticed this new threat as well. He turned away from his fight for just a moment, looking back at them. ¡°Come over here!¡± he yelled and a shimmer of light left him, trailing across the floor to form a circular barrier between him and them.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes at it.


    That might be able to keep them safe for a bit, but it wasn¡¯t a sustainable way of continuing this fight.


    She looked up at Abelard, who still showed no signs of entering the fight. She wasn¡¯t even sure he could. Not actually. The real man might have been an archmage in life, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean he¡¯d know how to fight. And what remained was only his ghost.


    She turned to Rosa and Allyssa. ¡°Go to the barrier, then close your eyes.¡±


    Neither of them questioned her as they hurried forward to enter the barrier of light, sending worried glances at the two new dolls that were approaching. Both had been standing on the left side of the room and were moving to overwhelm Shin.


    Scarlett raised a hand. A moment later, a conflagration of flames enveloped Abelard.


    The intensity and brightness of the attack almost blinded her even though she looked away, and it nearly drowned out the echoing scream that left the ghost.


    She only maintained the magic for a few seconds before dispelling it.


    A slightly more translucent Abelard was revealed, now staring straight at her.


    ¡°You dare!¡± He waved his arms in a wide movement. A dark, green light escaped from one of the dolls Fynn was fighting and the one Shin had been dealing with, flying across the room and towards the ghost.


    Both dolls fell to the floor, like puppets with their strings cut, and the lights formed into a ball before Abelard. He thrust his arms forward, and the ball shot out towards Scarlett, followed by the wails of a hundred souls.


    A thin mist sprung up around her, and she reappeared several meters behind where the attack slammed into the ground. The green light roiled and clung to the floor like a thick miasma, with dozens of specter-like shapes taking form in it.


    She ignored the surprised expression on Abelard¡¯s face as she raised her hand. Identifying the weak spots of the specters that were about to join the fight, she summoned dozens of Aqua Mines. A moment later, a barrage of steam and flames embroiled the shapes before they could fully manifest, their incorporeal forms disappearing back into nothingness.


    Her magic really was a good counter against these things. It also helped that Rosa¡¯s buff made it a lot easier to handle so many Aqua Mines at once.


    Not wasting any more time, she turned her attention to the two dolls that were about to reach Shin, creating a pair of firewalls just in time to distract them from bisecting the young Shielder. Then Fynn came running, leaping through the air and punching one of the dolls¡¯ heads straight into the ground as he and Shin switched sides.


    Once more, Scarlett began supporting the two of them against their opponents until a certain equilibrium was reached.


    She then returned her attention to Abelard. He had moved away from the center of the room, but it wasn¡¯t as if he could escape her range. She wasn¡¯t sure if this would work more than one time, but¡­


    Another sphere of fire swallowed the ghost as he let out another violent shriek. When the flames died down once more, the man was glaring at her with death in his gaze.


    He moved his hands again and two more dolls fell to the floor, this time the two that Fynn was fighting.


    Scarlett readied herself to dodge the ghost¡¯s attack once more. But this time, Abelard wasn¡¯t looking at her.


    For a brief moment, her breath caught in her throat as he launched the next blast towards Allyssa and Rosa. The magic crashed into Leon¡¯s barrier, pushing against and forming cracks in it. The barrier completely shattered to the sound of a thousand crashing windows, but thankfully, the magic dissipated along with it.


    A scowl appeared on Abelard¡¯s face.


    ¡°Go, my dears! Teach these fools the consequences of their actions!¡± he declared yet again, with the exact same cadence as the previous time. Two more dolls started moving.


    ¡°Go, my dears! Teach these fools the consequences of their actions!¡±


    Another pair of dolls came to life.


    A caustic smile found its way onto Scarlett¡¯s face. It seemed this ghost was stuck in his ways, to a certain degree. That meant she could at least partially control the flow of what happened and when, which was exactly what she was planning.


    A battle of attrition it was¡­

 Chapter 114 - Friction

    Scarlett downed her last mana potion and let the empty flask fall to the floor.


    [Mana: 1668/4698]


    That was all she had left to work with.


    She looked across the room to where the ghost of Abelard Withersworth was floating. His form had turned more and more transparent as she¡¯d continued her attacks, but he wasn¡¯t out of play yet. Nor had he stopped bringing more and more of his dolls alive, forcing her to expend more and more mana to attack him so that he would sacrifice the dolls with his counterattacks.


    For the time being, they had reached a strange balance of sorts. The dolls were being removed at roughly the same pace that they joined the fight, though Scarlett¡¯s attack had also become less aggressive in order to save mana. She was relying on Leon¡¯s barriers blocking Abelard¡¯s attack where possible. The knight was still in the middle of his own fight with the blonde doll. He had dealt a decent amount of damage to one of its arms, but with him having to focus on protecting the others in addition to the doll, Scarlett feared he was stretched too thin.


    It was better than the alternative, though.


    And if she removed Abelard from the fight, it would put things to an end quickly.


    She conjured a set of three Aqua Mines in front of one of the newly awakened dolls that was dashing towards Fynn. The mines burst just in time to strike two of its weak points. It barely lost balance for the blink of an eye, but it was enough for Fynn to step forward, dodging under its attack, and then slam a powerful fist right into its midriff.


    The blow sent the doll skidding across the floor, but the next moment, another doll came leaping at the young man. He ducked back, preparing himself to deal with it along with a third doll that he had been fighting just before.


    ¡°Go, my dears! Teach these fools the consequences of their actions!¡± Abelard¡¯s voice echoed across the chamber once more, and another pair of dolls came alive. There were a little less than half of them left now, lining the walls. Scarlett had tried preemptively dealing with a couple of them, but that had just led to Abelard animating even more of them in response, so it was best to let things pass as they should.


    She looked at Leon for a brief moment, waiting for him to erect another barrier. Unfortunately, he seemed especially preoccupied dodging the doll¡¯s attacks as its arms moved in a flurry of blows that seemingly had no end.


    She pressed her lips together. She needed to cut down the dolls¡¯ numbers before the others were overrun.


    Raising her hand, she conjured two Aqua Mines to help Shin, just in time for him to avoid an attack from the doll he was facing. Then she pulled up her [Wand of Fireball] from the pouch fastened to her waist, conjuring another set of Mines around Abelard to catch his attention.


    The ghost let out an enraged scream as the barrage of steam struck him a moment later, though the damage was noticeably inferior to some of her previous attacks.


    Abelard waved his hand again, and two of the battling dolls fell down, joining the dozen or so of their brethren already on the floor. Before he had the chance to gather the two dolls¡¯ souls¡ªor whatever it was¡ªand send his next attack, Scarlett flicked her wand and sent off four fireballs in quick succession. Four explosions crashed right into the ghost.


    ¡°You dare!¡± He sent her a glare as the flames faded, barely any worse for wear.


    But he didn¡¯t seem to notice the array of Aqua Mines that were hovering around him. Each was the size of his head, and even with [Superior Pyrokinesis] going at full power, it took Scarlett a few seconds to prepare them. But that was what distractions were for.


    She detonated the mines all at once. The blasts perforated Abelard¡¯s form, as well as the green magic that had been coalescing before him. His body grew slightly more see-through and souls in front of him dissipated away.


    Scarlett smiled as she saw the wrath on his face. This was the first time she¡¯d succeeded in doing that.


    A loud crack sounded out in front of her. One of the boss doll¡¯s arms was sent flying by Leon''s sword, landing on the floor beside the limp body of another doll.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Scarlett heard a tired sigh escape the knight as a brief silence descended on the room. ¡°I¡¯ve never encountered anything this tough outside of dragon scales.¡±


    Abelard¡¯s expression widened in horror. ¡°No! No! No! What have you done?!¡±


    The ghost started floating down towards the doll, but Scarlett summoned several walls of fire in front of him. He didn¡¯t even seem to notice, however, flying straight ahead towards his precious ¡®masterpiece¡¯, even as the flames licked at his form.


    All the other dolls¡¯ attention shifted from their opponents, fixating on Leon.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± Scarlett called out, pointing towards the hysterical Abelard.


    The young man seemed to understand her intent as he immediately dashed off. The others made to help Leon, as the knight tried to push his advantage and overwhelm the now one-armed doll with his steadfast attacks, even as several others were converging on his position.


    Scarlett breathed in for a moment, mustering her focus, then looked straight at Abelard. She aimed her hands at him. A moment later, a blazing sun tore its way into existence and engulfed the ghost. The scorching flames drowned out his screams, and she continued maintaining her magic even as it devoured through what remained of her mana.


    With sweat forming on her brow, she finally let the fire fade away as her mana reached dangerous levels. Abelard¡¯s beaten, weakened shape was revealed, the hatred clear in his eyes as he stared both at her and at Leon.


    Before he could act, however, a hair-raising howl echoed out from under him. The air around them almost visibly shook as Fynn jumped up at Abelard with a speed that dwarfed any that the dolls¡ªbarring the boss doll¡ªhad displayed. With claws bared, the white-haired young man soared up, aided by unseen winds, and struck right at the ghost.


    For a brief moment, a look of bewilderment flashed over Abelard''s face. Then a tiny, muffled scream left him just as the claws tore through his neck. A bright luster spread from the wound before his entire body suddenly turned a blazing white and burst into motes of light.


    All at once, the dolls that had surrounded Leon stopped in their tracks.


    The knight paused, looking around him for a moment. A brilliant, golden light covered him like a suit of armor, and he had seemingly been prepared to take them all on at the same time, if necessary. Scarlett doubted that even he would have been able to survive that, though.


    ¡°Is¡­ Is it over?¡± Allyssa asked after a few moments of silence. The girl¡¯s eyes seemed to turn to the blonde boss doll that was standing in front of Leon, an empty expression on its face as it just stood still.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°It would appear so,¡± Scarlett replied, taking the chance to bring out a towel from her [Pouch of Holding] and wipe the sweat from her face as she took several deep breaths. Her mana was almost exhausted, and she¡¯d used four mana potions in relatively close succession. Neither of the two factors helped in staving off the tiredness that was setting in. Still, this was nowhere near as bad as her training sessions in Freymeadow.


    She looked at Allyssa as the girl started walking towards the blonde doll.


    That spirit¡ªor whatever it had been¡ªthat had appeared behind Allyssa at the start of the fight was gone, but there were still a couple of questions left regarding that.


    Scarlett assumed it was some remnant of this Orelia girl that had been living in this mansion, but what did its presence mean? Should they be worried about Allyssa¡¯s safety, or was whatever the spirit had done harmless? It shouldn¡¯t be possession of any kind. At least not if the potions everybody had drunk earlier worked as they were supposed to. Although considering the circumstances, it might not be good to make any assumptions.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she called out, stopping Allyssa just as she had stopped in front of the doll and was about to reach out and touch it. The girl¡¯s absorbed expression faded away, and she turned to look at her with a questioning gaze.


    ¡°Before you continue, what exactly is it that you are doing?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°If you are unable to give me an answer, perhaps it would be wise to defer any rash actions for which we do not know the true causes until a later time.¡±


    Allyssa blinked, looking between Scarlett and her own outstretched hand. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think,¡± Shin suddenly said. The young man walked up to her and leaned his sword on the floor with a tired movement. ¡°To me, that sounds like a recipe for disaster.¡±


    Scarlett studied Allyssa¡¯s expression closely. She was inclined to agree.


    ¡°I say let her,¡± Rosa chimed in from the side. The bard had gotten down on the floor, klert lying next to her as she drank water from a flask that had been attached to her waist. She had maintained her bardic magic for almost the entire fight, which probably took a lot more mana than Scarlett could even recover in a day, so it was understandable that she was tired as well.


    Giving Rosa a long look, Scarlett then turned back to Allyssa and gave a short nod. ¡°Do as you wish, then. I will not stop you.¡±


    The woman was rarely mistaken about things like this.


    Allyssa returned the nod and looked at Shin. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Promise.¡±


    He eyed her for a few seconds, then let out a sigh as he shook his head. ¡°Sure. That¡¯s what you always say before things go wrong. But I¡¯ll trust your word.¡±


    A small smile formed on the girl¡¯s face, and she turned back to the doll. Her hand reached out and touched its cheek, and a bright blue light shone from where contact was made. The moment after, the same spirit from before appeared in front of Allyssa. Now, though, the spirit looked more defined and tangible, with its flowing white dress catching the light in the chamber.


    With wide eyes, Allyssa stared at the spirit and blinked a few times. Then she stayed silent for several seconds, before giving an uncertain nod. ¡°Wow¡­ Okay, yeah. I think I understand.¡±


    She turned her head, appearing to look around at all the other dolls that were spread about the place, before focusing on the glass dome at the center of the chamber that had the large emerald on top.


    She pointed at the emerald, turning back to Scarlett. ¡°What is that?¡±


    Scarlett looked at the emerald, stealing a glance at the spirit floating in the air as well. ¡°¡­Is that a question asked by her?¡±


    Allyssa shook her head. ¡°No, not exactly. She¡¯s not really speaking with me. I¡¯m not even sure if she can speak. She doesn¡¯t seem to be entirely here. Not like a normal person. She¡¯s more like¡­a fragment of some kind, maybe? I can just¡­feel what she wants, and I can tell that the gem over there is somehow connected to it all.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Scarlett eyed the spirit, then started moving towards the glass dome and once more looking at the emerald.


    [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci (Unique)]


    {Strange powers of an itinerant realm dwell within this stone, creating something more than what was there before}


    The [Gem of Athanasia] was the item she needed most from this dungeon, but this was what she wanted most.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly strong or anything like that. In fact, it wasn¡¯t even equippable, as far as she was aware. It was a bit of an odd item compared to most of the other stuff she¡¯d found until now. The only other item that was even remotely similar might be the [Statue of Longevity] that they found earlier. But what interested her about the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] wasn¡¯t the effects she knew it had from the game, but rather the potential it might have in this world.


    In ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯, the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] was nothing more than an item you could place in your player house. It was mostly limited to giving some recovery boosts and other minor effects that worked within the confines of what the game¡¯s framework would allow, but the flavor text and context around the item in the game suggested a lot more was possible. Like, for example, using it to stop intruders from sneaking into your home unnoticed.


    She looked back at the others. ¡°I suppose that, if I were to explain it in simple terms, then this item¡ªthis Loci¡ªis the center of this mansion,¡± she said. ¡°It is from this Loci that all the magic suffusing this mansion originates, facilitating its further operation. Consequently, if it were to be removed, much of the phenomena plaguing this mansion would cease as well.¡±


    Allyssa turned to stare at the emerald. ¡°So, that means it¡¯s also what¡¯s keeping all these souls from passing on?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is correct, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± The girl looked between the spirit floating beside her and the Loci. ¡°If it was removed, wouldn¡¯t all of their souls still remain here? They would just be unable to do anything. Stuck, forever.¡±


    She turned to Scarlett. ¡°But if we destroyed it, they would all be released, wouldn¡¯t they? Both the people that used to work here and what remains of their ghosts, as well as the fey creatures inhabiting the dolls.¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. ¡°I am afraid I cannot allow that.¡±


    Allyssa gave her a dazed look. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said that I cannot allow that.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I have need of that Loci, so I cannot have it be destroyed at this juncture.¡±


    Destroying it had been an option in the game as well if you wanted to let all the souls pass on. There was even a small quest related to it if you went down that path. But the reward was very lacklustre compared to keeping the gem, if you asked her. There was also the fact that releasing all the wayward souls in this place had literally no practical value to anyone that wasn¡¯t already dead.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Allyssa looked back and forth between Scarlett and the spirit, a conflicted expression on her face.


    ¡°Their fate is neither my nor your responsibility, Miss Astrey. And as you yourself have observed, they are not truly complete, sentient beings. They are nothing more than remnants of those that once lived. Leftover emotions and desires.¡±


    ¡°But they still feel pain. And sadness!¡±


    Scarlett looked at the girl for several seconds.


    ¡°Scarlett¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not involve yourself with this,¡± she cut Leon off as he was about to speak.


    She then let out a short sigh, considering Allyssa for a moment longer.


    ¡°¡­Miss Astrey, there will always be injustices in the world. This is a simple truth; one that cannot be altered by anyone besides the gods, and I strongly suspect even they lack that power. It is commendable to attempt righting the wrongs you witness before you, but it is also important to understand that the ability to do this is in itself a privilege, one that often requires sacrifice ¡ª be it from those righting the wrong or those indirectly affected. Often, it becomes a question of prioritization. Who can you afford to help, and what must others endure in turn?¡±


    She steeled her voice as she met Allyssa¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have need for that Loci, and I have neither the freedom nor the inclination to put the needs of these incomplete souls still haunting this place above those of myself and the people serving under me.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s expression faltered, and she turned back to the silent spirit. It didn¡¯t show any sign of reaction to what was being said.


    ¡°If you understand that, then¡­¡± Scarlett walked over towards the glass dome to take the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci]. In addition to that, there should also be a side room connecting to the conservatory where there was some more boss loot. If she wasn¡¯t misremembering things, there was even a legendary there.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    She stopped, turning to look back at Allyssa.


    ¡°What if there¡¯s a way to free all of them and for you to keep the Loci?¡± the girl asked.


    Scarlett frowned. There wasn¡¯t, as far as she was aware. ¡°What is it that you are trying to say?¡±


    Allyssa looked over at the spirit for a moment, then met Scarlett¡¯s gaze. ¡°The Loci. It¡¯s fey in nature, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is, yes.¡±


    Could she tell because of the spirit, somehow?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get that gift from the fairies that we met last time?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°Back in Temisbrook, when they showed you their gratitude. Would that be enough to make other fey listen to us if we wanted their help?¡±


    Scarlett knitted her forehead as she studied the girl. ¡°Perhaps, yes. Although I cannot be certain. And finding fey who could lend their aid with something like this would prove difficult.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot, isn¡¯t it? Besides, we don¡¯t have to go far. Abelard mentioned how he captured the fey in his notes, and it wasn¡¯t far from here.¡±


    She raised a brow. That was news to her.


    She looked between Allyssa and the Loci for a few seconds, before eventually giving a slow nod. ¡°Very well. Tell me what it is you are planning.¡±

 Chapter 115 - Strange encounters

    After dealing with Abelard and his dolls in the conservatory, Scarlett and the others soon located the room that held the boss loot. It was a storage room of sorts, housing trunks and shelves that held different magical tools and equipment on them, similar to some of what they found in the laboratory. It had all been put into the [Bag of Juham] for future sorting.


    As for what items they found, there were five of them.


    [Tiara of Lost Benediction (Legendary)]


    {A tiara made for a forgotten muse, it holds the prayers that were lost to the world}


    [Ring of the Soul Harvest (Epic)]


    {Sustaining the life of one always sacrifices the life of another. Be it wheat from the field or animal for the slaughter, all eat from the reaper¡¯s platter}


    [Death¡¯s Shadow (Epic)]


    {This black garnet amulet hungers for dark magic, devouring any that approaches it into depths unknown}


    [Alchemist¡¯s Potion Belt (Epic)]


    {An enchanted belt for an experienced alchemist, with advanced magic woven into it}


    [Charm of Expeditious Change (Unique)]


    {An artisan¡¯s work requires dexterous fingers and sharp eyes, yet even they like to save time on occasion}


    Scarlett looked over all of them one by one before placing them into the [Bag of Juham] along with the rest of the loot. She was going to have to tally everything together when she returned to Freybrook anyhow, so she would decide what to do with it all then. The legendary item interested her, of course, along with the [Charm of Expeditious Change], but she wasn¡¯t in a hurry at the moment.


    After they finished gathering all that, they returned to the boss room and removed the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] from where it was affixed to the top of the glass dome at the center of the room. They would still need it for what Allyssa was planning.


    They then left the conservatory behind in order to clear the rest of the mansion.


    Scarlett was a bit surprised that she had gotten no quest completion messages yet, but the trigger for those things was far from predictable to begin with. She was expecting it to show up eventually.


    Of the three sections that Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion was divided into, the last section¡ªwhich ostensibly comprised the higher floors¡ªwas large enough that it took them a good amount of time to search it through.


    Since they had defeated Abelard and taken the Loci, they didn¡¯t run into any opposition at least. They passed by several dolls that were standing frozen in the hallways and rooms, and the maze-like qualities that had been present before were now mostly gone. There were no more occasions where they walked down a hallway, only to turn around and see that things had changed behind them, or that opening a door would lead to different rooms each time.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t entirely sure if this particular fact was because of the removal of the Loci or because they¡¯d defeated Abelard¡¯s ghost. She was hoping it was the first. That would mean the Loci held even more potential than one might expect.


    As they passed through the last section, they collected a few more valuable items in some of the rooms, but there was nothing that stood out too much compared to what had already been found. Most of it would just be sold off later.


    After finishing there, they moved on to the middle section of the mansion, which was where they had originally started. Much of that area had already been explored, but they still spent a decent amount of time there¡ªwith all the ghosts and dolls now either missing or completely docile¡ªbefore proceeding to the first section of the mansion.


    Unlike the two later sections, the first section actually still held some enemies that were up and about. They were simpler undead and skeletons¡ªpresumably people who had walked into and died in this place and the surrounding forest over the years¡ªwho weren¡¯t ¡®powered¡¯ by the magic suffusing and spread throughout the mansion by the Loci.


    Leon had suggested that the nature of this place had collected enough negative energy that natural ghosts and undead¡ªwhich were apparently different from the kind they had mostly run into in the other parts of the mansion¡ªpopping up was to be expected. He also said that Abelard¡¯s magic had probably, in fact, kept their numbers relatively low and ¡®harmless¡¯.


    But this implied that more of them would emerge now that Abelard¡¯s magic was removed, which wasn¡¯t exactly part of Scarlett¡¯s plan. However, Leon had assured her that Lord Withersworth could now employ priests and mages who could deal with this before things grew too bad, and would hopefully be able to clear the entire area from the negative influence eventually.


    Considering the relative weakness of the undead they ran into on the first floors, she didn¡¯t doubt that he was right. None in their group had much issue taking care of the enemies they faced there, and searching through the section to find all the loot and valuables was effortless enough, if you discounted all the walking about they had to do.


    There was a slight issue when the [Bag of Juham] apparently reached full capacity. That had annoyed Scarlett somewhat, since there were still more things she wanted to bring with her. But what could she do?


    She ended up replacing the more useless items, as well as putting some of the more valuable-looking stuff that they found from thereon in her [Pouch of Holding]. Other than that, there wasn¡¯t much more to do. Things were what they were. If she had the time in the future, she could probably return to get what was left, though she doubted it would be worth it.


    After having cleaned out most of the lower floors, they finally exited onto the grounds outside the mansion. There, more of the undead were walking around among neglected gardens and hedge bushes. Dealing with them was easy enough. From there, Allyssa guided them down an old pathway leading away from the central parts of the estate to an old meadow, nestled into a section of the grounds that was surrounded by a dense thicket of trees that loomed over them.


    At the center of the meadow, there was a dilapidated old gazebo. Once, it had probably been an idyllic white, but now it was flaking and overgrown with vines and the surrounding underbrush. As they neared, Scarlett stopped in front of it and noted that the inside of the gazebo¡¯s ceiling was covered in an intricate framework of bronze and mirrors with incomprehensible symbols etched into them.


    She wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure, but she couldn¡¯t recall any of this being in the game. Although one possibility was that she just hadn¡¯t found it.


    ¡°This is where you claim Abelard captured the fey whose souls he used to create his dolls?¡± She turned to look at Allyssa.


    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± the girl answered. ¡°It stands out enough that it has to be something special at least, right?¡± She pointed up at the ceiling.


    Scarlett observed the gazebo for a moment. ¡°And what is it that you suggest we do now?¡±


    The girl paused, blinking a few times as she looked between her and the structure. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure? Aren¡¯t you more familiar with fey and the¡­interstitial spaces? Whatever they¡¯re called. Do you have any idea what we could do from here?¡±


    Scarlett focused her attention on the complex workings of metal and mirrors. ¡°I am afraid this is outside my expertise. I myself do not understand what it is Abelard has created here. Especially not if it involved forcefully creating a connection to the Wandering Realm, which I suspect is the case.¡±


    The likelihood that the Withersworth¡¯s ancestral mansion would just so happen to be right next to a permanent portal to the Wandering Realm wasn¡¯t exactly high.


    Her forehead knitted together in thought. She supposed she could just try whatever might have stood a chance of working in the game when faced with a situation like this.


    Stepping up on the gazebo¡¯s aged wooden floorboards, she walked to its center and pulled out the small blue crystal that she had been gifted by the [Eupherbia Wildshimmer] in Temisbrook Glade.


    [Mark of the Fey (Rare)]


    {A mark of gratitude from a being of the Wandering Realm}


    Holding it up in the air, she looked up at a circular mirror that was placed directly above her. It reflected the light given off from the lanterns that Fynn and Shin were carrying to stave off the constant darkness that engulfed the forest around Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion.


    She squinted her eyes as what she thought was a small mote of light appeared to escape from the center of the crystal, but nothing happened.


    Waiting for a while, she eventually lowered her hand.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t too surprising. Whatever mechanism Abelard had created here probably wasn¡¯t designed to work with just any random item.


    She pulled out the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] instead. Palming the large emerald, she eyed it for a moment. Holding it in just one hand like this was almost unwieldy. That fact alone probably meant it would have been worth a fortune back in her old world. Add on the fact that it was magical and she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she could buy a whole mansion with the money she could get from selling it.


    But, while money was nice, it wasn¡¯t exactly where her priorities lay. Not always, at least.


    Turning the hefty gemstone around, she gazed at its uncut surface. There was a pale green light emanating from it. While she wasn¡¯t certain, she half-suspected that the Loci had some form of sentience to it. Not to the degree where it could think, but at least to a level where it could probably sense intent of some sort. The Loci had also likely been part of what originally powered this gazebo, which was why it was her second choice for things to try.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She concentrated on it, focusing her thoughts and wishing for whatever this mechanism around them was to work.


    Several seconds passed with nothing happening.


    ¡°Going well for you, over there?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice rang out from behind her.


    Suddenly, a flicker of light flashed into existence in the air before Scarlett. A moment later, the light widened into a portal narrowly larger than her midriff, though pushing her way through might have proven difficult. On the other side was a glade filled with blue-tinted grass and ringed by an ethereal forest beneath an endless blue sky. She watched the sight with raptness for a few seconds as the treetops seemed to move according to some hidden pattern.


    Eventually, she caught herself and stepped back from the portal. She was honestly surprised that it had worked exactly as she¡¯d wanted it to.


    ¡°Wait, what did you do?¡± Allyssa asked, and Scarlett heard the others move up behind her.


    She looked back at them. ¡°I opened the gateway, just as you wished.¡±


    Allyssa stepped closer to the portal, staring at the view on the other side. ¡°It¡¯s¡­empty.¡±


    ¡°That it is.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking, hoping¡­that there would be something there.¡±


    ¡°We do not know how this device works,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It could be that it simply creates a portal to a random location in the Wandering Realm, or perhaps to an interstitial space like the one in Temisbrook. If so, the likelihood is higher that it would be empty, considering the vastness of realms such as these. If I were to make a conjecture, it is probable that Abelard himself used some method to lure beings here, rather than enter through the portal himself.¡±


    While Scarlett might be able to force her way through the portal, that certainly wasn¡¯t true for those with wider builds like Leon and Shin. It¡¯s possible that Abelard could make it larger than this, since he would have been more familiar with the workings of this mechanism, but there was no way to know for sure.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Allyssa turned to look at her.


    She met the girl¡¯s eyes.


    How would she know?


    ¡°This was your suggestion, so I suggest you think of the answer.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Allyssa held an uncertain expression as she looked back at the portal. ¡°We wait?¡±


    ¡°¡­We wait?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Something might pass by eventually.¡±


    ¡°¡­If that is what you think we should do, then very well,¡± Scarlett said. She sent one last look at the glade on the other side of the portal, then turned around and walked over to the edge of the gazebo. She placed the [Mark of the Fey] and the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] aside for now and leaned against the wooden railing.


    The others looked around at each other for a moment, then went and did the same.


    And so they waited.


    The portal remained open even as half an hour had passed with nothing happening. Allyssa¡¯s expression was growing more anxious as time went by, but they weren¡¯t pressed for time, so Scarlett decided to continue waiting.


    At one point, as Rosa suppressed a yawn nearby, Scarlett turned her attention to the dark sky. Some of the stars were peeking through the heavy canopy above, though there weren¡¯t any constellations that she recognized.


    What time would it be outside right now? It was hard to know since it was always dark here.


    They had left the Withersworth estate in Autumnwell around noon, and since then, a pretty good chunk of time had passed. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if it was morning in the outside world at the moment. She felt spent enough for that to be true, at least.


    The [Mark of the Staunch] was enough to stave off some of that weariness, and it wasn¡¯t as if she couldn¡¯t go without sleep for a day¡ªeven without magical assistance¡ªbut they had also fought several battles. She wouldn¡¯t be running any marathons right about now, that much was for sure.


    Even more time passed as they waited, enough that Rosa had dozed off, lying with her back against the railings. Scarlett was thinking of giving it maybe half an hour more before giving up on this approach.


    A gasp left Allyssa.


    Everyone¡ªexcluding Rosa¡ªturned their attention towards the center of the gazebo.


    Scarlett froze.


    Where there previously had been the scene of a magical glade with otherworldly sights, there was now just an eye.


    One. Eye.


    Its deep blue iris was great enough to take up the entire opening and more, with small lustres spread throughout it as if it was hiding the stars of the night sky. The large, elongated pupil at the center of the eye had strands of white like lightning that flowed through the black viscera, and it moved around slowly as it peered through the portal and at them.


    Several seconds had passed when Scarlett remembered to move.


    Leon was the first to step forward, a golden light surging up around him like armor.


    Fynn growled as he glared at the eye, moving closer to Scarlett.


    She simply continued staring at this being. She had no idea what this was.


    ¡°E-Ehm, hello,¡± Allyssa¡¯s thin voice sounded out from beside her.


    The pupil shifted to the girl.


    ¡°Can you understand me?¡± she asked.


    Silence followed as it observed her for a short while, then turned to Scarlett. Or rather, what was behind her.


    She looked back at the [Mark of the Fey] and the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci], both of which were placed on the railing. Then she turned back to the giant eye, searching for any sign of hostility.


    Even though they were separated by a gateway between realms, there was a weight to its gaze that unnerved her. She didn¡¯t know whether it could reach them through the small portal; was it dangerous, or perhaps just curious? But it might be best if she didn¡¯t risk finding out. The Loci was what opened the portal to begin with, so it should be possible to close it as well.


    Taking a small step back, she watched as Allyssa moved closer to the portal.


    ¡°We wanted to talk with someone from your¡­realm,¡± the girl said, the hesitance clear in her voice. ¡°There¡¯s something we wanted help with, and we thought someone from where you are might know what to do about it.¡±


    The words yielded no response as the eye examined the young Shielder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but the magic that formed this portal was created by a very bad man who used it to capture many fey a long time ago. He hurt them, as well as a lot of people. That¡¯s¡­I mean, people are humans like us.¡± Allyssa pointed at herself and the rest of them. ¡°We wanted to help all of them move on.¡±


    The eye blinked. A slow, deliberate movement, where several thick, incandescent tendrils that might have been eyelashes briefly showed.


    Allyssa seemed to swallow at the sight. ¡°That¡¯s, uh¡­¡± She pointed back behind Scarlett. ¡°That large emerald over there is what¡¯s keeping those people and fey from moving on, and we don¡¯t know how we can help them other than to destroy it, and that¡¯s not something we can do because we really need it. I-Is this something you could help with? Or maybe you know someone who can do something about it and you can help us contact them?¡±


    Once again, there was no response.


    The girl squirmed on the spot for a moment, then seemed to remember something. This time, she gestured towards Scarlett and the [Mark of the Fey]. ¡°We¡¯re not here to hurt anyone. We¡¯ve met others like you before. Or, well, not exactly like you, but fairies who were in danger. And the woman over there helped them.¡±


    The eye shifted to Scarlett again, and she could feel the pressure bearing down on her.


    She didn¡¯t know if the being completely understood Allyssa¡¯s words, but it appeared to be probing her in some manner at least. After a while, it blinked once more, and the pressure faded.


    Suddenly, the Loci and the [Mark of the Fey] floated through the air and past her, towards the portal. She didn¡¯t have the time to speak before the two items stopped before the being, its tall pupil focusing on them.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened as a light burst forth from both, followed by a symphony of shattering glass and gleeful chittering that echoed out around the clearing.


    A moment later, both items fell to the ground. The being turned to Allyssa and Scarlett, and then it blinked. The portal closed without warning.


    [Quest completed: Cleared Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion]


    {Skill points awarded: 8}


    [Side-Quest completed: Help Lady Orelia and the other souls of Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion move on]


    {Skill points awarded: 6}


    The messages appeared in front of Scarlett at the same time as sounds of surprise left the others.


    She cursorily read the words over before turning to the gems lying on the floorboards, walking over to pick them up.


    The Loci was emitting a faint, almost serene green light, and the blue crystal beside it had tiny, almost imperceptible sparks of lightning running through sections of it now.


    [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci (Unique)]


    {Strange powers of an itinerant realm dwell within this stone, creating something more than what was there before. The souls that were once tied to it have been severed and freed from their torment}


    [Mark of the Fey (Epic)]


    {Originally a mark of gratitude from a being of the Wandering Realms, it has now been touched by the powers of an idol, remembering a debt owed and a debt due}


    She stared at the descriptions.


    An idol.


    That had been an idol?!


    Her throat tightened at the implications.


    Idols were like the deities of the Wandering Realm. Not quite gods in the normal sense, and vastly more numerous, but some of them were on par with beings like the Viles in how powerful they were in their domains. The [Bag of Juham] was supposedly connected to one such idol, for example.


    But that wasn¡¯t what frightened her. What scared her was whatever this ¡®a debt owed and a debt due¡¯ meant. Did the idol expect her to owe it a favor now, and vice versa?


    She had no idea what a being like this would ask of her. And since she didn¡¯t actually know what idol it had been¡ªif it even had been present in the game, which she couldn¡¯t be sure of since she didn¡¯t recognize the eye¡ªshe also had no idea what she could even ask of it.


    What was even the point of them owing each other debts? Couldn¡¯t it just have been satisfied with neither of them owing the other one anything at all, then?


    She let out a tired sigh.


    This could either be a massive boon, a terrible curse, or anything in between. The problem was that she didn¡¯t know which. The six skill points she got from completing the side-quest didn¡¯t quite make up for that uncertainty.


    ¡°¡ªarlett.¡±


    She looked up as Leon called her name. All the others were giving her worried looks. Was her expression that bad?


    Schooling her face as much as she could, she turned back to Allyssa, who held an uneasy look.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± she asked the girl.


    Some of the worry on Allyssa¡¯s face faded at the question, and she showed a weak smile. ¡°Yes, I think it did. She¡¯s gone now, the spirit. And I have a feeling the same goes for the rest of the people and fey who were stuck here.¡±


    Scarlett gave a slow nod. ¡°That is good. If so, we are finished here. It is time that we make our return.¡±


    ¡°To Autumnwell?¡± Rosa asked. The bard had woken up at some point during the previous proceedings.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett said, though she paused for a moment and turned to Leon as the man seemed to study her. ¡°Is there something you wish to say, Sir Leon?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Are you alright, Scarlett?¡±


    She gave him a long look. ¡°I am perfectly fine, thank you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know what that was?¡±


    ¡°A being of the Wandering Realm,¡± she replied in a dry tone, arching a brow at the man. ¡°Although I supposed you were expecting more of an answer than that. Unfortunately, there is not much more that I know, other than that it might have had the power to effortlessly erase all of our existences if it so desired.¡±


    His expression darkened at that. ¡°It didn¡¯t appear to be hostile towards us, at least. But you didn¡¯t look happy even after it seemed to help with exactly what you asked.¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, actually. I am very pleased with the aid it provided. I am simply uncertain about the price it might ask,¡± she said.


    ¡°The price?¡± A worried look entered Allyssa¡¯s eyes. ¡°We were asking for it to help us save other fey. Would it really ask a price for that?¡±


    Scarlett turned to the girl.


    Was there a point in placing the responsibility on her, when Scarlett had been the one who chose to go through with things in the end?


    ¡°¡­No, I suppose it would not. It did not provide a proper response, so perhaps it is only me being overly apprehensive.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem to relax the girl any.


    Scarlett turned away from the others, peering down the path leading from the gazebo. ¡°There is no point in continuing to waste time thinking about it at the moment. We can discuss things further on a later occasion. For now, I think we should return to Autumnwell and rest. It has been an eventful day.¡±

 Chapter 116 - Aftermath tea party

    Scarlett sat in the Withersworths¡¯ parlor room, sipping out of a cup of tea that had been provided for her. Leon sat beside her, and opposite them were Lady and Lord Withersworth. The older couple was observing them with some interest.


    ¡°I heard that you and your group returned looking quite ragged early in the morning, Baroness,¡± Lady Withersworth said as she took a sip from her own cup of tea. ¡°I also heard that this fool of a husband of mine tried to meet with you immediately after, to hear how things went. You will have to excuse his rudeness. He doesn¡¯t quite know when to take others into consideration. Nonetheless, I hope you have had the time to get a proper rest since then.¡±


    ¡°That we have.¡± Scarlett gave a slight nod. ¡°I am thankful for the accommodation you have showed me and my party in offering us to stay here for the time being as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do. My husband might have forgotten what hospitality means¡ª¡± A grumbling expression appeared on Lord Withersworth¡¯s face. ¡°¡ªbut that does not mean that I have.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. I was simply surprised,¡± the man muttered from beside his wife. ¡°I was not expecting them to return so early, if at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am aware, dear.¡± Lady Withersworth smirked at her husband. ¡°It was quite amusing, seeing you run around the mansion like a headless chicken after our talks with the Baroness yesterday. Though I will admit to some disappointment that it took you so long to register what you had agreed to.¡±


    He sent her an annoyed glare in return. ¡°If you realized it back then you should have warned me, woman. Dagnabbit all! What would we have done if a noblewoman and the vice-captain of the Imperial Solar Knights went missing after visiting our estate? It would have been chaos if news got out! Ittar knows the commotion that Edita Delmon would have caused if she had heard about it as well¡­¡±


    ¡°But they did return, didn¡¯t they?¡± His wife nudged his arm. ¡°So stop with your fretting. It is because you always worry yourself like this that your hair is thinning.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression went stiff for a moment of a second, but he soon harrumphed as he tidied the collar of his suit.


    ¡°As you can see.¡± Scarlett gestured to herself and Leon in an attempt to get the conversation back on track. ¡°We are all in good health.¡±


    ¡°I can see that, yes. Although I am still dubious whether I believe it.¡± Lord Withersworth eyed her. ¡°¡­Are you certain that everything has been dealt with? This is a curse that has been plaguing my family for generations, so you will have to excuse my skepticism about it being resolved within twenty-four hours of our original discussion.¡±


    ¡°I am certain, yes. If you find it difficult to trust in my words, you can feel free to once more descend into this mansion¡¯s cellar and ascertain the truth for yourself.¡±


    The man scoffed. ¡°I think not. I have been told I still have a few decades left in me, and I am most definitely not planning on doing anything that expedites the process of my death. My wife is already doing a fine job of achieving that by herself.¡±


    ¡°What Baroness Hartford says is true,¡± Leon cut in. ¡°You have my word as a member of the Imperial Solar Knights, if that makes you feel more relaxed, my Lord.¡±


    Lord Withersworth crossed his arms as he turned to look at Leon. ¡°Hmph. Well, I suppose that will have to do until I have had the opportunity to perform some more thorough investigations.¡±


    ¡°What remains in the mansion now are simple undead,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°They are a consequence of the negative energy that has been gathering in the region, but they will not propagate in the same fashion as before now that the root of Abelard¡¯s curse has been removed. There is also nothing hindering you from entering the grounds any longer, so dealing with what is left should not pose an issue. If you are interested, I am sure that Sir Leon is open to discussing the matter in further detail. He has more experience related to the topic.¡±


    One of Lord Withersworth¡¯s hands moved up to the end of his mustache as he studied the knight. ¡°Perhaps I will do that, then. We can speak after this, if that works for you.¡±


    Leon gave the man a nod.


    ¡°With that settled.¡± Scarlett placed her teacup on the table and placed one hand on top of the other in her lap. ¡°Perhaps we should proceed on to the subject of reimbursement. Not much time has passed, so I do not expect a decisive answer, but have you reached a conclusion yet?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, my husband has been preoccupied with other things,¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°The fief¡¯s finances aren¡¯t my area of expertise, but in light of the sincerity you have shown us, I took the time to make some cursory assessments related to the service you have performed. Does four hundred thousand solars sound reasonable?¡±


    Next to the woman, her husband almost blanched.


    ¡°Of course, that is only preliminary. The figure might change somewhat after further assessment,¡± she added.


    Scarlett observed Lord Withersworth¡¯s expression.


    She didn¡¯t trust for a second that Lady Withersworth didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. While it was probably true that they hadn¡¯t had the chance to make a proper estimation of things, the woman wouldn¡¯t have given a number if she wasn¡¯t sure that they would pay at least that much.


    And 400 000 Solars was a lot.


    ¡°I see no reason to question your evaluation of your own affairs,¡± she eventually said. While she hadn¡¯t exactly been aiming to get that much from what was essentially a side-quest to her, she wouldn¡¯t say no to it. ¡°When you are more sure of the exact figure, you can contact my household in Freybrook and we can handle the specifics at that point.¡±


    She was expecting to earn perhaps even more from all the loot they took from the mansion, but this was a pretty pleasant bonus on top of that. It also went to show how wealthy some of the other noble households in the empire were if a mere barony¡ªeven if it was one of the more prominent ones¡ªcould afford to give away amounts like this, just like that.


    In comparison, the Hartfords might even have had issues paying all of their staffs¡¯ salaries¡ªwhich probably didn¡¯t exceed 40 000 solars yearly¡ªif things had continued as they were.


    Lady Withersworth smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll have our people contact your household when everything has been dealt with.¡±


    [Side-Quest completed: Complete the Withersworth¡¯s request to clear Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion]


    {Skill points awarded: 6}


    Scarlett read over the quest completion message that appeared before her with a bit of satisfaction. Yet another reason it was better to do this through the Withersworths instead of trying to clear Abelard¡¯s mansion on her own.


    When she returned her attention to Lady Withersworth and her husband, the woman held a curious expression on as she studied Leon and her.


    ¡°I must say,¡± Lady Withersworth said as she put down her cup. ¡°This really is quite the sight. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected for this matter to be dealt with in this way. A baroness, of all people, comes whishing in like the wind, along with her fianc¨¦-knight, and successfully takes on a curse that has persisted for generations. It is the sort of tale minstrels sing songs about and that ladies gossip over at their gatherings. I can only imagine how excited the young women of the empire would get if word were to spread.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Scarlett looked at her. ¡°Are these events something you intend to share with those outside of this room?¡±


    The older woman eyed her for a moment. ¡°Is that something you wish for me to do?¡±


    Scarlett knitted her forehead together. Did she? It probably wouldn¡¯t hurt if rumors like that started spreading about her. It might even work to improve her image a bit. Maybe.


    She glanced over at Leon.


    ¡°¡­For the time being, I would prefer if you could keep quiet about these proceedings,¡± she said.


    Lady Withersworth raised her eyebrows. ¡°Truly? And why is that, might I ask?¡±


    ¡°I believe Sir Leon would prefer if his apparent dealings with me were kept to a minimum to the world at large. As you are aware, at present, there are many who do not view me in the most positive of lights. This also goes for those associated with me, to a certain extent. I see no reason as to why he should be forced to bear more of that burden than necessary.¡±


    The corner of the woman¡¯s mouth rose. ¡°Not the answer I was expecting.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t respond to that.


    The truth was that, considering her inexperience with the workings of the empire¡¯s nobility, she didn¡¯t feel certain enough about what people¡¯s reactions would actually be. She couldn¡¯t be sure that any rumors that surfaced would truly be beneficial to her. She was also set to annul the betrothal with Leon in the future, so deepening her ties with him might also not be the best of ideas. At least if she wanted to avoid complications in the future.


    ¡°And what do you think of that?¡± Lady Withersworth asked Leon.


    The man had a furrow on his brows, though Scarlett doubted he actually thought she was telling the truth. ¡°What others think of me isn¡¯t important as long as it doesn¡¯t interfere with my duties as a knight, but if Baroness Hartford wants to keep quiet about things, then I won¡¯t stop her.¡±


    ¡°What a distant response, coming from her betrothed,¡± Lady Withersworth said. Then she let out a sigh. ¡°Yet I¡¯m sure it¡¯s still more romantic than anything my husband has said about me ever since we had our youngest.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Lord Withersworth turned to her. ¡°Is your only purpose to besmirch my name, woman?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to say that I am wrong?¡± she stared daggers at him. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m not aware of you referring to me as ¡®that old hag¡¯ behind my back, you dolt!¡±


    ¡°That was only once!¡± The man shook his head, muttering. ¡°By Ittar, sometimes¡­¡±


    The woman glared at her husband for a moment longer, then a small laugh left her as she turned back to Scarlett. ¡°You will have to excuse me. Nowadays, with our children only visiting on occasion, an aging lady only has so many joys left to appreciate. Unlike my husband, I try not to take pleasure in harassing our guests.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see.¡± Scarlet didn¡¯t know how else to reply to that.


    Lord Withersworth was grumbling next to his wife.


    Was this how they usually acted in front of others, then?


    ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± Lady Withersworth continued. ¡°What will you be doing from now on? While you youth certainly tend to be more ambitious than us old fossils, it is rare to encounter a young noblewoman with such zeal in her eyes. One would almost think helping our house was only a minor stopgap for you before you move on to grander things.¡±


    ¡°I do not think ¡®stopgap¡¯ is a fitting description,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But I do indeed have other goals that I am working towards. Some of my current ventures involves a collaboration with members of the Elystead Tower in researching the Zuver.¡±


    ¡°The Zuver?¡± Lady Withersworth looked genuinely surprised by that.


    ¡°So the news that you¡¯d found a Zuverian ruin was true?¡± Leon asked.


    Scarlett turned to look at him. ¡°Yes, that was the truth. I will admit I am surprised that you had heard of it, however.¡±


    ¡°Your sister mentioned it when I last met her.¡± He frowned, staying silent for a couple of seconds. ¡°Since when have you had an interest in¡­¡± He trailed off, then shook his head. ¡°So you¡¯re working with the Elystead Tower now? Which of their members are you working with?¡±


    ¡°A wizard named Adalicia Mendenhall,¡± she answered. ¡°Do you know of her?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard the name, at least.¡±


    ¡°Mendenhall, you say?¡± Lord Withersworth asked.


    Scarlett turned to look at the man, who held a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°I recall meeting with that woman once or twice, some years ago,¡± he said. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Dean Godwin told me she was quite dependable. Although knowing him as I do, I was never certain whether he meant as a wizard or as a gopher to clean up his messes.¡±


    ¡°You are acquainted with the Dean of Elystead Tower?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I am familiar with most of the empire¡¯s prominent figures, Baroness.¡± The man only let some of the pride in his voice show through. ¡°Dean Godwin happens to be an old lounge companion of mine, even.¡±


    ¡°¡®Lounge companion¡¯, he says.¡± Lady Withersworth scoffed. ¡°That is too tasteful a word to describe those rendezvous you always used to have. All you did was drink and gamble on your stupid games.¡±


    Her husband let out a long sigh, as if this wasn¡¯t a new complaint, and the conversation entered a brief lull.


    Soon, however, Lady Withersworth turned her attention back to Scarlett with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°I have met all sorts of people throughout my life,¡± she said. ¡°However, if I am to be frank, I am having a hard time placing you, Baroness. Although I am not too involved in those circles anymore, I had heard enough mentions of you from other ladies to think I had a decent grasp of your character, yet what I learned does not even come near to paying you justice. You are very different from what the rumors say.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do I truly differ that considerably from your expectations?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Oh, to be sure, I can see why you garnered the sort of reputation that you did.¡± The woman nodded as if evaluating a piece of art. ¡°But there is a very notable distinction between outward appearances and a person¡¯s character, one I expect anyone with enough experience to notice.¡±


    ¡°I will have to defer to your judgement on the question. I am far from as distinguished or reputable as you in these matters.¡±


    Lady Withersworth smiled. ¡°The pleasantry isn¡¯t necessary with me. No, I just felt like it was something I should mention. I find it rather curious that reality would differ so much from the rumors, that is all. While many noblewomen do love their gossip, one shouldn¡¯t underestimate how much can be discerned from just that alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will take that into consideration.¡±


    The woman nodded her head once more. ¡°See that you do.¡±


    Another few seconds of silence followed as she picked up her cup from the table again.


    ¡°While we are on the topic,¡± she continued. ¡°There has been quite some talk about you suddenly ceasing to attend gatherings lately. I believe the last time this much attention was placed on the actions of a single baroness was back when the late Lady Hildom absconded with a Luciean commoner, leaving a nine-year-old relative to take the reins of the barony. The speculations on your unexpected hiatus have turned rather creative, though I imagine no one would have expected the truth to be that you were occupied with dealing with cursed mansions and researching old ruins.¡±


    Scarlett blinked at that. She supposed she hadn¡¯t really considered what those kinds of people would think about her sudden change.


    The original Scarlett had been pretty active in noble society, hadn¡¯t she? At least in the same cliques that Lady Withersworth might be familiar with. There was no telling what those groups were saying about her now. Especially after what happened at the Elysian Proclamation and the Providing Ceremony. Even if they had heard about Scarlett finding those Zuverian ruins, there wasn¡¯t much to go on about what she was doing at the moment.


    ¡°It is an amusing thought to contemplate that you are almost certainly amassing more attention and interest now, when you apparently do not even care for it much, than you ever did before when you regularly took part in these gatherings,¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°Is it your intention to continue ignoring such matters forever, or are you planning on making a return at some point? If you want, I could arrange an invitation to some of the upcoming functions for you, if that is what¡¯s stopping you.¡±


    Scarlett stared at the woman. She wanted to help her?


    That was¡­unexpected?


    She certainly wouldn¡¯t have thought that to be where this conversation was going. Still¡­


    ¡°While I appreciate your kindness, that will not be necessary.¡±


    Involving herself in the same cliques as the original wasn¡¯t part of Scarlett¡¯s plans. She had neither the experience nor the time to deal with all that. She didn¡¯t even know if what she could gain from it would be worth investing any effort.


    ¡°Truly? A shame, that. But you know your interests best.¡± Lady Withersworth tapped her finger against the porcelain in her hands before returning the cup to the table. ¡°Do you have no plans to make any significant appearances at all in the future, then?¡±


    ¡°I will be attending the Tyndall Ball held in Windgrove next month, but that is all.¡±


    The woman arched a brow. ¡°You will be attending, you say?¡± A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes. ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t say so without reason, would you?¡±


    She turned to her husband. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound exciting? What do you say, dear?¡±


    He looked back at her with a look of disgruntled confusion. ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to attend as well?¡±


    ¡°Why, of course.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Why should we? We haven¡¯t bothered with that for years.¡±


    ¡°Then now would be a fitting time, would it not?¡±


    ¡°What are you on about, woman? Don¡¯t tell me you have taken a liking to the girl this quickly? She¡¯s a grown adult! I would expect her to be able to go by herself without you holding her hand.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that she can, but that is not what I am asking, is it?¡± Lady Withersworth sent her husband a sharp look, but her expression quickly mellowed out into a smile. ¡°So, what do you say, dear? It¡¯ll be a great opportunity to surprise our children. I¡¯m sure they will be delighted to see you leaving that study of yours as well.¡±


    Lord Withersworth met her eyes only for a moment before turning away, sending an accusing glare Scarlett¡¯s way.


    ¡°¡­As you wish, my dear,¡± he eventually let out in a defeated sigh.


    Scarlett simply watched all of this with an uncertain expression. She glanced over at Leon, who was also wisely choosing not to interfere. Yes, perhaps it was best to just smile and nod.

 Chapter 117 - Home sweet home

    After having concluded matters with the Withersworths, Scarlett and the others stayed in Autumnwell for three more days. The old couple was generous enough to let them stay as guests during that period, and surprisingly, Leon had also asked to remain with them for that time. That was despite what he¡¯d previously said about having other things to deal with before he was sent off on whatever assignment his order had gotten.


    She suspected he had been looking for more opportunities to figure out what was up with her and why she seemed to have changed so much.


    Or maybe he just enjoyed going around dungeons.


    Whatever his motives, Scarlett had little reason to deny him at the moment.


    With his aid, they had cleared two more dungeons in the Autumnwell area these past days. She had been hoping they would have time for more than that¡ªthere were at least four dungeons relatively close to the city which she had been aiming for¡ªbut the others had been harder to find than expected.


    Considering the gains they got from just Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion, though, she wasn¡¯t complaining too much.


    In addition to assisting them on their excursions, Leon had also kept his promise to spar with both Fynn and Shin the previous day. That event had caused a bit of fuss among the group. Scarlett hadn¡¯t seen it herself, but from what she¡¯d heard, both of the young men had impressed the knight after they fought him together.


    Of course, they hadn¡¯t actually beaten Leon. Neither was close to that level yet.


    But it was good that they were developing, and spending some of their free time on things like this, even if Scarlett didn¡¯t have much interest in the particulars of how those things went.


    At the moment, she was sitting in a small guest office in one of the Withersworth mansion¡¯s wings. The [Bag of Juham] and [Pouch of Holding] were placed on the side of the desk in front of her as she had been recording their contents. For the last three days, whenever she had nothing else to do, she had been going through these items.


    She could just leave it to the servants when they returned to Freybrook, but it felt like a decent idea to get a grasp of what they had actually gained from all this.


    That being said, there was a lot of it. The [Bag of Juham] had an impressive amount of storage space, and they had ransacked a whole mansion, so that was about what one would expect. There were also a couple of crates on the floor that they had bought here in Autumnwell, which carried some of the extra loot taken from the latest two dungeons. The carriage¡¯s trunk would be cramped on the way back.


    She really had to get a larger carriage in the near future. With the money that was about to roll in, they could definitely afford it.


    By now, she had gone through roughly seventy percent of all the loot, but that was only a basic register of things. Most of which she had no clue as to the worth, like old vases and jewellery of different sorts. Actually evaluating everything would have to wait till another day. The same went for many of the artifacts.


    While she had written down the name and description of each game item¡ªas well as some personal notes regarding what effects she knew of or suspected¡ªshe would leave the actual deciding of what to keep and sell until she had more detailed information.


    As the time neared noon, she put down her pen and stretched her shoulders. Then she looked over everything one last time before returning it to its place. Their trip back to Freybrook was scheduled in two hours. She would have to call Fynn over to carry the crates back out to the carriage, then pay a last visit to Lady and Lord Withersworth to say goodbye. After that, all of her business here in Autumnwell would be finished.


    Now that they had a large influx of money coming in, and the Hallowed Cabal issue handled for the time being, things were looking to be somewhat calm upon her return this time. No fires to put out any longer.


    The thought of it made a small smile creep onto her face.


    Leon gazed out the carriage window as it approached the large mansion in the distance. The vehicle rolled up to the low stone wall that surrounded the place¡ªhe could never understand why almost all the nobles in Freybrook had those things around their estates when they served no real purpose other than to deter onlookers, of which there were none¡ªand was soon let through the gates by the two guards keeping watch.


    His eyes passed over the two men as the carriage rolled past, noting the swords at their sides. He hadn¡¯t thought much of it before, but was there a reason Scarlett had her guards be armed with swords when there were barely any threats in this district of the city? Most nobles would satisfy themselves with having footmen with cudgels, if even that. Most of the time, they weren¡¯t there for more than scaring away any daredevils.


    Shaking his head at it all, he leaned back in his seat as they traveled up a gravel road towards the Hartford mansion. There was no telling what went through Scarlett¡¯s mind with these things. It could be she genuinely feared some threat he wasn¡¯t aware of. He had noted that the ¡®restructuring¡¯ that the mansion¡¯s courtyard was going through looked suspiciously like it might have covered over the scars of a conflict of some kind.


    It could also simply be her acting overly paranoid, being concerned about her people¡¯s safety, or actually just wanting to scare others away. There was no telling what the truth was.


    If these past few days had taught Leon anything, it was that he didn¡¯t know this current Scarlett nearly as well as he thought he did.


    The carriage soon reached the mansion, stopping in front of the archway that led into the courtyard. Scarlett and the other members of her group exited the carriage, and Leon followed shortly behind.


    A pair of servants had already hurried out to greet their mistress, and Leon watched as the red-haired noblewoman started giving out orders for how the materials that she had rounded up during their time in Autumnwell should be handled. After that, all of them moved into the courtyard and entered the mansion¡¯s foyer.


    There, Scarlett looked back at Leon. ¡°Now that we have returned, my first order of business will be to meet with my sister and apprise her of the happenings while I was gone. I suppose you will be leaving soon, now that matters have been concluded. Before that, do you care to join me and my sister for some refreshments?¡±


    ¡°Alright. There is still some time before I have to return to the capital.¡± He turned to the others, giving them all a nod. ¡°It has been interesting meeting all of you. I never would have expected Scarlett to move around with company like this, but I have both been surprised and genuinely impressed with what all of you were capable of. I hope that we all get the opportunity to meet again in the future.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been an honor meeting you, Sir Leon,¡± Allyssa replied with a smile.


    Shin nodded alongside her. ¡°It has. And I am thankful for the pointers you gave me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I enjoyed fighting you,¡± Fynn said in that blunt, almost casual manner that Leon had learned was just how the strange young man was. ¡°Bye.¡±


    With that, Fynn sent a brief look Scarlett¡¯s way before turning around and climbing up the set of stairs behind him, disappearing around a corner on the second floor. A couple of sighs left the others.


    Rosa turned to Leon with a smirk. ¡°If you ever feel like the life of a celebrated and respected knight doesn¡¯t cut it for you anymore, I¡¯m sure you can ask Scarlett and she¡¯ll let you join our ragtag little band without ado. You gave our group that extra little zest which can be hard to find, you know?¡±


    He glanced at Scarlett. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    He doubted she felt the same.


    ¡°Then we will take our leave for now,¡± the woman in question said. ¡°As for the rest of you, we will go over everyone¡¯s performance on this excursion later, as well as arrange it so that you have the opportunity to try some of the new equipment that I will provide. Until then, you may all do as you wish with your time.¡±


    With that, Scarlett left the foyer, evidently expecting Leon to follow her. He sent a look towards the others, giving them one last goodbye, before moving to catch up.


    Soon enough, they reached the reception room he had been led to the last time he visited. There, Evelyne¡ªScarlett¡¯s younger sister¡ªwas already sitting on a red leather sofa. A table filled with refreshments stood in front of her, with another sofa opposite her.


    The auburn-haired woman looked up at their entrance, a brief look of surprise visible as she spotted him.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Uh, Sir Leon? You¡¯re still here?¡± Evelyne¡¯s gaze moved between him and Scarlett, seemingly trying to figure out what was happening.


    Leon could understand her confusion. He had felt it several times lately.


    He moved over to sit on the sofa opposite the young woman, and Scarlett sat down in an armchair to his right.


    ¡°I thought you would only be joining my sister in Autumnwell for a day or so,¡± Evelyne said as they had gotten themselves settled. She leaned forward to pick up a small confection from the table. ¡°Is there a reason why you¡¯re still here?¡±


    ¡°I judged I could afford to stay with Scarlett and her group for a while longer,¡± he answered. ¡°And considering the nature of what we encountered in Autumnwell, it seemed like a wise choice to do so.¡±


    A mansion cursed by a long-since dead archmage wasn¡¯t the kind of thing you overlooked. It also gave him a chance to see what Scarlett was up to, so in the end, he thought it was the correct decision to make. After they had exorcised the old mansion, they had moved on to explore both an abandoned mining system that was overflowing with Glass Basilisks and a hidden forest copse that had been home to an undead coven of witches. It seriously put into question exactly how Scarlett learned of these places, as well as her motivations in clearing them out.


    From what he could tell, the answer to the latter appeared to be simple greed. Scarlett had taken enough materials from these places to support a small noble household. Which, he supposed, was exactly what she intended to do.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that conflict with your other responsibilities?¡± Evelyne asked, pulling Leon out of his thoughts.


    He shook his head. ¡°My other plans weren¡¯t anything that couldn¡¯t be delayed. And the order won¡¯t be sent out on our assignment until tomorrow, so I still have some time remaining. I will be accompanying one of my comrades who¡¯s traveling back to Elystead this evening.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± the young woman said. She seemed to study him for a moment before glancing at Scarlett. ¡°Actually, since you brought it up, what exactly did you encounter in Autumnwell? I was pretty shocked just to hear you would join my sister on the trip, but I didn¡¯t know much more than that you¡¯d help her clear away ¡®pests¡¯ from some place?¡±


    ¡°We ended up visiting more than one location,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°However, our primary goal was acquiring an artifact present in what was once the residence of an old mage who dealt in artificing and necromancy. Sir Leon was helpful in dealing with the threats that we faced in that place, as well as in the other undertakings that we carried out after that.¡±


    The red-haired woman¡¯s hands moved to her waist, where she pulled out a stack of papers from the small spatial bag she always seemed to carry. She handed the papers to her younger sister.


    ¡°This is an incomplete compendium of the items procured during these past days, as well as a brief summary of each location they were found at in case that will prove relevant.¡±


    Evelyne eyed the papers in Scarlett¡¯s hands for a moment, then reached out to accept them.


    ¡°You said necromancy was involved?¡± she asked as she started looking through the papers. She stopped, eyes widening, before hurriedly flipping through the rest of the sheets.


    ¡°Wait, wait, hang on a second.¡± She turned her head up to stare at Scarlett. ¡°You¡¯re saying this is just some of what you¡¯ve found?¡±


    The woman gave a nod in response. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    Evelyne looked down at the papers again, searching through all of them once more as she read Scarlett¡¯s writings. ¡°¡­You can¡¯t be serious. It almost looks like you looted someone¡¯s mansion.¡±


    ¡°That is not too far from the truth,¡± Scarlett said.


    The younger woman froze at the words, slowly looking up at her sister, then at Leon. ¡°Tell me she¡¯s lying.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± he said, ¡°but¡ª¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Leon paused for a moment, eyeing Evelyne. The expression on her face made it seem like she was legitimately afraid Scarlett had gone to Autumnwell and robbed someone¡¯s mansion, which told him about as much as he needed to know about the two sisters¡¯ relationship. He¡¯d thought it odd how cooperative the two of them had appeared just now, but clearly, not everything in the world surrounding Scarlett had turned upside down.


    ¡°Wait, wait, no.¡± Evelyne creased her brows. ¡°You¡¯re an imperial knight, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s no way you would have helped my sister loot a mansion.¡±


    ¡°You would expect me to, if not for his presence?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Evelyne blinked, furtively looking away from her sister. ¡°I¡¯ve been by myself in this mansion for a couple of days now, and the way everybody¡¯s acting differently made me feel weird. I might have been thinking up some strange things lately and overreacted. Forget I said anything. Please.¡±


    ¡°It was an abandoned mansion,¡± Leon said. The embarrassed expression on Evelyne¡¯s face surprised him a bit. ¡°One belonging to the Withersworth family. They had lost access to it generations ago because of the actions of one of their ancestors, and Scarlett convinced them to leave what was inside to her if she removed the cause of the curse that plagued the place.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure, but he felt like he saw Evelyne let out a small sigh of relief at his words.


    ¡°I see. That makes sense. I¡¯m sorry for getting a bit¡­heated.¡± The young woman sent a mild glare Scarlett¡¯s way. ¡°But you could have been more clear to start with.¡±


    Scarlett met her sister¡¯s eyes for a few seconds, then gave a slow nod. ¡°I suppose I could.¡±


    Her tone implied she didn¡¯t actually mean it, but that she allowed a comment like that to slide at all was the most shocking to Leon.


    He observed the two for a moment. Perhaps he¡¯d been too hasty with his earlier judgement. He had never interacted much with Scarlett¡¯s younger sister before, nor had he seen the two of them in the same place on more than a few occasions, but he did know their relationship wasn¡¯t supposed to be this close. And while there certainly was a distance between them here, the interaction just now was not something the Scarlett he knew would ever allow.


    Or at least the Scarlett he thought he knew.


    But just like everything else he¡¯d seen lately had shown, Scarlett had clearly changed. Or he had never known her as well as he thought he had.


    ¡­That, or this was another of her ploys, and he was once more falling for her calculating schemes.


    He shook his head. Even for Scarlett, that would be too much. All of her recent actions couldn¡¯t be part of one large scheme. They were all too sudden, disjointed, and unpredictable to be because of something like that.


    He hoped.


    ¡°Do the two of you usually work together in matters like these?¡± he found himself asking.


    The two of them turned to him, then glanced at each other.


    ¡°I think it would surprise a lot of people if they saw this,¡± he said.


    ¡°¡­Appearances can often be deceiving,¡± Scarlett said. She studied him, giving him that same sharp look he remembered hating. The one that made it seem like everything was a transaction to her. ¡°Whatever people might believe, Evelyne and I remain sisters and members of the same house. There are many topics where our interests align. It is only natural that we cooperate and share information when possible.¡±


    Leon looked at Evelyne, who seemed slightly surprised by her older sister¡¯s words.


    ¡°But what people think of us shares no relevance to our current matters.¡± Scarlett turned back to Evelyne. ¡°As Sir Leon described, the mansion we provided help in clearing belonged to the Withersworth family. It was with them that we resided during our stay in Autumnwell.¡±


    ¡°Did you know them from before?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°I did not,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°One could say I have forged a connection with them through these events. At least with Lady Withersworth, it would appear. They have also agreed to provide payment for the assistance our house provided.¡±


    ¡°Really? How much?¡±


    ¡°The exact figure has yet to be decided; however, I do not believe it will be any less than four hundred thousand solars.¡±


    Evelyne stared at Scarlet. ¡°¡­Four hundred thousand?¡±


    ¡°That is what I said, yes.¡±


    The woman reached up a hand to pull at her ear. ¡°Could you repeat that one more time, please? I want to be sure I didn¡¯t hear it wrong.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow at her sister. ¡°Four hundred thousand Solars.¡±


    Evelyne blinked several times. ¡°¡­What the Blazes could get them to pay that much?! Was there some treasure or something in this mansion?¡±


    ¡°There was plenty of treasure, but none that they cared for,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°They simply needed it dealt with. If you want further details, I can ensure that they are provided to you at a later time.¡±


    Evelyne touched her forehead as if she was getting a headache. ¡°That¡¯s a massive amount of money to pay for something like this, though. That, along with this¡­¡± She waved the papers in her hand. ¡°If things continue in this manner, we¡¯ll have more funds in a couple of months than father ever had during his time as head.¡±


    ¡°That is a good thing, no?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s insane, that¡¯s what it is. Just a few months ago, we were at risk of not affording to pay our staffs, and now we¡¯re suddenly like this¡­?¡±


    Leon observed Scarlett.


    This was the first actual confirmation he got that they¡¯d been having financial issues. She had been hiding it well up till recently, so it seemed strange to him that she didn¡¯t mind him hearing about it now. This was exactly the kind of thing the old Scarlett would have liked to sweep under the rug, so no one ever learned about it.


    ¡°I will introduce you to the Withersworths when the opportunity arises,¡± Scarlett said.


    Evelyne gave a slow nod of appreciation to her sister. ¡°That would be helpful, thank you. But I¡¯m not sure when I would even have the time to go over to Autumnwell for anything like that.¡±


    ¡°They will be attending the Tyndal Ball, so it might be appropriate to do it there.¡±


    ¡°Really? Alright then.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re actually attending the Tyndall Ball, Scarlett?¡± Leon asked.


    She turned to him. ¡°I am, yes. Is it that surprising to you?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even have thought you were invited. Even I know most people are trying to distance themselves from you at the moment. The amount of jabs I¡¯ve had to ignore this last month just for being your fiance numbers higher than I can count.¡±


    ¡°I have other ways of ensuring my attendance.¡±


    He furrowed his brows as he considered her words. If there was anyone he knew that might have connections like that, it wouldn¡¯t surprise him if it was Scarlett. Perhaps she was close to one of Duke Tyndall¡¯s daughters?


    The woman gave him a curious look ¡ª or what counted as one for Scarlett, at least. ¡°Will you be attending as well, Sir Leon?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see when the time comes,¡± he said. ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking good across the empire right now, so there¡¯s no guarantee that I won¡¯t be busy when the ball is held.¡±


    His mother would probably try every trick up her sleeve to get him to go, but he would prefer not to. And with the Tribe of Sin¡¯s worrying movements around the empire, he doubted he would have the chance, anyway. Not to mention that there were reports of those behind the Tribe finally rearing their heads¡­


    They would know more after this upcoming assignment was finished.


    But none of that was anything he could share with Scarlett or her sister. While he knew their father had fought both the Tribe of Sin and the Undead Council back when those groups last made their moves¡ªand that Scarlett was a surprisingly capable fighter, with access to magic he hadn¡¯t seen before¡ªthis wasn¡¯t something the two of them should get involved with.


    ¡°What I do know,¡± he continued, ¡°is that¡ª¡±


    He interrupted himself as a strange presence appeared somewhere in the mansion.


    Frowning, he turned his attention towards the ceiling.


    What in Ittar¡¯s name was that? It was unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time. Like an icy blade pressed against his neck.


    Suddenly, it intensified. The hairs on his neck stood as all of his instincts screamed at him. Before he knew it, he was standing up, his aura having exploded forth to cover him in its golden light to protect from threats.


    Whatever this was, it was in opposition to what he knew. It was dangerous.


    He turned to Evelyne and Scarlett, both of who were giving him confused looks. Ignoring that, he forced his clenched teeth open as he fixed his gaze on the only person who could be responsible for this. He had gotten too lax around her.


    ¡°What the Blazes have you been hiding here, Scarlett?¡±

 Chapter 118 - Unwanted face offs

    Scarlett frowned as she looked at Leon. The bright golden light that had risen to surround him writhed, almost like a beast confronting a threat, and the man was staring at her with an intense expression.


    ¡°¡­I am afraid I do not know what you are referring to,¡± she said after a moment of silence.


    What had caused this sudden reaction of his? Neither she nor Evelyne had said anything in particular, and there had been no sounds from outside the room either. Him asking what she¡¯s hiding could refer to a number of different things.


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s happening? What is he talking about?¡± Evelyne asked.


    Leon once more turned his head upward, staring at a specific spot on the ceiling. The scowl on his face deepened as he completely seemed to forget where he was.


    Was there something happening in another part of the mansion that he was sensing?


    Suddenly, he started moving towards the door.


    ¡°Sir Leon, what do you think you are doing?¡± she asked, but her words were ignored as he left the room. She hurried to stand and follow him. ¡°Sir Leon!¡±


    What the hell was this man up to?


    Evelyne accompanied her out of the parlor as she tried catching up to Leon, but the knight had already made it to the end of the corridor and disappeared around the corner.


    Clenching her teeth, Scarlett quickened her pace, passing by a confused servant girl.


    The man himself didn¡¯t seem to quite know where he was going, since even after they lost him while moving through the mansion, they encountered several other servants who¡¯d seen him and pointed them in different directions each time. Eventually, though, Scarlett spotted the back of his black uniform once again after they had entered the east wing.


    ¡°Leon! Stop right this moment!¡± she called out.


    The man disappeared down another corner and, along with Evelyne, Scarlett rushed forward. She paused as she rounded the corner and saw him take a left, where there was a set of stairs leading up to the other floors.


    She realized where he was going.


    A moment later, she spotted a confused Fynn appear further down the hallway. The young man must have been wondering about the noise.


    ¡°Fynn!¡± she called out as he approached them. ¡°Follow Sir Leon and ensure that he does not reach the top floor. And do not destroy anything!¡±


    Without a word, he took off.


    Scarlett turned around to the disoriented Evelyne behind her. ¡°You will stay here for now.¡±


    ¡°What¡ª?¡± The woman gave her an incredulous look. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the identity of the person living on the top floor is something that I have vowed to keep secret. Do you recall?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is not up for discussion, Evelyne. You will remain here or return to your quarters. Is that understood?¡±


    There was a hint of defiance in the younger woman¡¯s eyes for a second, but then she lowered her gaze and nodded. ¡°Yes. But we¡¯re talking about this later.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett turned around and started moving down the hallway. ¡°I will come and see you again after this has been resolved.¡±


    She quickened her steps as she reached the stairs, annoyed at having to rush like this. She was wearing a dress instead of her usual exploration attire, and it hampered both her movements and made hurrying like this a lot more embarrassing. If she¡¯d at least worn the [Garments of Form] underneath, she might have been able to make use of its teleportation ability, but it was far too conspicuous when she was only wearing a dress.


    Noises sounded out from above, and when she reached the second highest floor, she encountered a ruffled Fynn that was beating his fists against a barrier of light that encased him. Cracks shot through it with each blow, but it looked like it would be a while longer before he broke free.


    She gave him a quick nod of acknowledgment before continuing up the next set of stairs.


    As she reached the top floor¡ªwhere the Countess¡¯ accommodations were¡ªshe saw Leon near the end of the single corridor here.


    ¡°Leon! Stop right this moment!¡±


    The man continued ignoring her as he stopped before the door to the Countess¡¯ room and reached for the handle. As the door opened, Scarlett spotted parts of the woman¡¯s robed figure inside as a surprised scream left the room.


    She hurried down the hallway, grabbing hold of Leon¡¯s arm as the knight seemed to have frozen at the entrance.


    Then she paused as well when she caught sight of more of the room¡¯s insides.


    The curtains were pulled together, leaving the place shrouded in darkness. Floating near the ceiling were over a dozen stars; gold and silvery shapes embroidered onto thin white napkins. At their center was a large moon, decorating the face of a round pillow that Scarlett recalled having seen on the Countess¡¯ bed before. It hovered gently in the air, surrounded by a strange, glittery haze that almost looked to support its flight.


    It was like gazing up at a night sky projected onto a kid¡¯s bedroom ceiling.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah, no-no-no,¡± a distressed cry sounded out.


    The Countess was standing at the room¡¯s center, her body and face hidden by her bandages and robes as she shied away from the door. She accidentally bumped into the side of the four-poster behind her and reached out to grab one of its pillars. The wood cracked in from her grasp and the entire top part of the bed came crashing down.


    A moment later, the stars and moon floating beneath the ceiling also fell to the floor.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah, no, I-I did not¡­no-no.¡± The anxiety in the Countess¡¯ voice grew as she turned to stare at the ruined bed and the embroidery pieces now spread around the room. Her words turned into an incoherent rambling as she looked back at Leon and Scarlett.


    The golden light from before appeared once more around Leon¡ªlike a protective armor¡ªas he took a step forward, staring at the woman with a mix of uncertainty and apprehension on his face.


    The Countess froze.


    Suddenly, a disorderly mass of silvery light burst forth from the woman like dozens of messy tendrils, engulfing half of the room and shooting towards Leon. The knight raised his arms¡ªScarlett losing her grip on the one she was holding¡ªand a golden shield appeared in front of him.


    ¡°STOP!!¡± Scarlett yelled.


    The tendrils halted barely a finger¡¯s width from Leon¡¯s shield.


    The Countess stood still like a statue, her mouth opening and closing as she stared at the man.


    Scarlett turned to glare at him as well. ¡°This is my home, Leon.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother hiding the chill in her voice. ¡°I will not allow you to assault my guests in this manner, no matter what wild misconception is running through your head, or whatever unfounded reasons you believe you might have. Have you forgotten that it is your duty as a knight to protect people? Not to scare unfamiliar women witless by acting like an impertinent brute.¡±


    A brief look of realization passed over the man¡¯s face, as if he just now recognised what he had been doing. Was the fool just acting out of instinct?


    Whatever. It didn¡¯t matter. She had to get him away from the Countess.


    Neither of the two had dispelled their magic¡ªor auras, she supposed it would technically be in their case¡ªso Scarlett turned to the Countess with the best impression of a calming expression she could muster. ¡°You can relax now. No harm will befall you. You have my word.¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t seem to hear her words, simply continuing to stare at Leon.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Scarlett turned to the knight instead. ¡°Lower your aura.¡±


    He eyed the Countess for a moment, giving Scarlett an uncertain look. The edges of the golden shield in front of him coiled and almost seemed to seethe at the silvery tendrils near it.


    Eventually, he lowered his hands. The light surrounding him dissipated.


    The tendrils extending from the Countess also petered out following that, losing their cohesion as if their reason for existing was gone. The woman herself still didn¡¯t move, however, standing frozen in the same state of alarm as before.


    Leon leaned closer to Scarlet. ¡°Who is that?¡± he asked, the wariness and suspicion clear in his voice.


    ¡°You will wait with your questions,¡± she snapped. She pointed further back in the hallway. ¡°Do not presume to act however you wish in my home when unaware of the situation. In case you are too blind to notice, you are not the one most agitated by the current circumstances.¡±


    He looked at the Countess, a conflicted expression on his face.


    ¡°Leave,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I will speak with you after I have dealt with this.¡±


    It took a while longer, but eventually, the man acquiesced and backed away from the entrance, shooting Scarlett one last look as he did. She ignored it and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her as she focused her attention on the Countess.


    ¡°It is okay,¡± she said, in what she hoped was a soothing voice, though it did not come out easily. She slowly started walking over to the woman. ¡°He will not prove a bother to you anymore.¡±


    The Countess¡¯ eyes shifted from the closed door to Scarlett, and she almost stumbled over the broken door behind her as she finally seemed to unfreeze, trying to move back. ¡°Ah, ah, they¡¯re here¡­ They¡¯re here¡­ They will take me¡­like my poor sister¡­ No, no¡ªthey¡¯ll kill me¡­ H-Help¡­Baroness?¡±


    ¡°No one is here to take you,¡± Scarlett said, stopping an arm¡¯s length from the woman. ¡°That man was not one of those people. He was a Solar Knight, and he was solely acting under a preconceived misconception. There is nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    The Countess almost appeared to curl into herself, casting her gaze to the floor. ¡°T-They¡¯re here¡­here¡­here¡­ My poor sister¡­why¡­They¡¯ll hurt me as well¡­¡±


    Scarlett moved her hand forward, hesitating for a moment as she was about to place it on the woman¡¯s shoulder. Pushing through the aversion to doing so¡ªbordering on revulsion of the action¡ªshe rested it on the woman and pulled out a handkerchief from [Pouch of Holding] at her waist with her other hand.


    ¡°No one will come for you or hurt you, and you will meet your sister again. Of this, you have my word. I will speak with that man, so you do not have to concern yourself with this any further.¡±


    The Countess¡¯ shoulders trembled, but the woman¡¯s rambling soon calmed down as she looked up at Scarlett and the handkerchief in her hand. After a moment, she hesitatingly reached out for the piece of cloth and started dabbing it on her face.


    Scarlett chose not to point out that that wasn¡¯t her intended purpose for the handkerchief.


    After a few seconds, the Countess stilled once more as she noticed the ruined bed behind her. Her eyes widened as she almost started rambling sorrys again.


    ¡°Be assured that I do not consider you to be at fault for the damages wrought just now,¡± Scarlett hurried to say. ¡°I will ensure that the man just now takes responsibility, so do not worry yourself over it.¡±


    The woman blinked several times, but thankfully, the words seemed to calm her down and she went quiet.


    Scarlett turned her head slightly to peek at all the embroidered stars and the moon spread around the room.


    So this is what the Countess had been doing with her time? She was curious what the purpose was behind it all, if there even was one. Maybe the woman was just doing whatever came to mind? The magic she¡¯d been using to keep them afloat didn¡¯t seem to have much more effect than that, but Scarlett assumed it was what had caused Leon¡¯s sudden reaction.


    ¡°These¡­decorations,¡± she asked. ¡°You made them?¡±


    The Countess jolted, her eyes moving back and forth as she stared at all the items. ¡°Ah, ah, ah, I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ Please¡­forgive me¡­ Ugly¡­wasting your precious resources¡­ Sorry¡­sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°That is not at all what I meant,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I was simply surprised you had this sort of skill set. They are all quite masterfully crafted. I presume Molly provided you with the materials?¡±


    The woman looked at her with surprise. ¡°Ah, yes¡­yes¡­ She was very kind¡­ Helped a lot.¡±


    ¡°That is good.¡± Scarlett gave a nod. ¡°If I may ask, is there a reason why you created these items in particular?¡±


    The Countess shook her head. ¡°¡­They are beautiful¡­ Like in my dreams¡­and the Baroness¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Thank you for the compliment. You may create as many as you wish while you stay in this mansion, so do not be afraid to ask Molly for more materials if needed.¡±


    The woman nodded along to Scarlett¡¯s words, though it wasn¡¯t completely clear whether she actually paid attention as her gaze went a little vacant again.


    Sending one last look around the room, Scarlett looked to the door and then back to the Countess. ¡°I will have to deal with that knight now. Will you be all right on your lonesome for a while? I can have Molly sent up later to aid you in cleaning up.¡±


    The woman nodded her head even more, not exactly filling Scarlett with confidence about how much she was listening. But it was unlikely that the Countess would destroy anything more for the time being, and Scarlett didn¡¯t know what more she could do right now, so she let it be.


    As soon as she was finished with Leon, she would have Molly sent up to get a better grasp of the situation.


    ¡°Then I will return later.¡± With those words, she let go of the Countess¡¯ shoulder¡ªthe woman barely noticed¡ªand made to leave the room. As she reached the exit, she sent one last look back at the woman before entering the hallway outside and closing the door behind her.


    There, Leon met her eyes with a serious expression, arms crossed. ¡°What in Ittar¡¯s name are you up to here, Scarlett?¡±


    She stopped for a moment, the anger from earlier rising up once more. ¡°I could ask you the same, Sir Leon. For what reason did you think it acceptable to act out like this inside my home, and towards my guests?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t just ignore whatever this is.¡± He waved his hand at the door behind her. ¡°Who was that? What was that?¡±


    ¡°That was a person, just like you and me. One whose life was just threatened by your ignorance. As for who she is, that is none of your concern.¡±


    A flash of shame crossed over the man¡¯s expression. Her words clearly struck a nerve.


    Despite that, he didn¡¯t back down. ¡°There was something wrong with that power of hers. It wasn¡¯t necromancy, or any other dangerous energy that I have encountered before, yet it clashed more with my aura than anything I¡¯ve ever experienced.¡± He stared at her for several seconds. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re hiding?¡±


    ¡°That, as well, is none of your concern.¡± She held his gaze. ¡°I will ask you this. What exactly about her power is it that was ¡®wrong¡¯, as you put it?¡±


    His expression hardened. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help the scoff that escaped her. ¡°So you admit to not even understanding it, yet you insist that it is wrong. Do you not see the inanity in that? Since when has it been illegal to practice something in the empire simply because it is not something that conforms to a Solar Knight¡¯s preferences?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about me not liking it. Whatever that was, it directly opposed my aura. It directly opposed the techniques and methods taught by the Imperial Solar Knight¡¯s order, and Ittar¡¯s own power. If the Followers were the ones to notice this, they wouldn¡¯t simply sit still either.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. If that was true, she would have to be careful about not letting Raimond or anyone that might sense the Countess¡¯ aura be around when the woman was using her powers in the future, then.


    ¡°I fail to see your point,¡± she told Leon, shaking her head. ¡°I would be more surprised if her power did not clash with what you are familiar with, but that has no bearing on the intrinsic ¡®wrongness¡¯ of it. Water clashes with fire, but that does not mean that either is inherently bad, nor that they cannot work together. I would say that my own magic is an incontrovertible demonstration of this.¡±


    The man went quiet.


    ¡°Ittar may be the patron deity of the empire, but as far as I am aware, the worshipping or observing of other faiths is not prohibited, no matter if they might superficially appear to clash with what you ascribe to him. Your behaviour just now has severely agitated an innocent woman completely unconnected to you, and the only justification you have is flimsy at best. You yourself have pointed out that the power she demonstrated is neither related to necromancy nor any other energy you know of, banned or otherwise.¡±


    She stared at him, studying his expression. She wasn¡¯t even completely sure herself what she was saying, but it seemed to legitimately trouble him.


    ¡°This woman is a guest of mine,¡± she continued. ¡°One which has helped me several times and whom I have promised to aid in return. I will not allow you to cause her any further discomfort, no matter what you might think of the power she wields.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Leon looked unsure how to respond, which, surprisingly enough, filled Scarlett with a small amount of satisfaction. She quickly pushed the feeling down for now. ¡°You¡¯re¡­right, Scarlett. I acted without thinking, and I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not even sure what came over me¡­¡± He sent her one last, earnest look. ¡°¡­But I have to know what that was.¡±


    ¡°You do not. You are not entitled to that information, and I will most certainly not share it with you after the way you just acted.¡±


    It was bad enough that he had seen the Countess. Scarlett might be able to salvage things if she made sure he didn¡¯t speak of it to anyone, and he did not recognize what the Countess¡¯ power was, but even allowing him to know this much was risky. Especially if he decided to share it with any of the Followers of Ittar.


    ¡°You will not be allowed to meet with her again, if that is what you are hoping,¡± she said. ¡°Even if you were to wish to beg forgiveness for your behaviour. I will also ask that you show understanding of her situation and remain silent about her presence here. Do not speak of it to anyone.¡±


    Leon¡¯s expression changed, suspicion once again entering his eyes as he looked at her.


    ¡°There is nothing unlawful or illicit taking place here,¡± she said. ¡°And she is of no threat to those that do not themselves threaten her first.¡±


    The man cringed at that.


    ¡°But she has lived through very unfortunate circumstances not of her own making, and in order to stay safe, she has to remain hidden from a certain group of people that I cannot name. If you were to share your knowledge of her existence, no matter how safe you believe it might be, you may very well place her life into danger. As long as she is a guest in my home, I have a responsbility to ensure her safety, and as such, I will not allow you to leave here without first having your word that you will stay your tongue.¡±


    His forehead creased together.


    ¡°Leon.¡± She gave him a serious look. ¡°Do I have your word?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I would be swearing to.¡±


    ¡°You would be swearing to keep the life of an innocent woman safe.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be certain about that.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that your uncertainty is enough reason to endanger her life? Even when you were the one that forced your way through my home and nearly assaulted my guest?¡±


    ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°I do not care if you see it or not. Do I have your oath?¡±


    He went quiet again, the air between them heavy. Finally, he let out a long sigh.


    ¡°¡­I promise not to speak of this to anyone. As long as doing so does not expressly endanger the safety of someone¡¯s life or that of the empire.¡±


    She clicked her tongue. That was close enough.


    ¡°Good. Now, if you do not mind, I will have to ask that you return to the parlor while I clean up the mess you have brought about. I will be sending you an invoice for the bed later.¡±

 Chapter 119 - Cooling off

    Eventually, Scarlett was sitting in the parlor with Evelyne and Leon once again.


    Cleaning up after Leon¡¯s barging through the mansion hadn¡¯t taken too much time, but it had been annoying to do nonetheless. Not only did she have to go find Molly and give the servant woman a vague summary of what happened so she could go check up on the Countess, but she also had to figure out what to do about the destroyed bed and the fact that a lot of people saw Leon running around like a madman with a mission.


    For the time being, she¡¯d had Molly bring the Countess to an empty room in the east wing and instructed Marlon to have a couple of servants go up to the woman¡¯s room to tidy things up. She would also need to come up with a decent excuse for everything, though that could be left for a later occasion.


    One thing she was thankful for was that Fynn hadn¡¯t caused more of a mess after everything had been resolved. Contrary to what she might have expected of the young man, he hadn¡¯t immediately rushed off to fight Leon again after escaping the man¡¯s barrier. Instead, it seemed that when Scarlett had been appeasing the Countess, Fynn had noticed that the situation had calmed down somewhat and chosen to stay back, which was what allowed her to then talk things out with Leon.


    It showed that Fynn was learning how to read situations, after all. Just¡­slowly. And perhaps a bit arbitrarily.


    Scarlett turned her head, glancing at Evelyne, who was sitting on her right, before shifting her focus to Leon on the sofa to her left. She had already chewed him out enough about what had happened, but that didn¡¯t mean her irritation had completely faded. Originally, she had invited him to come with her and meet Evelyne because she wanted to say a proper goodbye. It didn¡¯t hurt to be a little polite to a powerful imperial knight, after all. Now, though, she didn¡¯t feel quite as up to it.


    ¡°So, Sir Leon,¡± she said, some of the steeliness lingering in her voice. ¡°Before you leave, is there anything more you wish to say?¡±


    The man at least had the dignity to look embarrassed at her words. ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡±


    She eyed him for a few seconds.


    If she was going to be honest with herself¡­ Rationally, she couldn¡¯t blame him for his earlier behavior. At least not too much. She knew he had apprehensions about her even before they started working together, and she was also aware that the knight techniques he practiced directly opposed those of the Countess. They were directly tied to the empire¡¯s patron deity of the sun, Ittar, after all. It was like mixing oil and water, and she imagined it must have come as a very sudden surprise to encounter something like that here.


    It also seemed like the reaction itself was a lot more instinctual than Scarlett thought it would have been. If anyone could sympathise with the difficulties of fighting against your instincts, it was her.


    That did not mean she would just forgive and forget. Like hell she was that generous. She would only go as far as to ensure he didn¡¯t spread the information around.


    ¡°Then,¡± she began, ¡°I will offer you one last expression of appreciation for the assistance you lent me in Autumnwell, as well as for the advice that you deigned to provide my retainers. That was outside of what was demanded of you by our agreement. As promised, I will take all of your actions into consideration when I inquire into how to handle the subject of our betrothal in the near future.¡±


    He held an unreadable expression as he looked at her, then gave a slow nod. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    To the side, Evelyne was giving both of them probing looks and had been doing so since Scarlett returned. Still, she ignored it for now.


    Leon stood from his seat and rearranged his clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave, then. Evelyne, it was a pleasure meeting you again, even though only briefly. And Scarlett¡­¡± He seemed to hesitate before shaking his head. ¡°I regret my showing earlier, but I hope I won¡¯t regret giving you my word. Contact me when you¡¯ve reached a decision regarding the betrothal. I¡¯d appreciate if you informed me before my family, as well.¡±


    She gave him a nod. ¡°I will.¡±


    He made to leave, but Scarlett stopped him as he passed her by.


    ¡°There is one more thing. It had almost slipped my mind.¡± She reached for her [Pouch of Holding] and pulled out a leather-bound tome that gave off a dark aura.


    [Tome of Hopelessness (Rare)]


    {An ancient tome carrying secrets that should remain unspoken}


    She held it out towards the man.


    Leon gave her a surprised look, staring down at it.


    She raised an eyebrow at him. He was the one that said he¡¯d take care of it to begin with. Seems like both of them had forgotten. Maybe she should have kept it after all.


    The man reached out to receive the tome. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s dealt with properly. Thank you, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure.¡±


    With that, he sent the two of them one last nod before leaving the room. As the door closed behind him, Scarlett turned back to Evelyne.


    The younger woman was looking at her intensely. ¡°I have a lot of things to ask.¡±


    ¡°I would imagine so.¡±


    ¡°First of all, what was that book?¡±


    ¡°A tome on matters of necromancy.¡±


    For a moment, Evelyne was quiet. Then, as if doing a double take, she turned to stare at the door with wide eyes.


    ¡°Do not forget that Sir Leon is a Solar Knight,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I gave the tome to him so that he could ensure its removal.¡±


    The younger woman blinked. ¡°That¡­makes sense.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m starting to assume the craziest scenarios because of all the strange things you do all the time. But nevermind that. What was that whole mess earlier? Why did Leon rush through the whole mansion, and why did you just let him go after something like that?¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I did not simply ¡®let him go¡¯.¡± Scarlett clicked her tongue as she tapped her finger against the armrest of her seat. ¡°I made sure he will not repeat such behaviour ever again, but there is a limit to how much I can do. Surely you do not think I can actually do anything to punish an imperial knight?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m never sure what to think with you nowadays.¡±


    Scarlett studied her.


    Actually, what did Evelyne think of her at the moment? Most of their recent interactions had been relatively peaceful¡ªeven though Scarlett often had to push down the disgust and irritation that threatened to rise up around the younger Hartford sister¡ªbut she didn¡¯t know what kind of image Evelyne had of her inside her mind. Was it still that of an overbearing and scheming villainess? Just one that also happened to be very knowledgeable about certain things, and cooperative for now? Or had that changed?


    ¡°¡­So, what was the reason?¡± Evelyne asked.


    Scarlett left those ponderings behind for now as she turned her attention back to the woman. ¡°The reason?¡±


    ¡°The reason Sir Leon acted like he did.¡± Evelyne gave her a pointed look. ¡°I stayed quiet and tried not to pry, just like you asked me before, but not only did your fianc¨¦ barge through the whole mansion because of whatever you¡¯re hiding here, but a Solar Knight. I can¡¯t just ignore this anymore, Scarlett. Especially not if you¡¯re doing something that you really shouldn¡¯t be doing.¡±


    The ever-familiar annoyance and anger bubbled to the surface at Evelyne¡¯s words, but Scarlett kept it down as best she could. The woman¡¯s reaction was completely reasonable, considering things.


    But what should she say in response?


    She let out a soft sigh, turning her gaze to the short table in front of her, before eventually speaking. ¡°It is not anything illicit in nature, if that is what worries you.¡±


    Simply housing the Countess technically wasn¡¯t illegal, and nothing Scarlett had sent her to do specifically was against the law.


    ¡°If it had been, do you truly believe Leon would have left without taking further action?¡± she asked. ¡°The simple truth of the matter is that the guest that I am currently housing in the east wing practices a rare type of magic, one that had an adverse reaction when faced with Leon¡¯s aura. That was the cause for his outburst earlier, as well as his¡­excessive response.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what kind of magic are we talking?¡±


    ¡°I cannot tell you. Partly because I myself am not too familiar with it, and partly because it is best if you remain unaware. I can, however, inform you that it is related to a deity separate from Ittar. One that the Followers of Ittar might not look too favorably upon, despite no wrongdoings having been performed by its adherents. This is also why I endeavour to ensure complete secrecy surrounding my guest, so as to spare them from any undue harassment from overly zealous members of the Followers.¡±


    That was technically true, though far from the main reason behind keeping the Countess hidden. The Followers probably weren¡¯t aware of her existence specifically.


    Evelyne furrowed her brows, appearing to mull over Scarlett¡¯s words. ¡°Is this guest from outside the empire, then? The Luciean Isles, Voneia, or some other place where they worship the other gods?¡±


    ¡°No. They hail from the empire, just as we do. One could say that their ¡®worship¡¯ of this deity is more because of happenstance rather than true worship. It is exactly due to this that it is best to maintain their anonymity.¡±


    The younger woman went silent for a short while, holding a serious expression. Finally, she nodded her head as if to accept what Scarlett said. ¡°Alright. I can at least understand what you¡¯re doing then. But I hope you¡¯re being careful and aren¡¯t about to get us into a mess with the Followers because of this, so soon after you got us into their good graces.¡±


    Scarlett wanted to laugh at that. If Evelyne knew what she was planning, the woman might literally faint from shock. That, or simply try to strangle her to death and call her insane.


    That¡¯s why it was imperative that no one ever found out.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Evelyne began. Her countenance had relaxed a bit now. ¡°While you were gone, we received another letter from Livvi. She asked whether we wanted to come over for a dinner gathering.¡±


    ¡°Dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Count Knottley and his son will be there as well.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. Didn¡¯t that mean it was basically a meeting with the ruling noble family of Freybrook? She had only met Count Knottley once, but from that time, and from what Livvi had told her, it didn¡¯t seem like the man was particularly fond of her.


    ¡°I think we should go,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°The Count is the most powerful person in the region, and it would be a good idea to improve your relationship with him now that you have the opportunity. Especially after what happened in Elystead. I know he doesn¡¯t like you much, but he doesn¡¯t mind me, and showing that we have a working relationship could be good for both of us.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her. It wasn¡¯t as if she was wrong. If they did go, it could also be a good chance to get some more experience in mingling with other nobles. This was probably the closest she would come to an informal noble gathering.


    That didn¡¯t mean she was looking forward to it, though.


    ¡°When is this dinner?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡±


    That would mean she had time to visit Freymeadow tomorrow and to start tallying up the artifacts they had gathered in Autumnwell to get a grasp of what to keep. She was also planning on looking over the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] when she had the time to figure out how it actually worked. That might be possible when she was in Freymeadow, in-between practice sessions.


    ¡°If that day works for you as well, then you may inform Livvi that we will be there.¡±


    ¡°I have a few things to take care of during the afternoon, but I should be able to free up enough time in the evening,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°I¡¯ll send her a letter when I get back home later.¡±


    ¡°You are leaving the mansion today, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m meeting with a few prospective business partners and most of the necessary documents and papers are there. I¡¯m also more used to hosting guests there.¡± Evelyne paused, observing her for a few seconds. ¡°Are you saying it would be okay for me to handle things like that here in the future?¡±


    ¡°I see no reason not to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± The woman¡¯s words almost came out as a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ll have to arrange rooms and offices for Kinsley and the rest first, though, so it will have to wait until then.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that you can speak with Garside regarding that.¡±


    The old butler was still recovering, but now he had at least reached a state where he could perform some minor work without issue. Scarlett had tried telling him to wait until he had recovered completely, but the man had refused to budge now that he could finally leave his bed. Their training sessions would still have to wait before they were resumed, however.


    ¡°There was one more thing,¡± Evelyne said.


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°That wizard from the Elystead Tower that you had been in contact with, Adalicia Mendenhall? She sent a letter saying she had returned from the Rising Isle and was finishing things up over in Elystead. Things had proceeded faster than she had expected, and apparently she was planning on visiting Freybrook in a few days, wondering if it was possible to move forward with your plans. If you were available.¡±


    ¡°In a few days, you say?¡± Scarlett raised a hand to her chin, massaging it as she peered out of one of the parlor windows.


    The idea hadn¡¯t been for Adalicia to arrive for another week or two. She hadn¡¯t booked passage through the Kilnstone either, so pushing things up like this could prove slightly troublesome, even if it would be nice to deal with all of this as early as possible.


    ¡°Adalicia and I were supposed to investigate the remains of another set of Zuverian ruins the next time we met, when she had the time to do so. Unfortunately, I have not prepared any Kilnstone passage that would be suitable for leaving this soon.¡± She turned back to Evelyne. ¡°Would it be possible for you to arrange anything for us in time?¡±


    A crease formed on the younger woman¡¯s forehead. ¡°It might be difficult if you¡¯re planning on leaving within the week. Depends on where you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°It is to Faybarrow.¡±


    ¡°Faybarrow?¡± Evelyne seemed to consider it for a moment. ¡°I know a merchant who often travels there. He operates from here in Freybrook, so I might be able to negotiate a spot off of him if he has one. You¡¯d have to go through the normal Kilnstone line, however, and convincing him will probably cost a decent amount. Although I suppose money isn¡¯t looking to be a problem for us at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett nodded her head. ¡°Inquire with him if it is possible to arrange that, then.¡±


    With that resolved, they moved on to discuss exactly what they would be doing for this upcoming dinner with the Knottley family.

 Chapter 120 - Perspectives

    Smoke trailed up into the dark red sky around Scarlett as she and Rosa walked through the ruins of Freymeadow. They passed body after body¡ªthe charred remains of the people that had lived here¡ªand what traces were left of the villagers¡¯ daily lives. Burnt tools, hammers, clothes, toys, and much more were strewn around the streets.


    No matter the ambivalence Scarlett felt regarding the horror of the scene itself, this would never grow to be a pleasant sight.


    The two of them moved quietly this time, as they proceeded deeper into the dying village. Rosa¡¯s hard expression spoke magnitudes of her thoughts at witnessing all of this once more. Yet she had still chosen to join her, despite that.


    It spoke of an impressive determination in and of its own. Probably more than Scarlett would have had, were their positions reversed.


    Eventually, they reached the village center. The same sight as the previous time they¡¯d been here met them, with piles of scorched corpses spread around the area like a scene from a nightmare. In the middle of this was the burning wooden platform with the strange black stand on top of it, falling into the broken planks beneath it.


    Arlene was kneeling on the ground close to the platform, back turned towards them as her raven-black hair covered her trembling shoulders.


    Rosa sent Scarlett a wordless look, and the two of them started walking over towards the woman, sidestepping the bodies that blocked the way. Arlene didn¡¯t notice them at first, head aimed down at the ground. Scarlett circled and stopped in front of her.


    ¡°¡­Is there really nothing we can do?¡± Rosa almost whispered as she halted next to Scarlett. She gazed down at the woman.


    ¡°There is not,¡± Scarlett answered.


    Arlene¡¯s shoulders stilled. Slowly, she turned up to look at them, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes locked on to Scarlett, filled with a mix of rage and anguish.


    Several silent seconds passed, and soon, red embers bloomed into existence around them, floating gently through the air. A faint haze followed, spreading across the square and moving to envelop the three of them. As it neared, it turned denser, like a fog, and their surroundings morphed. Soon, strokes of colors and shapes filled the world as things changed.


    Just like last time, the square and all the bodies were soon gone, leaving only Arlene with them. The woman¡¯s gaze was locked on Scarlett until the very last second, then she, too, was absorbed into the web of colors that inched in around them.


    For a brief while, there was nothing but quietness. Then the colors became clearer, taking on the hues of a forest in autumn. The firmament of the changing world finally locked into place, and both Scarlett and Rosa found themselves back in the clearing outside the village. Shin, Allyssa, and Fynn were all waiting nearby.


    Scarlett gave the three of them a short nod before turning back to Rosa. ¡°With that concluded, shall we continue?¡±


    Scarlett took several deep breaths as she raised a flask to her mouth and took a deep swig of the water inside. The cool liquid felt nice as it soothed her parched throat.


    The cyclical nature of Freymeadow, where it repeated the same days over and over again, certainly had its fair share of benefits for someone like her, and in many ways, it surpassed any other treasure she could get her hands on. She was very grateful that she had access to it like she did, and she knew she wasn¡¯t in a position to complain. That said, she really wished it didn¡¯t have to be summer here all the time.


    It got tiring real quick. Especially when all you did was train with literal fire magic.


    At the moment, she was sitting up on the porch along with Arlene, making good use of the magical air conditioning up here. She had spent the previous few hours moving back and forth between these rest sessions and her practicing sessions, and she was starting to feel the wear.


    Rosa was god-knows-where, having already been convinced by¡ªor convinced¡ªthe village children to go off on some adventure or other. She didn¡¯t pay too much attention to what the bard did as long as she refilled her [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] when necessary.


    Their current loop would be the third one here in Freymeadow, and it had started much like the other ones. After going through the last day of the previous loop, Scarlett and Rosa had entered the village again earlier today, where she had introduced herself to Arlene in the exact same way as the previous times, asking the woman to take her as a disciple. And just like before, the woman had denied her request.


    She had to admit, she¡¯d thought there was a chance of succeeding this time. But apparently, she still wasn¡¯t up to standard for Arlene.


    Inadvertently, she found herself glancing over at the woman. The woman¡¯s straight, dark hair hung gently over her shoulders as her head was turned down at the book lying on her lap, its pages partly concealed by the raised cover.


    ¡°Is there something you want to say?¡± the woman asked, not looking up from the book. ¡°You keep looking at me, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s only because you¡¯re appreciating my face.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. Did she have eyes on the side of her head or something?


    Staying silent for a while, unsure of what to respond, Scarlett eventually decided on an avenue of approach. It was related to something that had caught her awareness.


    ¡°Merely some curiosity on my part,¡± she said. ¡°It did not escape my notice that you were paying attention to my earlier practice sessions. Despite previously having expressed no interest in my affairs here, I saw you observing me on more than one occasion. Could it be that you have changed your mind after seeing what I am capable of?¡±


    ¡°I took a few peeks, yes.¡± Arlene gave a slow nod. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t say I saw anything particularly noteworthy.¡±


    ¡°No? Then, if not, what did you see?¡±


    The woman turned a page in her book. ¡°You¡¯re asking what I think of what I saw?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am still in the process of familiarising myself with my magic. It is only recently that I have come to understand that what I am doing could be considered different from ¡®normal¡¯ pyrokinesis.¡±


    ¡°I can tell,¡± Arlene replied. There was slight amusement in her voice.


    ¡°I have been told that I focus too much on the minutiae.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me. Whoever taught you magic was a fool.¡±


    ¡°I am self-taught.¡±


    ¡°Then I suppose you are the fool.¡±


    Scarlett frowned, biting back her response. What was she supposed to say to that?


    Arlene turned away from the book. She looked at her. ¡°An ignorant fool is still a fool, like any other. If a healer fails to save a patient because they didn¡¯t recognize an illness, then that patient still dies. The healer¡¯s ignorance simply serves as an excuse for why the fault doesn¡¯t entirely lie with her.¡±


    The woman studied her for a moment, then shifted her gaze out across the village square. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend you, but it¡¯s the truth. Intent has always been subordinate to results. Taking it into consideration has and always will be a privilege. One that too many squander.¡±


    A heavy atmosphere fell over the space between them as Arlene went silent.


    ¡°¡­I am not here to challenge your opinion regarding my skills,¡± Scarlett eventually said. ¡°Quite the opposite, in fact. But what, would you say, is it that I am ignorant about, first and foremost?¡±


    The woman turned back to her, staying quiet for a few more seconds as she seemed to consider her. ¡°It depends. Are you talking about in regard to your use of true pyrokinesis, or your magic in general?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then we¡¯ll start with your outlook.¡±


    Arlene waved her hand, and a flame appeared in the air between them. ¡°To begin with, note how I¡¯ve separated the mana here to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I cannot see the mana of your flame,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I can only sense the compositional structure of my own magic.¡±


    The woman paused, sending a long look towards her. Then she waved her hand again, and the flame split into dozens of thin, fiery strands that started moving around each other in complex patterns. ¡°We¡¯ll do it like this instead, then.¡±


    Scarlett observed the flames dance for a while.


    ¡°The very first thing one has to understand with magic is that, as a discipline, it requires an exhaustive and holistic perspective to be properly understood,¡± Arlene explained. ¡°This demands a method of thinking that is difficult for most people. It can be unintuitive, strange, and sometimes even blasphemous to some. But nevertheless, it¡¯s necessary. It might be possible to become a mage without it¡ªyou can always learn the spells by relying on rote memorization¡ªbut you will never become a wizard without it.¡±


    Scarlett watched as the strands moved faster and faster around each other, forming a complicated mesh that became almost impossible to follow. A wave of warmth washed over her, like someone had turned on a heating fan.


    Arlene gestured towards the flames. ¡°Explain to me how this works.¡±


    Scarlett knitted her brows. If she knew that, she wouldn¡¯t be seeking help like this.


    ¡°This is not a spell, if that is what you¡¯re thinking,¡± the woman added. ¡°It¡¯s a basic application of pyrokinesis. Nothing more. What I am asking you to do is tell me why it had the effect that it did, not how I shaped the mana itself.¡±


    ¡°¡­I presume there is a purpose to the specific movements?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Of course there is.¡±


    She observed the array of shifting flames even closer. Was it literally just functioning like a heating fan, then? It didn¡¯t look or spin like a fan. Was there some other magical bullshit involved as well?


    ¡°¡­If I were to present a hypothesis,¡± she began, ¡°it would be that the movements of the fire act to circulate the surrounding air, heating it in the process as it sends the air towards me.¡±


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    That felt like saying it¡¯s warm because it¡¯s hot, but it was about as descriptive as she could be. She didn¡¯t actually remember how heating fans worked¡ªshe had honestly never bothered consciously thinking about it¡ªbut they couldn¡¯t be that complicated, could they? It was a fan with a radiator in front of it, basically.


    ¡°That¡¯s close enough to what the purpose is,¡± Arlene said. ¡°And the purpose is always one of the most important things to know when dealing with magic. Oftentimes, it might appear to be the most obvious factor, but that¡¯s only when you¡¯re looking at things from above. When you¡¯re creating your own spells or working with pyrokinesis, you don¡¯t always have that luxury.¡±


    ¡°If that is the purpose, are you instead asking me how the specific movements of these flames create this effect?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Essentially.¡± The woman nodded, giving her a scrutinising look. ¡°Do you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not.¡±


    The flames disappeared, as did the warm air that had been bearing down on Scarlett.


    ¡°Good,¡± Arlene said.


    ¡°Why is that good?¡±


    ¡°Because trying to understand why it worked as it did is a fool¡¯s errand,¡± Arlene answered. ¡°It¡¯s possible, yes. I know how it works, for example. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have been able to replicate the effect only using pyrokinesis. But that was only possible because this was¡ªon the grand scale of things¡ªan incredibly simple application of it. I just warmed up some air and sent it your way. Despite that, you would have to search around for a long time to find any other wizard capable of even that much. Had I instead tried to heat all of the air to the exact same temperature, and tried to send it your way so that every single part of you was hit by the same intensity of warmth, it would be several orders of degree more difficult to recreate. Practically impossible. There are spells that do that, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­This much I already understand,¡± Scarlett said, recalling the similar words the woman had told her in previous loops. ¡°In my own attempts, I have realized the difficulty of attempting to control and focus too much on every single detail of the parts that constitute my magic. What I have yet to understand, however, is how one is supposed to achieve greater feats through pyrokinesis without knowing how the underlying building blocks function. Originally, I thought that intent was perhaps enough to fashion one¡¯s magic according to one¡¯s wishes, but I have been led to believe there are better ways.¡±


    Arlene studied her for a moment. ¡°Why would you need to understand how these building blocks work?¡±


    ¡°In order to manipulate them in a fashion that fits my goal.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think you can otherwise?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I can, but it would be easier if I understood them, no? You do not attempt to write a letter without understanding letters first.¡±


    The woman gestured in front of her. ¡°If you tie a knot out of a piece of rope, one as long as you are tall, how would you go about untying it?¡±


    Scarlet eyed her dubiously. She had noticed that the wizard always liked using analogies when she tried explaining these things to her. ¡°¡­If it is tied in the appropriate manner, I would be able to untie the rope by simply pulling at the right sections. I suppose that is what you are trying to say applies for magic as well, then? However, that begs the question of how to tie the knot to begin with.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t. The knot has always existed.¡±


    She stared at the woman.


    ¡­That was not much of an explanation.


    At her doubtful expression, Arlene continued. ¡°If you have a tree in front of you, you won¡¯t think ¡®how exactly do I create a tree like this, with the leaves, branches, bark, and all?¡¯. You will be thinking, ¡®what is the best approach to making a tree like this grow by itself?¡¯.¡± The woman looked at her. ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    Scarlett could think of a dozen different answers for that, but she gestured for her to continue.


    ¡°Because the tree is already an existence unto itself. It¡¯s a complicated arrangement of interlocking ties and elements that, no matter the time you waste on it, you won¡¯t ever truly comprehend. You might know how to plant the seed, give it a suitable habitat, and keep it nurtured as it grows, but the tree does the rest. The tree already has its own system of behavior, and the best way to interact with it is by identifying the points that have the most influence in this system. And there are such points. There always are, for everything. I could bore you with an hour-long lecture about why that holds true, but I won¡¯t. Simply understand that it is.¡±


    ¡°¡­I believe I understand the core of what you are trying to illustrate,¡± Scarlett said. It wasn¡¯t as if this kind of thinking was entirely foreign to her.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Arlene eyed her with a questioning gaze. ¡°Do you, truly?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, I have a sense of what you are attempting to convey, though I cannot say for certain that I would know how to apply it to magic.¡±


    ¡°I would certainly hope not. If you did, I would be genuinely fearful of whether or not I was dealing with an actual human or not.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow at the woman.


    ¡°The point behind this isn¡¯t to suddenly teach you how magic works. It¡¯s to lay the groundwork and give you an understanding of the reasoning behind the approach that one has to take towards magic,¡± Arlene said.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Hidden inside my previous words were what my own master liked to describe as three ¡®truths¡¯, observable to anyone with enough time to waste.¡± For a moment, the wizard grew a forlorn expression on her face. ¡°My master always used to say that these truths were an essential part of what any wizard had to accept if they truly wanted to understand magic as a discipline and what it is capable of achieving. Do you have any clue what these truths might be?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I suspect you intend to share them, regardless. If so, there is no point in me aimlessly fumbling for them.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s mouth rose in a small smile. ¡°That¡¯s very close to what my sister once told our master when asked that very same question. You can imagine that she was not pleased with the consequences.¡±


    ¡°You were of another opinion?¡±


    The older woman let out a low chuckle. ¡°No. I was simply clever enough to keep quiet about what I thought.¡± She waved her hand as if that wasn¡¯t important. ¡°But I was in the middle of boring you until you die or leave¡ªwhichever comes first¡ªso unless you¡¯re too ungrateful to appreciate me telling you even this much, I¡¯ll continue.¡±


    Three fingers were held up in the air.


    ¡°Three truths. First of all is the fact that everything is an imitation. A representation. A model. You can describe it in however many ways you want, but what matters is that you understand this: nothing you see is the true reality of the world around you. This is true both for what you perceive with your own eyes and for what you perceive in your mind. And before you start misunderstanding and think I¡¯m saying that nothing is real, listen to the rest of what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°I am listening,¡± Scarlett said, holding a patient expression.


    Arlene gave a satisfied nod. ¡°The second truth is that these imitations often conform well with reality. You see the image of a tree with green leaves because a tree actually has green leaves. You hear the sound of a woodpecker nearby because there is one nearby. A river seems to flow faster because the current is faster. But, if a child dropped a stone in the river, they might be surprised to see that it doesn¡¯t flow along with the current. This is due to the third truth: these imitations that we perceive the world through often fall short of representing the world fully, and as such, we can never fully understand the world. Like the ignorant child, we often draw illogical conclusions from accurate assumptions, because what we see is only the flowing river, failing to understand that the ¡®river¡¯ doesn¡¯t actually exist. Just like a tree, a river is simply a system of interlocking relationships and elements that work together and create an effect whose existence we perceive as a river.¡±


    The woman considered Scarlett for a moment. ¡°For another example that might be more familiar to someone like you, you can think of the Graenal empire. Like the river, the ¡®empire¡¯ doesn¡¯t exist¡ªand if you plan on arguing with me over that statement, you can leave right here and now.¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet.


    Arlene continued. ¡°The ¡®empire¡¯ can, just like anything else, be described as another complex of interlocking relationships and elements, working together towards an overarching goal. The roads and citizens make up some of these elements, and the value people ascribe to the nation and its history is one of the relationships connecting elements together. Then we have the cities, towns, and villages in the empire who are all systems unto themselves, subservient, in part, to the empire and its ¡®existence¡¯. This is where we could make a comparison to your magic.¡±


    She gestured to the open square before them and the surrounding buildings. ¡°Say you were the village head or reeve of a village like this. You¡¯ve held the position for long enough to know every single villager, every house, every farm animal, as well as all the relationships that exist between these. You are so familiar with these things that you can predict exactly what consequences it would have if Witter the Blacksmith woke up one hour earlier a particular morning, or if Mira the Weaver went to the nearby town for a week. Even for a small village like this, a feat like that would be incomprehensibly difficult, but perhaps it¡¯s possible in theory. However, let¡¯s say you were instead a baron or a count, with a town or city as part of your fief. Or a duke, with swathes of land and dozens of settlements within your domain. Now, not even the most accomplished of legendary heroes would be able to keep track of all these details.¡±


    The woman let out a short scoff. ¡°I would like to say you don¡¯t see any dukes running around like headless chickens trying to keep track of it all, but perhaps it would be better if they did.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Anyhow, what¡¯s important here is that, while it might be possible to understand relatively simple existences like a small village or the magic I previously showed you, it quickly becomes unfeasible as they grow more complex.¡±


    Closing the book that was on her lap, Arlene tapped her finger on its cover for a moment. ¡°In theory, you could attempt to map these existences; make comprehensive notes of its purpose, every single element making it up, as well as all the relationships affecting it. This is essentially what spells are. But this is incredibly difficult. Many of these elements and relationships are invisible and never reveal themselves until they become relevant, and by then, it is often too late.¡± Her voice took on a more serious tone. ¡°Humans are terrifyingly ignorant. Both our young and our most learned are ignorant. The acquisition of knowledge is nothing more than the revelation of our ignorance, and if there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is that our growing understanding of the world first and foremost serves to instruct us that it is greater than our grasp of it will ever reach.¡±


    The woman went silent for a few seconds, and Scarlett went over what she¡¯d said in her head.


    ¡°¡­While I see the merit behind your words, if I am to be truthful, that sort of thinking appears somewhat superfluous to me,¡± she eventually said. ¡°At the very least, in the majority of cases. It may certainly be beneficial to sometimes consider entities such as towns and cities in the manner you describe. What would be the point in emphasising that a tree I see before me is, as you put it, an imitation? I cannot speak for how it is within the discipline of magic, but I see no scenarios where this might influence how I view or interact with more mundane existences.¡±


    ¡°It is superfluous,¡± Arlene answered. ¡°Just like pointing at the sky and saying that it¡¯s blue is superfluous in any conversation between two individuals who share the same ability to see. But that is also why it¡¯s important. I am not telling you all of this because I want to turn your worldview upside down, but because if you cannot accept the simple truth that the ¡®tree¡¯ as you see it isn¡¯t real¡ªeven when that fact holds no significance¡ªthen you stand little of a chance of applying this perspective where it matters.¡±


    Scarlett pursed her lips as she looked out at the village. ¡°Such as when approaching magic.¡±


    Arlene nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then how does one apply this to magic?¡±


    ¡°How does a child learn to understand that a rock doesn¡¯t float down a river?¡±


    ¡°By throwing one in.¡± Scarlett looked at the woman. ¡°I have already made several attempts and experiments in order to better understand the magic that I wield. While I am making progress, I do not think it is as efficient as it could be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you aren¡¯t throwing rocks. You¡¯re throwing pebbles, hoping that the ripples will somehow tell you what the river is.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I should throw in larger ¡®rocks¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I am saying.¡± Arlene creased her brows. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s my fault for leading you into that. But that line of thinking comes from another misunderstanding you have about magic. It¡¯s a common misunderstanding, relevant not only to magic, but to a lot of other disciplines as well.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The woman went quiet, studying her for a while.


    ¡°There is a chaos inherent in working with magic,¡± she said. ¡°Some people might feel the inclination to compare magic with more ¡®natural¡¯ disciplines¡ªwhatever that is supposed to mean¡ªsuch as mathematics or botany. They might want to use linear relationships and models to describe magic, because, for some inexplicable reason, they think that is how the world works. Linear equations are solvable. Linear systems are modular. You can take these things apart and put them together again, and all the pieces will add up.¡±


    An almost dismissive snort left Arlene.


    ¡°Magic isn¡¯t like that. Magic isn¡¯t linear, and it most certainly isn¡¯t ¡®solvable¡¯. Magic cannot be taken apart and put together again. Magic means that the very act of interacting with it changes the rules. That twisted changeability makes magic hard to calculate, but it is also what makes magic so rich. It creates behaviours that would never appear in these otherwise crude representations that people often try to enforce upon the world around them. Understanding this chaos is part of what it means to be a true wizard. And of those, we are woefully lacking.¡±


    ¡°Do you perhaps expect me to become a wizard?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The woman stared at her. ¡°Gods no. That would both be a waste of your time and a risk to my sanity.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it that you wish to say? What, specifically, is it that you recommend I do?¡±


    Arlene tilted her head to the side, a thoughtful expression on her face. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Not sure if I bothered thinking that far.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to cram some basics into that head of yours. I have never had the chance to teach someone before, so I will admit that this was a somewhat novel experience. What you do with what I¡¯ve said, however, is up to you.¡±


    Scarlett had to hold herself back from uttering an expletive at the woman. It felt like she had just been spun around in a circle repeatedly, only to be then left in a dark forest without a compass and a note that says ¡®head east¡¯.


    She schooled her expression as much as she could. ¡°Then, if that is all you intended to say regarding these ¡®basics¡¯, is there at the very least something you can share regarding true pyrokinesis as well?¡±


    A small smile wormed its way onto the wizard¡¯s face. ¡°Perhaps next time,¡± she said, turning back to open her book.


    Scarlett¡¯s eye twitched. She was starting to suspect this woman took joy in tormenting her like this.

 Chapter 121 - Damp progress

    A short rain shower fell over the edge of Freymeadow¡¯s village square as the shimmering spheres of water that Scarlett had summoned burst apart all as one. She watched the droplets sink into the ground for a moment, then raised the towel on her lap to wipe away the sweat from her forehead.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Superior Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 1745/4747]


    [Points: 10]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Pyrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Superior Hydromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Hydrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Superior Mana Control] (25 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    She had recently upgraded the hydrokinesis skill, from [Greater Hydrokinesis] to [Superior Hydrokinesis], as well as the hydromancy skill, to [Greater Hydromancy]. Just as with pyrokinesis, the leap from Greater to Superior for hydrokinesis was far more notable than the one from [Hydrokinesis] to [Greater Hydrokinesis] had originally been. It would take some time getting used to, considering hydrokinesis as a skill offered more flexibility than pyrokinesis and there were tons of experiments she wanted to do, but that was what was so great with Freymeadow.


    Scarlett had been sitting on a total of 45 skill points after clearing Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion and the other dungeons in Autumnwell. Originally, she had been thinking of saving up to upgrade her pyrokinesis one step further, but since she was still in the process of learning how to properly use her magic even at its current level, she didn¡¯t want to rush things for the time being. She wasn¡¯t lacking in new skill points either, so she doubted she would have to wait for too long before she had gathered the same amount again.


    Another reason she had decided to upgrade hydrokinesis instead was also because she¡¯d felt the skill was falling behind lately. Barring her Aqua Mines, her hydrokinesis didn¡¯t have too much viability in combat against the stronger foes they¡¯d faced lately. Spending 35 skill points to upgrade it along with hydromancy would hopefully help with that, as well as afford her more options in the future.


    She glanced at how much mana she had left at the moment.


    [Mana: 1745/4747]


    During these practice sessions, she tried to take things slow and be economical with her mana. But honestly, she felt pretty tired now, so she would probably call this one off early. One last push before resting would be enough.


    Raising her hand, she conjured several tendrils of water in front of her. They floated in the air like a formation of thin whips, reflecting the midday sun. She turned her attention to a thick tree trunk that Rosa had gotten the help of some villagers to carry here the previous day. The bark on it was both charred and battered in places, with gashes across its side revealing the bright wood beneath.


    The water whips moved at her mental urging. Several cracks rang out across the village square as they struck the trunk, and she repeated the action over and over again. Each whip moved faster than she could see, and in her mind, she likened the barrage to that of a kraken beating a ship on the seas. The sight itself was impressive, and most would probably hesitate to approach her if they saw something like this.


    Scarlett squinted her eyes.


    The results, however, were somewhat lacklustre. Some of the strikes sent small pieces of bark flying, creating more of the gashes that covered the trunk¡¯s frame, but it probably wouldn¡¯t leave much more than a red mark or a bruise on most people. People like Fynn and Kat might not even notice it.


    When her mana finally started running low, she dismissed the whip-like tendrils. Then, to finish things off, she summoned two large Aqua Mines and detonated them. The trunk visibly shook from the blast, and bark flew in all directions. A few even reached Scarlett, though [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garb] protected her from actually being hurt.


    She let out a sigh, feeling more of the exhaustion from using up her mana set in.


    Making the water created through her hydrokinesis solid enough to where it could actually cause damage was still a hard task, even after upgrading the skill. She needed more time to perfect it, if that was even possible with how she was doing things now. But this was still good progress, and the upgrade allowed her to put a lot more power into her mines, in addition to giving her more options when it came to distractions and the like. She was even considering if it could be used defensively if her reactions were quick enough.


    With tired legs, she rose from her chair and walked over to sit on the porch where Arlene was. As usual, the cool air up here was a welcome reprieve from Freymeadow¡¯s warm summer climate.


    She observed Arlene for a moment. For some reason, the older woman had looked more tired than usual lately, the dark sections under her eyes clearly visible at the moment. Her focus was still placed on the book on her lap, however, as was standard, and she barely paid Scarlett any mind even when she sat down next to her. That wasn¡¯t to say Arlene didn¡¯t do anything else other than read. The woman had clearly been paying more attention than usual to Scarlett recently.


    After the wizard¡¯s impromptu lecture on magic and the ¡®correct approach¡¯ to it a couple of days before, it felt like she had become a lot more open when it came to advising her on these things.


    Well, ¡®open¡¯ might be a strong word. Scarlett still suspected Arlene took great joy in confusing her and only barely telling her what she wanted to know, and it wasn¡¯t as if the woman had bothered to actually explain anything else since then. Despite that, however, she did make more comments than usual during Scarlett¡¯s practice sessions. Not especially explanatory ones, but comments nonetheless.


    Most of the time, it was just something generally unhelpful like ¡°that¡¯s wrong¡± or ¡°don¡¯t do that¡±. But the timing of those comments was usually very good, like when Scarlett was using her mana inefficiently or was close to losing control of her magic. The warnings had at least been enough to make things slightly easier for her.


    For example, when Scarlett had first started trying to create those whip-tendrils the day before, she¡¯d had problems making the water stay both rigid and elastic at the same time. Solidifying her water was something she learned a while ago now, but this turned out to be a lot harder. It hadn¡¯t been enough to just imagine the water being both. So instead, she had attempted to think of her magic in the way Arlene had told her before. Like a complete existence or system, instead of a collection of smaller parts.


    Suffice it to say, it didn¡¯t go well at first. She didn¡¯t actually know how to start from there, and so she had simply created a mass of water with her hydrokinesis to feel her way forward. Which was about when Arlene had started telling her when she was doing things wrong.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Literally. Every. Single. Time.


    Scarlett had spent probably more than half a day, trial-and-erroring her way forward, until she finally succeeded in creating a water whip that acted like she wanted. But she had no idea how she did it, since all she did was adjust her mana in different ways whenever Arlene said something. She could recreate the whips without too much issue, but she couldn¡¯t understand how they worked, and they were far too complex for her to analyze how the mana was structured and learn from that. Her Aqua Mines were like science fair potato batteries compared to these.


    That said, she felt like the act of creating the whips¡ªeven if she didn¡¯t know what she was doing¡ªhad helped her realize part of what Arlene had actually been trying to say. Because recreating them was ridiculously easy compared to the first time, and it wasn¡¯t simply because she had ¡®memorized¡¯ it. If she were to describe the sensation, it was less like remembering how to ride a bike and more like remembering that if you turned the faucet exactly a certain amount of degrees, a certain amount of water poured out. Except you had hundreds of faucets, and after touching one faucet, the others changed.


    ¡­It was strange. That¡¯s all she could say. Strange and annoying.


    Still, she felt an appreciation towards Arlene for at least helping her this much, despite the woman¡¯s other somewhat infuriating tendencies.


    Letting those thoughts float to the back of her mind for now, Scarlett leaned back in her chair and relaxed. She casually brought a hand down to her waist, pulling out something from her [Pouch of Holding].


    [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci (Unique)]


    {Strange powers of an itinerant realm dwell within this stone, creating something more than what was there before. The souls that were once tied to it have been severed}


    A soft green light emanated from within the uncut emerald, but that was about all right now. As Abelard had done in his mansion, she wanted to place it inside her home to make use of its effects, but it wasn¡¯t quite as simple as she had originally hoped. She¡¯d been trying to figure out how it worked for a while now, with little progress. It wasn¡¯t as if the damn thing came with a manual.


    In the game, it had been enough to just put it on a pedestal in your house, and then it would automatically take effect. She had already tried that, however, without success. She¡¯d even tried placing it in different rooms around the mansion and leaving it for a while, but it hadn¡¯t made a difference.


    That was why she had been examining the Loci further during some of her breaks here in Freymeadow. Back when she had used it to open the portal to the Wandering Realm in Abelard¡¯s mansion, it had been enough to simply wish for it to happen. Her hunch was that the key getting the Loci to work was somehow related to intent and the forming of a connection of some sort, but the details eluded her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at that for quite some time,¡± Arlene suddenly said from the side.


    Scarlett turned to the woman. Was that interest in her voice? Or at least a hint of curiosity? She had asked Arlene about the Loci once the day before, but the woman hadn¡¯t seemed to want to give a proper answer then.


    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arlene glanced up at her, then down at the Loci. ¡°But I can tell that it was made by a master. Or at least finished by one.¡±


    ¡°It was crafted by an archmage.¡±


    ¡°That would explain it.¡± The woman eyed the gem for another second before returning her attention to her book.


    Scarlett studied her. Hearing it was made by an archmage didn¡¯t seem like a shock, at least.


    ¡°His name was Baron Abelard Withersworth,¡± she said.


    ¡°Withersworth, you say?¡± Arlene brought a finger up to her mouth to wet is as she turned a page.


    ¡°Yes. Do you recognize the name?¡±


    ¡°I know a Withersworth,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Can¡¯t say I recall him being a baron. He was a decent enough mage, though, so it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the emperor saw fit to reward his efforts.¡±


    Scarlett observed her for a while longer. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    She had asked that out of pure curiosity, but she hadn¡¯t really expected Arlene to know of Abelard. The woman¡¯s casual response was surprising, though. It wasn¡¯t the sort of answer one would expect from someone in her position.


    How much did the woman actually know about the circumstances surrounding this place?


    She wanted to ask, but she doubted Arlene would be particularly forthcoming. Their relationship was relatively good in this loop as well, so she didn¡¯t see the point of pressing the issue at the moment.


    Scarlett turned her attention back to the Loci, running a hand over its smooth surface. For now, this was her priority.


    ¡°As you might have been able to tell, I have been trying to determine how this artifact works,¡± she said, peeking at Arlene. ¡°You would not happen to have any advice to share related to that?¡±


    The woman turned her head to the side to look at the Loci, staying quiet for a few seconds.


    ¡°¡­It seems to originate from the Wandering Realm, judging from the energy it¡¯s exuding, but I suspect you already knew that much. That is not exactly within my area of expertise, but I do have a couple of ideas. What¡¯s your intention with it?¡±


    ¡°I plan to place it inside my home, where its main purpose will be to secure the estate and ward off any trespassers. I also suspect that it might have some other aspects to it that could prove beneficial in the future.¡±


    Arlene looked up at Scarlett, eyeing her. ¡°If you just want to keep away intruders, there are much simpler methods than obtaining an enchanted artifact crafted by an archmage.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Scarlett raised her shoulders in a light shrug. ¡°But I already have this in my possession now, do I not? It would be a waste not to make proper use of it. And I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to matters like these.¡±


    That earned a short laugh from the woman. ¡°If that¡¯s all, then it probably won¡¯t be that difficult.¡± She gestured to the Loci. ¡°You should try to listen to it and go from there. If you¡¯re telling the truth, that much should be enough to get you started.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®listen¡¯?¡±


    She¡¯d tried connecting to the Loci as she had back in Abelard¡¯s mansion several times already. Never had she ¡®heard¡¯ anything.


    ¡°That gem hails from the Wandering Realm,¡± Arlene said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much you know of that place, but there, everything has a will of sorts. If you want that gem to do what you want, the easiest way would be to fulfill whatever its will might be. Another option would be forcing your own will on it, but I doubt you have the experience or the knowledge to accomplish that.¡±


    Scarlett looked down at the Loci. She supposed Abelard must have done the latter, but the woman was correct in saying that would be hard for her. She didn¡¯t have an inkling of how it could be done. The first alternative sounded a lot more feasible and aligned with what she had been trying to do.


    Perhaps she could bring the Loci back to the fairies in Temisbrook Glade and get their help somehow? They seemed to have been fond of her last time, and they would probably be able to ¡®listen¡¯ to the Loci better than she could. But that would require her to go all the way to the capital and travel by carriage to Temisbrook. With her current schedule, she couldn¡¯t do it anytime soon.


    She tapped a finger against the Loci¡¯s surface.


    It was named [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci], wasn¡¯t it?


    The items in the game had never been randomly named, as far as she could tell. There was always some meaning behind them. So it was possible that ¡®obedience¡¯ and ¡®solitude¡¯ somehow tied into whatever the Loci¡¯s will was.


    Obedience suggested either that it would follow a master of some kind, or that it could force obedience upon others in some way. Considering how the item was meant to be placed in the player¡¯s house in the game, the former was more likely.


    Solitude, however, could mean a lot of things. It could simply mean that the Loci needed to be placed somewhere where there were no others around. It could also refer to how it ensured the ¡®solitude¡¯ of its master and its surroundings, which fit with what she suspected it had done in Abelard¡¯s mansion. Or, maybe, it just had something to do with how the item was originally formed. While Abelard would have been the one that crafted and enchanted the Loci into what it was today, like Arlene mentioned, its core was originally from the Wandering Realm.


    She turned back to the woman. ¡°Do you know of a way that I could determine what its ¡®will¡¯ might be?¡±


    Arlene shook her head. ¡°Not other than what I just told you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Very well. I am grateful for your advice, nonetheless. Both related to this, and with the other matters you have previously aided me in. I will endeavour not to forget it in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡±


    Arlene went quiet, and Scarlett kept examining the Loci for a while longer. Next she returned to Freybrook, there were a few things she had to try out.

 Chapter 122 - Fashion show

    Scarlett idly eyed the flowers growing in tiny, cordoned-off patches as she walked through the small hedge garden at the back of the Freybrook estate. She was surprised these plants were still flowering, to be honest; November was fast approaching, and it had been getting colder for a while now.


    If she wasn¡¯t misremembering, there was only one gardener working here, and he was in charge of taking care of the whole estate by himself. It felt like a lot of work for a single person to do, but what did she know? She¡¯d never even cultivated a tomato plant in her life, much less entire gardens.


    When she reached the center of the enclosure, her eyes turned to a white stone bench situated under a small roofed alcove. Walking over, she sat down on the bench and took some time to relax and take in the cool morning air. The surrounding hedges hid most other parts of the estate¡ªsave for the large mansion nearby¡ªand lent the space a surprisingly nice, almost idyllic atmosphere.


    Their latest stay in Freymeadow had been relatively short. Only three days passed in there before Scarlett and Rosa were locked out of the village. That meant that, in this current loop they were on, there would only be one day left before the village was destroyed and things reset again. That was unfortunate, considering how well things had been going with Arlene. But there was nothing to be done about that. It was what it was. And taking a break from there now and then was also good.


    As for what Scarlett had scheduled in front of her right now, later in the day, towards the evening, she and Evelyne were set to visit Livvi and Count Knottley for dinner. It wasn¡¯t exactly how she would have preferred to spend her time, but Evelyne had made a decent argument for why they should go. The two of them had spent some time going over a bunch of dinner etiquette a couple of days earlier¡ªmost of which Scarlett had read about but not experienced herself¡ªto ensure she hadn¡¯t ¡®forgotten¡¯ anything important, so she wasn¡¯t exactly nervous about making any major mistakes. But that didn¡¯t mean she was likely to enjoy herself.


    Letting her thoughts wander for a bit, she eventually pulled the [Pouch of Holding] loose from her waist and placed it beside her.


    While it was nice, she wasn¡¯t only here to enjoy the sights.


    The [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] and a few other articles were removed from the pouch and arranged on the bench next to her. It had been her choice to delay going over these until she was back from Freymeadow, but now she was a bit excited.


    [Tiara of Lost Benediction (Legendary)]


    {A tiara made for a forgotten muse, it holds the prayers that were lost to the world}


    [Ring of the Soul harvest (Epic)]


    {Sustaining the life of one always sacrifices the life of another. Be it wheat from the field or animal for the slaughter, all eat from the reaper¡¯s platter}


    [Chromacloth (Epic)]


    {This silken cloth has been enchanted through a unique blend of schools, sharing familiarity with all}


    [Charm of Expeditious Change (Unique)]


    {An artisan¡¯s work requires dexterous fingers and sharp eyes, yet even they like to save time on occasion}


    Of the items they had gathered during their time in Autumnwell, these were the ones she was interested in for herself. The rest would probably either go to members of her party or be sold off, though that was still up for change if some unknown effects were revealed under further examination.


    Scarlett started by picking up the [Charm of Expeditious Change]. It was a thin silver ring with a bright blue crystal at its top and gold inlays running along its side. Placing it on one of her left-hand fingers, she immediately felt a connection form with the artifact.


    She reached into the pouch of holding again and pulled out her [Garments of Form], as well as her usual travel attire. Holding both up in front of her, she then focused on the ring.


    It took a few tries, but eventually, both pieces of clothing disappeared into thin air.


    With a thought, they reappeared on her body, replacing the thick cyan dress she had been wearing. She nodded her head in satisfaction. This item worked exactly as she expected it to.


    Focusing on the ring once more, the [Charms of Apperception] hanging from her ears disappeared along with the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] around her neck.


    To her, this was a godsend. It had always irked her slightly, having to go around wearing the same artifacts and clothes so often. While they didn¡¯t exactly look bad, it went against some of her Scarlett-inherited fashion sensibilities. With this ring, she could avoid minor annoyances like that. Not to mention this would allow her to both get ready for battles a lot faster and switch items mid-combat whenever necessary.


    The [Charm of Expeditious Change] had been handy in the game as well since there had been no macros or other ways that allowed you to change equipment immediately like that. That said, its uses were limited. You were limited to two ring slots, and changing equipment before a fight wasn¡¯t hard, so it wasn¡¯t unusual to prioritize other rings that had better stats. Only certain builds actually required the ring. Personally, Scarlett had mostly used it to switch between her actual combat sets and her more cosmetic sets that she used in cities and places like that.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    But in this world, she didn¡¯t have to bother with things like that. This wasn¡¯t a game, and she had ten freely available fingers at her disposal. She didn¡¯t mind giving one of them up for something like this, and she¡¯d already checked that the two-ring limit didn¡¯t apply here.


    There was still the possibility that having too many rings meant they could somehow interfere with each other, but she hadn¡¯t run into anything like that yet, at least.


    Turning her attention from the [Charm of Expeditious Change], she looked at the [Chromacloth]. It was a piece of square cloth with a deep red color. Rather than being one of the items they had taken from Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion, this was part of the loot they had gotten from the other dungeons they cleared after that.


    Picking the cloth up, she felt the connection with the artifact form and created a weak flame above her right hand. Then she gingerly moved her left hand closer to the fire, though not too close. The heat warmed her skin, but it wasn¡¯t at a level where it was unbearable.


    She put the cloth down, and once again tried the same action. This time, the heat was much warmer.


    That confirmed that this item worked as she thought as well. She used the [Charm of Expeditious Change] to have the piece of cloth disappear as well.


    From what she knew of [Chromacloth], as long as you had it somewhere on your body, it would give you a bonus in resistance against a certain school of magic. Which school was decided by the color, and it could be changed once a day. The options were pyromancy, hydromancy, terramancy, and aeromancy. The bonus wasn¡¯t anything ridiculous, but it was a nice little item to have, regardless. She could use her pyromancy to a certain degree to protect herself from heat, but this would lower her mana cost related to it.


    Next, she picked up the [Ring of the Soul Harvest]. It was a simple metal ring with a design of a sickle and wheat at the top.


    The name sounded ominous, but Leon would probably have reacted back when they originally found it if it was really an item of unimaginable evil.


    As for what the ring¡¯s effects were¡­


    She turned her eyes up, scanning over the area. She¡¯d asked Marlon to convey a small request to the gardener before she left Freymeadow¡ªwhich was technically the previous day, in normal time¡ªso there should be something around here.


    She stood up from the bench and walked over to a nearby flower patch, following it to one of the hedges as he looked around near the roots. Eventually, she found a spot where the dirt had recently been dug up. Next to the small mound, there was a bowl with dirt in it. With a frown, she walked back to the bench and pulled out a pair of gloves from the pouch. Then she returned to the bowl and kneeled down next to it, scooping up some of the dirt.


    The worms hiding underneath made shivers run down her spine. She hadn¡¯t minded worms too much before, but now¡­


    She would have to take a bath later.


    Fighting back the urge to retch, she pulled off her left glove and took out a short dinner knife she¡¯d prepared. Using the blade of the knife, she made a tiny, barely visible cut on the tip of her index finger. Then she equipped the [Ring of the Soul Harvest] and looked down at the bowl of worms. A moment later, a flame appeared to swallow them, burning the creatures to cinders within a second.


    Squinting her eyes, she inspected the cut she¡¯d made on her finger. It closed on its own, leaving a thin red line where the wound had been.


    A small smile wound itself onto her face. She hadn¡¯t been sure that would work.


    The [Ring of the Soul Harvest] was an item that healed you whenever a creature nearby died. That much she had known from the game. But since she couldn¡¯t exactly go around killing things indiscriminately just to test the effect out, she had been trying to figure out how to confirm it. That¡¯s when she¡¯d thought of using something small, like worms, though she had been worried that creatures of this size wouldn¡¯t work. However, clearly, they did.


    It did raise the question of whether the ring actually reaped souls¡ªand if so, if worms had them¡ªbut she honestly didn¡¯t care too much, as long as it worked. The ring had a scary name, but she imagined it was more likely to be related to spirit magic rather than pure necromancy. Spirit magic dealt a lot more with the interaction of souls themselves than necromancy did, and since she knew Abelard dabbled in both, it wasn¡¯t that much of a stretch either.


    She stood up and returned to the center of the garden again. The [Ring of the Soul harvest] disappeared from her finger, transported to whatever spatial dimension the [Charm of Expeditious Change] stored items in.


    Hopefully, she would never actually need the ring¡¯s healing effects. But it was good to have backups for things like this, in case Rosa or healing potions weren¡¯t an option.


    She turned her attention to the last item remaining, resting on the marble bench.


    The [Tiara of Lost Benediction] was a silver tiara of elaborate design that went over the forehead. There were three small rubies on its face, giving off a cold, lonely air. Of the items she¡¯d chosen to keep for herself, it was the one whose effects she was most uncertain about. But since it was also the first legendary item she had gotten her hands on, she didn¡¯t simply want to let it out of her grasp.


    Its appearance was a bit over the top, yes, and she couldn¡¯t say she enjoyed the idea of others seeing her¡ªa grown woman¡ªwalking around with something like this. But with the [Charm of Expeditious Change], she could at the very least make sure she only wore it when she actually needed it.


    If she had anything to say about it, that would never be in Rosa¡¯s presence.


    She brought the tiara up and placed it on her head. A moment later, things were suddenly clearer, for lack of a better word. It was similar to the effect of some of Rosa¡¯s magic that helped with focus, although perhaps not quite as potent.


    She summoned several Aqua Mines, more than she usually could. The ease with which they formed was surprising. Especially taking into account that a lot of power was put into these. If she were to guess, this was a result of the ¡®stat boost¡¯ that the item gave as a legendary-tier piece of equipment. She assumed it didn¡¯t have any special effect or the sort¡ªthat would explain why her memory of it wasn¡¯t as good as with the other items¡ªbut this much wasn¡¯t anything to scoff at either.


    She was curious how far she could go if she had this equipped along with Rosa¡¯s supporting magic. Perhaps that was something to try next time they visited Freymeadow. If she could convince the woman to wear a blindfold.


    The tiara disappeared from her head. Then she looked at the last item lying next to her. It was the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci]. She had left the hardest for last, but now it was time to figure this thing out.

 Chapter 123 - New management

    Scarlett ran a hand over the faceted surface of the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci], studying the emerald. It felt odd, holding it like this, if only for the fact of how valuable it looked. Like holding a wad of thousand-dollar bills. The brain couldn¡¯t quite comprehend its value.


    She pushed those musings to the back of her mind and focused her attention on the Loci.


    ¡®Listening¡¯ to it, as Arlene had told her to, had yet to bring much result. She¡¯d tried it over a dozen times since her talk with the woman, and she wasn¡¯t hoping for much more now. Luckily, if what the system¡¯s description told her was enough, that didn¡¯t necessarily matter.


    Now, it was time to put one of her suspicions to the test.


    First of all, if part of the Loci¡¯s will was to find a worthy master¡ªwhich fit with its presence as an item in the game¡ªthen she had to show that she could fill that role. That meant somehow convincing a mute gemstone that she qualified.


    She brought out the [Mark of the Fey] from her pouch of holding. The blue crystal was a bit smaller than the Loci, and ever since that Idol had interacted with it, tiny, barely visible sparks ran through its core like lightning.


    ¡°This was given to me as a sign of trust,¡± she said out loud, holding up the crystal. At the same time, she tried channeling the intent behind her words into the Loci, like she had done when she interacted with it back at Abelard¡¯s mansion. ¡°When I give my word, I always uphold it. Others of your kin can attest to as much.¡±


    A few seconds of silence followed.


    She wasn¡¯t really expecting a reaction from the Loci. It was doubtful whether it actually had the intelligence to comprehend her words, or if it only worked on intent. Still, it was better to play things safe. It was also easier to organize her will and thoughts while speaking.


    Lifting the Loci higher, she gestured at the garden around her. ¡°This is part of my domain, as well as my home. If you would allow it, it will also be yours.¡±


    She stood up and began walking around the garden¡¯s center, continuing to channel her intent into the Loci as she spoke. ¡°It is different from your previous dwelling, but I do not think it will be inferior. What it is lacking will soon be added, and I am certain it can reach levels well beyond what you knew before.¡±


    After showing it the immediate area, she proceeded to show it the rest of the hedge garden before continuing onto the adjacent training grounds, all the while ¡®explaining¡¯ things to the Loci as they went. Then, slowly making her way across the property, she showed it everything else that was inside the stone walls encasing the estate¡ªthe two guards at the gate gave her strange looks when she passed them by, but she ignored it¡ªbefore eventually crossing the courtyard and entering the mansion itself.


    There, she ran into a pair of servants that were cleaning the foyer. Both curtsied as they greeted her.


    She gave them a brief nod in return, once more holding up the Loci. ¡°These serve under me, and it is part of their duty to maintain and care for my needs and those of the estate.¡±


    The women blinked at her words, and Scarlett cringed slightly inside as the two glanced at each other and the Loci in her hand with bewildered expressions. She would have liked to avoid the people here in the mansion while doing this, but part of the point was demonstrating that she was a good master. If she couldn¡¯t talk to the Loci, then showing it felt like the best option.


    She left the two servants in confusion for now to continue the mansion tour. At one point, as she was walking through the third-floor hallways in the west wing, she spotted Rosa turning around the corner ahead of her. The bard smiled as she seemed to notice her and walked over. That smile turned into a grin as she looked down at the Loci in Scarlett¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I thought I heard the saccharine notes of your speech, but with the way you talked, I figured you were guiding some important guest or other around. Who would have thought it was actually just you showing around your precious new jewel? I suppose it¡¯s true what they say about gemstones being a noblewoman¡¯s best friend, eh?¡±


    ¡°I would hope not,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I cannot think of much that would be more tragic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I much prefer gold myself.¡± Rosa raised her hand as if she was holding something heavy. ¡°Has a lot more weight to it, so it can double as a bludgeon in times of need.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I meant, but I suspect you are already aware.¡±


    The bard just gave her the same smile in reply. ¡°So, how come our local Baroness is walking around her mansion talking to a stone? People have called me crazy, but the worst I¡¯ve ever tried talking to was a crab.¡±


    Scarlett opened her mouth to answer, but paused. She narrowed her eyes at the woman. ¡°¡­A crab?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Rosa put one hand to her chin as if remembering a fond memory. ¡°Ah, yes. Shirleen the Incogitable. Crassest crab I¡¯ve ever met, but she sure knew how to dance.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her. She was uncertain whether Rosa was being serious, or if this was just another of her pranks. Considering the world they were in, it wasn¡¯t impossible for there to be intelligent crabs.


    She shook her head to rid herself of any drifting thoughts. Rosa was most likely joking. Probably.


    ¡°To answer your question,¡± she said, ¡°I am acquainting myself with the ego of this artifact, as well as familiarising it with the estate.¡±


    Rosa nodded her head. ¡°As one does.¡±


    Scarlett gave the woman a sharp look, but Rosa just showed an amused expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not judging. I¡¯m sure you know exactly what you¡¯re doing. Who¡¯s little old me to butt in?¡±


    ¡°¡­As usual, I find it hard to discern whether or not you say that in jest.¡± Scarlett eyed her. ¡°But that is of no concern. You can return to whatever it is that you were doing. We will see each other again at a later time.¡±


    As she was about to leave, a thought came to her. She paused, turning back to Rosa. The woman looked back at her with curiosity.


    ¡°Did you forget something?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett considered her for a moment.


    ¡°Incidentally¡­¡± She raised the Loci up in front of the woman. Maybe this should have been among the first things she tried. ¡°You would not happen to hear anything from this artifact?¡±


    Rosa arched both eyebrows, the smile on her lips growing larger. ¡°You¡¯re asking me if your pet rock is talking to me?¡±


    ¡°It is not a pet rock.¡±


    ¡°Sure it isn¡¯t.¡± The woman chuckled, then took on a slightly more serious expression as she examined the Loci. After a few seconds, she nodded her head as if in response to something. ¡°Ah, yes, I agree. It is kind of a strange thing to ask, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°That is quite enough with the jesting.¡±


    Rosa looked up at her. ¡°Heh, sorry. Can¡¯t stop myself. Occupational hazard.¡±


    Scarlett lowered the Loci, preparing to leave again. ¡°If you cannot sense anything noteworthy, then I will take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Never said I didn¡¯t sense anything.¡±


    She stopped, returning her attention to the woman. ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to put a finger on it, but I could feel a sense of¡­dutifulness, I guess?¡± Rosa said. ¡°Or a want of it, at least. Like it craves something to do.¡± She cocked her head to the side. ¡°There¡¯s also an air of expectance around it. It¡¯s paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Dutifulness and expectance, you say?¡± Scarlett knitted her brow. That didn¡¯t sound too bad. In fact, that sounded exactly like what she needed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she told Rosa. Then she turned around to leave for real this time.


    She continued to tour what remained of the mansion, introducing the Loci to the rooms and some more of the people that were moving around. There were a couple more embarrassing scenes where the servants gave her strange looks, but her skin wasn¡¯t thin to the degree where she couldn¡¯t handle it. Eventually, after finishing off with the east wing and her own office, she left through the back of the mansion and returned to the hedge garden where she had started.


    There, she once more sat down beneath the alcove at the center and held the Loci up in front of her.


    ¡°As you have seen, my domain houses a variety of souls within it, each serving and assisting my pursuits in some fashion. For the time being, this is a place of peace. But that peace is tenuous, and there are many who could threaten it. I require a way of watching over my domain and ensuring its safety, and I wish for part of this duty to fall upon you.¡±


    A few seconds passed as she let the intent behind her words sink in.


    ¡°Whatever demand you might have of me to accept this responsibility, I will endeavour to satisfy it. Recognizing me as a master is perhaps not a choice that can be done lightly, but it is one that I guarantee you will not regret. And as I said, my word is law.¡±


    She examined the area around her. This garden was large enough that some restructuring could be done with little issue.


    ¡°This would be your new home. It will be reformed and refined specifically to be fit for a being such as you. No expenses will be spared.¡±


    To her mind¡¯s eye, she imagined what the place might look like. A pillar could be raised at the center for the Loci to rest on, and a pavilion built around it. From there, she could add whatever else might be useful or necessary.


    She tried channeling this image into the Loci, along with her intent in the form of a question.


    Observing it, she waited for a response of some kind. There was nothing more she wanted to show. She just hoped this would be enough for a reaction, at least. It would be embarrassing if she really had just been talking to herself this whole time.


    The seconds passed, her spirits sinking as they did. Then, a faint green light emerged from the Loci, similar to when the idol from the Wandering Realm had interacted with it. Something nudged at Scarlett¡¯s consciousness. It was a sensation similar to forming a connection with any other artifact, but this was more than that. Simpler, and yet more complex. It was primal, in a way, but there was a will to it. A purpose.


    She reached out to the sensation, accepting it. A link formed. To her eyes, the Loci in her hand suddenly shone like a lighthouse as invisible links spread out from it like a thousand feelers, extending into the environment and towards the rest of the estate. She got the feeling it wanted to be put down, so she stood up and took a step forward, kneeling down to place it on the ground.


    Then she watched. To an ordinary onlooker, the Loci might have only appeared to glow a brighter green, with not much more happening. Her new link to it, however, fed her an impression of how it grew to envelop more and more of the estate and attached itself to its metaphysical¡ªwas that the word?¡ªsurroundings.


    It didn¡¯t change anything, more than it became part of everything. It literally merged into what was already there, in a way that Scarlett couldn¡¯t quite comprehend. The Loci was becoming both a permanent and non-permanent fixture of this space. It was breathtaking to take in, in a way. There was a beauty to it that she couldn¡¯t quite put into words, and that was despite her never being the kind of person that cared much about things like that.


    She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when she suddenly heard sounds approaching. Looking up, she spotted Fynn come running into the garden with a heavy scowl on his face. He slowed as he saw her, walking over to her as he warily eyed the glowing gemstone on the ground.


    ¡°¡­What happened?¡± he asked.


    She smiled at him. ¡°It is nothing much. I have simply negotiated the services of a new custodian for the mansion.¡±

 Chapter 124 - Fancy dinners

    Evelyne looked up from the papers she was holding as their carriage pulled to a stop. She looked out the window at the courtyard outside. It was situated on top of the hill that overlooked the central part of Freybrook, with tall stone walls that blocked out most of the city itself. It had been a while since she last visited this place.


    Opposite her in the cabin, Scarlett rose without a word and exited the carriage. Her sister had been as taciturn as always for most of the ride here, not speaking to her unless she had reason to.


    Evelyne didn¡¯t mind it too much anymore. It felt different from the judgement-filled silence that had often hung between them before. At times, it even felt like Scarlett didn¡¯t hate her very existence. It was hard to tell for sure, though. She didn¡¯t know what Scarlett actually thought of her nowadays.


    Following her sister out of the carriage, Evelyne stepped foot on the paved ground outside and looked around the courtyard. Standing next to the entrance to a building entrance a short distance from her, the Count¡¯s butler walked over to greet them. He bowed.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford, Lady Evelyne. Count Guifford Knottley welcomes both of you to his home.¡±


    The way he addressed Evelyne made a warm feeling rise up inside, even as she instinctually peeked at Scarlett¡¯s face for any sign of anger. There was none, of course.


    Because Scarlett truly had changed.


    ¡°Come with me and I will lead you to the dining hall where the Count and his family are waiting,¡± the butler said and turned around. He started walking towards the main manor, whose simple stone structure towered over the courtyard.


    The Knottley house¡¯s estate was actually smaller than the Hartford estate here in the city, but it was also older. It had been built at a time when the Freybrook region still saw a lot of strife. Originally, it had been a fortress much like Stagmond Keep. Then, when the region saw more development, it had simply been expanded upon.


    They soon entered the building, and as they began moving through the plain hallways towards their destination, Evelyne sneaked a few looks at her sister¡¯s figure from the side.


    Scarlett appeared as collected and aloof as ever, with an impassive expression on her face. She wore a fine alabaster dress that revealed her arms and shoulders, but oddly enough, there was barely any jewellery. Just one ring on her left hand, as well as a relatively plain gold necklace. Most of the other adornments Evelyne had seen her sister wear almost constantly for the last few months¡ªwhich she¡¯d been assuming were enchanted in some way¡ªwere missing. Scarlett had even worn some of those for the Elysian Proclamation, so it surprised her that this was when she finally took them off.


    Was it because they were meeting old friends of their family? That didn¡¯t feel like something Scarlett would care about. There were so many things that confused her regarding how her sister currently was, but if there was one thing she did know, it was the fact that Scarlett hadn¡¯t been excited at all about this dinner.


    Which was crazy in and on its own. Her sister practically breathed noble gatherings, no matter the size. But the woman¡¯s priorities had shifted a lot.


    When Evelyne had arrived at the mansion earlier to pick her up, she had found Scarlett in the middle of a conversation with the gardener, of all people. The poor old man had looked positively petrified, and when Evelyne asked what Scarlett was doing, her sister had said she was preparing a home for the new custodian.


    She had really wanted to ask what that meant as well, but she didn¡¯t feel like having another stupefying revelation or other right before they were having dinner together with the Count, so she¡¯d stayed quiet for the time being. Trying to figure out what was going through her sister¡¯s mind was hard, to say the least. She doubted it was something trivial. She wasn¡¯t sure what, but there had been something different about the mansion that she couldn¡¯t quite place.


    The butler continued leading them through the manor, and after a few minutes, they reached a door at the end of a long corridor that sparked a lot of memories for Evelyne. The man opened it to reveal the old dining hall beyond. It wasn¡¯t as an impressive sight as the dining hall in their mansion, with simple stone walls that only held some tapestries of old knights and battles and a wooden table at the center of the room, but that was the Knottleys in a nutshell. They¡¯d never cared much for appearances.


    Sitting at the head of the table was Count Guifford Knottley. The stocky, bald man was already looking in their direction, elbow on the table and chin resting on his knuckles. To his right was Livvi, and to his left sat Garrin Knottley, the Count¡¯s eldest son and heir.


    Evelyne followed Scarlett into the hall, glancing around the place and the atmosphere that carried a lot of nostalgia. She had often been here with her father and mother in the past when they were still alive.


    ¡°Welcome, Lady Evelyne,¡± the Count¡¯s voice rumbled across the room. He gave a nod in their direction. Then he seemed to consider Scarlett for a moment. ¡°¡­Baroness Hartford.¡±


    ¡°We greet the Count,¡± Scarlett replied, performing a very small curtsy.


    Evelyne did the same, though slightly deeper.


    The butler guided them to a pair of chairs opposite the Count. The dining table itself was shaped like a square, and it wasn¡¯t particularly large. It was fitting for an environment where actual conversation was to be held. Evelyne had always thought that she would have preferred to have something like this in the mansion¡¯s dining hall as well, instead of the long rectangular table they had at the moment. But things like that were up to Scarlett.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad both of you could make it,¡± Livvi said with a smile.


    Evelyne looked over at the woman. To her, Livvi had always seemed like a kind, older sister, despite often being around her much colder, actual sister. It still felt strange seeing her like this, now when Evelyne probably stood almost a head over the woman. It was also a bit funny to see Livvi sit next to her large father and almost look like a child in comparison.


    ¡°We had no reason not to,¡± Scarlett answered, taking her seat with more grace than the action called for.


    ¡°Hello, Scarlett. Evelyne. It¡¯s been a while,¡± another voice greeted them.


    Evelyne looked at Garrin Knottley as she sat down in her own chair. Sitting opposite his sister, the man had a tall frame and deep brown hair but lacked the stocky build of his father.


    Evelyne showed a polite smile. ¡°Garrin.¡±


    Scarlett seemed to observe the man for a while before giving him a brief nod. ¡°Lord Garrin.¡±


    His smile turned slightly awkward at the formal way of address, but Evelyne wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d been expecting. She doubted he would be foolish enough to still hold feelings for her sister. Any remaining embers of affection were likely quashed ages ago when Scarlett¡¯s general indifference made it clear that the son and heir of a powerful noble apparently didn¡¯t fit with whatever ambitions she held.


    Maybe he thought their history would at least hold enough importance not to be addressed by titles in a setting like this?


    Evelyne eyed her sister. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t even sure Scarlett had remembered who he was before this. The more she interacted with her sister, the more she noticed the various changes that had occurred. Some were big, while others were much more subtle. One that she hadn¡¯t been sure of at the start¡ªeven after Scarlett had expressly told her about it¡ªwas that whole spiel about having incomplete memories. But in the last month, she had been convinced of the truthfulness behind that statement.


    After all, Scarlett hadn¡¯t even been certain about who Livvi was. And as far as Evelyne was aware, Livvi had been the closest Scarlett had ever had to a real friend.


    From what she could tell, there seemed to be a pattern to what sort of things Scarlett remembered best. Essentially, the more useful a person might be to her, the higher the likelihood that she wouldn¡¯t have forgotten about you. Her sister didn¡¯t seem to have any issue remembering those that served her or had political importance to her, but everyone else wasn¡¯t quite as lucky.


    Even if they had grown up along with her, as Livvi had.


    Evelyne was brought out of her thoughts as the Count cleared his throat loudly. She turned to look at him as the man clasped his hands in front of him. ¡°Johan. Have the food brought in.¡±


    ¡°As you command, my Lord.¡± The middle-aged butler bowed before exiting out a large door at the back of the room. A few moments later, he returned, followed by three servants carrying trays. They placed the trays on the table in front of Evelyne and the others before quickly leaving the room.


    ¡°Dig in,¡± the Count said. He picked up a knife and fork to cut into a thick piece of meat.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Seeing that, Evelyne relaxed a little. It seemed as if he¡¯d decided to forego most of the ceremony today.


    ¡°So, Scarlett, Evelyne. How are things?¡± Livvi asked after everybody had started eating. The woman leaned forward and picked up a piece of bread, pushing up her glasses with her other hand as she dipped it into a soup beside her. ¡°From the way I understood it last we spoke, both of you have your plates full at the moment. I was actually surprised you accepted my invitation today.¡±


    ¡°Things are well,¡± Scarlett replied, though there wasn¡¯t much emotion behind her words.


    Evelyne waited for her sister to continue, but that seemed to be all.


    She held back a small sigh. ¡°Much the same for me,¡± she said after a moment of silence. ¡°While Scarlett has been busy with her responsibilities as the head and forging connections over in Autumnwell, I¡¯ve been dealing with some of our businesses that have showed promising growth here and in the capital.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t reported it to Scarlett yet since she only got confirmation the day before, but she¡¯d been in contact with an influential merchant in Elystead who had ties to the Followers of Ittar. The man had shown interest in working with Scarlett and their barony after the Providing Ceremony, and he had been incredibly helpful to Evelyne in getting in touch with the right people related to their interests in the capital. Most weren¡¯t nobles, but that didn¡¯t matter as long as they were willing to do business.


    Of the ventures that Scarlett had wanted Evelyne to pursue in Elystead, the silversmith was looking promising. They had hired personnel and finished all preparations, so things had been up and running for a few weeks now. It was too early to tell how profitable it would be in the long run, but it had at least exceeded her¡ªadmittedly conservative¡ªexpectations up till this point, considering how young the venture still was.


    Since more and more funds were currently making their way into the barony''s coffers from Scarlett¡¯s other exploits, and because Evelyne had been lucky in finding the right suppliers, she had already inquired into investing in the other locales that her sister had told her about.


    Normally, it would have been reckless to spend money on uncertain undertakings like these when you¡¯d barely paid off your preexisting debts and had other costs looming over you in the future, but Scarlett had been right that the prices were surprisingly low for these businesses, so it would be a waste to let this opportunity go just like that. Evelyne had also gotten one of the larger auction houses in the capital to act as a guarantor in exchange for a promise to continue bringing artifacts to them for the near future.


    That was something they¡¯d intended to do anyway, so there wasn¡¯t much to worry about on that front. They already had a stockpile of artifacts and other valuables that they hadn¡¯t had the time to sell yet. And that was without counting the veritable mountain of stuff her sister had brought back from Autumnwell.


    Having to manage all of this on top of normal fief matters was a lot of work for Evelyne. She had also been dealing with trying to get Scarlett¡¯s ¡®Scarlett Cross¡¯ orphanage to get officially recognized as one, which was a surprisingly complicated procedure when the financier was a single individual. Not to mention all the time she had been spending traveling around the Freybrook region and trying to create connections that could help their barony in the future. Something that was a lot harder than certain people made it seem.


    It still astounded her how her sister was so good at it, despite that personality of hers. Sometimes, she wished she knew Scarlett¡¯s secret.


    All that said, Evelyne didn¡¯t actually mind the extra work. Or rather, even though it was tiring, it was worth it in the end. She hadn¡¯t felt this fulfilled in years. If ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that things are going well for the both of you,¡± Livvi said.


    Evelyne was pulled out of her thoughts, and she turned to glance at her sister, who remained silent. Under the table, she eased her leg closer to nudge at Scarlett¡¯s.


    A small frown formed on the woman¡¯s face as she looked at her, and Evelyne tried to gesture towards Livvi with her eyes. After a moment, Scarlett seemed to recognize the meaning behind her actions.


    Her sister turned back to the others, reaching out for a glass of wine in front of her. She lifted it and took a sip. ¡°And what of you, Livvi?¡± she eventually asked, as if there hadn¡¯t just been a period of awkward silence in the room. ¡°How have things been faring for you lately? Have you been occupied with Guild matters here in Freybrook, or have you had time for other endeavors?¡±


    Livvi smiled. ¡°I have actually been taking it slow these past few weeks. Paid a few visits to the local branch to contact some of my colleagues and offer my aid where I could, but besides that, I¡¯ve mostly been advising my father and brother on some affairs related to the county, as well as met up with some old acquaintances. I am planning on returning to my usual work with the Guild again soon, but father has been oh-so cross every time I¡¯ve brought it up.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Count Knottley let out a scoff, even as his attention seemed focused on the food before him. ¡°Your talents are wasted behind their desks. There are much more important things you could be doing with that quick mind of yours.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Livvi spoke to him in a chiding voice. ¡°What I do with them is important. Especially so with what¡¯s currently going on. We are helping a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°You could do the same and more in any of the administrative positions under His Majesty or the Great Offices. I don¡¯t doubt for a second that it would take less than a decade for you to surpass some of those fools, and you would almost certainly be awarded an honorary title even before that.¡±


    The woman lightly shook her head. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I want. Besides, we haven¡¯t met with Scarlett and Evelyne together like this in years, so let¡¯s not bring this up now.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who brought it up this time,¡± the Count rumbled. He looked up, his eyes landing on Scarlett for a brief moment before shifting to Evelyne. ¡°You have matured much these last few years, Evelyne. I am sure Castor and Leondra would have been proud seeing you like you are today. I heard you won a tourney bout over in Grimford a while back as well, so it seems you are on good way to honoring your father¡¯s legacy.¡±


    She blinked, staring at him. She¡¯d taken part in the contest he spoke about over a year ago; more on a whim than anything else. She just happened to be passing by the small town on her way back from the fief. She also hadn¡¯t had a proper opportunity to practice or display her skills since then. But he had somehow heard about it?


    The Count then looked at Scarlett with a gruff expression. ¡°...And I suppose you are well on your way to honoring his legacy as well, Baroness. You¡¯re the first one since he died whose very existence has almost single-handedly managed to give me ulcers when I think of it."


    ¡°¡°Father!¡±¡±


    Both his children cried out at the same time.


    ¡°What?¡± The man looked between the two of them. ¡°You asked me to be on my best behaviour, did you not? I think that is about the best compliment I could give under the circumstances. The Baroness has skin thick enough to anger over half of the empire¡¯s nobles in one night without care, so I doubt she requires the two of you to pamper her while she is a guest in my home.¡±


    Both of the Knottley children held awkward expressions as they turned to their guests.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, both of you,¡± Livvi said. ¡°You know how father can be.¡±


    Evelyne sent a worried glance at her sister but was relieved to find that Scarlett didn¡¯t look offended by his words.


    ¡°There is nothing to apologize for.¡± Her sister held up a hand. ¡°In fact, I believe it is I that should apologize to the Count. It appears my actions during our last dealings have caused you undue stress. I trust you understand that was not my intent. At the time, it was simply the most appropriate approach to dealing with the situation in a suitable manner.¡±


    ¡°¡®Undue stress¡¯, you say.¡± The Count let out another scoff. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re your mother¡¯s daughter all right. But there''s no point in beating one¡¯s breast over what¡¯s already done. At this point, I¡¯m simply hoping you didn¡¯t inherit all of your father¡¯s penchant for trouble. I don¡¯t want to see a block burn down in my city sometime soon.¡±


    The smile on Scarlett¡¯s face stiffened somewhat.


    ¡°¡­Of course, I would do no such thing that might cause an event like that,¡± the woman said. ¡°If such an occurrence were to happen, I would endeavour to combat it myself if necessary.¡±


    The Count¡¯s bushy brows furrowed together as he studied her. Eventually, he waved his hand through the air and turned away. ¡°You¡¯ve always taken my words too literally. I hope you will leave things like that to the city guards and those more experienced were something to actually happen.¡±


    Evelyne silently nodded along. So did she.


    ¡°The dealings you mentioned just now, Scarlett.¡± Livvi spoke up as her father quieted down. ¡°Was that the things that the Empyreal Chronicle wrote about a few months back? Related to that organized gang of criminals?¡±


    Scarlett inclined her head. ¡°It was, yes.¡±


    Livvi glanced at the Count. ¡°My father refused to talk about it when asked.¡±


    ¡°Because it is nothing worth talking about,¡± the man grumbled.


    ¡°Father,¡± Garrin said. ¡°You should know that will only make her think there is more to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The Count shot a look at his daughter. ¡°Well, then. Go ahead and ask the Baroness if you don¡¯t think the words of your own father are worth listening to.¡±


    Livvi hid a small smile behind her hand. ¡°I think I will.¡± She turned to Scarlett. ¡°Would you mind telling me about it?¡±


    ¡°It might disappoint you to hear that I happen to share the Count¡¯s opinion that there is not much to share on the topic,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The Grey Dog Gang had been operating out of Freybrook for several years and proved unassailable against most efforts of rooting them out attempted by the guard. In addition, they also had powerful backers. So, when an opportunity presented itself for me to involve myself and assist in the matter, I contacted the Count and we devised a strategy of removing them for good. As soon as I ascertained the identity of their leader and the location of one of their transactions, I acted with the support of the Shields Guild to detain them and gather the necessary evidence on those sponsoring them. That is all.¡±


    Evelyne kept a neutral expression as she listened to her sister¡¯s description. That was roughly the story she had heard as well when she looked into it. Originally, she had been convinced Scarlett was lying when she said her involvement with the Grey Dog Gang was a ruse in order to catch them in the act, but now¡­


    She glanced at Count Knottley, who wasn¡¯t saying a word in objection.


    ¡­Was it possible that Scarlett had actually been telling the truth?


    Evelyne had been pretty sure that Scarlett¡¯s dealings with the Grey Dog Gang weren¡¯t the only illegal activities she had been involved with, but it was the only one she¡¯d had any evidence for.


    Could it be that she had been acting under a misconception all along?


    It annoyed her that she both wanted that to be true and false at the same time. But under the current circumstances, she had no way of finding out which it was. Her sister would never tell her if it was a lie, and the Count clearly had some reason to go along with it if it was.


    ¡°My importance during the actual raid on the Grey Dog Gang¡¯s base of operations was, however, severely exaggerated in the article authored by the Empyreal Chronicle,¡± Scarlett added. She shot a look at Count Knottley. ¡°I presume I have the Count to thank for that.¡±


    The man had his arms crossed over his chest. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±


    She observed him for several seconds. ¡°¡­Of course. I must have been mistaken.¡±


    ¡°I find it impressive nonetheless,¡± Livvi said. ¡°I actually spoke with those at the Guild branch about it. While they couldn¡¯t go into detail, they mentioned that the B-ranked Shielder you had been working with had nothing but good things to say about you. They said it was the same Shielder that worked with you to uncover those Zuverian ruins as well, right?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°How has that been going? When you and Ray spoke about it, I got the impression that you were doing even more research into the Zuver.¡±


    Evelyne relaxed somewhat as the conversation shifted towards more light-hearted matters. This wasn¡¯t as bad as she had feared. Hopefully, the rest of the evening would continue like this as well.

 Chapter 125 - New sights and introductions

    Scarlett sat opposite Evelyne in the younger woman¡¯s carriage as they traveled from Count Knottley¡¯s estate, on their way back to the Hartford mansion for the night.


    ¡°¡­That went better than I thought it would,¡± Evelyne said after a while.


    Scarlett looked away from the window and to the woman, considering her for a moment before giving a small nod. She then turned her attention back outside. ¡°I suppose you are correct.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as bad as she¡¯d feared, at least. Although, if you asked her, the dinner had been somewhat awkward. Livvi had been the one that kept most of the conversation going. On more than one occasion, Scarlett had been unsure of what the proper response should be, and often, she had just leaned back on polite formalities in lack of anything better to say. Though she suspected it hadn¡¯t always sounded as polite as intended.


    Despite that, Livvi had kept a smile going almost the whole evening, and Scarlett had to admit that the diminutive woman¡¯s cheerfulness helped to diminish some of the discomfort surrounding the whole situation. Perhaps that feeling was another remnant left behind by the original Scarlett, in some way. She¡¯d noticed something similar the previous times she had interacted with Livvi. It was a bit like how things were with Garside.


    She continued to vacantly observe the dark streets that passed by outside the window as they made their way into Freybrook¡¯s northern district, her thoughts focused on the evening¡¯s proceedings.


    Eventually, she remembered something and turned back to Evelyne. ¡°I had been meaning to inquire with you about how the matter of arranging passage to Faybarrow has gone. Did the merchant you were acquainted with agree to the arrangement?¡±


    Evelyne looked up from a thin stack of documents in her hands. ¡°Oh, right. Yes, I spoke with him this morning. The next time he was slated to visit Faybarrow was tomorrow evening, and he was supposed to return three days after that. He agreed to give the spot to you if you needed it, though we¡¯ll have to compensate him for his losses.¡±


    ¡°That will not pose an issue. We are likely to gain far more from this venture than he could make in such a short period anyhow.¡±


    The younger woman seemed to consider her for a few seconds. ¡°You¡¯re really expecting to find another set of Zuverian ruins, then?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I am, yes. I trust that you have been in talks with the relevant members of Elystead Tower and the other mage organizations that might have an interest in buying what we recover this time?¡±


    ¡°Some of them, yes. Although I think the person I talked to from the Elystead Tower was the only one who truly believed me when I said we¡¯d be making another discovery this soon. But they¡¯re also the only ones that know we¡¯re working together with one of their members on this, so¡­¡±


    ¡°That is quite all right. The opinions of the other factions will change after they see the fruits of this next excursion.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be ready before tomorrow evening, though?¡± Evelyne asked. ¡°That Mendenhall woman never said a specific time she would be here, did she?¡±


    ¡°She did not, no.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°But I sent her a message informing her that we were pressed for time. We will simply have to hope that she arrives on schedule.¡±


    Evelyne shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    The woman then went back to reading her documents.


    Scarlett returned her attention outside, observing the young moon as it rose into the night sky.


    A while later, as they were approaching the mansion, the connection to the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] that now lingered at the back of her mind stirred. She shifted her eyes, gazing in the direction of that connection.


    Not much had actually happened after establishing the connection earlier in the day. Or rather than ¡®connection¡¯, perhaps covenant would be a better description. The Loci originated in the Wandering Realm, after all, where fairies and other beings that struck covenants made their home. What she had made with the Loci probably wasn¡¯t too different from that.


    As for the Loci itself, she could feel that it was still familiarising itself with the estate and assimilating into the surroundings. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take, but for the time being, she would just have to wait before testing things out further.


    Soon, the carriage passed through the estate¡¯s gates and up the graveled road towards the mansion¡¯s primary structure.


    ¡°Ehm¡­ Scarlett?¡± Evelyne spoke in an uncertain voice.


    Scarlett turned to the woman, who had looked up from her documents, brows furrowed.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask¡­¡± Evelyne peeked out the window. ¡°This was something I noticed when I picked you up as well, but there¡¯s something different about the mansion today. I can¡¯t quite put my finger on what, exactly, but I can tell it¡¯s there. Is this because of something you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Scarlett eyed her. ¡°¡­Your senses are quite astute,¡± she eventually said. ¡°Yes, it is true that something has changed. It is related to the new custodian that I mentioned to you earlier today.¡±


    ¡°The reason you were talking to the gardener?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Who is this new custodian?¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. She wasn¡¯t quite sure how to explain this part. ¡°I suppose that it would be easier to show you.¡±


    ¡°Show me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is a rather unique situation, after all.¡±


    The younger woman gave her a long look. ¡°¡­I knew it was a good idea to stay quiet before.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Evelyne asked.


    The woman stood next to Scarlett, and the two of them were in the hedge garden behind the mansion, looking down at the Loci on the ground.


    ¡°It is as I said.¡± Scarlett gestured towards the Loci. ¡°That is the new custodian that I told you about.¡±


    Evelyne turned to stare at her. ¡°That¡¯s a rock.¡±


    ¡°Technically, it is an emerald.¡±


    ¡°A very valuable rock.¡±


    ¡°It is quite valuable, yes.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds.


    Eventually, Evelyne sighed. ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett nodded her head. ¡°Indeed I am.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is the sort of thing that¡¯s becoming normal for me,¡± Evelyne mumbled, returning her attention to the Loci. ¡°So, is it an artifact of some kind, then?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°You can simply refer to it as the ¡®Loci¡¯. It has an ego of its own, even though it is not particularly developed.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You mean it can hear us?¡±


    ¡°In theory, it is able to hear anything that occurs within the boundaries of its domain, which coincides with the borders of the estate. Whether it can understand any of what it hears, however, is another matter.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s eyes widened slightly at that. ¡°Wait, everything?¡± She looked back at Scarlett. ¡°So it even knows when we¡¯re¡­¡± she trailed off, an uncomfortable expression on her face.


    Scarlett frowned. She hadn¡¯t even thought of that, and she would have preferred if it stayed that way. From her connection to it, she suspected that the Loci probably didn¡¯t even understand how humans worked. But, still¡­


    Could she perhaps exclude certain locations from the Loci¡¯s domain, just to be sure?


    Clearing her throat, she continued. ¡°I will look into what can be done on the subject. But I recommend you do not pay it too much thought.¡±


    Evelyne knitted her forehead together. ¡°How am I supposed to do that now that I know? What even is the point of this? Are you trying to keep watch of the servants?¡±


    ¡°It is primarily to keep the people here at the mansion safe, and to ensure intruders do not make their way in.¡±


    ¡°This ¡®Loci¡¯ can do that?¡±


    ¡°It can, yes.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure it¡¯s not dangerous?¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the Loci. Due to the covenant, it was practically glowing to her senses. ¡°I am certain, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯d prefer it if it wasn¡¯t here at all, to be honest,¡± Evelyne said.


    ¡°An understandable sentiment. However, I ask that you trust in me when I say that it was a necessary addition to the estate under the current circumstances.¡±


    The woman eyed her. ¡°Is it to stop anything like what happened to the courtyard from occurring again?¡±


    Scarlett met her gaze. ¡°Yes.¡±


    For a moment, Evelyne closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose. Then she turned back to the Loci.


    ¡°¡­Alright. I think I understand. But do you think you could at least give me a report or something about exactly what it does and who it affects? I¡¯d like to know what it is that we¡¯re adding to the mansion in a situation like this.¡±


    ¡°I am currently familiarising myself with the details myself,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But I will endeavor to provide you with details as soon as I am able.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It is of no matter.¡±


    ¡°By the way, you should probably tell Garside about this as well. If this thing is going to act like some sort of custodian, then it would be good if he knew.¡±


    Scarlett gave another nod. ¡°I will do so.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ Good.¡± Evelyne let out a shiver. The woman wasn¡¯t wearing much more than her jacket at the moment, and it was cold this late at night. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go in now. I¡¯ll be leaving again in the morning, but I¡¯ll check in with you first before I do.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Scarlett greeted a short goodbye as Evelyne left, then returned her attention to the Loci. It almost seemed to pulsate slightly as she observed it.


    Well, it was certainly an interesting artifact, at least. She was curious about how it would develop in the future.


    Almost a full day later, Scarlett was waiting in front of the mansion as evening approached. She¡¯d spent most of the morning and afternoon going through her office and parts of the library for documents related to her betrothal with Leon, but had yet to find anything of note. There had to be something though, so she would continue with it later, when she had the time. There wasn¡¯t really a need to rush it, either.


    With her arms crossed, she peered down to the estate gates, where a smaller cart had pulled up and was moving towards the mansion. Eventually, it reached and stopped close to Scarlett. A younger man in simple cotton clothing and a brown cap glanced at her and the large manor behind her somewhat nervously as he climbed down from the cart and walked to the back, where Adalicia stepped off.


    The wizard was dressed in a thick blue robe that suited the declining weather, with a thick tome fastened to her waist. Next to her, the young man started offloading four wide suitcases from the cart.


    ¡°Miss Adalicia.¡± Scarlett walked over and greeted the woman before gesturing to her own carriage a short distance away from them. ¡°I am afraid we have little time left for receptions. We will soon have to be off. Our passage through the Kilnstone is scheduled in less than an hour.¡±


    A brief look of surprise crossed the older woman¡¯s face, but she gave a short nod. ¡°I apologize for the late appearance, then. I presume we¡¯re leaving for the place you spoke of in the letters? My assumption had actually been that would not be for another day or two.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, this was the best I could arrange on such short notice,¡± Scarlett replied. The two of them started walking over to the carriage. She waved for two servants that were standing to the side to help carry Adalicia¡¯s luggage over and place it in the trunk at the back of the vehicle. ¡°I see that you have brought several belongings with you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s equipment related to what we discussed last time. It¡¯s not often one has the opportunity to explore what might be a set of undiscovered Zuverian ruins, untouched since The Severance.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you are correct.¡±


    They climbed inside the vehicle, where the rest of the party was waiting.


    ¡°These are my retainers,¡± Scarlett said, gesturing to the others that were in the carriage¡¯s cabin. ¡°Miss Hale is experienced with healing and other supportive magic, and Fynn is quite proficient at protecting us from most that seek us harm. The other two are Mister Thornthon and Miss Astrey, members of the Shields Guild currently working under my employ to aid with excursions such as this one.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you all.¡± Adalicia smiled as she sat down next to Rosa. ¡°I am Adalicia Mendenhall, a member of Elystead Tower.¡±


    ¡°I believe I have mentioned this before, but she is an expert that will be joining us this time,¡± Scarlett explained, taking a seat beside the woman. ¡°She has experience in analyzing Zuver technology and their methods, so I am sure her assistance will prove beneficial for us in the coming days.¡±


    The members of her party all greeted Adalicia. The woman¡¯s attention seemed to pause on Shin as he greeted her. ¡°Forgive me for asking, but you wouldn¡¯t have any relations to the Kereq tribe?¡± she asked.


    He blinked at the question. ¡°My parents were part of it, but I mostly grew up in Wildscar,¡± he answered.


    He seemed to examine her. Both their skin tones were slightly more tanned than what was most common here in the empire. ¡°Do you have ties to them as well?¡±


    ¡°Oh, only barely. My grandmother hailed from the Steppes, and I spent some time hearing stories from her when I was young. But it is rare that I meet people with similar connections.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Same goes for me,¡± Shin said.


    Scarlett observed the two for a moment, then shifted her attention out the window as her party started getting more familiar with the wizard. They were cutting it a bit close time-wise with leaving this late, but it seemed like they would make it.


    It felt somewhat odd, leaving on another trip this soon after returning from Autumnwell. But at the same time, it didn¡¯t. Most of her time in this world had been spent moving back and forth between different places like this in some fashion or other, so it wasn¡¯t as if she hadn¡¯t grown used to it. Not to mention that the ruin they would visit this time wasn¡¯t close to as dangerous as Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion. With the support of a grand wizard on top of that, she was expecting things to be relatively calm these coming days.


    As they traveled through Freybrook¡¯s districts, Adalicia didn¡¯t appear to have any issue blending in with Scarlett¡¯s party. Eventually, they reached the square that housed the city¡¯s Kilnstone.


    There, they had to wait in line for around forty minutes¡ªwhich was apparently a comparatively short waiting time for normal people, Adalicia told her¡ªbefore it was their turn. The coachman handled the talks with the Kilnstone officials, and soon they were let through when it was their turn. Scarlett was accustomed enough to traveling through Kilnstone now that the teleportation itself barely caught her attention, and then they found themselves at their destination.


    Like Freybrook, Faybarrow was located in the southern parts of the empire, housing a large harbor that opened into the Innisling Sea. The city itself was a lot smaller than Freybrook when it came to the area, but the population density seemed to be a lot higher as they saw masses of people walking about the streets even as it was quickly becoming darker.


    ¡°We will be spending the night at an inn,¡± Scarlett told the others as the carriage slowly made its way through the packed lanes leading away from Faybarrow¡¯s Kilnstone. ¡°Expect to rise early tomorrow morning. Most likely, most of the day will be spent on traveling to our destination and locating the specific coordinates for the ruins, so be prepared. I hope all of you took my warnings into consideration and brought something to entertain yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Which inn are we staying at?¡± Rosa asked.


    ¡°I believe it was called the White Armadillo,¡± Scarlett answered.


    Evelyne had informed her it was one of the better inns in the city. At least of the ones you could get a room in without reserving weeks in advance, or simply having the right connections. Being a baroness still got her this much, though.


    Rosa let out a low whistle. ¡°That¡¯s where a lot of fancy people stay.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her. ¡°You know of it?¡±


    ¡°I played there once.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± She studied the bard. ¡°I will admit, that was not what I would have expected.¡±


    ¡°Oi.¡± Rosa leaned forward in her seat, looking past Adalicia and at her. ¡°I can be sophisticated when I need to.¡±


    ¡°I have witnessed this ¡®sophistication¡¯ of yours,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I believe we have very different definitions of the word.¡±


    Rosa shook her head exaggeratedly. ¡°Oh, woe is me. Not even my dear employer¡ªwhomst with I have braved innumerable treacherous situations¡ªhas confidence in my ability to baroquely articulate myself in front of others.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°¡®Baroquely¡¯?¡±


    The bard nodded confidently. ¡°Baroquely.¡±


    ¡°You sound like one of those street performers who hold doll shows in Elystead,¡± Allyssa said with a grin.


    ¡°Why, you!¡± Rosa turned to stare at the girl. ¡°You dare compare my oratory talents to the verbosity and crudeness of those commonplace performers?¡± She wiped away an imaginary tear. ¡°Truly, all appreciation for pure art has perished.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her. ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    Rosa cocked her head to the side, then nodded her head. ¡°I think so, yes. Though I could probably push a few more out if you want me to.¡±


    Scarlett raised her hand. ¡°No, that will be quite all right. I do not believe anyone would wish to hear more of that.¡±


    Adalicia seemed to have watched this interaction with slight amusement, and finally spoke. ¡°I have been to that inn as well, actually. It is rather pleasant.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scarlett shifted her attention to her. ¡°Then I suppose I will have to take your word for it.¡±


    ¡°Oi!¡± Rosa gave her an aggrieved look.


    Scarlett simply looked out the window again as the carriage continued traveling through the city, pushing down the small smile that had threatened to form on her face. It had been some time since she had genuinely teased someone and enjoyed it. Perhaps Rosa was rubbing off on her.

 Chapter 126 - Fieldtrips

    Scarlett sat on top of a smooth piece of stone, idly flipping through a book on magic theory she had found in the Freybrook mansion¡¯s library. It didn¡¯t cover exactly what Arlene had lectured her about back in Freymeadow, and a lot of its contents honestly went over her head, but some of the concepts described appeared to be at least similar. It was an interesting comparison, at least, considering that quite a bit of time would have passed between when this was written and Arlene¡¯s days.


    As she finished a chapter, she glanced up from the book¡¯s pages to observe Adalicia¡¯s progress.


    They were currently on top of a small hill, and at its center, the wizard was moving back and forth between several metal stands placed around the area. Each held an irregularly shaped crystal that emitted a soft light. The woman had been at it for a while, and it had taken at least an hour or so just to set up all the equipment. Since then, she had been busy calibrating it all according to the data Scarlett had provided her.


    Their group had left Faybarrow early this morning, before the sun had risen, in order to get here as soon as possible. They had traveled eastwards from the city, along the coast, for several hours, until they reached a highland region surrounded by stretching forests. While there were roads through the forests, the carriages couldn¡¯t traverse through the highland, so they¡¯d had to make the rest of the trek on foot, carrying all of Adalicia¡¯s equipment along with them. Or, to be more exact, Fynn and Shin carried it.


    They were searching for a set of Zuverian ruins, but Scarlett had only vaguely remembered where they had been in the game. All she had to go off was that there would be a rather distinct kopje¡ªa tall, mostly flat, stone formation¡ªnearby. But ¡®nearby¡¯ in the game was pretty different from ¡®nearby¡¯ in this world.


    Fynn had been able to spot the stone formation itself relatively quickly, which had assuaged some of Scarlet¡¯s worries, but she didn¡¯t know where to go from there.


    Thankfully, this was exactly why she had wanted to get Adalicia involved in all of this to begin with. Or at least one of the reasons.


    She watched as the wizard leaned over one of the metal stands, inspecting the crystal at its crown. In her left hand, Adalicia held the thick, decorated tome that she always carried on her side, opened so that she could glance down at its pages now and then, while a white light shone above her right hand which she occasionally raised to the crystal.


    The crystals themselves were a kind of surveying device. They were what Adalicia was using to locate their final destination.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t actually been sure how this surveying magic worked before she first discussed it with the woman. She just knew that it was a thing that had been used in one of the quests if you joined Elystead Tower in the game. Now she had a rough idea of the process, though.


    Essentially, the surveying crystals set up by Adalicia scanned for different sorts of energies that were present in the surroundings. The way the crystals were positioned was supposed to help triangulate exactly where the origin of those energies were. It wasn¡¯t too different from how many signal-detecting technologies worked back in Scarlett¡¯s world, though the range didn¡¯t appear to be as impressive as what she was used to.


    These crystals were supposed to be incredibly sensitive¡ªnot to mention expensive¡ªwhich was a necessity if they were to be used to detect anything underground. According to Adalicia, the ground and soil in general were pretty good at absorbing most types of magical energies, so it was very much up to chance when enough would escape so that it could be detected. When it did, it was often in extraordinarily minuscule amounts. That was why you wanted to calibrate these crystals to as many types of energy as possible. Specificity was key. It apparently wasn¡¯t enough to just search for lumomancy-attuned mana, or something ¡®general¡¯ like that, because that wasn¡¯t often what you found out in the real world. Not unless there was a mage specifically going around casting lumomancy-based spells everywhere.


    Because of this, Scarlett had shared what she knew regarding exactly what types of beings were present in the ruins they were looking for. It was basically only undead, but according to Adalicia, it made a difference exactly what type of undead it was, as well as the rough size of the ruins themselves. In addition, Scarlett had also provided some examples of the artifacts that might be inside the ruins, since it seemed those could also have unique signatures that could be detected.


    Adalicia had seemed curious about how detailed Scarlett¡¯s information was, but she hadn¡¯t asked too many questions. Instead, the woman had immediately moved on to comparing the data with a magic database of some kind that she had stored in her tome before starting with her calibrations.


    It had been a while since then. Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure how long, but judging from the sun¡¯s position in the sky, it was currently well past noon. Adalicia had said that there was no telling how long this step would take, but Scarlett was ready to wait the whole day, if necessary.


    ¡°Gnublul!¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice cried out to her left.


    She turned to look at the young Shielder, who was sitting on a rock a short distance away. Fynn and Rosa were in front of her, positioned in a small triangle around each other. The girl placed a card on the ground in front of the other two.


    They were playing a game called Imps & Worms, which Scarlett was only moderately acquainted with. It was apparently based on a ¡®true¡¯ fable where an old farmer had to differentiate between the worms living in his field and imps that sought to eat his gourds. A strange story, if you asked her, but she supposed most fables were.


    Her assumption was that the word Allyssa had just yelled was supposed to be the name of one of the imps, which would hold power over the demon. What she wasn¡¯t sure of was how that feature had become part of the game to begin with. From what she had seen, the fact that names held power over demons didn¡¯t seem to be common knowledge.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that was a worm,¡± Rosa said with a grin. The bard leaned forward to turn over another card that was lying on the ground.


    Allyssa let out a groan as the bard triumphantly grabbed a couple of pebbles from a pile in front of her.


    Next to them, Fynn was hardly paying attention to their actions as he stared down at his own cards with knitted brows. He had been intently focused on the game since it started. Not that Scarlett understood why. He¡¯d won most every game up till now, since he could always tell when the other two were lying. Why they continued playing with him was also a question she lacked an answer to.


    Shaking her head, she looked over to where Shin sat. He was by his lonesome, closer to the middle of the hill where Adalicia worked. Like Scarlett, he was also reading a book, but he was also acting as an assistant of sorts to Adalicia whenever the woman needed help.


    There was a pretty large age difference between the two¡ªthe woman was more than twice his age¡ªbut despite that, they¡¯d seemed to hit it off pretty well during their conversations up till now. They had had several ¡®interesting¡¯ discussions about certain pieces of literature¡ªAllyssa had seemed horrified learning there actually existed people who indulged his hobbies¡ªand the Kereq tribe during the carriage ride here earlier.


    Scarlett returned her attention to her own book, rereading a few passages about the things she didn¡¯t quite understand. She was planning on asking both Adalicia and Arlene about it later.


    After a while, sounds of activity rang out from in front of her, and she looked up again. Shin had moved from his spot as Adalicia rushed over to one of the surveying crystals that had turned a bright yellow. Soon after, four other crystals lit up in the same color. The wizard moved between them all, performing some form of confirmation with her magic, then eventually turned to Scarlett with a pleased expression. ¡°It appears we have found our location.¡±


    Rosa, Fynn, and Allyssa stopped their card game at the announcement.


    Scarlett stood from her seat and walked over to the woman. ¡°Are you certain?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Reasonably so,¡± Adalicia answered. ¡°Three of the surveying nodes detected energies that are likely to belong to a lich, and the remaining two have matched it to another type of energy that has been confirmed to be common in Zuverian ruins.¡±


    ¡°Then let us depart. If we make haste, there is still a chance that we can return to Faybarrow before the day ends.¡±


    Together, they helped pack things up and left the place where they¡¯d made their temporary base. The surrounding highland consisted of rolling hills and slopes with dense forests nestled in the valleys, so trying to find the hidden entrance to the ruins by pure luck would have been extremely difficult. Even with Adalicia guiding them along with her magic, it still took them upwards of forty minutes of arduous journeying before they reached their destination.


    It was a natural quarry of sorts, situated below a narrow ridge etched into a hillside that concealed it from above. The nearby vegetation made it hard to spot from a distance. At the center of the quarry, there was a small basin of water, with steep declines of unstable dirt and rocks leading down to it. Running along the ridge on the opposite end were several cramped cavities burrowing into the cliff. Some were large enough to allow a person to pass through.


    Scarlett scanned across the area. The hidden entrance should be inside one of those cavities. Probably along with a puzzle of some kind that opened it. That would have been the intended way of getting inside the ruins in ¡®Chronicle of Realms¡¯, at least. But, well¡­


    This had been a game, after all. There were few things players hated as much as backtracking through an entire dungeon after finishing it. It wasn¡¯t too uncommon for there to be more than one entrance.


    She looked down towards the bottom of the quarry, pointing down to it. ¡°Fynn. See if you can find an underwater path in that basin.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The white-haired young man sat down the equipment he¡¯d been carrying and set off without a word, effortlessly climbing down the treacherous-looking decline. After reaching the bottom, he only stopped for a moment to look around and gauge its depth before promptly diving into the water.


    ¡°You think they would put the entrance at the bottom of a lake?¡± Allyssa asked, squinting down to where Fynn had disappeared beneath the surface.


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I do not. But it is not the entrance that I am searching for.¡±


    ¡°Zuverian ruins are a rather well-documented subject,¡± Adalicia said. ¡°A factor that is commonly shared among most of the ones that are hidden away in this fashion is that they have a test of some kind that must be solved in order to enter. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely that he will find a path of any kind down there.¡±


    Scarlett turned to the woman. ¡°While you are not wrong in what you say, Miss Mendenhall, there is one other factor to take into consideration here.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what is that?¡±


    A small smile wound itself onto Scarlett¡¯s face as Fynn¡¯s drenched head appeared above the water seconds later. ¡°Laziness,¡± she said.


    Adalicia eyed her. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying the Zuver would have added another entrance out of laziness?¡±


    ¡°Something along those lines, yes.¡±


    ¡°Let me remind you that this was a civilization that had society-wide access to magic capable of teleportation.¡±


    ¡°When you think about it, isn¡¯t that just the epitome of laziness?¡± Rosa asked.


    The woman turned to look at the bard for a moment. ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right in that.¡± She chuckled, turning her gaze down to Fynn as he climbed out of the water.


    ¡°We will see what our young scout has to say about it,¡± Scarlett said as she started climbing down the quarry. The rest followed. They took it slow¡ªso as not to injure themselves¡ªand eventually stopped at the foot of the basin, where a small platform of dry mudstone overlooked the water. Fynn shook his head like a dog a short distance away from them, gusts of wind aggressively blowing away some of the liquid from his hair and clothes.


    Scarlett noticed a glint of interest in Adalicia¡¯s eyes at the casual use of the magic, but the wizard stayed quiet for now.


    She turned to Fynn. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    He stopped trying to dry himself off and faced her. ¡°There was a thin passage leading further in to a small cave, as well as a spot to stop for air.¡±


    Scarlett nodded her head. It was as she expected, then. She looked to the others. ¡°Are there any of you that cannot swim?¡±


    Allyssa gingerly raised her hand. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never even tried it before.¡±


    Next to her, Shin showed a smirk at the confession, which promptly earned him an elbow to the side. With his armor on, though, he simply ignored it, along with the glare Allyssa sent him.


    ¡°Fynn, will you be able to aid her?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The young man gave a nod. ¡°Sure.¡±


    She then turned to Adalicia. ¡°Will you be fine?¡±


    The wizard glanced down at the clear water in front of them. ¡°You appear confident that this passage truly leads into the ruins.¡±


    ¡°I am experienced in the matter of ruins such as these.¡±


    ¡°I am not questioning you. Since we¡¯re already here, I am rather inclined to trust your word.¡± Adalicia looked down at her robes, gently pulling at them. ¡°Unfortunately, however, I will admit that it has never crossed my mind to enchant these in order to be prepared for underwater activities of any kind. Perhaps I should have.¡±


    She reached for the tome attached to her waist, pulling it up and opening a certain page that was covered in columns. As she tapped on one of the columns, it lit up and a thin bracelet appeared in her hand.


    Scarlett eyed the tome with interest. ¡°Is that a spatial enchantment?¡±


    ¡°It is, though its size is nothing to brag about. I had the Vice-Dean of the Elystead Tower help in making it, and, well¡­ You¡¯ve met the man.¡± Adalicia put the bracelet on her right forearm. ¡°I had almost forgotten I had this item. It allows the wearer to survive without breathing for almost ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Then I take it you will manage on your own?¡±


    ¡°I would hope so.¡±


    Scarlett examined the bracelet for a moment. Maybe she should try to get her hands on something like that as well. Although that would have to be left for another day.


    She turned back to the others. ¡°Then let us not delay any further.¡±


    People began removing the equipment that would be in the way, placing it into the [Bag of Juham]. Shin took off his armor; Allyssa, her cape and bandolier¡ªwhich was now the [Alchemist¡¯s Potion Belt (Epic)] that Scarlett had decided to lend her¡ªand Rosa placed her klert into the bag. Fynn, of course, didn¡¯t even bother, and Scarlett used her [Charm of Expeditious Change] to slip into some clothes that she had prepared for this. It was a relatively light set that still protected her modesty.


    The others gave her curious looks at the sudden display of the artifact¡¯s magic, and Rosa even let out an envious whistle.


    Fynn was the first one to jump into the water again, followed by Allyssa and Shin. Then it was Rosa¡¯s turn. The bard let out a small cry as she hit the water, complaining about the cold, but she soon disappeared under the surface after the others.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Scarlett asked, looking at Adalicia as the woman set up some sort of barrier around the surveying equipment they had brought with them. It was too large to fit in the [Bag of Juham], so they would have to leave it here.


    When Adalicia finished, she gestured for her to go first. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be a bit behind the rest of you. I¡¯m not as spry as you younger people, and I did not think to bring another set of clothes that was more suitable. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Scarlett gave the woman a nod before turning back to the water. The thought of jumping in with her clothes still on honestly irked her slightly, but there was nothing to do but clench her teeth and get it over with. She would not be removing them, that was for sure.


    Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and let herself drop into the pool.


    It was cold. Her eyes closed as her head was quickly submerged and her feet touched the bottom soon after. She almost instinctually wanted to use her pyrokinesis to warm herself up, but she pushed those thoughts to the side as she opened her eyes and looked around. The water was clear enough, and there was enough light coming from above that she could spot the passage that Fynn had talked about.


    She started moving. It had been years since she last went swimming, but she used to be decent enough, at least. And she wasn¡¯t quite as physically weak now as when she had first arrived in this world, so she had assumed it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Now, though, she realized she had underestimated how much her clothes would slow down her movements. It was like swimming with weights around her limbs, even when she had purposefully changed into a lighter set. She hadn¡¯t swum with clothes on since she was a kid, so she hadn¡¯t thought it would be this annoying.


    It took her several heavy motions to reach the opening of the passage, and her lungs were already starting to strain. Had she perhaps overestimated how strong she had gotten as well? How far was it to the first air pocket? The water turned darker only a few arm¡¯s lengths in front of her, so it was hard to know, but she could see a faint light ahead.


    She kicked her legs in an attempt to get some extra movement, then stopped as a thought came to her.


    Maybe she could make things easier for herself?


    With a mental push, she tried using her hydrokinesis to control the water around her, moving it along with her. She almost let her breath escape when she was grabbed hold of by a stronger current than she expected. [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] saved her from getting cut on the stone around her as she was pushed forward. A few seconds after, she reached the light she¡¯d seen, surfacing in a small space that was slightly wider than her shoulders. It was illuminated by a patch of glowing moss growing on the wall.


    She took several deep breaths, trying to ignore her hammering heart and the chill that was invading her bones.


    Using her hydrokinesis here felt easier than usual. Did that have something to do with the fact that she was surrounded by such a large body of water? Most of the time, she only conjured her own or used existing water in small amounts, so if there was a difference, she had missed it. Perhaps it was something she should look into later, when she had the chance.


    For now, she took one last breath before diving again. Fynn and the others were probably already on the other side.


    Using her magic to move herself along¡ªslower and more controlled this time, since it was even darker now and she almost had to feel her way forward¡ªshe eventually reached what looked to be the end of the passage. There, when she broke the water¡¯s surface, she found herself in a small cavern lit up by the pale yellow of a lit lamp.


    The others sat on the stone floor of the cave nearby, turning to look at her.


    She swam over to the edge of the water, climbing up onto the rough stone as she gasped for air. Then she looked back at them. Their hair and clothes were completely drenched as they stood bunched around a lump of red goo that emitted waves of heat from it.


    Allyssa must have brought out one of her concoctions.


    Feeling herself start to shiver, Scarlett pushed down the urge to snap at the others to stop looking at her. She waved her hand, and masses of water rose from her and the others¡¯ bodies, floating through the space as she returned it to the small pool behind her. Then she used her pyrokinesis to start heating up the air in the cave, breathing out as the chill slowly faded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± Allyssa said in an appreciative tone, arms hugged around herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s convenient, I¡¯ll tell you that,¡± Rosa chimed in. ¡°You could make a business out of this.¡±


    The woman leaned to the side as she started squeezing out the last bits of dampness lingering in her hair. ¡°This¡¯ll be torture for my curls, though. They get all frizzy when warmed like this.¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer if I refrained from drying you?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The bard showed a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡±


    Shin looked behind Scarlett. ¡°Is Miss Adalicia not coming after you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I believe she might take some time, still,¡± she answered casually, shifting her attention to the cave beyond them. It didn¡¯t stretch on for long, ending in just more stone. There was a narrow slit in it, though, through which looked to be a smooth stone wall. A crack in that wall revealed a dark room.


    ¡°There are undead that way,¡± Fynn said, a frown on his brow as he looked in the same direction.


    ¡°Yes, we will deal with them soon enough. For now, you should all prepare yourselves as we wait for Miss Mendenhall.¡±


    Scarlett continued using her pyrokinesis to warm them up¡ªit didn¡¯t take too much mana using it like this¡ªas they waited for Adalicia. When she felt she was dry enough, she changed into her normal set of clothes, appreciative of the convenience afforded by the [Charm of Expeditious Change]. Eventually, the older woman appeared, her dark hair clinging to the sides of her face and shoulders as she surfaced and hurriedly swam towards them.


    ¡°I must say,¡± Adalicia said, a slight quiver to her voice as she climbed up on land. ¡°I never quite expected that this would be what I was agreeing to back when we first met, Baroness. Never before have I heard of someone that had to swim to enter a Zuverian ruin.¡±


    Scarlett raised an amused eyebrow. Wonder how the woman would react when she learned of Beld Thylelion¡¯s existence.


    ¡°I hope it did not prove too uncomfortable an experience.¡± She raised a hand and used her hydrokinesis to remove most of the water from the woman, then started warming her with her pyrokinesis.


    The wizard paused for a moment, studying her curiously. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting use of hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis. I was under the impression that you weren¡¯t a mage?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°Or, at least, I do not believe most would class me as such. However, that does not mean I do not have a few tricks up my sleeves, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°I would like to meet those who would consider such a masterful application of magic a mere trick.¡± Adalicia watched as the liquid drawn from her clothes returned to the body of water behind her. ¡°I know several Master Docent Wizards who wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate what you just did. At least not as effortlessly.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that is a consolation to the fact that I do not know any spells.¡±


    The woman gave her a surprised look. ¡°Truly?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Truly. You could say I have a natural affinity for pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis. The same does not apply for spells, however.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The woman creased her forehead. ¡°That is certainly strange. I can scarcely comprehend how you learned the one without the other.¡±


    ¡°Some trial and error was involved, but it mostly came naturally. That is all I can say.¡±


    Adalicia observed her for a while longer. ¡°Curious¡­¡±


    Scarlett turned back to the others and gestured at the opening that led to the room beyond. ¡°Leaving that aside for now, we can continue whenever you feel sufficiently prepared.¡±

 Chapter 127 - Is it graverobbing if theyre undead?

    Scarlett and the others entered a dark room made of precisely cut gray stone and which looked like it had seen no living things passing through it for ages. The air was stale, with overturned shelves and tables spread out before them, covered in the dirt and dust that had accumulated over the long years.


    Adalicia conjured a set of small orbs of light that lit up the space. The orbs were a curious sight on their own; somehow both incredibly bright in the light they provided, yet when you looked at them, they appeared little stronger than ordinary candles.


    At the far end of the room, there were a couple of slab-like coffers next to a pile of what might have been broken magical equipment lying in the corner. Scarlett scanned across the walls, noting several empty sconces and some with cracked dark green crystals in them. Zuverian carvings were etched into the stone here and there as well.


    Fynn pointed towards a long corridor leading out of the room. ¡°The undead is down there.¡±


    ¡°Then let us first deal with it before we investigate this area,¡± Scarlett said.


    They moved forward as a group, with Fynn and Shin at the front. As they reached the corridor¡¯s mouth, Adalicia somehow made her light bend so that it didn¡¯t travel too far. That was certainly convenient.


    Scarlett pulled out her enchanted glasses and put them on, peering down the passage. There was a chamber beyond, consisting of a vast hall that had pillars running down the middle. Rows of stone seats were arranged in front of a grey dais that stood atop a platform at the head of the chamber, with a skeletal shape floating in the air above it. The figure was dressed in worn red robes, holding a long staff in its right hand.


    It was this dungeon¡¯s last boss. A lich.


    Normally, an opponent like this would call for a bit of caution, but¡­


    Scarlett glanced at Adalicia and the rest of her group.


    Both pyromancy and lumomancy¡ªone of Adalicia¡¯s specialties¡ªwere counters to undead, and Scarlett¡¯s party was pretty good at teaming up against lonesome opponents. Not to mention that Adalicia was a grand wizard. The woman might not focus on battle magic, but she was still a pretty powerful mage in her own right. In the game, a grand wizard or mage was at minimum level 60, so if Scarlett¡¯s estimations were correct, Adalicia would either be similar to Garside in strength or stronger. Considering this dungeon wasn¡¯t at the same level as the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt, they didn¡¯t have too much to worry about.


    She gestured for Fynn and Shin to proceed. Rosa used her magic to buff their group as the two young men moved ahead. Scarlett had already used the [Charm of Expedient Change] to equip everything but her [Tiara of Lost Benediction] and followed behind them.


    The moment Fynn stepped foot into the chamber, the lich at the head of the room spun around. A pair of bright red eyes locked onto the young man, pure hatred in its gaze.


    A blazing beam of light tore across the hall and engulfed its entire left arm. Large parts of its robes disintegrated under the attack, and its skeleton was left black and charred.


    Scarlett turned to look at Adalicia. The woman¡¯s tome was floating in the air beside her, and a set of runes dissipated into thin air in front of her hand. That had to have been [Radiant Surge], a spell that had existed in the game as well. It looked a lot more dangerous in person than it did in front of a screen.


    The lich let out an enraged scream that echoed across the room. It raised its other arm and a green light formed around its staff. Three rays shot out from it, arching towards Shin and Fynn. Shin raised his shield and blocked two of them, but the blow forced him several steps back. Fynn managed to dodge the one aimed at him, sprinting through the chamber like a madman. Even the lich seemed shocked at the speed with which he reached it, trying to float back as the young man jumped to slash at it in the air. Several more spells were conjured up just to keep him in check, and the others in their party took the opportunity to close the distance themselves.


    Another streak of light from Adalicia slammed into the lich¡¯s side, burning even more of its robes and body. When Scarlett got close enough, she followed the attack up by forming a conflagration of flames that stuck to the lich¡¯s upper half just as Fynn leaped up to strike at it from underneath once more.


    It didn¡¯t take long for their group to finish it off from there. Within a minute, what remained of the lich fell to the ground like a charred husk, leaving the chamber silent.


    ¡°That¡­was fast,¡± Allyssa muttered near Scarlett. The girl hadn¡¯t been given much chance to do anything that fight.


    ¡°There still remain other undead in these ruins,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Though, in truth, they are likely to provide even less of a challenge.¡±


    She looked around the space as she walked up to where Fynn and Shin already stood, next to the boss¡¯ remains. The staff that the lich had used lay next to it, as well as what was left of its robes.


    [Ruby Infused Warden Staff (Epic)]


    {A staff infused with the rage of its caster, empowering attacks}


    [Scorched Robes of Sorcerous Synergy (Epic)]


    {This robe was once made of fine fabrics and steeped in powerful magic, but has since fallen into disrepair. What remains of it is but a shadow of what it once was}


    Her eyes lingered on the robes and their tattered state. Not only were they old and fragile, but the fight really had dealt a number to them as well. She hadn¡¯t cared much about holding back in fights like this before, since most items they found weren¡¯t taken from the bodies of those they defeated, but this was a bit of a waste, wasn¡¯t it?


    The description still said the robes were epic-tier even after all the damage, but it had been the same back when she looted all of that Cabal Adept equipment. And only some of that had actually been sellable. In the future, it might be good to be more careful when possible.


    ¡­Hopefully this one wasn¡¯t a lost cause.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    For now, she instructed Fynn to place both items in the [Bag of Juham]. She would look over them later, but she didn¡¯t have too much interest in keeping either. A staff was far too unwieldy to carry around, in her opinion. Even if it was incredibly powerful, she knew several other items she would prefer. And the robes would only be useful to her if she could transfer the enchantment to another piece of clothing. Something worth looking into, but considering their current state, she didn¡¯t have high hopes.


    She turned to the others. ¡°Since we have dealt with the most immediate of the threats, we can search this area before we proceed to the next sections.¡± Adalicia¡¯s interest seemed fixed on the dais on the platform where the boss had been. ¡°Miss Mendenhall. You can, of course, do whatsoever you wish for the time being.¡±


    The wizard gave her an appreciative smile before walking up to examine the dais closer.


    Scarlett directed Allyssa and Shin to start going around the room and gather anything that looked valuable and like they could bring it with them. Modern archeologists would have despised her for her crimes against their craft, but she honestly didn¡¯t care too much.


    She brought Fynn and Rosa along as they returned to the first room, inspecting it closer. There appeared to be plenty of lootable things in here. At a closer look, not all the crystals hanging from sconces on the walls seemed cracked, so those would definitely be coming with them. Evelyne had told her Zuverian light crystals sold for a decent amount. The old magical equipment in the corner probably held some value to the various mage towers as well, even if some of it was broken. There were also plenty of smaller trinkets and baubles spread out on the shelves, including the occasional Zuverian gold coin.


    While all of that caught her attention, her main focus was on the coffers at the end of the room.


    She walked over to them, eyeing the symbols etched into the stone slabs on top of them. There were two coffers, each bearing the same designs. She didn¡¯t understand Zuverian, but she knew roughly what to expect.


    Calling over Fynn, she had him remove the slabs. The heavy stones slammed into the floor with loud thuds as he pushed them off, and clouds of dust spread through the room. Scarlett scrunched her nose for a moment as she waited for it to come to a rest, then took in the coffers¡¯ contents.


    Next to her, Rosa let out an impressed whistle.


    The coffer to the left was filled with gleaming gold coins. Judging from how much Scarlett knew one Zuverian coin to be worth, she estimated that there was somewhere between 50 000 to 100 000 solars worth of gold here.


    The second coffer didn¡¯t hold any gold. Instead, there were only two items. A scale made of clear silver, unmarred by the passage of time but with no other notable features, as well as a small grey cube that held a clear surface.


    [Scale of Reconciliation (Epic)]


    {That which was once one may now be two, but there is always place for reunification}


    [Cube of Instant Katabasis (Epic)]


    {One may find themself facing an untenable situation, yet the one that has tomorrow always prevails}


    While there were several reasons for Scarlett to keep exploring Zuverian ruins like this one, this here was the reason she had wanted to clear this ruin in particular. The second item, especially, was something she wanted in preparation for what they would do once Gaven returned from his mission.


    She picked up both artifacts and placed them in her [Pouch of Holding]. Then she spent some time gathering up all the gold from the other coffer with Fynn¡¯s and Rosa¡¯s help. After that, they collected the rest of the items in the room before returning to the chamber where Adalicia and the others were.


    The wizard was still standing up on the platform, leaning over the dais there as she inspected it. Scarlett told Fynn and Rosa to help Allyssa and Shin, then approached Adalicia.


    The woman looked up as she came near, then gestured at the dais. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    Scarlett looked down at it. Despite seemingly being made of simple stone, the design of the dais was fairly intricate. It had elaborate inscriptions covering most of its base and carved into its face was a mess of complicated lines and symbols written in the Zuverian tongue. There were a few cracks in the stone, and some of the symbols weren¡¯t entirely legible, but it seemed in a better state than some of its surroundings at least.


    ¡°I do not,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of relic sometimes found in places like this one where the Zuver resided, often referred to as a Tabernacle. It¡¯s believed that they are related to how the Zuver created the Kilnstones and other artifacts like them.¡± There was a certain passion in Adalicia¡¯s voice as she ran a hand over the dais. ¡°Unfortunately, no one has been able to completely decipher how they work. Most of the ones that have been found and successfully recovered have all been in relatively poor condition. The most well-preserved one is on the Rising Isle, and even that one has been worn down by time.¡±


    Scarlett looked over the ¡®Tabernacle¡¯ once more. If that was how it was, then she did know of it. Not only had these relics been mentioned in some of the texts that she had studied about the Zuverian civilization since arriving in this world, but they had also been present in the game to some degree. It was thanks to one of these that you could reach Beld Thylelion if you were playing the good route.


    Adalicia bent closer to the Tabernacle, studying a row of symbols at its center. ¡°The expedition I was part of on the Rising Isle included both mages from Elystead Tower, the Ustrum Assembly, and the Isle. It¡¯s been ages since something on the same scale was arranged, and part of our work actually involved these Tabernacles. I am far from what you might call an expert on them, but I do consider myself somewhat experienced.¡±


    She pulled up the tome fastened to her waist, flicking to a certain page that had numerous sigils engraved on it. They glowed as she moved her hand over them, and some of the symbols on the Tabernacle started glowing in response.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s curious¡­¡± the woman muttered. ¡°It seems to alter its response on its own, for some reason. I wonder why that is¡­?¡±


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was ¡®curious¡¯ about that, but Adalicia opened another page in her tome and started jotting things down with a pen she had gotten from somewhere.


    ¡°¡­From your description, it would seem this is a relic that most of the mage towers would desire access to,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure how much there is to be learned from this one that we don¡¯t already know,¡± Adalicia answered, not looking away from her notes. ¡°The ones that have been encountered up till now have all had some rather complex safeguards, so there is only so much we can do with what limited tools we have. That said, other than the one on the Rising Isle, this is the most well-kept one I¡¯ve seen, so there¡¯s bound to be some interest.¡±


    ¡°Then I presume Elystead Tower will be eager for the opportunity to procure it for themselves, would they not? Before any other faction has the chance.¡±


    The wizard paused, turning her head to look at Scarlett. A small smile formed on her face. ¡°You¡¯re most likely correct. Though I imagine those in charge of our finances won¡¯t be as appreciative.¡±


    ¡°I am sure we can come to an agreement,¡± Scarlett said. She looked down at the Tabernacle.


    It was too large for them to take with them. Removing it wasn¡¯t an option, since it was most likely fastened to the platform beneath. However, they were the only ones aware of the location of these ruins, and Adalicia was unlikely to reveal it to anyone¡ªeven the people from her own tower¡ªsince they had an agreement. Scarlett only had to have Evelyne contact the people from Elystead Tower and tell them they would sell the information about this place to them first, as well as the Tabernacle in it, if they gave a good offer. All the annoying stuff could be left to the mages themselves this time.


    She turned around to leave. ¡°Continue here for as long as you wish. I will leave Mister Thornthon with you in case you have need of him. The rest of us will begin to explore the rest of these ruins.¡±


    Adalicia gave her a small nod before returning her full attention to her work, and Scarlett walked over to where the others were moving around the room. Hopefully, if they finished everything up here quick enough, they would all be back in Faybarrow before midnight.

 Chapter 128 - Late-night talks

    [Quest completed: Cleared Zuverian Ruins]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}


    Scarlett squeezed out of a narrow slit ahead of her, exiting from inside the cave wall she had been in to the natural quarry where her party had originally started. It had turned dark now, with a quiet air hanging over the space and the nearby forest as the stars shone down on them from above. She looked around and brought out her enchanted glasses to see better. It seemed they were close to the top of the quarry.


    They had just spent several hours clearing the Zuverian ruins until they ended up at the intended entrance to the place. A fact that had spared them the trouble of having to retread their path and swim back out. She was thankful for that much.


    The other members of her group climbed out of the opening behind her, and soon, they were all gathered outside. Adalicia was the last to exit, and Scarlett studied her for a moment.


    It didn¡¯t seem like the wizard was quite as used to all this exploring and moving around as the rest of them. Traversing the dungeon¡ªas well as the trek there¡ªhad taken its toll on her. It probably hadn¡¯t helped that Adalicia had moved back and forth all the time, inspecting almost every part of the ruins and taking extensive notes for later perusal.


    That wasn¡¯t to say the rest of them had been idle. In addition to dealing with all the enemies and traps that were present, they¡¯d been gathering as many things as they could. At the rate Scarlett¡¯s party was gaining experience with this kind of thing, they could probably be considered professional tomb raiders by now.


    Like in Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion, they had eventually reached the limit of the [Bag of Juham]¡¯s and the [Pouch of Holding]¡¯s storage capacity, but fortunately, that was only towards the end. The only things they didn¡¯t bring with them were minor baubles that Adalicia said weren¡¯t too valuable and the items that were too large or literally nailed down, like the Tabernacle.


    Whatever was left would be left to the mage towers. In this case, that probably only meant Elystead Tower, though Scarlett would be selling some of her own loot to the other towers as well. But for now, they were done here. There wasn¡¯t much else to see in this area, and it was late, so next, they would be returning to the city.


    Later that night, Scarlett was sitting in a small private lounge inside the inn they were staying at in Faybarrow. Her hands held a thin pile of documents given to her by Evelyne. She¡¯d delayed reading through them up till now. It wasn¡¯t anything too important¡ªjust another report on current business dealings and other fief affairs Scarlett wasn¡¯t too familiar with¡ªbut it was something to while away her time with, at least.


    Recently, she had gotten into the habit of going to sleep a lot later than usual. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure why. Perhaps it was related to how busy she¡¯d been lately, or maybe she accidentally reversed her sleep-wake cycle at some point without noticing it. Stress could also be a reason, though she didn¡¯t feel stressed. Simply¡­bogged down, at times.


    The reason wasn¡¯t too important. She honestly didn¡¯t mind it too much. There was a relaxing quality to staying up late and working, even if you weren¡¯t doing anything special. It just made her feel more productive, and that relaxed her somehow.


    Although she really shouldn¡¯t stay up too long tonight. They had two more days scheduled here in Faybarrow, both of which she was free to do whatever she wanted. She was planning on having them wake up early so that they could go out and try to find a couple more dungeons if possible. She wasn¡¯t too familiar with this area, nor could she think of any items she needed from around here¡ªmost dungeons here didn¡¯t go past the level 40 range¡ªbut it never hurt to collect extra loot and skill points when she could.


    She suspected that Adalicia might want to stay here in Faybarrow and go over what she had found in the Zuverian ruins. The woman wasn¡¯t technically part of Scarlett¡¯s party like the others were, so there was no point in forcing her to join them on excursions that weren¡¯t part of their agreement. They didn¡¯t really need her help anyway.


    Scarlett continued reading through the documents for a while longer, enjoying a cup of tea that she kept warm with her pyrokinesis. It had probably passed midnight by the time she heard the sound of footsteps on wood from the hall connecting to the lounge. Looking up, she spotted Rosa¡¯s distinct brown curls peek around the corner into the room as the woman soon met her eyes.


    ¡°Miss Hale,¡± she said, studying the bard¡¯s rundown appearance. Rosa was wearing a light grey shirt with a ruffled pair of pants that looked like they might have been thrown on with little thought. ¡°I thought you would be in bed by now.¡±


    The woman had used a lot of her magic today, mostly to provide the rest of them with energy as they trekked back from the ruins. It was only to be expected that she would be tired. The only reason Scarlett managed through it all was because of that very same magic and the stamina boost she got from the [Mark of the Staunch].


    Rosa showed a weak smile as she stepped into the lounge. ¡°I was. Didn¡¯t go too well, though, so I thought I¡¯d wander around a bit and clear my mind.¡±


    ¡°Truly? This is not the first mention I have heard of this. Marlon reported that you do the same in the mansion at times,¡± Scarlett said.


    The bard¡¯s smile turned into an awkward grin as she scratched the back of her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t think anyone had noticed that. It¡¯s an old habit of mine. I get antsy easily when I stay in one place for too long.¡±


    ¡°Are you not satisfied with your current circumstances? With working for me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m about as satisfied as I can get. You couldn¡¯t force me to give this gig up even if you dragged me away screaming and fighting. Old habits just die hard and all that, you know?¡±


    Scarlett observed the woman for a few seconds. She doubted that was all there was to it, but as usual, Rosa was very tightlipped with her troubles. And with the deal Scarlett had made with the being possessing the woman, it was risky for her to pry too deep.


    ¡°¡­Do you wish to take a seat?¡± She gestured at a round table that was next to her, which had three empty chairs beside it.


    Scarlett could have sworn she spotted a look of relief pass over Rosa¡¯s face, though it was gone as quickly as it appeared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± the bard said as she casually walked over to sit down on the chair opposite her.


    Scarlett eyed her for a second before returning her attention to the documents in her hands. Both of them were silent.


    A scene like this wasn¡¯t too uncommon between the two of them nowadays, with Rosa often visiting her office and lazing around as Scarlett worked. This time, though, it felt slightly more awkward than normal, and she found her gaze traveling back to the quiet bard repeatedly. Maybe it was because they weren¡¯t in the mansion that she had a hard time concentrating like this. Shutting the woman¡¯s antics out was otherwise a habit she had practically ingrained in her spirit.


    Eventually, she placed her papers down on the table and turned to Rosa.


    The woman looked up at her with a somewhat perplexed expression.


    ¡°¡­I had been meaning to ask,¡± Scarlett began. ¡°The items that I gave you. Did you find them useful?¡±


    Rosa blinked, clearly not having expected Scarlett to initiate a conversation. After a moment, she nodded. ¡°Sure did. Feels strange strolling around with stuff that¡¯s probably worth more than what I could have earned over a decade of tavern-hopping, though.¡±


    Besides the [Prayer of Devotion (Epic)] that Scarlett had given Rosa a while back, the woman had also been given the [Death¡¯s Shadow (Epic)] from Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion as well as an [Earring of the Split Mind (Epic)] that they had looted from one of the other dungeons near Autumnwell.


    The first of the two gave immunity to a certain amount of dark damage¡ªwhich Scarlett hoped could prove useful to Rosa in the future¡ªand the other was a red jade earring that made it easier to concentrate on several things at the same time. Scarlett had considered keeping it, but with all the other items she had taken for herself lately, she eventually decided Rosa could make better use of it. Thanks to that, the bard could now maintain up to four different buffs and effects at the same time for short periods. That alone was incredibly helpful to the rest of the party.


    ¡°I understand your sentiment,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It was the same for me. But you will grow accustomed to it, eventually.¡±


    Rosa gave her a dubious look. ¡°Lady ¡®I-wear-a-different-thousand-solar-dress-every-day¡¯ feels uncomfortable parading her expensive jewellery? To think, even nobles share the woes of us common folk.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. It wasn¡¯t her fault she had so many dresses. What was she supposed to do? Jewellery, she could sell. But dresses? It wasn¡¯t like there were any second-hand shops for aristocratic clothing in this world.


    ¡­Or maybe there were?


    Well, whatever. They weren¡¯t desperate for money anymore, so it wasn¡¯t as if she was going to get rid of the dresses now. She might even buy new ones if she felt like it. Maybe.


    Probably not.


    Although, she should get one for the Tyndall Ball next month, shouldn¡¯t she? That was the sort of thing where you¡¯d be looked down upon if you wore something old and people learned of it, right? She would have to double-check with Evelyne.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    And she also had to send another letter to Beldon Tyndall. He had replied to her request of getting an invitation to the ball, saying that arranging that could prove slightly difficult even for him. He would consider it though, since he ¡®really wanted to meet her again¡¯.


    Knowing how that man worked, she¡¯d interpreted that as him saying she would have to give him something he wanted if she needed an invitation. She had been considering what piece of information she should share that both wasn¡¯t too important but still something that Mirage wanted. There were a couple of minor tidbits of quest-related info that might fit the bill, but she would look into it further when she got back to Freybrook.


    ¡°¡­Hey, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to ask,¡± Rosa suddenly spoke in a low tone.


    Scarlett returned her attention to the woman, who looked uncharacteristically solemn, when another set of footsteps sounded out from the hallway outside.


    Rosa paused, looking towards the lounge¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°It appears as if you are not the only one with an interest in late-night walks,¡± Scarlett said.


    They¡¯d reserved this entire section of the inn for themselves, so the only ones that would be moving around here would be members of their group.


    ¡°Darnation.¡± Rosa pouted, any previous hint of seriousness gone. ¡°And here I thought I was unique.¡±


    Scarlett simply shook her head at the bard¡¯s act. The moment after, Adalicia appeared in the room¡¯s opening.


    ¡°I thought I heard voices,¡± the wizard said, observing the two of them. ¡°So it was you. Baroness, Miss Hale. I hope the night greets you well?¡±


    ¡°As well as one might expect,¡± Scarlett replied, giving a nod in greeting.


    Rosa leaned back in her chair. ¡°Same, but opposite.¡±


    Adalicia offered a small¡ªand perhaps slightly befuddled¡ªsmile in return. She was dressed in long white dress-like robes that reached the floor and had her long hair hanging freely behind her. Standing there, with that gentle expression on her face, Scarlett felt that the woman exuded a very motherly nature. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting anything.¡±


    ¡°Even if you were, I would not mind,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°While Miss Hale can offer surprisingly profound snippets of wisdom at times, most of what leaves her mouth is best left ignored, lest you find yourself tearing out your own hair in exasperation.¡±


    A theatrical gasp left Rosa as she raised a hand to her mouth. ¡°To think you consider me wise. I have never felt so complimented in my life.¡±


    Scarlett gestured to the bard. ¡°Like so.¡±


    Adalicia gave the both of them an amused look. ¡°You two certainly have a unique relationship.¡±


    ¡°I believe ¡®unique¡¯ is one way of describing it, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡®Astounding¡¯ is another,¡± Rosa said. ¡°As is ¡®enviable¡¯, ¡®eye-popping¡¯, and ¡®passionate¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Of which ¡®astounding¡¯ I believe is the only one which holds a sliver of truth to it,¡± Scarlett added.


    Adalicia chuckled. ¡°I rather do think I¡¯m interrupting something.¡±


    Scarlett let out a small sigh. ¡°Forgive me. You are not. Was there something you wanted? As with Miss Hale, I would have expected you to be asleep at this time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m getting any sleep done tonight.¡± The wizard shook her head gently. ¡°I¡¯ve been poring over the notes I have from the ruins since we got back, trying to decipher and compare what we found with what I have on record. I want to at least determine what the purpose of these particular ruins was before I return to Elystead. If my suspicions are right, I won¡¯t have much time to do it there.¡±


    Scarlett arched a curious brow. ¡°And why is that, if I might ask?¡±


    Adalicia showed a slightly tired smile. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you with too many of the details, but we recently finally received word that the Dean will be returning after Ittar-knows how long of being unreachable. Knowing how these things have gone in the past, I will have my hands full with that for at least a few weeks.¡±


    The woman¡¯s tone was that of someone annoyed at an itinerant uncle for forgetting to show up at the last family gathering.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you are aware,¡± she continued, ¡°but the Elystead Tower has also been working together with the Ustrum Assembly, the Shields Guild, and several of the knight orders to deal with what¡¯s happening with the Tribe of Sin lately. Matters like those aren¡¯t technically part of my responsibility as an official of the Tower, but it does help in making things more busy in general.¡±


    ¡°It is unfortunate that it is causing you more stress.¡±


    ¡°It is what it is.¡± Adalicia pointed to one of the empty chairs between Scarlett and Rosa. ¡°I had been meaning to take a short break. May I take a seat?¡±


    Scarlett glanced at Rosa. The bard had clearly been meaning to bring something up before Adalicia got here¡­


    Rosa just smiled. ¡°You won¡¯t find me protesting.¡±


    Eyeing her for a moment longer, Scarlett eventually signaled for Adalicia to sit. ¡°Feel free.¡±


    The woman walked over and sat down. ¡°Today has been quite hectic, hasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not often I have the opportunity to leave the tower and move about like this, but all of you seem rather comfortable with it. It¡¯s at times like these I realize I¡¯m not as young as I used to be.¡±


    ¡°Really? I wouldn¡¯t have pegged you past your twentieth summer,¡± Rosa said in a sugary voice.


    Adalicia let out a small laugh. ¡°There¡¯s no need for flattery. I don¡¯t have any grey hairs yet, but it¡¯s been a few years since I was doing my apprenticeship. You two would do well to heed my warning and take care of yourselves now, while you still can. I used to think the obstinate old men at the tower exaggerated with their grumblings about their ¡®elderly woes¡¯, but you¡¯ll be surprised at how early your body starts to complain after one too many nights spent leaning across a desk straining your eyes at dusty old texts.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± An amused tone found its way into Rosa¡¯s voice and she turned to look at Scarlett.


    Scarlett met her look. ¡°Is there something you wish to say, Miss Hale?¡±


    ¡°Nope, nope.¡± The woman turned away. ¡°Just reminded me of someone I used to know. Old Baronetess Sharlet Dartford. You¡¯d find her huddled inside her poky little office six days out of five, doing who-knows-what with what-knows-who until her pupils fell out. But you¡¯re nothing like her. Nuh-uh.¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. She wasn¡¯t ¡®huddled¡¯ inside her office all the time. In fact, she actively avoided it when she could. Didn¡¯t she? She hated paperwork and things like that just as much as other people. Probably more. The only reason she still did some of it was that she knew there was a lot she wasn¡¯t doing.


    ¡°Yes, well, perhaps you should ask this ¡®Baronetess Dartford¡¯ if she would not be willing to employ your services instead,¡± she said. ¡°I am sure that she will be enthusiastic about the opportunity to procure such a competent, not to mention soon-to-be-unwaged, personage for her services.¡±


    Rosa fluttered her eyebrows at her. ¡°Have I ever said how lucky I am to have such a charming, magnificent employer? With red hair that flows like a river of molten gold, framing a face that could launch a thousand ships and a gaze as piercing as the sun, I dare say your voice could command the very stars in the sky. If there ever was a vision of power and beauty, of a queen among mortals, then I am sure it must be my dear employer.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her, holding back the long sigh that wanted to escape. ¡°¡­That is quite enough adulation, thank you. You can disregard my previous words.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The grin on the bard¡¯s face was far too large. ¡°I¡¯ve got a whole notebook filled out with these, if you want to hear more. Of course, even serenades pale in comparison to reality.¡±


    Scarlett opened her mouth, then paused, squinting at the woman. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Rosa shrugged. ¡°I was bored one afternoon.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sure your reason for this was entirely due to pure admiration, and not some debased predilection for causing me discomfort, yes?¡±


    The woman nodded. ¡°Surely.¡±


    Scarlett brought a hand to her forehead as she closed her eyes. ¡°Were it not so late, I would have had half a mind to command you to fetch it only so that I could ensure its incineration right here and now.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You would burn the work I poured so much passion and effort into?¡±


    ¡°Without hesitation.¡±


    The woman grinned once again. ¡°As cold as ever.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t bother replying to that, and the conversation entered into a brief lull as silence fell over the three of them. Feeling no inclination to speak up herself, Scarlett simply leaned back in her seat, letting her thoughts drift off to where they would go tomorrow. Adalicia and Rosa similarly seemed to occupy themselves with thoughts of their own. This time, it wasn¡¯t an awkward silence, and they sat like that for a while.


    Eventually, Adalicia turned to look at Rosa. ¡°Miss Hale. There was something that caught my interest earlier today, and I had been intending to ask you about it. Feel free to not answer if it isn¡¯t something you wish to share.¡±


    Rosa looked back at the woman with a laid-back smile. ¡°Shoot.¡±


    ¡°It was related to the style of magic that you practice. It is a variety of bardic charms, isn¡¯t it? I have read of them before, but this is the first time I have ever encountered someone making use of them. I¡¯ve heard it is a very difficult magic to grasp.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s ears perked up. The matter of Rosa¡¯s magic was something she was curious about as well. She hadn¡¯t even heard the term bardic charms before, so this was news to her.


    Rosa touched a hand to her chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know about it being difficult, but it can certainly be a bit tricky to get a hang of at first. If I¡¯d brought my klert with me, I could have showed you right now, but it¡¯s back in my room.¡±


    ¡°That is quite alright.¡± Adalicia held up a hand. ¡°I know myself well enough to know it would be a poor idea to delve into another fascinating subject matter when I¡¯m already in the middle of this one. Perhaps if we are given another chance in the future, I would appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never said no to someone wanting to hear my music,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Whenever you have the time, just say the word. Unless we¡¯re in the middle of being eaten by a giant gator or something like that. There aren¡¯t many music-aficionados among that kind of monster, I¡¯ve learned. She can attest to that much.¡± The bard gestured to Scarlett, who let out a scoff.


    ¡°Do not remind me.¡±


    That had been a relatively low-level dungeon near the Freybrook area, so things had turned out alright, but it had definitely been a lot messier than it had to. Scarlett was still half-convinced Rosa had done that for a laugh, but the woman rarely messed around too much during their excursions, so it could have been a genuine mistake. Whatever it was, it hadn¡¯t stopped her from giving the bard a verbal thrashing at the time.


    ¡°No, I can imagine.¡± Adalicia let out a small laugh. ¡°If I may ask, how did you first learn your magic?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to say I just had the gift for it,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Picked up an instrument one day and ¡ª wham!¡± She clapped her hands. ¡°Suddenly you¡¯ve got flowers flying around your head and people regrowing teeth to your right and left as they dance the Changle, with Ittar and his buds looking on from above.¡±


    ¡°But I suppose that wasn¡¯t how it went?¡± Adalicia asked.


    ¡°No, unfortunately the gods must have been out the day I picked up my first instrument. Instead, I had to make do with an unimpressed raggle of cats and a tone-deaf old josser who thought I was his grandniece for the day. I think he might have actually been deaf as well.¡±


    ¡°Then did someone teach you?¡±


    ¡°Not all of it, no.¡± Rosa shook her head. ¡°I met an old lady who taught me a trick or two at first, but that¡¯s about it. The rest I had to figure out by myself.¡±


    The wizard grew a thoughtful expression. ¡°Do you know if this lady was a mage of some kind? Or from the Luicean Isles?¡±


    ¡°I know about as much about her as about that old josser I mentioned, and that was the last day I saw him.¡±


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t her disciple, then?¡±


    Rosa snorted. ¡°I¡¯m sure she was hoping that, at first. Changed her mind real quick, though.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    The bard went silent, as if she just realized she¡¯d shared more than she had intended. Her eyes went to Scarlett for a moment before returning to Adalicia. ¡°Can¡¯t really say. People have the tendency to not stay in my life for long. She was just another example of that.¡±


    Scarlett studied the woman as she spoke, and Adalicia knitted her brows.


    ¡°That sounds like a difficult way to live,¡± the wizard said.


    Rosa simply shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Like you said earlier, it is what it is. When you make your coin minstrelling away like me, it¡¯s only natural that you travel around a lot, so it doesn¡¯t matter much.¡±


    ¡°And that is the sole reason behind your travels?¡± Scarlett found herself asking.


    Rosa paused, turning to her. Their eyes met. After a couple of seconds, she smiled. ¡°What other reason would there be?¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed. What reason would there be?¡±


    They looked at each other for a while longer, and eventually Scarlett was the one to look away. There were a lot of things she wanted to ask Rosa, but she wasn¡¯t sure when she could. Or should.


    Soon enough, Rosa steered the discussion onto another subject, and the night continued as the three of them conversed in the inn¡¯s lounge.

 Chapter 129 - Sisterhood

    Back in the Freybrook mansion, Scarlett stood in her room as she finished dressing herself. She then walked over to the nightstand next to her bed and picked up her [Pouch of Holding].


    She and the others had returned from Faybarrow about an hour earlier, having spent a few days in the city. Things had been rather uneventful after clearing the Zuverian ruins, with them only finding two smaller dungeons in the nearby area. Neither had particularly good loot either, but it was better than nothing. The mansion staff were currently cataloging and storing what they did find, in addition to all the stuff recovered from the ruins. For the time being, it would be stored in the cellar.


    Others might have had a worry that things might go missing over time, but she didn¡¯t. From her time grilling all the servants with Fynn after the Cabal¡¯s assault, she knew they were relatively trustworthy people. With her new connection to the Loci that now made this place its domain, she would know if there were any intruders around as well.


    For now, matters related to the Zuverian ruins would be left on the back burner. They¡¯d said their goodbyes to Adalicia just after they returned to the mansion earlier, and they wouldn¡¯t announce anything publicly until the wizard had finished going over her notes. Evelyne would probably start getting into contact with Elystead Tower and the other mage factions before that, though, but that wasn¡¯t an issue. As for when they would be visiting another Zuverian ruin¡­


    Well, that would probably also have to wait for a while. Adalicia was a busy woman, after all, and Scarlett would have her hands full with other affairs soon. She was expecting Gaven to return to Freybrook tomorrow from the job she gave him. With him, he would hopefully bring the [Memory of the Covenant]. That item would finally let her make use of the [Gem of Athanasia] she had picked up in Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion, which, in turn, meant she would soon have everything she needed to execute part of her plan for completing the main quest and reaching Beld Thylelion before any other faction.


    She reached a hand down to her pouch and pulled out the [Cube of Instant Katabasis] she had found in the Zuverian ruins. The small grey cube felt cold to the touch in her palm. Before doing anything else, she first had to have a talk with the Countess. Placing the cube back into the pouch, she left her room and began climbing the stairs to the highest floor in the east wing. There, she stopped for a moment before the door to the Countess¡¯ room.


    She had already thought over how this conversation would go several times in her head, but she still reviewed it one last time, just to be safe. This was an important talk, on several levels.


    Then she opened the door.


    It was dark inside, with the curtains pulled over the windows and the candles unlit. Floating near the ceiling was an ocean of stars, each embroidered onto a napkin, with a full moon at the center. The light emanating from the fake moon and the stellar facsimiles wrapped the room in a calm glow. The Countess was sitting at the table in the room¡¯s corner, working on even more of her embroidery pieces.


    For a few seconds, Scarlett simply took in the sight of the room and the woman engrossed in her work. She had given the Countess the okay to do things like this, since it seemed to calm the woman. The only thing they had to be careful about was to ensure it didn¡¯t happen when there were any guests present that could detect it, but those weren¡¯t too common.


    Shifting her gaze from the fake night sky that was the room¡¯s ceiling, she glanced at the new bed that had replaced the old canopy-one that the Countess had accidentally broken. This new one was far simpler, made of rough-hewn wood and half the original¡¯s size, so it wouldn¡¯t matter as much if it broke. She¡¯d sent an invoice for the cost to Leon¡¯s abode in the capital, and being the upright knight that he was, she had little doubt whether he would pay. Though she was curious about the reaction his staff might have if they were to see the letter.


    She started walking across the room.


    ¡°Countess.¡± She tried to speak quietly, just enough to catch the woman¡¯s attention.


    The Countess¡¯ head rose instantly from where it was leaned over the table, turning to look at Scarlett. She pulled her robes closer to hide as much of her appearance as she could. ¡°Ah-ah, the Baroness is here¡­ H-Hello¡­ I¡¯m sorry, welcome¡­¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to apologize for.¡± Scarlett waved away the woman¡¯s concerns, stopping next to her to look over her shoulder at the new star that was being embroidered on another napkin. Then she gestured towards an empty chair on the opposite side of the table. ¡°Would it be okay for me to take a seat?¡±


    The Countess¡¯ eyes widened under her hood, and she nodded her head several times. ¡°O-Of course, yes, yes.¡±


    Scarlett moved over and pulled out the chair and sat down. She then rested her hands on the table, looking at the Countess.


    The woman started fidgeting with the fabric of her robes, turning her gaze downwards.


    ¡°¡­Most of the necessary preparations are now complete,¡± Scarlett began. ¡°Ridley will be returning tomorrow evening, and we will then be able to proceed with our plans.¡±


    The Countess simply nodded along even more. ¡°Plans¡­yes.¡±


    Scarlett observed her for a few seconds. This coming topic hadn¡¯t turned out well the last time she¡¯d brought it up, but now they had reached a point where she couldn¡¯t avoid it any longer.


    ¡°¡­You still wish to meet your sister, do you not?¡± she asked.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The Countess¡¯ head jerked up, and she stared at her. ¡°M-My¡­sister¡­?¡±


    Their eyes met, and a moment of silence passed between them as the woman seemed to process her words. Finally, she started nodding her head again, more and more fervently.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­! My sister, she is¡­she is¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to meet her?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­. I want to see her¡­ I-I want to meet with sister¡­save her¡­¡±


    She trailed off, her words turning into quiet mumblings that then turned into whispers. Scarlett waited for her to regain her focus before speaking again. ¡°Are you aware of where your sister currently is?¡±


    The Countess pulled at her sleeves. ¡°T-They took her¡­those evil people¡­¡±


    Scarlett studied her. ¡°¡­You are referring to the Followers of Ittar.¡±


    A flash of anger crossed the woman¡¯s face at the name, and Scarlett froze as thin tendrils of silvery light exploded out from beneath the Countess, covering almost half the room in the blink of an eye. A dangerous air hung between them.


    She eyed the tendrils warily. She had [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] activated and wore the [Prayer of Salvation] on her wrist, just in case. [Charm of Expeditious Change] would also allow her to equip other items if something happened. Thankfully, though, the tendrils soon started trailing back towards the Countess.


    Still, Scarlett waited a while before continuing. ¡°Do you know who your sister is to them?¡±


    ¡°My sister¡­my sister¡­my sister¡­¡± The woman¡¯s words once again threatened to devolve into unintelligible mumbling.


    ¡°Countess.¡± Scarlett spoke in a serious tone, bringing the woman¡¯s attention back to her. ¡°¡­Have you heard of the Augur?¡±


    The Countess blinked, a brief look of recognition entering her eyes. ¡°Ah, ah, ah. M-My sister¡­ That is what¡­ What they called her¡­ Augur¡­Augur¡­¡±


    ¡°You are correct. She is considered one of the most sacrosanct personages in the entire empire, and getting close to her would prove impossible for most any person but the Emperor. However¡ª¡± Scarlett looked her deeper into the eyes. ¡°As was my promise, I will help you meet your sister. I will help you meet with the Augur.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, you will¡­ You promised, yes¡­¡± An unsettling smile formed on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, the Baroness is kind, after all¡­ Yes, surely¡­I will meet her¡­ T-Thank you¡­thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°It will not be easy,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Your sister is one of the Followers'' most important assets, and the protections around her are impenetrable to most mundane advances. There are, however, flaws within them which we can make use of, and this is why we have spent so much time on making preparations. Beyond seeing your sister, however, there is something that the Followers of Ittar have that I need. I will require your aid in procuring this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I will help.¡± The Countess leaned over the table and closer to her. ¡°Yes¡­anything¡­ I will help¡­with anything¡­¡±


    Scarlett pushed down the instinct to move away from her, as well as the feelings of distaste that roiled up. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The woman eagerly moved her head up and down.


    Scarlett watched her for a moment.


    She knew the woman wasn¡¯t considering the implication behind her words right now. The Countess wasn¡¯t considering what the consequences of meeting with her sister were, or even that the meeting itself might not go well. What she saw was something she thought she wanted, and she would agree to anything to get it.


    And Scarlett was making use of that fact.


    She didn¡¯t want to think too much about what that said about her.


    ¡°As I mentioned, Ridley will soon be returning with the Memory of the Covenant in hand. It is an artifact with which you will be able to meet your sister.¡± She brought down a hand to her waist and pulled out the [Cube of Instant Katabasis], placing it on the table between them. ¡°The two of you will be carrying out this task together, like previous times. Your sister is currently in the Sanctuary of Ittar, and Ridley will aid you in locating and reaching her there, where you will then be afforded the chance to speak with her. The Followers of Ittar will most likely not be aware of your presence at first, but we cannot be certain that will persist. Making your escape will prove difficult if something happens, and Ridley cannot help you with this, so I have expended the effort of procuring this item for you.¡±


    She pushed the cube towards the Countess. ¡°It is an ancient Zuverian artifact. Once activated, it will teleport you to a random location in the nearby region. I wish for you to use this device in order to escape safely, and then seek me out.¡±


    Gaven¡¯s specialty was evasion, so he would be able to escape by himself as long as he didn¡¯t have to take the Countess along. This teleportation cube was the best option Scarlett could come up with that solved that problem. She had tested it the day before to ensure it worked as she thought.


    It had taken her a while to trek back to the others after that.


    Unfortunately, it only teleported one person. This meant that the Countess couldn¡¯t bring her sister along to ¡®save¡¯ her.


    But that had never been the intention to begin with. Nor had it ever been a possibility. There were a plethora of reasons why they couldn¡¯t just kidnap the Augur, one of the most important persons from one of the most powerful factions in the empire. But the Countess probably wouldn¡¯t accept that even if she told her as much.


    The robed woman reached out a half-bandaged hand towards the cube, tentatively picking it up and examining it.


    ¡°Ensure that you do not lose it,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Understood?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ T-Thank you¡­ Thank you¡­ I will¡­treasure it.¡±


    Well, treasuring it wasn¡¯t exactly necessary. But as long as she didn¡¯t lose it, it was fine.


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett gave a brief nod. ¡°I have placed my trust in you regarding this matter, so I am certain that things will go well.¡±


    She was hoping things would turn out well, at least. But it was difficult not to have apprehensions.


    The Countess looked to her, staring at her with a strange expression before turning back to the cube and hurriedly stowing it away inside her clothes. ¡°I-I will not¡­disappoint¡­the Baroness,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°¡­There is no need to worry about disappointing me,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Simply act as you normally would, and endeavor to cooperate with Ridley when required during this coming task. If you do so, I will be more than satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­¡± The words left the woman quietly as her attention seemed to turn down to her lap.


    Scarlett observed her for a while longer, then eventually rose from her seat. ¡°I will come and visit you again later. Until then, feel free to continue as you were.¡± She scanned the room, eyes stopping at the stars and moon that were still floating in the air. ¡°It is quite impressive. What you have fashioned here.¡±


    The Countess looked up again, a smile forming on her face. It was perhaps the most normal smile yet that Scarlett had seen from her. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I will take my leave.¡± Scarlett said her goodbyes and crossed the room, exiting into the hallway outside. After the door closed behind her, she stopped and looked back at it.


    Things were starting to fall into place. It was only a matter of time now before the initial reason she contacted the Countess was gone. After that¡­ She would have to figure out what to do from there then.


    For now, all she had to do was wait. Wait for the meeting of two sisters. One ¡ª the representative of Ittar, the sun god. The other ¡ª the unknowing avatar of Adtia, the forgotten goddess of the night and lady of the moon.


    It probably wouldn¡¯t be the happiest of reunions.

 Chapter 130 - Preparations

    Sitting in her office, Scarlett looked over an assortment of maps spread out across her desk. Roughly half of them were recent purchases, most of which were completely irrelevant to her current aim, but she¡¯d had them all procured just in case, so it wasn¡¯t clear which area in particular she was interested in. The extra caution probably wasn¡¯t even necessary, but it didn¡¯t hurt to err on the side of caution.


    Gaven was slated to return with the [Memory of the Covenant] this evening, and that meant she had to go over a lot of details related to her plans for the item. It all connected directly to what they would be doing regarding the Countess and her sister.


    A knock sounded out from the door, and soon, Garside entered the room. The man was dressed in his usual black suit, neat and well-cared for, with his dark grey hair combed back. His left arm rested next to his side. If Scarlett hadn¡¯t already been aware of his condition, she might have thought him to be perfectly recovered. There was perhaps a slight paleness to his skin that hadn¡¯t been there before, but it wasn¡¯t overly noticeable.


    The butler¡¯s injuries had healed well these past weeks. Even though he still couldn¡¯t use his arm, he had already returned to most of his duties. She would prefer not to have him take part in fights or any of her other ventures for the time being, though. Despite that, she might need his help relatively soon.


    ¡°My lady.¡± The man spoke in a firm voice as he bowed. ¡°You expressed a desire to see me after I had finished my dealings in the city for the day?¡±


    Scarlett nodded her head. ¡°That is correct. It heartens me to see that you are well enough to move around in this fashion again.¡±


    ¡°This old man is thankful for your concern, my Lady, and for allowing my presumptuous request of re-donning my responsibilities.¡± He glanced down at the desk filled with maps before her. ¡°If I might ask, what is it you wished to see me regarding?¡±


    She gathered the maps up and placed them to the side. ¡°As I am sure you must have noticed, there has been something different about the mansion lately, yes?¡±


    ¡°That has indeed come to my attention. Members of the staff have quietly been discussing it these past few days, but I do not believe anyone is yet certain of the details. I have instructed them not to pay it too much mind for the time being, and to refrain from venturing out into the garden at the back until further directions are given from you, my Lady.¡±


    Scarlett eyed him for a moment. She had stayed silent about it for now while she was getting used to the Loci¡¯s new presence, but as usual, Garside was pretty sharp. She didn¡¯t actually mind if people went out and saw the Loci¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t be able to steal it, anyway¡ªbut it was nice to know that he was cautious.


    ¡°It appears you have already surmised much of what I wanted to tell you. The origin behind this unfamiliar phenomenon is indeed located in the garden behind the mansion.¡± She tapped her finger on her desk. ¡°I have already informed Evelyne of this, and have promised to provide her a more detailed report in the future, but suffice it to say that I have adopted the use of a certain artifact on the grounds. Its purpose is to ensure the safety and management of this estate from now on. You can simply refer to it as the ¡®Loci¡¯.¡±


    Garside stayed silent for a couple of seconds, a neutral expression on his face as he seemed to consider her words. ¡°If I may be so bold, my Lady,¡± he said, ¡°are you certain this artifact will not pose a threat to the mansion or the people in it?¡±


    She arched a brow at the man. ¡°I am, yes. Is there a reason you are asking me that?¡±


    ¡°It is not within my right to decide; however, this mansion and its land have been passed down among the heads of the barony for generations. The late Lord spent much of his time ensuring the same would stay true for when young Lady Evelyne and you took the helms of the family, my Lady. It would be a true tragedy if this artifact were to cause irreparable damage to the property due to a lack of discretion. If there is anything you wish for me to do in order to help prevent this, then you only have to give the command.¡±


    Leaning back in her seat, Scarlett thought over what he said.


    To be honest, she couldn¡¯t be one hundred percent sure that the Loci was harmless to its surroundings. She felt like it was, and it seemed like it had been in the game, so she was sort of just going from that. Even if it did somehow damage the land, she was willing to accept it. The mansion didn¡¯t hold as much meaning to her as it might to Garside and Evelyne.


    That said, it would be best if she could avoid unneccessary damage.


    ¡°Your concern is always appreciated, Garside,¡± she eventually said. ¡°The Loci is an old artifact that holds ties to the Wandering Realm. As such, I have formed a connection of sorts with it that will apprise me of the situation, if anything were to happen. I will heed your words and take caution where needed, but rest assured that I currently see no reason for concern.¡±


    The man inclined his head. ¡°If that is how it is, my Lady, then I trust in your judgement. If there is anything I can do related to my duties as a butler in this household that might aid you in how you wish to incorporate this ¡®Loci¡¯ to the estate, then simply say so. I will adjust my behavior and work accordingly, as well as assure the remainder of the staff are apprised of the necessary details.¡±


    ¡°For the time being there is no need for change. I would, however, appreciate if you could assuage any worries the staff might have. You may also wish to speak with the gardener regarding the alterations to the hedge garden that I asked of him and see if there is anything he requires beyond what he has access to.¡±


    ¡°I will do so, my Lady,¡± he said, before going quiet in waiting for her to continue.


    She studied the man for a few seconds. ¡°Garside?¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yes, my Lady?¡± The butler¡¯s mustache trembled slightly as he looked at her.


    ¡°¡­Are you perhaps not interested in exactly what it is that the Loci might do?¡±


    ¡°To say I hold no interest would be a lie. But it is not my place to decide what you choose to share with me, and the days of my youth where I could not control my own childish curiosity have long since passed.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? If you had asked, I do not believe I would have minded offering you an answer.¡±


    The elderly man held a completely serious expression as he bowed. ¡°That is much appreciated, my Lady.¡±


    Scarlett let out a small, barely noticeable chuckle. ¡°Your humility continues to amaze, Garside. I would ask that you never change, but I imagine that I would come to regret that eventually.¡± She shook her head. ¡°For the time being, the Loci does not do much. It simply acts as a means for me to watch over the grounds and be informed if any intruders were to appear. I do not have an inclination to spy on those under my employ, but I imagine some concerns related to privacy could arise if this were to be known. That is why I would prefer if you kept this information to yourself.¡±


    The butler simply gave a nod. ¡°As you wish, my lady.¡± His answer, of course, was about as austere as always. He took his job seriously, this one. But that was exactly what she needed.


    She let her attention wander to the connection she had with the Loci, which always felt ready to be called upon at a moment¡¯s notice. What she¡¯d told Garside about it was the truth for now, at least. Even though the Loci had expanded to incorporate itself into the estate¡¯s land and create its domain pretty quickly, the actual process of familiarising itself with the surroundings was still far from complete from what she could tell. Not only was the Loci¡¯s ego still incredibly simple and primal in how it interacted with her¡ªall of their communication happened through intent, and to even call it intent was a very large stretch¡ªbut it was still very limited in how much it could interact with things. It had grown to expand a bit beyond the estate¡¯s stone walls, but it couldn¡¯t do anything more than watch at the moment, and Scarlett knew it had the capacity for more than that. In the game it had afforded some slight buffs, for example, and she¡¯d seen at least some of its other effects back in Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion.


    But being able to watch out for intruders was good enough for now. Her instincts told her that even powerful rogues and other sneaky types would have a hard time entering the Loci¡¯s range unnoticed. Just to be safe, she was planning on testing it later with Gaven.


    In front of her, Garside lightly cleared his throat. ¡°Was that all you wished to speak with me about, my Lady?¡±


    She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she turned her attention back to him, putting on a more serious expression. ¡°No, there is another matter.¡±


    Garside seemed to notice the weight behind her words, and the room¡¯s atmosphere turned heavier.


    ¡°What is that, my Lady?¡±


    ¡°I need you to both arrange passage and a temporary carriage for me and some associates to clandestinely travel to Silverborough.¡±


    ¡°Silverborough?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Yes, Silverborough.¡±


    Their destination was the Sanctuary of Ittar. While the Followers of Ittar had their main temple in Elystead, the Sanctuary of Ittar was located on the eastern bank of Rellaria Lake, west of Silverborough. It was a sort of holy place for the Followers, although not the type that was a destination for pilgrims. It was where certain orders of the church were based, and it was also where the Augur stayed most of the time.


    ¡°There are some matters that I must attend to in the city¡¯s vicinity,¡± she explained. ¡°I will apprise you more of the specifics in the future, but for now, simply know that my visit to Silverborough is not to be made known to anyone. To the outside world, it must appear as if I am somewhere else.¡±


    Considering where they were going, and what she was planning, doing this covertly was crucial. She trusted Garside enough to help with some of the preparations that remained, but she couldn¡¯t bring any of the other members of her party. For several reasons. That included Fynn.


    It would be a problem if the Hallowed Cabal tried anything when she was alone, but that was unlikely. Not only would the Countess be with her¡ªin case of an emergency¡ªbut the Cabal knew the risks involved in going after her. There was also the fact that they wouldn¡¯t even know she¡¯d left for Silverborough, if everything went according to plan.


    Garside had stayed silent for a while, one hand touching the end of his mustache as he seemed to ponder her order. ¡°These matters you must attend to, my Lady. Are they dangerous?¡±


    ¡°In a way. However, they do not pose a threat to me directly,¡± she said.


    At least not if things went well.


    ¡°Is it truly necessary that you expose yourself in this manner?¡±


    ¡°It is, yes. This is a necessary action that I must take if I want to ensure my own safety, and the safety of those I know. It would be irresponsible for me not to be involved personally.¡±


    She would have loved if she could just have sent Gaven and the Countess on this job by themselves, but that was far too risky this time. And if they failed, it didn¡¯t really matter much whether she was there or back in Freybrook. The consequences would reach her anyway. If anything, coming with would let her react quicker.


    And in the end, this was all connected to how she was planning on completing the main quest that had been forced on her. She still wasn¡¯t sure if failing it would affect other people or not, but it certainly would affect her. She couldn¡¯t afford not completing it.


    ¡°¡­Then I will look into the matter,¡± Garside eventually said.


    Scarlett gave him a nod in appreciation. ¡°Good.¡±


    She¡¯d had her suspicions that¡ªconsidering how long Garside had worked for the original Scarlett¡ªhe would have at least some experience with things like this. One could call it a hunch.


    ¡°But, my Lady?¡±


    She looked at him. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do be careful,¡± the elderly butler said. ¡°I beg of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    ¡°That is all that I ask.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°Then, was there something else you wished to bring to my attention?¡±


    ¡°No, that was all.¡±


    ¡°If so, I will take my leave. When I have made progress in the task you have assigned me, I will inform you of such.¡±


    ¡°I place my trust in you, Garside.¡±


    ¡°As always, you humble this old man.¡± The butler performed an elegant bow and then left the room.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes stayed on the door for a while after he had exited.


    It would probably take a while for him to finish those preparations. If she¡¯d wanted to go as soon as possible, she could have asked him to do this earlier. But she¡¯d both wanted for him to recover a bit longer and to get confirmation from Gaven first.


    Since Garside had to make these arrangements quietly, she was expecting things to take longer than they normally did when they had to visit other cities in the empire. The actual execution of her plans would probably have to wait two weeks or so if she were to guess, but that much was acceptable. The opening of Beld Thylelion was still a few months away, so she still had some time before any other faction could get there.


    Between now and when they actually left for Silverborough, she would have to spend a bit more time going over any details she might have missed. There should also be a couple of opportunities to visit Freymeadow for some extra training. And since she wasn¡¯t planning on leaving for other parts of the empire to find dungeons for the time being, she would be spending a lot of time here in Freybrook doing things she hadn¡¯t had too much time for.


    Funnily enough, this would probably be the closest thing to a vacation she¡¯d had in a couple of years. One just had to ignore the fact that, at the end of this period, she would perform a heist against one of the most powerful factions in the entire empire.


    She let out a sigh.


    To think she had once considered herself an upstanding citizen.

 Chapter 131 - Identity theft is not a joke

    Scarlett sat on a couch in the east wing¡¯s parlor with the Countess sitting opposite her. The robed woman was nervously fidgeting with the fabric of her clothes, head turned downwards as they waited in silence. Scarlett didn¡¯t particularly mind the quiet. There weren¡¯t too many conversations to be had with the woman, anyway, and she doubted the Countess cared much about things like feeling awkward.


    When the Loci told her of the presence outside, Scarlett turned her attention to the door right before a knock sounded out. A moment later, a disguised Gaven entered the room. He smiled as he removed his cap, revealing his thick hair. ¡°Evening, ladies. Been a while.¡±


    ¡°Ridley.¡± Scarlett gave a curt greeting, gesturing to the couch in front of her. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    The man moved over to sit beside the Countess. The woman flinched as he did, slowly looking up at him. ¡°¡­Greetings¡­¡± she almost whispered.


    Scarlett blinked, and Gaven gave the woman an amused look.


    ¡°Finally feel like saying hello to me, eh? Suppose I must be growing on ya? Well, can¡¯t say I blame you.¡±


    The Countess didn¡¯t quite seem to follow his words, staring at him for a few seconds before eventually returning her gaze to her own hands on her lap.


    ¡°Ouch. You sure know how to wound a man.¡±


    ¡°Ridley.¡± Scarlett gave him a sharp look, and the man raised his arms in the air.


    ¡°Right, right, forgot. Supposed to play nice, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯ll be on my best behaviour, don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    She eyed him for a moment, trying to discern how much honesty there was in his words.


    As always, dealing with Gaven¡¯s personality was irksome to her. But there wasn¡¯t much to do about it since she had decided to work with him. Considering he was one of the companions you could have on the evil route in the game, he was still relatively congenial. There was one that tried to kill every noble they saw.


    ¡°Were you successful in carrying out the task assigned to you?¡± she asked him.


    He smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I will interpret that as a yes.¡±


    ¡°Good on ya.¡± The man raked a hand through his hair as he leaned back on the couch. ¡°The job this time was a pain, though. I¡¯ll tell you that much. Had to spend four nights in a row in the cold just staking the place out. ¡®Course, things still went off without a hitch. That old noble couple is probably still sitting in their little mansion thinking the artifact¡¯s in its case.¡±


    Hearing that, Scarlett nodded. She was relieved he hadn¡¯t gotten caught and that no one had to get injured. She doubted she would have felt much if someone had, but that didn¡¯t mean she actually wanted it to happen.


    ¡°Show it to me.¡± She signaled for him to put the item on the stone countertop between them.


    Gaven placed a hand inside his clothes and brought out a dagger that was as long as Scarlett¡¯s forearm. It had a red, leather-bound hilt with two silver protrusions at the bottom, and its blade had several markings and symbols etched onto it. At the top of the hilt, centered on the cross-guard, was an empty slot where it looked like something might have once been affixed.


    [Blade of the Covenant (Unique)]


    {A blade once forged as a conduit for a nameless power. It currently has no use}


    ¡°So, is this what you were looking for?¡± the man asked as he placed it on the table.


    Scarlett inspected the dagger closely. ¡°Indeed, it is. This is the Memory of the Covenant.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Gaven touched the hilt with his finger. ¡°Because to me, it just looks like any other fancy exhibit knife. Unwieldy and unbalanced, if you ask me. From the tales I¡¯ve heard of the ¡®Memory¡¯, I¡¯d expected a lot more. Even tried this thing out a couple times, and it didn¡¯t do much of anything.¡±


    Scarlett frowned at his mention of ¡®trying it out¡¯. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he¡¯d tried, and she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know.


    ¡°I will remind you of what I told you last time,¡± she said, leaning forward to pick the item up. ¡°On its own, this dagger does not hold much value. It is not complete. But I know how to bring out its potential.¡±


    She reached into the [Pouch of Holding] that was lying next to her on the couch, bringing out a violet gem from it.


    [Gem of Athanasia (Unique)]


    {The impermanence of death lies in the connections that bind us, embodied in this gem}


    The artifact glittered as it reflected the room¡¯s light, and she paused to turn it around in her hand.


    A whistle left Gaven. ¡°I bet that¡¯s something that would catch people¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Ignoring him, she reached into the pouch once more and brought out yet another item, placing it on the countertop before her. A silver scale.


    [Scale of Reconciliation (Epic)]


    {That which was once one may now be two, but there is always place for reunification}


    She placed the gem on one of the scales and the dagger on the other. For just a brief moment, a dark color washed over the gem¡¯s surface, and then a flash of light enveloped the scale. When it faded, only the dagger and scale remained, with the [Gem of Athanasia] now slotted into the dagger¡¯s guard.


    [Side-quest completed: Assembled the [Memory of the Covenant]]


    {Skill points awarded: 7}


    [Memory of the Covenant (Unique)]


    {A remnant of a covenant once formed, remembering the connections that bind}


    Scarlett examined the finished item. In the game, the [Scale of Reconciliation] was just a convenience item that you could use to repair equipment without having to go to blacksmiths and the like all the time, though it usually came at a slightly higher cost. But it could also be used on quest items like this, which saved her the trouble of having to find someone else to do it for her.


    She turned her head up to see Gaven and the Countess eyeing her and the dagger. With their attention still on her, she held out her left hand above the table and brought the dagger¡¯s blade closer to it.


    Gaven raised both eyebrows. ¡°Not that I¡¯m one to question your actions, mind, but what are you doing now?¡±


    ¡°Verifying the dagger¡¯s functionality.¡± She cut a small nick on her palm. A thin trail of blood stuck to the dagger¡¯s blade, soon being absorbed by the metal. A strange chill wound from the hand she was holding the dagger into her wrist and throughout her body.


    Closing her eyes, she focused on that sensation, trying to follow it towards its source. It seemed to lead her into the dagger, which opened up inside her mind and split into dozens of paths. Those paths then split even further, and soon there were hundreds¡ªmaybe thousands¡ªof trails going in different directions. Keeping track of them all was almost impossible, and most felt so distant that she couldn¡¯t even try to follow them.


    She focused on those closest to her. There was a familiarity to them that she couldn¡¯t quite place. She grabbed hold of the one that shone brighter than all the others.


    A startled cry sprang out in front of her.


    Scarlett opened her eyes to see that the Countess had crawled back on the couch, staring at her bewilderedly. Beside the woman, Gaven was giving her a curious look.


    ¡°That¡¯s a cute one. Who¡¯s that?¡± the man asked.


    Scarlett creased her brows. Shifting the [Memory of the Covenant] to her left hand¡ªholding it with her fingers as to avoid the wound on her palm¡ªshe reached up to feel at her hair with the other hand. It only barely reached the nape of her neck. Instead of the distinct, dark-red hair that she had grown used to, it was more akin to a light brown, with only a slight shade of red.


    A wave of disgust and anger roiled up from inside, and she fought to maintain a calm expression as she tried pushing away the locks that covered her right eye with little success. She didn¡¯t need a mirror to know whose appearance she was currently wearing.


    Giving up on getting control of the errant tufts of hair, she narrowed her eyes at Gaven. ¡°I suggest you be more careful with your remarks, Ridley, and with who you call ¡®cute¡¯.¡± Her words came out in the usual steely tone that was normal for her, but her voice was a lot softer and smoother than before. The dagger didn¡¯t only mimic appearances. She turned to the Countess, who still looked as if someone had pulled down the sky in front of her. ¡°I apologize for the surprise. As you can see, this is an artifact that allows one to borrow the appearance of others. Specifically, of those whom you share a blood tie with. This appearance that you see before you now is that of my sister.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it works?¡± Gaven knitted his forehead. ¡°Not as useful as the stories I¡¯ve heard, then.¡±


    ¡°It does indeed limit its usefulness to a certain degree. However, it is still an incredibly valuable and versatile artifact. It is also exactly what we require for our upcoming task.¡±


    Scarlett focused on the dagger once more, and her appearance returned to her own.


    In theory, this artifact should work even for taking on the appearance of people she¡¯d never met herself. She could, for example, see what the original Scarlett¡¯s parents looked like, or her grandparents, or her grand-grandparents. She didn¡¯t know where the limit was, or how closely related you had to be, but that it even worked to begin with was insane in its own right.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    In the game, you mainly used the [Memory of the Covenant] to sneak around more easily, changing your appearance randomly now and then whenever necessary. It had a cooldown, preventing you from abusing it too much, but it was still useful. The context in which you acquired the item was relating a certain quest-line when playing as a member of the Hallowed Cabal. At the end of that quest-line, you kidnapped a distant relative to the imperial family and used them in order to sneak into the capital and murder the emperor.


    The fact that she now had this knife meant the Cabal¡¯s plan for assassinating him would have to change. She didn¡¯t doubt that they could still do it, but at least they wouldn¡¯t have as easy of a time now. Unfortunately, this also meant she couldn¡¯t quite as accurately predict how they would act in relation to all of that, but it was a necessary sacrifice.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this upcoming job, then?¡± Gaven asked.


    She turned her attention back to him. ¡°We will be infiltrating the Sanctuary of Ittar.¡±


    The man¡¯s relaxed posture immediately vanished, and he gave her a long look. ¡°Lady, are you crazy?¡±


    She scowled at him. ¡°I am quite sane.¡±


    He leaned forward on the couch, staying silent for several seconds. ¡°¡­You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°I do not jest when it comes to matters like these.¡±


    ¡°Viles be damned,¡± Gaven muttered under his breath. ¡°Hey, I know you nobles like vying for more power and all that, but why in the six Blazes would you want to do something crazy like this? You¡¯ve got the looks, the money, and a pretty decent roof over your head here, don¡¯t ya? I don¡¯t see no reason why you¡¯d want to go and throw all that away.¡±


    Next to him, the Countess whispered something in response.


    He turned to her. ¡°What was that?¡±


    The woman had once again locked her gaze on her own hands, not facing the man. ¡°¡­My sister¡­ The Baroness¡­is kind¡­ She will help me¡­meet my sister¡­¡±


    Gaven stared at her, then glanced at Scarlett. ¡°That true? We meeting her sister?¡±


    She met his eyes, then gave a slow nod. ¡°In part, yes.¡±


    Judging by his expression at her response, he seemed to understand it wasn¡¯t the main reason, but he returned the nod. ¡°Who¡¯s this sister, then? Someone the Followers got locked up down in a dungeon or something? If they¡¯re keeping her in the Sanctuary of Ittar, she¡¯s gotta be someone special.¡±


    ¡°You may know her as the Augur.¡±


    The man froze. ¡°¡­Okay, this time you¡¯ve got to be pulling my leg, right?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    He turned back to the Countess, a dubious expression on his face as he observed the woman.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be honest, you could have told me that this lady here was actually some duke¡¯s forgotten daughter or something and I might have thought ¡®yeah, sure, makes sense¡¯, but I was not expecting this.¡±


    ¡°It is the truth,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°And that is all that matters. That, and that we will require your assistance in carrying out this task.¡±


    Gaven seemed to consider it for a couple of seconds. He reached up a hand and scratched his beard, before eventually letting out a sigh. ¡°You know, it might sound like a fib, coming from me, but I really respect ya, you know? You know your stuff, you give good paydays, and your jobs are straightforward, which is why I haven¡¯t bothered complaining even when the work has been a pain. But this? This might be too much, even for me. I like a challenge, but no type of thrill is worth it if I ain¡¯t staying alive to enjoy it.¡±


    Scarlett tapped a finger against the leather armrest beside her. ¡°You will be paid fifty thousand solars if you succeed.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened. His mouth moved as if whispering the figure.


    ¡°The carrying out of this venture brings with it a significant risk to me as well,¡± she continued. ¡°I would not be assigning it to you were I not certain that it was possible.¡±


    Despite that, he didn¡¯t seem wholly convinced. ¡°That¡¯s¡­tempting, for sure, but I think I¡¯ll still have to say no. Money¡¯s another thing I can¡¯t enjoy if I¡¯m lying in a ditch somewhere.¡±


    She studied him for a moment.


    She could offer him even more. She could afford it. But even if she offered him three times the amount, it still wouldn¡¯t even be near the value of some of the items that could be found in the Sanctuary of Ittar. If she wanted him to carry out this task and not just betray her in the process, she would have to offer something else. Thankfully, there was something she had saved up till now.


    ¡°If you accept my proposal, I can also give you information related to where you can find the missing pieces of that locket you carry in your pocket.¡±


    Shock passed over the man¡¯s face, then he narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°¡­How do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? You have two pieces of four, yes? I know where the other two are, and I will share this information with you in exchange for aiding with this task, in addition to the aforementioned payment.¡±


    The man rubbed his chin, not saying anything for a while. ¡°Suppose, hypothetically, that I agreed to this job,¡± he said. ¡°How would we go about doing this?¡±


    ¡°The general plan is simple.¡± Scarlett held up the [Memory of the Covenant]. ¡°This item is at the core. While the Sanctuary of Ittar might be considered impregnable by some, that is far from the truth. There are, in fact, several secret entrances that would allow you and the Countess to enter the grounds without being noticed. There are also sections of the Sanctuary where none but a few may enter, and as a consequence, where you will not run a high risk of encountering anyone that might question your presence. From there, the Countess will use the Memory of the Covenant¡¯s power to mimic the appearance of the Augur until you reach the woman¡¯s chambers. There, I expect you to procure some artifacts that I require.¡±


    Gaven frowned. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I do not believe it will be as easy in practice, and there is still the matter of leaving after having accomplished your goals, but I trust in your ability to deal with whatever other unexpected circumstances that might unfold.¡±


    The man showed a self-deprecating smile. ¡°I appreciate the trust, but I¡¯m not sure I share your confidence about this. The Sanctuary is supposed to be the heart of the Followers organization, yeah? I don¡¯t mean to be crass, but even if we sneak in and copy the looks of her sister, the moment we run into some guard or other and have to start talking, we¡¯re screwed.¡±


    ¡°The entrance you will be entering through will deposit you in an area that connects to the tower where the Augur¡¯s chamber is. As I said, it is unlikely you will encounter anyone that will question your presence.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Augur supposed to be protected by the Knights of the Eternal Oath?¡± Gaven asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard they might even beat out the Solar Knights. Even with the Countess here joining, we won¡¯t be able to fight our way through that whole place.¡±


    ¡°Any Knights of the Eternal Oath that you might run into will not act against you as long as the Countess holds the appearance of the Augur,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°You sound awfully confident of that.¡±


    ¡°Because I am.¡±


    She had already done this in the game, so she knew roughly how it worked.


    Gaven appeared to think over her words for a while. ¡°You know¡­ Being known as the guy who infiltrated the Followers base doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±


    ¡°I am sure you understand that information of our involvement in this must never spread.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°¡®Course. Still, people in my trade have our ways of doing these things.¡±


    She eyed him. ¡°Then does this mean you are willing to accept the job?¡±


    The man smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s go over the details.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were a scary woman, but I think I underestimated you.¡± Gaven spoke with what might have been genuine wonder in his voice, or just him being his usual flippant self.


    They were still in the parlor, having spent the last hour or so going over the specifics of Scarlett¡¯s plans. The Countess had started looking uncomfortable after a while, so Scarlett had Molly bring the woman up to her room earlier.


    The man gave her a curious look. ¡°You really had all of this schemed out from the start, didn¡¯t ya? Ever since before that first meeting of ours.¡±


    ¡°That much is only natural when dealing with a matter of this level.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t entirely true that she had it planned out since the start. When she originally asked Beldon Tyndall to contact Gaven, this particular heist wasn¡¯t part of her intentions. She had considered it, but it wasn¡¯t until the main quest popped up and ordered her to reach Beld Thylelion that she made the decision.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, if things go as you say, then this might actually work,¡± Gaven said. ¡°But we still haven¡¯t talked about the most important part, you know? After me and the Countess have done what we¡¯re supposed to, what then? How are you expecting us to get out?¡±


    Scarlett pulled out a map of the central parts of the empire and placed it between them. She pointed to where the Sanctuary was on the map. ¡°I will be waiting at a predetermined meeting location with a carriage that will take us to a safe location where the Followers cannot find us. It is only a matter of you making your way there. There is a balcony in the Augur¡¯s chamber. While it is high up, knowing your capabilities, I do not believe you will have any difficulty in making your escape through there. This is your area of expertise, no?¡±


    The man eyed her for a moment. ¡°Yeah, like I said. Scary¡­ I bet even if I asked, you wouldn¡¯t tell me how you knew about the locket, yeah?¡±


    ¡°I would not, no.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders as he leaned back on the couch. ¡°Next thing I know, you¡¯re telling me the color of my underwear as well.¡±


    Scarlett scrunched her nose at that. Did the man have no sense of propriety? ¡°Keep such thoughts to yourself from now on. I have no wish to hear it. And I believe we have already established that I am well aware of your abilities, else I would not have sought you out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, if you say so." He crossed his arms. ¡°But then we¡¯ve got a way out for me, at least. What about that helper of mine? You planning on leaving the crazy one there?¡±


    ¡°I have warned you to behave around her, Ridley.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not here now, is she? And I¡¯ll bet I¡¯ll have to be the one to get her out of there, so it¡¯s a valid question.¡±


    ¡°¡­You will not have to concern yourself with her escape this time.¡±


    The man paused, an interested glint appearing in his eyes. ¡°Really?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I have already made the necessary preparations. She is under the belief that your chief aim is to save her sister, so there might be some complications were she to realize the futility in those aspirations. She will pose a risk to the security of my operations, but I will deal with the ramifications after this is over. You will only have to focus on your own safety.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying you won¡¯t have any further need for her after we¡¯re done here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°¡­Essentially.¡±


    It sounded heartless, but it was the truth. She could try to have the Countess continue helping her in the future even after this, but it was doubtful whether that would work. When the Countess tried to use the [Cube of Instant Katabasis] to leave the Sanctuary, she would be brought to a random location without bringing her sister along. Not only would finding the woman after that be difficult, but it was also completely uncertain what state of mind she would be in at that point.


    Frankly, Scarlett wasn¡¯t even certain how that part would go. She was hoping the Countess would at least remember to follow some of the instructions she¡¯d given her, which would make her easier to locate. From there, she could just pray that the Countess could be calmed down enough so that they could leave the area before anything happened. Everything else could be left for later, when they were in a safe place.


    ¡°You sure are a cold woman,¡± Gaven said.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± She glared at him.


    He grinned. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not judging. You¡¯re the boss, and it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t agree. But, I can¡¯t avoid feeling just a tiny bit of pity for the lady, you know? She worships the ground you walk on, but you don¡¯t seem to care much in return.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Well, not that it matters much to me. I¡¯ll do the job I¡¯m paid for, as long as you¡¯re also willing to part with what you know about the locket.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if I am betraying her.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, we can pretend you aren¡¯t.¡±


    Scarlett stared at him for several seconds. ¡°¡­I am well aware of what I am doing. It is what must be done. Any errant thoughts of regret or guilt can be left for a more suitable occasion.¡±


    If she actually felt any.


    ¡°So, what do we do about the Augur?¡± Gaven asked. ¡°If she¡¯s not coming with us, isn¡¯t it better if we take care of her before leaving? It might be a bit blasphemous, but it¡¯d be problematic if she stays alive and knows who we are, right? She might use some of that god-given magic or whatever of hers and track us down.¡±


    ¡°No matter what happens, you are not to harm the Augur in any way,¡± Scarlett replied. The Augur had to be alive in the future. ¡°Even if she were to see your face, which I expect that she will not, it is unlikely that she will discern our involvement in this. The limitations on what she can and cannot see are many.¡±


    The Augur figuring them out was a fear that Scarlett had, but it had never been a thing in the game, at least. She felt reasonably sure that would translate to this world. The woman wasn¡¯t omniscient. She had no choice in the knowledge that was given to her, nor was she always the best at interpreting it. There was a high likelihood that she wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out that Scarlett was the one behind this.


    There was still the possibility of it happening, sure. In that sense, though, this entire plan was one large gamble. If the Followers did figure out Scarlett was involved, it would spell tons of trouble no matter the situation. But she still had to go through with this. In the worst-case scenario, she was prepared to go into hiding if needed.


    She would just have to hope that it never came to that.

 Chapter 132 - Just ruminations

    As was becoming relatively common for Scarlett these days, she currently found herself sitting beside Arlene on the porch in Freymeadow, resting after another practice session with her magic.


    She glanced over at the raven-haired woman who, as usual, had her attention focused on the book in her lap.


    Over a week had passed in the outside world since Gaven returned with the [Memory of the Covenant], and it had probably been the calmest week yet that Scarlett had experienced since ending up in this body. She¡¯d used the time both to get some extra work and chores done as well as to finish whatever preparations were left for the heist. Any further dungeon excursions had been delayed for the time being, though, since she didn¡¯t want to leave the Freybrook area until all of this was over.


    To Arlene, it would seem like Scarlett and Rosa had arrived here in Freymeadow the day before, but their current visit was actually the second iteration of the loop just this past week. The fact that the woman continued denying Scarlett¡¯s request to be taken in as a disciple still hadn¡¯t changed, even with her current progress. Despite that, Arlene helped in her own strange¡ªand somewhat infuriating¡ªways, so it wasn¡¯t too bad.


    It irked her slightly to think about how much faster things would have gone if the woman was actually trying to teach her for real, though.


    Turning her head, Scarlett looked out over Freymeadow¡¯s village square. Rosa was sitting with most of the local kids on the wooden platform at the center of the square, playing away on her klert as a few of the children performed some odd dances that Scarlett could only assume the bard had taught them.


    Allyssa, Shin, and Fynn had all appeared a little perplexed about the sudden lull in activities they¡¯d had this last week, but as with most things, Rosa had taken it in stride and seemed to make the most of it. Both back in Freybrook and here in Freymeadow. Scarlett had heard the woman had taken to holding minor concerts for the mansion staff in the evenings, which were quite well received if what Garside told her was true.


    Although, if what she¡¯d heard about the content of some of those concerts was also true, then she might need to have a talk with Rosa about what were appropriate topics to cover¡­


    She shook her head, letting her thoughts wander as she watched the children¡¯s excited faces.


    In a way, Scarlett wished that the time they could spend here in Freymeadow wasn¡¯t limited. Not only because it would give her a lot more time to practice her magic, but because it would have been nice to just stay here for however long she wanted and not have to do anything whenever she felt like it. Pretending like the outside world didn¡¯t exist at times sounded nice.


    She sat there in silence for a while.


    This upcoming plan involving the Countess and Gaven was different from anything she had done before. Unlike when she had dealt with the Hallowed Cabal, there were a lot more unknown factors at play this time. Not only that, but most of the actual work had to be left to other players.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she enjoyed doing everything herself. Having others do annoying work for her was at the top of the list of perks that came with being a baroness, in her opinion. Cleaning, cooking, and all the other household chores that needed doing were a pain that she had gotten more than enough of back when she lived alone and with her younger sister. Being able to send Gaven out to do jobs for her sometimes as well was nice.


    Despite that, this time, it left a poor taste in her mouth. There was a part of her that screamed at leaving control of things in the hands of others.


    It felt childish, letting things like that bother her when it was her plan to begin with. She would like to say that it was solely another trait left behind by the original Scarlett, because there definitely was some of that at play. But the truth was also that she had always been like that. She would never have described herself as one, but back when the relationship between her and her younger sister had been at its worst, ¡®control-freak¡¯ was a term that was regularly thrown in her direction. It had annoyed her to no end at the time, but she had never been able to completely deny it.


    Considering everything she had to think about before the heist on the Sanctuary of Ittar, though, being concerned about this didn¡¯t really help. While she had felt the temptation to just delay or give up on the whole endeavour, she couldn¡¯t do that.


    [Main questline has begun: Rising action]


    {Conflicts are brewing as powerful factions have started moving on the continent of Tanrelia. The Tribute of Dominion stands as the focal point of these clashing designs, resting in the heart of the ruins of Beld Thylelion}


    [Objective: Enter the ruins of Beld Thylelion before all others]


    [Reward: Additional Skills Menu privileges]


    [Failure: Demise]


    The Sanctuary of Ittar held several items she could have use of, but there was one she needed above all else. It was part of a set that would let her get inside Beld Thylelion to complete the main quest¡¯s requirements. The very same item that she had gotten The Gentleman to make a deal with her about. She genuinely couldn¡¯t think of another way to complete the quest, so a lot was resting on her success in retrieving this item from the Followers.


    To be honest, she felt pretty certain that it would work out somehow. Even if things defied her expectations, both Gaven and the Countess were powerful in their own ways, and her plan relied on knowledge she had from the game. Even taking all of the changes between it and this world that she knew about into account, this particular type of knowledge had stayed dependable throughout her time here.


    Her main worry wasn¡¯t that Gaven and the Countess wouldn¡¯t be able to complete the mission. Rather, it was what would happen after that. How she would deal with the Countess.


    While she had thought out the actual heist in exceeding detail, she was still left mostly at a blank as to how to handle the woman. The Countess¡¯ relation to the Augur was the entire reason Scarlett had made contact with her in the first place. While the woman was useful in other ways, this was what was most important. After this? Scarlett didn¡¯t have any specific plans for her. To make things worse, the Countess would be a liability. In more ways than one.


    Unfortunately, simply letting the woman go wasn¡¯t an option for several reasons. Both because it would be needlessly cruel to force her to make do by herself again and because she would have information that couldn¡¯t be shared with others. The woman was strong, though, so keeping her in the mansion and having her help out at times might work, but that still left the biggest hurdle of all to deal with.


    Scarlett had promised she would help the Countess meet her sister, and the woman took that to mean that they would ¡®save¡¯ the Augur from the Followers. So how would she react when that didn¡¯t happen? And how would Scarlett calm her down if she threw a fit right after they escaped the Sanctuary?


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    She didn¡¯t have a suitable answer. The Countess was unpredictable, and there was no telling whether she would listen after that. Scarlett was hoping that the goodwill she had built up with the woman would be enough to deal with the situation, but that was far from a guarantee.


    She didn¡¯t even know if it was okay for her to manipulate the Countess like this. No matter how you looked at the situation, it was a pretty heartless thing to do. She was well aware of that.


    That didn¡¯t mean she had any plans to stop.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask what¡¯s on your mind, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re waiting for,¡± a voice sounded out next to her.


    Scarlett blinked, turning to her right where Arlene sat. The woman was still looking down at her book as if it wasn¡¯t her that had just spoken.


    ¡°I was not,¡± Scarlett said after a moment.


    It was uncommon for the wizard to initiate conversations like this.


    Arlene nodded. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°¡­Was there a reason you believed that?¡±


    The woman simply shrugged. ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ve only known you for a short time, but to me, it looked like you were trying to tear a hole through those kids with your gaze. Either you dislike children more than most others, or you have something that is bothering you.¡±


    Scarlett kept observing her for a bit before eventually turning back to the square. ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Perhaps she looked more contemplative than she thought. If it was to the level where Arlene could tell so easily¡ªfrom the woman¡¯s perspective, they were effectively still strangers¡ªthen Rosa would almost definitely have noticed something was off as well. Despite that, the bard had said nothing. That was strange. Rosa was the type who wasn¡¯t afraid to pry and tease Scarlett even about the smallest things.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not going to share?¡± Arlene asked.


    Scarlett looked back at her. ¡°I was under the impression that you held no interest in it.¡±


    ¡°I said I would not ask about it. I do have an interest, infinitesimal though it may be.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the woman for a few seconds. She hadn¡¯t been meaning to talk about it, but¡­ ¡°You appear the sort of person who has made many difficult decisions.¡±


    Arlene paused. Then she stayed quiet for a long while, as if considering what to say. Eventually, she looked up from her book and at Scarlett. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I imagine there are some of those which you regret.¡±


    A dangerous look entered the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I regret all of them.¡±


    That¡­was not quite the reply Scarlett was expecting.


    They watched each other for a moment longer before Arlene looked away.


    ¡°¡­When you made those decisions, were you aware that you might come to regret them?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Some, yes,¡± the woman answered.


    ¡°But you made them, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Scarlett continued examining the side of the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Why?¡±


    Arlene held an impassive expression. ¡°Because I thought they were necessary.¡±


    ¡°Were they ever?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes.¡± A wistful tone entered the woman¡¯s voice.


    Scarlett turned her head, glancing at the children dancing around Rosa. She knew some of Arlene¡¯s history, but far from all of it. ¡°Did knowing that at least lessen the regret you felt?¡±


    ¡°Not a bit.¡±


    The two of them watched as Rosa taught a young girl how to play her instrument, the bard wearing a smile on her face as the girl appeared overwhelmed by the klert. Rosa was patient, though, pointing to the different parts and guiding her hands. Not that the girl would remember any of that in a few days.


    ¡°Now that you have sated your curiosity, I suppose this is the point where I ask if you are worried about a decision you have to make,¡± Arlene said.


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°That was not the intent behind me bringing this up. I simply have something on my mind. However, I do not expect you to take an interest in my worries.¡±


    Arlene closed her book, letting out a small sigh. ¡°My interest went about as far as that you were bothered and I could tell it was affecting your magic. It felt like a waste, but I don¡¯t particularly care about more details than that. Now it¡¯s too late, though. I guess this is my fault, in a way.¡±


    There was a moment of silence between them. The seconds passed as the faint sounds of Rosa¡¯s klert carried over the square.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve got a difficult choice in front of you that you have to make?¡± Arlene asked.


    ¡°I have already made it,¡± Scarlett answered, continuing to observe Rosa and the young girl.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re afraid that you might come to regret it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not.¡±


    From the corner of her eye, she could see the woman studying her.


    ¡°Then why are you worried?¡±


    Scarlett eyed the young girl next to Rosa for a breath longer, then turned back to Arlene. ¡°There are many reasons, most of which I do not think I can share with you. But I suppose if I were to name one¡­. It is because I think I should be.¡±


    The woman arched an eyebrow. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because that is what a normal person would be.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not normal?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips rose in a derisive smile. ¡°I believe I am very far from ¡®normal¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s bad?¡±


    She lightly shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It is what it is.¡±


    She pointed towards Rosa and the children.


    ¡°I could never do what that woman does so effortlessly. I cannot immediately charm those around me or empathise with their plights, nor will I shed a tear when hearing about them. Yet it is something that seems to be part of her very nature. That said, I do not particularly lament this fact about myself. It is something I have long since accepted as a part of who I am now, and it is not within my current power to change. What I find myself wondering sometimes, however, is whether it would have been better if I could.¡±


    She didn¡¯t realize how callous and sombre that sounded until she said it, and the woman beside her didn¡¯t immediately respond.


    Just as she was getting worried she might have offended Arlene in some way, the woman spoke.


    ¡°Have you ever taken a life before?¡±


    Scarlett paused at the question, turning back to her. After a moment, she gave a slow nod. ¡°I have, yes.¡±


    ¡°More than once?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not by my own hands, no.¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Many times. It is not something easily forgotten.¡±


    Scarlett creased her brows. ¡°Unfortunately, I am not certain I can say the same.¡±


    In fact, it was almost the complete opposite for her. She had done an exceedingly good job of not thinking about the deaths she had caused up till now in this world.


    ¡°I got that impression.¡± Arlene simply nodded along. ¡°Some people are like that. Does that disturb you?¡±


    Scarlett placed her hands in her lap. ¡°No, it does not.¡±


    The woman seemed to scrutinize her. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am, yes.¡±


    While it wasn¡¯t the most palatable of truths, if anything, she was thankful for the things she could witness in this world and barely feel anything. It had proven an advantage on more than one occasion.


    ¡°But you think it should?¡± Arlene asked her.


    ¡°I think it would only be natural, yes.¡±


    The woman eyed her for a moment longer. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I agree,¡± she said eventually. ¡°But let us say that I do. What does ¡®natural¡¯ mean to you? What makes it something you have to conform to?¡±


    Scarlett considered the question. ¡°I suppose its definition is somewhat arbitrary. What is natural will differ between people, and there might be cultures where empathy and compassion are considered less than desired.¡± She looked back at Rosa. ¡°I do not personally believe that there is a need for me to conform to all of society¡¯s values, nor that I cannot afford to ignore them. It is a perplexing notion to relate in words, but the best way I can explain it is that it is not an issue of what I feel. Rather, as you said, it is simply a matter of what I have chosen to think.¡±


    ¡°Is it that you think you don¡¯t fit in as you are now?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite. I think I fit in too well.¡± She lightly tapped the tip of her index finger against her leg. ¡°What I believe, however, is that if this world was a perfect place, I would not. One would not be rewarded for callousness and ruthlessness. Certain things might have been easier if it were so.¡±


    Arlene studied her for a while longer before finally looking away. ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly a unique way of seeing things. I¡¯ll give you that. Or rather, a unique perspective from which to agree with what¡¯s already a common ideal. I¡¯m not sure whether to say you¡¯re extraordinarily self-aware or alarmingly naive. Perhaps it¡¯s both.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t say anything to that. She wasn¡¯t going to argue with those words. As a mix of herself and the original Scarlett¡¯s personality, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure of these things herself.


    She returned to observing Rosa and the children¡¯s merrymaking.


    Maybe it was pointless to even think about all of this. It wouldn¡¯t really change anything. Not how she felt or how she would act. If due to some unknown miracle it did, well¡­perhaps that would be a welcome surprise of its own.

 Chapter 133 - Expectations

    Scarlett listened to the sounds of the winds and rustling leaves outside as her carriage rocked along the narrow forest path. It was a long ride, and it was far from comfortable.


    The carriage¡¯s seats were just solid wood, the air was stale, and the cabin was cramped. With no windows, the only light in here was from the glimmers of moonlight that sneaked through the cracks in the plank walls, so without her enchanted glasses she wouldn¡¯t even have been able to see her own hand.


    This mode of transport was far removed from what she had gotten used to up till now in this world, but that¡¯s what you get when you¡¯re trying to travel inconspicuously. Spending money extravagantly on a carriage that stood out was the opposite of what you wanted.


    They would get rid of the vehicle later anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter too much.


    Even though her body might object to that fact. Having spent the last two days traveling around in this thing¡ªas well as sleeping in cheap inns with beds that weren¡¯t much better than a board of wood¡ªshe was feeling a lot sorer than she thought she would. It was a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but it didn¡¯t help to soothe her nerves much.


    Today was the day.


    This night was when they carried out the heist on the Sanctuary of Ittar.


    The closer it got, the clearer the differences between this and her plan to deal with the Cabal became. Both were a necessity, from her perspective, and were a gamble in a way. But she didn¡¯t feel as self-assured about everything this time. Apprehensions about what tonight would bring had filled her mind the entire day. She had also been more in control of the situation back with the Cabal. This time, though, there were more unknowns, and most of the actual work was left up to others. She liked to think that was the primary reason she was more nervous now, but it probably wasn¡¯t the only one.


    It wasn¡¯t something she liked to admit, but it was also a simple fact that she didn¡¯t have a grudge against the Followers as she did against the Cabal. Her anger at them attacking her home and injuring her people served to motivate her a lot more than she had originally thought. Without that, she found herself spending far too much time thinking about the things that could go wrong.


    Which there were a lot of.


    She¡¯d made preparations, of course. She felt decently secure in that she could deal with the worst-case scenarios that might pop up. It would cost her, but it was manageable. If the Followers did find out about her involvement in this, for example, there were dozens of places across the empire where she could hide away and grow her power base in other ways to complete necessary quests. The Followers weren¡¯t evil, so it wasn¡¯t as if they would kill everyone connected to her. She had also left a few letters and papers behind that might even allow Evelyne and the Hartford barony to escape without too much harm if she were to be declared a criminal.


    These last few weeks had given her plenty of time to read through legal documents and the like to ensure that was possible, too. There were precedents where other noble houses had members commit heinous crimes and the house itself still survived, after all. Abelard and the Withersworths were just one example.


    All of that was far from preferable, though. She certainly didn¡¯t want to sacrifice herself. In any way, really. But it also wasn¡¯t right to drag those serving her down along with her. She suspected that perhaps Fynn would not give her much of a choice, but the rest would be fine if she had anything to say about it.


    For now, however, such worst-case scenarios were nothing but pure hypotheticals. Unlikely to happen, hopefully. All she could do was wait and see what the actual outcome would be. While she was stuck in this carriage, the Countess and Gaven were currently carrying out the heist itself.


    Along with Garside, she had been traveling with the two of them in disguise for the last few days. Originally, they left Freybrook inside a nondescript merchant carriage that the butler had arranged, using the Kilnstone to move to Kilsfell where they had stayed for a day before continuing on to Silverborough. There, they had completed the last of their preparations and slowly started making their way out west, stopping at smaller towns and villages as they stayed under the radar.


    Currently, they were maybe a few kilometers or so away from the eastern bank of Rellaria Lake, which lay at the heart of the empire. The Sanctuary of Ittar was about the same distance away.


    Gaven and the Countess had left earlier in the day, and Scarlett would be meeting up with Gaven after he had finished his job and escaped with the artifacts she wanted. From there, she would have to locate the Countess before they withdrew completely.


    Considering the numbers the Followers of Ittar had, it was possible that they might perform a wide search to catch Scarlett and the ones responsible for breaking into their sanctum, but even their organization would have trouble searching the entire countryside for just one or two perpetrators. Especially considering teleportation magic was a thing in this world. The divination magic the Followers might have access to was likely to be pretty limited, as well. It was something mostly exclusive to the mage towers, and even then, it wasn¡¯t especially powerful.


    To be honest, Scarlett had her suspicions that the Followers wouldn¡¯t even try contacting anyone else for help. It would surprise her if they wanted to bring more attention to it than necessary. In the game, even after you did something similar to this, the news of it never got out, as far as she was aware. It was never printed in the Empyreal Chronicle or talked about by other NPCs, at least. This made her think that the Followers would probably choose to suppress the information outside their ranks, which made a sort of sense. A religious organization like theirs wouldn¡¯t want to admit that one of their most holy places was breached, nor that some holy relics were stolen and one of their most sacred personages was vulnerable during the event.


    All of that aside, the time for worrying and overthinking all of this really was over. Things were already in motion. There was nothing that could be changed now. To shift her thoughts a bit, she waved a hand in the air¡ªthe action was largely unnecessary¡ªand summoned her status window.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Superior Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 4998/4998]


    [Points: 30]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Pyrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Superior Hydromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Hydrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Superior Mana Control] (25 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    Due to her not clearing any dungeons or quests these past weeks, she hadn¡¯t gotten many skill points lately. The weeks of relative calm had, however, given her plenty of time to practice more with her magic, as well as to increase her mana stores. She was also getting more used to what [Superior Hydrokinesis] was capable of. The skill wasn¡¯t fit for combat quite yet at her current skill level¡ªat least not her pure-hydrokinesis-based attacks, like the water whips¡ªbut she could see herself reaching that point, eventually. When she did, there were a dozen other things she wanted to try as well.


    As for the skill points she¡¯d saved up, she had been considering what to do with them for a while now. She could just have used them to upgrade her Mana Control or Hydromancy. That would definitely help her out a lot in her current efforts at becoming more familiar with her magic, as well as improving her hydrokinesis control. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing she needed. She had been vying between doing that, or waiting until she had enough points to upgrade [Superior Pyrokinesis] to [Major Pyrokinesis].


    She wouldn¡¯t quite say she had mastered [Superior Pyrokinesis] yet, but she had gotten pretty decent at handling what the skill had to offer. That said, waiting a bit longer to upgrade it probably wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, so that she had as stable a foundation as possible when she actually did. She wasn¡¯t in dire need of the immediate power boost, so it was tempting to focus on the ¡®auxiliary¡¯ skills instead.


    But the truth of the matter was that she wasn¡¯t entirely satisfied with her current progress. Call her greedy, but she wanted things to move faster. Now that they were going through with the heist on the Sanctuary, if they succeeded, she would get her hands on one piece of the puzzle required to complete the main quest. After that, she only needed to get the second piece, and that meant actually getting Arlene to accept her as a real disciple and learn from the woman until she was ready.


    Upgrading her pyrokinesis was likely to be the quickest way to achieve that, judging from what she knew from the game. Even if she rushed things, Arlene¡¯s proper guidance could probably make up for that. And since she had already spent weeks not using the skill points she¡¯d saved up, it felt like even more of a waste to use them on something else now.


    Scarlett observed the status window for a while longer, letting her eyes wander over the text as her thoughts strayed. Eventually, she dismissed the window and leaned back against the wall. The bare wood pressing against her back once again reminded her of how much she disliked this carriage.


    If it was up to her, she would never go on a trip like this again. She had severely underestimated how much of a difference having decent transportation made.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Evelyne and she had actually been in several talks recently about what they would do with the large influx of money they were having at the moment, and getting new and larger carriages was part of their plans. A decent sum of money had also been put aside for Evelyne to use in matters related to the barony, but even in their most pessimistic estimates of how much they would have after selling all the items in their current cache of loot, there would still be plenty left. They were still in the process of selling what they had retrieved in Autumnwell and from the latest Zuverian ruins, and would soon receive the money that the Withersworths had promised them¡ªwhich they had recently gotten a letter informing them would be closer to five hundred thousand solars instead of four¡ªso they were looking at well over one million solars filling their coffers soon.


    Evelyne had already been in contact with a workshop that would supply them with two carriages. In addition, they were also looking into getting somebody to rebuild the mansion¡¯s courtyard, and Scarlett had tried finding someone that could help her construct a pavilion in the back garden, where the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] had its home. For the time being she¡¯d just had a simple stone column moved there for the Loci to rest on, but she was considering inquiring with one of the mage towers or another expert she could find if there were any other useful things she could do to possibly empower the artifact in some way.


    The carriage suddenly jolted as it hit something on the path and Scarlett¡¯s shoulder struck the side of the cabin before she could react. She pressed a hand against the wall to avoid falling over, clenching her teeth as she waited for the vehicle¡¯s rocking to calm down again.


    Finally, after the carriage had traveled for a while longer, it pulled to a stop. Movements could be heard from outside as a horse neighed and soon, the cabin door opened.


    ¡°My Lady, we have arrived,¡± Garside¡¯s voice sounded out.


    Scarlett used her [Charm of Expeditious Change] to switch into a dark set of robes and pulled the hood up as she exited the vehicle.


    ¡°Thank you, Garside.¡± She looked over at the elderly butler, who stood with mud up to his ankles on the side of the path. He was wearing a dark leather jacket that was tied loosely with a string at the top left side, as well as a brown cap that covered part of his thick grey hair. The usual refined air that he held was almost completely lacking in his current appearance, though some of it shone through in the way he spoke to her.


    The man had been the only one she trusted to join them on this job. Mostly because she had needed someone¡¯s help in arranging the trip, and involving some stranger just to drive the carriage was far from optimal. Garside also appeared to be unusually experienced with some of these things, so she suspected this wasn¡¯t the first time he had done something like this.


    ¡°Find a suitable location to hide the carriage and wait here until I return,¡± she told him as he held out a map to her. She received it and inspected it for a moment. The moon was out in full strength now, but most of its light didn¡¯t quite reach through the thick canopies looming above their current location. Not that it mattered much while she was wearing her glasses.


    ¡°Are you certain of this, my Lady?¡± Garside asked from the side.


    She glanced up at him. ¡°¡­I am. I will be fine on my own, if that is your concern. Your presence is far more important here, for when we need to leave later.¡±


    They were far enough away from the Sanctuary of Ittar that they wouldn¡¯t run into any Followers. And while she did trust Garside, she didn¡¯t want to involve him in this more than necessary. He didn¡¯t know exactly what they were here for, and she wanted to keep it that way if possible. It made it easier for both of them.


    That said, it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if he still figured out parts. But there was only so much she could do about that.


    The butler gave a stoic nod. ¡°Then I wish you good fortune, my Lady.¡±


    He walked over to the front of the carriage, taking the reins of the large draft horse that had been pulling the vehicle and caressing its mane.


    Scarlett returned her attention to the map. It took a while to orient herself and figure out roughly where they were on it. The map had been bought in one of the nearby villages from a local who had spent the time to jot down some of the trails in the area on top of a larger map of the region. She more or less knew where the meeting place was supposed to be, and Gaven had seemed certain he could find it without issue as well.


    After confirming the direction with a compass she brought out, she scanned the forest line. Then, she began making her way eastwards, locating a thin trail that led off from the forest path and seemed to align with what the map said. She kept her eyes and ears peeled as she moved through the dark forest, the minutes passing by as she did. With nothing else to think about and a conclusion to tonight soon approaching, her worries from before wormed their way to the surface.


    Even after meeting up with Gaven, the hard part would be locating the Countess in time. It would go faster with Gaven¡¯s help, but there were still plenty of risks, and they would have to hope the woman was in a cooperative mood. Having Fynn¡¯s aid here as well would have made things a lot easier, but involving the young man in this was far too dangerous. And it wasn¡¯t only because he was terrible at keeping secrets.


    After maybe half an hour or so of walking, Scarlett eventually reached a large clearing in the forest. The grass was short here, and a trail of smaller rocks and soft mud ran through most of it. It looked like a shallow stream might have once flowed through the place.


    She moved towards the center of the clearing, her attention aimed in the direction where she expected Gaven to come from. Then, she waited. She didn¡¯t know for how long, and the disquiet in her gut only grew as time passed, but eventually, she spotted movement near the forest line.


    A hooded figure in black clothing soon sneaked out from among the trees, heading towards her. Their hood was pulled down to reveal Gaven¡¯s rugged appearance as he neared her.


    The sight relaxed her somewhat. Then she noticed there were dark red spots on his clothes, as well as a large wound on his left shoulder.


    ¡°Figure meeting you out here in the woods.¡± The man greeted her with a beat smile.


    Scarlett frowned.


    ¡°¡­Dispense with the frivolity.¡± Things clearly hadn¡¯t gone as quietly as expected. ¡°Were you successful in your assignment?¡±


    Gaven shrugged, only showing a slight grimace because of his wound. ¡°Ran into a hitch or two, but no plan ever goes as expected. I¡¯ll admit, despite things, this is probably one of the smoothest jobs I¡¯ve been part of that hasn¡¯t been just me on my own. Though maybe that says more about the sort of people I work with than anything else.¡±


    The man held up his left hand, where there was a small ring on one of his fingers. It glowed a pale blue as he touched it with his other hand, and a rectangular metal plate appeared in his palm. Its center was a piece of strange glass that had an array of colors moving within.


    In preparation for this job, Scarlett had arranged a spatial ring for him to use exactly for this purpose. Spatial items in general were relatively hard to come by, and money wasn¡¯t the only thing that mattered if you wanted one on short notice. Fortunately, Gaven had a contact in Freybrook that helped them procure a small one. The price had been inflated, and the ring itself couldn¡¯t hold much¡ªits storage capacity couldn¡¯t be compared with Scarlett¡¯s [Pouch of Holding]¡ªbut it was enough. She only needed three items.


    ¡°You know, I had to fight pretty hard to stop myself from just nabbing this and running off on my own.¡± Gaven tossed the metal plate up into the air before catching it on its way down. ¡°Don¡¯t ya think a bonus might be in order just from the sheer amount of loyalty shown here, eh? Even took a wound for the job as well.¡±


    She scowled at him.


    He wasn¡¯t completely wrong. The value of what she had him retrieve exceeded what she had promised him. But if he did betray her, he would never get the information he wanted on where he could find the remaining pieces of the locket he always wore. It had been part of his background in the game, and she knew it wasn¡¯t something he could ignore that easily. Besides, she was still paying him more than enough to live in luxury for quite some time, as long as he didn¡¯t go around trying to buy a mansion or something.


    Instead of answering him, she turned her eyes to the plate itself.


    [Tablet of Sovegrephor (Legendary)]


    {Within lies the unbridled power of change, harnessed and controlled}


    These things were always useful to have. It wasn¡¯t anything she needed, but she had remembered it being in the Sanctuary, so she had thought it good to get it when she had the chance. There were plenty of things to use this on in the future.


    She reached out and took it, placing it into her pouch. Then Gaven¡¯s ring lit up once more and a crystal ball appeared in his hand. It shimmered with an otherworldly glow, its smooth surface seeming to pulse with the energy inside. Within its depths, it held a rainbow of colors that swirled around like an ocean beneath a deep nebula of orange miniature stars.


    [Ittar¡¯s Genesis (Divine)]


    {¡°And Ittar proclaimed: ¡®Thy light shall never falter, as long as this fire burns¡¯¡± ¡ª Book of Canon: Cisirne 4:3 }


    She stared at the ball for several seconds. There was a beauty to it that was difficult to describe. When Gaven held it out to her, and her fingers touched the cool-yet-warm crystal surface, she could almost feel the storm of power churning within.


    She paused for a moment, then finally took hold of it and focused. Like any other artifact, the connection formed easily. It was supposedly a holy relic, but it didn¡¯t seem to care much about who the user was.


    She glanced to the side where a small line of text appeared at her prompting.


    [Mana: 24998/24998]


    Finally, she had an answer to one of her largest problems.


    If only this wasn¡¯t an item that others couldn¡¯t know she had in her possession.


    ¡°And for the last one.¡± Gaven made an exaggerated flourish with his uninjured arm as he brought out the last item. The ring on his finger glowed, and a gleaming gold-colored metal sphere appeared in his palm this time. Intricately carved lines wound and looped around its surface, and between those lines were lines of celestial bodies¡ªsuns, moons, stars¡ªas well as glyphs that Scarlett recognized as Zuverian symbols.


    [Sphere of Serendipity (1/2) (Unique)]


    {An item far out of the ordinary, it seems to call out for its twin, awaiting a reply}


    She moved [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] to her left hand as she received the sphere with her right hand, turning it around and studying it. Unlike the crystal ball, she couldn¡¯t even describe how this felt. It was like there was a lack of sensation in the parts of her hands that touched the item. A numbing lack of touch.


    The other two items were useful to her, especially [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], but this? This was essential. It wouldn¡¯t work without its twin, but this was her key to completing the main quest.


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Gaven said, clapping his hands together. ¡°With this, we¡¯re done here, yeah? I¡¯ve already taken care of that Countess lady, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that whole mess either.¡±


    Scarlett froze. At that moment, several lines of text appeared before her.


    [Quest completed: Raid on the Sanctuary of Ittar]


    {Skill points awarded: 10}


    [Side-Quest completed: Wily machinations with the rogue]


    {Skill points awarded: 6}


    [Side-Quest completed: The Empyreal Princess and the Lunar Pauper]


    {Skill points awarded: 6}


    She didn¡¯t pay any of the messages any mind, turning to look at the man. The uneasy feeling that she¡¯d been feeling reared its head once again. She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Repeat what you just said.¡±


    He gave her a long, indecipherable look. ¡°Like I said, I took care of that crazy woman. You had no need of her anymore, yeah? And she was likely to get us both offed, so I dealt with it.¡± He pointed up to the injury on his shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t go quite as planned, but I got the job done. That¡¯s what matters.¡±


    The blood in Scarlett¡¯s veins ran cold as she stared at him. ¡°¡­What?¡±

 Interlude - Faith

    Faith is a funny thing. There was not a person in the empire who didn¡¯t put their faith in someone or something. The blind devout in the divine, the fanciful nobles in their traditions, the gullible soldiers in their captains, and the dirty street rats in the hope that someday they didn¡¯t have to crawl and beg for their meals.


    The thing they all had in common was that they didn¡¯t know jack shit if there was any truth backing up their faith, even if they thought they did.


    Gaven supposed the street rats were the worst of the lot. Unlike the others, they were the only ones that could never afford to be wrong in their hopes, yet who almost always were.


    He¡¯d once been a young idiot like that. A fool who thought that, as long as he persevered, there was a bright future ahead of him. That even if he did a few dishonest things here and there, he could always turn things around later on. That an old heirloom left by his welcher pop somehow held the key to his dreams.


    ¡®Course, he¡¯d been brighter than most others. He realized the futility in all that pretty early on, save for a brief stint with the Vanguards when he got it in his head that there was such a thing as honest work.


    Having faith in things was almost never worth it. It was a blind wager, and you never knew the house¡¯s actual hand. Either you were lucky enough to live in blissful ignorance about whoever was screwing you over, or you faced the consequences and hoped you came out with your limbs intact. When you were in Gaven¡¯s line of work, faith was a currency better kept to oneself.


    And yet here he was, sneaking into what was supposedly one of the most protected places in the empire for a payday that¡ªwhile tempting¡ªcertainly wasn¡¯t worth the risk. All because a strange noblewoman had brought up memories of his naive youth with a couple sentences, promising him something he had no clue the real value of.


    His fingers touched the locket inside his jacket as he sneaked up to the corner of the corridor he was in. He didn¡¯t have many memories of his father left, but the man¡¯s words about the heirloom had always stayed.


    ¡®It¡¯s been ours for generations, son, and it¡¯ll bring us riches like you¡¯ll never imagine. Power that those dirty nobles can never look down on, and strength even those damn Imperial Swords would envy. Mark my word, son. One day, we¡¯ll be at the top of the world.¡¯


    His dad had been a raving lunatic and a serial liar, so there was no reason to put any trust in those words. In fact, Gaven had been sure he¡¯d put all that bullshit behind him years ago. And then the Baroness had proved him wrong.


    And that woman knew things. His current situation was proof of that.


    He pulled at the piece of cloth hiding his face and peeked around the corner into the open courtyard beyond. It was empty, save for a few statues and flower beds spread around, as well as a fountain at the center. He didn¡¯t know what this section in particular was called, but that didn¡¯t matter. He was inside the Sanctuary of Ittar, and it had been frighteningly easy to get in.


    He stayed behind the corner for a while, waiting to see if anyone would pass by, before eventually nodding to himself. He started moving back the way he came. The corridors around here were made of gleaming white granite, polished to perfection, and all the walls had more tapestries and extravagant decorations covering them than was necessary. The whites and golds almost hurt his eyes, even when the only illumination around here came from the moonlight shining through the skylights above. He bet that even just one of the fancy draperies could net him enough solars to last him a month or two in Elystead¡¯s Eastgate district.


    If it was one thing that was good for Gaven and his kind, it was the shared interest posh nobles and these religious types had for shiny things. They were like crows, collecting everything that sparkled and preying on the remains of those unfortunate enough to get in their way.


    He hoped they never changed.


    Who was he to care if simpletons wanted to give away their lives for some type of salvation, duty, or whatever? Let them, he said. Because in the end, the results of their hard work might fall into his hands.


    His footsteps barely made any noise as he slinked through the corridors, and soon, he reached a small vestibule empty of people. At the end of it, a set of broad pillars held up an arched ceiling of painted glass. He walked over to one of the pillars, looking around for a second before leaning closer to it and feeling with his hand in the space between the pillar and the wall behind it.


    Something clicked as he found the hidden switch. A few steps away from him, a tall statue depicting some costumed priest started sliding to the side without a sound. Soon, a dark passage with a stairway leading downwards was revealed. Standing at the mouth of the opening was a woman in a hood and black robes, anxiously fidgeting with the fabric of her clothes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already checked everything out the way we¡¯re going,¡± Gaven said, pointing behind him with his thumb. ¡°It¡¯s just like the Baroness said. No one¡¯s around. Come on.¡±


    He started walking, though he had to stop after a moment to look back at the still Countess. ¡°What are you doing just standing there? We don¡¯t have all night.¡±


    She jolted, and Gaven held in a sigh as she finally followed him out of the passage. Not long after, the statue returned to its original position.


    Shaking his head, he ignored whatever senseless mutterings that were leaving her mouth and continued onward, keeping his eyes on both their surroundings and her as he did. He¡¯d learned the hard way that you had to babysit her every move on jobs like this.


    What one didn¡¯t do for work.


    With him already having scouted the path ahead of them, they made quick way through the corridors now. The Sanctuary of Ittar was about as grand as the tales told, but it was funny how lax the security felt in comparison. The Baroness had said the risk here wasn¡¯t to be underestimated, and he believed her, but all it had taken to get this far was for the woman to share the location of a single underground passage that no one apparently bothered keeping under watch. They hadn¡¯t even spent half an hour to sneak inside, with the Followers none the wiser.


    Things like that were about what he¡¯d come to expect from the Baroness. That lady had the blasted Viles guiding her. Or a god, though he could scarcely think of one who¡¯d commit such blasphemous acts so casually. Maybe one that held a grudge towards Ittar.


    Once more, he had to remind himself not to get on the woman¡¯s bad side.


    He¡¯d met plenty of nobles throughout his life, ranging from lowly fourth sons to an actual countess back when he was part of the Vanguards. When it came to how nobles behaved when public eyes weren¡¯t on them, he was more familiar than most. He had experience with both the calculative, scheming kind and the uptight, overly righteous kind. They were all arrogant and the same in the end, even when they thought they weren¡¯t. He didn¡¯t peg Scarlett Hartford to be much different on that end. His interactions with her had told him about what he¡¯d expect.


    But he also knew not to underestimate her. Outside of her being a noble, he knew her type of person as well.


    She was the type who was always in control. Used to giving orders and being obeyed, seeing everyone else as tools to be used. The type that was far too good at anything they set their mind to, often to the detriment of the people around them. The type that always rose to the top of whatever order they took part in, from the rough alleyways of city slums to the powdered banquets of the empire¡¯s nobility.


    He liked nothing more than witnessing the moment when all that fell apart around that kind of person. That moment when all their finely laid plans crumbled to dust, and they had to feel what it was like for everybody else.


    Call it a sadistic streak of his.


    That said, he also rather liked living. Being used as a tool wasn¡¯t bad, as long as he wasn¡¯t considered broken or unusable. His ambition was to get paid while he still could, and then be in the next town over when things went down the gutter. Which it usually did, eventually.


    Although, just this once, he hoped it would take a while for that to happen with the Baroness. And for some reason, he felt like it might.


    She was a scary woman, and while it might be fun seeing things go bad for her, he also wanted whatever information she had on his locket. And whatever other benefits he could get from working with her.


    All that had to wait until this job was finished, though.


    As they reached the courtyard he¡¯d been at before, he stopped the Countess for a moment and peeked around the corner to make sure things were still clear. It was, of course. According to the Baroness, this entire segment of the Sanctuary was almost entirely devoid of people most of the time. Why that was, he didn¡¯t quite understand.


    He looked across the space to where a small marble patio served as the entrance to another section of the Sanctuary. A massive, tower-like structure that stretched into the sky. He wasn¡¯t the type to put too much worth on old myths and legends, and he certainly wasn¡¯t much for religion, but he could imagine there was some truth to the tales about divinity being involved in the building of this place. This was just one part of the Sanctuary, after all. Even Dawnlight Palace wasn¡¯t this big.


    He turned back to the Countess. Raising his left hand, the ring on his finger glowed briefly as a decorated dagger appeared in his grip. He held it out to the woman. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡±


    She simply stared at the artifact without taking it.


    He clicked his tongue. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten the Baroness¡¯ plan, right?¡±


    She looked up at him, blinking, then lowered her eyes to the ground and pulled the hood tighter around her face. ¡°¡­No¡­No¡­I¡­Remember¡­¡±


    Slowly, she held out a hand.


    Gaven placed the dagger in it, then waited for her to use it. Of course, she just continued standing there with her arm out, so eventually he had to step over to her. Carefully, and with telegraphed movements¡ªhe wasn¡¯t stupid enough to surprise her¡ªhe took her wrist and guided her bandage-covered hands, using the thin blade to cut a thin wound on her index finger.


    Somehow, she didn¡¯t even seem to notice at first. Then she gave him a startled look and wordlessly stared at the trail of blood that formed.


    ¡°You know what to do from here, yeah?¡±


    They¡¯d already done this part several times over for practice, and then there had been no issues. But of course she had to go and waste time when they were on the actual mission.


    The Countess gave a slow nod. ¡°¡­Y-Yes¡­¡±


    She shifted her attention to focus solely on the dagger, like she was contemplating how it got there. After a few seconds, the violet gem on its guard briefly turned dark. The moment after, the woman before him had changed. Gone were the frayed hair and bandages sticking out from under the robes, replaced by a set of long, golden locks that hung down the side of her hood''s opening. Gaven pulled it back to reveal a woman¡¯s youthful appearance, with most of her hair bundled up at the back of the head and a pair of bright, marigold eyes.


    He didn¡¯t think himself a man easily tricked by a lady¡¯s looks, but he felt certain this was one appearance that would drive most men crazy. No wonder the Followers of Ittar tried to hide the Augur all the time.


    That said, those weren¡¯t the eyes of a sane person. The Memory of the Covenant was damn impressive¡ªhe¡¯d admit that much¡ªbut it was still limited by the person using it. Put it in the hands of an amateur and even a kid could tell something was off. There was also a time limit on the thing, which made things harder when you had to work with someone like the Countess.


    The woman reached to pull up her hood again, but he stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t cover yourself until after we¡¯ve reached our goal. Remember, we need you to continue looking like that for a while longer.¡±


    The Augur¡¯s beauty was the stuff of fairy tales, and perhaps it might be a gift from Ittar, but to him, that wasn¡¯t the craziest thing about this. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that this woman in front of him was actually the Augur¡¯s sister. He couldn¡¯t understand how that worked, and he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to never have to work with the Countess again.


    The two of them stepped out from behind the corner and into the courtyard. As they crossed it, Gaven paused and looked back to see that the Countess had stopped again. Standing transfixed like a statue, she stared down at a bed of blue star-shaped flowers that grew in clusters around a plain marble bench.


    ¡°¡­You like those flowers?¡± He took a step back to her. ¡°We can look at things like that all we like later, but right now we¡¯ve got to stay moving. Short on time, remember?¡±


    ¡°¡­Blue stars¡­¡± she mumbled in a soft voice that held a lot more charm than the woman it currently belonged to. A distant look was on her face as she turned to him. ¡°¡­My sister¡¯s favorite¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah? I bet they planted it because of her then. Nice that they¡¯re treating her well. We really ought to get moving, though.¡±


    He waved and waited for her to follow. Thankfully, that pretty head of hers wasn¡¯t completely empty, and she started trailing behind him again while gazing back at the flowers. Soon, they reached the other end of the courtyard, where they entered the patio leading into the tall tower. There, they were met by a set of wide, glossy stairs.


    The Augur¡¯s quarters were supposed to be at the top of this tower, so they had a lot of legwork to do.


    Climbing the stairs, they soon reached a set of doors that led into a hallway. It was similar to the corridors they¡¯d been moving through before, with white stone and golden decorations running along the floor and walls, but the ceiling here was a lot higher and lacked skylights. Instead, large crystals shining a bright yellow illuminated the space.


    They reached a small cross-section of hallways, which split into two corridors to the right and left, and a set of stairs that continued forward. The Baroness had told them to just keep climbing when they were here, so he supposed he didn¡¯t have to waste any time scouting around.


    Gaven froze when he heard steps from one of the corridors. His hands went to the blades hidden in the belt under his overcoat. He¡¯d sensed nobody, but they were already this close. There was nowhere to hide now.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    An armored figure appeared around the corner. It looked like a woman, but clad head to toe in shimmering bronze-gold metal that made them feel more like a construct. The armor was intricately crafted, made of plated sections that fit tightly around their body and etched with complex designs of emblazoned suns. Framing their head was a polished, cylindrical helmet with wing-like horns extending forward from the sides. There were no slits or any other visible means to see through.


    They moved with grace and precision, the armor making tiny, distinct sounds with every step. Covering the back half of its legs was a dark, skirt-like piece that fluttered down to its heels. In its left hand, it was holding a chain with a thurible hanging at the end and a trail of smoke following it, and in the other was a long, bronze-colored sword that widened at the tip and had a flat pike sticking out from the lower half.


    The figure stopped as Gaven and the Countess entered its field of view. Its helmet turned to look at them.


    He¡¯d bet his left foot he knew exactly what this was.


    A Knight of the Eternal Oath.


    He had heard stories about the inner guards of the Sanctuary of Ittar, but it was different seeing one in person. Just one glance was enough to tell him this wasn¡¯t something he wanted to fight head-on. It wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cut him in two the second it perceived him as a threat. And while it sure looked like there might be a person under all that, he now understood why there were rumors about these things not being human.


    The knight simply continued staring at them, and a bead of sweat formed on Gaven¡¯s forehead. He glanced back at the Countess, who wasn¡¯t doing much of anything other than meet its stare.


    He nudged her with his elbow. ¡°Remember your lines,¡± he whispered.


    She blinked a few times, a look of recognition appearing on her face.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡­¡± she started stuttering.


    Gaven wanted to palm his face.


    ¡°I-I am¡­returning to my¡­quarters¡­¡± the woman with the appearance of the Augur continued. She nodded at him. ¡°This is¡­a helper¡­helping me¡­ You can¡­continue patrolling¡­¡±


    The knight stayed silent, watching the two of them for several more seconds. Then, it suddenly performed a strange salute where it held its sword out to the side and raised the thurible into the air. The moment after, it immediately recommenced walking forward into another of the corridors.


    As Gaven watched it leave, he let out a small breath.


    Another thing the Baroness had been right about. Those knights really didn¡¯t question anything they thought came from the Augur¡¯s mouth. And they were worse than a blind horse at telling the difference between the real deal and the Countess¡¯ terrible performance.


    What the Blazes the Followers had done to get guards like these, he didn¡¯t wanna know. He doubted they wanted anyone to know, either.


    He looked back to the Countess. The woman was visibly troubled, gripping tightly at her robes as her eyes darted around them.


    ¡­He really hated working with amateurs. Especially when he had to rely on their performances to get things done. Even more so when they were stark-raving lunatics.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go. This isn¡¯t gonna be the last of those we run into,¡± he said.


    It took a short while to get the woman moving again, but eventually they were climbing the next set of stairs and continuing higher up the tower. They ran into more Knights of the Eternal Oath as they did, and each encounter was as nerve-wracking as the previous one, with Gaven worrying the Countess would screw up too much and they¡¯d have to fight their way through. But Ittar didn¡¯t seem to have been smiling down on the Followers on whatever day they decided these were decent guards for one of their inner sanctums, because none of the knights questioned them even a single time, no matter how much the woman butchered her lines and started rambling nonsense.


    After they had climbed probably over a dozen sets of stairs¡ªspread about the place far enough from each other that Gaven was starting to question if they were still in the same tower¡ªthey reached a wide hallway that ended in a large set of gold-encrusted doors. Intricate illustrations of priests praying to the sun covered them, and a knight was standing guard on each side.


    Neither made to move as Gaven and the Countess approached.


    He glanced back at the woman¡¯s altered appearance. He was pretty sure they were nearing the end of the Memory of the Covenant¡¯s effect, so it was lucky that they¡¯d gotten this far even with her delays.


    They stopped in front of the two knights. ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± he quietly told the Countess, urging her forward again.


    The woman seemed absorbed with the doors in front of them, and it took a couple of seconds before she even appeared to register his words. Then she turned to the guards and took a few slow steps towards them. ¡°¡­We wish¡­to enter¡­¡±


    The knight to the left immediately stepped to the side in one of those strange salutes as the other moved in front of the doors, gripping hold of a pair of handles that were as thick as its hands and pulling.


    Gaven couldn¡¯t help chuckling at the sight. Supposedly, the actual Augur would be inside right this very moment, yet the knights thought there was nothing wrong with seeing another ¡®Augur¡¯ here as well.


    So much for the Followers¡¯ vaunted keepers.


    He could tell they were strong, and he wasn¡¯t sure he could sneak past all of the defences here in the Sanctuary, so he could understand why this place might be regarded as incredibly safe. But this one flaw had allowed him and the Countess to get this far with barely any opposition.


    The doors pulled open slowly, a loud reverberation ringing out through the hall as they did. Beyond them, he spotted a large circular chamber. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with shelves, most bearing books bound in rich leather and decorated with intricate designs in gold leaf. At the room¡¯s center stood a wide, curved desk facing the entrance, filled with various items. Further behind it, a tall window opened up onto a balcony that overlooked the night sky and the forests in the distance.


    Gaven eyed the two knights for a moment to make sure they still weren¡¯t doing anything, then tapped the Countess¡¯ shoulder to urge her inside.


    The doors closed behind them as they walked in, locking them inside.


    He took another look around the space. It was filled with the scent of incense and the soft glint of a fire, creating an odd atmosphere that was both peaceful and solemn. Why he thought of those two words in particular, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    To the left was an inconspicuous door that presumably led to a bedroom and assorted quarters, and to the right was the fireplace, crackling quietly with an orange-red glow. In front of it were a small table and a high-backed armchair with a lone woman sitting in it, dressed in a flowing white gown and looking down at a thick book in her lap. Her face was turned away from them, but he recognized those bright golden locks that swelled over her shoulders.


    This woman had a completely different air to her than the Countess. Even from where he stood, Gaven could tell there was something special about her. As if there was a glow surrounding her, invisible to mortal eyes but still perceivable. He supposed that, if holiness was to be personified, it would look like this.


    It was annoying.


    He never cared much about Ittar, the Followers, or any of the other gods that the empire liked to pretend didn¡¯t exist anymore. They could do whatever they wanted as long as they didn¡¯t bother him. But this? This woman? Her very presence was just screaming at him to pay attention. Like he didn¡¯t have the right to look away.


    ¡°S-Sister¡­¡± A small wail left the Countess beside him.


    But the Augur still hadn¡¯t looked up at them for even a second. Not even at the heavy thud earlier as the doors closed.


    The Countess started shuffling across the room. When she reached the woman, she kneeled down next to her chair and grasped at its armrest. ¡°Ah, ah, ah, s-sister¡­ I am here, I am here, sister¡­¡±


    Finally, the Augur¡¯s head gradually lifted, gazing out into the air in front of her for several seconds. Then she seemed to realize there was someone next to her, turning to look at the Countess. She cocked her head. ¡°¡­Me...? I¡­?¡±


    She lifted a hand first to her own face, then to her golden hair. ¡°¡­No, I am I.¡± She shook her head, returning her attention to the Countess. ¡°You are¡­not me?¡±


    ¡°Sister, sister¡­ It is me¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I am me,¡± the Augur replied. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡±


    Gaven observed the sight with an almost morbid curiosity. It was like he was watching a senile Voneian try to converse with a blind Imperial. The Baroness really hadn¡¯t been lying. The woman was almost as loony as her sister. And that was saying something.


    ¡°Sister¡­ I am your sister¡­¡± the Countess cried, but the words didn¡¯t seem to mean much to the Augur. A frenzied look entered her face as she started looking around the chamber for what to do.


    Gaven sighed.


    ¡°The knife,¡± he called out. ¡°Forget about it already? Just use it again.¡±


    The woman looked back at him with wide eyes, then reached into her robes and pulled out the Memory of the Covenant. She fiddled with the dagger for a breath before eventually managing to deactivate its effect and return to her normal appearance. Her messy blonde locks hung behind her as loose bandages once again covered half her face.


    ¡°Ah, ah.¡± She hurried to pull up her hood again, then turned back to her sister. ¡°Sister, sister, it is me¡­¡±


    The Augur stared down at her for several seconds, a confused furrow on her brows. Finally, a look of recognition appeared in her eyes. ¡°Big sister¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The excitement rose in the Countess¡¯ voice. ¡°I am here¡­ Everything¡­everything will be okay¡­¡±


    The Augur reached out a hand to touch the face under the Countess¡¯ hood. ¡°Poor big sister. Does it hurt? I am sorry, so sorry. Poor big sister.¡±


    The Countess shook her. ¡°I am good. I am well¡­sister¡­ I am sorry¡­sorry¡­are you hurt, sister¡­?¡±


    For some reason, the Augur held a sorrowful smile and her hand moved down to her sister¡¯s neck, caressing it gently. ¡°Poor sister¡­ It must hurt¡­ I am sorry, please do not cry, please. I wish I could help. I want to help.¡±


    Gaven raised an eyebrow when he realized where she was touching.


    ¡­He supposed she wasn¡¯t called the Augur for nothing.


    He walked over to the Countess, dipping down beside her for a second.


    ¡°I am not sad¡­not sad,¡± the woman said as she grasped her sister¡¯s hand with both of hers. ¡°I will save you¡­ I have¡­a friend¡­ They helped me¡­ And I will help you¡­ We will get away from the bad people¡­¡±


    Gaven cleared his throat, then picked up the dagger that the Countess had dropped to the ground after she was finished with it. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking this. You fine ladies can continue your chat for a bit.¡±


    He stood up and started moving over towards the desk at the center of the room.


    ¡°A friend? A friend?¡± The Augur¡¯s soft voice rang out from behind him. ¡°Poor sister. You have no friends¡­ You are all alone, sister. It breaks my heart.¡±


    ¡°I am not¡­alone¡­ This woman¡­ She is kind¡­she helped me save you¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment, glancing back at the two. It¡¯d be bothersome if the Countess said something about the Baroness now, or if the Augur said something to rile her up¡­


    ¡°I see no woman. No one.¡± Tears ran down the Augur¡¯s face. ¡°Poor sister. So much grief, so much suffering. You were all alone all this time and I could not help. I am sorry, does it hurt? Please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡­Perhaps he didn¡¯t have to worry. The girl made about as much sense as her sister.


    The Countess fervently shook her head. ¡°I am fine¡­ There is¡­no pain.¡±


    Keeping one ear to their nonsensical conversation, Gaven continued crossing the chamber until he reached the desk at its center. There, he looked over the various items spread out on it.


    Most, he had no idea what they were. Religious junk, he guessed. But at least they looked expensive. There was a golden chalice with a lid shaped like the sun, a silver bell with fancy illustrations along the base, an intricately carved box of ebony wood lined with silver, and more.


    He set his eyes on three items in particular that fit the descriptions the Baroness had given him.


    The first was a finger-sized metal plate that had a strange glass pane with various hues swirling in it at its center. Next to it, a bronze stand at the head of the desk supported the second item. A strange crystal ball whose depths held a multitude of colors that coiled around beneath a strange cloud of orange filled with stars. Not far from it was the third item, which was a palm-sized metal sphere made of gold whose sides held a bunch of symbols on it that he neither knew nor cared what they were.


    He quickly gathered all three artifacts up, storing them in the spatial ring that the Baroness had coughed up the money for.


    Easy as that, he¡¯d secured his main objective.


    While he didn¡¯t like downplaying his own skills, even a kid could have done this much.


    He eyed the other items spread out across the desk.


    ¡­The Baroness only needed these three items in particular, but it¡¯d be a waste to just leave the rest, wouldn¡¯t it? He imagined the things that remained weren¡¯t as good as what the boss-lady wanted, but money was money.


    With a smirk, he picked up the most valuable-looking pieces that were left and stored what he could inside the ring. Then he turned back to the Countess and the Augur. He had everything he needed. Next up was tying off loose ends so that he could get out of here without having to worry about the Followers hunting him down for the rest of his life.


    He checked over his gear and his weapons as he started moving back towards the crazy sister-sister pair.


    The Countess was holding onto the other¡¯s arm now, seemingly not having gotten far in the conversation. ¡°S-Sister¡­leave¡­ We need to¡­leave¡­¡±


    The Augur wasn¡¯t shifting from her seat, though. ¡°Dear sister¡­ You should not have come. I wish you hadn¡¯t come. The words of the Ophidian are grey. They seek the moon¡¯s light, yet you are here.¡±


    Gaven frowned. What the Blazes was she on about now?


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand¡­ Sister, come¡­we need to¡­leave¡­¡± The Countess pulled at her.


    ¡°You must leave,¡± the Augur said. ¡°I belong here.¡±


    The Countess froze. She stared up at her. ¡°No¡­no¡­ The bad men¡­ They will¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°They took you¡­ I am here to save¡­save¡­you¡­¡±


    The Augur touched the Countess¡¯ face. ¡°Poor sister. Your eyes¡­your beautiful eyes¡­ Clouded by tragedy and darkness. Touched by Adtia, yet too late and too soon. Hear my words, dear sister. You must prepare¡­ Take refuge, but do not heed the fallen knave. Be ever vigilant and beware those who follow that which cowered and seek to bring down the skies.¡±


    ¡°Sister¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­ Listen¡­ Please listen¡­ Please, we must leave¡­¡±


    Gaven erased his presence as he moved up behind the Countess, reaching a hand into his belt. He pulled out a deep obsidian dagger. The blade seemed to shimmer in the weak light coming from the fireplace, and a black liquid covered its edge.


    The Augur didn¡¯t even seem to recognize his presence as the woman simply continued sputtering her incomprehensible inanities.


    He stopped behind the Countess¡¯ crouched figure and looked down at her.


    Sorry, lady. Can¡¯t say it was a pleasure, but you had your uses. Next life, you might be pickier about who you place your faith in.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah, Sister¡­wait¡­ I can bring us away¡ª¡±


    A scream escaped the woman as his blade dug into her neck.


    Then a silvery light exploded out and filled Gaven¡¯s vision.


    A sharp pain sprang out from his shoulder as he just barely managed to shade morph in time. The world turned into a canvas of red hues, and a moment later, he reappeared several meters back.


    ¡°Ah¡­ah¡­ah¡­¡± the Countess cried as she fell to the floor, blood pouring from her neck. The silvery light that had just blinded Gaven took the shape of dozens of spears that stretched out from beneath the woman as if to protect her from harm, and they were now inching their way back to her. The obsidian dagger that he¡¯d used seemed to have been completely obliterated by whatever that was.


    He panted as he warily eyed the scene, pulling out and downing a healing potion the Baroness had provided him with.


    A rumble spread through the chamber, and the next second, a sizeable chunk of stone slammed into the floor to his right. He sent a look up at the ceiling to see a large hole there, with several cracks running from it.


    Blazes¡­


    Was that just from whatever she¡¯d just done to protect herself now? That was one scary ability. He¡¯d never seen the woman use anything like it before. Usually she just hit anything around her till it broke.


    He downed another potion as he kept watching the Countess where she was whimpering on the floor. Getting close to her again was far too risky. He¡¯d clearly underestimated what she was capable of. It was lucky that he had prepared the Specter¡¯s Tears poison for this. It was supposed to be able to kill even young dragons under the right conditions, so it was only a matter of time until she was finished.


    He glanced up at the Augur, who surprisingly enough seemed completely unharmed where she sat, gazing down at her injured sister with a strange look. The Countess had managed to completely avoid hitting her. That was probably for the best, though. The Baroness didn¡¯t want the Augur to be touched for some reason, even though the woman herself was supposed to be weak.


    ¡°Ah¡­ah¡­it hurts¡­¡± The Countess tried moving on the floor with both hands pressed against her neck. ¡°Why¡­why¡­what¡­?¡± Her cries became more and more unintelligible as the seconds passed.


    ¡°Poor sister. Does it hurt? I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the Augur said. ¡°Why do you have to suffer so? Why can¡¯t I help you? Why can¡¯t I see the way? The paths are disordered. Interlaced. Fused. I see only confusion and suffering, but there is so much uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sister¡­help¡­¡± The silver light around the Countess convalesced into a pelt that covered her wound, and she sent a disoriented look Gaven¡¯s way.


    ¡°Who is the knave?¡± the Augur asked out loud. ¡°Who cowers? Who is a friend? Sister, I cannot see it. Why can¡¯t I see it?¡±


    Gaven¡¯s head spun to the chamber¡¯s entrance as the doors slowly started opening.


    Well, that was his cue to leave. He ended up getting distracted because of whatever ability of the Countess¡¯ this was.


    He looked back at the woman. It¡¯d be a problem if she said anything before she keeled, though. He assumed it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to leave a body. That much he could explain to the Baroness, at least. She was the type to be practical in these things, and he was pretty sure she¡¯d already thought it through, besides. If not, he¡¯d just spared her the effort.


    But if the Countess talked before that¡­


    He pulled out two daggers and threw them through the air. They were instantly blocked by two of the tendrils of light that were protecting the woman.


    That was annoying¡­


    He looked back to the entrance, where he could see the two Knights of the Eternal Oath through the widening gap.


    Pulling out even more daggers, he started throwing them at the Countess each after the other as he ran towards the balcony. None made its way through the woman¡¯s defense, though. He clenched his teeth. Seems like he would just have to bet that the woman didn¡¯t get the chance to spill anything. It wasn''t as if there was anyone nearby that could genuinely listen to her.


    Suddenly, he noticed the Countess stretch out and grab hold of the Augur with one hand, using the other to pull out a small cube from beneath her robes. Then, a moment later, she disappeared in a flash of light.


    Gaven¡¯s eyes widened. What was that?!


    ¡°Poor sister¡­¡± The Augur¡¯s voice sounded out across the chamber. ¡°I pray for your future. Forgive me.¡±


    For the first time, the woman turned to Gaven and acknowledged his existence. He found himself entranced by her gaze. ¡°¡­You are not the knave,¡± she said deliberately. ¡°You are but ash strewn in the wind, but I cannot see the catalyst.¡±


    The two knights entered the chamber, and Gaven had to tear his eyes away from the crazy woman. There wasn¡¯t any more time. He dashed out onto the stone of the balcony outside, spending only the briefest moment to peer out over the railing at the extensive compound of white buildings that stretched out directly beneath. It was like a tiny town all unto itself.


    Hearing the noises behind him, he didn¡¯t waste another second as he placed a hand on the railing and leaped. The wind whipped past his ears as gravity took him.


    He¡¯d have to take a second to explain things to the Baroness later.

 Chapter 134 - Inferno

    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    A chill ran down Gaven¡¯s spine as the Baroness¡¯ steely gaze locked onto him. A sudden tension filled the space between them, and the frigid night air was forced aside as the temperature spiked.


    ¡°¡­You took care of her?¡± the woman asked him. Her voice was as flat as always, but there was a danger to her tone now.


    Gaven fought down the instincts that told him to step back and reach for his hidden blades.


    It had been annoying enough making his way back after jumping off a several hundred-meter-high tower back in the Sanctuary, but now he had a pissed-off boss to deal with as well? Could it be she actually wanted the Countess to live after all this? There¡¯s no way she was that naive.


    She couldn¡¯t know that he hadn¡¯t been able to make sure she died, could she? That was even more impossible. Besides, the poison would have taken care of the woman by now.


    He opened his mouth to speak, surprised to find it slightly dry. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have anyone spilling the news of what happened, could we? So yeah, I took care of her.¡±


    The Baroness¡¯ eyes met his, and he stilled. There wasn¡¯t just anger hidden there. There was rage.


    ¡°When did I ever command you to take care of her?¡±


    Small flames burst into existence behind the woman, licking the ground like hungry spirits. Gaven stared at them, uncertain if it was her doing. He hadn¡¯t even been sure if she was a mage or not.


    ¡°Ehm, right¡­ Seems like I might have been a bit hasty,¡± he said, giving up the usual daring smile he wore around most noble types. He was starting to suspect she did want the Countess alive after all. But there was also the chance that she was just angry he didn¡¯t follow her exact orders. ¡°With people like her, you¡¯ve got to take the opportunity when you have it. We can¡¯t exactly keep her locked up for all eternity, so dealing with her as soon as possible saves us a lot of trouble and her a bunch of misery. Not like she was living much of a life before you picked her up, so this makes it easier for everyone, yeah?¡±


    The flames behind the Baroness grew in size, and the strange crystal ball in her hand suddenly lit up a soft white. The temperature continued to rise as she stepped closer to him, and the look in her amber eyes told him all he needed to know.


    That was not what she wanted to hear.


    ¡°So you killed her?¡°


    The heavy words hung in the air.


    Gaven stared at her. Blazes¡­ He¡¯d misread her, it seemed.


    This woman was crazy as well.


    He raised his hands up. ¡°Never said that.¡±


    He knew better than to dig his grave even deeper at this point. The Baroness was a noble, and some nobles didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass if they did something idiotic or not. If they thought you were going against them, then you weren¡¯t making it out with all your limbs intact.


    ¡°She was still alive last I saw her. Used some strange cube that caused her to just up and disappear. For all I know, she could be in the nearest town over, spilling the beans to anyone listening.¡±


    The Baroness narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°¡­You poisoned her.¡±


    The words were uttered with barely restrained anger, now.


    Silence fell between them.


    ¡­Well, damn. He¡¯d almost forgotten that there wasn¡¯t much this woman didn¡¯t know about him.


    The flames behind the Baroness danced to some unknown rhythm, beating and pulsing like they could barely contain their fury. Sweat was forming on his brow from the heat, and it was like the moment drew out between them.


    Then, Gaven moved. Spinning around, the world turned into a blur of red as he shade morphed away. He was cutting his losses here, even if it hurt to do so. He¡¯d taken enough valuables from the Augur¡¯s chamber to get a decent payday even without the Baroness, and his life was more important than some old locket.


    In his reality of red, a wall of deep scarlet appeared to block his path. He immediately stopped, and the world returned to normal. There was a wall of fire in front of him. He frowned at it, looking back at the Baroness. Shade morph was a skill he¡¯d spent over two years learning from an old vagrant near the Unresting Steppes. Only manifest magic could affect it, and even then, any effects were usually more than halved. Those flames hadn¡¯t looked weakened at all, though. What types of spells were she using?


    Still standing near the center of the clearing, the Baroness raised a hand.


    Gaven¡¯s instincts had been honed from years of experience, and at that moment, they told him to move just as dozens of strange-looking fireballs popped into existence around him. Once again, he shade morphed, turning into a red mist in time to dodge a shower of water and steam bearing down where he¡¯d just been. He reappeared a short distance away, touching a hand to the shoulder that had originally been wounded by the Countess. One of those blasts hit him even while morphed, and it stung more than it should have.


    He shot another look at the Baroness as she started walking in this direction. Blasted woman was crazier than he thought. He wouldn¡¯t have pegged her to be this skilled of a mage.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Yet another assault bore down upon him, but this time he was ready and evaded it in time. As the world turned red around him with shade morph, he aimed towards the edge of the clearing. More scarlet barriers popped up to block his path, forcing him to exit the ability each time and reactivate it in another direction.


    The woman wanted to stop him from escaping. But there weren¡¯t enough fireballs in an entire squadron of mages to keep him locked down.


    Repeatedly shade morphing his way forward, he moved in an unpredictable pattern and relied on his instincts to dodge any other attacks that were aimed at him and avoid getting caught between the walls of fire.


    He had dealt with his fair share of annoying opponents in his time, but this might take the cake. Usually, he could just zoom through whatever people tried throwing at him, but clearly that wouldn¡¯t work now. Which was a shame. He¡¯d never been good at any of ¡®em defensive techniques.


    Luckily, he had yet to encounter any situation that he couldn¡¯t get out of when he actually set his mind to it.


    Another barrage of those strange fire spheres weighed down on him the next time he exited shade morph. The Baroness tried caging him in a barrier of flames as well, but he was already out even before it had completely formed.


    He was nearing the border of the clearing, with the forest straight ahead.


    That was when it was as if the Blazes themselves opened up into the world. A sea of flames burst into existence, forming a wide half-circle in front of him and casting an eery glow across the trees beyond. He felt the heat almost immediately. It pushed down on him like a wave. One breath was enough to sting his lungs, and plumes of smoke rose from the plots of dead grass that hadn¡¯t been outright swallowed by the fires.


    He searched around, but there was no way through. The flames only opened up behind him. He looked back, where a sinister tunnel of fire had formed between him and the Baroness. An imposing air hung around her as she stepped through it towards him. In her right hand was a short dagger, and for some reason, she was now wearing a freaking tiara on her head. With her eyes fixed on him, she moved forward as if leading an army, the flames closing in and trailing behind her like followers their queen. The fires closest to Gaven soared even higher, casting their glow on the approaching woman.


    He clenched his teeth. The heat was still rising behind him.


    What was with this insane difference from before? Had she been holding back at first? What even was this kind of spell? And how much mana did she have?


    He glanced back at the inferno that was blocking his escape. He might have been able to force his way through the weaker flames before, but he couldn¡¯t be sure about these. Simply standing here felt like being baked alive.


    Not to mention that this woman might literally burn down the entire forest just to get to him.


    Suddenly, his instincts warned him of another attack. Or rather, they screamed at him.


    In the next instant, a raging tempest of fire swallowed him. As if the morning sun had been pulled down and squeezed into a pulp before being thrown at him. He tried activating shade morph to flee, but the flames followed him even when he severed himself from the Material Realm, tearing through space as they forced him to move towards the Baroness.


    With a scream, he emerged a short distance away from her, catching himself on his singed palms. He had tried protecting himself, but his defensive techniques had been shredded through in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk this out!¡± he yelled, looking up at the Baroness and gasping for breath as his lungs burned. ¡°I get you¡¯re mad¡­¡± Even talking hurt. How in the Blazes did she look so unaffected? ¡°The Countess might not be dead yet, yeah? If I help ya, we might find her in time, so let¡¯s not do anything hasty here, kay?¡±


    The flames were still inching closer to him from behind. He had to force himself up again to shade morph away, reappearing slightly to the side of the Baroness. He opened his mouth to speak again. To say anything that could convince her. But as their eyes locked, he froze.


    She didn¡¯t care one lick about whatever he had to say. There was only death and pure rage in that look.


    He wasn¡¯t leaving this clearing alive if he didn¡¯t act first.


    He pulled out two blades from his belt.


    This was the last time he was taking a job from a Vile-cursed noble.


    Triggering a few of the body-enhancing techniques and tricks he¡¯d learned in his time on the streets and as a member of the Vanguards¡ªmost weren¡¯t things you wanted to use unless you enjoyed puking yourself out on the ground afterward¡ªhe threw a quick glance to make sure the blades were still coated. Then, he activated shade morph again and moved towards the Baroness. He was running low on energy, so he would have to deal with this quickly.


    Yet another wall of fire appeared before him. He immediately canceled shade morph and rolled to the side of the flames. Then, while the woman was focused on conjuring another array of attacks against him, he threw both daggers.


    Her reaction was quicker than he thought, and one of the blades was completely engulfed by a sphere of fire, obscuring the woman from his view. The other one, however, he¡¯d seen graze her shoulder.


    He pulled out another set of daggers, ready to dodge another assault and search for the next opportunity, when the firestorm around him suddenly stilled, as if frozen by time. The flames protecting the Baroness calmed down for just a moment, revealing the woman as she shot him an intense glare. There were traces of blood on her shoulder, but it was a lot less than he¡¯d hoped for. That hadn¡¯t been Specter¡¯s Tears poison, so it wouldn¡¯t be enough to take her out.


    Forcing himself out of his momentary daze, he threw both daggers towards her again. This time, barriers made of water materialised to slow their momentum before another set of flames swallowed them up. He wasn¡¯t even sure if they got close to the Baroness.


    There was a brief moment where complete silence descended on them, and then everything moved. It was as if the entire clearing churned and a forest of fire stormed towards him from all directions, engulfing him in the blazing conflagration before he could move. He screamed as he tried to fight back, clambering for an escape. But the flames moved like they were alive, roiling and shifting in impossible ways as they eroded his body. He blindly fumbled around in this ocean of red and fire, the pain drawing out for what felt like an eternity.


    And then it all disappeared.


    Gaven fell to the ground, barely able to breathe, though he wasn¡¯t sure whether there was no air or if his lungs simply weren¡¯t capable of it anymore.


    Now all that surrounded him was the dark clearing, illuminated by the pale light of the moon that hung in the sky above. Weakly lifting his head, he bore witness to the destruction that had been wrought. Over half of the area was nothing but charred black, with weak embers of fire spread out over what remained of the vegetation. Yet the bordering trees were completely untouched.


    For a single breath, he wondered if one of the six Blazes actually had descended here, simply to spite him and the choices he¡¯d made.


    Striding through the chaos she had brought about, the Baroness stopped a step away from Gaven, staring down at him.


    He tried raising his arm ¡ª tried to shade morph away, but there was no energy left. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to speak.


    One last time, he met the woman¡¯s eyes, looking into the wrath and intensity behind them. But now, there was something else mixed into there as well.


    He almost wanted to laugh.


    He wasn¡¯t even sure when he fell for it, but he supposed he only had himself to blame for forgetting even the basics. Funny couldn¡¯t even begin to describe it.


    This was what happened when you got too caught up in your beliefs about someone. Was this what that Countess felt, maybe?


    The Baroness raised a hand.


    ¡°¡­Filth.¡±


    The single word was almost whispered.


    And then Gaven¡¯s world turned to ash.

 Chapter 135 - Doubt

    A heavy atmosphere had descended over the mansion ever since Scarlett¡¯s return. It loomed over the hallways and corridors, clinging to the nooks and crannies and stretched out across the entire estate. It left people in discomfort. Wary. Tense. As if they had done something wrong, and punishment would be meted out any second now.


    The Baroness was in a bad mood.


    Rosa would have to be blind not to have noticed. It was clear to anyone that paid attention. Even to those who hadn¡¯t actually seen the woman for themselves recently. It was in the very air of the mansion. But Rosa didn¡¯t know the reason.


    Unfortunately, that was only one of her worries.


    She lay on the bed in her room, gazing up at the ceiling boards with tired eyes. As always, she did her best to ignore the shadows that lurked on the ceiling beams and the rest of the room, cast by the moonlight entering through the single window. Her fingers clutched at the blankets beneath her, clasping for some semblance of respite in their softness.


    The visions had been getting worse again lately. They were always bad, but the degree ebbed and flowed. This past week, when Scarlett had been away on some business in Kilsfell, had been the worst in a while now. She had barely slept in three days.


    It hadn¡¯t dawned on her before now how quickly she had become reliant on Scarlett. On the peace that accompanied the woman¡¯s presence. She had avoided interacting with others as much as she could without it looking unnatural this last week, waiting for it all to pass. Annoyed at herself for how much she wanted Scarlett to return. In the end, she hadn¡¯t been able to stop herself from practically running to the woman¡¯s office upon her return the day before. All for that one brief period of peace. That one chance for an actual genuine conversation not marred by what she saw. The chance to just enjoy the moment and not just hide.


    Like a naive little kid who¡¯d been waiting for their parent to get home because they were too afraid to go to sleep without them.


    And then she¡¯d had the gall to feel disappointed when Scarlett had refused to see her.


    Staying close to the woman to avoid the visions had just been a stopgap to begin with. A temporary reprieve. One that she had told herself a hundred times not to get dependent on. It was only natural that Scarlett had concerns of her own and couldn¡¯t always answer to the whims of Rosa and her unwanted passenger. It was unreasonable to expect anything more.


    Yet she still found herself hoping against her better judgement.


    The suffocating atmosphere in the room grew heavier as the shadows moved closer. She closed her eyes for a breath, trying to relax her heart. Then she opened them again and shifted her head to the side, glancing across the unlit space. Her attention came to rest on the klert leaning against the wall beside the exit.


    When it got like this, not even her music could always be of help. If anything, playing her instrument made things worse. It would fight against her. The notes would come out wrong, and sometimes her fingers wouldn¡¯t do what she wanted. And then she would hear the derisive cackling of a thousand souls from the walls.


    It was frustrating.


    Maddening.


    Her music was the only thing that had always stayed with her, but even that was slowly disappearing. The thought of losing it completely terrified her.


    She wanted it all over with. This sick game meant just to torment her for someone¡¯s entertainment.


    She wanted it to end before something bad happened. Again.


    ¡­Maybe it was time she left this mansion.


    It had been months since she got here. Ages, to her. Longer than she had stayed in any one place since she was a kid. Longer than she ever thought she could stay in one place. She had told Scarlett she never wanted to leave, but¡­


    Those had just been her hopes and dreams. It wouldn¡¯t do her any good to stay here for too long. It wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good. All it did was make things harder when she did leave.


    She closed her eyes again, counting down from eleven. She wouldn¡¯t be getting any more sleep tonight. That much she already knew.


    Sitting up in the bed, she shuffled her legs over the edge and hovered her feet above the floor. The chill from the floorboards made her want to curl her toes up.


    There were noises coming from underneath the bed.


    There had been for hours.


    Like hundreds of skittering legs and the slow, rustling movement of something thick and viscous.


    They were ignorable. She could pretend like they didn¡¯t exist. Sounds weren¡¯t too bad. Not when she was on her own. Then she could tell when they weren¡¯t real.


    She put on the shoes that were resting next to the bed and stood up.


    She needed a walk. Anything was better than staying cooped up in here, stuck with her own thoughts.


    She didn¡¯t bother changing and kept the ruffled set of clothes she¡¯d worn during the day as she headed for the door. Exiting into the hallway outside, she allowed the soft light washing in from the large windows to guide her way. It didn¡¯t really matter where she went.


    Almost as soon as she had left her room, sounds started following her again. They trailed behind as she moved through the mansion¡¯s empty corridors. It was the creaking of walls; the steps around the corners; the odd whisper that escaped from out the shadows. She disregarded most of it, shutting out anything that didn¡¯t seem like it could come from an actual person. It would look strange if she ran into one of the servants and didn¡¯t even notice them again.


    The ominous ambience clung to the surroundings as she continued idling through the mansion, the dull sounds of her feet on the carpeted floor joining the others that stalked her. The walls were lined with old paintings of stoic-looking aristocrats, their eyes tracking her carefully with poorly hidden disdain. Candles on sconces hung between the pictures, unlit. Yet shadows still danced to their tune throughout the hallways.


    Rosa hummed a tune to bring her mind off it all, like she often did. But the notes felt weak. Muted. At one point, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a passing mirror. Her curled brown hair was even more unruly than usual, and her violet eyes met her own. The reflection smiled with a twisted expression, and she turned away.


    Out of the corner of her vision, she saw something more in the mirror. Something that moved and wanted her. But it couldn¡¯t hurt her as long as she didn¡¯t lose control.


    She continued walking through the mansion¡ªshe didn¡¯t know for how long¡ªbefore finally stopping. She blinked, looking around at where she had found herself. This was the east wing.


    Not far from Scarlett¡¯s office.


    Exactly where she didn¡¯t want to go.


    She spun around, taking only one step before pausing. It was the middle of the night. Scarlett probably wouldn¡¯t even be there right now. And Rosa didn¡¯t feel like heading back yet. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to walk around here for a bit.


    Her head turned around, looking down the hallways in the direction of Scarlett¡¯s office.


    ¡­Who was she trying to fool?


    From there, it was as if her legs took on a will of their own as she started moving. Soon, she turned around a corner to spot the noblewoman¡¯s office at the end of the hall. Slowly, she continued towards it, eyes locked on the murky darkness that drifted around the door frame and clamored to it like a fog. It didn¡¯t dare to enter. Scarlett was inside.


    A soft purring brought Rosa out of her trance.


    She shifted her attention to her right. There, on the windowsill looking out at the dark courtyard outside, was a cat. Its jet-black fur almost melted into the surroundings, but its clear, amethyst eyes were looking at her with an appraising gaze.


    It purred once more, and Rosa found herself lowering her head out of pure instinct.


    This wasn¡¯t a normal cat. It wasn¡¯t part of one of her visions, either. What was this? She had never seen Scarlett with a cat near her. Or any kind of pet, really. It probably didn¡¯t belong to her. From the feeling Rosa got from it, this cat didn¡¯t belong to anyone.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Several seconds passed with them just looking at each other, and before Rosa had the chance to fully gather herself and speak, the cat had leaped down from the windowsill in one graceful movement and strode up to her. It circled her legs once, tail jutting up pridefully, then let out a short meow before wandering down the hallway she had come from.


    Rosa watched wordlessly as the cat soon disappeared around the corner, the words still stuck in her throat.


    For some reason, she wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time. Just one look was enough to tell her how ridiculous it was meeting this cat here, even though she didn¡¯t know why. But it also felt like it had seen through her with just one glance. Pitying her.


    She looked back at the door to Scarlett¡¯s office. Now she wanted to go inside even more.


    She stepped closer to it, reaching a hand to the elaborate silver handle and stopping only as she touched the cool surface of the metal. Inside, she could almost feel Scarlett¡¯s presence. There was a weak light sneaking out from under the door as well, hinting that the noblewoman was still awake.


    A stray thought entered Rosa¡¯s mind.


    ¡­Maybe she could finally bring herself to ask Scarlett about her condition? She had been observing the woman for a while now, gauging her personality. Seeing what she could do.


    Maybe Scarlett was different? Maybe she could actually help her?


    Those were all thoughts Rosa had been nurturing for months now. She had been trying to muster the courage to finally ask several times over, but it always led to the same outcome. A fake smile and her changing the topic. But maybe, just maybe, if it was tonight, she could do it.


    She started as a loud thud sounded out from inside. Like a book being slammed onto a table in anger.


    She stared at the door.


    ¡­No, Scarlett already had enough troubles of her own. The woman liked to hide it, but Rosa knew at least that much. She didn¡¯t have to add any more on top of that. Scarlett had been nothing but generous and owed her nothing. If anything, the kindest thing Rosa could do in return was leave.


    In fact, she should tell Scarlett that right now. Otherwise, she might never get to it. She would just keep ignoring it. Keep delaying it, like she always did. And then what? Then it would all repeat. Just like it always did. Everything was going to go wrong again and it would be her fault and there would be nothing she could do about it even if she regretted it and¡ª


    She shook her head, forcing her thoughts away from that course. She needed a clear mind if she was going to do this now. Taking a deep breath, she counted down from eleven before opening the door.


    The room inside was poorly lit, with only a single candle sitting on the corner of Scarlett¡¯s desk. The red-haired noblewoman looked up from a pile of books, maps, and letters that was spread out before her, with a hint of a scowl on her face at first.


    ¡°¡­Miss Hale. I did not know you were still awake.¡±


    Rosa glanced around the office. It was quiet and devoid of any nightmarish visions. Two bookshelves were placed on each side of the room, and a few paintings hung on the walls. The one behind Scarlett, depicting a vast battlefield with armies pressing into a deep valley, caught her eyes as usual, her gaze lingering on it for a second.


    ¡°Well, you know how I am,¡± she said after a moment, tearing her eyes away and aiming them at Scarlett. "I like to take late night walks now and then. Just so happened to pass by, so I thought I¡¯d see if you were still up. There was something I wanted to talk about.¡±


    The woman had a hand pressed to her forehead, leaning over her desk. She looked¡­tired. ¡°I apologize, but this is not the best time for a conversation, Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡°I get that.¡± Rosa closed the door behind her, annoyed at the comfort she felt from shutting out the world. ¡°But this is something I need to talk about right now. Or it might be too late.¡±


    Scarlett seemed to consider her for a second, then closed her eyes with a small sigh and gestured towards the armchair in the room¡¯s corner. The woman had it moved here for Rosa because of all her visits. ¡°Very well. Take a seat.¡±


    Rosa stayed quiet as she moved over to the chair and sat down.


    Scarlett was looking at her. ¡°And? What was there you wished to discuss?¡± There was a slight tenseness to her voice.


    Rosa¡¯s heart hammered in her ears as she met the woman¡¯s gaze. She opened her mouth, but her throat tightened before the words came out.


    Why was she like this? First, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to share her situation with the woman because she was afraid of what might happen, but now she couldn¡¯t even get herself to say that she was leaving either.


    ¡°¡­If it is something you have this much difficulty to speak of, then it might be best to leave it for another time.¡± Scarlett seemed to see through her immediately. ¡°I do not mean to be rude, but I also do not wish to mince words. This is far from a suitable occasion to discuss delicate matters, and I am not in the mood for your usual jests.¡±


    Rosa tried a small smile. ¡°No offense, but I could tell. I assume whatever business you dealt with the other day didn¡¯t go well?¡±


    It really would be better if she could do this tomorrow instead. Or any other day. She was being inconsiderate enough to Scarlett as is.


    But no. It was best for all of them if this was done tonight. Now, if only she could get herself to actually do so.


    Scarlett paused for a moment, tapping her finger against the cover of a book on her desk. ¡°¡­Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Rosa let out a brief laugh, trying to lighten the atmosphere without pushing the woman. ¡°You¡¯ve had basically all the servants on their toes since you returned. Allyssa and Shin seem to think someone had a funeral, and Fynn has been acting like a dejected guard dog for a day and a half. There¡¯s no one who hasn¡¯t noticed. It¡¯s in the air itself.¡±


    Some members of the staff had been genuinely scared when Scarlett first returned. Not everyone had understood what this strange sensation pressing down on them was, and Rosa had heard more than one whisper of ghosts.


    It was an odd phenomenon. While Rosa knew that weird emerald of Scarlett¡¯s was the cause, she didn¡¯t really understand the why and how behind it all either.


    She raised her hands up. ¡°But I won¡¯t pry. Everybody¡¯s got skeletons in the closet that they¡¯d rather be kept there. Things didn¡¯t go quite as you wanted, and we¡¯ll leave it at that.¡± She gestured to the cluttered desk in front of the woman. ¡°You¡¯ve¡­eh¡­.been keeping yourself busy since you got back, it seems?¡±


    Scarlett furled up one of the maps on the desk and placed it to the side, covering up a couple of the letters that seemed to have her writing on them in the process. ¡°Due to some¡­vexing circumstances¡­I am attempting to locate a certain individual.¡± The expression on her face was stiff, as if she was struggling to maintain it, and there was a sharpness to her words now. ¡°I would prefer not to go into further detail for the time being.¡±


    Rosa eyed her for a few seconds. This was the first time she had seen her like this, and she found herself feeling sorry for whoever had angered the woman. ¡°Well, forget about it. Like I said, I won¡¯t pry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am well aware of the degree to which you care about the sanctity of maintaining secrets.¡±


    She stilled. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± She let out a small laugh.


    Scarlett studied her. ¡°No¡­ I am sure you do not.¡±


    They locked eyes, and a thought poked Rosa at the back of her head. A growing notion she had always played off as nothing but her own fanciful daydreaming. But there were times when she suspected¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s hard, you know¡­¡± The words left her in a whisper.


    ¡°¡­What is?¡±


    Her eyes widened. She hastily waved her hand in the air and looked away. ¡°Hah, never mind. That just sounds misleading when I say it like that. There really wasn¡¯t any meaning behind it, so forget I said anything.¡±


    Here she was again. She had already decided what she was here to do, yet she was still hesitating.


    Scarlett considered her quietly for several seconds, and Rosa felt like squirming under her gaze. She had no idea what was going through the woman¡¯s mind right now.


    ¡°¡­How far has it gone, at the moment?¡±


    Rosa almost forgot to breathe as those words reached her, a chill washing through her body.


    Scarlett did know.


    She stared at the woman.


    ¡­Of course she knew. This was Scarlett they were talking about. What didn¡¯t Scarlett know?


    What was surprising was that Rosa had deluded herself into thinking that the woman might actually be unaware of the truth. In fact, the reason she had wanted to tell Scarlett in the first place was because she was likely to know something about it.


    Was this relief she felt? Anxiety? Hope?


    Rosa genuinely couldn¡¯t tell. She didn¡¯t know what was what.


    How much did Scarlett know? For how long? Scarlett had known who she was before they even met, so¡­since the beginning?


    But why would any sane person look for her if they knew the truth about her condition? No matter what services Rosa could provide, it wouldn¡¯t make up for that. Unless¡­ Scarlett had sought her out specifically because of it?


    Like a dam bursting, a deluge of questions rose up that Rosa was both afraid and hoped to hear the answer to, each one threatening to pour out at once.


    ¡°¡­I misspoke,¡± Scarlett suddenly said. ¡°You do not have to answer that question.¡±


    Rosa was brought out of her thoughts. ¡°No, wait, I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me rephrase.¡± Scarlett held up a hand. ¡°Do not answer that question. This is not the right time.¡±


    The woman looked down at her other hand, and Rosa blinked as she saw part of the skin take on a darker hue. Scarlett quickly hid it under the desk.


    Rosa kept staring at the woman. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Something you should not concern yourself with for now,¡± Scarlett eventually answered in a stern, but tired, voice. Rosa felt like she could hear pain as well. ¡°Now, what was it that you wished to discuss with me that could not wait?¡±


    Rosa slowly opened her mouth, then closed it. She had come here to say she was leaving, but now, she didn¡¯t know what to say. She wanted to ask questions, but the atmosphere in the room and Scarlett¡¯s tone made it clear she wouldn¡¯t accept those right now.


    ¡°No, it was just¡­¡± She eventually found her voice, though she wasn¡¯t even sure what came out. ¡°I ran into this strange cat outside, and I thought I had to bring it up with you.¡±


    ¡°A¡­cat, you say?¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes shifted to the door, gazing at it as if she could peer through the wood.


    ¡°Yes. It had black fur and was lying on the windowsill. It left right after it saw me, though.¡±


    For some reason, Rosa knew that it hadn¡¯t just left for another part of the mansion.


    ¡°¡­I suppose it would soon be time,¡± Scarlett muttered.


    ¡°Do you know why that cat was there?¡± With the previous avenue of conversation closed to her, Rosa was happy to grasp on to this change in subject.


    The woman nodded her head slowly. ¡°I do, yes. It is not a bad omen, if that is your concern. Perhaps it could even be considered a good one. However¡­¡± A pensive expression formed on her face. ¡°There is still much to be done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you must be busy with preparations for that fancy ball thing that¡¯s taking place next week, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett stared at her as if that had completely slipped her mind. The woman raised a hand to her temple. ¡°True¡­ There is that as well. In my current state, however, I fear that I might accidentally reduce the first person to approach me with fake pleasantries to ashes.¡±


    Normally, this was where Rosa would have laughed and said that Scarlett was finally getting the hang of jokes, but she felt like the woman was completely serious. Despite seeming like the type who would love such an event, Scarlett did not look excited. It felt strange, seeing this woman who was usually so unflappable this¡­exposed.


    A few seconds of silence passed between them. Eventually, Scarlett lowered her hand and returned her attention to Rosa. ¡°What do you say of visiting Freymeadow in the morning?¡±


    Rosa studied her tired face for a moment, then showed a small, genuine smile. ¡°Yeah, sure. That might be nice.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what would happen from now on, but¡­maybe she could wait for a bit longer. No, maybe she had to. And then maybe, just maybe, she could find something that helped her stop running.

 Chapter 136 - Anger management

    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 1324/5047]


    [Points: 2]


    Scarlett prompted the status window to appear before her, mindlessly scanning through it and its contents. This was maybe the¡­tenth time in the last five minutes? She wasn¡¯t sure. There wasn¡¯t anything new that appeared just because she kept looking, but it was something to focus on.


    As her eyes passed over her mana, she paused and blinked. It was depleting quickly again.


    She turned away from the status window to see a crackling inferno of flames hovering in the air a dozen meters ahead of her. It hadn¡¯t even registered to her that she¡¯d summoned it. She raised a hand and closed her fist as if smothering the flames. They died out immediately, and now that she was paying attention, she noticed the temperature decreasing quickly, leaving only the usual summer warmth that was always present here in Freymeadow.


    For a while, she simply sat there, looking out at the empty space.


    ¡°Want me to refill it for you?¡± Rosa¡¯s approaching voice rang out after a while.


    Scarlett looked to the side as the woman neared, stopping next to her and pointing down at the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] around her neck. She considered the bard for a moment, then held up her hand. With a thought, the necklace disappeared and reappeared in her palm, which she extended out to the woman.


    Rosa received it and touched her index finger against the violet crystal hanging from the artifact. It lit up as the mana inside began filling up.


    Neither of them spoke.


    With everything else that had happened recently, it felt like that was threatening to become the norm now. They had barely had more than a few conversations over the past week and a half. Scarlett had been away, yes, but after she returned¡­ Well, the awkward talk they¡¯d had the night before in her office spoke magnitudes.


    Her gaze turned down to her left hand resting on her lap. The pain that had flared up from the crest there was still vivid in her memory. She shouldn¡¯t have even tried asking Rosa about the woman¡¯s condition to begin with. She¡¯d allowed her current mental state to get the better of her and done something stupid. Her words had been far too close to breaking the pact of noninterference she had made with the being inside the bard. If she had pushed things further, it wouldn¡¯t have ended well for either party.


    ¡°So¡­ How¡¯s the practice going?¡± Rosa asked casually.


    Scarlett looked up at her, and the woman gestured to where dark pockmarks were scattered out over the dirt in front of them.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t help but notice that it all looked slightly more intense than it usually does. Almost scared the living daylights out of me at first. Thought the entire village might go up in flames.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the aftermath of her ¡®practice¡¯.


    She had kept it all a decent distance away from any buildings at least, so it wasn¡¯t as if there had been an actual risk of her burning the place down. Although she would admit that the traces left on the ground looked more erratic than usual.


    ¡°¡­It has proceeded adequately,¡± she answered.


    She was just having a hard time concentrating.


    ¡°Uh-huh, sure.¡± Rosa smiled as she finished refilling the necklace, holding it back out to her. ¡°Nice to see you¡¯re human as well. That austere look of yours used to have me think you didn¡¯t know what the W in ¡®worrying¡¯ stood for.¡±


    Scarlett received the artifact, storing it away with the [Charm of Expeditious Change].


    Rosa pointed back to a small group of children at the center of the square, sitting on the edge of the wooden stage there with their legs dangling in the air. All of them were staring in their direction. ¡°I should probably head back to the little scoundrels. They got a bit riled up by your training earlier and started talking about crazy witches. Had a hard time convincing them you were as harmless as a butterfly, so I made a bet whether you would gobble me up or not if I went up to you. I just won myself a free tour through their ¡®secret forest trail¡¯.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have you not already explored what there is to find in the surrounding area?¡±


    The bard shrugged with a sly smirk. ¡°Sure, but they don¡¯t know that. There¡¯s nothing quite as amusing as watching the surprise on others¡¯ faces as they start thinking you must be a fortune teller of some kind. I know you agree.¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a moment before turning away. ¡°I see. Then you may take your leave. I will not be needing your assistance for another few hours, at the very least, so there is no need to stress.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty then,¡± Rosa said, but then a few seconds of silence passed without any footsteps. ¡°¡­You sure you¡¯ll be okay?¡± the woman added after a while.


    Scarlett shifted her eyes back to see a slightly worried furrow on the woman¡¯s brow.


    ¡°¡­Even if I were not, there is unfortunately not much that you could do about it, Miss Hale.¡±


    A strange expression crossed Rosa¡¯s face, but it was gone almost as soon as it had appeared, replaced by her usual smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you later then. Toodles.¡± She started walking over towards the children.


    Scarlett watched her leave for a moment, then turned back to gazing out at nothing.


    She had hoped that visiting Freymeadow would help her calm down a bit after all that happened, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it had made much of a difference. She clenched her fist. Even just thinking about it made the anger surge up again.


    Ever since arriving in this world, she¡¯d become somewhat used to being at the mercy of the original Scarlett¡¯s more negative emotions, but never before had she felt so powerless before them. Never had she felt herself lose control like this.


    Days had passed since it all happened, and she was still mad.


    The anger lurked beneath the surface most of the time, but it was always ready to show itself again. She¡¯d been like this ever since Gaven basically admitted to trying to kill the Countess. After that, she wasn¡¯t completely sure of everything that happened or what she¡¯d been thinking. It had all just been a mess of pure, unbridled rage and destruction like she had never experienced before.


    And the worst part was that she wasn¡¯t even sure what she was angry about.


    Was it the fact that Gaven had attacked the Countess, a naive and innocent woman who relied on Scarlett? Was it that he had essentially betrayed an ally of theirs? Was it because he had gone against her order? Because he had slighted her?


    Or was it simply because she knew what happened was partly her fault, and she could have avoided it if she had taken the man¡¯s personality into further account?


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She genuinely couldn¡¯t tell.


    It was infuriating. Maddening, almost. Both to not know her own thoughts, and to know that she could lose control of herself like that. At the time, she had almost burnt down an entire clearing before she completely grasped the situation. Pushed a man to the brink of death before realizing what she was doing. And she knew, knew, that what happened to Gaven after that couldn¡¯t be wholly blamed on the original Scarlett¡¯s influence.


    The only silver lining in this whole situation was that Gaven¡¯s last words suggested the Countess could still be alive. He had poisoned her, but the woman had managed to use the artifact Scarlett gave her to teleport away. She was sturdier than what one would expect from her appearance, and she had access to powers not even Scarlett completely understood. Someone like her could survive being poisoned. Scarlett truly believed that.


    Unfortunately, she hadn¡¯t had the chance to stay and look for the Countess after the heist on the Sanctuary. Not after the mess she caused. She doubted the woman would let her after what happened. But that meant the Countess might currently be by herself, god-knows-where in the empire. Not only injured, but also betrayed by the man she had worked with¡ªthe man Scarlett had told her to work with¡ªand without having rescued her sister.


    There was no telling what state of mind the Countess was in after all that. Or what would happen if the wrong person ran into her.


    Scarlett closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths as the emotions threatened to overtake her again.


    Whatever her actual feelings on the topic, she had to find the Countess again, no matter what. Even if not for the woman¡¯s own sake, she at the very least had to make sure the Countess didn¡¯t speak of what happened to anyone else. From there, she might be able to repair what was left.


    Going by what she had heard, the Followers hadn¡¯t made any public announcements yet. There was bound to be some uproar within their own circles, though, but this much was good. They shouldn¡¯t have any reason to suspect her in particular. Barring that she left without the Countess and Gaven, her escape had gone off without a hitch. After taking their leave from the area near the Sanctuary, she and Garside had hidden inside a nearby dungeon she knew of before making their way back towards Silverborough, with no one stopping them. A couple of trips through the Kilnstone had then brought them back to Freybrook with hopefully none the wiser.


    But it was still a precarious situation. She had spent hours upon hours since coming back looking into how to locate the Countess again. There were only so many places the woman could have gone immediately after things went down. Scarlett had pored over maps and notes, trying to figure out which were the most likely, as well as written letters addressed to Beldon Tyndall and a couple of other people she was hoping could help discreetly. There wasn¡¯t any guarantee that the Countess would go somewhere with people, though. The woman might both be paranoid and confused, so her actions were hard to predict.


    And all the while this whole mess was going on, Scarlett had to prepare for the Tyndall Ball that would take place in less than a week.


    Backing out now would probably be a bad idea, but there was also the real possibility that, if she did attend as she was now, she might accidentally light someone on fire. Considering her current reputation and social standing, there were guaranteed to be people that tested her self-control present.


    She was tired.


    There was so much to think about, and so much she was unsure of right now. Getting a decent night¡¯s sleep lately had been difficult, and focusing even more so. Add to that her magic acting out and being hard to rein in and it spelled a mountain of problems. She was sure part of that was because she had upgraded her [Superior Pyrokinesis] to [Major Pyrokinesis] in the heat of the moment and hadn¡¯t quite learned how to manage the new skill, but that couldn¡¯t be all. When she¡¯d been facing Gaven, controlling her flames had been like breathing, but she couldn¡¯t reach that same state. The magic kept doing whatever it wanted at even the briefest lapse in concentration, and it was difficult to perform even the simplest of exercises that she did before.


    She glanced at what remained of her mana.


    [Mana: 356/2047]


    She could theoretically continue her current session if she wanted to. Using the mana Rosa had filled the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] with would probably cause her to faint from exhaustion after just a couple of casts since it still used some of her own mana, but there was an alternative. [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], the divine tier artifact she had gotten from the Sanctuary of Ittar, didn¡¯t have that same limitation. In theory, if she used the mana inside that to fuel her magic, she could go on forever without worrying about mana exhaustion. It also replenished itself over time, so even when she emptied it she only had to wait for about an hour or so to go again. Mental fatigue was still a thing, but that was easier to fight through for shorter periods.


    In her current state, however, that would be a terrible idea. Considering the weak control she had of her mana right now, she could only imagine what might happen if she pushed herself even more. Not to mention that this village was the last place that you wanted to bring out one of the holy items of the Followers of Ittar.


    She turned her head, looking to the porch where Arlene always sat.


    Scarlett was tired, but she didn¡¯t want to take a break. Doing nothing just made her mind drift even more than it already did. It was all too easy for her thoughts to wander back to Gaven.


    But she didn¡¯t have much choice. She needed to rest just as much as every other person did.


    With slow, deliberate movement, she rose from her chair and began walking towards Arlene. The woman didn¡¯t look up from her book as Scarlett stepped onto the shaded porch. The cool air chilled her as she lowered herself into the empty seat there.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem to be going well for you,¡± Arlene said, her tone casual.


    Scarlett eyed her. ¡°¡­No, it is not.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to be expected. Your flames have grown several times stronger than yesterday. Anyone progressing that fast would have difficulties.¡± The woman turned a page. ¡°Most prospective teachers might have gotten annoyed thinking you were trying to hide your skills before. Luckily for you, I¡¯m not that blind. It is a curious development, though. What I find more odd is that it doesn¡¯t appear to be the main root of your problems.¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet.


    The last time she had been here was before the heist, so her sudden growth would of course look strange from the woman¡¯s perspective. When she had upgraded her pyrokinesis before, she explained to Arlene that she¡¯d had a ¡®revelation¡¯ that helped her, but something told her that excuse wouldn¡¯t work this time.


    That didn¡¯t matter, though. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to try and come up with believable excuses. This current loop would only continue for two more days, so what did it matter?


    ¡°For a person who claims not to care much about others, you certainly seem to cause others to worry a lot about you,¡± Arlene said. ¡°That companion of yours has been keeping a close eye on you since you arrived.¡±


    Scarlett looked back to the empty square. Rosa and the children had already left. That the bard had been paying attention to her wasn¡¯t surprising. There were several reasons for her to do something like that.


    ¡°I do not believe I have ever claimed that I do not care about others,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hmm, no. I suppose that wasn¡¯t exactly what you said. It also wasn¡¯t too far off, though.¡± The woman turned another page in her book. ¡°That said, it surprises me to see you wallowing in your worries so suddenly.¡±


    ¡°¡­What makes you think I am wallowing in worries?¡±


    Arlene looked up from her book. ¡°I have eyes.¡±


    It left an unpleasant aftertaste in Scarlett¡¯s mouth to let that pass by, but she didn¡¯t argue. It wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°I am not judging, mind you,¡± the woman said. ¡°You simply did not strike me as that type of person.¡±


    ¡°And what do you know of what type of person I am? You have yet to know me for two full days. Our previous conversation was far from enough for you to become familiar with who I am.¡±


    ¡°I know your type well enough.¡±


    Scarlett met Arlene¡¯s eyes. ¡°I do not think that you do.¡±


    A few seconds passed, and eventually Arlene placed a hand over the cover of her book as she closed it. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you enlighten me? What kind of person are you, truly? I am curious to know.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her for a moment longer, then turned away. ¡°That is not a question that I am able to answer.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    She pressed her lips together. ¡°¡­It is not something I speak of with others.¡±


    ¡°Then are you even certain of it yourself?¡±


    She sent her a small glare, but Arlene didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°To me,¡± the woman began, ¡°it doesn¡¯t sound like something you can¡¯t speak about. It sounds like something you don¡¯t want to speak about.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Scarlett opened her mouth, but not much more came out.


    Arlene didn¡¯t know exactly what she was asking.


    There were over a dozen reasons why she didn¡¯t talk about who she was. About her real identity. There were over a dozen reasons why it would be a bad idea, even if she avoided telling the whole truth. And there was no one that had to know more than what she had already shared. There were no benefits to sharing her circumstances other than to confuse the other person and put herself at risk. So why would she do it? There were only risks, but no real gains.


    But¡­what did that matter here?


    It felt strange to think about it, but in a way, Arlene was already one of the people Scarlett had interacted the most with in this world. Despite that, the woman was essentially a stranger to her. But more importantly, she was a stranger to Arlene. There was no actual connection between them.


    And¡­the woman would forget everything they spoke of in a couple of days.


    Scarlett took a deep breath, then met the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am not the real Scarlett Hartford.¡±

 Chapter 137 - Baring oneself

    ¡°You are not the real Scarlett Hartford?¡± Arlene gave her a long, inquisitive look. ¡°That is an odd thing to say, if you ask me. What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is exactly as I said. I am not the real Scarlett.¡±


    The two of them observed each other for a while, and a strange sensation wound itself up Scarlett¡¯s spine, like a faint tingle. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of worry, uneasiness, or simple nerves.


    She never thought she would truly tell anyone about her identity in this world.


    ¡°If I recall correctly,¡± the woman said, ¡°you introduced yourself as ¡®Scarlett Hartford¡¯ just a couple of days ago. Was that a lie, then?¡±


    Shifting her hands to her lap, Scarlett had her jaw set as she moved her gaze across the village square and to the houses there. ¡°¡­To a certain extent, yes. The truth is that I share the life of the woman known as Scarlett Hartford. Not only her appearance, but her traits and emotions all remain within me to some degree or other. To most people, I may very well be considered Scarlett; however, in truth, I am but a stranger in this body, as well as its prisoner.¡±


    From the corner of her eye, she saw Arlene studying her closely. ¡°So that is what you mean when you say you are not the real Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    She lowered her head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure how this would sound to the woman. Was it perhaps something inconceivable even in this world of swords and magic? Or could it be something she had encountered before?


    Actually, what if Arlene thought she was possessed and tried to exorcise her?


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll believe you,¡± the woman said in a casual tone.


    Scarlett turned to her, eyes slightly widened.


    Arlene shrugged, as if Scarlett hadn¡¯t just shared a tremendous secret. ¡°I am not entirely certain how something like the possession of someone else¡¯s entire being¡ªbody, emotions, and traits included¡ªwould work, but I am not a spiritualist. Not planning on becoming one, either. I will do you the favor of not assuming you¡¯re a demon or a specter, though you can skip the gratitude for that.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her for a moment longer.


    The woman leaned back in her chair, giving her an expectant look. ¡°So? You¡¯re not leaving it at that, are you? Tell me ¡ª who are you, really?¡±


    Gathering herself together from the surprise, Scarlett shook her head free from any further doubts. Arlene was being candid with her, and so would she be in return. ¡°My true name is Amy. Amy Bernal.¡±


    The words felt strange as they left her.


    This was the first time she had ever said her name out loud since coming to this world. Even just the number of times she had thought about her real name since then was frighteningly low, now that she considered it. It almost sounded foreign to her now, spoken in the detached voice of Scarlett. Like a distant memory of a life once lived ¡ª even though only a few months had actually passed.


    ¡°Amy Bernal, huh?¡± Arlene uttered the name as if tasting it, then nodded at her. ¡°Pleasure to make a proper acquaintance with you, Amy.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. Being addressed like that felt even stranger. Not only because the woman used her real name, but it was the way she used it. It was so different from how their first greeting went any of the other times where she barely showed her any interest.


    ¡°With that out of the way, I¡¯ll ask you the same question as before. But this time to the actual you.¡± Arlene looked her in the eyes. ¡°What kind of person are you, Amy?¡±


    There was a sincerity behind the woman¡¯s gaze that Scarlett hadn¡¯t encountered before. She almost found herself looking away again, unsure how to respond.


    ¡°¡­Unfortunately, I still do not think I can provide you with an answer to that question.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I do not know how much of Amy Bernal I am at this point.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a topic she knew how to talk about properly. Even her own thoughts on the subject were scattered at best, and it wasn¡¯t something she enjoyed reflecting too much about. The answer also didn¡¯t matter for how she would continue surviving in this world.


    Arlene didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds, and Scarlett suspected the woman was waiting for her to continue. Either that, or she was giving her space. Whatever the reason, Scarlett took the moment to collect herself and manage the swirl of emotions she felt inside. Most of it was the anger she had felt almost constantly since her fight with Gaven, but it was a lot more confused now. Less directed.


    Finally, she opened her mouth to speak again. ¡°I killed a man recently.¡±


    Her words were met by even more silence, eventually by followed Arlene¡¯s sober tone. ¡°I see.¡± The woman seemed to consider it for a breath. ¡°Was this related to that ¡®difficult decision¡¯ you had made before? The one we talked about last time?¡±


    ¡°In part, yes.¡± Scarlett traced a finger over the hem of the breeches she was wearing. They reached down to cover her ankles but were made of a light wool that helped against the stifling summer air here in Freymeadow.


    It was funny that Arlene would ask that. From the woman¡¯s perspective, that conversation would have been only yesterday. Most people might not assume that Scarlett would have gone and killed a man in that brief amount of time, or that she would go through such a drastic change.


    ¡°¡­I had two subordinates,¡± she said. ¡°One was a man who aided me in carrying out tasks that I could not afford others knowing about. An unscrupulous rogue whose morals were questionable at best, and who I will admit I saw as not much more than a tool for furthering my goals. The other was a woman who had experienced much grief and pain through her life, yet had been gifted by fate with a power far above most others. Although perhaps some would call it a curse. She was an unfortunate soul with an unstable mind and strength she could not entirely control. Like with the rogue, I also used her to achieve what I wanted. I will not deny this fact, and I am well aware of its implications. I felt it was necessary at the time that I approached them, and I still believe so even now. However, due to my negligence, that woman almost died at the hands of the man acting under my orders.¡±


    Scarlett clenched her fist. The anger inside refocused itself as her thoughts went back to it. ¡°In his mind, it was a pragmatic act intended to remove unnecessary risks. Our original purpose for the woman had been completed, and so he saw no point in having her remain alive. As such, he acted in the belief that I would approve.¡± She stayed quiet for a second. ¡°¡­I sometimes tell myself that I do what I do for the better of all. If that was genuinely the truth, then perhaps I would have approved. I do think myself capable of that type of callousness.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She turned to Arlene with a grave face. ¡°Instead, when I learned of this, I burned him. I burned him and everything around us in a fit of rage which I did not even try to control. Even as he begged for his life, even as I gained a semblance of lucidity that I have only experienced a couple of times since entering this body, I did not hesitate to reduce him to nothing but ashes before my very eyes. And I do not feel regret or sadness. The only thing that persisted was the anger, and it will not go away.¡±


    The woman looked at her with an unreadable expression. ¡°¡­Is this what you mean when you say you don¡¯t know how much of you is Amy Bernal?"


    Scarlett gave a slow nod. ¡°Not many are capable of speaking about killing a man without mercy or remorse.¡±


    ¡°But you think Scarlett Hartford was?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, is it that you think her personality has affected yours to the point where you¡¯re not Amy Bernal anymore?¡±


    ¡°I do not think that. ¡± She shook her head. ¡°I know it for a fact. What I am uncertain about is how much of my change is due to the original Scarlett, and how much is simply due to my adjusting to the current circumstances. Would the old me have been capable of the same thing in this situation if I was unaffected by Scarlett¡¯s personality?¡±


    Arlene studied her. ¡°Is it such a fine line where you cannot tell?¡±


    ¡°¡­Once again, I do not know.¡± Scarlett sighed. ¡°The original Scarlett was a vile woman. She was arrogant, ruthless, conceited, indifferent, and considered most anyone beneath her as little more than dirt. She did not shrink from dealing with syndicates that committed murder or trafficked innocent children if she believed she stood to gain and she was an ambitious woman. In the time since I have occupied her life, I have learned that she was inordinately capable in many ways, yet she was also held back by her own talents and the position she was born into. Her fate was that of a stereotypical villainess, with her demise already predestined.¡±


    ¡°It does not sound as if she will be missed.¡±


    ¡°One would think so. Despite all of that, however, she was a woman who held surprisingly strong emotional attachments to those close to her, twisted though they were. She cared for her butler in a way I suspect she was not even aware of herself, and even though her own sister disgusted her, I do not believe she would ever have allowed anyone but herself to interfere with their relationship. The same complexity appears to hold true for her feelings related to her parents and the one person who might have been called her friend, though I do not understand the circumstances behind that completely.¡±


    Scarlett looked down at her hands. It was not something she thought about a lot, but while these hands were not much larger than her old ones had been, they were thinner and the skin was smoother. Despite that, they didn¡¯t really feel like a stranger¡¯s hands.


    ¡°In comparison, Amy Bernal was a very ordinary woman,¡± she said. ¡°People often called her kind and considerate, and she spent years of her life caring for her younger sister when their parents died. She had never purposefully hurt another, and while she did not necessarily believe herself to be ¡®kind¡¯, she did consider herself a decent person. She was happy with the life she led and the relationships she had, and most of her regrets were not things she would have changed even if she had the choice.¡±


    She paused, trying to order things in her mind. It was hard to distill all her thoughts on the matter into words that accurately conveyed her feelings and didn¡¯t sound misleading.


    ¡°¡­Despite all of this, I cannot recall ever feeling as strongly about those around me as Scarlett did. I cared about my parents, and I still care about my sister. I miss them, and I wish I could see them again, yet I did not cry when our parents died, nor during any of the difficult times that followed. I am not certain I have ever cried for someone else. Compared to Scarlett, who felt strongly about those close to her, my emotions feel much more distant. It is a somewhat disturbing thought, if one is familiar with the type of person Scarlett was.¡±


    She looked back up at Arlene.


    ¡°But that in and of itself is not the primary issue. I do not mean to make it appear as if this is a realization to me, or that I fear what type of person I was. I have always been aware that I did not get as emotionally attached as others, but it has never affected my life severely. In almost all other ways, I would consider myself a more sympathetic, moral, and emotionally mature person than Scarlett Hartford. Of this, I have no doubt. It is simply that now, when I share the personality of a woman as callous as her, I wonder what parts of the current me are mere remnants left behind of her, and what is solely me. Her potent feelings about those around her only serves as a marked contrast between us. An area where I know her personality has overruled mine.¡±


    She met the woman¡¯s eyes for a few seconds, then shook her head again with an annoyed sigh and turned away. ¡°You will have to excuse me. It is difficult to communicate it all properly.¡±


    ¡°¡­You seem to be worrying about it quite a bit, at the very least,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Can I take it that you would prefer if yours and Scarlett¡¯s personalities were separate?¡±


    Scarlett scowled. ¡°That one is difficult to answer. It is uncertain if I would have gotten to where I am today had I been unaffected by her traits, so if I were to be pragmatic, the answer might be no. Yet I do not enjoy the unpredictability of it all, and I loathe not being in control of my emotions.¡± She pressed her lips together. ¡°¡­In the end, however, these are mostly nothing more but my disorganized ruminations on the matter. Most of my actual feelings on it are numb, in a way. Sterile and removed from myself. Instead, I am forced to suffer through the ones that affected Scarlett the most. In large part, that is anger.¡±


    Glancing down at her feet, she noticed several motes of fire had popped up on the porch¡¯s floorboards, licking at the wood. She closed her eyes, recentering herself and smothering the rebellious flames.


    ¡°I suppose the worst part is being unable to tell what the true reason for the anger is¡­¡± she muttered to herself.


    It would be nice if she could say for sure that she was enraged because of what happened to the Countess and not simply because Gaven had acted against her wishes.


    ¡°It sounds like a challenging dilemma.¡± Next to her, Arlene looked relaxed in her chair, looking out over Freymeadow. ¡°I do hope you believe me when I tell you that I wished I had something to say that could help, but I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve been responsible for enough mistakes in my life that one could consider me an expert in what not to do, but unless it¡¯s related to magic, I often find myself hopeless when trying to discern what the right thing to do is.


    ¡°That said¡ª¡± The woman turned to Scarlett. ¡°I will say this: The world isn¡¯t a fair place, neither in its workings nor in its reality. But it can be made fairer, if only ever so slightly. What defines you in this world isn¡¯t your feelings about things, but your actions. This can both be a curse and a blessing, depending on the where and how, but it is the truth. Anything else is a privilege. I imagine you might share this sentiment, considering what you have told me.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her for a while, then nodded. ¡°I often choose to put more attention on the meaning of my actions than the motivations behind them, but as you said, it can both be helpful and harmful. Unfortunately, neither makes the reality of my current situation any less vexing.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, no,¡± Arlene said. ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I think the day will come where someone brings tears to your eyes. At that time, hopefully you can be certain whether it¡¯s Amy Bernal¡¯s or Scarlett Hartford¡¯s.¡±


    Despite it all, Scarlett almost found herself chuckling at that. ¡°That is perhaps the strangest consolation I have heard. But I suppose I should thank you.¡± She eyed the woman. ¡°Both for that, and for indulging me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand why, she actually felt better now. If only a little. The anger and all the other emotions hadn¡¯t suddenly just disappeared with these last few sentences, but something did feel different after talking about it all. She felt slightly more calm and relaxed. This was the first time she had ever opened up like this, both in this world and back in her own. She had not thought of herself as the kind of person who would get anything from it.


    Neither of them said anything for a while as they sat there in silence, looking out at the houses spread out around the village square.


    After a few minutes had passed, Arlene was the one to finally speak again. ¡°I¡¯ve been pretty generous here, I would say, with not asking how you got yourself into this situation. How ¡®Amy Bernal¡¯ became ¡®Scarlett Hartford¡¯.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her. ¡°Do you truly wish to know?¡±


    The woman¡¯s pale green eyes turned to hers. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve heard this much, I don¡¯t have much choice, do I?¡±


    She hesitated for a moment.


    There was a reason she had been vague about everything but her own identity. Could she actually speak about more than that? Should she speak about more?


    ¡°It will be difficult to believe,¡± she said. ¡°An uncomfortable truth to accept.¡±


    Arlene seemed to consider her for a few seconds before suddenly turning away again. ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t hear it.¡±


    Scarlett blinked a few times before slowly nodding her head. She honestly hadn¡¯t expected that answer, but it was probably for the best. Arlene had questioned nothing she said so far, but there was no telling what¡ª


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± the woman said. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her, and Arlene looked back at her with a small smile.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I always make choices that I regret.¡±

 Chapter 138 - Before another

    Scarlett eyed Arlene quietly for a while before finally speaking. ¡°What do you know about the nature of this world?¡±


    The woman gave her a curious look. ¡°That depends. What do you think the ¡®nature¡¯ of this world means, in this context?¡±


    ¡°I am not entirely certain myself,¡± Scarlett admitted. ¡°But in essence, what I am referring to might be what this world is. Its purpose and how it came to be. I suspect that, whatever perspective you might have on the topic, it is likely to differ significantly from mine.¡±


    Arlene cocked her head slightly to the side. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because to me, this world was originally nothing but a game.¡±


    ¡°¡­A game?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°Yes. A game.¡± Scarlett nodded, turning to look over the village they were in. ¡°I do not wish for you to misunderstand, so to properly convey what I mean by that, it might be appropriate to first explain more about myself and where I am from.¡±


    From the corner of her eye, she could see that Arlene was studying her closely. ¡°Alright. Feel free.¡±


    ¡°It might come as a surprise, but I am not originally from the empire. In fact, I do not even hail from this world.¡± Scarlett gestured around them. ¡°With that, I do not mean to say that I come from another realm such as the Wandering Realm or one of the Blazes. Rather, I come from a completely separate world entirely. One that is very unlike this one in many ways. If you recall, I mentioned that I was not very different from most others. There, I lived as an ordinary woman with a relatively ordinary life, making my livelihood as a content editor rather than a noblewoman.¡±


    ¡°A content editor?¡±


    Scarlett glanced at Arlene. That was what she first thought to ask about?


    ¡°¡­Some of related terms might be unfamiliar to you, but the concept itself should not be entirely foreign. When I was younger, I performed my studies for a bachelor¡¯s in English, which I then later used to gain employment as an editor for a consulting firm. My work primarily consisted of quality checking articles, proofreading and editing, as well as performing research and monitoring reader engagement. If you are familiar with the Empyreal Chronicle, then perhaps you could compare me to one of their editors, though I would expect there to be some significant differences.¡±


    The woman¡¯s forehead creased together. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with this ¡®Empyreal Chronicle¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You are not?¡±


    Perhaps it was after the woman¡¯s time, then?


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°Ultimately, the specifics behind my profession do not matter. What is important is the world that I came from, which, for some reason, is not the part that you chose to question.¡±


    ¡°I am waiting to hear more about what you have to say.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the patience.¡± She took a moment to gather her thoughts, contemplating how she should explain this. ¡°As a mage, I am sure you have grown accustomed to seeing magic as a part of your everyday life ever since you were young, yes?¡±


    ¡°I came from a family of mages,¡± Arlene said. ¡°My first encounter with magic was likely before I can even remember.¡±


    ¡°For me, it was the opposite. I had never encountered magic before I found myself in Scarlett¡¯s body. The reason for that is simple.¡± Scarlett summoned a small flame, considering it for a moment before extinguishing it. ¡°In my world, there was no magic. No enchanted artifacts, no monsters, and no dragons that fly on high and burn entire cities. Where I am from, such things were simply pieces of myths and legends; existing more for entertainment than anything else. What we lacked in magic, however, we by far made up for in other areas.


    ¡°My people, though it feels strange to refer to them in that way, were developed in ways you might not even be able to imagine. Where in this world you might have wooden carriages drawn by horses, we had cars ¡ª automated metal wagons that traveled at ten times the speed of most draft animals. Where you had Kilnstones and powerful mages capable of teleportation, we had airplanes ¡ª vehicles that flew through the air and could travel across the world in less than a day while carrying hundreds of passengers. And where you have magical artifacts that allow individuals to confer even when miles apart, we had radios, computers, and phones ¡ª devices available or carried by almost everyone, allowing access to global networks of instant communication that were so complex in their underlying workings that even the most learned of wizards would be in awe.¡±


    Scarlett paused to glance at Arlene, who seemed to be listening closely.


    ¡°I do not mean to sound arrogant or cause offense,¡± she continued, ¡°but to me, the level at which people live in this world might be compared to how you would view ¡®primitive¡¯ tribes living off what nature provides them in the woods. The people themselves are not the issue, but there are centuries¡¯ worth of history and development that differentiate our worlds.¡± She frowned. ¡°That is not to say that my world is unquestionably superior. In our strive for progress, we have created a countless number of new problems that threaten our existence. But it is difficult to grow accustomed to the relatively simple advancement in this world when you are used to so much more.¡±


    The other woman looked at her with a quiet expression for a while, as if digesting her words. Then she eventually responded. ¡°I can¡¯t say I can entirely imagine the picture you are describing, but I understand the sentiment behind your words. Only a fool, which includes far too many nobles, would think that the Graenal Empire is at the peak of civilizations. Anyone that has ever encountered Zuverian artifacts or visited the Rising Isle would know that the empire is no match for the society that the Zuver had built, so if your world is anything close to their level, then what you are saying makes sense.¡±


    Scarlett observed her. Was Arlene simply humoring her for now, or did she actually accept her words this easily?


    ¡°¡­The Zuver were indeed an impressive people, but even they were far behind my people in most ways.¡± She knew enough of them from the game to say that they couldn¡¯t really be compared to the modern world. ¡°That said, there were several areas where they were far ahead of us. We did not have access to any magic, after all. Instant transportation is not something we are guaranteed to ever achieve, for example.¡±


    ¡°I am curious how you would power these automated wagons and flying vehicles of yours with no magic or beasts pulling them,¡± Arlene said.


    ¡°There are several means of propulsion which do not require either to work, though many of those are far too complicated for me to expatiate on. Internal combustion was a common one.¡±


    ¡°Internal combustion?¡±


    Scarlett had wanted to get back to her other explanation, but seeing the keen look on the woman¡¯s face, she sighed and continued. ¡°I hesitate to say too much in case I am wrong, but it is a method whereby some fuel is burned inside an engine and the expansion of gases from this process power a piston or turbine of some sort. That is all I can tell you, and I imagine that most children could have as well.¡±


    A thoughtful expression grew on Arlene¡¯s face. ¡°No, I understand what you¡¯re referring to. It is not an uncommon phenomenon to use in pyromancy spells. I suppose it could be reproduced as you said even without magic under the right conditions, though I would be ill-fitted to say how. It tends to be rather explosive.¡± She held a hand to her chin, looking out into thin air as she seemed to consider it further.


    Finally, she returned her attention to Scarlett. ¡°Certainly sounds like you come from an interesting place, but I interrupted you, didn¡¯t I? I assume this all ties into how you found yourself in Scarlett Hartford¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, it does.¡± Scarlett gave a slow nod. ¡°The advanced level of my society allowed us many freedoms and luxuries that perhaps not even the emperor in this world might have access to. There was a heavy focus on individuality, and different forms of entertainment were a significant part of most modern cultures to a degree that cannot even be compared to how it is here. Entertainment as an industry was a behemoth, integrated into society perhaps far more than it should have been. It was not uncommon for people to spend more time enjoying these various entertainments than on their own work or the people around them.¡±


    Arlene raised an eyebrow. ¡°That sounds a lot like the legends about the city of Khalzaikoz before it was engulfed by the Blazes¡­ I¡¯m not certain this world of yours sounds quite as enticing anymore.¡±


    ¡°I do not recognize the name, but I suspect I can roughly deduce the contents of those legends. We had similar ones where I am from. I will not claim that my world¡¯s fixation on entertainment was not without its flaws, but I can tell you that it was not as bad as it may sound.¡±


    ¡°I will have to take your word for it.¡±


    ¡°I do not know who else¡¯s there is to take.¡± Scarlett rested her arm on the armchair of her seat for a moment, tapping her finger against the wood. ¡°To continue where I left off, a popular field of entertainment were fictional narratives ¡ª books, plays, songs, and many others. They came in a wide variety of forms and media, most of which you likely have not heard of. I myself held much interest in games.¡±


    ¡°That relates to the ¡®game¡¯ you mentioned earlier, I presume,¡± Arlene said.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett gestured around them. ¡°To you, this term might share more connotations with the types of activities the children here in Freymeadow have enjoyed together with Miss Hale these last few days, but that is not what I am referring to. The games we had in my world could perhaps be compared more to interactive simulations of a kind, though I will not trouble you with the details. Suffice to say that you can consider these games as another type of fictional narrative similar to novels.¡± Looking over at Arlene, she glanced down at the book on the woman¡¯s lap. ¡°I assume you have read such a book at some point, at least?¡±


    Arlene showed a slight smile. ¡°That kind of pastime is not exactly my cup of tea, but I have perused one or two on occasion. This isn¡¯t one of them if you¡¯re curious.¡± She traced a hand over the book.


    ¡°Then what type of work is that?¡±


    The woman held up the featureless cover, examining it. ¡°Hard to tell, is it not? It lacks a title.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her. Arlene spent most of her time reading through that book, so there was no way she didn¡¯t know what it was. But if she did not want to say, there was nothing to be done about it at the moment. Scarlett had never managed to get anything but brief glimpses of its pages.


    ¡°So, you were saying?¡± Arlene signaled with her hand as if prompting her to continue.


    Scarlett kept her gaze on the book for a moment longer before returning it to the woman herself. ¡°Yes, as I was saying¡­ Of these games, there was one in particular that I spent a considerable amount of time on. It depicted a story taking place in a fictional world of wizards and magic called Tanrelia. There, it followed a character making their way through the Graenal Empire during a time of strife and chaos, detailing this character¡¯s adventures. Numerous important places and events were explored, as well as the stories of noted personages that made that world their home.¡±


    She paused for a moment to observe the woman, but Arlene didn¡¯t show any sort of reaction to her words yet.


    ¡°There was one specific person in this game that could be described as serving the role of a minor villainess in the story. An antagonist who died not too far into the game after being confronted by the protagonist for her crimes. That person was named Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    She met the woman¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I assume you understand where I am going with this.¡±


    A few seconds passed as Arlene looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re saying that this world is part of a fictional work in this ¡®game¡¯ of yours, and that you have taken over the body of a character depicted in it.¡± The woman sounded oddly casual as she said that. It would not be unreasonable to show at least some incredulity.


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°And exactly how did that happen?¡± Arlene asked. She seemed to not even bother with questioning the supposed scenario.


    ¡°I do not know. I have vague memories of being in my home one day, and then I simply found myself in Scarlett¡¯s body without warning. Whether it was an act of god or something else is still a mystery.¡±


    ¡°Assuming you are telling the truth, which¡­¡± The woman appeared to consider her for a moment. ¡°I do think you are speaking the truth, by the way.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened at the admission, but Arlene simply continued. ¡°Assuming it is true, then this sounds like a scenario that could only have been shaped by a deity of some kind. Something this involved and specific does not happen simply because the stars happened to align.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am inclined to agree,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°However, I do not think that Ittar or any of the other gods in this world that I know of could have been responsible. Not only can I not comprehend what reason they would have for that, but the game itself treated them as nothing more but actors part of the narrative. Since it described not only the past of this world but also predicted its near future in excruciating detail, I have found it best not to underestimate the knowledge provided by it. That is not power that Ittar or any of the other gods hold, as far as I am aware.¡±


    Arlene looked slightly surprised at that, once more raising a hand to her chin. ¡°You¡¯re saying even the gods might not be beyond this story of yours? Are you truly convinced of its accuracy, even for future events?¡±


    ¡°It is possible that some factors might differ because of my intervention, but I am certain that the majority of it is reliable. I have witnessed much of it myself.¡±


    The woman looked thoughtful. ¡°That suggests there is something more powerful than even the gods at play here, no? Is there a god like that in your world, or any power you know of?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°The gods worshipped in my world are not as¡­proactive as the ones here. It is to the degree where many of their existences are doubted. I know of nothing that would have a reason and the ability to forge a scenario like this. The only clue I have to what might be responsible is the system that I have access to.¡±


    ¡°The system?¡±


    ¡°It is an¡­interface, you could say.¡± She pointed at the air in front of her. ¡°It is only visible to me, displaying an approximated quantification of Scarlett¡¯s personality and her ¡®skills¡¯. This includes her traits and how large her mana stores are, as well as what level her magic is at. My hydrokinesis, for example, is a skill that is currently considered to be at the ¡®Superior¡¯ level, while my pyrokinesis is at the ¡®Major¡¯ level. The system also has quests that I can complete¡ªsmall trials, of a sort¡ªwhich provide me with a currency through which I can upgrade these skills, bypassing the usual steps such improvement would require.¡±


    Arlene stared at her.


    ¡°That might sound odd to you,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But that is not too dissimilar to how many games worked in my world.¡±


    ¡°They let you ignore years or decades of training in return for completing minor tasks?¡± The woman looked more affronted than Scarlett had ever seen her before.


    ¡°Any skills and accomplishments in the game were nothing but simulations and fictional numbers so they had no actual bearing on reality, but that was the idea, yes. The purpose was to entertain, and people would not find it fun to spend years on practice when they could simply achieve the same results in a fraction of the time, would they?¡±


    Arlene continued looking at her for a while longer before eventually shaking her head. ¡°I understand what you are saying, though I can¡¯t say that I like it. Leaving that behind, this ¡®system¡¯ sounds awfully tailored to your circumstances. The underlying mechanisms behind allowing a relative beginner to use complex magics are something I cannot even pretend to understand. It would almost certainly have to be customised to the individual, and I can assure you that it does not happen unintentionally.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. She had, of course, considered the matter a lot and reached a similar conclusion, but thinking that things might have been designed specifically for her left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± Arlene said. ¡°What do you make of the fact that this world existed as nothing more than a ¡®game¡¯ where you¡¯re from? It begs the question of what could be considered to have come first, after all. This world, and all of its people, traditions, and history, or this game of yours.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. That was also a question she had thought about a lot on her own, but it wasn¡¯t something she expected a person hailing from this world to ask this soon.


    ¡°¡­At first glance,¡± she began, reflecting on her words. ¡°It would be more reasonable for the game to have been designed in the fashion of this world.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    She stared at Arlene. ¡°You do not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°¡­Do you have a reason to be hesitant about it?¡±


    There were several things that stood out to Scarlett and made her question that assumption, but she had the privilege of looking at things as an outsider with access to the system.


    ¡°Perhaps not, no.¡± Arlene went quiet, gazing out at Freymeadow and its homes. ¡°Or maybe I do? Who knows?¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brows. ¡°¡­For me, there are several questions that experiencing this world has raised for me that I do not know how to answer properly. Chiefly, perhaps, is the fact that Modern Imperial is the exact same language that is used where I am from, although we know it as English. Modern Imperial even shares many of the same idioms that I am familiar with. I am left perplexed at how that could have occurred if one did not directly supplant one language onto the other. However, from what cursory research I have done on the topic, it appears as if Modern Imperial developed organically in this world, similar to how English did in my world.¡±


    This earned her an interested look from Arlene. ¡°The exact same language, you say? That does sound somewhat unlikely.¡± She seemed to consider it for a moment longer, then waved her hand in the air as if to postpone the question for another time. ¡°This system you described, it¡¯s what allowed you to advance so much with your pyrokinesis between yesterday and today, am I correct?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Scarlett confirmed.


    The woman nodded to herself. ¡°That at least explains some things. I have been trying to puzzle out how you reached your current level, considering your inexperience. The leap in power I saw today should have been impossible. I had been thinking about whether you made a pact with a demon or something of the sort.¡±


    ¡°I know better than to trust demons in regards like these.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Arlene let out a small chuckle. ¡°I will admit, it both annoys me and relieves me to finally learn the reason behind your magic. But I understand why you sought me out to be taught by me. Did you know who I was because of this game as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes turned sharper, and the small smile she¡¯d shown faded. ¡°And that was the only reason you wanted to find me in particular?¡±


    Scarlett froze. There was an intensity in that gaze that she hadn¡¯t seen before. This question was more charged than it seemed, but she didn¡¯t know exactly in what way.


    She remained silent for a while, thinking about how to respond. There were several motives behind her choosing Arlene to teach her, and any of those could probably function as a reason of its own. But what answer was it that the woman wanted?


    Finally, she lifted her hand and pointed behind Arlene. At the red-tinted wooden casket placed on a stool in front of the house wall at the corner of the porch.


    [Locked Jewellery Casket]


    {A woman¡¯s jewellery casket. There appears to be no way of opening it}


    ¡°I am here for what is inside that.¡±


    She had already gone this far anyway, so what was the point of holding back?


    The woman looked back at the casket. ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t think the day would come where someone would show an interest in that useless old thing.¡±


    ¡°You might consider it useless, but I am in dire need of it.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s mouth curved upward in an apologetic smile. ¡°That is a shame. I can¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    Scarlett held herself back from clicking her tongue. That is about what she expected. In the game, there had only been one way of getting that box. Even if you tried to steal it, it wouldn¡¯t open. She turned away from the woman, looking back out at the village square. ¡°I will simply have to convince you, then.¡±


    A soft laugh rang through the air beside her. ¡°You do that.¡±


    Following that, a brief lull of quiet fell over them, uncertain emotions moving about inside Scarlett.


    Even more so than simply sharing her true identity with the woman, sharing her whole situation felt so strange that she felt this could be a dream. Especially considering how easily Arlene seemed to be taking it all. But now that she had started this, she was planning on finishing it as well.


    ¡°I will admit, I am surprised you chose to share all this.¡± Arlene was the first to break the silence. ¡°It takes courage to tell a relative stranger something of this nature.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her. ¡°What I find more surprising is how readily you appear to have accepted my words.¡±


    The woman shrugged lightly. ¡°I am many things. Stubborn, unsociable, mordant¡­ Inclined to make bad choices.¡± She let out another short laugh, this one more self-deprecating than previously. ¡°But I have long since learned not to let my own perspective blind me to that of others. Even when they¡¯re wrong, it doesn¡¯t hurt to listen to them. And while you happen to sound like someone who should be wrong about most all things, your words ring true where it matters. I won¡¯t deny the reality in front of me. I am already far too familiar with the consequences of doing that for longer than one should.¡±


    Scarlett observed her quietly for several seconds, eyeing the woman¡¯s features.


    ¡°My reason for sharing this with you is simple,¡± she said with a small sigh. ¡°Because in two days, you will no longer remember this conversation.¡±

 Chapter 139 - Sincerity

    ¡°That¡¯s a curious statement,¡± Arlene said. ¡°I am aware I have a few years on you, but I don¡¯t look that old, do I?¡±


    Scarlett considered her. While Arlene did have faint wrinkles and darker skin under her eyes, she didn¡¯t appear much older than forty or so. Younger than Adalicia Mendenhall, probably.


    She shook her head. ¡°I do not believe you truly think that is what I meant.¡±


    The woman showed a wry smile. ¡°No, but one never knows. You certainly seem to know something that I do not, considering your previous words.¡±


    Scarlett raised her hand and gestured at the houses in Freymeadow. ¡°Do you know what this place is?¡±


    Arlene studied her for a moment before looking around with an almost casual expression. ¡°I wonder,¡± she drawled. ¡°Most would have answered a simple village, but that¡¯s not the response you are looking for, is it?¡±


    Scarlett kept her eyes on the woman. She had always been curious exactly how self-aware Arlene was about her situation. Their previous interactions showed that she clearly had some idea that this place wasn¡¯t entirely natural. There had to be a reason she always made them leave before nightfall after all, as if she was aware that outsiders couldn¡¯t stay here all the time. But it was hard to tell if the woman was actually aware, or if it was subconscious in some way.


    Scarlett pointed at a house on the other end side of the village square. It was a single building, with a timber base and a thatched roof. Behind it was a tiny patch of land with a small ramshackle shed that looked like it might collapse any day now.


    ¡°That home belongs to a Gill and Leticia Adlam,¡± she said. ¡°Gill Adlam is one of the men that tends to the livestock outside the village, while his wife Leticia spends her days performing chores and processing the wool that they gather.¡°


    Whenever she had to spend a day resting here in Freymeadow, those two were the ones Rosa convinced to lend out their home. They were a nice enough couple, even if the accommodations themselves were somewhat lackluster.


    She turned to look at Arlene. ¡°Other than when I travel to and from the village, I have never left this area or spoken with any of the villagers. You can personally attest to this, I suspect. Taking that into account, how do you think I know this information about the Adlams?¡±


    ¡°Are you playing riddles now?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°I am simply attempting to answer your previous question.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I would say that bard friend of yours could have told you. She charmed the children easily enough, so it would not be hard to learn about the adults.¡±


    ¡°And what if I tell you she has shared nothing of the sort?¡±


    Arlene seemed to consider her for a brief second. ¡°They could have been mentioned in the game you described.¡±


    ¡°It paid little attention to people whose impact on the overall narrative was that insignificant.¡±


    A laugh escaped the woman¡¯s mouth. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then I suppose I should be flattered that I was in it.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°If that is how you choose to view it, yes.¡±


    ¡°I do choose so, yes.¡± Arlene leaned back in her seat. ¡°But I am not one to particularly enjoy riddles, so I will satisfy with these many tries. Tell me how you knew them.¡±


    Scarlett watched her closely. It was difficult to tell if she actually gave up because she didn¡¯t know, or if there was some other reason behind it. ¡°I know their names and what they do because this is not the first time I visit this village. Nor was our first encounter two days ago our first proper meeting.¡± She waited for Arlene to meet her eyes. ¡°¡­It has not escaped my attention that you have yet to ask what your role in the game was. Is there a reason for that?¡±


    A knowing smile formed on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°There is. But it is most likely not the reason you are thinking of.¡± She turned away, gazing out in silence over the village for a while. ¡°I presume that I don¡¯t live to see the end of this game. Am I right?¡±


    Scarlett paused. ¡°¡­It depends on the actions of the person who plays the game. But there are only two possible endings that I know of.¡±


    ¡°From the tone of your voice, am I wrong to assume that my death is the more preferable of those?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    In truth, there was only one real ending to Arlene¡¯s questline. It could only be reached if you fulfilled her final wish. Which meant letting her die.


    The only other alternative was not completing the questline, consigning her to endlessly repeating the same five days and the Freymeadow¡¯s demise for all eternity.


    ¡°Then what role I had doesn¡¯t matter much, does it? It¡¯s the same no matter what. As for you¡­¡± Arlene turned back to her. ¡°You are here to ensure that I die, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett stared at her. The woman said it in such a composed tone, but she could see so much unspoken emotion behind those eyes.


    ¡°¡­It is not my wish to see you dead,¡± she said.


    ¡°But it is your ultimate aim, if you want to achieve your goal here,¡± Arlene replied. There wasn¡¯t a shred of judgement in her gaze.


    ¡°You could simply give me the casket.¡±


    The woman looked back at the wooden casket behind her. ¡°You know I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°You already know why, or you wouldn¡¯t be asking me to teach you.¡±


    Both of them fell silent.


    Scarlett found some of her irritation and anger from earlier rising up again, and she wanted to say something, anything, to convince the woman. This had never been a matter of Arlene not being able to give Scarlett what she needed. It had always been that the woman refused. And just like in the game, there was only one way of getting through her stubbornness.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Arlene shifted in her seat to peer up at the bright blue sky. Her fingers ran over the book in her lap. ¡°Two days, you say? Then I would forget about this conversation?¡±


    Scarlett kept quiet.


    The woman smiled. ¡°No, I guess I don¡¯t need your confirmation. I know better than anyone what happens in two days. I was just uncertain about what came after that, but your words have made it clear enough.¡± She raised a hand and flames took shape above it, forming the vague image of Freymeadow. ¡°I thought some of your technique looked similar, you see.¡± She spoke almost absentmindedly. ¡°How many times have we spoken like this?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is the first time we have ever conversed in this manner,¡± Scarlett admitted. ¡°But we¡¯ve had dozens of conversations before this. More often than not, it does not prove fruitful for me.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine.¡± Arlene chuckled to herself. ¡°Do I always give you a hard time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes, yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Otherwise, I would have been disappointed in myself. Would have been a waste of an excellent opportunity.¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. ¡°I had my suspicions that you took joy in tormenting me.¡±


    The woman¡¯s hand ran through the fiery projection of a village and it dissipated into the air as she looked back at Scarlett with a shrug of her shoulders. ¡°I believe I mentioned having a terrible personality. There¡¯s a reason most of my family pretends I never existed. Several reasons, really, but that doesn¡¯t matter to you. You should have expected as much, though, if I taught you in that game as well.¡±


    ¡°You did not teach anything in the game.¡±


    Her eyes widened just slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°In the game, you were simply a¡­questgiver,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The player could learn nothing from you.¡±


    ¡°A questgiver¡­?¡± Arlene knitted her brows. ¡°I gave people tasks to complete? Just so that they could grow stronger in a fraction of the time it took me to do the same? That was my purpose?¡±


    ¡°Part of it, yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is disappointing.¡± The woman shook her head with a sigh. ¡°I can understand it, but it¡¯s disappointing nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you know what quests you might have given?¡±


    This was something Scarlett had been curious about for a while. The woman had yet to even try giving her any of the quests from the game, even after she had grown so much stronger than the first time she arrived here.


    Arlene cocked her head to the side. ¡°Several things come to mind, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then would it be too much to ask you to give one to me now?¡±


    The system might accept it as an actual quest if Arlene said it out loud, which meant extra skill points when completing it.


    The woman let out a small scoff. ¡°Oh, no. You are far too weak.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°You have seen the proficiency that my skills provide me, and the rate at which I grow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m not impressed. Your control is even worse now than it was before, and you¡¯re not even a third as powerful as you could be. Your flames certainly hold a lot of heat behind them, but anyone above a certain level would find it child¡¯s play to counter them. I thought it was interesting what you were trying to do with the hydrokinesis, but that is still miles behind your other techniques.¡±


    ¡°That is why I wished for you to teach me.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s also why I would never accept you.¡± Arlene gave her a long, probing look. ¡°You have tried to convince me several times, haven¡¯t you? And I assume I¡¯ve told you no each time.¡±


    Scarlett drew her mouth together. ¡°¡­Yes. Sometimes you provide me with some guidance, but you always refuse to teach me properly.¡±


    ¡°And why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°Did you not tell me a mere moment ago? It is because I am not strong enough.¡±


    It fit with what Scarlett knew from the game, where Arlene would only give quests to the player if they were above level fifty. Scarlett actually considered herself stronger than that, but her strength was a bit lopsided and difficult to quantify.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about strength,¡± Arlene said. ¡°It¡¯s about potential. I look at you and I see a conundrum. Power and skill mixed with inexperience and ignorance that suggests laziness. An unwillingness to grow. Someone gifted with talent that they don¡¯t have the will to use. That is what you appeared to be when I first saw you, and I had no interest in teaching someone like that. That was the main reason, at least. My opinion changed later on as I observed you, but that doesn¡¯t matter much if I keep forgetting about it.¡±


    Scarlett stared at the woman. That was the reason? If that was true, then it didn¡¯t matter how much she upgraded her skills. Would she have to search for another person to teach her, after all? Considering her goal, though, Arlene was without a doubt the best teacher she could find. Not to mention how other people would react to seeing her growth rate whenever she upgraded a skill. She also didn¡¯t know if there were any other mages as experienced with her particular type of magic as Arlene was. When she had inquired into the matter with Adalicia, the wizard had given her the impression that most mages didn¡¯t spend much time using pyrokinesis and its other-school equivalents in practice.


    ¡°All that said¡­¡± Arlene considered her for a few seconds. ¡°Knowing what I do now, I don¡¯t see as much of a reason to say no.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°You are saying that you will teach me?¡±


    ¡°I am saying that now I would accept your request, and for as long as my current memories go.¡±


    The momentary joy that had appeared inside Scarlett died out. That meant she would be back at square one the next time the loop restarted. Would she have to repeat this entire conversation every single time in order to convince the woman? She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to do that. She would, if she had to, but the thought didn¡¯t fill her with excitement. Despite how calmly Arlene seemed to be taking it, telling a woman that the world she knew was a game and that she was stuck in a never-ending loop of her own nightmare wasn¡¯t something Scarlett took pleasure in.


    Even if she might be able to skip the part about her own identity in the future, it was an uncomfortable experience. Presumably for them both.


    Arlene seemed to watch her reaction, and soon let out a sigh. The woman waved her hand, and more fire appeared above it. The magic was shaped like a wheel, with strands of flames moving at its center in a tiny, intricate whirlpool of interlocking motion.


    ¡°Shape your magic into something like this,¡± she said.


    Scarlett examined it for a while before raising her arm. She took a breath, trying to focus her attention so that she didn¡¯t lose control like earlier. Then she conjured her own fire. It took on a similar shape to Arlene¡¯s; circular with flames gathered in the middle as a churning mass of movement.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. Try again.¡±


    Frowning, she tried once more, and when that attempt failed as well, she tried again and again. Arlene guided her along the way, and eventually, she succeeded in creating something that looked almost exactly like hers.


    The woman nodded her head in satisfaction. ¡°In the future, when you introduce yourself to me, show me this exact configuration. That way, we won¡¯t have to bother with the same bells and whistles every time.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her fire, eyeing the whirlpool at its center. ¡°Is there something special about this structure in particular?¡±


    It looked interesting, yes, but she couldn¡¯t tell if it did anything other than that. It also only took her about five minutes and a small amount of mana to learn, so it couldn¡¯t be that impressive.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t, no,¡± Arlene answered.


    ¡°Why would this be likely to convince you in the future, then?¡±


    The woman simply shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Who knows? Call it a hunch. I don¡¯t have the time or opportunity to teach you anything more complicated, so this will have to do.¡±


    ¡°We have more than one day left,¡± Scarlett pointed out. ¡°Surely there is something you could teach me in that time. The water whips that I am able to create were taught by you, and that took less than one day.¡±


    ¡°Let me rephrase that. I¡¯m choosing not to teach you anything more complicated.¡± Arlene gave her a long, honest look. ¡°For now, I think you should take a break. You¡¯ve been pushing yourself, haven¡¯t you? Magic isn¡¯t something you want to practice on a tired mind. Nothing is, really. Take this chance to relax.¡±


    ¡°Time moves differently here in Freymeadow than outside the village, and I am not as affected by exhaustion here. I am not saying that I do not require rest, but it would be a waste to not use any of these remaining two days productively.¡±


    ¡°To me, that sounds like even more of a reason to take things slow.¡± The woman glanced at Scarlett¡¯s fire and it suddenly extinguished itself. ¡°If that bothers you, then you might feel better to know that I am not giving you a choice.¡±


    Scarlett fought back a scowl at having her magic dismissed so easily, and she could have sworn that the woman shot her a smile filled with mirth.


    Was Scarlett only surrounded by people that enjoyed tormenting her?

 Chapter 140 - Unravelling Reasons

    Waiting in her office within the Freybrook mansion, Scarlett¡¯s gaze was fixed on the large painting adorning the wall behind her desk. ¡®The Field of Broken Pacts¡¯ was the title The Gentleman had called it by. The artwork depicted an expansive battlefield from some bygone era, painted in excruciatingly exact and lifelike detail by whoever the creator was. Despite how long she¡¯d had it now, it still drew her attention whenever she entered the room.


    Receiving it as a gift was odd, considering she didn¡¯t know anything about its history and the battle it portrayed. But she doubted it was pointless. The Gentleman didn¡¯t do pointless things.


    And presumably, he would be visiting again in the near future.


    A knock at the entrance signaled the arrival of a guest. Scarlett announced they could enter. Her connection with the Loci had already told her who it was. The door opened, followed by footsteps crossing the wooden floor.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Evelyne¡¯s curious voice chimed out from behind.


    Scarlett turned to face her, watching as the younger woman took a seat in the chair positioned in front of the desk.


    It had been over a week, almost two, since they last saw each other. Scarlett had been away due to the Sanctuary heist, while Evelyne had been occupied with her own affairs. Not much seemed to have changed with the woman since then, except for her slightly longer hair, where the tips now reached the back of her shoulders. She was dressed in a fitted doublet of deep green velvet with silver accents around the collar.


    ¡°I was simply reflecting on some matters,¡± Scarlett replied, pushing aside her thoughts about the painting. ¡°Nothing that you need concern yourself with.¡±


    ¡°All right. If you say so.¡± Evelyne¡¯s gaze seemed to linger on the painting behind Scarlett as well. ¡°Actually.. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask for a while now, but where did you get that? It looks like the work of a master, yet I don¡¯t recognize it. I haven¡¯t seen any recent records suggesting its purchase in the accounts either.¡±


    ¡°It was a gift.¡±


    ¡°A gift?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Evelyne seemed to examine the artwork closer. ¡°From who?¡±


    ¡°The Gentleman.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me much.¡±


    ¡°That is unfortunate, then. There is not much more to say.¡±


    Evelyne furrowed her brows. ¡°What do you mean? How can there not be¡ª¡±


    Scarlett raised her hand, signaling for Evelyne to stop. ¡°I ask that you do not press me today, Evelyne. There truly is not much more to tell. He is simply known only as The Gentleman. I am not being purposefully obtuse.¡±


    The woman stared at her for a few seconds, then lowered her head as if accepting her words. Scarlett offered a nod of appreciation in return. While she usually did a good enough job of containing her emotions in the younger woman¡¯s presence, she didn¡¯t want to test her self-control unnecessarily, considering recent events.


    ¡°Leaving that aside,¡± Scarlett said, redirecting the conversation. ¡°I was not aware that you would be at the mansion today. Is there something you wished to discuss with me?¡±


    ¡°Several things, actually. So much that I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have time to cover it all right now. But before that¡­¡± Evelyne shifted in her seat, pointing toward the door behind her. ¡°I saw a black cat sitting on the windowsill outside for some reason. It is yours? I didn¡¯t think you liked cats.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. This was the third time someone had mentioned seeing the cat, Empress, outside her office. First, it was Rosa. Then Marlon, the head servant, mentioned it earlier this morning. And now Evelyne.


    At first, she thought it indicated The Gentleman would show up any second now, but a couple of days had passed since Rosa¡¯s first sighting. Scarlett hadn¡¯t seen the cat for herself, since Empress was already gone every time she made it out of the office, but she trusted in the others¡¯ words. Even the Loci seemed incapable of detecting the cat¡¯s presence, which was a disconcerting realization in itself. Scarlett hoped that was an exception¡ªit wouldn¡¯t surprise her if it was¡ªbut she might have to ask Fynn to be more vigilant in the future, in case the Loci¡¯s detection wasn¡¯t as reliable as she had believed.


    Whatever Empress¡¯ reasons for showing up were, the cat at least seemed to be enjoying itself. Perhaps Scarlett should have the servants prepare plates of hot milk at all times of the day, just in case.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Evelyne asked, studying her.


    Scarlett dismissed the frown on her face and waved her hand. ¡°I do not mind cats that much. Even if I did, I suspect I would not have much choice but to consider this one the exception. If you see it again, I would recommend that you show proper respect to the best of your ability.¡±


    The woman raised both eyebrows, looking as if she was unsure if that was a joke or not. ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do I even want to know why?¡±


    ¡°If I am to be frank, I suspect you do not.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her for a few moments, then shook her head slowly. ¡°I swear. Things just keep getting stranger and stranger around you the more time passes. I have enough on my mind right now, so I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    ¡°I will admit to some admiration at the stride with which you are taking it all,¡± Scarlett remarked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I have much choice.¡±


    ¡°No, I suppose you do not.¡±


    ¡°Setting that aside.¡± Evelyne leaned forward, a slightly worried expression appearing on her face. ¡°I wanted to ask what¡¯s been going on here in the mansion. When I arrived earlier, it felt like all the servants were walking on eggshells for some reason. Did something happen?¡±


    Scarlett had to restrain herself from frowning again. ¡°¡­I am to blame for that, unfortunately.¡±


    Since her return from Freymeadow, she had gotten a little better control over her emotions, making it easier to prevent the mansion¡¯s staff from sensing it in the air through her connection with the loci. However, most of them still seemed somewhat wary.


    Evelyne looked at her, as if expecting that answer. Scarlett was grateful that the woman appeared to consider her words before speaking. ¡°What¡­exactly did you do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Some unsettling news related to an acquaintance of mine caused me to temporarily lose control of my temper. That, in turn, affected the rest of the estate due to my link with the Loci.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her. ¡°¡­Your mood affects the whole mansion?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, yes.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said this ¡®Loci¡¯ artifact was harmless,¡± Evelyne exclaimed, almost leaning forward onto the desk before catching herself and settling back in her chair with an awkward expression.


    Scarlett observed her for a moment before responding. ¡°Comparatively so, yes. There does indeed appear to be some side-effects that I did not predict, but they are negligible, and I am still learning how to handle the artifact.¡±


    For the time being, she was still only using the Loci to watch over the estate. However, when both she and the Loci had become more familiar with things, she was planning to experiment further with its capabilities.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if scaring all the servants half to death should be considered a ¡®side-effect¡¯¡­¡± Evelyne muttered.


    ¡°That is an exaggeration,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°And they will soon learn that there is no danger involved. I will, however, endeavour to avoid any such occurrences in the future to lessen the stress on the staff.¡±


    The younger woman didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced by her words, but there wasn¡¯t much Scarlett could do about that at the moment.


    ¡°¡­Can I ask what it was that made you mad?¡± Evelyne asked. ¡°Other than just ¡®unsettling news¡¯ related to this acquaintance of yours.¡±


    Scarlett paused, looking at her for a few seconds. ¡°Unfortunately, that is related to the guest who stayed here previously, and whose identity I could not reveal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been using that excuse a lot lately.¡±


    ¡°It has been relevant on more than one occasion.¡±


    Both of them locked eyes, and Scarlett tapped her finger against the desk for a brief moment before continuing.


    ¡°I cannot delve into the specifics, but that individual has gone¡­missing. While I was aiding them in locating one of their relatives, there was an attempt on their life. Since then, I have been considering how to find them and ensure their safety.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Someone tried to kill them?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    A troubled expression appeared on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°What are you involved with here, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°What I must involve myself with. I can assure you that it will not have a detrimental effect on the barony.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Can you be sure about that?¡±


    ¡°I can do my best to ensure it, at the very least.¡±


    Evelyne looked doubtful.


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°The empire is entering a volatile period, Evelyne. Worse than it has perhaps ever been before. I know this better than anyone, though you may still have your doubts. I am doing what I can to ensure the safety of myself and those under me, which includes the barony as a whole.¡±


    ¡°Is that really your priority?¡±


    ¡°It is. If you do not believe me, you can ask Garside. He was with me when I was away this last time.¡±


    They continued maintaining eye contact, but eventually, Evelyne turned away first. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t blame me if I do later.¡±


    ¡°I will not.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t expect Garside to reveal too much.


    During her fight with Gaven, the old butler had somehow seen the flames and come running through the forest. She didn¡¯t know how he did it, considering his age, but he had arrived not long after she finished dealing with Gaven. At the time, she hadn¡¯t been in the right state of mind to explain things clearly, but that hadn¡¯t stopped Garside from helping her clean up some of the mess and leave the area.


    If it weren¡¯t for him, she might have almost forgotten about retrieving the [Memory of the Covenant] and the other items Gaven had on him that had survived the flames. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the rogue had more inside his spatial ring than Scarlett had requested, though there was nothing she had immediate use for.


    After the incident, she had shared more details with Garside, explaining briefly what had happened and why. He had agreed without hesitation to keep it all to himself. Even if he cared about Evelyne and had often told the younger woman information about Scarlett before¡ªwhich he had openly admitted once when asked¡ªhe was unlikely to share this. He knew just as well as Scarlett what would happen if news of their involvement in this heist got out.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I presume there was more you wished to speak about?¡±


    Evelyne stared at her, blinking as if she had already forgotten the reason for her visit. ¡°Right, I was going to talk to you about the Tyndall Ball. It¡¯s only four days off. Since both of us have been so busy this last week, I wasn¡¯t sure how much progress you¡¯ve made with the preparations.¡±


    ¡°You have already arranged for the passage to Windgrove and back, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have. We¡¯ll arrive in the late afternoon and attend the ball in the evening, then we¡¯ll participate in the gathering the next morning before returning to Freybrook. We should be back around the same time we left, provided there are no complications.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett opened a drawer on her desk and retrieved a light-green letter that had fancy gilding and a wax seal bearing the insignia of a stag. ¡°My attendance should pose no issue. Beldon Tyndall sent this to me earlier this week.¡±


    To convince the man to cooperate, she had shared information about rivaling information guilds and their safe-houses. It meant she had fewer bargaining chips that were directly related to him and his guild for the future. She had also made requests for help in finding the Countess lately, so if they continued doing business like this, she might have to become an actual client of Mirage and pay normal commissions. It wasn¡¯t like she was lacking the money now, but it might be hard to convince them to do certain things using only that.


    ¡°It still surprises me you could convince him so easily,¡± Evelyne commented as she inspected the letter.


    ¡°We have an amicable business relationship.¡±


    The woman gave her an interrogating look. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yes. That is all.¡±


    A flash of embarrassment crossed Evelyne¡¯s face, and she placed the letter back on the desk. ¡°I was in contact with the tailor earlier, and they said the dresses you ordered for the ball will be finished tomorrow. My own outfits were already complete, as well.¡±


    ¡°I will have Garside send someone to pick them up in the morning, then.¡±


    Scarlett had arranged for a tailor to fit new dresses specifically for the ball. While these probably weren¡¯t as extravagant as some of the other pieces in her wardrobe, they had still cost a pretty penny. She wasn¡¯t aiming at making a grand impression at the event, but she also didn¡¯t want to stand out because she was wearing something ¡®cheap¡¯ either.


    ¡°When we¡¯re in Windgrove...¡± Evelyne began, but hesitated for a moment. ¡°Actually, did Sir Leon say anything about whether he was going to attend or not?¡±


    ¡°From what he told me, it seemed uncertain,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°It would depend on whether the Imperial Solar Knights were preoccupied at the time or not.¡±


    ¡°Then, if he¡¯s not there¡­ How are you going to handle the Delmons?¡±


    She looked at Evelyne. ¡°Handle them?¡±


    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a good chance they might cause a scene if you met with them, considering our families¡¯ current relationship.¡±


    ¡°They may say whatever they want. I see no need to heed their words or let it affect me.¡±


    ¡°But it could still affect our house, no matter what you feel. You seemed on better terms with Sir Leon¡ªif that¡¯s even the right word¡ªso I thought there was a chance he could help if something happened.¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. Saying they were on good terms wasn¡¯t entirely true, but she supposed they weren¡¯t on the worst terms either. Still¡­


    ¡°I am not sure it will matter for much longer,¡± she said. ¡°I have been considering ending the betrothal and cutting any ties we have with them.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her. ¡°You were serious about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I had also promised Sir Leon that I would consider the matter. It is not as if we are currently relying on the Delmons for any affairs connected to the barony.¡±


    From what Scarlett had heard, whatever business ties they did have with the Delmons had already been severed.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Evelyne studied her for another moment. ¡°I thought there was a specific reason for that engagement that meant you didn¡¯t want to end it.¡±


    ¡°There was, presumably.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Scarlett leaned down in her seat, reaching for another drawer on the desk and opening it. She pulled out a thin pile of papers and handed them to Evelyne.


    The younger woman¡¯s brows creased as she received them. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°The documents related to the agreement that was struck between me and Marquis Gerhard Delmon when we originally settled on the betrothal.¡±


    Scarlett had found those papers during the week before the heist. They were inside a safe hidden in her bedroom, along with other objects that she suspected were connected to some of the original¡¯s more illicit activities. At the time, she had been too busy with the heist matter to pay much attention to these papers, but now that was over.


    As Evelyne read through the documents, her eyes grew wider and wider. Eventually, she looked up at Scarlett in disbelief. ¡°How did you get them to agree to this?¡±


    ¡°I cannot remember,¡± Scarlett answered.


    Covering her forehead with her palm, Evelyne stared down at the papers. ¡°But they essentially promised Sir Leon to you¡ªwhich is barely legal¡ªalong with far more collateral if they went back on their word than they should ever have had reason to. This is insane. I can¡¯t imagine a marquisate ever doing something like this for a mere barony. Some of these terms even make it sound as if they were getting ready to support you in¡­ ¡° she trailed off, glancing up at Scarlett again.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­Scarlett, were you aiming to advance your title?¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°From what¡¯s written here, the Delmons are basically promising to put everything they have into supporting you and the barony after the engagement with Leon is finished. Not only that, but you were promised several hundred acres of land near the Voneinan border. They also explicitly state they will back you in the Chamber Court and the Imperial Chancellery if there were to be any border disputes due to your new land in the future.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. She had read through those documents more than once, and she understood why Evelyne was reacting this way.


    ¡°Scarlett, this makes it look like you were conspiring with the Delmons to usurp the land of the minor nobles around Count Knottley¡¯s domain. There are no reasons there would be any disputes otherwise. The land the Delmons are offering would already triple the size of our fief, but that still wasn¡¯t enough?¡±


    ¡°It would appear not, judging from what those papers say. I do not recall negotiating those particular agreements, but it does indeed seem like something I might have been tempted to do.¡±


    Not only would the original Scarlett have gained a significant amount of new land with this engagement to Leon¡ªmost of which would be in the southwestern part of the empire between the Delmon family¡¯s domain and Count Knottley¡¯s domain¡ªbut much of it held important strongholds and fortresses that bordered the Voneia Kingdom.


    The Delmon Marquisate was already one of the most strategically valuable pieces of land in the western parts of the empire, but if Scarlett married Leon and succeeded in annexing much of the land belonging to the nobles south of the Marquisate, the Delmons would control almost the entire border by proxy. If a war were to break out with the kingdom sometime in the future, Scarlett would have much of the frontline in her domain. That conferred a lot of responsibility upon her, but also a lot of legitimacy. Such an important individual was unlikely to remain a mere baroness.


    Not to mention how she would also be married to the vice-captain, possibly even the captain, of the strongest knight order in the empire.


    In return for helping Scarlett achieve all of this, the Delmons would have a powerful ally to the south, connected to them through marriage and owing them a considerable debt. It would give them a significant advantage in future power plays within the empire.


    She wasn¡¯t sure who had approached the other party first¡ªthe original Scarlett or the Delmons¡ªbut it all felt very noble-like, scheming and maneuvering politically for power like this. There was little concern for things like ¡®feelings¡¯ or the lives of those affected by these plans. The focus was solely on the promised possibilities.


    To be fair, border disputes within the empire were often minor and resulted in little bloodshed. Any actual warring between nobles was considered an affront to the emperor¡¯s authority and was practically illegal. A scheme like this wouldn¡¯t immediately impact people outside of the aristocracy ¡ª unless one considered that the original Scarlett likely lacked the experience in governing border territories that the nobles whose lands she was gunning for had. But Scarlett had studied enough of the legal workings and history of this nation to know that experience and capability weren¡¯t always the most critical factors when it came to who got to govern what.


    The specifics of how Scarlett and the Delmons had planned to usurp other nobles¡¯ lands were, of course, left unsaid, but there were only so many possibilities. Legal challenges concerning de jure land and legitimacy were unlikely to work, but nothing was stopping them from using political connections to undermine their targets¡¯ authority and pressure them to relinquish lands through threats and other means. While some might frown upon a marquis engaging in such actions against minor nobles, it would be more accepted if Scarlett did it.


    In front of her, Evelyne ran a hand through her hair, as if processing all the implications. ¡°This explains why the Delmons were so desperate to end the betrothal after what happened at the Proclamation. It would be too risky for them to proceed with the engagement after you practically declared your intent in front of the emperor. Or at least, that¡¯s how it would appear to them.¡±


    ¡°You know that was not my intent at the time, however,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I do, yes.¡± Evelyne actually let out a laugh. ¡°Ittar¡¯s light. The Delmons must have panicked when you said that out loud. To them, it would either look like you were being far too arrogant and hasty or had just decided to betray them. But because they had already bet everything on this, it was too late for them to just back out without incurring unnecessary costs.¡±


    ¡°It is an amusing thought, is it not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you find it funny. Even if you don¡¯t remember it, this is still your plan that failed. The Delmons probably won¡¯t ever want anything to do with us ever again, and you¡¯ve painted a large target on your back.¡± Evelyne paused, a nonplussed expression on her face as she touched her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how I¡¯m so calm about it either, honestly. Normally, this would be the kind of thing that sets our house on the path to ruin.¡±


    ¡°I do not particularly fear the Delmons, and I do not think you have to either,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If they choose to act against us beyond what they have already done, it will be out of nothing but petty vengeance. I am more inclined to believe they would prefer it all to be quietly swept under the rug. If they were to try anything, however, it is either destined to fail or take far too long to have any significant effect.¡±


    The Delmons wouldn¡¯t be able to kill her, and any action they took within the legal framework of the empire would likely take months or even years to fully execute. Scarlett had enough time to react, given the timeframe she was working with.


    If anything were to cause her downfall, it wouldn¡¯t be the Delmons.


    Evelyne eyed her for a moment. ¡°That really shouldn¡¯t reassure me, but it does.¡±


    ¡°That is good. It implies you are beginning to trust me more than before.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that scare you?¡±


    Scarlett tilted her head to the side. ¡°Why should it?¡±


    Evelyne stared at her, then shook her head. ¡°Just¡­ Never mind. Let¡¯s get back to these papers. I still have over a dozen questions that it would be good if we could try to figure out the answers to before we get to anything else.¡±


    Scarlett simply gestured for her to continue, and the two of them started to further discuss the details of the matter together.

 Chapter 141 - Expensive sights

    The sounds of silverware clinking against porcelain echoed throughout the dining hall as Scarlett and the other members of her household dined together. This included Evelyne, with Garside standing silently by the wall, wearing a calm but bland expression on his face.


    Engaged in their conversations, the individuals at the table occupied themselves with talking while Scarlett focused on eating her food and occasionally listened in on their exchanges. Evelyne and Rosa were discussing the fashion choices of certain nobles for some reason, while Allyssa and Shin engaged in a lighthearted argument on a topic that had escaped Scarlett¡¯s attention. Meanwhile, Fynn devoured his food without paying much regard to anything else.


    It had become a familiar scene whenever they gathered like this.


    A snippet of Rosa and Evelyne¡¯s conversation caught Scarlett¡¯s interest.


    ¡°You know, I bet one hundred solars that Scarlett will cause a ruckus of some kind during this ball of yours,¡± the bard said, partially hiding her mouth with her hand as she leaned closer to Evelyne. Her words were still perfectly audible across the table, though, and the woman almost certainly intended that.


    Evelyne glanced at Scarlett briefly before turning back to Rosa. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything can surpass what she did at the Elysian Proclamation, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice brimmed with curious interest, as if she had just stumbled upon a clue to a great treasure. ¡°And what did she do there, if I might ask?¡±


    Evelyne gave her a surprised look. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡±


    ¡°No, but now I¡¯m dying to.¡±


    ¡°You are not, Miss Hale.¡± Scarlett decided it was time to interject. ¡°And take my word when I say that it is not something you need to know, either. It is for the greater good of all those around you that you never do.¡±


    She had intentionally never mentioned it to the bard because she knew what the woman could do with that information.


    ¡°You have to know that¡¯s just going to make me even more curious.¡± Rosa gave her a wounded look, as if Scarlett had just informed her that her pay was getting docked. ¡°Are you trying to deprive me of my sleep at night?¡±


    ¡°I believe you will survive, Miss Hale. If not, then do provide me a warning in advance so that I may begin looking for a replacement in time.¡±


    A soft snicker escaped Allyssa, and even Evelyne wore a small smile. Scarlett concealed her relief at how everyone seemed to be behaving relatively normally today, without trying to act excessively cautious around her as some had been in the past few days.


    She had been trying to rein in her emotions lately so that they weren¡¯t worn on her sleeve, and none of it should be bleeding through from the Loci anymore, either. It was good to see that her efforts had yielded some results.


    Even if it also meant enduring some minor annoyances at the dining table.


    The previous conversations resumed, but after a while, Allyssa shifted her focus to Scarlett. ¡°When are you two leaving for that ball?¡±


    ¡°In the afternoon. The event itself does not commence until evening, but guests are typically led to their quarters earlier. Is that not correct, Evelyne?¡±


    Evelyne nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. The duchy has always provided guests with their own private chambers for the ball. Most of them can rival what we have here at the mansion, and the service afforded is said to eclipse anything else other than that experienced by guests at the Dawnlight Palace. Not to mention the connections that can be forged there. It¡¯s not only nobles who receive invitations; many merchants and influential individuals spend small fortunes just for the chance to attend.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyebrows rose at that statement. ¡°Now I wish I could go. Sounds like an experience.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get what¡¯s so special about it,¡± Fynn grunted from the seat beside her as he tore into a thick piece of meat specially prepared for him.


    ¡°Fynn, I genuinely don¡¯t mean anything bad with this, but you¡¯re not the type of person these kinds of events are meant for. I¡¯m fairly sure you would have more interests in common with a dragon than with most people.¡±


    A slight frown creased his forehead. ¡°Dragons like the taste of people,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Is that really the first difference that comes to mind for you?¡±


    The white-haired young man just shrugged his shoulders, continuing to eat.


    Allyssa shook her head as if unsurprised by the response, then redirected her attention to the rest of them. ¡°Anyway, it would be nice to get a chance to witness something like this ball with my own eyes at least once in the future. Do people from the Guild get invited as well?¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± Evelyne replied. ¡°In fact, if my memory serves me right, I think your father might even have attended once. I can¡¯t quite recall when it was, but I remember my own father pointing him out to me at the time.¡±


    ¡°Really? He never mentioned that to me. Though he rarely ever talks about work around me, so that much is normal.¡± Allyssa sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you never listened when he did, so he stopped doing it,¡± Shin told her.


    ¡°What?¡± She spun around to stare at him. ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    ¡°He told me so himself.¡±


    A peeved expression formed on her face. ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Evelyne appeared to watch this with a hint of amusement, while Rosa cheerfully remarked that at least her father seemed to care enough about Allyssa not to bore her with ¡®uninteresting work tales¡¯, though the girl herself didn¡¯t seem to quite agree.


    Like that, the mealtime continued in relative peace for a while longer.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Later that afternoon, Scarlett and Evelyne sat together in the carriage, ready to depart from the mansion. The sounds of the servants loading their luggage into the trunk pierced the wooden walls as they waited for the final preparations to complete.


    ¡°Are you ready for tonight?¡± Evelyne asked her.


    Scarlett¡¯s attention had been fixed on the view outside the window, where she gazed at the front of the mansion and the empty courtyard nestled between its two wings. ¡°I am as ready as I will be,¡± she responded absentmindedly.


    From the corner of her eye, she noticed the younger woman studying her.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s as much as we can ask for,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to pray this won¡¯t be a repeat of what happened at the Elysian Proclamation, won¡¯t we?¡± There was a hint of humor in her tone.


    Scarlett shifted her gaze towards Evelyne, eyeing her for a moment. This was perhaps the first time she had heard the woman attempt anything resembling a joke in her presence.


    It seemed Evelyne herself was equally surprised by her comment, judging from how she turned away with a somewhat stiff expression, not saying anything more.


    Scarlett watched her for a few seconds before returning her attention outside.


    She didn¡¯t find the remark particularly amusing¡ªit felt awkward and slightly annoying, if anything¡ªbut the logical part of her thought it a welcome change from how they usually were around each other.


    The two of them sat in silence for a while longer, accompanied by audible conversations from the servants outside. Soon, the coachman called out that they were ready, and the carriage set into motion. As it turned, Scarlett caught sight of Garside standing by the side of the gravel road, accompanied by Marlon, the head servant, Kinsley, the family¡¯s seneschal who often worked closely with Evelyne, and a couple of other staff members bidding them farewell.


    She raised her hand in a short greeting as they passed by.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Before long, they had left the estate¡¯s gates behind. As they got further away, her connection with the Loci gradually faded into the background of her mind. She had traveled through Freybrook by carriage enough times now that she was used to this part, so she let her thoughts wander as they moved past the small forests and prominent buildings of Freybrook¡¯s northern district, heading towards the heart of the city. From there, they continued on their way to where the Kilnstone was located.


    As usual, the large square that housed the ancient artifact was crowded with various individuals and vehicles by the time they arrived. The traffic might even have been denser than usual. Not that it mattered much, since their carriage simply rolled past most others towards the line reserved for nobles awaiting their turn to pass through the Kilnstone.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the front of that line, where they were then ushered onto the platform that held the open marble structure that was the centerpiece of the square. Through its curled pillars, a floating obelisk was visible. After a brief check with the driver, the Kilnstone officials allowed them through without any hassle, and their carriage pulled up next to the Kilnstone.


    ¡°When was the last time the two of us traveled somewhere like this?¡± Evelyne suddenly asked.


    ¡°Does our trip to Count Knottley¡¯s estate or the Dawnlight Palace during the Elysian Proclamation count?¡±


    ¡°No, I meant longer trips. Not just across a city.¡±


    ¡°If so, I do not know.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    Scarlett considered the younger woman for a few seconds. ¡°Does that bother you?¡±


    Evelyne shook her head. ¡°No. It just makes what we¡¯re doing right now feel strange, that¡¯s all. I think even father would have been surprised to see us like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perhaps he would have.¡±


    Scarlett wouldn¡¯t know.


    Outside, the Kilnstone¡¯s reflective grey surface seemed to absorb the surrounding light, momentarily enveloping them in darkness. In an instant, the world regained color, and they found themselves at their destination, surrounded by new people and carriages within a marble structure similar to the one they had just been in.


    After another pair of officials in black attire approached the coachman to speak with the man, their carriage rolled out onto another square, offering them a better view of Windgrove.


    Windgrove was the empire¡¯s second-largest city, and the Kilnstone¡¯s elevated position allowed them a sweeping vista of the region. The immediate vicinity of the square was filled with brick and stone buildings, with carts and carriages weaving through the streets that connected to the various parts of the city. A not insignificant number of passing carriages bore the symbols of noble houses. Scarlett and Evelyne were far from the only people visiting because of the Tyndall Ball.


    Their carriage soon joined a procession of others along one of the larger thoroughfares, leading them deeper into Windgrove. Scarlett watched the passing sights as they moved through the streets. The city¡¯s architecture blended pointed stone arches, wooden storefronts, and a surprising number of miniature parks, where children played and merchants hawked their wares from small stalls.


    It was a city teeming with life. It was easy to see why Windgrove was sometimes referred to as the ¡°Emerald of the North.¡±


    Occasionally, when they crested a small hill or when the buildings around them momentarily receded, a large lake came into view like a shimmering mirror, reflecting the bright blue sky above. Several small vessels floated upon its waters, though there appeared to be no real harbor. Overlooking the lake stood a grand castle, constructed from deep grey stone. Its towering walls and imposing turrets reached high into the sky, each adorned with fluttering deep green flags.


    ¡°Last time both of us were here together like this was before father passed away,¡± Evelyne said, her gaze fixed on the bustling streets outside. ¡°I can¡¯t remember if my mom came with at the time as well, or if it was just the three of us.¡± A touch of melancholy colored her expression as she turned to Scarlett. ¡°I think that might actually have been one of the last occasions when all of us attended something together outside of the capital.¡±


    ¡±You would remember better than I,¡± Scarlett replied.


    She didn¡¯t even know what the original¡¯s father looked like. For some reason, there weren¡¯t any paintings of him in the mansion. At least not any that she¡¯d come across. She had considered using the [Memory of the Covenant] to borrow his appearance and see for herself, but she had never done so. It felt like it would only stir up the emotions that the original had left behind.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± Evelyne spoke softly. ¡°You always seemed so distant during those times, so perhaps they weren¡¯t as important to you as they were to us. They¡¯re not things you remember that well, right?¡±


    ¡°They are not, no.¡±


    Evelyne fell silent, her gaze lingering on Scarlett for a moment longer before returning outside.


    ¡°¡­I will not forget this moment as easily,¡± Scarlett said.


    Evelyne¡¯s head spun, her eyes widening as she stared at her. Scarlett left it at that, though, looking back out the window again.


    It seemed like Evelyne wanted to say something after that, but in the end, she didn¡¯t, and they continued their journey in silence. The carriage made its way through the crowded streets of Windgrove, gradually approaching the castle that loomed over the city. As they drew nearer, the buildings around them grew larger and more extravagant. Eventually, they reached a long street that was packed with other carriages, each lined up behind another, leading up to a pair of enormous steel gates flanked by tall stone walls that obstructed the view beyond. Guards inspected the carriages at the front of the line before granting them entry through the gates.


    Here, Scarlett¡¯s status as a baroness wasn¡¯t anything special. They could do nothing else but wait.


    It took them roughly forty minutes to reach the front, but eventually, their carriage rolled up to the gates, stopping beside a burly man clad in dark green armor with black inlays running along the sides. He stepped up to them, peering through the carriage window.


    ¡°Greetings, my Lady. Welcome to Windgrove and Grovefort Castle.¡± He spoke in a loud voice.


    Evelyne leaned over and unlatched the glass window. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m Evelyne Hartford, from the Hartford barony.¡±


    The guard briefly lowered his head before looking up at her again. ¡°We¡¯ll be performing a quick inspection of your carriage, if that is acceptable to you, before letting you through the gates.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Please go ahead.¡±


    The man threw one glance at Scarlett through the window before signaling for another guard to join him as they inspected the carriage. Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure what the purpose of the inspection was, since they only checked the outside of the vehicle and didn¡¯t bother with the cabin. She had her [Pouch of Holding] lying next to her, which meant she could have easily brought in any number of concealed and dangerous items without their knowledge. Maybe they were mainly concerned with preventing suspicious individuals from entering? Or maybe they had alternative means of ensuring security? She doubted they would allow weapons inside during the ball, at least.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait too long before the guard gave them the all-clear and waved them along. Then they were through the gates and entered the castle grounds.


    The sight that greeted them was certainly not one you saw often.


    Scarlett had always considered the Freybrook mansion impressive, and it was clear a lot of money went into building and maintaining it throughout the years. However, this place was far beyond that.


    Several hundred meters away, almost as far as the eye could see here, stood the towering structure of the main castle, a prominent feature visible from most parts of the city. The space between them and the castle was covered with carefully manicured terraces and lush gardens, bursting with life. Elaborate statues lined the cobbled roads, crafted from various materials ¡ª bronze knights, marble dragons, and even crystal stags. Everywhere you looked, there was evidence of meticulous attention and exquisite craftsmanship.


    But it wasn¡¯t just the castle and the path leading to it that stood out. The area was also dotted with outbuildings, some as large or larger than the Hartford mansion, as well as a sizable stable accompanied by a glass greenhouse beside it. Scarlett imagined that maintaining this place alone would require an entire village¡¯s worth of staff. The scale of it all dwarfed her own home. While it didn¡¯t quite reach the grandeur of Dawnlight Palace in the capital, it was certainly not for a lack of trying.


    Instead of heading straight towards the castle, their carriage made a right turn, passing through an expansive rose garden with neat rows of vibrant pink and red flowerbeds that defied the chilly late-autumn weather. Beyond the garden stood a wide structure with a courtyard already occupied by numerous carriages, with more arriving by the minute. Groups of people were exiting the vehicles and making their way towards the entrance of the building.


    Their carriage pulled to a halt as well, and Scarlett stepped out into the courtyard, followed closely by Evelyne. The coachman and the handmaiden that had come with them would handle their luggage and the carriage itself, assisted by the castle staff, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about that for now.


    The two of them started walking over towards the grand set of stairs that served as the entrance. Two well-dressed servants stood there, each holding a long list. Guests gathered in front of them, approaching in small groups as they were gradually allowed entry.


    Once again, Scarlett had to resign herself to waiting in line. It was annoying, and every fiber of her being screamed that she should be allowed to bypass the crowd, but she controlled herself. While most guests didn¡¯t seem to be wearing their formal attire yet, almost all were dressed at a similar level to Evelyne. Scarlett also recognized several crests that belonged to noble houses. It appeared as if a few of them recognized her as well, casting curious glances her way, but she ignored it all for the time being.


    Finally, when it was their turn, Scarlett and Evelyne approached the nearest servant. He was an older gentleman with slicked-back white hair, dressed in a long, dark-green overcoat. He looked up from his list at them.


    ¡°Welcome to Grovefort Castle, my ladies. If you are here for the accommodations prepared for you, may I please have your names?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Baroness Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    ¡°Evelyne Hartford.¡±


    The man paused for a moment, giving Scarlett a probing look. Behind her, whispers could be heard at her name. It seemed she was still a subject of discussion in these circles. The fact that a mere servant knew her name was slightly surprising, but considering his role, it made sense for someone knowledgeable about potential guests being assigned to greet them.


    The man cleared his throat and extended his hand. ¡°If I may see your invitations.¡±


    It appeared he wasn¡¯t actually expecting Scarlett to have one, as a brief look of surprise crossed his face when she presented it. Whispers grew louder from behind as the man received both her and Evelyne¡¯s invitations, diligently verifying their authenticity. He then began leafing through the papers in his other hand, the process taking a short while until his eyes widened slightly, seemingly finding something unexpected.


    If she were to guess, he hadn¡¯t actually anticipated her name to be on the guest list. Did he perhaps think she had forged an invitation?


    To the man¡¯s credit, he handled the situation with prompt as he returned their invitations with a small bow. ¡°There are attendants inside who will guide you to your rooms. The Duke hopes that you will enjoy the event.¡±


    Actual conversations buzzed behind them now, and Evelyne looked a bit uncomfortable with the attention. Scarlett noted that most of the chatter came from the same group of individuals and briefly glanced back, memorising their faces. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to keep an eye out for them in the future.


    With that, she and Evelyne ascended the stairs, setting off to find their temporary quarters.

 Chapter 142 - Lights, camera, action

    After being shown to their quarters, Scarlett and Evelyne spent a couple of hours getting ready for the ball. The handmaiden who accompanied them to Windgrove assisted with any tasks they couldn¡¯t handle themselves, and while they had been given separate accommodations, the rooms were close enough that the servant woman could move easily between them. Numerous servants working for the Tyndall family were also present, ready to fulfill any request, although Scarlett didn¡¯t personally ask for anything.


    The dress that she had prepared for the occasion was made of a silk-like material in a deep burgundy shade, embroidered with intricate gold thread and adorned with small rubies at the feet. She found it a bit excessive¡ªespecially the rubies¡ªbut she had to admit it looked good. And compared to what she had seen during the Elysian Proclamation and even in her own wardrobe, this attire was far from the most extravagant clothing that some of the nobles wore around here.


    Evelyne¡¯s outfit was simpler, though. She wore fitted black velvet trousers paired with a flowing blouse, complete with billowing sleeves and a dark red jacket. Flashy in its own way, but not to the same extent as Scarlett¡¯s dress.


    She had noticed that the younger woman didn¡¯t seem to like wearing dresses or skirts much, even for formal events like this. A trend that didn¡¯t appear as uncommon in the empire as one might expect. Scarlett had seen plenty of high-born women dressing similarly. The first Imperial Princess was one example.


    By the time they finished preparing, the sun had already set. As they stepped out into the courtyard, they were among other guests who boarded carriages and departed for the venue where the ball was being held. Their own carriage awaited them at the edge of the courtyard, illuminated by lanterns hanging from its sides. The coachman stood nearby, patiently waiting. He opened the carriage door as Scarlett approached with Evelyne, closing it once they had climbed inside. Soon, the carriage set off towards the large castle in the distance.


    ¡°I can¡¯t shake this nervous feeling in my stomach,¡± Evelyne said from her seat on the opposite side of the cabin. ¡°I thought it would be fine once we arrived and things got started. That¡¯s usually how it is for me. But instead, it¡¯s only gotten worse.¡±


    Scarlett turned her gaze towards her. ¡°This is far from the first time you''ve attended this ball. What is it that brings you to be more nervous tonight, of all times?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. Maybe it just finally hit me exactly how many threats we¡¯ve got hanging over our necks at the moment?¡± Evelyne shook her head lightly, then looked at Scarlett. ¡°I wish I had even a tenth of that composure of yours. Not only are we already on shaky footing with most of the other nobles, but your presence here contradicts Duke Tyndall¡¯s wishes. And despite what I might have said before¡ªI must have been crazy at the time¡ªit actually does scare me that you¡¯re essentially defying the Delmons on your own in this whole betrothal matter. How is it possible that you¡¯re still this calm?¡±


    She brought a hand up to the bridge of her nose, exhaling a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to start a fight, but the nerves are starting to get to me. I thought I could handle it all, but now that we¡¯re about to make a public appearance despite everything¡­¡± She gestured vaguely with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not as certain anymore.¡±


    Scarlett considered her for a long moment, eventually turning to look out the window. Outside, the lush gardens of Grovefort Castle were illuminated by hundreds of colorful lights spread out among various footpaths.


    ¡°¡­I see,¡± she said. ¡°While your concern for both of us is warranted, it is unnecessary. Those matters are my responsibility, and I will handle them as is appropriate so that you do not have to worry. You need only focus on the affairs that you can influence and trust in my capabilities regarding the rest.¡±


    In truth, Scarlett wasn¡¯t entirely sure about these things either. She had, however, built up a pretty decent foundation for herself, both economically and politically. Though there were vulnerabilities, in general, if other nobles tried to cause her trouble, she could either confront them head-on or simply ignore whatever they were trying to do and compensate for any losses through other means. It wasn¡¯t as if they could prevent her from looting dungeons and growing stronger with the system.


    ¡°That¡­¡± Evelyne¡¯s voice grew softer. Scarlett heard the woman shift in her seat. ¡°It really shouldn¡¯t, but that actually does relieve me a little. Just marginally.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. That was better than nothing.


    The carriage fell into silence as it made its way towards the castle. Ahead of them, the impressive structure rose like a giant under the star-strewn sky that came alive with a mesmerizing display of light and colors. The walls were adorned with flickering torches, casting a gentle glow over the numerous standards hanging above. Shimmering strands of light, like tiny marbles, decorated the castle¡¯s towers and turret, emanating from unseen sources.


    Above the main entrance, consisting of a pair of tall open gates with a long set of stairs leading up to them, was a large banner that fluttered in the breeze, bearing the deep green stag with golden eyes that served as the Tyndall family¡¯s crest. Bright carpets of the same color were rolled out through the doors and down the stairs, guiding the guests inside.


    The castle¡¯s main courtyard was abuzz with more people arriving by the minute. Carriages and their horses filled the space, their harnesses clattering softly in the night. From high above, distant sounds of conversation and music drifted into Scarlett¡¯s ears, and she could see lights near the higher levels of the castle that suggested it was there the venue was.


    Their carriage turned right and joined the line of other vehicles, many displaying the crests of various noble houses. Scarlett and Evelyne climbed out of the vehicle. The chilly nighttime air was a bit uncomfortable, especially with part of her arms and neck exposed, so she used her pyrokinesis and subtly warmed the air around them, careful not to let the magic out of her control. She was still having problems with that, but it had gotten a lot better after visiting Freymeadow and Arlene.


    Evelyne looked surprised at first, but then nodded appreciatively as they began making their way towards the castle¡¯s entrance. Guards dressed in the dark green armor of the Windgrove duchy stood at the foot of the stairs, but they allowed the guests to pass without interruption. They appeared more like watchful observers or for mere show than anything else.


    Ascending the stairs and entering the castle through the large open doors, Scarlett and Evelyne found themselves in a grand reception hall that made the foyer they had back in Freybrook pale in comparison. She didn¡¯t pay most of the extravagant decorations much mind, though, as they joined the flow of guests moving through the wide hallways that wound through the castle.


    It took them several minutes for them to get close enough to their destination that the sounds of music and revelry grew strong enough that one could make them out more clearly. Scarlett didn¡¯t quite understand why the castle was designed in such a way that it required guests to walk this far to reach the venue, but no one seemed to complain. Perhaps climbing a few stairs wasn¡¯t such a big deal.


    Eventually, they entered a circular chamber that opened up into a much larger space beyond. It resembled a ballroom, but far grander than any Scarlett had seen before. Comparable in size to Dawnlight Palace¡¯s throne room, it featured dozens of painted glass corridors that ran along the sides, connecting to several smaller rooms that all seemed to have their own decorative themes.


    A bustling crowd of people had already gathered in the space, engrossed in conversations and indulging in the various foods and appetisers placed on tables throughout the room. The polished floors gleamed, reflecting the vibrant colors of the ball gowns and clothing worn by the guests, while silver candelabras hung from the ceiling and cast a warm glow on their faces.


    If Scarlett were to guess, there were probably around a few hundred or so attendees present. The ball didn¡¯t start at a set time, and people were mostly free to arrive at their convenience, but clearly those who arrived now were some of the latecomers. As far as she was aware, though, they wouldn¡¯t have missed anything important, so she didn¡¯t think it mattered much. The ball would continue late into the night.


    From what she could see, most people paid little attention to new arrivals. Those who did spare a glance in their direction merely offered fleeting looks. She did notice a couple of faces that showed hints of surprise at seeing her, but it was nothing noteworthy.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°What do you want to do now?¡± Evelyne asked as they positioned themselves in a less crowded section near the entrance, surveying the ballroom. ¡°Should we stay together at first?¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary.¡±


    While staying with Evelyne might alleviate some of the awkwardness Scarlett felt at formal events like this one, it would also likely add to her overall stress, having to keep her emotions in check around the woman.


    ¡°Will you be fine on your own?¡±


    She restrained herself from clicking her tongue.


    Case in point.


    ¡°I believe I will survive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not really what I¡¯m worried about¡­¡± Evelyne sent a few looks at the people around them and let out a small sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll check in on each other later then, alright? Try not to cause any major scenes, if possible.¡±


    ¡°I will endeavor not to.¡±


    The woman gave her a long, doubtful look. There might have been a glimmer of worry in it as well, but it was hard to tell. Eventually, though, she relaxed her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you promised to introduce me to some of your connections as well.¡±


    Scarlett crossed her arms. ¡°I have not forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Then I will try to find you later, or you can try to find me. For now, there are a few people that I would like to take the opportunity to meet.¡± With that, Evelyne excused herself, moving through the bustling crowd.


    Left on her own, Scarlett took a moment to scan the faces of everyone in her vicinity, searching for anyone that was familiar. She didn¡¯t actually have a concrete plan for what to do next. There were no strict guidelines for how one should act at these events¡ªnot committing any faux pas was more of a general rule of life in noble society¡ªand she was far from the most experienced person at being social at large gatherings. While she possessed some of the original¡¯s instincts, that only got her so far. And if she were to completely trust in what those told her, she was more likely to get herself into trouble than anything else.


    Her eyes stopped as she spotted Beldon Tyndall amidst the throng of people. The man stood at the center of a small group of young nobles, engaged in conversation. His elaborate green jacket, contrasting with the white undercoat he wore beneath, stood out quite a bit since almost no one else wore green tonight out of respect for the host¡¯s family. A dashing smile played across his face as he had his dark hair combed to the side.


    As he spoke, his eyes seemed to meet Scarlett¡¯s and his smile grew a fraction. However, he averted his gaze shortly afterward.


    It might have been her imagination, but she felt like he had just been trying to tell her something with that look.


    She continued to observe him for a while longer, then she started looking around for somewhere to move to. A passing servant carried a tray of wine glasses, so she took one and made her way to another row of tables holding refreshments. She¡¯d had a light dinner, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to eat something while she waited.


    If it had been anyone but Beldon, she wouldn¡¯t have paid much mind to that look. But she had a decent enough grasp of his personality. She had the impression that he wanted to talk with her about something. The letters he had sent said as much as well, if not in such simple words. She didn¡¯t have anything better to do for now anyway, so waiting it was.


    Sipping the wine in her hand and occasionally sampling some of the sweets that tasted of almonds¡ªmolded to look like painted fruits¡ªshe silently watched the activities unfolding around her. It felt awkward, simply standing by herself like this, but it wasn¡¯t too different from her experience at the Elysian Proclamation. It was probably preferable to the alternative in her situation, which would most likely include one party offending the other.


    Those thoughts were interrupted after a while as a young man, maybe a few years younger than her, approached. He wore a black coat adorned with silver embroidery on the sleeves and a pair of crisp white trousers. With his blond hair neatly trimmed and a dapper smile on his face, he stopped before her.


    ¡°Fair night to you, my lady. I could not help but notice that you were standing here by your lonesome, and I thought it would be a sin to leave such a beautiful woman neglected. May I perhaps offer you my company for a while?¡±


    A frown wormed its way onto Scarlett¡¯s brow as she studied the man. She doubted he was a noble. While not all nobles knew her name or appearance, she imagined that most of the ones who had attended the Elysian Proclamation would at the very least have an idea of who she was. Judging by the glances exchanged among some of the people behind the man, they recognized her.


    But it had also been a while since the Proclamation now. Perhaps some of the stigma surrounding her had diminished somewhat, and some members of the nobility had let it go? It was hard to know, considering how disconnected she was from noble society at large.


    Not that it mattered much at the moment. Nobleman or not, she didn¡¯t feel particularly inclined to interact with this man.


    ¡°My own company will suffice,¡± she responded firmly. ¡°If I were seeking companionship, I would not be standing alone.¡±


    The smile on his face faltered. ¡°Ah, well, perhaps I could change your mind¡ª¡±


    ¡°You cannot,¡± she interrupted, giving him a cold look. ¡°I mean no offense, but I think it best that you seek someone else out to offer your company.¡±


    The man let out an awkward cough. ¡°Y-Yes, maybe I¡¯ll do that. My apologies for disturbing you.¡±


    He quickly turned on his heel and left.


    Scarlett only kept her eyes on his retreating figure for a second before looking away. She disregarded the murmurs she overheard from those who had been close enough to have bothered eavesdropping. They were irritating, but she could handle such minor annoyances.


    Her right hand brushed the fingers on her left, where she wore the [Charm of Expeditious Change] and one more ring. She couldn¡¯t bring her [Pouch of Holding] to the ball, so instead she had opted to use the spatial ring originally procured for Gaven. It couldn¡¯t hold much, but it was enough for tonight.


    After a few more minutes passed, a familiar voice caught her attention. ¡°Baroness Hartford. It has been some time.¡±


    Several heads turned in her direction as Beldon Tyndall approached. Now that Duke Tyndall¡¯s son was involved, more people than before seemed intrigued.


    ¡°Master Beldon,¡± she greeted him. ¡°I see you have concluded your previous discussions.¡±


    His lips curled up in a smile as he maintained his playboy persona. ¡°When a lovely lady such as you arrives, a gentleman simply has no choice but to personally welcome her. Or am I wrong to think so? In any case, it delights me to see that you decided to accept my invitation after all, Baroness. I am sure your presence will only add to the fascination and entertainment of tonight¡¯s festivities.¡±


    A few hushed whispers arose from some of the people nearby, and Scarlett eyed the man closely.


    Their deal had never specified that he had to publicly acknowledge inviting her, nor did he have to hide that she had requested the invitation. Was there a special reason he was doing this?


    ¡°¡­I appreciate the sentiment,¡± she answered after a moment. ¡°However exaggerated it may be.¡±


    ¡°Exaggerated?¡± Beldon stepped over to the table beside her and picked up a grape from a platter of sliced fruits arranged in a circle. ¡°You wound me. The solidity of my words means more than anything else, so naturally, I am being completely genuine.¡±


    She raised a brow at him. She found that very unlikely. ¡°You will have to excuse me. It seems I was mistaken in doubting your honesty.¡±


    She could play along with his game.


    The man waved his free hand in the air, picking up another grape and popping it into his mouth. ¡°Now you are making me feel guilty for extracting an apology from a respectable lady.¡±


    ¡­Or maybe she didn¡¯t.


    She gave him a long look.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± she said, not bothering to sound sincere this time.


    He chuckled. ¡°It seems I had almost forgotten the type of person you were. I suppose I should be the one apologising.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary.¡±


    ¡°No? Well, if you say so.¡± Beldon glanced around them and across the ballroom, then shifted closer and spoke in a lower voice, though not quiet enough to prevent overhearing by those nearby. ¡°The night is still young, and I will have to admit to some curiosity regarding what your plans are for it. Are you here simply to enjoy yourself, or should I perhaps anticipate a performance similar to the one in the capital?¡±


    He was giving her a look that told her he doubted she was here just to fraternize.


    So he was wondering why she had gone to great lengths to secure an invitation to the ball from him. It appeared he had certain expectations.


    ¡°I am afraid I will have to disappoint,¡± she said. ¡°My sole purpose here is to partake in tonight¡¯s celebrations along with my sister, as well as the gathering tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Your sister? Lady Evelyne, I presume?¡± His head moved as his eyes swept the ballroom, as if searching for the woman.


    ¡°Yes. She is currently occupied with finding some acquaintances of hers.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Beldon nodded to himself. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll take the opportunity to seek her out later. I recall having met her once or twice before, though it was quite some time ago. I¡¯m sure she must have changed a lot since then. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to make some reintroductions.¡±


    ¡°I am sure she would appreciate that,¡± Scarlett said.


    A faint cry reached them from further down the ballroom, where among a crowd of people, a girl with long dark hair called out Beldon¡¯s name. She bore a resemblance to the man, so Scarlett suspected they were related.


    Beldon looked in that direction, then back at Scarlett. ¡°It would seem I must cut our greeting short. I apologise. There are some matters I wanted to discuss with you, but I think it would be best to save them for another occasion. Perhaps you could spare me some time before tomorrow¡¯s gathering?¡±


    What could he want to discuss that hadn¡¯t been brought up in their previous communications?


    If she were to guess, it had something to do with Mirage, but that still left dozens of possibilities. None stood out to her in particular.


    ¡°I will endeavor to make the time,¡± she replied after considering it briefly.


    He flashed her a smooth smile in return. ¡°Marvelous. I¡¯ll have someone inform you of the time and place later. See you then.¡±


    With that brief farewell, he left and made his way towards the dark-haired girl who had called out to him. As he reached her, they exchanged a few words, and the girl glanced in Scarlett''s direction with a puzzled expression.


    Scarlett looked away.


    She seemed to have attracted even more attention now than before, with several people throwing looks at her. Still, in the grand scheme of things, the majority of attendees were preoccupied with their own conversations and paid little heed to whatever she was up to.


    Left alone once more, she resumed surveying the ballroom, idly searching for any other familiar faces.


    She still had to figure out what to do from here.

 Chapter 143 - Connections

    From where she stood, Scarlett observed the interactions of the other guests with an impassive expression, ignoring the veiled looks occasionally sent her way. She had overheard a few whispers speculating about her relationship with Beldon Tyndall and some curious questions about why she was here, but nothing too bothersome yet.


    Tapping the side of the glass in her hand, she took a sip of wine as she pondered her next course of action. Suddenly, the music in the ballroom swelled and people began to shuffle away from the center of the room. A glossy checkered floor, black-and-white in a circular pattern, was revealed as pairs of guests stepped onto it and started dancing slowly to the music, while more people streamed in from the connecting chambers. Soon, the room was swarming with activity.


    She suppressed a scowl as people crowded closer to the empty space that had been created around her. She placed her wineglass down on a nearby table as she started making her way towards the edge of the room, not waiting to get trapped amidst a mob of newcomers. From there, she started walking in the direction of the nearest side chamber, hoping it would be less packed.


    It took her a couple of minutes to maneuver through the crowds, but she eventually reached the chamber, stepping through a short glass corridor leading inside. To her surprise, the noise from behind her immediately became a lot more subdued, as if there were several thick doors between this room and the ballroom. The atmosphere here was much calmer, with people engaged in relaxed conversations and a small band playing quiet music in the corner.


    The space could probably hold around a hundred people, but it was only half full. The walls were painted a soft shade of lavender, with plush armchairs and sofas arranged near the walls, but most people stood in smaller groups spread out around the place.


    Scarlett paused when she spotted a familiar face. Not far from her, Livvi conversed with a man and woman she didn¡¯t recognize. The petite noblewoman had her hair tied back in a neat bun and was dressed in a light teal-blue dress that fell just below her knees. The light glinted off the woman¡¯s gold-rimmed glasses as her eyes seemed to land on Scarlett, and a look of surprise crossed her face.


    A moment later, the woman turned back to her companions, saying something and receiving generous smiles in return. Then she seemed to excuse herself as she started making her way towards Scarlett.


    ¡°Scarlett? You¡¯re here?¡± Livvi stopped before her, giving her a searching look. ¡°You look great in that dress, by the way.¡±


    ¡°You as well,¡± Scarlett replied, glancing over the woman¡¯s shoulder at the people Livvi had been talking to. Their attire wasn¡¯t quite as fancy as that of some others present, suggesting they might not be nobles. Perhaps members of the Shields Guild? The Tyndall Ball was open to all classes, provided one had an invitation.


    Livvi studied her for a moment longer. ¡°You never mentioned that you were attending tonight. I didn¡¯t think you would, considering¡­ You know¡­¡± The woman trailed off into a slightly awkward expression before quickly shaking her head. ¡°Never mind that. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡±


    The genuine smile on her face made Scarlett uneasy. She always found it challenging to decipher the lingering feelings the original had left behind related to Livvi.


    ¡°¡­I am acquainted with Beldon Tyndall. Procuring an invitation presented little challenge.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± Livvi looked around and behind Scarlett as if expecting to find someone hiding there. ¡°Is Evelyne here as well?¡±


    Scarlett observed her actions for a second before answering. ¡°She is, although I am not certain of her current whereabouts. I plan to meet up with her later.¡±


    ¡°That is good to hear.¡± That seemed to make the woman even happier. ¡°And how are you, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am fine.¡±


    A worried expression appeared on Livvi¡¯s face. ¡°Just fine?¡±


    ¡°Fine is sufficient for the time being,¡± Scarlett said, creasing her forehead. ¡°And what about you? Have you resumed your work with the Shields Guild?¡±


    Livvi eyed her for a moment longer before giving a slow, almost reluctant nod. ¡°Yes, although they have reassigned me from my previous post recently. Currently, I am assisting in managing and coordinating the Guild¡¯s collaborative efforts to address the erratic appearances from the Tribe of Sin, as well as the increasing number of monster sightings. I¡¯ve had my hands full ever since I got back, so it¡¯s a miracle I could make it here tonight along with my brother and father.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. That explained why she hadn¡¯t heard from Kat in a while. The Shielder must still be busy running all across the empire, dealing with whatever messes were popping up.


    But did this mean that Livvi had access to the Guild¡¯s more sensitive information and had connections with its leadership here in the empire? The way the woman explained it didn¡¯t make it sound like she held a prominent position, but based on what Scarlett had heard, Livvi was supposed to be very capable. The Guild might not want to waste her skills.


    Perhaps it would be advantageous to be familiar with her in the future.


    ¡°I hope the situation has not deteriorated too much,¡± Scarlett said, for lack of a better response.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­manageable, for now.¡± Livvi grimaced. ¡°Most senior Shielders above C-rank are almost constantly occupied with something, and my colleagues and I are busy as bees, rearranging their assignments and trying to compensate for their absences at the different branches. I¡¯m honestly surprised the Elystead branch allowed the two C-ranked Shielders working under you to remain, given the circumstances.¡± She paused, her eyes widening slightly. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mean that in a negative way, Scarlett. I believe it¡¯s crucial for the Guild to continue providing its usual services to the empire¡¯s citizens, even during times like this. It¡¯s just unexpected, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Scarlett was already aware that the Guild had an interest in her and her knowledge, so from her perspective, it wasn¡¯t surprising at all. But clearly Livvi didn¡¯t possess all the details regarding her situation.


    ¡°Ah, but tonight isn¡¯t about all that.¡± Livvi seemed to have noticed the serious atmosphere that was building up. ¡°Sorry for bringing up these things when you were just asking how I was.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to apologize for,¡± Scarlett reassured her. ¡°In fact, I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the current situation of the Shields Guild. I have associates who are affected by these issues, so I have an interest in keeping myself informed.¡±


    She regularly read the Empyreal Chronicle, but apart from the initial coverage of the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attack on Brinewick and other minor settlements across the empire, the newspaper hadn¡¯t written much about the current situation.


    ¡°Really?¡± Livvi looked somewhat surprised by that. ¡°If that is the case, you can ask me about it later, and I¡¯ll give you whatever answers I can. I can¡¯t promise to answer all questions, but hopefully, I can be of some help.¡±


    ¡°That would be much appreciated,¡± Scarlett said.


    Aside from how things were going for Kat, she was curious about the Guild¡¯s overall movements and the Tribe¡¯s activities. It would also be good to know what the S-ranked Shielders were up to at the moment. She knew that Arnaud Astrey, Allyssa¡¯s father, should still be busy with his own work somewhere in the Unresting Steppes, but Gratianus Graham and Rosanna Adlam would still be active here in the empire, helping out in the fight against the Cabal.


    Would one of them be here tonight? Probably not. While there were bound to be a few big names present, like Livvi had said, most Shielders were busy. That would likely be even more true for two of the most powerful ones in the empire.


    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t our dear Baroness,¡± a voice sounded out from the side. ¡°I was wondering when I would run into you.¡±


    Scarlett turned to see an older lady with greying hair and a flowing black dress approaching them, accompanied by a blonde woman maybe a few years Scarlett¡¯s senior.


    ¡°Lady Withersworth,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It has been some time since our last meeting. It is a pleasure to see you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I should be the one saying that, dear.¡± The older woman wore a smile as she stopped in front of them, shifting her gaze to Livvi. ¡°You are Miss Livvi Knottley, if I recall? That brute Guifford¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Livvi offered an embarrassed smile. ¡°That is correct, yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Withersworth. I apologize for anything my father might have done to offend you, but if I may¡­ Can I ask that you don¡¯t refer to him in that way?¡±


    Lady Withersworth waved her hand in the air. ¡°Of course. That was rather rude of me. I do not particularly dislike your father, but he and my dear old husband have gotten in enough arguments over the years that his grumblings have rubbed off on me.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ My father can be a bit brusque at times.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am well aware.¡± A smirk played on the lady¡¯s lips. Then she turned her attention back to Scarlett and gestured to the blonde woman beside her. ¡°Baroness Hartford, Miss Livvi, let me introduce my wayward daughter, Lorena. It has been far too long since I have had the honor of introducing her at an event like this.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°She used to be the apple of my eye, you see, but now she is a member of the Ustrum Assembly and far too busy to pay her old mother any mind.¡±


    The woman let out a low groan. ¡°Mother. I already apologized for not informing you that I would be here tonight, but that is because I knew you would already be aware. And I would like to remind you that you also chose not to tell me that you and father would be here.¡±


    ¡°Of course we didn¡¯t. If we did, you might have chosen not to come simply to avoid us!¡±


    ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    Lady Withersworth let out a small scoff. ¡°I would certainly hope not.¡±


    Lorena seemed to hold back another groan and turned to Scarlett and Livvi. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Baroness, Miss Livvi.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Scarlett replied.


    Livvi eyed the mother and daughter pair for a moment before returning the greeting as well.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure if the woman thought their interaction strange or not¡ªmost nobles probably wouldn¡¯t behave this way in public¡ªbut Livvi¡¯s father wasn¡¯t much different if you asked her.


    She turned her attention to Lorena. ¡°What is it that you do at the Ustrum Assembly?¡±


    ¡°I am a member of the Council of Magical Exchange. We are in charge of most interactions and projects that the Assembly conducts with the mage towers, the Rising Isle, and other mage institutions,¡± the woman answered. ¡°It¡¯s not as impressive as it might sound. It mostly involves me spending all of my time reading through proposals and deciding on grants for magical research.¡±


    ¡°Quite the contrary,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°That sounds like a rather important position to me. Were you perhaps involved in the recent collaboration between the Ustrum Assembly, Elystead Tower, and the Rising Isle?¡±


    Lorena appeared surprised by the question. ¡°I wasn¡¯t part of the actual project, but I was one of the members who decided on its scope and execution. I wouldn¡¯t have thought you would have heard of that, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°One of the wizards who participated from the Elystead Tower is a recent acquaintance of mine.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Lady Withersworth gestured at Scarlett. ¡°Lady Hartford here also happens to be a benefactor of our house, as well as the reason your father and I decided to attend this year¡¯s ball.¡±


    Lorena looked at her with even more shock now. ¡°I have to ask how you managed that. My father hates these events.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe I did anything particularly noteworthy,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It seemed to me that your mother was the primary force behind convincing him.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Lady Withersworth smiled at her. ¡°My husband is beyond grateful for your help, even though he may lack the decency to show it.¡±


    ¡°Um, what exactly did you help them with?¡± Livvi asked from beside Scarlett, a perplexed expression on her face.


    ¡°There was an issue in their fief related to a haunted piece of land,¡± Scarlet answered. ¡°My retainers and I, with Sir Leon¡¯s aid, dealt with it last month.¡±


    ¡°An ¡®issue¡¯ indeed.¡± Lady Withersworth sounded amused by her description. ¡°It had been causing my husband such distress that he was losing his hair, and I certainly saw no solution in sight. That was when our dear Baroness here swept in and resolved it within a day. Both my husband and I have expressed our gratitude in various ways, but I have found that the Baroness is far more humble about her accomplishments than one would expect.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe ¡®humility¡¯ is the correct word to describe my actions.¡±


    ¡°As my husband would say, if the scarf fits, then do not shy away from donning it,¡± the woman said. ¡°Anyhow, where is that strapping young knight of yours at the moment? Is he not in attendance tonight?¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Lorena chided.


    Lady Withersworth simply laughed it off. ¡°Oh, you young people. I stopped caring about appearances the moment your father stepped down from his office. It was the second best decision I have ever made.¡±


    Scarlett cleared her throat softly. ¡°I am not certain whether or not Sir Leon is here tonight. I have not heard from him for a month. It would perhaps be best to inquire with his family for more details.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t do that herself, at least. Not only was the relationship between the Delmons and her the very definition of shaky at the moment, but she also simply didn¡¯t know what they looked like. She had a vague recollection of Marquis Delmon¡¯s appearance, since she saw him perform his oaths during the Elysian Proclamation, but that was about it.


    ¡°That is a shame,¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°Perhaps it is best to leave it for now, then. If I were to approach Edita asking about her son, it would likely invite more trouble than it is worth. One never quite knows how that woman interprets one¡¯s words.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her. Lord Withersworth had made a similar comment the last time they spoke. It seemed that the Delmons and the Withersworths were not on the best of terms with each other.


    ¡°Mother,¡± another voice called out, and they all turned to see a man in his late thirties approaching. He had dark brown hair and wore a black velvet jacket with silver buttons. Walking beside, slightly behind, was a young boy of about eight or nine, dressed in a miniature version of the man¡¯s attire, with neatly combed light-brown hair.


    The man¡¯s attention was focused on Lorena and Lady Withersworth as he stopped in front of them. ¡°I thought you told us not to go anywhere, but then I find you and Lorena missing almost the second I turn my head.¡±


    The older woman only looked at him for a moment before shifting her gaze to the small boy, offering a motherly smile. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve made you and your father worry. I hope you haven¡¯t been walking around for too long.¡±


    The boy shook his head gently.


    That seemed to please her as she looked back at Scarlett and Livvi. ¡°This is my son, Reymond, and my grandson, Lucan. Lucan dear, Reymond, allow me to introduce Baroness Scarlett Hartford and Miss Livvi Knottley.¡±


    Reymond performed a small bow. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Baroness, Miss Livvi.¡±


    His son mimicked his action.


    Scarlett kept her eyes on the young boy for a moment. From what she had seen, it didn¡¯t seem that common for nobles to bring their children along tonight. She also imagined it must be rather dull for a child to stay in a place full of adults like this.


    ¡°Reymond.¡± Lorena spoke up. ¡°You might be shocked to hear that the Baroness here was the reason mother and father decided to attend this time.¡±


    The man turned to her, surprise evident on his face, before looking back at Scarlett. ¡°I am afraid I have to ask how that came about.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the Baroness resolved an issue in our barony that had been driving father mad. I imagine you can recall one thing that fits that description¡­¡±


    Reymond¡¯s gaze turned more intense. ¡°You were the one that dealt with the mansion?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±


    His son tugged at his leg.


    ¡°Dad,¡± the boy spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°Was the mansion the bad place you talked about?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, Lucan, that¡¯s right,¡± Reymond replied, looking down at his son. ¡°Many people have tried to help with it over the years, but no one could find a solution.¡±


    Lucan¡¯s eyes widened at Scarlett. ¡°Does that mean you are better than all those other people?¡±


    She blinked.


    Beside her, Livvi let out a small laugh. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that expression on your face since we were children, Scarlett.¡±


    Scarlett knitted her brows, looking at the woman. ¡°It was simply an unexpected question.¡± She shifted her attention back to the boy. ¡°As for whether I am better than all of them, I highly doubt it. I simply happened to possess some information they did not, allowing for methods that were not open to them.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to quite follow what she said, but Reymond nodded in understanding. ¡°Nonetheless, I can now understand why father and mother are so appreciative of you. I would also like to extend my thanks for helping our family and a lot of innocent people.¡±


    ¡°Your family has already shown more than enough gratitude. There is no need for more,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°You will have to learn that not everything is done out of gratitude, Baroness,¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°Especially not when you reach my age. Sometimes you simply have to follow what piques your interest.¡±


    Both her children seemed to cringe at their mother¡¯s words, though they also seemed used to her behavior. The woman shifted her eyes back to her son. ¡°Before I forget, did I not ask you to find your father? Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He was in one of the other chambers,¡± Reymond answered. ¡°I told him you were looking for him, but he was engaged in conversation with his companions and said he would find us later.¡±


    ¡°Find us later?¡± There was a sharpness in Lady Withersworth¡¯s voice now. A brief silence fell over them before her expression relaxed slightly, and she gestured for her son to move. ¡°Come, show the way. This is as good an opportunity as any.¡± She looked at Scarlett. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us, Baroness? That senile old man always gets too caught up in his tomfoolery, but at the very least, he has some useful connections. I will introduce you to them. You can come as well if you wish, Miss Livvi.¡±


    Livvi raised a hand and declined. ¡°Ah, no, that is all right. I would love to join you, but I have to find my brother before I get caught up with anything else. There are a few things I need to talk to him about.¡± Her eyes moved to Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later if we get the chance, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Scarlett nodded, bidding the bespectacled woman farewell.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to go and find father, I think I will leave you for now as well,¡± Lorena said, looking at her brother and his son. ¡°If you want, I can take Lucan and find Catherine while you guide mother.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate that.¡± Reymond gently nudged his son forward. ¡°Lucan, go with your aunt and find your mother. I¡¯ll meet up with you later.¡±


    The boy stepped up to Lorena, though he did send a few glances Scarlett¡¯s way as the woman brought him away.


    Reymond and Lady Withersworth then took Scarlett along with them as they left the room. Instead of walking through the bustling main ballroom, they moved through a hallway that seemed to connect to several other chambers. The one they entered had several oak tables and simple furnishings spread around the place, with an open fireplace at its center. A group of older gentlemen stood gathered around one of the tables, drinks in hand, exchanging loud laughs as they talked. Lord Withersworth was among them.


    Lady Withersworth and her son walked towards the group, with Scarlett following.


    ¡°So this is where you are lounging away your time,¡± the woman remarked. ¡°I should have known that the moment I take my eyes off you, you would find some of your old companions to rendezvous with.¡±


    Her husband¡¯s eyes shifted to them, his brows furrowing. Several more laughs left the other men as all of their attention shifted to Lady Withersworth.


    ¡°It seems you weren¡¯t quite as skilled at slipping away as you thought,¡± one of the men said with a grin, and Lord Withersworth grumbled under his breath.


    Scarlett only paid attention to that for a moment, however, as her focus was captured by one of the individuals in the group.


    He was an older gentleman, perhaps in his late sixties or early seventies, with full, flowing silver-grey hair and a well-trimmed beard. A long cape made of lustrous black fabric fell elegantly behind him, its inside lined with scarlet-red silk. Beneath the cape, he wore a simple yet well-tailored black suit, with a deep red shirt underneath. Both of his hands were covered by dark gloves.


    While he was what many from Scarlett¡¯s old world might have described as a ¡®silver fox¡¯, his appearance wasn¡¯t what primarily caught her attention. Rather, it was the name that surfaced at the front of her mind upon seeing him.


    Warley Godwin. The dean of Elystead Tower and one of the most powerful magic practitioners in the empire.


    An archmage in the flesh.

 Chapter 144 - Meet the League of Extraordinary—

    Scarlett stared at Dean Godwin. She hadn¡¯t quite been prepared to run into the man this suddenly.


    Lord Withersworth cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem. Dear, what brings you here?¡± he asked, glancing at his wife and son before shifting his gaze to Scarlett. ¡°I see that you have replaced our daughter with Baroness Hartford. You certainly work fast.¡±


    Lady Withersworth let out a short scoff. ¡°You and your dramatics. Do not think that I don¡¯t see what you were trying to do here. I am sure you were hoping we would forget about you and let you waste the evening away drinking with your ¡®friends¡¯.¡± She reached out and took the glass her husband was holding, handing it over to one of the other gentlemen, who received it with a wry smile. ¡°I swear, sometimes it¡¯s as if you want me to nag you. It was only last week that the healer advised you to drink less, yet here I find you doing the exact opposite.¡±


    ¡°Dagnabbit woman, one glass won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t be quite so sure about that. But even if it does not, I very well might.¡±


    The other men gave hearty laughs at that.


    The woman¡¯s head snapped towards them. ¡°Do not act as if you lot aren¡¯t complicit. If I find myself having to bury my fool of a husband prematurely, then I will track down each one of you and ensure you join him. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Crystal clear,¡± the man with one glass in each hand replied. He seemed to be the youngest of the group, even with dark hair streaked with grey and a thick mustache on his lip. ¡°I¡¯ll have my butler charter a ship to Zovivios soonest possible. I hear they have remarkable beaches.¡±


    ¡°You better not have Valda join you on that trip. She knows to prioritise between her husband and her long-time friend.¡±


    The man blinked, then turned to his left. ¡°Godwin, you wouldn¡¯t happen to have room for one more next time you disappear on one of those escapades of yours, would you?¡±


    The dean of Elystead Tower raised two gloved hands in the air, wearing a dignified smile. ¡°I am afraid that I know better than to try to run from the inevitable, Fitzroy. I suggest you surrender to your fate.¡±


    A cough sounded out from Lord Withersworth. ¡°Yes, well, I am sure everyone but my wife here would be overjoyed to see my untimely demise, but if we could perhaps turn our attention to something else.¡± He glanced at Scarlett before eyeing his wife and son for a moment. ¡°Where did Lorena go to? And is there a particular reason you had to come looking for me? I will have you know this was the first and last glass I was having tonight.¡±


    ¡°Lorena took Lucan to go find Catherine, father,¡± Reymond explained.


    ¡°Hmph. I presumed as much. But why did the Baroness have to come with you, hmm?¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow at that. He was about as brusque as she remembered.


    ¡°I had a feeling you were up to no good, dear husband of mine, leaving me little choice but to find you myself,¡± Lady Withersworth said with a wintry smile. ¡°I also knew you would no doubt have assembled your posse of ¡®lounge companions¡¯, and I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to use your time productively and make some introductions.¡±


    She stepped aside, gesturing for Scarlett to come forward. ¡°Gentlemen, some of you may already know her, but this is Baroness Scarlett Hartford. She has recently become a close friend of the family and is the one responsible for my husband no longer having to worry himself through endless sleepless nights.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the woman for a moment. This wasn¡¯t quite what she was expecting, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to introduce herself. ¡°Pleased to make your acquaintance,¡± she told the group of men.


    ¡°That one is Lord George Fitzroy, the current High Treasurer and Count of Quickwallow.¡± Lady Withersworth pointed at the man with two glasses, one of which he had now finished. ¡°The greybeard beside him is Sir Edmund Somerset, a patron of the Imperial Academy of Arts and Sciences.¡± A man with thinning white hair and a wrinkled forehead nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°And those two are Master Arthur Windermere, a sponsor of the Western Merchant¡¯s Alliance, and Lord Charles Montague, the previous keeper of the Imperial Seal.¡± Two men around the same age as Lord Withersworth gave polite nods to Scarlett.


    Lady Withersworth then gestured towards Godwin. ¡°And, of course, we have the worst influence on my poor husband among the group ¡ª the current Dean of Elystead Tower, Warley Godwin.¡±


    Scarlett looked them over. It appeared to be a gathering of very influential men. Most weren¡¯t high nobles, but at least three were True Nobles¡ªcounting Lord Withersworth¡ªwho held or had held important offices of state. One was also an archmage, and the other two seemed to hold significant roles as well.


    Arthur Windermere, a man who was probably in his late sixties but looked in good shape for his age, twirled a thin mustache as he studied Scarlett. ¡°I believe we have actually met before, Baroness. Although it was quite some time ago, so you may not remember. I paid your mansion in Freybrook a visit for some business with your father several years back.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid I do not recall that, no.¡±


    He let out a deep laugh. ¡°My memories seem to be of a young girl barging into her father¡¯s office during our business negotiations because her favorite music box had broken down. You have matured much since then, I see.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see. I apologize for any discourteous behavior I might have exhibited at the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, not at all.¡± He showed a lighthearted smile. ¡°What is the point of childhood if not for one to act childish on occasion?¡±


    ¡°That suggests adults should act as adults, but I am left scratching my head trying to recall a time when I¡¯ve seen you conduct yourself as one,¡± Lord Montague said, and the men laughed as a group again.


    Lady Withersworth simply shook her head and turned to Scarlett. ¡°When you are wed, Baroness, I recommend you keep a tight leash on your husband so that he does not stray too far. Ittar knows men can be fools at times.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°What is life without a little tomfoolery, Lila?¡± one of the men, Sir Somerset, said. His comment earned him a small glare from Lord Withersworth, who probably didn¡¯t want to rile his wife up further than necessary.


    ¡°It is many things, Sir Somerset,¡± Lady Withersworth replied sternly. ¡°Calm being one of them.¡±


    Scarlett could tell the woman wasn¡¯t actually angry. She seemed accustomed to this group and their interactions with her and her husband. Maybe she even enjoyed it, despite her complaints? Scarlett had to admit that the behavior of this gathering of men aligned with the image she already had of the married couple.


    One of the group, Lord Fitzroy, cleared his throat and everybody¡¯s attention shifted to him. ¡°To perhaps bring the discussion back to the topic at hand¡­ Lady Withersworth, you mentioned that the Baroness is the one responsible for our esteemed friend here finally getting some good sleep at night, correct? Could it perhaps be that she was the one who resolved that terrible haunting matter that he always spoke of?¡±


    ¡°She is indeed.¡±


    The men each exchanged impressed looks upon hearing that. It seemed as if they were already aware of Abelard¡¯s mansion.


    Dean Godwin, in particular, was studying Scarlett with an inquisitive expression. ¡°It just so happens that I had met with your father several times as well,¡± the man said, and she felt a slight pressure from his gaze. ¡°In fact, I would even go as far as to have called Castor an acquaintance of mine. He was an impressive mage for his age, considering all his other responsibilities. We had unfortunately not spoken for some years when I learned of his passing, but it was regretful news nonetheless. When we last met, he had told me he had a daughter that showed great potential as a mage. I took it as the simple boasting of a parent about their child, but if you did indeed succeed in addressing the issue with that old mansion, it appears as if I should perhaps have paid more attention to his words back then.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s throat tightened as old feelings churned up inside her. Anger, disgust, and jealousy washed over her like a tidal wave, and she had to focus to maintain her facade of calm.


    She knew exactly where these emotions came from.


    ¡°¡­While I appreciate the praise, my father was likely not referring to me when he made those comments,¡± she pressed out. She was relatively sure she managed to keep an unaffected tone to her voice. ¡°My sister always displayed more promise as a traditional mage, so I believe he was speaking of her.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± The man raised both eyebrows.


    Lady Withersworth observed Scarlett closely from the side, though she didn¡¯t have the time to decipher the reason behind that look as the Dean continued.


    ¡°Well, putting that aside¡ª¡± The man clapped his hands together. ¡°It is still an impressive feat, I must say. It is somewhat humbling to admit, but I once attempted to deal with that cursed place myself, albeit unsuccessfully. There¡¯s much to be said about Abelard and his actions in the past, but one cannot deny that he was an artificer without peer. His mastery of spatial transportation and gateways alone is something that most mages today would give their right hand to study.¡±


    He turned to Lord Withersworth. ¡°Speaking of which, I had intended to inquire about the possibility of investigating the mansion now that its seals are no longer present.¡±


    Lord Withersworth coughed into his hand, glancing around the room. ¡°Of course, I will consider it, but perhaps there is a better time for this discussion. And there is no need to mention his name aloud. Besides¡ª¡± He gestured towards Scarlett. ¡°I have learned that the Baroness already took nearly everything of any value from the mansion. She also just so happened to keep the keys that activated what was apparently a gateway to the mansion hidden in my cellars, so I do not know how much there is to be learned from what is left. None of the people I have employed have yet been able to decipher much thus far.¡±


    Scarlett finally managed to get a better grip on the emotions that had risen up as she looked to him.


    That¡¯s right. She had almost forgotten that she still had the two [Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion Keys] that activated the portal to the mansion. The man had never asked for them back, so she hadn¡¯t even thought about it after clearing the place. Lord Withersworth had basically given her ownership of anything in the mansion, which kind of included the keys, so¡­


    Dean Godwin turned back to Scarlett. ¡°Then perhaps we can have a discussion, Baroness?¡±


    ¡°I am sure we can come to an understanding,¡± she said. ¡°I have already had previous transactions with the Elystead Tower regarding similar matters.¡±


    ¡°I had heard as much from Mendenhall. Things have been rather busy while I¡¯ve been gone, it seems.¡± A slight frown appeared on the man¡¯s brow. ¡°Not all of it good.¡±


    ¡°It is all rather foreboding,¡± Lord Montague remarked in a somber tone. But the gravity behind his words quickly dissipated as he patted Godwin on the shoulder with another laugh. ¡°But somehow I doubt even that will be enough to prevent you from disappearing on another of your little adventures within a month or two. You half-scared one of my servants to death when you simply appeared in my lounge this time with no prior warning of your return. One can¡¯t help but pity those subordinates of yours and wonder what exactly it is you do all the time.¡±


    ¡°I could enlighten you, if you so wish,¡± the Dean responded with a friendly expression. ¡°Of course, you would first have to enter into a magical pact to not speak of it with anyone else, including that brother of yours. Say, how is the Dean of Steepmond Tower these days?¡±


    The other man grimaced. ¡°Perhaps not, then. Decades have passed, yet I still have nightmares about dining on nothing but slugs and insects for months on end. I can¡¯t even look at frogs without shivering to this day.¡±


    Scarlett eyed Godwin. Had he turned the man into a frog somehow? It sounded like something an archmage might be capable of, but it also seemed too absurd.


    ¡°Hmph. That is what you get when you break your word,¡± Lord Withersworth said. ¡°I still say he should have let you remain like that forever. More sense came out of your mouth during that period than the rest of your life combined, if you ask me.¡±


    Scarlett blinked.


    Apparently, it was true.


    Lord Montague shook his head. ¡°Harsh as ever, Withersworth.¡±


    ¡°I speak nothing but the truth.¡±


    Lady Withersworth let out a disbelieving sound at that. ¡°If you speak nothing but the truth, then I have to wonder who it is I see before me. You certainly aren¡¯t any husband of mine, I can tell you that much.¡±


    ¡°Woman, tell me one time I have spoken a lie!¡±


    ¡°You said you would not drink and waste away your time tonight.¡±


    ¡°What?! That is an entirely different matter¡ª¡±


    As the couple descended into the type of light bickering that seemed to be characteristic of their marriage, their son seemed to look on in a mix of amusement and embarrassment before turning to Scarlett. ¡°You will have to excuse them, Lady Hartford. Mother and Father stopped caring about propriety the moment they retired from most of high society.¡±


    She held up a hand to show she didn¡¯t take any offense. ¡°It is quite all right. I have come to realize that this is simply the way they interact.¡±


    Reymond lowered his head to her in gratitude, then looked back at his parents briefly. ¡°I think I will take my leave for now. Both my wife and son will be waiting for me. I hope we meet again.¡±


    ¡°So do I.¡±


    The man said his goodbyes to the group of older gentlemen and his parents¡ªwho said they would find him again later¡ªbefore leaving.


    While Lady and Lord Withersworth continued their argument¡ªif it could be called that¡ªDean Godwin shifted his attention back to Scarlett.


    ¡°Baroness, if I may, there is a question I wanted to ask you.¡±


    She looked at him. ¡°Is it related to Abelard¡¯s mansion?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, no. That can be left for another time. What I was curious about now concerns something entirely different.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    Suddenly, their surroundings turned quiet. Lady Withersworth¡¯s mouth continued moving as she spoke to her husband, but no sound reached Scarlett.


    Godwin peered at her with an intense gaze. ¡°I would like to know what connection you have to the Hallowed Cabal.¡±

 Chapter 145 - Elderly insight

    Scarlett froze.


    How did he know of her ties to the Cabal?


    ¡°¡­I am not certain what you mean by that,¡± she said.


    Dean Godwin studied her closely, his gaze unswerving. From a side pocket in his jacket, he withdrew a silver ring and effortlessly slid it onto one of his gloved hands. ¡°Pardon my rudeness, Baroness, but I believe that is a lie.¡±


    She glanced over at Lady Withersworth and the others engrossed in their own conversation, the sound still not reaching her.


    ¡°I thought this would be a discussion best kept between us,¡± Godwin said. He stood half a head taller than her, and there was a weight to his words that hadn¡¯t been there earlier. ¡°Now, if you would not mind answering my question¡­ What is your connection to the Hallowed Cabal?¡±


    His presence loomed large yet was strangely relaxed, but it wasn¡¯t anything Scarlett couldn¡¯t deal with. It reminded her of the pressure she had felt when standing in front of the emperor, though. Perhaps there was some magic at play. When the man looked at her, it felt as if he was observing more than just her physical being.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I have never heard of this ¡®Hallowed Cabal.¡¯¡±


    While she didn¡¯t know what he knew or how he¡¯d learned it, admitting anything here was ill-advised. But so was provoking an archwizard. She needed to find another way of handling this situation.


    Seconds passed as the older man silently assessed her.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he eventually said.


    With one wave of his hand, their surroundings transformed, and the two of them found themselves standing in a vast void of white light.


    Scarlett blinked at the sight.


    Teleportation would have been far too conspicuous in this setting, so this was likely an illusion of some kind. That meant it was likely a lumomancy or umbramancy spell, or perhaps a combination of both. Given that mind-affecting spells didn¡¯t seem to affect her much¡ªsomething umbramancy often focused on¡ªlumomancy was the primary candidate.


    She shifted her focus to Godwin. He wasn¡¯t a lumomancer, though. Aeromancy and terramancy were his areas of expertise, as far as she knew. Did this mean he was just that skilled of a mage that he could do this despite that, or did he utilize some kind of artifact?


    The corners of the man¡¯s mouth curled up in a small smile as he watched her reaction. Then, he moved his gaze to the side. In the expansive white space stretching endlessly before them, a single symbol materialized. It resembled grey rock etched into the empty air, forming a character that felt slightly familiar to Scarlett.


    Was it ancient Zuverian, maybe?


    ¡°Truth. That¡¯s what it says,¡± Godwin explained, gesturing towards the symbol. ¡°Have you ever encountered this symbol before?¡±


    Scarlett continued examining it, trying to recall if there was anything significant about this character that she knew from the game. She drew a blank. She had learned a bit of Zuverian in her studies, but it wasn¡¯t enough to help her here.


    ¡°I believe you have,¡± the man continued. ¡°I would prefer if you were honest with me now while I am asking nicely.¡±


    She turned to face him. ¡°I have no recollection of seeing this character in particular. If I have, it held no special meaning to me.¡±


    He arched an eyebrow. ¡°There is no use lying to me.¡±


    ¡°I am not lying.¡±


    He studied her for a few more seconds.


    ¡°Dean Godwin.¡± Scarlett motioned at their surroundings. ¡°Before we continue this conversation, could you explain exactly why you saw fit to bring me here and interrogate me in this manner?¡±


    The man brought up a hand to his chin, thoughtfully stroking his beard as he contemplated her. ¡°You have placed me in quite the dilemma now, Baroness, and have me questioning my own judgement. If you are indeed ignorant of what this symbol signifies, then I may very well have made an embarrassingly erroneous assumption.¡± His black cape fluttered as he turned to the side, peering into the distance. ¡°Perhaps a mistake grave enough that I would have to erase your memory simply to ensure news of it does not spread.¡±


    For a fleeting moment, a shiver ran down Scarlett¡¯s spine. Mistress had once said something similar, so she couldn¡¯t discount the possibility that something like that was possible.


    Godwin faced her again, a trace of mirth now glinting in his eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, that is beyond my capabilities, so your memory will have to remain intact. I would appreciate it if this stayed between us, however.¡±


    The tense atmosphere between them disappeared for a second¡ª


    ¡°Of course, that is assuming what I saw is wrong.¡±


    Then returned with full force.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t let her worry show as she regarded the man. ¡°And what, exactly, is it that you think you saw?¡±


    His eyes met hers.


    ¡°Hmm. Before that¡ª¡± He gestured with his hand, and the Zuverian character vanished, replaced by a red rabbit the same shade as the interior of the man¡¯s cape. ¡°What color is this little fellow?¡±


    ¡°¡­Red,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Maroon, technically. But close enough, I suppose.¡± This time, the man merely flicked his index finger, and the ¡®maroon¡¯ rabbit transformed into a blue creature resembling a badger. ¡°Now tell me that this walladger is red as well.¡±


    Scarlett frowned, turning back to him.


    ¡°Indulge me, if you would,¡± he said. ¡°Although I am in no rush.¡±


    She eyed him for a few extra moments. If she just drew things out long enough, Lady Withersworth or someone else might eventually notice something was up. The question was whether they would take any action then. Or if they even could.


    If they did, would it be worth evading the man¡¯s questions here? There was clearly something he sought from her, though he seemed uncertain about what himself. For now, continuing to play along with his game seemed like the best course of action.


    Raising her hand, she pointed at the ¡®walladger¡¯. ¡°That is red.¡±


    Godwin scrutinized her intently for a few seconds before nodding his head. ¡°You are a skilled liar, but a liar nonetheless.¡± He let out a low chuckle. ¡°This certainly puts me in a rather uncomfortable position.¡±


    Scarlett took a step back, readying herself to use the [Charm of Expeditious Change] at a moment¡¯s notice. The temperature slowly began to rise, and small flames flickered into existence at her feet.


    That might have been the wrong decision.


    The man blinked, staring at her. He cleared his throat and coughed into his fist. ¡°It seems my words may have caused a misunderstanding. I suggest you ease up on your magic, else you wish to accidentally set some unsuspecting guest¡¯s clothes on fire.¡±


    With another wave of his hand, a gentle breeze swept past Scarlett¡¯s legs, extinguishing the flames.


    ¡°When I say that you are a liar, I mean that you failed to convince me that blue is red,¡± he said. ¡°I apologize for the confusion. As for why this puts me in an uncomfortable position, you see, it¡¯s because it indicates that you truly don¡¯t recognize the symbol I showed you earlier, and that I may have acted somewhat impulsively.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°I presume you will explain what you mean by that?¡±


    A small smirk appeared on his face as he clasped his hands behind his back, gazing into the white void again. ¡°I won¡¯t waste too much of your time with irrelevant details, but suffice it to say that over my somewhat long life, I have traveled extensively and witnessed many wonders. Books could be written about the adventures I¡¯ve lived. And they have, though I am not one to boast.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look at all reluctant to mention that.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The man raised his left hand, displaying the finger adorned with the ring he had put on earlier.


    Scarlett examined it more closely. Generally, she couldn¡¯t prompt the system to provide descriptions of items carried by others, but occasionally it worked if the person deliberately showcased it to her.


    Her eyes widened as the message actually popped up.


    [Mark of the Keen (Epic)]


    {The threads of speech form an interwoven web upon which falsities hide. The gift of unraveling this weave lies in the blood of Grehalyr ¡ª lent in part to this ring}


    ¡°There was once a tribe known as the Grehaldrael that resided in the mountain range south of here,¡± Godwin said. ¡°You likely have not heard of them, but they were a fascinating group that I encountered in my youth. Quite unique, that lot. In several ways. One notable trait they possessed was the uncanny ability to always know when someone lied.¡±


    Scarlett had already understood what he was getting at the moment she read the description.


    He looked back at her. ¡°This was a gift I received from them. While its capabilities are somewhat limited, it carries a similar effect. I will tell you, it gets tiring rather quickly to always know when others are lying, but it can prove advantageous at events such as these, where dishonesties are a currency of their own.¡±


    He knew she had been lying about not knowing of the Hallowed Cabal, then. If he truly desired, it would be hard for her to keep anything completely hidden from him.


    ¡°There are several aspects regarding you that I am curious about, Baroness,¡± the man continued. ¡°I would say ¡®suspicious¡¯, but I am already doubting my own judgement, and it would be embarrassing if I jumped to any further hasty conclusion. So, for now, let us settle on ¡®curious.¡¯¡± He studied her for a few moments. ¡°To steer our conversation back on track, however, I will unfortunately have to pose this question once more. And I do hope you will be forthcoming with me this time. What is your connection to the Hallowed Cabal?¡±


    She thought it over for a few seconds before answering. ¡°They are an adversary of mine. I have had several altercations with the Cabal in the past.¡±


    ¡°In the past, you say? And what is your relationship with them at present, if I may ask?¡±


    She shot him a look. The man wouldn¡¯t let her wriggle out of this.


    ¡°I am still at odds with them,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Yet you no longer have altercations with them?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have reached an arrangement, of sorts.¡±


    ¡°An arrangement with the Hallowed Cabal?¡± The man¡¯s gaze grew sharper. ¡°I presume you are aware that the Cabal is an enemy of both the empire and its citizens? What is the nature of this arrangement, that a noble of the empire would have dealings with such a group?¡±


    Scarlett creased her forehead. ¡°The empire could not protect me nor my people from the Cabal. In order to safeguard myself and those under my command, the Cabal and I have agreed not to interfere or threaten each other out of turn. I am in no way supporting them or acting against the empire, so I see no reason as to why I should not prioritize the safety of my people.¡±


    The man appeared somewhat surprised by her response. ¡°Pardon my saying so, but it¡¯s hard to believe that the Cabal would agree to such an arrangement with a mere baroness. I am not sure if you are aware, but there are members within that group whom even I would not wish to face.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°But you do seem to be telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°I have told you as much as you are owed under these circumstances, Dean Godwin,¡± she said firmly. ¡°The exact means by which I convinced the Hallowed Cabal, however, is not something I am willing to divulge. It has the potential to jeopardize the safety of far too many people.¡±


    If he knew she possessed The Angler Man¡¯s heart, there was no telling what he would do. It was entirely within his power to take it from her and use it to eliminate The Angler Man, which would effectively doom her and those close to her to be hunted down by the rest of the Cabal. And while killing the Cabal¡¯s leader might prevent some future disasters, it could also bring about unforeseen consequences. Even if she could somehow protect herself and everybody around her¡ªincluding those living peacefully in her lands¡ªit was far too risky a move.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Godwin started rubbing his beard. ¡°While I fail to think of anything that might cause you to take that stance, I will not press the matter further. However, there is still one question that remains unanswered, though I am starting to suspect you may not even know the reason behind it yourself.¡±


    Once again, he regarded her not as if he was looking at her, but rather through her.


    Scarlett steadied herself.


    ¡°Are you aware that you are defying fate?¡± he asked.


    She paused. ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±


    The look in his eyes was that of someone observing a peculiar specimen whose existence they couldn¡¯t quite explain. ¡°Do you perhaps know what the dogma of the Hallowed Cabal is? Do you know what the truth they seek is?¡±


    She frowned. She was familiar with all of that from her playthroughs in the game, yes, but what did he mean by her defying fate? That could be interpreted in a number of ways that might relate to her current situation, but she found it odd that he was even talking about fate to begin with.


    He continued speaking as if he had guessed her thoughts. ¡°Fate is not truly a thing that can be predicted. It is most likely not even a thing that any single individual can truly comprehend. Even glimpsing it is a feat that perhaps only the gods can accomplish, and I suspect that they are mostly blind to it as well. I have lived for quite some years now, traveling across countless lands in my time, yet I would never dare claim such an ability myself. As an accomplished archwizard, though, what I have learned to see¡ªhowever modestly¡ªis when others go against that fate. That said, there is only one group of people I have observed who exhibit this phenomenon, and that is among the Hallowed Cabal. Certain members of the Cabal are so deeply entwined in the pursuit of their ¡®truth¡¯ that they defy the very currents that steer the course of this world.¡±


    Scarlett stared at him.


    This was news to her.


    She knew why the Hallowed Cabal had been created, and why they were fighting the empire. She knew why they were fighting against the very gods themselves and the current order of this world. However, she knew nothing about this fight against ¡®fate¡¯. Was this something unique to this world? Did it have anything to do with the fact that some things were predetermined to happen as they did in the game? Or was this something else?


    She could at least understand why Godwin thought she was going against fate if this was true. There were over a dozen explanations that she could think of from the top of her head, but all of them boiled down to her presence here as Amy Bernal in Scarlett¡¯s body. But now the Cabal was somehow connected to this as well? And that was why he thought she was associated with them?


    Was he the only one who could see this, or were there others like him? Had any of the people she had met before noticed this as well, but chosen not to mention it? Godwin was one of the most powerful mages in the empire, but there were others on a similar level. Arlene and Mistress were just two examples.


    ¡°It seems my words have made you start to consider,¡± the man said. ¡°Do you perhaps know what makes you so special?¡±


    She remained silent for a while, gathering her thoughts. ¡°¡­There are too many possibilities for me to disclose them all.¡±


    Godwin blinked. Then he laughed.


    ¡°Adalicia mentioned that you were an interesting lass. Withersworth did as well, though he wasn¡¯t quite as generous with his words. I will admit, I was initially disappointed when I first saw you and realized you were a potential associate of the Cabal, but I do believe I understand what they meant now. I also think I understand why Rowley turned so reticent when your name was brought up.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s mouth twitched as she recalled her encounter with the vice-dean of Elystead Tower.


    ¡°Could you perhaps indulge me and mention only one or two?¡± Godwin asked.


    She pressed her lips together. ¡°¡­I have seen glimpses of what might happen in the future. I did not like what I saw, so I took it upon myself to change it.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression grew more focused, a glimmer of intense interest shining in his eyes. ¡°The future, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, or rather, a possible future, were things to unfold without any intervention.¡±


    If the Cabal was also ¡®defying fate¡¯, then she wasn¡¯t sure how accurate the predictions surrounding them were. Based on what she had seen, they still seemed to hold true, but it was hard to know for sure.


    ¡°And how did you accomplish this?¡± Godwin asked. ¡°Did you perform a ritual of some kind, or was it due to the influence of Ittar or some other deity?¡±


    ¡°Before I answer that, I would like to understand more about your ability to perceive my defiance of fate,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Is it a skill all archmages possess?¡±


    ¡°Archwizard,¡± the man corrected. ¡°Though, in this context, I will admit the distinction hardly matters. And to answer your question, no, I would imagine I am the only mage in the empire capable of such a feat. However, one can never truly know the secrets others hold.¡±


    ¡°So it is not the result of a spell?¡±


    A wry smile graced his face. ¡°If there were a spell that could unveil the threads of destiny, then it would be a powerful spell indeed. Those threads are the underlying gears governing our world, surpassing even the workings of magic and the gods. That is precisely why your claim of glimpsing the future intrigues me so.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you kept this information to yourself,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°While I may be able to honor that request, I hope you understand that I cannot simply overlook a matter of such magnitude. No true wizard could.¡±


    She eyed his unwavering gaze. ¡°¡­What is it you desire in return?¡±


    Godwin crossed his arms, adopting a thoughtful expression. ¡°First, I want to confirm that your foresight is truly not influenced by any of the gods.¡±


    She let out a sigh. ¡°To the best of my knowledge, it is not.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He tapped a finger against his arm, then turned his head to gaze into empty space. ¡°It would seem as if we are out of time.¡±


    Scarlett followed his gaze, but all she saw was the white void surrounding them.


    The man turned back to her. ¡°Perhaps this is for the best. This setting is not ideal for discussing matters of this nature. Would you perhaps agree to arrange a meeting in the future? I am eager to learn more and delve deeper into this phenomenon, if it does indeed turn out to be the truth. Of course, in return, as the dean of Elystead Tower, I am at your disposal to answer whatever questions you might have and provide certain assistance where you may require.¡±


    Part of her wanted to refuse, but it felt like that would be a bad idea at this point. Instead, she nodded. ¡°Very well.¡±


    Godwin smiled. ¡°I am pleased that we have reached an understanding.¡±


    He clapped his hands, and suddenly, the world reemerged around them, accompanied by the cacophony of noise that resonated all the more after having experienced its absence.


    Scarlett glanced at Lady Withersworth and the others, who still seemed absorbed in their own discussion, as if oblivious to the peculiar events that had just unfolded. What must it have looked like to them?


    Dean Godwin winked at her before seamlessly joining their conversation, eliciting a burst of laughter from the gentleman with a comment that prompted Lady Withersworth to shake her head.


    Scarlett observed them for a while, uncertain how to feel about what had just happened. It wasn¡¯t necessarily bad, given the circumstances and the archwizard¡¯s personality, but she disliked being backed into a corner with limited options. She would have to see how she dealt with this in the future, and if she could squeeze any benefits from it.


    Lady Withersworth looked in her direction, seeming to consider her for a moment before the woman¡¯s gaze shifted briefly to Godwin.


    Choosing not to burden her with worry, Scarlett soon joined the conversation as well¡ªto the degree which she could, at least¡ªand temporarily set aside her thoughts on everything else.


    For now, she had to focus on getting through the rest of the evening. The rest could wait.

 Chapter 146 - First moves

    Scarlett stayed with Lord and Lady Withersworth for a while, participating in conversations with the group of gentlemen to the best of her abilities. Lady Withersworth wasn¡¯t subtle about her intention to help Scarlett make connections during these talks, but none of the men seemed to mind. Surprisingly, they even appeared pleased with the opportunity. She wasn¡¯t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, however, nor did she intend to waste Lady Withersworth¡¯s efforts. Though the exact reasons behind the woman¡¯s focused support remained somewhat unclear, Scarlett couldn¡¯t deny that it was a positive thing.


    Eventually, after becoming more familiar with Lord Withersworth¡¯s ¡®friends¡¯¡ªDean Godwin had acted naturally with her throughout¡ªand promising to introduce some of them to her sister who was in charge of most business matters, the band playing in the corner of the chamber quieted down as a soft ring echoed through the room. People¡¯s attention turned in the direction of the ballroom.


    ¡°It appears Duke Tyndall intends to give his address,¡± Lady Withersworth announced, looking at the group of predominantly elder men. ¡°This is where we will have to say our goodbyes. You have had free rein over my husband for long enough. It will do him good to spend some time with his family as well.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare to keep him for any longer than we already have,¡± Arthur Windermere, one of the men, replied. ¡°Nor do we want to,¡± he added with a chuckle, earning a glare from the man in question. Windermere then turned to Scarlett. ¡°Baroness, it has been a pleasure. Next time the Western Merchant¡¯s Alliance has business in Freybrook, I will make sure that they explore potential prospects with your barony.¡±


    She nodded graciously. ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡±


    She imagined Evelyne would be delighted to hear that, although she herself wasn¡¯t quite sure where the man¡¯s enthusiasm came from. While she had managed to make conversation with these gentlemen, she didn¡¯t think it was on a level where they would actively seek to deepen their connections with her, despite Lady Withersworth¡¯s efforts. The woman must have a lot more pull over her husband¡¯s friends than one would initially assume.


    The other men echoed similar sentiments, with Godwin being the last to speak. He studied Scarlett for a moment. ¡°I hope we will meet again soon, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that we will,¡± she said.


    If he wanted to, there was probably little stopping him from visiting her whenever he pleased. She understood his personality well enough to know that he wouldn¡¯t shy away from delegating his responsibilities at Elystead Tower to his subordinates while he pursued other interests.


    After saying their final goodbyes, Scarlett accompanied Lady Withersworth and the woman¡¯s husband as they made their way back to the ballroom. The space was now filled with people streaming in from the connecting rooms, and the dance floor had been replaced by a stage adorned with dark green velvet banners. A podium stood at the center.


    Spotting Evelyne in the crowd, Scarlett noticed the younger woman standing near some tables along with Livvi and, to her surprise, Raimond Abram. The deacon belonging to the Followers of Ittar was dressed in a vibrant, ankle-length red overcoat, his blond hair pulled back into a ponytail as he engaged in animated conversation with the two women.


    ¡°My husband and I will try to find wherever it was that our children went,¡± Lady Withersworth said beside Scarlett. ¡°You are, of course, free to join us, if you wish.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head, gesturing towards Evelyne. ¡°I should first meet with my sister.¡±


    The older woman looked in the direction she indicated. ¡°The young woman standing next to Knottley¡¯s daughter, I presume?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    A smile played on Lady Withersworth¡¯s lips. ¡°I see. It is always good to keep with family. You will have to introduce us later.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I will do so when the opportunity arises.¡±


    ¡°Then I wish you the best of luck for now. I am sure we will see each other again later.¡± The woman nudged her husband¡¯s arm, who seemed preoccupied with picking up a sweet from a passing servant¡¯s tray. ¡°Dear, aren¡¯t you going to bid the Baroness farewell?¡±


    He blinked, his brows furrowing as he turned to look at Scarlett. ¡°Hmph. Since my wife insists, I suppose we will see each other again, Baroness. I am sure you can survive on your own until then.¡±


    His wife gave an apologetic look along with her smile. ¡°The skies will likely fall before my husband learns to be polite, but don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    ¡°I am quite experienced in dealing with such individuals by now, so there is no need to worry,¡± Scarlett said.


    That earned a small laugh from Lady Withersworth and a grumble from her husband.


    With one last goodbye, the couple left to find the rest of their family, and Scarlett made her way towards Evelyne. The auburn-haired woman noticed her soon enough, and both Raimond and Livvi turned their gaze in her direction.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± Evelyne greeted as she reached them. ¡°Has everything gone well? I didn¡¯t see you for a while, but Livvi mentioned that you were with Lady Withersworth earlier.¡±


    ¡°There have been no issues,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I just left her as she and her husband left to find the rest of their family, after engaging in talks with some of their acquaintances. This included the dean of Elystead Tower and a few other influential figures. I will apprise you of the details at a later time.¡±


    Evelyne appeared surprised at that, but Scarlett shifted her attention to Livvi and Raimond, focusing on the latter. ¡°I was not expecting to encounter you here tonight, Father Abraham. Are you familiar with my sister from before?¡±


    The man smiled a bright smile at her. ¡°Ah, Baroness. Always a pleasure, to be sure. As a wandering priest, I was fortunate enough to be extended an invitation to this splendid event through a dear friend of mine. I thought it unfair of me not to grace these magnificent halls with my presence and perhaps offer some insight into Ittar¡¯s will to a weary soul or two if needed. Of course, it would be a crime not to also partake in the delightful accommodations and refreshments provided.¡± He raised the wineglass in his right hand, tilting it toward Livvi. ¡°As I was administering my homilies to some eagerly amenable subjects, I just so happened to catch sight of a familiar face engaged in conversation with your sister here, and I thought it a prime opportunity for a light social rendezvous with an old acquaintance and to make a new friend. I did not know that our lovely Evelyne here was the Baroness¡¯ younger sister until she introduced herself, but it was a pleasant surprise.¡±


    A small blush played across Evelyne¡¯s face, while Livvi wore the expression of someone well-accustomed to the man¡¯s rather excessive personality. Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure what they might have been discussing, but she could imagine how most conversations with Raimond would unfold, especially when he was acting as ¡®Ray Abraham¡¯ in his traveling priest guise.


    She studied his face for a moment, searching for any signs that he hadn¡¯t simply stumbled upon Evelyne by ¡®pure coincidence¡¯. It was like trying to determine when Rosa was being serious or not, though, so it was hard to tell anything.


    He didn¡¯t seem to be lying, at least, nor was he acting any different from the last time she had met him. Besides, if he harbored any suspicions about Scarlett, this wasn¡¯t the approach he would take. It was unlikely that he knew anything about her involvement in the heist on the Sanctuary of Ittar, which meant he probably wanted to maintain a good relationship with her because of what information she might have about other holy artifacts.


    The four of them held some brief discussions as more guests filled the ballroom. Eventually, the noise subsided as everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the stage at the center. Scarlett turned her gaze in that direction and spotted a tall man with slicked-back dark hair and a stern demeanor approaching the podium on the stage. He surveyed the gathered crowd with a piercing gaze.


    Duke Santon Tyndall, the host of the evening.


    ¡°Esteemed guests, I welcome all of you to my home.¡± The man¡¯s voice resonated through the ballroom, and the attendees fell silent. ¡°It is a peculiar thought, but I often forget that tonight¡¯s event has become an annual tradition, tracing back to the days of my father. He conceived the idea of gathering the empire¡¯s most notable and distinguished individuals to celebrate the ties that bind us together as servants of this glorious nation. Yet, I doubt he ever envisioned what we have here today. I dare say there is no other function like it. I see before me the pillars of the empire; an assembly of talent and authority unmatched in the world.¡±


    He paused for a moment.


    ¡°I often take this opportunity to address you all as equals, reminding you of our duties and bringing to attention important matters that I believe are overlooked or neglected. However, this year, I will keep it brief.¡± His expression grew even sterner as he looked out over the faces before him. ¡°While some of us may differ in our opinions and ideals, let us remember that our loyalty lies first and foremost with His Majesty and the realm. We must remain steadfast in our duty to uphold order and justice in our lands, especially now that it appears trying times are upon us once again. Let us not forget that those of us who possess power and privilege also bear considerable responsibility. So, tonight, let us revel in the festivities ¡ª let us take this night to relax after a fruitful year, as we brace ourselves for the challenges that lie ahead. But do so with the grace and dignity befitting our station. May this evening be a testament to our unity and resolve. Thank you.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    A chorus of applause filled the room as the Duke left the stage. People began to move around again, and the music resumed, albeit in a more subdued manner, better suited for casual conversation now than dancing.


    ¡°The recent events seem to have affected the Duke more than expected,¡± Evelyne remarked.


    ¡°I was expecting more as well,¡± Livvi said. ¡°His lands have been relatively untouched by the current troubles, and my father has told me trade is thriving here in the north. Even after the Dragon Rampage ravaged his southern borders, I don¡¯t remember the Duke appearing this laconic.¡±


    ¡°An attack by an ancient dragon could be likened to a natural disaster.¡± Raimond shook his head. ¡°It is a tragedy, but often a one-time event. It doesn¡¯t instill as much uncertainty about the future as this year¡¯s events have.¡±


    Scarlett observed him curiously. She wondered what his reaction would be if he knew that the Cabal had instigated the Dragon Rampage. It probably wouldn¡¯t even occur to most people, considering how powerful even young dragons were in this world. Ancient dragons were well above that.


    ¡°You think he is that worried about the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attacks?¡± Livvi asked.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± the man mused, briefly glancing in the direction of the Duke with a solemn expression. ¡°Or perhaps he has heard about things we have not.¡±


    Evelyne wore a hint of worry on her face. ¡°Like what?¡±


    Raimond paused for a second. The serious air around him vanished, replaced by a smile once more as he turned to her. ¡°What indeed? I am hardly the most knowledgeable about what important matters are unfolding where across the empire, so I¡¯m afraid I cannot tell you much. But I¡¯m sure those who need to know are aware, and they are doing what they can to protect us all.¡±


    He gestured toward Scarlett. ¡°In fact, I happened to hear that the fianc¨¦ of the Baroness here, Sir Leon, recently participated in a joint operation involving several mage towers, the Shields Guild, and the Followers of Ittar against the Tribe of Sin. His accomplishments were rather notable. A hero of the empire in the making, it would appear.¡±


    Scarlett knitted her forehead. She had heard no specifics related to it, but she assumed that was related to whatever mission Leon had gone on after helping her in Autumnwell. The question was whether he was still busy or if he was here tonight.


    ¡°That¡¯s more than I knew,¡± Livvi said. ¡°I was actually involved in managing some of the logistics on the Guild¡¯s end, but I haven¡¯t been informed about all the results yet. However, I did hear that the estimations are that the Tribe suffered significant losses.¡±


    Raimond nodded. ¡°Large losses of life are always tragic, but in this particular case, I will admit to some relief at the news. If Ittar permits, it will hopefully help prevent further bloodshed in the future. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t Baroness Scarlett Hartford,¡± a harsh voice interrupted, cutting through the nearby conversations.


    Their group turned to look at a portly middle-aged man with rosy cheeks, surrounded by a small crowd of men and women not far away. He wore a lavish outfit that appeared slightly too tight for his frame but also made him stand out among the other guests. Judging by the way his companions¡¯ heads turned toward Scarlett, it seemed as though he had been engaged in a discussion with them when he coincidentally noticed her and called out her name.


    She doubted that was the true reason behind his behavior. After all, she recognized the man.


    This was Count Tizian Soames. Although she had never spoken with him directly, she had paid close attention to his appearance during the Elysian Proclamation, making note of his face. It only made sense to do so, considering this man was a servant of the entity lurking inside Rosa. Not to mention he was the bargaining chip Scarlett had used to strike a deal with that entity.


    The man seemed to excuse himself from his group before starting to walk over towards Scarlett. Other guests moved out of his path.


    ¡°Never would I have expected to see you here tonight, Lady Hartford, on account of what happened during your last¡­¡± He coughed into his hand. ¡°¡­public display. I would have expected you to take some time for yourself before making another appearance. I realize now that was rather presumptuous of me, and I offer my apologies.¡±


    He made no effort to hide the derisive look on his face.


    Scarlett scowled.


    What the hell was he up to?


    Whispers began to circulate among the nearby guests, and many conversations came to a halt.


    ¡°You must have been incredibly excited to attend tonight, considering you took time out of your busy schedule to grace us with your presence. I can only imagine what other important matters someone as esteemed¡ª¡± he emphasized the word in a snide tone¡ª¡±as you must have forsaken to be here.¡±


    Her scowl deepened, and the anger she had been bottling up inside threatened to rise to the surface as she realized what was happening.


    Count Soames wouldn¡¯t target her like this simply because he recognized her and remembered what happened at the Elysian Proclamation. No, he would only act this way if he had something to gain from it. If someone had told him to.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t directly interfere with the being inside Rosa, and the being couldn¡¯t directly interfere with her or her surroundings either. That was the pact they had made. But it seemed the being could circumvent those constraints to some extent by having its pawn harass her instead. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if this was simply the demon¡¯s way of messing with her. Actually sending Count Soames to harm her would almost definitely break their pact.


    That said, even this much was a lot more than Scarlett was willing to tolerate.


    ¡°Count Soames, am I correct?¡± Raimond spoke up from beside Scarlett. As always, he maintained a relaxed smile even as he addressed a high-ranking noble. ¡°I have heard word of your estimable and impressive personage, but never would I have expected it to be exactly as¡­¡± He coughed lightly into his hand, just as the man had done before ¡°¡­impressive as they say. I am sure you are blessed with nothing but the best when it comes to the realm of taste and cuisine. As a fellow connoisseur of the finer things in life, I can only express my utmost admiration for what is undoubtedly a testament to your unwavering dedication.¡±


    A frown creased the Count¡¯s face as he stared at the priest. Livvi and Evelyne wore worried expressions, their eyes fixed on Raimond.


    ¡°With that said,¡± Raimond continued. ¡°Perhaps there is a more appropriate time and place for this conversation? While I can certainly understand your wonder at Baroness Hartford¡¯s presence this evening¡ªI, too, as a Follower of Ittar, was deeply moved by her devotion and humility shown in the past¡ªtonight is a night meant for celebration and joyous conversation, is it not? We wouldn¡¯t want to inconvenience the host who has been gracious enough to invite us into his home to partake in the festivities.¡±


    The Count turned his gaze towards the center of the ballroom, where Duke Tyndall was visible through a small gap in the crowd. The man was looking at them, and his eyes seemed to linger on Scarlett specifically. Then he turned away, returning to another conversation as if she didn¡¯t exist.


    A smirk crept across Count Soames¡¯ face. ¡°I do not believe that will be an issue¡­¡± He studied Raimond¡¯s appearance, likely noting the symbols of the sun that adorned the man¡¯s clothing. ¡°¡­priest.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Livvi interjected, and Evelyne appeared ready to speak up as well, but Scarlett raised a hand to silence them both.


    She focused her attention solely on the Count, disregarding the numerous eyes fixed upon them.


    ¡°Count Soames,¡± she spoke deliberately, allowing some of her irritation to seep into her voice as she walked towards him. ¡°Correct me if I am mistaken, but this is the first time we speak, yes?¡±


    His look turned slightly warier, though his confident stance remained unchanged. ¡°Indeed, it is our first official meeting.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± she said. ¡°You see, those who are acquainted with me know not to make the mistake you just did.¡± It didn¡¯t take her long to reach the man, and she stopped one step short of him, meeting his eyes.


    ¡°Mistake, you say?¡± He didn¡¯t shy away from her gaze, a hint of amusement showing in his expression. He likely believed she was the one making a mistake. ¡°I don¡¯t think there was anything inaccurate about what I said? In fact, my words were¡ª¡±


    ¡°Allow me to correct you.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened as Scarlett¡¯s pyrokinesis took hold of him, instantly raising the temperature of the air immediately surrounding his body. His mouth opened, but before he could speak, she leaned in closer to his side.


    ¡°Do not think that your master will protect you simply because they were the one who ordered you to meddle in my affairs,¡± she whispered.


    The man¡¯s words blubbered off, and he gaped at her. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t been told much about his job or why he was targeting Scarlett.


    ¡°Your master has seen fit to use you as a pawn in a flippant attempt at pestering me when she herself lacks the power to do so. I am not above pettiness, so do not presume that I will not stoop to swatting away a bothersome fly, regardless of whom it might serve. I have been keeping a close eye on your activities in the Silkspindle Ward of Ambercrest, Count. A few words from me would be all it takes to ensure you lose everything that you have, so I suggest that you be very careful with how you choose your words.¡±


    Sweat began to drip down the man¡¯s forehead from the heat. He tried to hide it, but Scarlett could tell he was also struggling to breathe. She had to commend his self-control and the fact that he hadn¡¯t cried out, though. Maybe the fear evident in his eyes, as if he were staring at the devil herself, played a part in that. It was amazing how quickly his attitude had changed.


    She leaned back, speaking louder for everyone to hear. ¡°I seldom bother with correcting others¡¯ mistakes or offering advice, even when I see they are misinformed. Lately, however, I have been trying to change, so I can forgive a situation where a misunderstanding has occurred.¡±


    She released the hold her pyrokinesis had on the man, and the tension around him seemed to relax. He regained his composure impressively quickly, though, producing a napkin from his pocket to dab away the sweat and disguise his small coughs.


    It must have been a bizarre sight for the onlookers.


    ¡°I¡­see what you mean, Baroness,¡± the man said, his voice slightly strained. ¡°No, when you put it like that, I realize that my previous words could have been interpreted differently than I intended.¡± He returned the napkin to its pocket and ignored the perplexed gazes aimed at him with gusto, his attention focused solely on Scarlett. Though he did avoid looking her in the eyes now. ¡°My apologies for any confusion created. In the future, I will exercise more caution in case of similar happenings. I have caused quite a disturbance, so I shall take my leave for now.¡±


    He appeared collected, but it seemed he couldn¡¯t wait to escape. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, passing the group he had been conversing with earlier.


    Scarlett watched as he disappeared into the crowd.


    The being inside Rosa probably didn¡¯t care about what transpired today. It knew Scarlett couldn¡¯t touch Count Soames as long as their deal stood, and it wouldn¡¯t rely on means like this if it actually intended to oppose her this early. Most likely, all of this was just a game to amuse it.


    But Scarlett didn¡¯t like playing games in this way. It had made the first move against her now. That only spelled what it thought of her. Like hell she would just let it pass.


    Though all eyes were on her, she ignored the attention and turned back to her own group. Evelyne and Livvi stared at her as if she had just pulled down the moon, while Raimond regarded her with curiosity and amusement. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if the priest had been able to see her use of magic even without casting a detecting spell.


    She walked back up and stopped before them.


    ¡°So, where were we?¡±

 Chapter 147 - Balcony escapades

    There was such a thing as too much socializing in one night.


    Whatever the original Scarlett¡¯s feelings might have been on the matter, she currently felt that this statement couldn¡¯t be more true. She had already been in a less-than-ideal mood when she first arrived, so the constant activities, conversations, and occasional odd looks tested her patience. While she would admit that not all of it was as bad as she had feared, as the night progressed, she found herself growing increasingly exhausted.


    After that whole run-in with Count Soames, she had spent a good amount of time talking with Evelyne, Livvi, and Raimond until the latter two eventually went their separate ways. That was when the floodgates had opened, so to speak.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the incident with the Count or something else entirely, but after that, she and Evelyne were approached repeatedly by strangers who wanted to converse and introduce themselves. Most of them were lower nobles, the last-born children or relatives of barons and the like, with a few merchants and others in the mix, but none were people she knew. Probably not anyone she wanted to know either, judging by how clingy some of them were.


    It was at times like these that she couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the original Scarlett¡¯s general rudeness and indifference, which helped her to brush them off relatively quickly. At least the ones that Evelyne didn¡¯t find it good to talk to for a bit.


    But it was still annoying.


    She had attempted to bring Evelyne along to find and introduce her to the Withersworths, but it took nearly an hour of maneuvering through and dealing with such encounters before they finally located the elderly couple and their family in one of the side-chambers. By that point, Scarlett had felt as though she might set the next person who approached her on fire, so she left Evelyne with them and excused herself to get some fresh air.


    After asking some servants for directions, she returned to the ballroom and crossed it, entering one of the many glass corridors that extended from it and led to the other chambers. Passing through a series of corridors and rooms¡ªeach decorated in its own theme and featuring small bands playing away on their instruments¡ªshe eventually reached a hallway that opened onto a balcony. It was a quiet respite from the bustling atmosphere inside.


    The balcony was spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people, but at the moment, it was empty. Most people probably wouldn¡¯t want to miss a single opportunity to network or enjoy themselves.


    As she stepped onto the balcony, a crisp breeze swept through the open space, carrying the fragrance of plants and flowers with it. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t as cold as she had expected. She spotted some marble pillars spread out that had small glowing crystals as crowns, which she presumed held some sort of enchantment.


    She walked over to the stone railing at the opposite end, which offered a view of the tranquil waters of Stockder Lake. The moon wasn¡¯t out in full strength tonight, lending a somewhat dark ambiance to the scene, but it was still a beautiful sight as the night sky reflected on the surface.


    Leaning gently against the railing with her palms, she looked down to observe the soft glow of the lanterns illuminating the railing from beneath, casting delicate shadows over what she realized were intricate illustrations carved into the stone. The Tyndalls certainly spared no expense when it came to adorning their home.


    While it was a bit excessive, she had to admit that it was also impressive. This balcony, in particular, hanging off the top of one of the castle¡¯s spires, created a more relaxing air than she had anticipated. She idly wondered if it would be worth trying to create a similar retreat in the Freybrook mansion. Someplace she could visit on occasion.


    It probably wasn¡¯t necessary. She wasn¡¯t lacking spaces where she could be alone if she truly desired, and the gardens surrounding her own mansion were already fancy enough on their own. Besides, investing in something like this would, without a doubt, be far more expensive than it was worth. Repairing the courtyard was one thing, as was remodeling the garden where the Loci was located, but there were limits, even if she had the money.


    Maybe she was just letting the atmosphere get to her.


    Standing there, looking out at the night sky, she allowed herself to unwind for a while.


    ¡°Taking a break from the incessant solicitations?¡± a cool voice rang out behind her.


    She turned around, spotting a tall woman walking up a couple of meters away from her, wearing a black-and-silver tunic and with dark hair that was pulled into a braid. A pair of piercing blue eyes examined her for a moment as the woman leaned against the railing.


    Scarlett furrowed her brow as she studied the woman. She seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn¡¯t quite place where she had seen her before.


    ¡°Did I interrupt something?¡± The woman¡¯s manner of speaking reminded Scarlett of herself, with how detached it sounded, though there seemed to be even less emotion in her voice. Like she didn¡¯t actually care much about anything.


    ¡°¡­In a manner of speaking, yes,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I was enjoying the privacy that this place provided, though I suppose you are under no obligation to take that into consideration.¡±


    The woman regarded her briefly, then shifted her gaze to look out over the lake. ¡°If that is what you think.¡±


    And with that, silence fell between them. Scarlett waited, expecting the woman to continue, but she didn¡¯t.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Just as Scarlett assumed that was all there was to that conversation and looked away herself, the woman spoke again.


    ¡°There are few spots where one can find peace and quiet tonight, but most others care little about things like that. When I saw you here, I was considering whether it would be worth fighting you for this one, but I realized you might not survive the fall.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her, taking a second to glance over the balcony edge. While they weren¡¯t near the top of the castle, they were still several stories up.


    The woman looked back at her and seemed to notice her expression. ¡°That was a joke.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a skeptical look. It certainly didn¡¯t sound like one.


    The woman scrutinized her, as if she was considering whether it was worth trying to convince her, but then simply turned away, seemingly giving up.


    Scarlett remained quiet as she deliberated whether it was best to leave now or stay and pretend the woman wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°I fail to understand how others do not tire of constantly being approached by strangers with pretentious designs or unreasonable expectations,¡± the woman suddenly said. ¡°It has been so long since I attended outside of my duties that I forgot how tedious it is. It is a wonder there aren¡¯t more dismembered hands at events like these.¡±


    Scarlett sent another look the woman¡¯s way. It didn¡¯t sound like she was actually expecting a response. It was more like she was speaking into empty air.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps it is a good thing weapons were not allowed tonight,¡± Scarlett found herself saying, despite that.


    It wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t understand the sentiment¡ªheck, she kind of agreed with it¡ªbut it probably wasn¡¯t the sort of thing one usually said to random people.


    ¡°That would not stop most people I know,¡± the woman replied.


    Scarlett gave her a curious look. ¡°And who might those people be?¡±


    There had to be a reason why she felt like she recognized this woman. She doubted it was someone the original knew. From the way she acted, it didn¡¯t seem like they were acquainted.


    The woman remained silent for a moment, as if she was thinking about how to answer that question. ¡°Swordsmen, I suppose,¡± she eventually responded. ¡°Knights, at the very least. Not sure if the Mammoth can be considered a swordsman, but that has never mattered much to him. He is as strong as some dragons.¡±


    Hearing that, Scarlett finally realized who this woman was. She had caught a glimpse of her face during the Elysian Ball when the woman had accompanied the prince as his escort.


    This was Iyana ''The Frigid¡¯ Webb, the Second Sword of the Royal Guard. The ¡®Mammoth¡¯ had to be referring to Holdger, the Fifth Sword, and the giant knight who Scarlett had seen following the second princess around.


    ¡°As one would expect from one of His Majesty¡¯s chosen Swords,¡± she said.


    Iyana glanced at her, only giving a slight nod before returning her gaze to the distance. ¡°I witnessed your clash with Count Soames earlier. His type is always a hassle to endure.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they are,¡± Scarlett agreed.


    ¡°You handled it better than I would have expected.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What was it that you said that made him so intimidated by you?¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°I do not believe he was necessarily ¡®intimidated.¡¯¡±


    ¡°He was,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°I¡­see. Well, I am afraid the details of what I said are not something I can share.¡±


    The knight didn¡¯t seem to mind that answer. ¡°I would also stay silent if I publicly threatened a count like that.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her. The woman was honest, at least, though she didn¡¯t seem to care much for filtering her thoughts. That was refreshing after some of the previous interactions Scarlett had experienced tonight, but it could probably also get tiring.


    She returned her attention to the view before them, watching the stars above.


    ¡°You are different from what I imagined,¡± Iyana commented after a while.


    ¡°People often tell me that.¡±


    ¡°They tell me the same thing.¡±


    Scarlett studied her. The woman looked about as indifferent and aloof as they came, and from what little Scarlett knew about her, it seemed to fit. The knight wasn¡¯t called ¡®The Frigid¡¯ for nothing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be offended if you say that you do not believe me.¡±


    ¡°It is not that I do not believe you. Rather, I simply find it surprising to hear.¡± Scarlett thought back to the earlier ¡®joke¡¯. ¡°¡­On reflection, perhaps it is to be expected.¡±


    ¡°I have been told that humor does not suit me,¡± Iyana said. ¡°I am apparently ¡®as emotive as a golem and more likely to interpret a knock-knock joke as coded conspiracy against His Majesty than break a laugh¡¯, so I would be careful what you say while around me.¡±


    A brief chuckle escaped Scarlett¡¯s lips, surprising even herself. ¡°I have received similar remarks before.¡±


    ¡°Was the person who told you that also an old man with a mania for woodworking and a questionable sense of humor?¡±


    She blinked. ¡°¡­No. While her humor may be dubious, it is her judgement that is truly questionable, in my opinion.¡±


    The knight shrugged. ¡°I would prefer that over the Captain.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a long look. She hadn¡¯t expected the captain of the Royal Guard to be that kind of person. Not that she knew him especially well. Most of the Royal Guard members didn¡¯t have a significant presence in the game. There weren¡¯t any questlines to become a member of the guard, like there were for the Solar Knights, so they only appeared occasionally. The one who had the most appearances was Leandra ¡®The Swift¡¯, the Third Sword, but that was mainly in quests related to the first princess.


    Iyana seemed to consider her for a moment, as if she had just realized something. ¡°You are the one who caused a stir during the Proclamation, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I assumed you already knew, considering you seemed familiar enough with my identity to have preconceived notions about my personality.¡±


    ¡°I do not pay much attention to the activities of most nobles,¡± the woman said. ¡°You are Sir Leon¡¯s fianc¨¦e, however. There have been mentions of you among the knights. I overheard some of their words.¡±


    ¡°I presume much of it was not the most flattering?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? It is not as if you have to pay it any mind.¡±


    ¡°That is true enough.¡± Scarlett tilted her head slightly. ¡°Are you well acquainted with Sir Leon, by any chance? If so, do you know if he is present tonight?¡±


    She had looked, but she hadn¡¯t spotted the man yet. None of the Delmons had approached her tonight either.


    ¡°I have sparred with him, but I would not say we are close,¡± Iyana answered. ¡°As for if he¡¯s here, I would assume not.¡±


    ¡°Engrossed in knightly duties?¡±


    The woman nodded. ¡°The Solar Knights are currently occupied more than any other order.¡±


    ¡°In that case, is there a reason you are here tonight? As far as I am aware, no members of the Imperial Family are attending, and judging from your words, it does not seem as if you would willingly attend this type of event.¡±


    ¡°Sir Swale wanted at least one member of the guard present, and I was deemed the most suitable candidate. Dame Leandra had prior commitments, and the captain himself can¡¯t leave His Majesty¡¯s side.¡±


    That made sense. Scarlett couldn¡¯t imagine Holdger taking part in these kinds of events unless he was accompanying the youngest princess. As for the last member of the Royal Guard, she didn¡¯t know too much about him.


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    Their conversation was interrupted as a loud crash reverberated from behind them, originating from inside. It was quickly followed by a piercing scream, although it sounded distant, as if muffled before reaching their ears.


    Scarlett scowled. What was happening now?

 Chapter 148 - Panic at the disco

    ¡°I presume you don¡¯t know what that was?¡± Iyana asked, the two of them locking gazes.


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°You presume right.¡±


    As far as she was aware, there wasn¡¯t supposed to be anything special happening inside right now.


    Another muffled scream echoed, this one carrying a greater sense of panic than the previous.


    Scarlett noticed the other woman reaching for her waist but pausing as if realizing there was nothing there. With what might count as a hint of frustration on her face¡ªit was hard to tell¡ªthe knight took off.


    Scarlett blinked, surprised by how quickly Iyana reached the other end of the balcony and disappeared inside.


    Glancing around, she concluded it was probably best for her to find out what was happening and started moving as well. The archway leading to the balcony was enchanted to silence sounds, but once she passed through it, the noises became slightly clearer. Although still muted, it now sounded like people were fighting.


    She hurried down the corridor, making a sharp turn into the nearest room. There, she froze. The peaceful, conversational atmosphere that had been present when she passed through earlier was gone, replaced by chaos. Most of the occupants were either fleeing or seeking shelter in the corners behind overturned tables and furniture. The center of the room was taken up by a group of black-clad individuals with painted faces who had already converged on Iyana.


    Scarlett scowled.


    The Tribe of Sin. What the hell were they doing here?


    With a thought, her dress vanished, replaced by most of her gear as she activated the defense from [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs].


    More of the Tribe members were scattered throughout the room¡ªperhaps a few dozen in total¡ªengaged in battles with other guests. However, the bulk of their numbers were focused on Iyana. They seemed to know who she was.


    None of the defenders possessed weapons, so Iyana and the others were left fighting with their bare hands, small knives, or even chair legs. Yet that only lasted for a brief moment for Iyana as the woman slid behind one of her opponents, effortlessly seizing their arm. The person was sent hurtling across the room as the knight claimed their axe for herself. With an emotionless expression, she turned toward her remaining foes, launching her offensive.


    Scarlett was by no means an expert, but she could tell that the Tribe members were no slouches when it came to their strength. Despite that, they didn¡¯t stand a chance as Iyana moved seamlessly between them, delivering precise and calculated strikes with her stolen weapon.


    Soon, however, more black-clad figures entered through one of the room¡¯s entrances. Ignoring the huddled individuals near the walls, they made a beeline for Iyana. Among them were two mages who conjured a pair of fireballs that shot towards the woman.


    A clear-blue light emanated from the knight¡¯s axe, forming two barriers of thin, shimmering ice to intercept the incoming attacks. The barriers shattered into shards, striking some of the nearby Tribe members, who soon found their bodies covered and their movements hindered by spreading frost. Iyana lunged forward to engage as many of the newcomers as possible, parrying their weapons while aiming for the mages hiding behind their allies.


    Scarlett watched the fight, trying to assess the situation. Why was the Tribe suddenly launching an attack, and how many of them were there? She lacked information about this event from the game, so she had no idea about their motives here.


    It couldn¡¯t be that they were here for her?


    Just as that thought crossed her mind, a black hole tore the air open at the far end of the room, expanding into a wide arch of swirling grey darkness. More figures with painted faces emerged from the portal. Screams filled the space as some guests tried to distance themselves from the new arrivals, and an elderly woman pressing against a nearby wall fainted at the sight. A pair of men next to her tried carrying her towards one of the exits, but most of the routes were blocked at the moment.


    Fortunately, the Tribe members seemed indifferent to the non-combatants, directing their attention solely to keeping Iyana occupied as she tore through their comrades. Some of them exchanged hand gestures before advancing towards the knight, while a few others rushed to their injured allies and started pulling back to the portal that was slowly closing.


    Even with these numbers, Scarlett doubted that the Tribe could pose a significant threat to Iyana. Unless someone stronger arrived, it was only a matter of time before the room was cleared.


    Her gaze shifted towards one of the exits that had become unguarded during the latest assault against the knight. Other guests were already making their way towards it, and she decided to follow suit. The Tribe of Sin wouldn¡¯t limit their attack to just this room. There had to be more of them, and she needed to get a better grasp of the situation.


    None of the Tribe members made any attempt to stop her or the others. Soon, she found herself with a group of about ten people, moving down a hallway away from the room, with her close to the front. Most of those around her looked inexperienced in combat and had worried expressions on their faces. Scarlett herself didn¡¯t know what to feel about the current situation.


    The Tribe had to be here for a reason. The question was whether they sought something specific here or if they were simply attacking a place they knew would be host to a lot of influential individuals.


    She was just hoping they weren¡¯t here because they knew she had The Angler Man¡¯s heart.


    Her fingers brushed against the spatial ring on her left hand. She had brought the heart along just to be safe, but it wasn¡¯t something she wanted to bring out in an environment like this. If the wrong people caught sight of it, it could raise far too many dangerous questions.


    Soon, they arrived at the next chamber, only to witness a scene similar to the previous one. Dozens of Tribe members were locked in combat with those of the guests who could fight back, while the rest of the guests hid or took cover. Those behind Scarlett paled at the sight, retreating a few steps into the hallway they¡¯d come from, as if reconsidering their choice of coming here. Some even turned around and started running back.


    Perhaps that was the wisest course of action now. Back there, the empire¡¯s Second Sword was almost guaranteed to deal with the threats soon enough. Here, though, there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone nearly as strong on the defending side.


    She tried peering across the room, where it connected to the ballroom through a narrow glass corridor, but she could barely see anything with all the people blocking the way.


    This entire situation was just one enormous mess. She didn¡¯t really want to get entangled in it even further, but she also had no intention of turning back just yet. She at least wanted to locate Evelyne and ensure the younger woman¡¯s safety. Managing the barony without her in the future would be hard, and as the current head of the house, she had a responsibility to fulfill.


    Ignoring the people clamoring behind her, Scarlett stepped into the room and began making her way along the walls toward the opposite end. The Tribe members were too focused on their own opponents to pay attention to those attempting to escape. Or maybe they simply didn¡¯t care. Whatever the reason, she hoped it would continue.


    She had to take a step back when an elderly gentleman was pushed and stumbled over a low table nearby. A grunt escaped him as blood trickled from a wound on his shoulder. He had been engaged in combat with one of the Tribe members¡ªa broad-shouldered man with a bald head and three white lines drawn across his face¡ªwith nothing but a cane as his weapon. It was an admirable enough feat, but now he was at the mercy of his adversary.


    As the Tribe member closed in to deliver the final blow, his gaze passed over Scarlett. He stopped for a moment.


    She met his eyes, concerns about her being their intended target resurfacing. She prepared to defend herself. Just then, a yell sounded out as a young man charged forward, wielding a chair in his hands. He collided with the Tribe member, swinging the chair with force. The broad-shouldered man diverted his attention from Scarlett as he took one step back. Seizing one of the chair¡¯s legs, he effortlessly tore it off, along with a portion of the furniture.


    To the youth¡¯s credit, he didn¡¯t let that deter him as he used what remained of the chair to defend the elderly gentleman on the floor. Unfortunately for him, his attacks were easily countered by the Tribe member, who swiftly landed a sword strike on the young man¡¯s side.


    Scarlett observed the fight, a sense of hesitation in her heart. She glanced at the old man, whose sweat-covered face held a grimace as he struggled to rise using his cane, only to be betrayed by his own legs. Images of an injured Garside with a maimed shoulder flashed in her mind.


    She closed her eyes, releasing a long sigh. Then, she raised a hand.


    A mass of water materialized around the Tribe member¡¯s sword just as he prepared to strike once again. The blade sliced through the liquid, but it was slowed down just enough for the young man to avoid it, his hand pressed against his bloodied side. Several fireballs appeared in front of the Tribe member, and the man¡¯s eyes widened as he leaped back to evade them.


    Conjuring even more flames to keep him in check, Scarlett approached the youth and the elderly man. All three of them were staring at her now, though, as the ring on her left finger glowed and a slender vial appeared in her hand. She briefly examined the youth¡¯s wound¡ªit looked to be mostly superficial¡ªbefore kneeling beside the older gentleman and extending the vial toward him.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Use this,¡± she commanded. ¡°It will heal your injury.¡±


    He looked between her and the vial for a second before glancing at her clothes, which likely deviated from the typical ball attire. He coughed weakly, reaching to accept the potion.


    ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡± He gestured over at the Tribe member¡ªwho seemed uncertain about what to do right now¡ªand the disorder that surrounded them. ¡°I am not foolish to reject help, but you needn¡¯t waste any more time on me. There are many others who require assistance far more urgently.¡±


    Scarlett swept her gaze across the room, taking in the multitude of battles, including the numerous guests who were simply too afraid to move from where they were crouched down. She even counted a few children. For some reason, the three men seemed to wait for her response. After staying silent for a while, she clicked her tongue.


    She didn¡¯t want to mess with the Tribe of Sin. She didn¡¯t want to do anything that could jeopardise her agreement with the Cabal. But their contract did contain provisions for situations like this. She would have been stupid not to include them. Assuming the Tribe¡¯s objective wasn¡¯t her, there were actions she could take while still abiding by the terms she had agreed upon.


    With a thought, the [Tiara of Lost Benediction] materialized on Scarlett¡¯s forehead, enhancing her perception and sharpening her focus. She raised her hand once more. Seeing that, the broad-shouldered man finally made a move against her. But it was too late. She had already sized up all the Tribe members in the room. None were at the level where her [Charms of Apperception] didn¡¯t show her their weak points.


    Several dozen Aqua Mines appeared throughout the area, resembling shimmering stars enveloped in water. There were at least two for each Tribe member, and the man approaching Scarlett had over a handful appear right before him. In an instant, all the Mines detonated simultaneously.


    Explosions of steam reverberated through the room, accompanied by screams of pain and surprise. Many Tribe members stumbled or fell, and some were even rendered unconscious from just that. While not every Mine hit its mark perfectly, the overall effect provided a momentary advantage to the defenders.


    The man in front of Scarlett, his clothes torn apart by the onslaught she had directed at him, fell to his knees with gritted teeth. Seemed like there was actually a pretty significant disparity in strength among the Tribe members present here.


    Scarlett conjured another swarm of Aqua Mines around the room and detonated them. Several more black-clad individuals collapsed, while their opponents seized the opportunity to strike. The man before her crumpled into a heap on the ground.


    Surveying the room once more, she felt that was almost enough. She didn¡¯t want to waste too much mana, so she only used a little bit more to aid a few more people that looked in need. From there, it didn¡¯t take long for the remaining Tribe members to be ganged up on and dealt with. Any of them who tried to refocus their attention on Scarlett were swiftly dispatched by a barrage of Aqua Mines.


    Silence descended upon the room, interrupted only by the distant sounds of fighting emanating from the adjoining chambers. The people present here still seemed to be trying to process the situation, their gazes turning to Scarlett. Many of those who had fought against the Tribe of Sin gave her appreciative looks, while the rest simply appeared relieved that the immediate danger seemed to have passed. At least in here.


    With a mental command, Scarlett removed the legendary artifact from her forehead and surveyed the bodies of the fallen Tribe members surrounding her. She wasn¡¯t sure if they were dead or not, but that wasn¡¯t important at the moment.


    What mattered was how the Cabal would react to this. Although it might be difficult for them to verify the specifics, if they suspected she had reneged on their deal, it would be problematic. She was allowed to defend herself and others in the event of accidental clashes with the Cabal¡¯s agents, though. As long as she didn¡¯t actively impede or interfere with whatever their objective might be in this situation. Their deal stipulated that whoever acted first held priority, after all.


    Still, it might have been easier to just ignore what happened here and let the Tribe pursue whatever they wanted. However, she couldn¡¯t ignore how her actions might be perceived by others. It would look suspicious if she didn¡¯t help at all in staving off the attack.


    ¡°Ahem, my lady,¡± a voice interrupted her thoughts.


    She turned to face the elderly gentleman. He had managed to stand and approached her. His black jacket was stained with blood on his shoulder, and his complexion was pale, but he seemed in slightly better condition now. The healing potion should at least keep him going for a while longer.


    ¡°May I inquire about your name?¡± he asked. ¡°I want to know to whom I and my grandson owe our lives. I imagine many here share that sentiment.¡±


    Scarlett regarded him, noting the young man behind him looking at her with admiration. Neither seemed to recognize her, but she suspected that some of the others in the room might.


    ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford,¡± she stated, sweeping her eyes across the other guests. ¡°¡­And you owe me nothing.¡±


    She raised her voice. ¡°I suggest that those of you who do not wish to remain here and risk your lives move on to the next chamber. A member of the Royal Guard is stationed there, and she will be able to protect you better than anyone here can.¡±


    Relieved expressions appeared on the faces of some people upon hearing her words.


    ¡°And what of you?¡± the gentleman asked.


    Her gaze shifted in the direction of the ballroom. Now she could see parts of it, and fighting was definitely still going on there. ¡°I still have other matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°I understand. If I were younger and in better condition, I would have joined you, but I am afraid I would only be a hindrance in my current state.¡± The man leaned on his cane. It held several chip marks on it from the fight but remained in one piece. ¡°I am Deverell Halewell. And while you say we owe you nothing, with that, I disagree. Halewells do not forget easily, my lady. The lives you saved tonight will be remembered.¡± He cast a look at the fallen Tribe members. ¡°That is, if we survive to see the end of it.¡±


    Scarlett gave him a slight look of surprise, but then nodded curtly as a farewell before she started moving again. Some of the other people in the room expressed their gratitude as she passed by, but she paid little attention to it.


    As she exited the room and entered the ballroom, she was confronted with an even larger presence of Tribe members than before. There were so many of them. Countless figures dressed in black were spread about the place, mixed in with those of the guests who were fighting back. The scene looked like one giant battlefield. Anywhere her eyes turned, blows were exchanged as attacks of magic and aura filled the air.


    Among the fighters, Scarlett spotted a few familiar faces. One that stood out was Dean Godwin, floating in the air at the opposite end of the room, surrounded by a myriad of runes. His opponent was an old but powerfully built man wearing tattered black rags, with unruly grey hair that flowed down to his lower back and a thick beard like a mane. Behind the man, a mass of murky water surged while lightning sprang forth from the runes around Godwin. Their magics clashed, forcing all those near them to flee from the aftershocks.


    Closer to Scarlett stood Raimond, positioned among a group of injured individuals. Golden barriers emerged from him in rapid succession, akin to small fireworks, blocking the attacks of a gathering of Tribe members who had him surrounded. Simultaneously, a radiant circle encompassing him seemed to heal the injuries of those around him.


    Even with all that going on, Raimond¡¯s attention seemed aimed at preventing one specific Tribe member from advancing. A lithe woman with dark-blue hair who wielded two short swords and moved like the wind, perpetually inching closer and closer to breaching his barriers with slashes that were only a finger¡¯s breadth away from meeting flesh.


    There were dozens of battles taking place simultaneously, but Scarlett only glanced at them as she searched the room. More of the portals that the Tribe members appeared through were scattered around, with new enemies continuously leaving them, but none seemed to be focused on her in particular.


    She started moving along the edge of the room, watching for Evelyne amidst the chaos. Occasionally, she paused briefly to help someone out if they looked in dire need, but she preferred not to draw attention to herself. Thankfully, the place was in such disorder that she could move surprisingly unhindered as long as she was careful.


    After a while, when she began to wonder if Evelyne was even here, she finally spotted the woman¡¯s auburn hair near one of the glass corridors. The Withersworths were with her, along with a large group of people who seemed to have just escaped from one of the side rooms. Evelyne and a few others focused on defending the group from the Tribe of Sin, as all of them appeared to be making their way towards the ballroom¡¯s main entrance.


    Scarlett paused when she saw Evelyne cast a spell that summoned several flaming disks in the air above her. The disks shot out and struck three Tribe members, while two others were shielded by barriers of murky water that seemed to originate from a mage in the center of the attackers. One of Evelyne¡¯s fellow defenders rushed forward with half a table in one hand and an axe in the other, attempting to protect her from more of the approaching enemies. Seizing the opportunity, the young woman cast another spell. A moment later, a storm of tiny burning rocks rained down on those of the Tribe who were nearest. Although half of it was blocked by a hastily erected sphere of water, it still inflicted considerable damage as Tribe members fell to the floor with burning clothes.


    Scarlett had never witnessed Evelyne in actual combat before, so it surprised her to see the woman¡¯s skill and experience. It was perhaps comparable to when Kat fought.


    She shook her head. No, that wasn¡¯t important now.


    Spotting a path that would bring her closer to them without getting too close to any of the Tribe members, she began to move.


    Evelyne seemed to notice her as she got closer.


    ¡°Scarlett?!¡± the woman cried out.


    Some of the group behind her also looked up, including Lady Withersworth and her husband. Both appeared tired but otherwise unharmed.


    A new portal formed a dozen or so meters away from Evelyne and her allies, spitting out more Tribe members with painted faces and weapons raised. Scarlett raised her hand, and the newcomers were met with a swarm of Aqua Mines and fire.


    Some immediately crumbled under the sudden attack, and she followed it up by donning the [Tiara of Lost Benediction] once again, unleashing a barrage of attacks against the Tribe members Evelyne had been fighting. She also managed to create an opening for her to focus some of her attacks on the water mage who had been giving Evelyne trouble. In turn, the mage had to divert attention to self-defense.


    Evelyne and the others looked on with disbelief at first, but then they recognized the opportunity she had given them.


    Scarlett watched as they fought back against the Tribe of Sin, using her magic to support them where possible. It was at times like these, when she was facing a large number of relatively weak opponents¡ªexcluding the mage, most were perhaps slightly under Shin and Allyssa¡¯s levels, if she were to guess¡ªthat her magic truly shone. With the buffs from her tiara, it was almost laughably easy to keep her opponents in check, allowing her allies to deal with them. However, it did take its toll on her mana stores, which was why she held back when she could.


    Soon, most of the Tribe members closest to them had been dealt with. Evelyne and her group continued moving as Scarlett reached them. The younger woman stared at her with wide eyes, an expression shared by many of those around her.


    ¡°Scarlett. Was all of that really you?¡±


    ¡°It was, but that is not important now. I presume you are aiding in bringing these people to safety?¡± Scarlett glanced over the group, giving a brief nod to Lady Withersworth and her family.


    ¡°Yes, I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then I will assist you. Let us not waste any more time.¡±


    Her eyes immediately returned to scanning the rest of the group, watching for any foes who might target their group again. She stilled, however, when she realized the enemy was suddenly retreating for some reason. Dozens more portals opened to replace those that had closed, but instead of spewing out reinforcements, all the Tribe members around them began disengaging from their fights and collecting their fallen allies.


    She doubted she was the reason for this sudden change, but they were now escaping back through the portals. The efficiency with which they did it, even while under attack from those they had just been fighting, was astounding. The old man whom Dean Godwin had been fighting and some other powerful Tribe members covered the retreat, and all Scarlett could do was stare as barely a minute had passed before the majority of them were already gone.


    Just as abruptly as the attack had seemingly begun, it was suddenly over.


    Scarlett felt even more confused now, as the same question that had arisen when she first saw them remained at the forefront of her mind.


    What the hell had they been here for?

 Chapter 149 - Puzzling conundrums

    Beldon Tyndall was a man who often found himself being right. Most of the time, that was something he took great pleasure in. But there were times when he would have preferred the alternative.


    He surveyed the scene before him with a serious expression. The ballroom, which had been a hub of conversations and merrymaking just an hour ago, was now filled with wounded nobles and other influential guests. Some appeared only slightly disheveled, while others lay on the floor with blood-soaked clothing as their companions tended to them.


    The air was heavy with the scent of burnt wood and singed fabric, mingling with the faint aroma of spilled wine and shattered pride. The walls, adorned with beautiful frescoes and delicate reliefs commissioned by dukes from past generations, bore the marks of the Tribe of Sin¡¯s onslaught. Vibrant paintings were slashed, and the once-polished dance floor was littered with shards of glass, splintered furniture, and scorch marks.


    Beldon walked across the room, taking note of all the wounded. He observed the fear in the eyes of those who hadn¡¯t had the strength to fight back but were unable to escape when the Tribe initiated the attack. In one corner, a group of elderly and young individuals huddled together, recovering from the ordeal while the knights who had protected them rested on the ground, catching their breath.


    It was a scene of destruction and disorder that he would have preferred never to have witnessed in his own home.


    Perhaps it could be considered a saving grace that the majority of the casualties seemed to be on the Tribe¡¯s side, and most of the non-combatants had escaped serious harm. The duchy would spare no expense in treating those present, so he suspected few would leave Windgrove with more than a scar. Healers were likely already being roused throughout the city to rush over and provide their aid.


    However, considering what they might have lost tonight, he wasn¡¯t sure how comforting that thought was.


    As he walked, he spotted his father in the center of the room, stepping onto what remained of the stage there.


    Santos Tyndall wore his usual stern expression, but the ash and blood on his clothes revealed how vulnerable he had been during the attack. As did the cold fury behind the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Esteemed guests,¡± his deep voice resonated across the entire ballroom, likely reaching even the adjacent chambers. ¡°I stand before you now with a heavy heart, dismayed by the senseless attack that has been carried out against us all. Some of you may remember when our empire battled against them and pushed them back over a decade ago, but for those of you unaware, this vile act was perpetrated by none other than our most contemptible and eternal enemy: the Tribe of Sin.¡±


    Whispers of shock rose around the room, but most remaining guests likely already knew this.


    ¡°We may not know the complete reasoning behind their actions,¡± the Duke continued, ¡°but one thing remains clear, as it has not changed since the inception of our empire. The Tribe of Sin is still nothing more than a gathering of cowards who seek to instill fear and panic among our numbers. However, I will tell you this: we will not be cowed by their dastardly deeds. As we have done in the past, we will stand tall, with our heads held high, and we will not yield to their will. We will not allow their despicable acts to disrupt the peace and prosperity that we and our predecessors have worked tirelessly for generations to achieve.¡±


    He peered out over the crowd, like a dragon inspecting his domain. ¡°To those of you who have been injured, know that I stand with you in this time of need. Our duchy does not abandon those who tread upon our lands as honored guests. We will do everything within our power to support you and your close ones. And to the Tribe of Sin, I say this: You may have struck us tonight, but know that you have gained nothing. Like our forefathers before us, we will emerge stronger than ever, and as loyal citizens of the empire, we will make you face the consequences of your actions.¡±


    The man¡¯s words hung in the air for a few seconds as everyone¡¯s attention was aimed at him. There were many less-than-pleasant things one could say about Beldon¡¯s father, but the man had always possessed a way with how he spoke. There was a weight to his speech that was difficult to ignore. Despite the circumstances, many of those who appeared weary or shaken by the attack actually seemed invigorated by his words.


    ¡°Tonight I pledge to you all, esteemed guests, that Windgrove and its allies will stand at the forefront of the effort to bring these criminals to justice. We will not rest until justice is delivered on behalf of those present tonight and as retribution for this assault against the empire and His Majesty''s authority. Heed my words. May we continue to stand united even in the face of adversity.¡±


    There was some applause, and some¡ªmostly nobles¡ªseemed to echo his sentiment. Despite his disheveled appearance, Duke Santos Tyndall truly looked like a man who did not let this incident affect his composure. But Beldon knew his father well, and it did not escape his attention that the duke concealed both hands behind his back throughout the entire speech.


    It had been a lie that they didn¡¯t know the motive behind the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attack. His father was fully aware of what the Tribe¡¯s goal had been.


    And presumably, they got it.


    Although it was pure speculation, Beldon imagined that if the Duke were to show his left hand at that moment, the guests would see that a finger was missing, along with the ring that had adorned it.


    He had warned his father against keeping the artifact on his person in such a manner. He had cautioned his father against keeping it within the duchy, on their own lands. It was an unnecessary risk. But his father was a stubborn man, and there were few individuals who he trusted implicitly. Beldon himself was barely among that group, and the Duke would not hand over such a vital item to the Ustrum Assembly or any of the mage towers. The Shields Guild was not much better, in the man¡¯s opinion. Little more than a principled mercenary group, not loyal to the empire itself.


    Santos Tyndall saw it as part of his duty to protect the ring himself. And he had never doubted his ability to do so.


    Beldon let out a snort as he shook his head.


    Tonight had demonstrated how correct his father had been in that belief. The Tribe of Sin¡ªor perhaps he should say the Hallowed Cabal¡ªhad succeeded in the end. They had caught them all off guard.


    That vexed him.


    He had anticipated an attack from the Cabal eventually, but he had never expected it tonight, of all times. Not when several of the empire¡¯s strongest individuals were gathered in one place like this. There were small nations that could be toppled with just a select few of them. Beldon couldn¡¯t even begin to count the numerous other occasions that would have been more suitable for an ambush. Yet, instead, the Cabal had mustered precisely enough force to execute tonight¡¯s assault, sacrificing dozens upon dozens of lives solely to target his father and the artifact the man wore.


    If Beldon was not already aware of how terrifyingly capable the Cabal could be, he would have considered them fools for recklessly squandering their resources. Instead, he found himself trying to decipher their reasoning.


    The most likely explanation was that they had intended to send a message, both to the Windgrove duchy and to the empire as a whole. However, there were many other ways of doing that without taking the risk they did now.


    What had compelled them to choose tonight, in particular? Was there something that had pushed them into action?


    He recalled reading reports about the joint efforts of the Solar Knights against several known bases of the Tribe and the Cabal across the empire. Warley Godwin and Rosanna Adlam had provided more intelligence than anyone else on those, which had played a crucial role in organizing the efforts. Despite the Cabal¡¯s seemingly endless resources, it must have dealt a significant blow to them.


    Rosanna was well known for her hate towards the Tribe, and the S-ranked Shielder was often considered one of the foremost experts in battling them. The involvement of the Dean of Elystead Tower, however, had been somewhat surprising. There were still questions about how the man had obtained information on the Cabal¡¯s movements, especially since Beldon had seen reports of him being in Visian and other kingdoms west of Voneia in recent months.


    Personally, Beldon suspected that Imperial Advisor Blackwood had been involved in some way. The Dean¡¯s movements were always difficult to track, but recent events indicated the two had met at least once.


    Regardless of the true cause behind the Cabal¡¯s actions, he doubted it was a simple matter. He knew there were more actors engaged in these conflicts than met the eye. Actors who did not always want to make their existences known.


    But one thing was clear to him. The Cabal had expended more than just manpower in their attack tonight. He didn¡¯t know the exact method they¡¯d used to create portals and teleport so many individuals in such a short amount of time¡ªthe Hallowed Cabal had access to knowledge and magic that no one else had¡ªbut it must have come at a cost. The protective enchantments around the castle had been eased to avoid disturbing the guests¡ªperhaps a contributory factor as to why they chose tonight¡ªbut even an archmage would have needed time and a significant amount of mana to break through those defenses. The Cabal clearly desired the ring they had come here for.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The question was what would happen now that they had obtained it.


    Much to his frustration, Beldon didn¡¯t know much more than his father about the true purpose of the ring. The Duke had never revealed where he found the artifact, but they both knew it was connected to the Cabal in some way and to the Dragon Rampage that had occurred seven years ago. His father seemed to believe it was also linked to the Tribe¡¯s initial attacks when they first revealed themselves again a few months earlier.


    While those less knowledgeable saw those attacks as simple acts of terror, Beldon was aware that such things were always secondary for the Cabal. Surveys of the locations where the attacks had been carried out showed that the Tribe had been searching for something beneath them. Most likely, they had found whatever that was as well.


    However, he wasn¡¯t entirely convinced of the connection between those attacks and the ring. He suspected there had been a different purpose behind the earlier attacks, though he disliked not knowing for certain. But the unfortunate truth was that even an organization like Mirage struggled to keep tabs on the Cabal.


    The same couldn¡¯t be said in reverse.


    The Cabal possessed a disturbing ability to extract any information they wanted from the agents they captured. This had been particularly frustrating in the past year as their activities escalated, and the Cabal made a habit of kidnapping Beldon¡¯s people at every opportunity to milk them of what they knew. It had forced him to take significant and drastic precautions that severely affected the efficiency of Mirage¡¯s work, but even then, he couldn¡¯t completely avoid the issue.


    It was unlikely that Mirage would be able to uncover the ring¡¯s true purpose on its own. But he had the unsettling feeling that they would soon face the repercussions of its theft.


    ¡°Beldon.¡±


    He paused and looked up as his brother approached, quickly glancing over the man¡¯s appearance and noting the bloodstains on his legs and the large gash on one of his sleeves.


    ¡°Father asked me to oversee the preparations in case the Tribe of Sin returns,¡± Gideon said. ¡°He wants you to work with our people and document everyone who is missing, injured, or dead while he deals with the rest of the aftermath.¡±


    ¡°I have already started,¡± Beldon replied, choosing not to mention that their father would need to have his hand healed first. There were only a few healers in Windgrove capable of completely regrowing limbs, and that was only if one acted fast enough. Of course, Santos Tyndall prioritized maintaining his own reputation over that.


    His brother showed a brief look of surprise, but soon nodded and turned around as he started issuing orders to some nearby guardsmen to follow him.


    Beldon returned his attention to the rest of the ballroom, scanning the faces of the guests and assessing their current conditions. He casually intercepted a tired servant carrying containers of water and instructed them to send a message to Mireya as well as fetch some paper.


    His father would likely want a comprehensive list before the night was over, but not all the guests would patiently wait until then. Some of the more daring ones would seize this opportunity to reproach their family and their inability to prevent this attack, demanding compensation for damages and injuries that may or may not exist. It was best to work preemptively in such situations, and Mireya would know what to do.


    Beldon¡¯s gaze continued to roam the room, lingering on the more notable individuals here.


    Alcot Thackeray of the Vanguards stood at the center of a group of battle-worn people, his bear-like figure towering over them. His exposed chest was bloody and burned from his encounter with a high-ranking Tribe member. As expected of his reputation, Thackeray had taken on the brunt of the attacks, ensuring others escaped relatively unharmed.


    Not far away, the Dean of Elystead Tower conversed with Rodmun Ainsworth, the only other archmage in attendance. Both appeared mostly unscathed, but Beldon had seen the powerful opponents they¡¯d faced during the battle. Everyone present was fortunate that both sides had exercised some restraint.


    Count Knottley stood with his family, wearing a grim expression. On the floor beside him was a large axe, while his petite daughter helped clean blood off his face from what looked like a broken nose.


    The eldest Delmon son sat with a dour look on what remained of a chair, attended to by a pair of servants as they cleaned and treated a serious injury on his right arm.


    Valdemar Hayden lay unconscious on a table, seemingly without any visible wounds. Beldon would have to inquire for more details about that later.


    Marchioness Thackeray approached her cousin with assertive steps, her usually well-kept grey-white hair ruffled and hanging freely over her back. Other than that, she appeared perfectly unharmed.


    Shepard Yardley, the captain of the Amber Knights, was surrounded by several of his men as they worked to clean up the aftermath of the attack and left to search through the other chambers.


    Iyana Webb entered the ballroom as well, displaying one of the most expressive faces Beldon had ever seen on the swordswoman as she walked over to some of the other knights with a scowl. He hadn¡¯t seen her during the battle itself, so presumably she had been caught up elsewhere.


    Amidst his observations, his eyes caught sight of a yellow-haired priest in a bright red overcoat, moving among the people and using magic that shone a bright gold to heal those in need. Beldon had to mentally run through the list of priests who might have deigned to attend tonight before he recognized the man.


    A small smile found its way onto his lips.


    It seemed that even with the turmoil within the Follower¡¯s circles at the moment, the Quorum had chosen not to keep a tighter leash on their youngest member.


    In between checking over the faces of those around him, Beldon also observed the conditions of others he recognized and who passed him by, intending to write it all down later.


    Finally, his gaze settled on a pair of sisters. One sister had neck-length auburn-colored hair and looked as though she might fall asleep at any moment, while the other had long, dark-red hair and a composed expression as she spoke with an older lady. Beldon noted that Baroness Scarlett Hartford was now wearing an entirely different outfit from what he had seen her in earlier. Had she managed to change clothes during all the chaos? No, that was more likely the result of one of those artifacts she seemed to have a near-endless supply of.


    He watched her for a brief while longer.


    Scarlett Hartford was another enigma that Beldon was still attempting to unravel.


    Until a few months ago, the mapping of her actions had been predictable and straightforward. Nothing he hadn¡¯t already seen from a dozen other nobles, albeit a tad more audacious. However, something had changed, and he wasn¡¯t certain what the cause of it was.


    Yet. He wasn¡¯t certain of it yet.


    Initially, he had assumed there was someone else pulling the strings behind the noblewoman. A high-ranking noble using her as a front for their own schemes. The Delmons had been the prime candidate. Count Knottley had also been a possibility, but it was unlikely considering the man¡¯s personality.


    However, subsequent interactions had cast doubt on that assumption. Both because the nature of Scarlett¡¯s relationship with most influential nobles seemed tenuous at best, and because Beldon simply couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it wasn¡¯t that simple. The woman didn¡¯t strike him as someone who would readily bend her knee to most others. If she was working with someone, it wasn¡¯t as a subordinate.


    Of course, it was possible that her entire persona was an act as well. He didn¡¯t doubt that she was a capable actor.


    What intrigued him most was not just the apparent changes surrounding her in recent months or the waves she was making in certain circles across the empire. It was the knowledge she seemed to possess. Not only had she provided him with precisely the type of information he sought¡ªsuggesting she was intimately familiar with Mirage and its workings¡ªbut she also demonstrated a deep knowledge of ancient artifacts, ruins, and even sacred relics. Beldon¡¯s informants within the Shields Guild had reported that the Guild¡¯s leadership was keeping a close eye on her as well, and the same went for the Followers and some of the mage factions.


    It also hadn¡¯t escaped his attention that there had been increased activity in the Withersworth barony shortly after Baroness Hartford¡¯s reported stay at their Autumnwell estate. Further inquiries by his agents had suggested that the curse plaguing their domain had been dealt with.


    It did not take a genius to connect the dots.


    If his suspicions about the Baroness¡¯ involvement were correct, it conveniently placed the Withersworths in her debt. This had only been further confirmed by the fact that the elderly couple had accepted the invitation to tonight¡¯s ball, despite not having attended for several years. And by the fact that Lady Withersworth was currently speaking with the woman.


    It seemed as if Baroness Hartford was assembling allies. None that were too influential yet, but the Withersworths had many connections. Neither Lord nor Lady Withersworth was to be underestimated, even after distancing themselves from most of high society.


    What exactly the Baroness was trying to do with all of this, however, was still a mystery.


    But if only that was all. Beldon had caught a glimpse of her during the earlier fighting as well, and her capabilities had surprised him. It did not align at all with what he¡¯d learned about her supposed ineptitude as a mage. Although he supposed that was simply further proof suggesting she was not as simple as she seemed. By now, he was certain that the noblewoman most thought they knew was part of an act of some kind, at the very least.


    He seemed to share several similarities with the woman, now that he thought about it.


    Hopefully, he would still be able to meet with her in the morning. It might be difficult finding time after the attack, and his father would undoubtedly not cancel the gathering that was supposed to take place tomorrow, but he didn¡¯t think the Baroness would depart before then. If she did, though, it would be troublesome for him to visit Freybrook later solely to meet her. He would have to think of a solution for that, just in case.


    ¡°Brother,¡± a voice reached him from the side. He paused in his ruminations, turning to look at his approaching sister.


    ¡°Mariele. I see you¡¯re still here.¡± He inspected her appearance. The dark-haired young woman was unharmed, having been protected by several guards during the earlier chaos. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m mistaken, but Gideon must have told you to go to your quarters and rest, no? Your presence here leads me to believe you have chosen not to adhere to that.¡±


    ¡°I already sent Anne away, but the danger is over. I¡¯m currently assisting with the efforts.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what a kind sister I have. Prioritising the well-being of those around her over avoiding a week of confinement in the castle for defying an order.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than doing nothing,¡± she replied. Stopping next to him, she looked around. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. Simply waiting for my trusted subordinates and some writing implements to arrive so that I can get to work.¡±


    Mariele¡¯s head turned in the direction Beldon had been looking earlier, her eyes stopping on the two Hartford sisters for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s the woman you spoke with earlier tonight, isn¡¯t it? Baroness Hartford?¡±


    ¡°I am flattered that you remember even my briefest of dalliances so well, dear sister.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°What is your relationship with her?¡±


    Beldon smiled. ¡°Mere acquaintances, I assure you. I fear I might lose a limb or two if I were to ever pursue something more. Moreover, her fiance happens to be the current vice-captain of the Imperial Solar Knights.¡±


    ¡°I am familiar with Sir Leon. He is not the type to act out of envy.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t suggesting he was.¡±


    His sister studied him for a bit, then spun around. ¡°I am going to try to gather the healers when they arrive and help in organizing their efforts. I was intending to ask if I could have Mireya or someone else help, but I suspect you will have her occupied. Don¡¯t get yourself killed by forgetting to rest even for a moment.¡±


    Beldon watched her depart, the small smile still lingering on his lips until she was far enough away. Then, it faded.


    He cast one last glance towards the Hartfords before refocusing on his current task. There was much that called for his attention at the moment, but everything had its time. As for the Baroness, their talks could wait until they next crossed paths.

 Chapter 150 - Untenable associations

    Scarlett and Evelyne were among the last to leave the ballroom once things had calmed down following the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attack. Evelyne had insisted on helping the injured and restoring order, and only when a large group of guards and healers arrived did she feel comfortable leaving. Scarlett, on the other hand, didn¡¯t particularly mind either way. She continued to ponder the events of the night, trying to make sense of it all.


    Together, they navigated the chaotic halls of the castle¡ªthe entire place was a hub of activity right now¡ªuntil they reached the exit and stepped into the wide courtyard outside where they had initially arrived. Most of the other carriages had already departed, but several remained, likely belonging to those who weren¡¯t yet in any condition to leave.


    They found their carriage, with the anxious coachman already waiting, and boarded it. Soon, they were on their way back to their temporary guest quarters.


    Scarlett glanced down at her clothes. She was still dressed in her ¡®adventure¡¯ attire. There had been little point in changing back into her ball gown, not only because something might happen again, but also because the previous mess had made her work up a sweat. Hopefully, she would have a chance to clean up later.


    ¡°¡­I still can¡¯t believe what happened.¡± Evelyne broke the silence after the carriage had been in motion for a minute. ¡°I¡¯ve never encountered the Tribe of Sin before, but I never thought they would do something so¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just didn¡¯t expect them to do something like this.¡±


    ¡°It is not that surprising if you ask me,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Attacking an event with so many powerful people who might oppose them present might be an odd choice, but it aligns with their objectives, does it not?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right¡­¡± Evelyne stared down at her legs, seemingly still processing what had occurred. There was a tired look on her face, and she seemed liable to fall asleep any second now. After a while, she looked up at Scarlett and observed her for a moment. ¡°¡­You handled yourself well during the attack. Astonishingly well.¡±


    ¡°I have had ample opportunity to gain experience in recent months,¡± Scarlett answered. She paused, studying Evelyne in return. ¡°¡­You also handled the situation admirably,¡± she added.


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and she turned to gaze out the window. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Another minute passed before Evelyne spoke again. ¡°Did you expect any of this to happen?¡±


    ¡°What makes you ask that?¡±


    ¡°You seem so composed and rational about it all.¡±


    ¡°I believe you are well aware that this is simply how I am. I have never been one to easily show my state of mind.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Evelyne turned to face her. ¡°Still¡­ It feels like you might have known. Wasn¡¯t this something you saw in those visions of yours?¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°Memories, not visions. And no, it was not. If it were, I would not have attended tonight.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have tried to prevent it?¡±


    She frowned. ¡°And how would I have accomplished that? Should I have informed the Tyndalls that I, a minor baroness in disfavor with the Duke, am aware of an impending attack by the Tribe of Sin? Should I have publicly proclaimed knowledge of the Tribe¡¯s plans? Such actions would only bring unwanted attention and trouble to our house, and I suspect you already realize as much.¡±


    Technically, she couldn¡¯t have warned anyone due to her deal with the Cabal either.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Evelyne¡¯s face showed conflict. ¡°People were injured. I¡¯m not sure if anyone died, but I saw people who almost lost their arms, legs, maybe more¡­¡± She spoke softly, as if unsure of what to feel.


    Scarlett sighed. ¡°It is a moot point, regardless. I had no idea this would happen.¡±


    She was just relieved that the Tribe¡¯s objective hadn¡¯t been her. That would have placed both her and them in a difficult situation.


    ¡°¡­What are we going to do now?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°I still plan on attending tomorrow¡¯s gathering, unless it gets canceled,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You do not have to accompany me if you do not want to, however.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Evelyne shook her head. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll come.¡±


    That was good. Scarlett thought it unlikely that the Tribe would attempt another attack so soon, and security would undoubtedly be much tighter this time, so it should be safe. It might also be good to show that something like this wouldn¡¯t scare her. Besides, they wouldn¡¯t be able to return to Freybrook before afternoon anyway, so it was better to utilize their time efficiently, even if she wouldn¡¯t particularly enjoy the event.


    Not to mention that she also had that meeting with Beldon in the morning.


    The carriage came to a halt, and Scarlett looked out the window, realizing they had arrived in front of their accommodations. The courtyard was filled with guards and people bustling about, some performing preparations to leave. It seemed like less than half of the guests would stay until tomorrow. Most of those leaving didn¡¯t appear to be nobles, though, which meant they wouldn¡¯t be attending the gathering anyway. Given the circumstances, now was as good a time to depart as any for them. All they missed out on was a free breakfast.


    As Scarlett and Evelyne exited their carriage and walked over to the entrance of the building, a servant briefly inquired about their well-being before allowing them inside, now accompanied by a pair of armed escorts.


    They passed by several more guards patrolling the hallways of the guest quarters, some of whom looked like they had been abruptly roused from their sleep. The Tyndalls must have rushed to muster all this manpower so quickly.


    Outside their respective rooms, Scarlett and Evelyne bid each other farewell. Evelyne looked more exhausted than anyone else at this point. Scarlett entered her own quarters, a spacious room dimly lit by a single lamp near the window.


    Making her way to the table where her [Pouch of Holding] rested, her muscles tensed when she heard a sound behind her.


    She spun around, the [Tiara of Lost Benediction] materializing on her forehead along with the enchanted glasses as she prepared to defend herself. The darkness in the room dissipated before her now-enhanced vision, except for a vacant space in the corner where a shadow took shape, coiling together as it grew more distinct by the second.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Her breath caught in her throat.


    She immediately brought out the [Essence of Zenthas] and her [Fireguard Knife], positioning the dagger¡¯s edge against The Angler Man¡¯s heart.


    The shadow took the form of a short figure, almost childlike, concealed by a crimson robe and a white mask peering out from under a hood. Pale blonde hair peeked out from the sides of the mask, and three large lavender eyes were the only noticeable features on it. Each eye had unnaturally enlarged, semi-transparent irises with tiny black dots for pupils, with the third one situated vertically on the forehead.


    It was Nol¡¯viz. A member of the Hallowed Cabal.


    Silence enveloped the room as the girl tilted her head, observing Scarlett with all three pupils moving in unison.


    Scarlett was on the verge of calling for the guards, but that would be stupid. It was unlikely that they could do anything. That said, she didn¡¯t know Nol¡¯viz¡¯s purpose here. If the Cabal had concluded that they had nothing left to lose and decided to take the risk, Nol¡¯viz was the ideal candidate to eliminate her discreetly.


    Instead of attacking, the girl retrieved a [Mirror of Communion] from within her robes. The reflective grey metal of the artifact darkened as a fog enveloped its surface.


    For a brief moment, Scarlett worried that she would hear the voice of The Angler Man resounding in her head. However, she relaxed when a familiar sharp voice spoke.


    ¡°Is she there?¡± it asked.


    Even if The Angler Man had woken up, it was part of Scarlett¡¯s agreement with the Cabal that she would never have to make direct contact with him. Before Nol¡¯viz could respond, she decided to interject. ¡°I am here, yes. And I will say that I do not appreciate being approached in this manner.¡±


    ¡°It was necessary,¡± the voice curtly replied, as if it didn¡¯t care for her opinion. ¡°Does she have the heart?¡±


    A few seconds of quiet followed before Nol¡¯viz replied.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her voice resembled a chorus of echoes and whispers rasping from beneath the mask, like she was imitating people¡¯s speech and not entirely accustomed to it yet.


    ¡°I assume you are not foolish enough to attempt anything that would violate our agreement,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°We will uphold our end as long as you fulfill your part.¡± The words hung in the air for a moment before the voice adopted an accusatory tone. ¡°You attacked several of our people.¡±


    ¡°I had little choice. Surely you did not overlook the possibility of my presence tonight.¡±


    ¡°We were under no obligation to inform you of our plans.¡±


    ¡°And I had no obligation to refrain from protecting myself or those around me. If I had not acted as I did, my actions would have aroused suspicion. I operated well within the boundaries of our agreement. If anything, you were the ones who ran dangerously close to breaching it.¡±


    The voice remained silent, which Scarlett interpreted as them not challenging her words.


    ¡°Why have you contacted me like this?¡± she asked, her gaze fixed on Nol¡¯viz. ¡°Are you here simply to ensure that I do not harm your precious heart?¡±


    ¡°We have already achieved our goal tonight. We hold no grudge against you unless you give us reason to.¡±


    ¡°I am not the one who is likely to break the contract.¡±


    ¡°¡­I advise you to remember those words. Soon, we will take action against the empire.¡±


    Scarlett paused. Wait, were they trying to warn her?


    ¡°And what exactly do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°The empire will soon realize their mistake in opposing us. Freybrook will be spared for a time. Do not act rashly.¡±


    She stared at the [Mirror of Communion] in Nol¡¯viz¡¯s hand, the meaning behind those words dawning on her.


    They had gotten their hands on the [Ring of Depravity].


    Was that the purpose behind tonight¡¯s attack?


    She hadn¡¯t been aware that the Tyndalls possessed the ring at this point. It didn¡¯t become relevant until later in the game¡¯s storyline. Sure, Beldon Tyndall had been the one to possess it initially¡ªbefore losing it to the Cabal¡ªbut she had just assumed he had acquired it through his connections in Mirage.


    What had accelerated the events to occur so early? Could her own actions have played a role? While she had undoubtedly influenced certain aspects of this world, she didn¡¯t feel like she could expedite an entire storyline by several months, even with the pressure she was placing on the Cabal. There was a reason they couldn¡¯t do it this fast in the game, after all.


    So, were there other factors at play? It wasn¡¯t the first time she had noticed variations in how certain storylines unfolded, even without her direct involvement. While dungeons and artifacts remained mostly consistent, the actions of individuals and groups in this world appeared more unpredictable.


    What Godwin had told her about the Cabal might tie into that somehow.


    She clenched her teeth.


    Regardless of the reasons, what mattered was the current situation. If the Cabal possessed the [Ring of Depravity], it meant that one of the game¡¯s threats to the empire was drawing near.


    The fact that the Cabal would essentially give her a warning about it beforehand perplexed her, though. It had to be because they wanted to prevent anything from happening to her that might lead her to kill The Angler Man. That likely meant they were confident that, even with her foreknowledge, she would be unable to stop their plans. They were probably right as well. There were a few things she could maybe do, but the risks involved were just as likely to result in her death as anyone else¡¯s.


    This development would make moving around the empire more challenging in the future. She really would have preferred if events unfolded as they did in the game. But perhaps she could consider it a blessing if the Cabal made enough concessions for her presence to the point where they would avoid an immediate attack on Freybrook, at least.


    ¡°I will take this into consideration,¡± she finally responded.


    ¡°See that you do,¡± the voice replied. It fell silent for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Your home. Our agents have reported abnormal activity in it.¡±


    ¡°I would have expected them to have gathered more than that,¡± she said, ¡°but I suppose they are not as skilled as I had thought. I presume you have not been so foolish as to send someone into my home?¡±


    ¡°I have already told you that we will uphold our end of the agreement.¡±


    ¡°That would undoubtedly be in your best interest.¡±


    She actually believed him. The Loci had never detected any unauthorized individuals entering the estate. It had, however, picked up on the presence of some of the Cabal¡¯s agents nearby. Its range extended beyond the walls, after all.


    ¡°Do not presume to threaten us, Baroness,¡± the voice responded. Scarlett didn¡¯t think there was much weight behind the words, though, considering she had done exactly that during their previous encounter. ¡°We are finished here.¡±


    The fog covering the surface of the [Mirror of Communion] dissipated, leaving her alone in the room with Nol¡¯viz. The strange girl silently observed her, three eyes blinking in concert. Scarlett wondered what thoughts were taking place behind that mask.


    While the Hallowed Cabal had plenty of members with diverse and peculiar backgrounds, Nol¡¯viz stood out as perhaps the most unusual.


    ¡°Are you satisfied with your current circumstances?¡± Scarlett found herself asking.


    Nol¡¯viz continued to gaze at her without responding for several seconds. Then, finally, the same echoing whispers as before reverberated through the room. ¡°We were instructed to be wary of your words.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her, a small smile involuntarily appearing on her face. The Cabal seemed to be more concerned about her and what she knew than they let on. Maybe it was to be expected, considering she had effectively unleashed Mistress¡ªone of their oldest enemies¡ªupon them and was holding their leader¡¯s life hostage.


    But the thought amused her nonetheless.


    ¡°A wise decision on their part,¡± she said.


    Nol¡¯viz tilted her head to the side, watching Scarlett for a while longer before turning around. The surrounding shadows coalesced, and she vanished into them.


    Now Scarlett was left completely alone, contemplating the encounter that had just taken place. The Cabal was cautious around her, but their influence still could not be underestimated.


    She found herself looking up into the air, almost expecting a quest completion message to appear, but it never did. That made her frown. Was it perhaps because she hadn¡¯t been the direct cause of anything that happened tonight? Her previous interactions with the Cabal had counted as quests, so it wasn¡¯t something specific to them.


    She wanted a manual for this damn system.


    Eventually, she returned the [Essence of Zenthas] and her [Fireguard Knife] to the spatial ring on her finger while keeping on the rest of her equipment. Walking over to a table in the room''s corner, she took a seat on a chair that provided a clear view of the surroundings and retrieved a book from her [Pouch of Holding].


    It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t be getting any sleep until she returned to Freybrook.

 Chapter 151 - New partnerships

    Early the next morning, Scarlett was led through a series of long corridors by a young woman dressed in plain attendant¡¯s clothing. She felt like she recognized the servant, possibly from her previous visit to Beldon¡¯s house in the capital a few months ago, although she couldn¡¯t be entirely certain.


    Following the chaos of the previous night, Scarlett would almost have expected the Tyndall estate to be bustling with activity today as well. However, to her surprise, things appeared strangely calm from what she¡¯d seen. Having left her quarters earlier than most due to her scheduled meeting with Beldon, she hadn¡¯t come across many other guests. The few she had seen seemed largely unaffected by the events of the previous day.


    Considering that the majority of the remaining guests were nobles, she supposed that their pride and the need to uphold their image might have played a role in their apparent aloofness. Nonetheless, it caught her a bit off guard how casually everyone was behaving. Discounting the increased presence of guards and certain areas of the castle being closed off, one could almost forget that the place had been attacked the night before.


    Say what you will about nobles, but she couldn¡¯t help but respect their ability to shrug off things like this when necessary.


    ¡°The young master is inside,¡± the woman in front of her said, coming to a halt in front of an oak door. ¡°He has had little chance to rest since yesterday, so please be considerate.¡±


    Scarlett observed her for a moment before shifting her gaze to the door. ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t slept at all during the night, so it wasn¡¯t as if she was brimming with energy either. But she could manage it until they were back in Freybrook, at least.


    The servant woman nodded, lowering her head as she opened the door. Scarlett entered the room and spotted Beldon seated on a couch in the center. He still wore the same clothes she had seen him in the previous day, though his jacket hung on a rack near the entrance. Currently, he sat in only his white undercoat, holding a stack of papers in his hands. His dark hair was combed to the side, slightly disheveled, but overall, he didn¡¯t look too worse for wear.


    As the door closed behind Scarlett, the man looked up at her with a small smile and gestured to a couch opposite him. ¡°Baroness, welcome. Please have a seat.¡± Leaning forward, he placed the papers he¡¯d been reading on a table in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that our second real meeting had to take place under these circumstances, but I appreciate your presence and willingness to meet. There are some matters that I wanted to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°No need for gratitude,¡± she replied, walking over to sit down. ¡°I also have topics I wish to deliberate with you over.¡±


    She briefly glanced at the papers on the table. Even upside-down, she could tell they contained a list of names with descriptions next to them. Some of the names were ones she recognized. Seemed like the man was in charge of damage control.


    ¡°I am glad to hear that. Contrary to what people might think, I don¡¯t often receive personal visits from lovely ladies such as you.¡±


    She looked back at Beldon, studying him intently. ¡°You are doing it once more. There is no need for the facade before me. I believe we will both benefit if we can converse candidly today.¡±


    His smile grew, accompanied by a low chuckle. ¡°No, I suppose you¡¯re right. We don¡¯t have all morning.¡± There was a shift in the man¡¯s demeanor. His shoulders relaxed as he rested an arm on the back of the couch, but there was also a serious air to him now. ¡°It is a shame we couldn¡¯t have this conversation at another time, uncontaminated by last night¡¯s mess. Originally, my intention for wanting to meet with you had no relation to the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attack. But now, it¡¯s difficult not to bring it up.¡±


    Scarlett noted that he didn¡¯t suggest meeting again after the gathering later in the morning, as if he already knew she would be leaving for Freybrook immediately following that.


    ¡°First and foremost, I want to thank you on behalf of my father and my family for the assistance you provided yesterday in repelling the Tribe¡¯s attack,¡± Beldon said.


    She raised an eyebrow at him.


    He looked completely sincere.


    ¡°¡­I was not aware you witnessed any of my actions yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see much, to be honest. I only personally beheld some of your achievements towards the end. But I must admit, prior to that, I had underestimated your capabilities. From what I heard, you were also responsible for saving an entire room of people during the attack.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°¡®Save¡¯ is somewhat excessive of a description.¡±


    The man leaned his head to the side. ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve heard, I am inclined to agree. It certainly doesn¡¯t compare to the performances of Iyana Webb or any of the Thackerays. The Second Sword, if the accounts are to be believed, single-handedly dealt with over fifty of the Tribe¡¯s members. However, people have a tendency to talk about the things that surprise them the most, and the individuals you aided were rather talkative. Although I imagine that most of what they had to say will be lost in the buzz that will spread throughout the empire after last night¡¯s event.¡±


    ¡°I do not pay too much attention to what others say about me, whether it is positive or negative.¡±


    ¡°I can believe that. A little bird told me about your encounter with Count Soames. I will say, I¡¯m curious what morsel of information you have that made him cease bothering you.¡±


    Scarlett held back a sigh. There the man went with his ¡®little birds¡¯ and all that. Had anyone ever told him it got annoying pretty quickly?


    As for the Count¡­


    She glanced down at the bare skin on her left hand. The mere thought of saying something that might implicate Count Soames to Beldon strained the pact she¡¯d made. She could sense that much. Even if she wanted to say something, she couldn¡¯t. But Rosa¡¯s passenger had managed to skirt around those restrictions, so who was to say she couldn¡¯t?


    She looked back up at Beldon. ¡°I do not necessarily think that my dealings with the Count are any of your concern.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately for me, I make it my business to be informed of matters that are not of my concern,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°Of that, I am well aware.¡± Scarlett tapped her finger against the armrest of her couch as she considered him. ¡°But I cannot disclose anything to you.¡±


    He met her gaze. ¡°Baroness, if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think that you are trying to tell me something right now.¡±


    ¡°I am sure I do not know what you mean. Did I not just now state that I cannot reveal anything? Nor do I have any intention of doing so.¡±


    Beldon scrutinized her quietly for several seconds. ¡°¡­That¡¯s funny. I had assumed you possessed information that Count Soames wouldn¡¯t want publicised ¡ª something that I was unaware of. It sparked my competitive spirit.¡±


    ¡°If you wish to compete with me, do so on your own time. Do not expect me to provide you with all the answers.¡±


    The man placed a hand into his leg pocket and pulled out a gold coin with a flourish, rolling it over his fingers. ¡°I suppose that would make things more boring. Perhaps I¡¯ll pay closer attention to the Count in the future.¡±


    ¡°I advise against that.¡±


    The coin stopped between his right index and thumb. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Scarlett glanced down at her own hand again. The crest had yet to appear on her skin. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure how this aspect of the pact worked¡ªif it relied on intent or some other mechanism¡ªbut clearly, this conversation didn¡¯t violate her agreement to leave Count Soames alone.


    While she knew that her words might have the opposite effect, she was also trying to steer Beldon away from the subject. She just happened to be familiar enough with the man¡¯s personality to know that it wouldn¡¯t work. Especially now that he thought he had caught on to something.


    She looked back up at him. ¡°I cannot stop you if you wish to do so, but I fail to see what you stand to gain from it.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°The Count is an influential individual. There is always much to be gained from those.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scarlett replied casually. Beldon continued observing her intently.


    ¡°¡­Powerful people like him always have enemies,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are those who would love if damaging information were to emerge about him.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that there are,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I am not one of them, however. Do not expect any favors from me if you act impulsively.¡±


    ¡°I barely know the meaning of the word.¡±


    ¡°I somehow doubt that.¡±


    Beldon resumed rolling the coin over his knuckles, a contemplative expression on his face as he seemed to be trying to decipher her intentions.


    Scarlett watched him in silence.


    Maybe she had been too insistent on dissuading him there?


    Finally, the man flipped the coin up and caught it in the air. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve always found it peculiar that some of my men tend to mysteriously vanish when they get too close to investigating a certain noble¡¯s connections to a particular group operating in Ambercrest¡¯s Silkspindle Ward.¡±


    Her eyes widened slightly. So he already had some inkling that the Count was involved in something? He just hadn¡¯t been able to gather concrete details?


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know something about that?¡± Beldon asked.


    At that moment, Scarlett felt a slight sting in her left hand. The crest itself remained hidden, but it was a warning. This was the information she was most restricted from sharing.


    She shook her head. ¡°I see no reason why I would. I have very little business or involvements in the affairs of Ambercrest.¡±


    She wished she could provide him with a subtle hint of some kind, but it was far too risky. The best she could do was hope that this slight push would be enough for him to uncover the rest himself.


    Beldon studied her for a few more moments, the small smile from earlier returning to his face. ¡°Well, if you say so, I have no reason to doubt you. After all, what reason would you have to lie to me?¡±


    ¡°I sense a lack of sincerity in your words.¡±


    ¡°And are you being entirely honest?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have not uttered a single falsehood throughout this conversation.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°That is certainly good to know. If I may have offended you in some way by implying you have, I apologize.¡±


    Scarlett waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I am not so easily offended.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. It would be a shame if that had scared you off, considering there¡¯s something else I wanted to discuss with you.¡±


    She paused, eyeing him. Was this the original reason for his desire to meet with her?


    ¡°You are a well-informed individual, Baroness,¡± Beldon continued. ¡°I am sure I do not have to tell you the value of accurate information, especially during times like these.¡±


    ¡°What is it that you want to have said with this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You yourself mentioned that you are not easily offended, so I hope you won¡¯t mind when I say that I¡¯ve been keeping a close eye on you since our first meeting.¡±


    ¡°I would have expected no less. And? Did you discover anything of interest?¡±


    ¡°Quite a lot,¡± he said. ¡°Although I suspect most of it barely even scratches the surface. I am particularly curious about how you succeeded in helping the Withersworths, where generations of mages and priests have failed before you.¡±


    ¡°It was not as challenging as it might sound,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°I am sure it wasn¡¯t. But that only piques my curiosity even further.¡± Beldon snapped his fingers. The door immediately opened, and the servant from before entered, walking up to and stopping behind the man¡¯s couch. Beldon leaned forward, picking up the papers he had been examining earlier, his attention still focused on Scarlett, and held them up over his shoulder. ¡°Mireya, please have these delivered to my father.¡±


    The young woman took the papers with a neutral expression. ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    ¡°And do you have the documents I asked you to prepare?¡±


    She produced another stack of papers, holding them over his shoulder. Beldon took them without looking and extended them over the table towards Scarlett.


    Scarlett eyed the papers for a moment before accepting them. As she began reading through the contents, the servant woman left the room with barely any sound. It took her a few minutes to read it all, and once Scarlett finished, she placed the documents on the table while maintaining an impassive expression and looked at Beldon. ¡°So, this is what you wanted to discuss.¡±


    The papers contained summaries of reports detailing her movements over the past few months. While they were far from complete, with significant gaps in information regarding her dungeon visits and the like, it wasn¡¯t what was missing that caught her attention. Rather, it was what the reports focused on, and what they implied. In particular, there were accounts concerning some of her activities and preparations that she had hoped would never come to light.


    It appeared Beldon had caught on to her involvement in the heist at the Sanctuary of Ittar.


    ¡°You seem remarkably calm about all of this,¡± the man remarked.


    ¡°Is there a reason I should not be?¡± she asked.


    The truth was that she wasn¡¯t calm about this, but her concern was easy enough to hide. When she had made the decision to proceed with the heist, she had been prepared for the possibility that someone might uncover it all, and Beldon had been at the top of her list of likely suspects.


    ¡°Most people would say yes, but that¡¯s what I appreciate about you, Baroness. It makes this conversation much easier.¡± Beldon leaned back in his seat, examining her. ¡°So, you won¡¯t deny your connection to what transpired at the Sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°Is there any point in doing so? The evidence you have is far from enough to take any action at the moment, and you cannot share this talk with anyone.¡±


    The man shrugged. ¡°No, I simply thought it refreshing to receive such a straightforward response.¡±


    ¡°So, why did you show me this?¡± Scarlett gestured towards the papers on the table. ¡°I had higher expectations than you attempting to pressure me with this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered that you think so highly of me. And you¡¯re right, of course. While there¡¯s much I would like from you, all of it is information I suspect I couldn¡¯t extract even if I threatened to expose this to the Followers. The reason I showed you this is much simpler.¡± Beldon¡¯s quiet gaze stayed on her for a moment. ¡°I am impressed.¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡°You are¡­impressed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I had already assumed you were more than what you appeared to be. I just didn¡¯t know to what extent. But successfully infiltrating the Sanctuary of Ittar and stealing several sacred relics¡­¡± He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s clear that I severely underestimated your capabilities.¡±


    ¡°I am glad to hear that you think so.¡±


    ¡°Would it be too much to ask why you did it?¡±


    Scarlett met his inquisitive gaze. ¡°¡­They possessed an artifact that I needed.¡±


    ¡°For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°To achieve my goals. To survive.¡± She raised both hands in the air. ¡°Does the specific reason matter? It is not something I will allow you to involve yourself with, if that is what you hope.¡±


    Beldon rubbed his chin with his left hand. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I want to involve myself, necessarily. But this is a once-in-a-generation occurrence, you see. I find it difficult to be so close to the one responsible for it without learning the details.¡±


    ¡°I trust that you will survive.¡±


    ¡°Most likely. But that will not stop me from trying. Anyway¡­¡± His hand paused, and he tapped his chin. ¡°Let me get to the point. We have had some mutually beneficial exchanges in the past, and our relationship has been amicable enough, wouldn¡¯t you agree? But I believe there¡¯s more we can offer each other.¡±


    Scarlett studied him. ¡°You are suggesting we deepen our collaboration?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°In what manner?¡±


    Beldon once more started twirling the gold coin over the fingers of his right hand, a thoughtful look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to reveal your sources of information if that¡¯s a concern for you. However, I can imagine several situations where your movements and actions as a baroness may be restricted, such as with the Sanctuary incident. In those instances, my associates and I could prove helpful in bypassing those restrictions. I¡¯ve already done you some favors in that regard, just so you know. Likewise, you have demonstrated your ability to acquire valuable information that even my Mirage doesn¡¯t have access to, so we would love to work more closely with you.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brows as she contemplated his proposal.


    ¡°Of course, if you agree to this, you wouldn¡¯t have to concern yourself with any commission rates when you need something from us in the future,¡± he added.


    ¡°That was not a worry of mine to begin with,¡± she replied absentmindedly.


    Cooperating with an organization like Mirage did sound like a favorable deal, honestly. It would provide her with a lot of resources whenever she needed them. The problem was the cost on her end. In return for their collaboration, she would likely have to be more generous with the information she possessed from the game, but determining what was worth sharing posed a challenge. Most details related to dungeons were things she wanted to keep to herself to acquire the skill points from clearing those. And much of the other information she had could have unpredictable repercussions if she divulged any of it to Mirage.


    But it was a very tempting offer. As long as she satisfied Beldon with the information she shared, he wouldn¡¯t know how much she was holding back. It might be hard to figure out exactly where that line was, and which information was on which side, but it would probably be worth it.


    However, there was one potential issue that needed addressing.


    ¡°What would you say if I told you that I will only agree to this if you do not interfere with the Hallowed Cabal?¡± she asked.


    The man stared at her. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°You heard me.¡±


    If she became more deeply involved with Mirage, it was only a matter of time before the Hallowed Cabal learned about it in one way or another. While Mirage wasn¡¯t directly opposed to the Cabal, they clashed at times, and any backlash from her involvement with Mirage could prove problematic.


    A sharpness appeared in Beldon¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­I would have to ask why you¡¯re making such a request.¡±


    ¡°I will tell you if you agree to it,¡± she said. ¡°If it helps you decide, I can assure you that I possess information that would aid you in evading and staying ahead of the Cabal in the future. However, you cannot directly interfere with their operations for the duration of our collaboration or until I say so.¡±


    He eyed her wordlessly for a prolonged moment, twirling the coin in his fingers. Eventually, he leaned forward and placed the coin on the tabletop, folding his hands. ¡°I can make a compromise. We have no reason to target the Cabal ourselves, but some of our clientele often seek information related to them. In the past, we have tried focusing more on avoiding their members than competing with them, but that usually results in greater costs for us. If you genuinely can assist us on that front, though, I can agree to being more passive in our dealings with them while still offering what information we might stumble upon to our clientele.¡±


    Scarlett considered it for a few seconds. ¡°¡­That is acceptable,¡± she eventually said.


    Beldon gave her a serious look. ¡°Then may I ask why you made that request?¡±


    ¡°Because I have a prior agreement of non-interference with the Hallowed Cabal. Our conflicts escalated to a point where they threatened to cause irreparable devastation to both parties. So, we agreed to a cease-fire to avoid such an event.¡±


    The man blinked. Then a hint of amusement snuck into his eyes. ¡°I am starting to think I made a very wise choice in approaching you, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°It is good that you realize as much.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª¡± Beldon moved his arm in a wide gesture. ¡°Should we discuss details?¡±

 Chapter 152 - Those close by

    Livvi stood in front of the mirror in the washroom of the quarters provided for her, giving herself a final once-over. She had styled her light-brown hair in a bow hanging over her shoulder, like her mother often did, and wore a light white dress with blue patterns. For once, she chose to forgo her glasses. There was no need for them when she was only meeting other people, and they would only further accentuate her already bloodshot eyes.


    She had not gotten much sleep.


    The previous night had been a horrible ordeal. The chaos, the screams, the blood ¡ª it was her first experience being in such close proximity to fighting and death, and the sights still lingered in the recesses of her mind. What had occurred was a tragedy and a disaster, not only for the Windgrove duchy and the Tyndalls but for the entire empire. She didn¡¯t know how many of the attendees had lost their lives, but even if it was just one person, it was one too many.


    And yet, the duke and the rest had decided to proceed with the gathering for the nobles this morning.


    She disagreed with that choice. There was nothing wrong with canceling such an event under these circumstances. It felt disrespectful to the victims of the attack to simply pretend nothing had happened. She understood the reasoning behind Duke Tyndall¡¯s insistence on proceeding and her father¡¯s resolve to attend, but she didn¡¯t like it.


    Unfortunately, there was little she could do to change the situation.


    Releasing a tired sigh, she left the washroom and completed her final preparations before departing from her quarters to meet her family. They were waiting for her in one of the foyers, and together they exited into the courtyard, making their way towards their carriage. As she climbed inside the vehicle and it set into motion, her father¡¯s intense gaze studied her from across the cabin. The healers had tended to his injured nose the night before, but it still had a redder hue than usual, making him appear either annoyed or sick. It wasn¡¯t an unfitting look on him.


    She met his eyes. ¡°Is there something you want to say, father?¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to accompany us, buttercup,¡± the large man answered in his booming voice. ¡°These gatherings are often pointless, and it would be better for you to remain in your quarters and get more rest.¡±


    ¡°But both you and Garrin are still attending, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m joining as well.¡± She fixed him with a determined look. ¡°I didn¡¯t suffer through what happened yesterday alone. If our family has chosen to attend despite the circumstances, so will I.¡±


    Her father grumbled softly in response, but offered no further protest.


    Their carriage continued moving across the grounds of Grovefort Castle, and soon, they arrived at a spacious, enclosed area nestled in the heart of a sprawling garden that stretched along the banks of Stockder Lake. The serene ambiance was reinforced by the presence of enchanted pillars dispersed throughout the area, emitting a soft, snug glow that bathed the surroundings in a comforting warmth that defied the season¡¯s chill. Tables and patios were meticulously arranged around the garden, eagerly awaiting the arrival of more guests.


    As the carriage came to a halt, Livvi stepped out of it, her eyes scanning the scene before her. A decent number of people were already mingling around the tables, engrossed in animated conversations. She recognized several faces, but couldn¡¯t spot the one person she was hoping to find.


    Would Scarlett not be attending the event after all? The woman¡¯s absence felt out of character, considering Scarlett¡¯s usual enthusiasm for such affairs. The Tyndall Ball was renowned for attracting influential individuals from across the empire, transcending social castes and barriers while enabling new connections and relationships to flourish. Livvi herself appreciated the occasion for the many positive bonds she knew it had nurtured in the past. That said, not everyone had the same view of it as she did. And there was also a difference between the ball and today¡¯s gathering.


    Where the ball had people from all walks of life present, this morning¡¯s venue catered exclusively to the empire¡¯s aristocracy. It served as a gathering for the nation¡¯s privileged elite to convene, forging and negotiating new deals that favored their own interests and ensured they were the ones who benefited the most from whatever agreements had been struck the night before. Livvi was unlikely to find many of her Guild colleagues here, and while she had acquaintances within the noble circles, true friendships were scarce.


    Guided by the Duke¡¯s staff, she and her family made their way through the garden, joining the assembly of nobles. They quickly headed towards one of the first patios they spotted, where some of her father¡¯s associates had assembled. Despite the man¡¯s reputation as somewhat of a brute uninterested in socialising with most other high nobles¡ªLivvi was well aware of his stubbornness in doing things he disliked¡ªpeople were often surprised by how sociable he could be when he made the effort.


    It was just that he usually didn¡¯t.


    Livvi spent a while with her brother and father, engaging in conversation and mingling with the other nobles as she acquainted herself with ongoing matters. Every so often, she shifted her gaze towards the area where new carriages arrived, noting any newcomers.


    Eventually, she spotted the familiar Hartford crest adorning one of the approaching carriages, and soon Scarlett and her sister emerged from the vehicle after it had stopped. She observed as the two walked through the garden, heading in the direction where most of the attendees were gathered. They then paused for a moment, seemingly discussing something between themselves.


    Livvi turned to her father. ¡°I will take my leave for now,¡± she told him.


    Her father¡¯s gaze followed the direction she had been looking, spotting Scarlett. His expression furrowed as a short scoff left him, but he still gestured that it was okay.


    Livvi couldn¡¯t help the small smile that wormed its way onto her face. Her father could be adorable at times.


    She began walking over towards Scarlett and Evelyne. Both noticed her before she reached them, stopping in their conversation.


    ¡°Livvi, I see that you are well,¡± Scarlett greeted her with the woman¡¯s usual cool demeanor.


    ¡°I am, yes. It¡¯s good to see that the two of you seem to be fine as well. Hello, Evelyne.¡± Livvi offered a warm smile to both sisters.


    Evelyne returned the smile, although weariness was evident on her face, mirroring Livvi¡¯s own tiredness. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re not injured,¡± the woman replied.


    Livvi studied the two of them for a moment. On closer inspection, she was surprised to detect traces of exhaustion even on Scarlett¡¯s face. Throughout the years they had known each other, since childhood, Livvi could probably count on one hand the instances where she had witnessed Scarlett vulnerable in any way.


    ¡°Are the two of you really okay after what happened yesterday?¡± she asked, the concern bleeding through into her voice. ¡°I was stuck helping my father and brother after it was over, so I never had the chance to find you.¡±


    Although she had been fortunate enough to escape unscathed because of her family¡¯s protection, she had been worried about the well-being of those she knew. The Duke had ensured that everyone who attended the ball received treatment from healers, so most minor injuries were as if they had never happened, but that didn¡¯t mean one would remain unaffected by the events.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°We exerted some effort during the attack, but we were not seriously injured, if that is what you are concerned about,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°A good night of full rest is most likely all it will take to fully recover once we return to Freybrook.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Livvi nodded her head. ¡°I have been spending most of the time since the attack worried about the safety of those I know, but most won¡¯t even be attending today, so I won¡¯t have the opportunity to check on them until later. It relieves me to be able to see you are safe, at the very least.¡±


    Scarlett regarded her with a thoughtful expression, and Livvi couldn¡¯t help but wonder what went through her friend¡¯s mind.


    ¡°¡­I believe I understand your concern,¡± the woman finally said. ¡°If it puts you at ease, I saw Father Abraham after the incident. He appeared mostly unharmed.¡±


    Livvi smiled. ¡°That is reassuring to hear.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, but Baroness Hartford, was it?¡± Just then, an older voice interrupted their conversation, drawing their attention to a white-haired gentleman in a black suit who was approaching, gently supporting himself on a damaged cane. Walking beside him was a middle-aged man with black hair, bearing a resemblance to the older gentleman.


    Scarlett turned towards them, her brow slightly creased. ¡°¡­Mister Halewell, if I recall correctly.¡±


    The elderly man smiled. ¡°Quite right, my lady. And this is my son, Laurenz. He is the current holder of the title of Baron Halewell.¡±


    While the older gentleman radiated warmth and sincerity on his face, his son¡¯s expression was less cordial. The man still offered a respectful nod to Scarlett, though. ¡°Baroness Hartford.¡±


    Scarlett greeted him with a nod in return. ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Baron Halewell.¡±


    Livvi exchanged a look with Evelyne. Judging by the younger woman¡¯s expression, it seemed neither of them knew how Scarlett was familiar with this man.


    ¡°I said much the same yesterday, but upon seeing you just now, I felt compelled to express my gratitude for your assistance once more, my lady,¡± the older Halewell said. ¡°I imagine my son feels the same.¡±


    His son didn¡¯t look as enthusiastic about it. In fact, he seemed to already know who Scarlett was and did not appear eager to engage in conversation with her.


    A pang of annoyance stirred within Livvi. She had heard from some of her associates that Scarlett had been shunned in noble circles lately, even by people who were supposed to be her friends. While Livvi could understand why people acted that way¡ªshe herself still struggled to fully comprehend the reason behind Scarlett¡¯s actions during the Proclamation¡ªshe felt it was all a bit excessive. But she was also well aware of how prideful people could be.


    ¡°Thank you, Baroness, for saving my son and father,¡± Baron Halewell eventually said. ¡°My father may have already conveyed this to you, but our family does not forget its debts. If there is anything we can assist you with, I believe we can come to an agreement.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that we can,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The elder Halewell then turned his attention to Livvi and Evelyne. ¡°And who are these fine young ladies?¡±


    ¡°I am Scarlett¡¯s younger sister, Evelyne Hartford.¡±


    ¡°And I am Livvi Knottley.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Knottley? Are you perhaps related to Count Knottley?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Livvi answered. ¡°I am his daughter. Do you know him?¡±


    The old man leaned on his cane and stroked his white beard. ¡°I see. I have had the occasional conversation with him, but I would not say that we are acquainted.¡±


    ¡°My father is over there, if you are interested in speaking with him.¡± She pointed in the direction of where she had been earlier.


    Her father disliked most meetings like this, but this man seemed pleasant enough. He was respectful towards her and Scarlett at least, and it appeared that Scarlett had helped him the previous night.


    The man looked over towards where she pointed. ¡°No, that will be quite all right. I should return to my dear wife instead. I was the one that pulled her along today despite her protests, so the very least I can do is keep her company.¡±


    He turned back to Scarlett, giving the woman and Evelyne a respectful nod. ¡°My son and I won¡¯t keep you any longer. I hope we have another opportunity to meet in the future. Until then, I wish you all the best.¡±


    With that, the man and his son took their leave.


    Following that, Evelyne observed Livvi and Scarlett for a couple of seconds, appearing to contemplate something. After exchanging a glance with her sister, she eventually spoke. ¡°I think I will go and mingle for a bit. I¡¯ll leave the two of you alone.¡±


    She quickly departed, suddenly leaving Livvi alone with Scarlett.


    The two of them locked eyes.


    For some reason, Livvi found herself at a loss for what to say. Previously, her thoughts had been occupied with worries about her friend¡¯s well-being, but now that she knew Scarlett was safe, her mind seemed to come to a halt.


    ¡°¡­Should we head over there?¡± she asked, gesturing towards a nearby area adorned with tables and a beautiful display of flowers arranged in various patterns.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Scarlett replied.


    They made their way over, each picking up a glass of chilled wine from a passing servant¡¯s tray as they did. When they came to a halt, Livvi stole a glance at her friend.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry if I am not the most talkative right now,¡± she said after a moment. ¡°I think I¡¯m still a bit shaken after what happened.¡±


    Scarlett calmly regarded her and took a sip of wine. ¡°That is understandable.¡±


    "It still feels like my mind hasn¡¯t quite processed it all,¡± Livvi confessed, her gaze fixed on the deep red liquid in her own glass. ¡°That something so¡­terrible would just happen out of nowhere. I was talking with an old friend, and then suddenly all of those black portals opened up all around us, and the Tribe of Sin appeared.¡±


    A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the memory. Some people, like her father, had reacted almost immediately, but she had still witnessed someone losing their arm only moments after the chaos unfolded.


    ¡°It was indeed a terrible event,¡± Scarlett said, though the woman didn¡¯t display any particular emotion on her face.


    Livvi studied her, finding it difficult to imagine her friend appearing truly fazed under any circumstances. ¡°Where were you when it happened?¡±


    ¡°I was outside on one of the balconies. At the time, I was conversing with Dame Iyana Webb when we heard the commotion from inside. It was not as sudden of an experience for us as it was for you.¡±


    ¡°But you took part in the fighting, didn¡¯t you? Considering what Baron Halewell and his father said¡­¡±


    ¡°I did, yes. There were many Tribe members in the room where I encountered those two, and I helped to distract them so that those directly engaged in combat could deal with them. My particular brand of magic lends itself well to providing support against a large group of adversaries in such a fashion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­amazing.¡± Livvi didn¡¯t know how else to respond to that. She had always known Scarlett as someone who avoided fights, so hearing this was strange.


    ¡°Did you also take part in it?¡± her friend asked.


    Livvi blinked, meeting her gaze before shifting her eyes in the direction of her father. ¡°You know I¡¯ve never been good at those things. If it weren¡¯t for my brother and father protecting me, I¡¯m not sure I would still be standing here¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it is fortunate that they were there for you.¡±


    She looked back at Scarlett. ¡°Were you worried?¡±


    There was a pause as the woman considered her in silence, and Livvi was starting to regret asking, but then Scarlett finally responded.


    ¡°I am not sure.¡±


    Livvi¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°It seems that I am always somewhat uncertain about these matters when they are related to you,¡± her friend continued.


    Livvi stared at her, momentarily opening her mouth before closing it. Her thoughts wandered.


    There had been something weighing on her mind for a while now. Whenever she met Scarlett lately, she would notice these changes. Differences from the old Scarlett she used to know. They both delighted and saddened her at the same time, for some reason.


    She imagined that most were probably surprised by the big changes, those that were most obvious. But Livvi found herself not being able to ignore the minor shifts. The way Scarlett would look at her now sometimes, or how the woman would seem just slightly more conscious of the sentiments of those around her than before. It made Livvi wonder what had caused this change. What had made her old friend transform like this?


    It was difficult to reconcile the image of the Scarlett she used to know with the one in front of her, openly making an admission like this.


    Suddenly, Livvi found herself with the urge to ask something completely unrelated. ¡°Scarlett¡­ Do you remember what you told me when we were younger? After your mother passed away¡­?¡±


    The question hung in the air as Scarlett stood there, watching her quietly for a while, as if she could deduce the answer from her face. ¡°I do not,¡± she eventually replied.


    Livvi wasn¡¯t even surprised.


    That was strange. She should be shocked. Even with all the other changes, Scarlett should never have forgotten about that moment. It was the one memory Livvi believed would forever remain with her friend. Yet somehow, it hadn¡¯t, and that felt oddly natural.


    Was this the cause of that peculiar feeling Livvi had experienced every time she interacted with Scarlett lately? The unspoken weight behind their interactions? What did it mean? Was it bad¡­or was it good?


    ¡°¡­Is there a problem?¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice broke through her contemplation, bringing her back to the present.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Never mind. I¡¯m sorry, I was lost in thought about something¡­ It might not be that important, so please disregard it,¡± Livvi replied.


    Scarlett eyed her closely for another moment. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    Livvi hesitated. ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a figure approaching from another part of the garden. The person, dressed in an elegant gown and wearing a stony expression on her face, looked like she was staring directly at Scarlett.


    She pointed towards the person. ¡°W-We can discuss that some other time. I think there is something else we need to address first.¡±


    That was Marchioness Edita Delmon, Scarlett¡¯s future mother-in-law.

 Chapter 153 - Perplexing observations

    Livvi watched as Edita Delmon approached her and Scarlett. The older woman stopped in front of them, her eyes scrutinizing them both before fixating on Scarlett.


    ¡°Lady Hartford,¡± she said sharply. ¡°A word.¡±


    Scarlett merely appeared to study her for a moment. ¡°A word, you say?¡±


    ¡°Lady Delmon¡ª¡±


    ¡°Miss Knottley, if you could excuse us, I need to speak with the Baroness.¡±


    Livvi couldn¡¯t even say anything before she was interrupted by the woman. Hesitating, she glanced at Scarlett. Thoughts about her friend¡¯s response to her question were still swirling in her mind, but Edita Delmon emitted an aura that didn¡¯t allow for objection. If Livvi refused to go, it might escalate whatever this scenario was further. But she also wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to leave the two of them alone, either.


    ¡°There is no need to be concerned, Livvi,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°You can go.¡±


    Livvi looked back and forth between Scarlett and Lady Delmon for a breath longer, then reluctantly nodded her head and turned around to walk off. As she began following one of the paths leading to a different part of the garden where the venue was held, she took note of the nobles she passed by and who appeared to be casting curious glances towards the scene behind her.


    After covering some distance, she glanced back as well and saw that Lady Delmon¡¯s expression had soured due to whatever conversation the two were having. Meanwhile, Scarlett maintained her usual cool demeanor.


    Livvi wasn¡¯t sure what had transpired between the two of them prior to this, but seeing this, she felt uneasy leaving them like that. It was all too easy for someone of Lady Delmon¡¯s standing to pressure minor nobles into doing what she wanted at events like this.


    Livvi stopped, surveying the garden and the people gathered along the lake bank. Eventually, her gaze settled on her father¡¯s stocky figure. The bald-headed man had relocated from where she had left him before, but he was still engaged in conversation with people she was familiar with. That was good. She knew they wouldn¡¯t mind if she briefly borrowed her father. Her brother appeared to have wandered off elsewhere, but she didn¡¯t need his help at the moment anyway.


    Approaching her father and his company, the man turned away from the group to look at her. ¡°Are you done speaking with the Hartford girl already?¡±


    ¡°We did not get much opportunity to talk,¡± she replied, glancing at her father¡¯s companions. ¡°Would it be alright if I stole my father¡¯s attention for a short while?¡±


    None of them objected as she brought him away, though the man himself held a deep frown on his face as he followed her.


    ¡°What is this about, Livvi?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. I simply felt it would be best to intervene before things escalated.¡±


    Livvi had heard about Scarlett¡¯s actions during the Elysian Proclamation and witnessed it firsthand when the woman confronted Count Soames the previous day. It was clear that her friend wasn¡¯t afraid to offend even those with far greater influence, and while Livvi believed Scarlett knew what she was doing, the intricacies of high society often led to grave consequences for even the tiniest of mistakes, even for those who were experienced.


    Her father¡¯s frown only deepened when he realized where she was leading him, transforming into a scowl when he spotted Lady Delmon standing opposite Scarlett.


    ¡°I suggest you reconsider your words just now, Scarlett.¡± The woman¡¯s annoyed voice reached them as they approached.


    ¡°What is there to reconsider?¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I believe I have already made my stance on the subject clear. It is up to you how you choose to respond to that.¡±


    ¡°My husband and I have overlooked many things, but your inflated ego is proving too much. Do not think that you can do whatever you want simply because you have gained a few new allies.¡±


    ¡°I can assure you that my words would have remained the same, even without considering any recent acquaintances I might have made.¡±


    Livvi froze, a sense of foreboding running down her spine as she listened to her friend¡¯s words. What was Scarlett thinking? She was quickly losing confidence in Scarlett¡¯s judgement.


    Lady Delmon fixed the red-haired woman with a piercing gaze. ¡°You have truly crossed the line this time.¡±


    Livvi¡¯s father cleared his throat loudly as the two of them approached. ¡°Edita, I see you have taken up the habit of publicly berating the younger generations now that you¡¯re getting on in years. That temper of yours is the same as always. Be careful not to pop a vein.¡±


    The woman spun her head to look at them, the irritation evident in her eyes as they briefly rested on Livvi before shifting to Livvi¡¯s father. ¡°This does not concern you, Lord Knottley.¡±


    ¡°And thank Ittar for that,¡± the man replied. ¡°I¡¯d be the one liable to pop a vein if it did.¡± He glanced at Scarlett. ¡°But my daughter had something she wanted to tell me, so I don¡¯t think I will be leaving until she has.¡±


    Lady Delmon¡¯s attention returned to Livvi, who met her gaze and chose to remain silent for the time being. Eventually, the woman let out an annoyed huff and looked back at Scarlett. ¡°Carefully consider what it is you are doing, Baroness. I believe you are already well acquainted with my son¡¯s character, so don¡¯t hope for more than you can get.¡± With that, she spun around and walked away, not sparing them a second glance.


    Livvi overheard her father grumble about being forced into something so pointless, so in her heart she promised to thank him later with some spiced plum cake. Mother¡¯s old recipe always managed to turn his mood around.


    Putting those matters at the back of her mind for now, she focused on Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I ended up getting in the way, but it didn¡¯t seem like that was going anywhere good.¡±


    Her friend shook her head. ¡°In truth, I appreciate your assistance. It was far from a productive conversation.¡±


    Livvi studied her for a moment. ¡°What were the two of you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Not much of note. It can be summarized as Lady Delmon attempting to convince me to end my betrothal with Sir Leon.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°She wants you to call off the betrothal?¡±


    Scarlett tilted her head slightly. ¡°Is that truly so surprising?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Livvi¡¯s father answered in a gruff tone. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Livvi turned to stare at him, but he merely shrugged as he scratched his beard.


    ¡°The Delmons wouldn¡¯t want to maintain their ties to her after what she¡¯s done,¡± he explained.


    ¡°He is not wrong,¡± Scarlett said.


    Livvi gave her friend a concerned look.


    ¡°There is no need to feel sorry for me,¡± Scarlett added. ¡°I must admit that I am not particularly interested in the betrothal or what it entails either. And from my talks with Sir Leon, it seems he shares the same sentiment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­not?¡± Livvi¡¯s voice betrayed her surprise.


    She had never interacted much with Leon Delmon. Her relationship with Scarlett had already become somewhat distant by the time she first learned of their betrothal. She didn¡¯t actually know if the two were close or not. Given what she¡¯d heard about Sir Leon¡¯s personality, however, it didn¡¯t come as a shock to hear he wasn¡¯t enthusiastic about the engagement. But she had expected Scarlett, at the very least, to fight tooth and nail to maintain it.


    Even Livvi¡¯s father raised a pair of bushy eyebrows at Scarlett¡¯s admission.


    Scarlett waved a hand dismissively. ¡°My circumstances have changed. I no longer have much to gain from involving myself with the Delmons, so there is no meaning in continuing to do so.¡±


    Livvi winced at how casually Scarlett discussed her own marriage. She knew her friend always approached things pragmatically, assessing what she gained and lost from relationships, but it saddened her to see Scarlett talking so nonchalantly about something that could shape and determine the rest of her life.


    ¡°You said that Edita wanted to convince you to end the betrothal?¡± Livvi¡¯s father asked, his eyes narrowing. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering why it wasn¡¯t called off yet, but seems there was more to it.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Scarlett met his gaze for a moment. ¡°There is no point in denying it. Yes, there were additional aspects to our arrangement, though the specifics are not something I will share. I am sure that you can understand. Suffice it to say I am currently feeling rather petty.¡±


    The man grunted as if that was about as far as he wanted to involve himself in this conversation and turned back to Livvi. ¡°Was there something else you wanted to talk about?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. Thank you, father.¡±


    His expression softened a little just before he looked away. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± With that, he left the two of them alone.


    In the silence that followed, Livvi stole a few glances at Scarlett. The woman seemed to expect her to say something, but Livvi was still unsure about which topic to broach. Her thoughts kept circling back to her earlier doubts and concerns.


    Not far away, in an adjacent part of the garden, she spotted a few familiar faces standing at the center of a small flower orchard. She pointed them out to Scarlett. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Lady Withersworth and her family? Should we go over and greet them?¡±


    Scarlett seemed to take a moment to observe Livvi, then nodded. ¡°Very well.¡±


    They walked towards Lady Withersworth, who was accompanied by her husband and daughter. She noticed that the woman¡¯s son and grandson, whom she had briefly met the night before, were absent. Hopefully they were safe.


    When Lady Withersworth noticed them, a smile appeared on her face. She warmly greeted them upon their approach, and Livvi found a bit of relief in this opportunity to let the conversation flow without having to steer it with Scarlett for a while, just while she was still processing things.


    Lady Withersworth expressed her delight at seeing that both Scarlett and Livvi appeared healthy despite the events of the previous night, though she did emphasize the importance of getting enough rest when she noticed the redness in Livvi¡¯s eyes. After that, the woman took the chance to apparently once more thank Scarlett for the assistance she and Evelyne had provided in keeping them safe from the Tribe of Sin during the attack.


    Time passed as Livvi and Scarlett engaged in casual conversation with Lady and Lord Withersworth. Eventually, the pair¡¯s daughter excused herself to meet with some colleagues, and the couple departed not long after due to prior commitments with associates of theirs. Before leaving, Lady Withersworth made sure Scarlett promised to keep in touch and reach out if she ever needed help. Livvi couldn¡¯t fully understand why the woman was so intent on supporting Scarlett, but she was glad that her friend had such a reliable ally, considering everything that had happened.


    After the couple¡¯s departure, Livvi had expected she would finally need to come up with a new topic of conversation with Scarlett. But to her surprise, it was as if the floodgates had opened, and strangers started approaching her friend seemingly out of nowhere. Most of them simply wanted to express their gratitude for Scarlett¡¯s actions during the attack.


    Livvi began to wonder just how many people her friend had helped the previous night. Over the next half-hour or so, at least a dozen individuals went up to them, some looking uncomfortable but still offering their thanks. Scarlett responded coolly and appeared mostly indifferent to their words, but she didn¡¯t outright dismiss them.


    Eventually, after the number of people approaching them had dwindled down, Livvi and Scarlett found themselves in a more secluded area of the garden, which overlooked the lake and its water from a serene patio that sported several different types of flowers around its edges. By this time, Livvi felt like she had finally managed to regain some control of her thoughts and could engage in a proper conversation with her friend.


    They ended up discussing some of Scarlett¡¯s recent exploits, including the woman¡¯s explorations of various ruins. It was a topic that surprised Livvi, as she discovered the depth of her friend¡¯s experience in such endeavors. It was simply another change on top of a mountain of others that she never would have expected from the woman before.


    After a while, she noticed Scarlett¡¯s gaze shifting in another direction. Following her friend¡¯s line of sight, she spotted a woman in a tunic standing surrounded by a group of people. Livvi felt a sense of familiarity from the woman, but she couldn¡¯t quite place who she was from this distance.


    ¡°Is that someone you know?¡± she asked Scarlett, her curiosity piqued.


    ¡°¡­I suppose one could say that, yes,¡± the woman replied.


    Just then, the person in question glanced in their direction. She was dressed in formal knight attire, with dark hair pulled into a braid, and a sword at her side. Turning to the people around her, she seemed to exchange a few words with them before suddenly turning around and beginning to walk towards Livvi and Scarlett.


    Livvi was taken aback when she finally recognized the woman. Dame Iyana Webb.


    Was Scarlett even acquainted with a member of the Royal Guard?


    ¡°Dame Iyana,¡± Scarlett greeted as the woman approached them, drawing the eyes of those who had been surrounding the knight earlier.


    ¡°Lady Hartford,¡± the woman replied with a stoic voice, stopping in front of them. Her attention turned to Livvi.


    ¡°This is Livvi Knottley,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°She is an old friend of mine.¡±


    Dame Iyana arched a brow. ¡°Count Knottley¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Livvi nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze shifted to the group the knight had left behind. ¡°Could it be that you used us as an excuse to extricate yourself from more of those ¡®incessant solicitors¡¯?¡± she asked.


    The woman glanced back only briefly. ¡°Yes, and it worked surprisingly well.¡±


    ¡°I imagine most of them recognized who I am,¡± Scarlett remarked. ¡°You might come to regret using that strategy later.¡±


    Dame Iyana locked eyes with Scarlett. ¡°I do not mind.¡±


    Livvi observed their interaction for a moment. ¡°Are the two of you well acquainted?¡± she asked. They had only exchanged a few words, but it already felt like there was an understanding between them that she couldn¡¯t quite follow. She wasn¡¯t sure what to feel about it.


    ¡°We only spoke for the first time last night,¡± Scarlett answered, surprising Livvi.


    The woman turned to Dame Iyana. ¡°Now that you have distanced yourself from those people, there is no need to linger with us any longer than necessary, if you do not wish to.¡±


    The knight surveyed their surroundings. ¡°Here is as good as any other place for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say so.¡± Scarlett looked over at Livvi. ¡°Unless Miss Livvi has any objection, I will not chase you away.¡±


    Livvi paused, considering it for the briefest of moments, then smiled. ¡°You are welcome to stay with us.¡±


    She didn¡¯t feel she had a valid reason¡ªor the right¡ªto refuse. Besides, even though it was a bit perplexing, she was also somewhat curious about the dynamic between Scarlett and the knight. Especially if they had only recently gotten to know each other, as they claimed.


    Dame Iyana nodded slowly, her expression remaining unexpressive, which Livvi found fitting for the moniker she had been given.


    Scarlett appeared to scrutinize the woman. ¡°Seeing that you are here, I presume things went well for you after our parting yesterday?¡±


    ¡°It depends on how you define the word,¡± Dame Iyana replied.


    ¡°You appear to have all your limbs still intact, at the very least.¡±


    ¡°I did not face any opponents skilled enough to pose a threat in that regard.¡±


    ¡°I suppose the Tribe of Sin saved their more formidable members for the battle that took place in the ballroom, then.¡±


    ¡°That is what I gathered afterward.¡± The knight crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Their aim was to keep me occupied.¡±


    Scarlett''s gaze wandered once more to the spot where Dame Iyana had been surrounded by people before. The crowd there had dispersed by now, Livvi noted.


    ¡°Regardless, you ensured the safety of a large number of guests,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I would not consider that a complete waste of time.¡±


    ¡°My father has spoken highly of your skill on several occasions,¡± Livvi chimed in. ¡°I am sure your presence proved invaluable to all of us.¡±


    Dame Iyana directed her attention to Livvi, studying her for a few seconds before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to hear that Count Knottley holds me in high regard. He is well known among the knights at Dawnlight Palace.¡±


    ¡°He is?¡± Livvi didn¡¯t know that. ¡°My father often told me he can¡¯t compare to Sir Crowder of the Solar Knights, or any of the knights among the Royal Guard, for that matter.¡±


    The knight cocked her head to the side briefly, as if considering it. ¡°He is mostly known for being the only one besides His Majesty who can silence the Captain. I have witnessed their sparring matches as well, and the Count is a skilled knight in his own right.¡±


    Livvi gave her a puzzled look. She assumed the woman was referring to the captain of the Royal Guard. Livvi had only met the man on a handful of occasions when he had visited her father in Freybrook, but she had never gotten the impression that he was someone who needed ¡®silencing¡¯.


    ¡°From what you shared related to the First Sword, it seems you face considerable challenges in your role as a Royal Guard,¡± Scarlett said, eyeing the knight.


    Dame Iyana nodded seriously. ¡°I intend to have him removed from his position in due course.¡±


    Livvi blinked, her eyes widening. What was she hearing?


    ¡°Was that another ¡®joke¡¯?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the knight answered.


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett seemed unfazed by that response.


    Now, Livvi couldn¡¯t help but stare at both of them. Was it okay to openly discuss such matters? She wasn¡¯t even aware of any tensions within the Royal Guard. Wasn¡¯t this cause for concern?


    ¡°That old man always talks about starting a workshop for his woodwork,¡± Dame Iyana continued. ¡°I have been thinking it would suit him well when he retires.¡±


    Livvi frowned. Sir Swale was slightly younger than her father, if her memory served her right. There had been previous captains who¡¯d held the position well into their sixties, so she didn¡¯t see why the man couldn¡¯t continue for another decade or so.


    ¡°You appear to share a close relationship with him,¡± Scarlett said.


    Livvi turned her attention to her friend, puzzled by her interpretation of the situation¡ª


    Dame Iyana nodded. ¡°He raised me after my family died.¡±


    Livvi paused. It seemed like she had been the one to misunderstand the situation.


    ¡°Sounds like a pleasant person,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Questionable,¡± the knight responded. ¡±He can be, but there are many qualities that leave one wanting.¡±


    Livvi studied her for a moment. ¡°That is actually something that appears to be rather common in those that my father calls friends.¡±


    The woman looked at her. ¡°Then perhaps it is the Count who has questionable preferences in forging camaraderies.¡±


    ¡°That would not surprise me.¡±


    Livvi turned to her friend in slight surprise. ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    Her friend simply shrugged her shoulders lightly. ¡°I merely spoke from what I know of his personality.¡±


    Livvi pursed her lips together. It wasn¡¯t as if she could deny it¡­


    She let out a small sigh. ¡°Rather than discuss the aspects of my father¡¯s character, perhaps you could continue where you left off earlier, Scarlett? It might interest Dame Iyana as well, even. I myself was rather intrigued to hear more about those excursions you spoke of.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the two of them for a second, with Dame Iyana not saying anything in objection, then nodded her head. ¡°Very well.¡±


    From there, the woman delved more into the topics related to her recent adventures, some of which truly surprised Livvi to hear, which then developed into Dame Iyana also sharing some of her experiences as a Royal Guard and Livvi telling some stories she had heard during her time in the Shields Guild.


    From time to time, Livvi would find herself watching Scarlett as her thoughts wandered back to the questions she had, but she didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do with those questions. She didn¡¯t know where this would go in the future. She didn¡¯t want to pry too much.


    But she also hoped that there wouldn¡¯t have to be a repeat of the past, where she barely spoke to her friend for years.


    For now, though, she would let concerns and curiosities be. This was neither the time nor the place. And from there¡­she would have to see.

 Chapter 154 - Worrying futures

    Compared to the ball the night before, Scarlett felt that the noble gathering the morning after was almost underwhelmingly uneventful. She had half-expected another incident to occur, whether it was someone trying to publicly shame her again or another sudden party crasher. But instead, she found herself spending most of her time relatively peacefully with Livvi, as well as meeting up and speaking with some of the other individuals she had encountered during the ball.


    To perhaps both their surprise, the two of them had also spent a decent amount of time conversing with Iyana Webb, even if it was mostly a means for the knight to avoid other guests who sought her attention. Scarlett¡¯s initial meeting with Iyana had been cut short because of the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attack, but from this latest interaction, she felt she had gained a better understanding of the woman¡¯s character.


    The knight didn¡¯t seem to concern herself much with the posturing of other nobles¡ªpresumably she was one herself, considering her presence at this gathering¡ªbut she took her role as a Royal Guard seriously enough that she refrained from telling everybody to screw off at least.


    That said, Iyana did appear to have an inclination towards misleading with her words, even while sounding entirely sincere. It reminded Scarlett of Fynn, though she suspected that, unlike him, the knight was fully aware of how her words might be misinterpreted. Personally, Scarlett didn¡¯t mind it much, but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Iyana lacked many real friends.


    At the very least, the woman seemed to have plenty of associates, as she had eventually left Scarlett and Livvi to join a group of other knights later during the gathering.


    From there, Scarlett had spent some more time with Livvi, interrupted only by the occasional person approaching her to express their gratitude for her actions the previous day¡ªshe hadn¡¯t expected there would be this many people bothering her about it¡ªand a few other new acquaintances. One of them was Master Arthur Windermere, one of Lord Withersworth¡¯s gentlemen friends and sponsor of a merchant group that occasionally conducted business near Freybrook. In the end, she had directed him towards Evelyne for any further business discussions.


    As for her interactions with Livvi, Scarlett was honestly surprised by how easy it was to converse with the woman, even when they were alone. Their talks didn¡¯t revolve around a lot of important matters, mostly simple topics such as the identities of other guests and Livvi¡¯s own work, but the conversation flowed smoothly, even when Scarlett herself didn¡¯t really know what to talk about. There was an odd comfort¡ªor perhaps dependability was the word¡ªin chatting with Livvi that felt natural in a way. If she were to guess, it was another quality inherited from the original.


    That was not to say there weren¡¯t any awkward moments between them. At times, Scarlett sensed that Livvi avoided certain topics or had something on her mind, but she didn¡¯t press the woman on it. It wasn¡¯t as if she cared much either way.


    And so, most of the morning and early afternoon had passed. Disregarding the brief encounter with Marchioness Delmon¡ªthe woman really hadn¡¯t done much more than offer weak threats and shoot cold stares¡ªthe noble gathering drew to a close without much incident. Scarlett did meet up with Evelyne and the Withersworths one more time to exchange their final farewells, but that was all. Lady Withersworth¡¯s words suggested she had certain expectations for the future, but although Scarlett didn¡¯t know exactly what they were, she knew better than to reject potential allies at this point in time.


    One noteworthy aspect of the event was Beldon Tyndall¡¯s absence for most of it. Scarlett had spotted Duke Tyndall as well as what she thought were some of the man¡¯s other children, but not Beldon. It made sense, though, considering the circumstances. Scarlett didn¡¯t have anything more to discuss with him for the time being anyway, and he undoubtedly had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. He had provided her with a communication artifact for their future partnership, so she would hear from him again eventually.


    Finally, as they prepared to take their leave, Scarlett and Evelyne also bid their goodbyes together to Livvi. The short woman had looked a bit uncertain during the farewell, as if there was still something she wished to say, but eventually she also bid them goodbye and expressed her hope that they would get the chance to meet again sometime soon. However, Shields Guild business would probably keep her occupied for the near future.


    Afterward, Scarlett and Evelyne boarded their carriage and returned to their temporary guest accommodations to complete their preparations before their departure. The coachman and handmaiden who had accompanied them were already waiting in the courtyard once they finished their tasks. With the help of two servants from the duchy, what little luggage they had was loaded onto the carriage, and soon they were on their way.


    As they left the castle grounds, Scarlett glanced over at Evelyne, who sat across from her in the cabin, gazing out the window at the bustling streets of Windgrove.


    ¡°What are your plans after we return?¡± she asked.


    Evelyne turned her head towards her. ¡°You mean for the coming weeks?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, I intend to finalize some of the remaining arrangements for relocating my workplace to the mansion. You said that was alright, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I did, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s that, at least. I also have some matters related to the fief and our businesses here in Freybrook and Elystead that need to be taken care of. I actually wanted to have them finished before December, but there were too many other things that kept me busy.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± That was understandable, considering how much of Scarlett¡¯s work she was letting the younger woman handle while she carried out all of her own things.


    ¡°In addition, I¡¯ll have to start looking into all the potential collaborations that have suddenly become available to us,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°I never thought we would have so many people willing to work with us after everything that¡¯s happened. I was probably rejected by more than not, but even so, there¡¯s enough potential work now that it could keep me busy for at least six months straight. It¡¯s quite unbelievable, really. This ball was both the worst and best one I¡¯ve ever attended.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°That is good to hear. It is better to have too many options than too few.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but that¡¯s easy to say when you¡¯re not the one doing all the work.¡±


    Scarlett paused, studying Evelyne for a moment. That was¡­an irritating remark, but it also wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°¡­Would you like my assistance?¡± she asked, keeping a lid on her annoyance.


    Evelyne blinked. ¡°Ah, no, actually¡­ I didn¡¯t really mean it like that. Sorry. What you¡¯re doing is the only reason we¡¯re in this position right now, so I¡¯m not going to ask you to stop¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    That was for the best. Scarlett had no idea how to handle most of the responsibilities Evelyne was in charge of. She was more likely to make things more difficult if she tried to learn.


    ¡°What are your plans from now on?¡± Evelyne asked after a brief pause.


    ¡°That is a good question.¡± Scarlett shifted her gaze out the window. ¡°I will most likely resume exploring ruins and collecting artifacts for us to auction, although I am uncertain if I will be doing it at the same frequency as before. I also have some matters to attend to with a wizard acquaintance of mine, as well as a promise to assist Miss Hale with a sensitive issue.¡±


    The incident with Count Soames marked the escalation of her conflict with the entity residing within Rosa, so there was no ignoring that any longer. But she also anticipated spending more time in Freymeadow going forward, now that it seemed she could finally make some real progress with Arlene.


    As for what the Cabal was up to¡­


    She glanced over at Evelyne again momentarily. ¡°There are also preparations that need to be made within our fief and household for the future.¡±


    Evelyne met her eyes with a curious look. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is likely that the empire will not remain as peaceful as it is now for much longer.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression fell. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Tribe of Sin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, in part.¡±


    A worried expression crossed Evelyne¡¯s face. ¡°Do you have more information about them? Is something going to happen again?¡±


    ¡°I cannot be entirely certain, but I have reason to believe so, yes.¡±


    ¡°What exactly?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there is little I have to share on that front,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If my concerns are correct, then the empire will soon become a very chaotic place. We both need to be cautious in the future.¡±


    The previous attacks carried out by the Hallowed Cabal and the Tribe of Sin would pale in comparison to what would unfold once the Cabal executed their next plan. The actual events had been slated to occur later in the game¡¯s timeline, but things had clearly been accelerated. With the [Ring of Depravity] in their possession, the Cabal would be able to unleash havoc throughout the empire. The Shields Guild, knight orders, and the mage towers would all be preoccupied with defending against the impending disaster.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can¡¯t we warn someone?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°Not this time,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that we say can prevent what will happen.¡±


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t even sure if it would happen, so how can you know that?¡±


    ¡°I simply do.¡±


    The Cabal would proceed with their plans, regardless of who Scarlett warned. The best she could do was ensure people were better prepared, but the empire had already been mobilizing its forces and citizens for months in anticipation of an approaching conflict. There was little else they could do at the moment.


    Not to mention that she would be breaking her deal with the Cabal if she told anyone.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re talking about something that will affect the entire country.¡± Evelyne locked eyes with her. ¡°If that¡¯s true, we can¡¯t simply ignore it because we think there¡¯s nothing we can do. Even if you don¡¯t care about them, if this has the potential to cost people their lives¡­¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t suppress the scowl that formed on her brow. ¡°You are not entirely wrong in emphasizing the gravity of the situation. However, I believe you are overestimating my indifference to it all. If there was more that I could do, I truly would. For now, I have done what is within my power. Freybrook is likely to be safer than most other places in the empire, at least for the time being.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her. ¡°What are you involved with, Scarlett? Exactly how much aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    ¡°I have shared as much as I can without jeopardizing your safety or mine.¡±


    The other woman fell silent.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Evelyne didn¡¯t immediately respond.


    ¡°Answer me, Evelyne.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve already told you once that I do,¡± the woman eventually answered. ¡°Even though it doesn¡¯t make sense to,¡± she added in an almost whisper.


    ¡°Then trust me when I say that I am playing a very precarious game here, Evelyne. To answer your previous question, I am involved in matters that might very well be tied to the future of the empire, and I am doing what I can to ensure that future does not end in some of the unpleasant ways I have witnessed.¡±


    Evelyne remained silent, and a brief moment passed as they watched each other. ¡°¡­So Freybrook might be safe,¡± she said after a while. ¡°¡­What about the rest of the empire? How bad will it be?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. Some areas might suffer extensive damage, while others may be able to defend themselves,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we at least issue some kind of warning to the places that are most at risk?¡±


    ¡°It would not have much effect. I lack evidence to substantiate my claims, and I cannot disclose more information to anyone else beyond what I have already shared with you. Not even this much, in fact. I will also have to ask you to exercise extreme caution with this knowledge, as it could cost you your life if it reaches the wrong ears.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her for several seconds, her expression revealing more and more defeat. ¡°What can I even do, then?¡±


    ¡°As I said, we can prepare our fief and its people for the challenging times that lie ahead. You can make decisions while taking this information into consideration. And when the time comes, you can do your best to assist those in need.¡±


    ¡°Assist in what way?¡±


    Scarlett leaned a shoulder against the cabin wall, tapping her finger against the windowsill to her right. She turned her head to observe the people moving about on the streets outside.


    She hadn¡¯t really given much thought to Evelyne¡¯s role in this whole mess, so she didn¡¯t actually have any concrete plans for the younger woman. Her words were mostly meant to convince Evelyne. But was there perhaps something they could do while still adhering to the deal with the Cabal?


    She supposed that, if nothing else, she at least had the obligation to try.


    She glanced at Evelyne. ¡°¡­To what extent does the empire¡¯s current framework allow for relief efforts, such as recovery and reconstruction? I am aware that the Followers of Ittar shoulder some of that burden, but I am uncertain of their capacity.¡±


    If she couldn¡¯t do anything to prevent what would happen, maybe she could at least lessen some of the fallout.


    The other woman gawked at her as if she had just sprouted a third eye. ¡°You want to conduct your own¡­relief efforts?¡±


    ¡°I realize that as a mere baroness, my capabilities are limited, but it is better than doing nothing,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°We currently possess more wealth than we need, and I can assure you that we will soon have even more. Allocating some of it for a purpose of that nature would not impact us significantly. However, I will confess my ignorance regarding the logistics of carrying out such an endeavour.¡±


    Evelyne stayed quiet for a moment longer before responding. ¡°¡­I can look into it. I¡¯m not very familiar with that type of stuff either, though. How much time do you think we have?¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together in thought. ¡°It is difficult to say. Perhaps a month? Perhaps two. Or it could be much less. I cannot provide a definite answer.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how long it would take for the Cabal to act. Thinking about it logically, she believed they would require some time to complete their preparations if they planned to launch simultaneous attacks across the empire.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that will be enough time or not,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°But it¡¯s something, at least.¡±


    ¡°I have faith in your abilities. If there is anything you require my assistance with, you need only ask.¡±


    The woman nodded, her gaze shifting downward. ¡°I think I¡¯ll need to hire more workers¡­¡±

 Chapter 155 - Progress

    At the center of a garden, nestled in the back of the Freybrook mansion, Scarlett sat beneath the lone garden alcove, her gaze fixed on the space before her. In the span of the few weeks since she had introduced the Loci to this place, it had undergone more changes than anticipated.


    The hedges that formed a small maze around the garden had begun shedding their leaves in the late autumn weather, casting muted shades over the surroundings. The once-vibrant patches of flowers scattered throughout the area had also faded, their delicate stems swaying gently in the breeze. It was a sight one would expect to see as the land prepared for the impending winter.


    But a curious phenomenon unfolded at the heart of the garden. Against all odds, the flowers and hedges near the center remained in full bloom, their resplendent hues creating a striking contrast to their wilting brethren. It was as if there was a pocket of eternal spring in a sea of fading vitality, leaking its essence into its surroundings.


    Standing proudly at the core of this was a simple stone pedestal, adorned with a delicate ring of strange turquoise-green flowers that had taken root around its base. Resting atop the pedestal was a multi-faceted emerald, emitting a pale green light that seemed to infuse the surrounding vegetation with a subtle, nourishing energy.


    The air near it was mellow, deviating from the chilly wind outside the area of effect, and Scarlett sat wearing nothing more than a sleeveless dress as she took in the sight.


    She hadn¡¯t known of this particular feature when she initially placed the Loci in this garden. It was only after Garside told her that the gardener had been confused over how resilient some of the flowers seemed to be a couple of weeks back that she began to suspect it.


    At first, the effect had been less pronounced, only appearing to affect the flora closest to the Loci. However, soon those strange flowers at its base had appeared, and then the climate itself around the artifact had started transforming.


    To be honest, she was impressed by how quickly it had progressed since then. Before she had departed for Windgrove, the range of the effect had been more than a few meters smaller. Now it probably reached twenty or so meters away from the Loci.


    While the exact reason for this transformation was a mystery to her, she didn¡¯t mind it. That was most magic to her, anyway. She took it as a sign that the Loci had become more familiar with the estate, integrating itself into the space to a point where it could do more than simply observe. Her connection to the artifact hadn¡¯t changed too much, but being in this close proximity to it made it feel subtly more present, for lack of a better word.


    To her, that was promising. As was what she was currently doing.


    Extending her awareness toward the link at the back of her mind, she felt the dutiful presence of the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] brushing against her senses as the gemstone on the pedestal emitted a faint glow.


    In her palm, she held a fallen pink rose petal. With her focus placed entirely on it, she raised her other hand. Guided by instinct that she didn¡¯t quite understand, she followed the intuitive pull of the Loci, narrowing her eyes. Then, with a gentle motion, she transferred the petal from one palm to the other. The movement felt odd, like she had skipped a step in the process. As if her hand hadn¡¯t quite traversed enough distance to reach its destination.


    Yet it worked without issue, and the petal now lay softly on the skin of her other hand. This marked the fifth time she had tried this, but it still brought a small smile to her face to see it work.


    The Loci possessed the ability to manipulate space within its sphere of influence.


    Scarlett had long suspected it was possible, considering what she had witnessed in Abelard¡¯s mansion and the fact that the Loci originated from the Wandering Realm, known for how peculiar space could be there. However, it wasn¡¯t until now that she had been able to confirm it.


    For the moment, the actual feat itself wasn¡¯t anything impressive; it was barely noticeable. But the Loci was still growing, still integrating itself further into its surroundings. Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but feel excited and curious about what it would be capable of in the future.


    She was considering ways to accelerate its growth or enhance it further. She suspected that, in its current state, it couldn¡¯t accomplish the same feats she had seen in Abelard¡¯s mansion, where the entire structure appeared to shift around inside like an ever-shifting maze. While she couldn¡¯t be sure, it was likely that the Loci required an additional power source of some kind. When she had found it, the artifact had been placed above a glass dome filled with some sort of green liquid, and she doubted that had been only for show.


    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t possess anything comparable at the moment, at least to her knowledge. But she was also far from an expert on this topic. She had been planning on finding someone to examine the Loci on her behalf, but with recent events, she hadn¡¯t had the opportunity. Although that was definitely something that had been moved up on her list of priorities now.


    She continued her experiments for a while longer until a familiar voice called out to her.


    ¡°There you are.¡±


    Looking up, Scarlett spotted Rosa and Fynn walking towards her from the other end of the hedge garden, their curious gazes exploring the strange surroundings. She had been so engrossed in her task that she hadn¡¯t noticed their approach, even through the Loci.


    The two followed a stone pathway that led up to the alcove she was sitting under and stopped in front of her.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Rosa asked, the woman¡¯s head turning to look at the Loci. ¡°Entertaining your pet stone?¡±


    ¡°I have been investigating some promising prospects,¡± Scarlett answered, studying the pair for a moment. ¡°I assume you are here to speak with me. Is there a reason you sought me out?¡±


    Fynn¡¯s nostrils flared as he sniffed the air, his brows furrowing slightly. ¡°Not really,¡± he said casually, though there seemed to be a hint of annoyance in his voice. ¡°I was meditating.¡±


    Meditating? Scarlett didn¡¯t know he did things like that. Although she supposed it made sense, considering part of his powers relied on convening with his ancestors.


    Rosa playfully patted the young man¡¯s shoulder with a grin. ¡°You weren¡¯t in your office, Scarlett, and I wanted to find you, so I enlisted our little bloodhound here to save some time. I promised to make it up to him later.¡±


    ¡°But you never said how,¡± Fynn noted.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that part out yet!¡±


    He stared at her with what might have been a betrayed expression, but the bard simply ignored it as she stepped closer to where Scarlett sat.


    Scarlett felt a slight pang of pity for Fynn as she eyed him. Maybe this would teach him to be a bit less trusting in the future. She shifted her focus to Rosa. ¡°So, what is it that you wanted from me?¡±


    The woman retrieved a silver coin from her pocket. ¡°You asked me to go into the city and find this before you left for Windgrove, remember? It took me a while to find someone who wouldn¡¯t gawk at me like I was crazy when I told them what you told me to. It took even longer to convince them to give me one when you didn¡¯t even bother to tell me what it was for. But I finally managed it this morning.¡± She bent over in a deep¡ªand surprisingly graceful¡ªbow. ¡°I am ready to be showered by your unending praise.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Scarlett blinked, staring at the coin. Its surface bore an engraving of a talon clasping a bleeding heart, and there was a small indentation at the bottom that seemed to depict an image, though it was too tiny to discern any details.


    That¡¯s right. It had nearly slipped her mind with everything else that had happened, but she had given Rosa instructions on how to obtain that.


    In the game, this coin served as proof of one¡¯s right to become a client to the members of a certain group who liked to keep themselves hidden. The only way to acquire it was by approaching specific vendors in different cities and saying the right lines, which would allow one to buy the coin for five thousand solars. Scarlett hadn¡¯t been entirely certain who the right people to speak to were here in Freybrook, but she had sent Rosa out on the task anyway. She expected it to take some time, but not even a week had passed.


    She looked up at the woman, who was still bowing and waiting for a reaction.


    There were a couple of reasons why she had sent Rosa for this, and why she had deliberately kept the reason behind it vague. Firstly, the coin was intended solely for the person who purchased it, and Scarlett didn¡¯t intend on using it herself. Secondly, the coin was connected to her plans for dealing with the passenger inside Rosa, but that wasn¡¯t something she could outright say.


    She raised her hand to Rosa¡¯s, bringing the woman out of her bow and closing Rosa¡¯s fingers around the coin. ¡°You have done well. For now, keep it safe with you. I will inform you when I have need of it.¡±


    The bard looked surprised for a second, but then smiled, flipping the coin in the air and catching it before returning it to her pocket. ¡°You got it, boss lady. I will protect it to my dying breath! If anyone so much as looks at it, I¡¯ll make sure they regret it for the rest of their life!¡±


    ¡°Going that far will not be quite necessary.¡±


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Rosa said. ¡°This one coin was worth five thousand others. You have no idea how agonising it was carrying around that amount of gold for days. It felt like the pouch was burning a hole in my pocket. There were more times than I can count where I was this close to running away with it as my booty to become a pirate queen, living the high life on the boundless seas.¡±


    Scarlett felt like rolling her eyes. ¡°I believe you might be exaggerating the situation somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Rosa winked at her. ¡°Anyway, are you not going to tell me what the point of all that was?¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to?¡±


    The bard adopted a thoughtful expression, clasping her chin with her fingers. ¡°Hmm. On one hand, it would be nice to know what I wasted four-plus days on and sacrificed the chance for an easy five thousand solars to get. But on the other hand, that air of mystery makes things all the more exhilarating, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She looked at Fynn. ¡°What do you say, bright-eyes?¡±


    He simply shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Rosa turned back to Scarlett with a serious face. ¡°Mysteriousness it is. You keep your little secrets.¡±


    Scarlett had to restrain herself from sighing at the exaggerated performance. She knew Rosa trusted her with these things.


    ¡°By the way, what happened here?¡± the woman asked, gesturing at the flowers that were blooming around them. ¡°Is your pet stone responsible for this?¡±


    ¡°How long are you going to refer to it as my ¡®pet stone¡¯?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°According to my calculations, it¡¯ll stay funny for three or so more times. So, however long that is.¡±


    This time, Scarlett actually sighed. Then she pointed at the uniquely colored flowers growing at the base of the Loci¡¯s pedestal. ¡°The Loci is indeed responsible for this. I had not expected this at first, but I believe it is transforming the area into something more consistent with its place of origin. And as far as I know, the Wandering Realm does not have seasons.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Fynn asked. The white-haired young man had walked up to the flowers now, kneeling down to inspect them.


    Scarlett eyed him for a moment. ¡°I do not know.¡±


    She didn¡¯t think it revolved around a sun, for one thing. Then there were a dozen different possible explanations, but she didn¡¯t feel confident enough to claim any of them were true.


    ¡°Maybe the fairies just prefer things warm,¡± Rosa suggested.


    ¡°So do humans and most dragons,¡± Fynn said. ¡°The empire still has seasons.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­¡± The bard knitted her brows. ¡°Okay, I admit I didn¡¯t completely think that one through.¡±


    ¡°It is a fruitless endeavour to attempt to understand exactly why the Wandering Realm works as it does,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Unless you happen to be on good terms with one of its idols, any answers to your question are unlikely to be found.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that huge eye we encountered back in that haunted mansion was one of those idol fellows?¡± Rosa asked.


    ¡°It was, yes.¡±


    ¡°Maybe ask it next time you meet it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not think I will.¡±


    Considering it seemed to think that Scarlett owed it a favor¡ªand vice versa¡ªshe would prefer to avoid that particular idol as much as possible.


    ¡°Well, if you say so,¡± Rosa said with a shrug. The bard then studied her for a couple of seconds. ¡°By the way, I was wondering if there were any plans for us to return to Freymeadow again soon. I have some things I wanted to try, and that felt like the best place for it.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°And what is it that you wish to try?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just an idea that popped into my mind a while back. I chose to ignore it because¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter. Now I¡¯ve changed my mind, though, and I think it¡¯ll be an interesting experiment.¡±


    ¡°Are you intentionally avoiding telling me what it is?¡±


    Rosa smirked. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can keep secrets. It¡¯ll be a fun little surprise.¡± The woman paused, blinking. ¡°If it works, that is. Otherwise, this¡¯ll be very embarrassing, and we can pretend like this conversation never happened.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her for a few seconds. ¡°¡­I will do my best to act appropriately if such a time comes.¡±


    ¡°Make sure that you do. Anyway, what¡¯s your answer about Freymeadow?¡±


    ¡°We will not be leaving immediately, if that is what you were hoping for.¡± Scarlett was actually expecting an important guest the coming day, so that had to be dealt with before anything else. ¡°Perhaps the day after tomorrow, if nothing else comes up.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Sounds good. That¡¯ll give me some time to avoid making a fool of myself.¡± With that, Rosa walked over to Fynn and grabbed his arm, pulling the man up from where he had started smelling the flowers around the Loci. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you and your stone to your private talks. Toodeloo.¡±


    Scarlett frowned as she watched the pair leave, Fynn looking somewhat like a dog being pulled away by his eager owner, uncertain about his purpose for being here in the first place.


    What was Rosa up to? The bard had spent most of her time in Freymeadow playing with the kids or socializing with the villagers. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure what kind of experiments the woman might want to try or what resources she had there that she couldn¡¯t access elsewhere.


    Well, whatever it was, Scarlett would have to wait and see.


    As for herself¡­


    Her last visit to Freymeadow had been unique in many ways, but it had ended with little fanfare, as Arlene had essentially forced her to rest during the last two days of that loop. With this next loop, everything would have reset. She wasn¡¯t sure what her feelings were about that.


    Hopefully, it would at least mean she would be allowed to receive some real teachings from Arlene, possibly involving some of the quests from the game as well. That would help her develop her techniques and earn more skill points.


    She turned her head to the side.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 4039/5123]


    [Points: 2]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)


    [Argent Pyrokinesis] (100 points) (LOCKED)


    [Superior Hydromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Hydrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Superior Mana Control] (25 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    Ever since the incident with Gaven, Scarlett hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her skills or status window. She had briefly noted that the upgrade to pyrokinesis cost 100 points and was locked, similar to the New Skills option, but that was all.


    Now, though, she needed to start considering those things again. Before, she might have been annoyed that [Argent Pyrokinesis] was suddenly locked like this, but now, she honestly didn¡¯t mind it too much. [Major Pyrokinesis] was already powerful enough, and if Arlene was to be believed, she was far from tapping into the skill¡¯s full potential yet. In truth, she would prefer to focus on her other skills while she became more familiar with what she already had.


    She also believed she wasn¡¯t far from unlocking the skill upgrade anyway. If it worked by the same mechanism as the ¡®New Skills¡¯ option, which was supposed to unlock with the completion of the main quest, she only had to reach Beld Thylelion to do so. If things went according to plan, learning from Arlene would help her get there.


    The question was whether the upcoming Cabal attack would interfere with her plans. She didn¡¯t think it would. She still had some time to prepare. However, if it did, it would be annoying if she had to travel around the empire while that mess was going on. Even her arrangement with the Cabal might not guarantee her safety in such circumstances.


    That said, maybe she wouldn¡¯t need protection at that point. Freymeadow was available to her every few days, giving her an additional two or three days with an experienced teacher and an abundant supply of mana. Even if she only had one month before things escalated with the Cabal, she would have at least half a month of extra training on top of that. It might not sound like much, but considering how fast she had progressed previously, both with and without Arlene¡¯s guidance, she had high hopes.


    But, well, that was for later. For now, she turned her attention back to her earlier experiments with the Loci, wanting to see how far this could get her.

 Chapter 156 - Scholarly research

    Scarlett sat in her office, hunched over her desk, engrossed in the mountain of documents sprawled before her. The morning had slipped away unnoticed, and her eyes were starting to feel strained from the excessive amount of numbers and figures she had been poring over.


    The thick pile consisted mostly of reports concerning the barony and the family¡¯s current assets, as well as some preliminary estimations regarding how they could be employed. Evelyne had compiled them in preparation for the relief venture Scarlett had somehow convinced herself to get involved with. The younger woman was currently looking into what options they had available on that front and had asked for Scarlett¡¯s input.


    Scarlett herself would have preferred to avoid dealing with all this paperwork, but she didn¡¯t really feel like she had the option to refuse giving her help, considering it was her own idea in the first place.


    That said, she couldn¡¯t deny the growing fear that her brain would turn to mush if she continued reading through these papers any longer right now.


    With a sigh of surrender, she pushed the documents to the side and reclined in her chair. There was a reason she had never wanted to work in something related to the natural sciences or accounting. Basic arithmetic was all well and good, but she had done enough internships in traditional office settings when she was younger to never want to look at an Excel document ever again, and this was just that but without the conveniences. She much preferred her old work as an editor.


    Maybe if she managed to survive the future catastrophes that would occur across the empire¡ªand if she lost her current wealth as a baroness¡ªshe could open an editing firm or something like that and take things easy. If she never found a way back to her own world, that could be a good Plan C or D. This place wasn¡¯t so bad if you disregarded the secret evil organization and occasional rampaging dragons.


    A small chuckle escaped her lips as she glanced around the office. For now, she would be satisfied with a brief break. She didn¡¯t feel like leaving the office, though.


    She rose from her chair and rounded the desk, ambling over to the bookshelf running along the room¡¯s right wall. Her eyes scanned the array of titles on display.


    Although she had read a decent number of the books here in her quest to familiarize herself with this world, she had barely scratched the surface of the sum of works within this collection. While books could be exorbitantly expensive in this world, they were no rarity. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if most common households had at least one or two available. The empire had long been supporting several initiatives to promote literacy, and it appeared to be no stranger to bureaucracy, judging from all the documents and forms Evelyne had sent her over the months.


    Among the titles that the bookshelf sported, one in particular caught her attention. The book¡¯s spine boasted a weathered, dark brown leather, dressed with black lettering.


    The Red Witch of Destruction: Catastrophe Incarnate.


    Scarlett recalled Rosa once mentioning this book during one of her earliest visits to the office. At the time, Scarlett had dissuaded the woman from reading it, and since then, she hadn¡¯t given its existence much thought. She already had a general idea of its contents and hadn¡¯t felt the need to learn more than that. Now, however, her curiosity was urging her on¡­


    She reached out and pulled the book out from its place on the shelf. The cover was as dull and weathered as the spine, devoid of any illustrations. Most books around here lacked visual imagery, though, apart from a few fictional works she had seen Rosa peruse on occasion. Her assumption was that the empire had access to printing presses or some equivalent, but maybe it was more expensive to reproduce illustrations.


    Moving to the armchair in the corner of the room, which was primarily reserved for Rosa when she was here, Scarlett settled down and opened the book. She turned the page until she reached the preface.


    In the annals of history, certain tales transcend the passage of time, etching themselves upon the collective memory of nations. Legends of heroes and villains, of love and loss, of triumph and catastrophe, weave a tapestry of human experience, capturing our imaginations and revealing profound truths about the world we inhabit. Among these tales, some recount the nefarious exploits of individuals whose names once evoked dread and destruction. ¡®The Red Witch of Destruction: Catastrophe Incarnate¡¯ stands as an authoritative volume, delving deep into the deeds and acts of one such individual: The Red Witch. A formidable pyromancer from a bygone era, she was an embodiment of malevolence that posed a dire threat to the empire and its very existence.


    Drawing upon meticulous research and scholarly scrutiny, this treatise aims to present a dispassionate analysis of the Red Witch¡¯s destructive exploits. Its focus lies in meticulously documenting her unparalleled command over fire, which she harnessed as a tool to inflict widespread destruction upon towns and villages, resulting in catastrophic consequences for the empire¡¯s innocent populace.


    ¡°The Red Witch of Destruction: Catastrophe Incarnate¡± provides a rigorous examination of the furtive origins of the Red Witch¡¯s sorcery, situating her within the broader historical and sociopolitical context of the early era of the empire¡¯s existence. Through a careful exploration of archival sources and corroborative accounts, this scholarly endeavor aims to shed light on the factors that propelled the Red Witch towards her path of ruin and which might cause similar individuals to act the same in the future.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    This academic exposition seeks to foster critical reflection on the ramifications of unrestrained power and the pursuit of personal vengeance. By examining the Red Witch¡¯s destructive legacy, this work underscores the inherent perils associated with the unbridled use of magical abilities, revealing the immense devastation that can be wrought when grievances give rise to an insatiable desire for perceived retribution. Moreover, it invites readers to engage in an intellectual discourse centered on the complexities of human nature, exploring its capacity for both darkness and redemption. It posits pertinent questions surrounding absolution and the enduring legacy of those ensnared in a cycle of malfeasance. The analysis contained within these pages is intended to serve as a catalyst for contemplation, urging a thoughtful examination of the fate that befalls those trapped in the inexorable grip of infamy.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows as she delved further into the book¡¯s pages. Despite its claim of being a scholarly work with an unbiased perspective, it certainly didn¡¯t hold back in depicting the Red Witch as an irredeemable villain.


    Even after flipping through different sections of the book to skim its contents, she found little related to the nuance and ¡®intellectual discourse¡¯ alluded to in the preface. At least not in relation to the Red Witch. Instead, the overall focus of the piece seemed to be on condemning the woman for what the author hypothesized to be an unjust or misguided cause, driven by an insatiable thirst for destruction and personal vengeance.


    What struck Scarlett as both amusing and exasperating was the fact that, while the contents of the book appeared to be at least a century old, the author still seemed to be working with outdated information and openly admitted to lacking many crucial details. The true motivation and identity of the Red Witch remained a mystery, as most complete records about the woman had been destroyed for unknown reasons. The author suggested that she might have been a noble or official in the Imperial Army who was deceived or manipulated by the Tribe of Sin¡ªthe group had existed in various forms since the empire¡¯s founding¡ªbefore ultimately devolving into what was best described as a domestic terrorist.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of the book as a whole. It provided an alternative perspective on some of the information she knew from the game, but it fell short of her expectations when it came to learning about the person herself.


    While she knew it was improbable to be written down in a place like this, she had hoped for a deeper understanding of the Red Witch¡¯s origins and the woman¡¯s magic, as it could be relevant to her own progress, but she was mostly disappointed in that regard. In fact, she had likely learned more from a single side-quest in the game than from skimming through the book¡¯s pages. The supposed scarcity and deliberate destruction of previous records pertaining to the Red Witch piqued her curiosity, but that didn¡¯t provide much of an answer in and of itself.


    Without realizing it, however, over an hour had passed while she was reading the book when a soft meow suddenly pierced through her concentration. Her eyes darted up and across the room, landing on the desk at the far end, where a jet-black cat sat. Its tail elegantly swayed as its gaze seemed to fixate on the large painting that hung on the wall behind the desk and that had been gifted by The Gentleman.


    Then, the cat turned its head, its amethyst eyes meeting Scarlett¡¯s.


    For the briefest of moments, Scarlett got the urge to leap out of her chair and scan her surroundings, almost expecting to find the man in question somewhere in the room. But she quickly realized it was just her and the cat here. With that realization, her sudden tension eased slightly, and she observed the feline closely.


    This marked the first time Empress had shown herself in front of Scarlett since their first meeting. The cat returned her gaze with equal intensity, emitting another soft meow.


    Scarlett frowned for a moment, then remembered herself and inclined her head ever-so-slightly. ¡°Welcome once more to my home, Your Royal Highness. It has been some time since we last met.¡±


    The cat meowed again, straightening her back and with an air of pride, before settling down on the table and beginning to lick her paw.


    Scarlett continued watching Empress, wondering what the cat was doing here. She had heard that Empress had been appearing somewhat frequently at the mansion lately¡ªthe Loci still failed to detect when it happened¡ªbut she still didn¡¯t understand why. According to one of the servants, the cat had also been here when Scarlett was away in Windgrove. According to Scarlett¡¯s instructions, the servant had made sure to provide milk at the time.


    ¡­It couldn¡¯t be that the cat was here just because of that, right?


    No. Probably not. Empress would have access to better things than that.


    But maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt, just in case?


    Scarlett studied the cat. ¡°Would you like me to prepare some milk for you?¡±


    The cat paused in her grooming, lifting her gaze to Scarlett for a few seconds. Then Empress stood up and, with a grace that only cats could display, leaped down from the desk and made her way towards the door. Scarlett looked on in uncertainty for a moment before placing her book on a nearby table and rising from her seat.


    The door swung open as Empress approached it, and the cat snuck out. Scarlett followed suit.


    In the hallway outside the office, Empress casually approached the window overlooking the courtyard. With one smooth leap, she settled herself on the windowsill, finding a comfortable position to rest in.


    Scarlett stopped, unsure what to do now. She had thought Empress wanted her to follow for some reason, but had she misinterpreted the cat¡¯s intentions? Had Empress really just been looking for a new spot to relax?


    That¡¯s when something caught Scarlett¡¯s eye outside the window.


    She froze.


    Lying on the cobblestones of the expansive courtyard was the hulking form of a ferocious-looking creature, its length stretching across nearly half of the space. Its dark black hide and scales reflected the afternoon sun, with sinewy and powerful limbs that were adorned with jagged talons that looked capable of tearing a person apart in one movement. Tattered wings, torn and frayed, lay folded against its side like ragged black banners, the thin membranes between its skeletal wing structure stretched and damaged.


    Serrated teeth lined its snarling snout, frozen in a perpetual snarl, while two broken horns curved sinuously upward from its skull. A long gash marred its lizard-like neck, oozing black and red from a congealed wave of blood that dripped onto the stone beneath.


    Scarlett stared at the scene before her, struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing.


    That was a dragon. A dead dragon.


    She shifted her gaze to Empress, who nonchalantly licked her paw from her perch on the windowsill, unfazed by it all.


    What the hel¡ª

 Chapter 157 - What the cat dragged in

    ¡°Can someone please tell me what I am looking at?¡± Evelyne¡¯s resigned voice echoed across the mansion¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°A dragon,¡± Fynn answered in a casual tone.


    ¡°And why is that? No, how?¡± The woman turned to Scarlett with a helpless expression.


    Scarlett stood before the monstrous dragon carcass, closely inspecting it. Almost every member of the household was present here with her. Allyssa and Shin gazed wide-eyed at the beast close to her, while Rosa seemed endlessly amused by the sight. Garside was conversing with the guards near the courtyard entrance, discussing what had happened, while the rest of the staff gathered at the edges, their faces filled with a mix of perplexity, awe, and slight fear.


    Encountering a dragon was an exceedingly rare event. The fact that one was lying dead in her courtyard was still something Scarlett was processing.


    ¡°I¡¯m with her,¡± Allyssa said, her voice filled with disbelief. ¡°How is this even possible? How is there an actual dragon in front of us?¡±


    The group¡¯s eyes turned to Scarlett.


    She looked at them. ¡°¡­I do not know what answer to give you. Do you perhaps expect me to have been the one who slew it?¡±


    Dragons were formidable creatures, even in the game. This one appeared relatively young¡ªdespite its size already surpassing that of most whales¡ªso it was likely an adolescent dragon. That placed it on the weaker side as far as dragons came. Even so, it would have lived for at least nearly a century. Scarlett doubted her chances against it alone. Even a group of level 60s could struggle to deal with an adolescent dragon. With the support of her entire party, and if she could go all out by using the extra mana from [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], they might have a chance. Maybe. She wasn¡¯t sure.


    At the very least it would be comparable to the last boss in Abelard¡¯s Doll Mansion, where she¡¯d had Leon to help last time.


    But that didn¡¯t matter now. This dragon had been killed by something else. Judging from its injuries, it hadn¡¯t stood a chance against its opponent. She glanced up at the window that led to the hallway outside her office, where traces of black fur could be seen through the glass.


    ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t do it?¡± Rosa asked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. ¡°Maybe you mistook it for a bird and accidentally knocked it down with one of your little flame-water thingies.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a long look. ¡°Yes, I am sure that is the only reasonable explanation.¡±


    The bard shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s only ever-so-slightly more likely than a dead dragon randomly falling from the sky and landing here.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both absurd scenarios.¡± Evelyne wore a complex expression as she looked between Scarlett and the dragon. The woman really seemed to have a hard time figuring out how she should react to the situation.


    Soon, Garside concluded his conversation with the two guards and approached Scarlett and the others. The guards themselves resumed staring at the dead dragon like everyone else, their eyes filled with incredulity.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± the butler said, offering a short bow. ¡°None of the staff members I spoke to seems to know what happened. One of the guards reported passing by the courtyard twenty minutes ago, and there were no signs of the body then. The people who first spotted it claim that it simply appeared when they weren¡¯t looking. No one heard any sound indicating its arrival.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her attention back to the dragon, studying it. The surrounding stone didn¡¯t look damaged, so it hadn¡¯t come crashing down. That would have made a lot of noise anyhow. It couldn¡¯t have been dragged here either. Some type of teleportation magic had to have been involved. The Loci hadn¡¯t detected anything, but that aligned with Scarlett¡¯s previous experiences with Empress. The cat clearly abided by rules of her own.


    The puzzling aspect was why Empress had suddenly brought a dead dragon to Scarlett¡¯s home like this.


    ¡°Did no one see anything suspicious at all?¡± Evelyne asked, turning to Garside.


    The man shook his head. ¡°I am afraid not, Lady Evelyne. This servant apologizes for the staff¡¯s lack of vigilance.¡±


    ¡°It is all right, Garside,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I do not expect any of you to know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Your words humble me, my Lady, but our negligence is still unforgivable.¡±


    ¡°It is not. Expecting anyone to have perceived more in this situation would be unreasonable.¡±


    Evelyne looked at her. ¡°So, you do have an idea about why there is a dead dragon in our home.¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. ¡°¡­I believe it might have been a gift.¡±


    The younger woman blinked, and the others gave Scarlett bewildered looks.


    ¡°¡­A gift?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Most likely.¡±


    Evelyne brought a hand up to her head, running it through her neck-length hair as she turned away in disbelief.


    Fynn approached the dragon¡¯s body, kneeling next to it as he examined one of its damaged and torn wings. ¡°This is an ashenwraith dragon,¡± he said, poking at it. ¡°They live in the mountains surrounding the Ashen Plains.¡±


    ¡°The Ashen Plains?¡± Allyssa gave him a puzzled look.


    Next to her, Shin knitted his brows. ¡°It¡¯s a region on Baajirr, famous for the dangerous monsters that inhabit it.¡±


    ¡°Great, thanks. That tells me a whole lot.¡±


    Shin gave her a look as if he wasn¡¯t surprised by her lack of knowledge. ¡°Baajirr is the continent west of Zovivios. It¡¯s said to be mostly desert, so not many people live there.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s from that far away? Then how did it end up here? Are we sure they don¡¯t exist here in the empire as well?¡±


    Fynn shook his head and looked back at them. ¡°They don¡¯t leave their home in the Ashen Plains.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know about them?¡± the girl asked. ¡°You talk as if you¡¯ve seen them yourself.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I was taught about them by the ancestors.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    Fynn directed his gaze towards Scarlett. ¡°Whatever did this toyed with the dragon. It likely targeted the wing first to force it to the ground before attacking the neck.¡± He pointed at the deep gash across the dragon¡¯s neck, from which thick black-and-red blood was flowing out. The stone beneath showed signs of dissolving where it was touched by the liquid. ¡°Dragons aren¡¯t easily killed, even with injuries like this. It would have taken several hours for it to die.¡±


    Evelyne shivered. ¡°And you¡¯re saying this was a gift, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°That is what I suspect, yes.¡±


    ¡°From who? How? Why?¡±


    Once more, Scarlett glanced up at the window where Empress was. She was unsure about how much she should reveal.


    Evelyne fixed her with an intense gaze. ¡°Scarlett, there is a freaking dragon in our courtyard. A Dragon.¡±


    ¡°Note the capital D,¡± Rosa chimed in.


    ¡°Yes, I mean, no¡ª¡± Evelyne shook her head and turned to the bard. ¡°Could you maybe take this a little more seriously? What if a herd of dragons suddenly descends on us for revenge, or something equally ludicrous?¡±


    ¡°I would if I could, but per your own words, there¡¯s a ¡®freaking dragon¡¯ lying dead before me.¡± Rosa smiled. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to see it all as one big joke. I would recommend trying to find the humor in it. Makes it a whole lot easier to look at things from the bright side.¡±


    ¡°And dragons don¡¯t live in herds,¡± Fynn added.


    Evelyne stared at the two of them for a few seconds, then looked back at the dragon. Finally, her expression relaxed a little as she turned back to Scarlett. ¡°Could you please explain why I shouldn¡¯t be panicking about this? Please?¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°¡­As I said, it is most likely a gift, so there is no reason to be concerned that anything more will happen. As for the how and why, unfortunately, I do not know. I¡­suspect the reason might be because of the milk.¡±


    Evelyne gave her a dumbfounded look. A second passed, and Rosa burst into laughter that echoed over the courtyard. The staff members eyeing them from the side gave the bard befuddled looks.


    ¡°¡­The milk?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°I knew there was something special about that cat,¡± Rosa cried, wiping away a fake tear.


    Allyssa looked back and forth between them. ¡°Cat? What cat?¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s expression froze, and she stared at Scarlett. ¡°Is she talking about that cat I saw outside your office? The one that¡­¡± She blinked. ¡°¡­You told me to show the proper respect.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Empress,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Or at least that is what she goes by. Her actual name and title are longer, but I am afraid that I cannot remember it fully.¡±


    She¡¯d only heard it once, and about half the places and terms in it had been unfamiliar to her.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait just one minute.¡± Allyssa waved her hands as she gestured to the injuries on the dragon. ¡°You¡¯re telling me a cat did this?¡±


    Fynn frowned. ¡°Cats are small. It would have to be larger to do this.¡±


    ¡°Nonono, that¡¯s not the issue here.¡± Allyssa shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re talking about a cat. It doesn¡¯t matter how large it is, cats don¡¯t kill dragons. Cats barely kill mice.¡±


    ¡°A really large cat could kill a dragon,¡± Fynn pointed out.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s not a cat anymore! Then it¡¯s a lion or¡­ I don¡¯t know! Something else!¡±


    ¡°The definition of the animal aside, I do find it difficult to accept that a normal cat would be responsible for this,¡± Shin said. He looked to Scarlett. ¡°I assume there is more to it than that.¡±


    Evelyne, staying quiet next to Scarlett as she seemed to process this information, suddenly jumped in the air with a loud yelp that grabbed everybody¡¯s attention. At her feet, a black-furred cat had appeared and brushed against her legs, striding up to watch the dead dragon.


    The others in the group froze, their eyes locked on the cat.


    Scarlett cleared her throat. ¡°I presume there is a reason why you brought this to my courtyard, Empress,¡± she said, and the cat turned to look at her with a pair of clear amethyst eyes. ¡°The gesture is¡­appreciated. However, I must admit that I do not know what to do with it.¡±


    Empress tilted her head, observing Scarlett curiously. Then the cat simply lifted a paw and started licking it while casting a lazy gaze over the others in the group, pausing momentarily on Rosa and Fynn.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a cat,¡± Fynn said.


    Empress paused, her ears twitching as her eyes narrowed at him.


    ¡°Um, Fynn¡­ I think you should be really careful with what you say right now,¡± Allyssa warned. ¡°That is clearly a¡­cat.¡±


    The young man furrowed his brows. ¡°Cats smell. This one doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Empress lowered her paw, peering at him for a moment longer. Then she strode up to him, tail standing up in the air, and stopped before his legs.


    Scarlett watched in silence as he and the cat looked at each other, uncertain of what would happen. She felt it unlikely that Empress would get violent, at least.


    Fynn¡¯s nose twitched as he sniffed, and his frown deepened even further.


    ¡°I see,¡± he finally said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    With that, Empress seemed satisfied and pushed in between his legs, continuing forward towards a group of servants who were looking on with confused expressions. One of them, a young blonde woman named Nichol, leaned down and began petting the cat as she approached, and Empress appeared to preen under the touch. If Scarlett recalled correctly, Nichol had been the one to have fed the cat milk when she was away in Windgrove.


    ¡°Okay, I feel so lost,¡± Allyssa said after a while.


    ¡°So do I¡­¡± Evelyne muttered.


    Allyssa turned to Fynn. ¡°What did you mean by ¡®I see¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I was wrong. She does smell like a cat,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling us you just happened to make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Allyssa pointed over at Empress. ¡°So that¡¯s just a normal cat?¡±


    Fynn looked at Allyssa like she had just said something absurd. ¡°No. Clearly not.¡±


    The girl gave him an indignant look. ¡°What? That¡¯s what I¡ª!¡± She paused, as if realizing the futility in arguing that, and sighed. ¡°Ugh, never mind.¡±


    ¡°One would have thought you¡¯d learned by now,¡± Shin said.


    ¡°Quiet, you.¡±


    Evelyne turned to Scarlett. ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk more about this in the future.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Understandable.¡±


    The younger woman then focused her attention on the towering dragon carcass in front of them. ¡°For now, though¡­ What should we do about this?¡±


    ¡°That is what I have been considering for the last few minutes.¡±


    What did people do with dragon corpses here in the empire? Even if you discounted the usual items that a dragon dropped in the game, the materials you could get from one this huge had to be valuable. But she doubted there was a specialized agency specifically for dragon harvesting. In the past, when she had gathered resources from monsters, she had mainly sold them to alchemy and reagent shops here in Freybrook. The rarer materials were either auctioned off or sold to the mage towers through Evelyne¡¯s growing connections.


    ¡°Do you believe the Brook Tower would be equipped to handle this if we contacted them?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe?¡± Evelyne eyed the massive creature, scrunching her nose. ¡°It would probably take them days, though. What if it starts rotting before then? It¡¯s already causing damage to the stone.¡±


    ¡°It takes decades for a dragon to fully decompose,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°Okay, but how long does it take before it starts to smell?¡±


    The young man tilted his head. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure? I think it already does.¡±


    Scarlett smelled the air, but she couldn¡¯t tell anything too much yet. There might have been traces of ash in the scent¡ªwhich fit with the name¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t even close to what she would have expected from a beast of this size. That said, her sense of smell wasn¡¯t as acute as Fynn¡¯s.


    ¡°Well, regardless, I would prefer not to have a dead dragon lying in our courtyard for a week. It¡¯s giving me the creeps just looking at it. Feels like it might start moving any second,¡± Evelyne said.


    Fynn raised his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s dead, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no, I agree with her,¡± Allyssa chimed in. ¡°It feels weird.¡±


    Garside looked at Scarlett. ¡°Should I contact Brook Tower to inquire about the matter, my Lady?¡±


    Scarlett pondered for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°Delay doing so for the time being. I have a guest visiting later today who might be able to assist us with this issue.¡±


    Evelyne turned to her with slight surprise. ¡°Really? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Dean Warley Godwin of the Elystead Tower.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He¡¯s coming here?¡±


    ¡°He is, yes. I received a message from him yesterday confirming the visit. I expect him to arrive in the afternoon. There is no way to hide this from him in that amount of time, so I may as well bring it up.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s expression turned more serious. ¡°¡­You met him during the ball, right?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°You told me that he seemed interested in doing business with us, but I thought you were referring to the Elystead Tower in general. I didn¡¯t expect him to come here in person.¡±


    ¡°He is apparently quite an eccentric individual. But considering this.¡± Scarlett gestured at the dragon. ¡°I believe he has good reason to take an interest in our house.¡±


    Their eyes turned back to where Empress was now getting the attention of a group of servants at the edge of the courtyard, reveling in the affection as hands stroked her fur.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame him,¡± Rosa commented.


    Evelyne grimaced. ¡°No, neither can I¡­¡±

 Chapter 158 - An archwizards arrival

    Later that afternoon, Scarlett sat in her office when her bond to the Loci suddenly alerted her to a new presence in front of the estate¡¯s gates. One moment, there had been nothing there, and the next, an elderly gentleman had appeared.


    Setting aside the morning¡¯s documents she had been reading, she shifted her attention to the Loci¡¯s senses. In her mind¡¯s eye, she ¡®saw¡¯ how the two guards at the gate jumped in surprise when they noticed the man. Fortunately, they quickly seemed to recognize Warley Godwin¡¯s description and relaxed. Scarlett had warned them that something like this might happen today.


    She observed for a while longer as one of the guards led the dean of the Elystead Tower inside the estate, then she rose from her chair and left the office behind.


    Outside, Empress was once again resting on the hallway windowsill facing the courtyard, enjoying the atmosphere.


    Scarlett had been surprised that the cat had decided to stick around for so long today. Every other time Empress had appeared around the mansion, it had only been for a brief duration. But now, the cat almost seemed to have made herself at home.


    While having such a powerful presence nearby provided a certain sense of safety, in case something happened, it also made Scarlett somewhat uneasy.


    Considering Empress¡¯ connection to The Gentleman, she doubted the cat would do anything too drastic, like tear down a wall or hurt somebody. However, Empress was still largely an unknown to her. The game had always kept the cat¡¯s identity and purpose a mystery, so she couldn¡¯t be sure whether Empress being here was beneficial, detrimental, or inconsequential.


    Since The Gentleman often maintained neutrality, Scarlett doubted it was a good idea to attempt leveraging Empress¡¯ presence in her favor against other people. Both the cat and the man would probably be angry with her if she did.


    For now, she simply let the cat be as she walked past the window and deeper into the mansion. Soon, she had left the east wing and headed towards where she had instructed the staff to bring Dean Godwin once he arrived. She expected him to be held up a bit in the courtyard when he saw the dragon, but she wasn¡¯t in a rush.


    The guest lounge was empty upon her arrival, save for some refreshments that had been prepared beforehand. She moved over to one of the armchairs situated at the center of the room and sat down. To pass the time, she brought out the book she had started reading earlier that day, The Red Witch of Destruction: Catastrophe Incarnate, and resumed reading, making some mental notes in the process.


    After twenty or so minutes, there was a knock on the door, and a servant opened it, leading Warley Godwin inside. The servant woman set a look towards Scarlett as if inquiring whether there was anything else to do, but Scarlett signaled with her hand that everything was fine. The servant then exited and closed the door.


    ¡°Welcome, Dean Godwin,¡± Scarlett said, gesturing towards a couch in front of her. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the warm welcome, Baroness,¡± the man replied with wry amusement as he crossed the room and sat down on one of the couches.


    He was dressed in similar attire to what she had seen him wearing during the ball, with a billowing black cape that hung behind him, revealing a scarlet-red lining inside, and a suit that followed a similar color scheme.


    He gave her a curious look. ¡°I must admit, when I initially proposed this visit to your home, I did not have any particular expectations as to what I would find. I¡¯ve visited countless impressive residences in my time, after all, and I would like to think I am not easily impressed. Yet despite that, today I was still met with what might perhaps be the most unique home I have ever laid eyes upon, even with all my travels.¡±


    ¡°Can I take that as a compliment?¡± Scarlett asked, leaning forward as she closed her book and placed it on the table in front of her. The Dean¡¯s eyes seemed to briefly linger on the book¡¯s title before returning to her.


    ¡°I would say you have earned that distinction. There certainly has not been any precedent of people keeping a recently deceased ashenwraith dragon in their courtyard.¡±


    ¡°You are familiar with its species?¡±


    ¡°Oh, indeed, I am.¡±


    ¡°I was under the impression that they were quite rare in these parts of the world.¡±


    ¡°That is one way to put it. They are believed to be nonexistent outside of Baajirr, after all.¡± There was an inquisitiveness that had entered the man¡¯s voice. ¡°I find myself unable to come up with reasonable interpretations to explain why there would be one in the home of an aristocrat here in the Graenal Empire.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes roamed down to the man¡¯s hands. They were covered by black gloves, so she couldn¡¯t tell for sure if he wore the ring that detected lies or not. It was best to assume that he did.


    ¡°I can assure you that I was as surprised as you when I first witnessed it,¡± she said, picking up a cup of tea from the table and gesturing that the Dean was free to do the same with the cup that had been prepared for him.


    She took a sip to test the temperature, then used her pyrokinesis to lower it until it was only slightly warmer than lukewarm before drinking. Personally, she disliked drinks that were too hot¡ªespecially as it took so long for them to cool naturally¡ªbut guests might prefer it that way, so she usually refrained from requesting the servants to adjust it.


    The archwizard raised an eyebrow at her action but remained silent as he waved his finger, causing his own cup to float gently through the air towards him without spilling. ¡°If you¡¯ll pardon my nosiness, is there a reason why there is a dead dragon in your home?¡±


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure if he always used his magic like that, or if he was just bragging, but she chose not to react to it. ¡°I am sure there is, yes, although I will keep the details to myself for now. I had, however, been intending to discuss with you the handling of its body.¡±


    The man sipped his tea, showing a slight nod of appreciation for the taste. Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure where they sourced the tea from, but the mansion¡¯s chef was apparently responsible for that, and the man was skilled in more areas than just the kitchen.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I would certainly not decline such an opportunity,¡± Godwin said, folding his hands as his cup floated back to the table. ¡°Some of my subordinates would be thrilled to have access to a dragon not native to this continent. A member of the ashenwraith species alone is enough to inspire several dissertations, I suspect. However, I must warn you that there will be many questions regarding its origin and how it ended up here.¡±


    Scarlett waved her hand dismissively. ¡°We can discuss the specifics later. At present, my priority is to ensure that I do not have a decaying cadaver in front of my home within a week. I was hoping that you could assist me with that.¡±


    The Dean chuckled. ¡°Perhaps, yes.¡± He turned his head and gazed out of the large windows in the room, which faced the back of the estate, offering a view of the corner of the hedge garden and the training grounds in the distance. ¡°You know, the deceased dragon was not the only thing that caught my attention when I arrived, Baroness. Say, would you happen to have a protective spirit watching over this place?¡±


    Scarlett looked at him intently as he turned back to her. ¡°You could tell?¡± she asked.


    He nodded. ¡°It is rather evident if you are familiar with the signs. Although I¡¯m not acquainted with the specifics of this particular spirit, I have encountered similar phenomena on a few occasions before. However, this is the first time I''ve seen it implemented inside someone''s abode. It is a curious spectacle indeed. How did you achieve it?¡±


    ¡°I did not do much. The artifact responsible for it was of Abelard¡¯s creation. I merely removed it from his mansion and convinced it to serve me as its new master.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. That does make sense, considering Abelard¡¯s expertise. It is a shame that a man as skilled as him would waste his talents the way he did.¡± The Dean shook his head. ¡°It would have been nice if you were more familiar with the artifact¡¯s workings, but I suppose there is little to be done about that. I find it somewhat humorous that Withersworth allowed you to take it without truly realizing what he was giving up, but that was his own oversight.¡±


    ¡°I believe I did more than enough to compensate for it,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°That you did.¡± The man appeared thoughtful for a moment. ¡°If you do not mind, would you allow me to examine it later?¡±


    Scarlett eyed him cautiously. ¡°That will depend. Is there a risk that you might damage or harm it in the process?¡±


    ¡°I would exercise utmost caution and diligence. I do not make it a habit of mishandling that which does not belong to me.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I can grant you access to it on one condition.¡±


    He looked at her expectantly. ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I would like your assistance in determining how I can further enhance its growth,¡± she said. ¡°Abelard utilized a certain fountain or font of some kind in his mansion that I suspect acted as a source of power for it, but I do not know what I can do to replicate this here in my home.¡±


    The corner of the man¡¯s mouth rose in a slight smile. ¡°Are you perhaps endeavoring to turn your home into an unassailable fortress?¡±


    ¡°I am simply striving to make the best use of the resources at my disposal.¡±


    He chuckled once more, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. ¡°If that is the case, it seems fortuitous that you have the remains of a recently deceased dragon available.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brow. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Godwin studied her for a moment. ¡°Dragons are among the most astonishing manifestations of natural magic and biological harmony. The materials that can be harvested from them are sought after in numerous professions for exactly this reason. Their scales are used in alchemy and crafting, their bones and horns in enchanting and runecrafting, and their blood possesses various magical qualities. Since time immemorial, dragons have been considered living treasures by most mortal civilizations, though few have been foolish or formidable enough to attempt to slay one on other than a few occasions.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. She already knew as much. In fact, while she probably intended to turn over the dragon¡¯s body to Elystead Tower¡ªshe would have to determine its exact worth later¡ªshe also planned to keep some materials for herself. Allyssa would probably be ecstatic at the chance to use some of it in her alchemy, and Scarlett could probably come up with a few uses herself.


    ¡°That being said,¡± the Dean continued. ¡°There is one part of the dragon that is highly prized above all others.¡±


    ¡°Their heart,¡± Scarlett said. The dragon¡¯s core was a valuable reagent in the game, although its worth varied depending on the strength of the dragon it was obtained from. Not that there were many dragons present in the game. There were a few named ones, and then players could encounter a dozen or so ¡®weaker¡¯, unnamed ones.


    ¡°Quite right. And tell me, what do you know about the dragon¡¯s heart?¡± he asked.


    She gave him a long look. ¡°I am not particularly fond of quizzes or games, Dean. I would prefer if you got to the point.¡±


    ¡°Heh, excuse me. I am rather used to testing my disciples at every opportunity afforded to me.¡± The man cleared his throat. ¡°If I am to cut to the chase, a dragon¡¯s heart is an incredible font of mana and vitality that grows as the dragon ages. This alone makes it highly desirable, for obvious reasons, but that is not all. You see, a dragon¡¯s heart does not stop growing simply because the dragon itself has died. It continues to accumulate mana and power as long as it exists. You might not be aware, but the enchantments that protect Dawnlight Palace are powered by the heart of an elder tempestclaw dragon that was slain by the first emperor and his allies. It is one of three elder dragons confirmed to have been slain within the last four centuries, and it is estimated that its heart may have reached the level of an ancient dragon by now.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened in slight surprise. That was actually new information to her.


    ¡°So, you are suggesting I use the heart of this dragon as a source of power?¡± she asked.


    The man stroked his white, well-trimmed beard. ¡°It would seem rather fitting, would it not?¡±


    She nodded. That it would. It was almost as if Empress had been aware this was something Scarlett had needed.


    A thought struck her.


    If even an adolescent dragon¡¯s heart was considered that valuable, and the heart of an elder dragon was enough to protect generations of emperor¡¯s homes, then what could she do with something even better in her mansion? Elder dragons were incredibly rare existences, to the point where they were almost legends, but as Dean Godwin had mentioned, there was something above even that: ancient dragons. Ancient dragons were essentially natural disasters in their own right, and their numbers could probably be counted on one hand. So what would happen if she obtained the heart of an ancient dragon for this place?


    It wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. Ancient dragons were strong. Immensely so. There had also only been two of them present in the game. But, well¡­ One of them was an entity that the empire was all too familiar with.


    The ¡®Dragon of Devastation¡¯, as they had named it, was the dragon responsible for burning a large swath of the empire¡¯s territory to cinders and creating the Blasted Lands. It was also the dragon that had caused Fynn to lose most of his tribe.


    And that dragon was nearing the end of its life.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be too difficult for me to assist in setting that up,¡± Dean Godwin said, bringing Scarlett¡¯s attention back to their conversation. ¡°If that is what you wish.¡±


    ¡°That would be¡­appreciated.¡±


    The man nodded, and his tea floated up to him once more with a wave of his hand. ¡°Ah, but we have somewhat strayed from the primary purpose of this visit now, haven¡¯t we? While your home is certainly fascinating, I did not come here simply to discuss that, though it was a pleasant surprise.¡±


    Scarlett locked eyes with him. That was true. In their last meeting, she had agreed to talk more about her ¡®visions of the future¡¯. She had spent a lot of time these past few days preparing herself for this conversation.


    ¡°Then perhaps we should pick up where we left off,¡± the Dean said. ¡°You told me that your foresight is not due to the interference of the gods¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, something screamed at the back of Scarlett¡¯s mind as if pressing itself against her very existence.


    The Loci was crying out.


    Like a roiling presence of black ichor, there was something that was fighting against the Loci, forcing itself through its will and making the Loci recoil intensely.


    With a start, Scarlett rose from her seat as whatever defenses the Loci managed to bring up were breached, focusing her attention on its senses to determine what had happened.


    There was someone in her office.


    She paused when she recognized them.


    It was Mistress.

 Chapter 159 - The missus return

    Scarlett scowled as she used the Loci¡¯s senses to observe the woman who had teleported into her office.


    What was Mistress doing here, now of all times?


    The Loci was noticeably opposed to her presence, emanating antipathy and revulsion through their bond. Even if Scarlett had never felt anything resembling distinct thoughts from the artifact, it was clear that it wanted the woman gone.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Dean Godwin asked, giving Scarlett a curious look from where he still sat on his couch.


    She turned her attention back to him. ¡°¡­There appears to be an unexpected guest. Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Just as she set upon leaving the room to address the situation, she noticed Mistress tapping her staff on the floorboards of her office, creating a shimmering gate in the air. An identical gate materialized in the lounge where Scarlett and Godwin were, and the woman stepped through it the moment after.


    Mistress met Scarlett¡¯s unprepared expression with a beguiling smile. ¡°I see you¡¯ve made some new additions to your house. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this unwelcome.¡±


    As in their previous encounters, the woman wore a gold-yellow robe with a crimson red inside, and a white marble mask covered the upper half of her face, embellished with golden inlays and scarlet rubies for eyes. Her pale, almost white skin contrasted with dark red lips that curled upward. ¡°Oh? It seems like I¡¯m interrupting something.¡± Her gaze shifted to Dean Godwin. ¡°How rude of me.¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t tear her eyes off the woman. Mistress hadn¡¯t contacted her since their encounter with the Cabal, so why would she suddenly appear now, when Godwin was here? What were the chances that this was just a coincidence?


    Scarlett glanced at Godwin, unsure how he might react.


    The wizard scrutinized Mistress closely before looking to Scarlett. ¡°An acquaintance of yours, I presume?¡±


    She nodded slowly. ¡°One could say that. This is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡®Mistress¡¯, if I am not mistaken,¡± the Dean said.


    ¡°You certainly are not,¡± the woman replied, striding over and making herself at home on the couch opposite him. She released her grey staff, which surprisingly remained standing on its own.


    Scarlett could feel the Loci struggling to somehow expel this intruder from its domain, but its efforts seemed futile.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to find an archmage like yourself here,¡± Mistress mused. ¡°It seems clearing my schedule for this brief trip was more worthwhile than I thought.¡± She then turned her attention to Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯ve been awfully busy lately, particularly with trying to find that third old trinket you promised me. Your information wasn¡¯t quite as helpful as I was led to believe.¡±


    There was an underlying tone to her words that sent a shiver down Scarlett¡¯s spine, but she pushed aside the unease as she settled back into her own seat. The woman clearly had no intention of leaving and had no qualms about bringing up sensitive matters right in front of Warley Godwin.


    Mistress let out a light chuckle. ¡°If I didn¡¯t find you as intriguing as I do, I might have been tempted to mount that beautiful head of yours on a wall out of sheer principle. While I will admit that what you gave me did provide me plenty of opportunities to cause trouble for that decrepit collection of old bones who thinks himself a man, I could have done that anyway. This is the point where I believe a normal person would ask for a refund.¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes squarely. ¡°¡­I apologize if my information did not meet your expectations, but I kept to my promise. I never guaranteed you would find all the pieces. However, you did secure the second piece of the¡­trinket, did you not?¡±


    The woman tilted her head to the side. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right there. Technically, you did uphold your end of the bargain, though I have the sneaking suspicion you never intended for me to find more than I did.¡±


    Mistress gave her a long, searching look, but Scarlett maintained an unaffected expression. When dealing with Mistress, it was important to project self-assurance. The woman disliked those who hesitated.


    Eventually, Mistress shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Oh, well. I did say I find you intriguing, so it doesn¡¯t really matter in the end, does it? I am ever at the whimsy of my indulgent fancies.¡±


    Her attention seemed to shift back to Dean Godwin, who had been silently observing their exchange with curiosity. Then Mistress glanced at the table between the three of them, where refreshments for two were laid out.


    Extending her hand into thin air, the woman¡¯s fingers closed around a cup that appeared from nothing. With a relaxed demeanor, she took a sip from whatever beverage was in it and motioned towards Scarlett with her other hand. ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re still alive, it seems you made good use of what I gave you. I¡¯d say I¡¯m impressed, but I won¡¯t. It would take a fool not to utilize it properly, and I¡¯ve yet to take you for one.¡±


    Scarlett shot a brief look at Godwin. This whole situation felt somewhat surreal. Here she was, with two of the continent¡¯s most powerful mages sitting in her home, both here to engage in secretive discussions, and neither appearing keen on leaving.


    At least Mistress wasn¡¯t outright talking about the Seal of Thainnith or The Angler Man¡¯s heart¡­


    The woman took a couple more sips from her cup, even as Godwin continued studying her closely. Then she made the cup vanish, meeting his gaze. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    The man stroked his beard. ¡°Other than that curious mask of yours? No. But I have to ask: have we met before?¡±


    Mistress smirked. ¡°Easy, tiger. I¡¯m afraid our age gap is a bit too significant for my tastes. Or small, depending on how you see it.¡±


    Godwin raised both eyebrows. ¡°I do not usually make it a habit to court ladies upon first meetings.¡±


    ¡°I have heard more than one rumor about your thrilling escapades that suggest otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I have also heard about you. However, I did not expect that my first chance to confirm some of those tales would be today.¡±


    ¡°It is rather surprising, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mistress replied. ¡°That it would happen so suddenly in this charming little mansion of all places. It leaves me wondering what other intriguing secrets and beguiling connections our gracious host has tucked away. I can barely contain my curiosity.¡±


    Both of them turned their gazes towards Scarlett, who was desperately trying to come up with ways of handling this situation if things went south. Just as she opened her mouth to respond to the woman¡¯s words, however, a meow echoed through the room.


    The three of them stilled, their attention drawn to the table at the center where a black cat was lying perched on the edge, licking its paw.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated at the sight. Didn¡¯t she already have enough on her plate?


    Both Mistress and Godwin stared at the cat, their thoughts hidden as several seconds elapsed in silence.


    Finally, Mistress¡¯ mouth morphed into a vicious grin, her tongue running over her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s not often I¡¯m proven this right so quickly.¡±


    Empress shot the woman a sharp look, then meowed again and returned to grooming herself.


    ¡°That is certainly a fascinating cat.¡± The interest was clear in Godwin¡¯s eyes as he examined Empress. ¡°I could have sworn that table was empty but a few moments ago.¡±


    ¡°That is about as much a cat as I am a paragon of temperance and modesty,¡± Mistress said, earning another brief glare and low hiss from Empress. ¡°Oh, hush now, whiskers. You know I¡¯m right.¡±


    The woman moved her hand, and a bowl was conjured out of thin air, floating over to the table and being placed right in front of the cat. It was quickly filled with what appeared to be milk.


    Empress gave Mistress a long look but eventually approached the bowl, as if deigning to overlook the minor offense.


    Mistress turned back to Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯ve expressed a similar sentiment before, but you truly are more than that unassuming noble guise you present, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know about ¡®unassuming¡¯,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am largely what I appear to be. It is simply that I know how to leverage the knowledge and information at my disposal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do.¡± Mistress leaned forward, crossing one leg over the other as she rested her chin on her palm, her voice carrying an alluring undertone. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re currently my favorite.¡±


    Scarlet wasn¡¯t quite sure whether that was a good or bad thing, so after briefly glancing over at Godwin once more, she cleared her throat and decided to get to the point. ¡°While I do not mean to be impolite, Mistress, is there a specific reason for this unannounced visit of yours? I was in the middle of discussing important matters with Dean Godwin here, and I do not recall there being any business left between us.¡±


    Before their encounter with the Cabal where Mistress had given her The Angler Man¡¯s heart, the woman had paid Scarlett a short visit in her office to talk over what they would do. At that time, she had actually bothered sending a magical message beforehand. This visit was far more abrupt in comparison.


    ¡°I know. It caught me by surprise as well,¡± Mistress replied. She gestured towards Empress. ¡°You have that one¡¯s companion to thank for that.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°The Gentleman instructed you to come here?¡±


    At the mention of that name, Godwin¡¯s gaze sharpened and turned to her.


    ¡°Oh, by the unwashed behinds of the Viles, no.¡± Mistress¡¯ mouth contorted into a grimace. ¡°I¡¯d rather drink a barrel of bilewine than bother with anything that man has to say. There¡¯s nothing quite as infuriating as those who think they can manipulate others to act according to their whims without ever bothering to lift a finger themselves. Doubly so when they¡¯re right.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    She feigned a shudder, and Scarlett felt she could somewhat understand where she was coming from.


    ¡°Lately, there¡¯s been a commotion across the realms, and even I can¡¯t escape hearing a thing or two,¡± the woman continued. ¡°That pompous man¡¯s movements have all the wrong players acting in the wrong ways, and I¡¯ve had to bend twice-over to prevent my plans from getting entangled in that nonsense. It just so happened that I returned from a trip to Malevolence doing precisely that, but not a moment ago, and guess what I learned?¡±


    Scarlett eyed her suspiciously. Malevolence was one of the six Blazes, and not a place you casually strolled into. Any news from there were bound to be concerning, no matter how you looked at it.


    ¡°I seem to be overhearing some rather significant affairs here, and while I am loath to interrupt, this is something I am afraid I must inquire further about,¡± Godwin said. He focused on Mistress. ¡°I take it from your words just now that you know a way to enter the Blazes?¡±


    The woman met his gaze with a wry smirk. ¡°Indeed I do. Unfortunately for you, I¡¯m not sharing. The last thing this realm needs is another overeager archmage stumbling down there and forcing the rest of us to clean up the archdemon their soulless husk leaves behind.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°That was not quite my intention. However, I was under the impression that any interstitial spaces connecting directly to the Blazes, other than the Ever-reaching Grotto, were sealed off after the Veil of Convergence was erected.¡±


    ¡°Oh, darling. The Veil is more of a suggestion than a strict rule to most non-mortals. There are no bolts of lightning from the skies to punish those who take a quick jaunt across and back.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting you are not mortal yourself?¡±


    The woman¡¯s smirk grew wider. ¡°You tell me.¡±


    Godwin studied her intently for a few moments as if trying to determine the truthfulness of her words. Mistress tilted her head to the side, seemingly amused. Her gaze seemed to flicker down to one of the man¡¯s gloved hands.


    ¡°I thought I sensed traces of more than one baby wolf nearby,¡± she said. ¡°Are you perhaps expecting that trifling trinket to work on me?¡±


    The Dean did appear slightly taken aback by the question, but his calm demeanor quickly returned as he glanced down at his hand. ¡°Hmm. I am not entirely certain. It would have been rather convenient if it did, though, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes at him. While she would have understood the rationale behind it, she would have been annoyed if he had tried to make excuses for using an artifact to determine whether Mistress was lying, especially when he hadn¡¯t shown any remorse at using it against her.


    ¡°Then what do you think?¡± Mistress asked. ¡°Does it work?¡±


    The man studied her for another moment, then slowly shook his head. ¡°I must admit that I cannot tell. I suppose the answer will depend on whether you have been lying since the moment you arrived.¡±


    Beneath her mask, Mistress seemed quite satisfied by that answer as a smile played on her lips. ¡°I always try to mix in a lie or two in everything I say. Spice things up a bit.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brow, considering those words. Was that actually true? While it felt like something Mistress would do, it also seemed extremely impractical to consistently do that in practice. But the woman loved being enigmatic and misleading, so there might be a grain of truth to it.


    ¡°Where was I?¡± Mistress turned her focus back to Scarlett. ¡°Ah, yes. While I was busy not being horrifyingly mutilated and devoured by the odd demon or two that call that godforsaken place home, I stumbled upon some terribly interesting news.¡±


    Scarlett locked eyes with her, gazing into the clear rubies of her mask. ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    The vicious grin from earlier returned to Mistress¡¯ face. ¡°Rumor has it that Anguish has found a potential incarnate here in the Material Realm, right under the noses of the others. And they¡¯re not too happy.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s blood ran cold. ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Several seconds passed in silence as she stared at the woman in disbelief.


    ¡°¡­Are you telling the truth?¡± she eventually asked.


    ¡°As close to it as I can.¡±


    Scarlett took another moment to process this information.


    There were six Blazes, each a hell on its own, where demons were born and lived. The six Viles who reigned over these Blazes were technically demons themselves, which meant they had the same weaknesses as other demons. Their names were tied to their very essence, and possessing it was one of the most efficient ways of dealing with them.


    As such, the Viles went to great lengths to keep their true names hidden. Instead, they were referred to solely by the title of the Blaze they ruled. Anguish was one of those Viles, and she was the one Scarlett was most familiar with. After all, Rosa was currently being possessed by Anguish.


    While Mistress had implied that demons could easily move between the Blazes and the Material Realm, the truth was that they were still pretty restricted in how they could interact with things outside of their own realm. These restrictions were even more pronounced for the Viles, who could only manifest themselves here during the most extreme of circumstances.


    That is, if they didn¡¯t have an incarnate to serve as an anchor for them in the Material Realm. Someone like Rosa.


    People who were suitable for becoming incarnates were exceedingly rare, though, and when they did appear, all the Viles would fight over them like rabid dogs.


    Anguish had discovered Rosa relatively early, and had since taken great care to keep her existence hidden from the other Viles while steadily whittling down the bard¡¯s defenses and preparing her to become a suitable vessel. For Rosa, that was guaranteed to be a traumatic experience, but it was something Scarlett could anticipate and work with. It had been mutually beneficial for both her and Anguish to keep Rosa¡¯s role as an incarnate a secret.


    But somehow that information had leaked, and now all the Blazes were aware. This meant Scarlett might not only have to face Anguish in the future, but all the Viles. If that were the case, she couldn¡¯t rely solely on her game knowledge to get her out of the situation easily either. While she possessed some information about the other Viles, it was far from as useful as what she knew about Anguish.


    A deep scowl formed on her face. How had this information spread? She was fairly certain she hadn¡¯t done anything to reveal Rosa¡¯s existence to any demon, and Anguish would have taken precautions as well.


    Was this really something caused by Scarlett¡¯s actions, or was it an inevitable development regardless of her interference? How much did the other Viles know? Were they aware of Rosa¡¯s identity, or just her existence? There were so many questions that she needed answered.


    ¡°My, you certainly appear quite concerned now,¡± Mistress said, eyeing Scarlett from head to toe. ¡°I wonder why that is?¡±


    Scarlett gave her a serious look. ¡°Speak. What is it that you want to say?¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t seem to care about the sharp tone. ¡°I had thought I noticed something peculiar about that delightful companion of yours when I first met you, but I didn¡¯t imagine it was something this exciting. Can¡¯t say I envy that girl. She is certainly in a bind now, and so are you, it would seem.¡±


    ¡°¡­What more do you know?¡±


    Mistress¡¯ smile turned warmer, which seemed to elicit a sense of disgust from the Loci. The emotion funneled into Scarlett through her bond to the artifact, but she fought not to let it affect her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry,¡± the woman said. ¡°Fortunately for you, mama Mistress is here to lend a hand.¡±


    Scarlett''s look turned skeptical. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t a woman offer her help out of the goodness of her heart?¡±


    Her frown only worsened.


    Before she could respond, Mistress raised her hand. ¡°Ah, no, now that I hear it, I realize how absurd that sounds. ¡®Goodness of her heart¡¯? Dear me, sometimes I scare even myself with the nonsensical things I say.¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°No, of course I¡¯m not offering my assistance because I genuinely want to help you. That might lead people to think I¡¯m a moral person or some such drivel, going around being nice because I like people. Which I don¡¯t. Keep in mind that I¡¯ve never claimed I liked you. I said you¡¯re my favorite. A tepid dandelion atop a mountain of nebulous refuse, if you will.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then why are you offering to help?¡±


    ¡°Because I recognize an opportunity when I see one, darling. It has practically been written all over you since the moment I laid eyes on you.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Scarlett paused, glancing at Godwin. Could it be possible that the woman could perceive the same thing he did? That Scarlett was ¡®defying fate¡¯?


    ¡°It means you carry yourself like a child with an inflated sense of superiority because she knows where mommy dear keeps the cookie jar, and I am oh-so famished for an easy treat,¡± Mistress said.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t help the glare that she gave the woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m not judging. If I had my way, half the world would be best left to the endless pits of Desolace while the other half wallowed in the depths of self-delusion. Not a minute passes where I don¡¯t lament over the woeful fate of being surrounded by a sea of banality and mediocrity.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Scarlett had no choice but to accept the woman¡¯s words for now. ¡°How can you help, and what it is that you want in return?¡±


    ¡°First and foremost, you may find solace in knowing that none of the other Viles seem to know the identity of Anguish¡¯s little incarnate-to-be yet. Otherwise, I doubt we¡¯d be sitting here having this conversation.¡±


    That brought some relief to Scarlett, at least. It also meant that she was unlikely to be the one who leaked Rosa¡¯s existence.


    ¡°Another curious tidbit is that Malevolence herself is seizing this opportunity while Anguish is distracted to make moves against some of her territories.¡±


    That might even be considered good news. It wasn¡¯t quite a silver lining, since the other Viles were still around, but it meant that Anguish wouldn¡¯t be able to focus all her attention on Rosa in the near future. That suited Scarlett¡¯s plans well.


    ¡°As for where you need my help,¡± Mistress continued, ¡°well, you can say that demons happen to be an area of expertise for me. I¡¯ve already taken the liberty to sow some confusion regarding the potential identity of this incarnate. No need to thank me.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her. ¡°You have?¡±


    The woman shrugged. ¡°It is an easy enough task for me. Leave some spectral residue here, exenterate a demon or three there. Demons are crafty and unpredictable, but that only makes them all the more effortless to confuse. Not to mention amusing, if you discount the uproar that follows when they inevitably discover my involvement. Now, as for what I want in return¡­¡± Her mouth curved up in a way Scarlett didn¡¯t like. ¡°I¡¯ll ponder that one for later. I¡¯m sure when the time comes, you¡¯ll eagerly fulfill whatever request I might have.¡±


    That only made Scarlett more wary. ¡°There are limits to what I can do.¡±


    She could have sworn that the woman gave her a mischievous look, even from under the mask. ¡°All the more reason for me to wait with my request and see what those limits are, isn¡¯t it? Until then, I¡¯ll do what I can to help that pet project of yours, and if you desire, I can even recommend a mystic or two for you to consider in the meantime. On the house.¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Mistress was playing some sort of game here. It was entirely possible that she was lying about the ¡®help¡¯ she was offering, and Scarlett had no way to confirm it right now. She wouldn¡¯t put it past the woman.


    However, if Mistress¡¯ words about Rosa¡¯s existence having been leaked were true, accepting this deal would give them more time. They might not even be able to afford to decline that much.


    That said, Scarlett disliked agreeing to something without knowing for sure she wasn¡¯t being played. She already had enough favors that she owed¡­


    Empress suddenly meowed and stood up, fixing a long, meaningful look at Scarlett. Unsure of the cat¡¯s intentions, she remained silent as they locked eyes.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s telling you not to look a gift horse in the mouth,¡± Mistress said.


    The cat shot another brief glare the woman¡¯s way, but then returned her gaze to Scarlett, showing no clear signs of refuting Mistress¡¯ words.


    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± Scarlett finally replied, turning back to Mistress. ¡°I will not be requiring your recommendations for a mystic to aid with the situation, however. I am already working on that myself.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are.¡± The woman seemed very satisfied with that response. She then turned to Dean Godwin. ¡°Any thoughts after eavesdropping on our ladies¡¯ talk, Warley?¡±


    The man considered her for a few seconds before responding. ¡°I do not think it is entirely fair to label it as ¡®eavesdropping¡¯ when Baroness Hartford and I were the ones who had our conversation intruded upon and interrupted. However, I will admit that I found what I heard rather captivating.¡± He looked at Scarlett. ¡°Though I suspect our host may not be as pleased about this as I am.¡±


    Scarlett maintained her composure even as she eyed him. It was true that she would have preferred him to not be present for this, but she also knew that Mistress talked about these things in front of him on purpose.


    ¡°I have faith that you know when it¡¯s appropriate to keep mum,¡± Mistress said. ¡°I would ask you to make a pact with Lady Hartford to ensure as much, but I can¡¯t really be bothered. We¡¯ll simply have to rely on your sense of gentlemanly integrity, which I¡¯m sure you possess in abundance. If that isn¡¯t enough, we always have whiskers here.¡± She gestured towards Empress, who was attentively watching their conversation. The cat responded with a meow, turning its gaze towards Godwin.


    That helped Scarlett relax a bit more, at least.


    ¡°I suppose I have little choice,¡± the man conceded, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he observed the feline.


    Mistress rose from her seat, gripping her staff. ¡°With that, I believe I have said everything I came here to say, and perhaps a bit more. It seems I am starting to overstay my welcome, so it¡¯s best if I take my leave.¡± Her mouth twisted into a grimace as she scrunched her nose under the mask. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last felt this close to the touch of an idol. I had forgotten how prudish their kind always are.¡±


    Bidding her farewell, the woman conjured another shimmering portal in the air beside her and stepped through it. As she vanished, a wave of tension dissipated from the room, and the Loci settled at the back of Scarlett¡¯s mind.


    She exchanged a look with Godwin.


    ¡°That was quite an event, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he said with a half-smile. ¡°Should we perhaps pick up where we left off?¡±

 Chapter 160 - Future talks

    Scarlett eyed Godwin for a few seconds before speaking. ¡°I hope you will excuse the sudden interruption. Mistress¡¯ appearance was not within my expectations.¡±


    The archwizard smirked subtly. ¡°I could tell as much.¡± He glanced at Empress, who was still sitting on the table. The cat remained perched on the table, calmly observing them while grooming herself. Godwin¡¯s gaze then shifted to the spot where Mistress had disappeared only moments ago. ¡°Before coming here, I did not expect for you to have so many¡­intriguing associates.¡±


    Scarlett sighed. ¡°To be frank, neither did I.¡± This entire day had been far more chaotic than she could have anticipated. ¡°Can I trust you to keep what you have heard here today strictly between us?¡±


    Godwin nodded with sincerity. ¡°I am a man of my word, and I intend to keep it that way.¡± He gestured towards Empress. ¡°Besides, I suspect it is in my own best interest to do so.¡±


    The cat briefly met his eyes before returning to licking her paw.


    The archwizard turned back to Scarlett, his focus intensifying. ¡°However, my promise applies specifically to what I just heard. It does not extend to the matters I initially came here to discuss. I hope you understand.¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze before eventually nodding in return.


    ¡°Noted,¡± she replied, careful not to appear too guarded. She wasn¡¯t confident she could extract another oath from him, so she would simply have to rely on her negotiation skills from here on. She also had to remain mindful of his lie-detecting artifact. ¡°Let us continue, then.¡±


    ¡°Since I will not be divulging your secrets, I will take the liberty to be more open about my thoughts,¡± the man said. ¡°I am curious about your conversation with Mistress just now. Though I am far from an expert on demonology or matters related to the Viles, I have heard of incarnates before. Based on your earlier words, it would appear you have one somewhere within your household.¡±


    Scarlett kept silent for a moment, and he waited patiently.


    An incarnate was to the Viles what an avatar was to the gods, though it was also the opposite in some ways.


    The Countess was an example of an avatar, serving as a mortal vessel for Adtia¡ªthe forgotten goddess of the night and lady of the moon¡ªto channel her power into the Material Realm in order to directly influence it. Some avatars were unaware of their true nature, like the Countess, but it was usually pretty obvious to those who knew what they were looking for. As far as Scarlett knew, the connection between an avatar and their deity wasn¡¯t supposed to be harmful, although the same couldn¡¯t always be said for roles such as augurs.


    Incarnates, on the other hand, weren¡¯t vessels that the Viles could channel their power through, but rather receptacles for their power. A fully realized incarnate was more akin to an empty doll for the Viles to use as they wished. It was the most effortless and straightforward way for them to influence the Material Realm, which was why all of them would show interest whenever a potential incarnate appeared. That was also why, to the rest of the world, someone like Rosa was a walking time bomb unless handled correctly.


    ¡°It is true that I have a potential incarnate here,¡± Scarlett eventually responded. ¡°However, this is not a matter that directly concerns you, Dean. I would prefer if you did not involve yourself.¡±


    Godwin raised an eyebrow. ¡°It appears both you and this incarnate companion of yours are at risk of being targeted by demons,¡± he said. ¡°While I have heard rumors of Mistress and her abilities, I am uncertain of the extent to which they are true and how much she can help you. Should things go awry, however, it seems to me as if this situation could trigger another Desolation Calamity. It is said that event was also caused by the birth of an incarnate in the Material Realm, and that is something deserving of my attention, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Scarlett gave him a measured look. ¡°The Viles will not lay their hands on this incarnate. I will ensure that the situation remains under control.¡± If Mistress could keep any demons off their trail for a while, she should be able to handle this. Godwin would hopefully be able to discern the truth of her statement.


    The man studied her. ¡°You certainly appear confident in the accuracy of your words, at least.¡± The atmosphere seemed to grow heavier around him. ¡°But under circumstances like these, the most prudent course of action would be to ensure that the Viles simply cannot reach the incarnate in the first place.¡±


    Scarlett froze, her blood rushing as anger flared up inside. She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°It does not matter who you are,¡± she pressed out, her voice dripping with cold fury. ¡°I will not allow you or anyone else to harm my people.¡±


    Godwin met her intense stare with a cool expression.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked. Several seconds passed as he watched her. Then, finally, he nodded slowly, a glimmer of approval flashing in his eyes.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, voice steady. ¡°That is as acceptable an answer as any, considering things. Your loyalty and drive to protect those under you are commendable, at the very least, and I respect that much. It seems as if I may have misjudged your personality somewhat before today, but I am glad to gain a better understanding of your motivations.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s tension eased slightly, and some of the anger dissipated as she realized the man might not have entirely meant his earlier words.


    ¡°I will not interfere with your current matters concerning this incarnate companion of yours,¡± the man continued. ¡°However, I will be investigating further into it when the opportunity arises. I hope you will not resent my intervention if I judge that the situation has devolved too far.¡±


    She pressed her lips together, then begrudgingly nodded her head. There wasn¡¯t much more she could ask for. He was already showing her an immense amount of respect by leaving it at that for now. More than she ever thought he would have.


    Godwin cleared his throat. ¡°Well, now that that¡¯s settled, perhaps we should return to what I originally intended to discuss before we were graced with the presence of our unexpected guests?¡± The silver-grey-haired man leaned forward slightly, a classy smile appearing on his face. ¡°I recall that when we last spoke, you agreed to enlighten me further about this ¡®future sight¡¯ of yours.¡±


    Scarlett took a deep breath, composing herself after the sudden surge of emotion she¡¯d experienced moments before, and preparing herself for what was coming. She had anticipated this for the last few days.


    In front of her, Godwin reached into the depths of his cape and produced two items. One was a small, intricately crafted amulet made of shimmering silver that seemed to possess an ethereal quality when caught in the light, almost as if the metal was alive. The other was a polished obsidian mirror framed with elegant gold runes.


    Scarlett¡¯s brows furrowed as she examined them.


    The man spoke. ¡°This first item is an ancient Zuverian artifact that I once borrowed from the Hallowed Cabal after a rather eventful encounter with them in the past. Its precise purpose and function have always eluded me, but it is somehow linked to the defiance of fate that I have observed in some of their members. It played a role in my own understanding of this phenomenon.¡±


    He gestured toward the second item. ¡°As for this, I took the liberty of creating this tool over the course of the last two days, with the assistance of a knowledgeable acquaintance of mine. It combines certain divination and analytical enchantments to determine likelihoods and probabilities. It is the closest approximation I could create within such a limited timeframe to replicate what you claim to possess, though even with more time, I hesitate to say I could create something of much higher quality.¡±


    As Scarlett inspected the items, the first one prompted a description from the system to manifest.


    [Whispering Amulet of Thainnith (Unique)]


    {An ancient power resonates within, whispering words of a realm untouched and sealed. When that which cowered trembles, these whispers relate its stirring with watchful eyes}


    She stared at the text. This was connected to the Seals of Thainnith.


    It was a good thing that Mistress had already left.


    ¡°Do you perhaps recognize what this is?¡± Godwin asked, drawing her attention back to the old man. He regarded her with a curious expression.


    She hadn¡¯t thought she showed any reaction on her face, but now that he¡¯d asked, she had no choice but to respond honestly. ¡°I do recognize it, to a certain extent. At the very least, I have an idea of what it is.¡±


    A deeper interest seemed to spark within the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the item description, carefully thinking of how to craft her response. ¡°Since you seem well-acquainted with the Hallowed Cabal, I presume you are aware of what it is they want?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I am more familiar with their doctrines than most.¡±


    ¡°In that case,¡± she said, ¡°are you acquainted with the name Thainnith?¡±


    Godwin paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.


    ¡°Thainnith¡­ I believe that was the name of one of the legendary divinarchs the ancient Zuver were said to have among their numbers,¡± the man mused.


    During the time of the Zuverian civilization, powerful magic casters had been far more prevalent than in the present, and magic had supposedly permeated their society to a much greater degree than among today¡¯s civilizations. But the Zuver had limitations they couldn¡¯t surpass, even among their most formidable mages. The divinarches, however, had transcended those limitations. They were a group of half-deity Zuver who held partial rule among their people, and they could even rival actual gods in some aspects. The last of the divinarches died during the Severance, the ¡®cataclysm¡¯ that left almost all of Zuverian civilization in ruins, and Thainnith was one of them.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°In that case, do you know of the Seal of Thainnith?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Godwin considered her for a moment, as if contemplating the reason behind her question. ¡°I have heard mention of the Seal of Thainnith in legends and ancient records, but information on the topic is scarce. From what I have gathered, it was purportedly a seal created sometime during the Severance to bind an object or being of great power. What I do know is that the Cabal has some connection to whatever was sealed away.¡±


    Scarlett nodded in confirmation, pointing towards the amulet in his hand. ¡°I believe that artifact¡¯s purpose is to observe that seal.¡±


    At least if she interpreted the item description correctly. It could also be an artifact that was supposed to communicate with what was inside the seal, but she didn¡¯t feel like that fit.


    The archwizard lowered his gaze to examine the amulet more closely. ¡°Truly?¡± he murmured, glancing up at her again as if trying to gauge the authenticity of her words, before looking down at the artifact again.


    Scarlett, too, took another moment to study it. If this item was indeed connected to the ¡®defiance of fate¡¯ that Godwin mentioned, then maybe what was imprisoned by the Seal of Thainnith was the source of that ¡®defiance¡¯? The fact that the wizard observed a similar phenomenon among some of the Cabal¡¯s members might be because of their connection to the entity.


    She had believed she knew everything there was to know about the seal when she first arrived in this world, but even she had been puzzled when she initially encountered the first piece and the system referred to the sealed entity as ¡®that which cowered¡¯. Perhaps that was the first sign of a discrepancy between this version of the seal and the one she knew from the game.


    ¡°This is certainly intriguing,¡± Godwin commented. He fixed his gaze on her. ¡°What makes you believe this is the purpose of the artifact?¡±


    ¡°It is through the same means that I have been granted glimpses of the future. However, it is not entirely predictable or accurate, and I often find myself surprised by its workings. I was not aware of the existence of this artifact before today, for example, but now that I have seen it, I have a notion of what it does.¡±


    The man¡¯s forehead creased in thought. ¡°And how does it manifest for you?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you experience vision, or does the information appear to you in some other way? Does it feel as if it is channeled into your mind?¡±


    ¡°It is difficult to explain,¡± she admitted. ¡°One could say that it simply¡­pops up before me when I need it. It is as if the knowledge has been waiting for me to discover and access it, but the information itself rests within the item and not myself.¡±


    ¡°Pops up, you say?¡± A chuckle left Godwin as he repeated the words, stroking his beard deliberately. Eventually, he refocused his attention on her. ¡°My apologies. It seems we have veered off course once again. To steer us back to the matter at hand, I intended to inquire whether I could use these artifacts to examine you?¡±


    He extended the two items toward her.


    Scarlett eyed them warily. She wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable accepting that request. She had no idea if the system was detectable by the magic of this world, and if it was, how it might appear. But she would prefer not to find out like this.


    Not to mention that it was technically a lie that she could see the future. She had managed to convince him of it by being careful with her words, but if he examined her, who¡¯s to say he couldn¡¯t see through her deception?


    Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t in a situation where she could outright refuse his request either. She was being agreeable with Godwin because she wanted his goodwill. She wanted to maintain a cooperative relationship with him and avoid him having a reason to do anything that screwed with her plans.


    Reluctantly, she nodded. ¡°You have my permission.¡±


    She hoped that whatever the system actually was, it wouldn¡¯t cause problems for her here. If she looked at it from the bright side, maybe she could even learn something new.


    Both of the items floated out of Godwin¡¯s hands as if guided by an unseen force, gliding through the air until they stopped beside Scarlett. There, they began rotating around her head. The air itself seemed to shimmer, and a series of intricate runes materialized as the wizard performed his magic, emitting a soft glow that bathed the room in a multicolored light. The man produced an array of white crystals from his cape, adding them to the dance of objects swirling around Scarlett.


    Godwin¡¯s expression grew focused as he proceeded with whatever spell this was, and Scarlett could only sit in silence, waiting for the outcome. As the minutes ticked by, she occasionally stole glances at Empress, who had blended in seamlessly with the surroundings for a while and was observing them with keen curiosity.


    Eventually, after ten or so minutes, the magic subsided. The runes dissipated, and the crystals and artifacts returned to Godwin as he concluded his spell. He remained quiet for a short while, holding both artifacts in his gloved hands as he examined the crystals hovering before his eyes, seemingly processing whatever information he had gleaned. Finally, he looked back at Scarlett.


    ¡°Did you gain any insights?¡± she asked, careful not to betray any worry.


    ¡°That is a difficult question to answer,¡± he replied, still appearing somewhat lost in thought. ¡°At the very least, I can say that the source of your ¡®fate defiance¡¯ appears different from that of this amulet.¡± He raised the [Whispering Amulet of Thainnith] into the air. ¡°However, I couldn¡¯t discern the exact nature of this distinction. Perhaps one might say that this artifact, along with those of the Cabal exhibiting the same trait, moves against the current of fate and opposes it, whereas your defiance seems to cause the movement of fate to shift around you instead¡­¡± His brows knitted together. ¡°Or maybe it is the exact opposite of that. What I could grasp of what I saw is rudimentary at best, so I am afraid there is much guesswork involved in my interpretation. What I can state is that it is a truly fascinating phenomenon.¡±


    Scarlett pondered his words. They seemed to align with her perspective of having first known this as a game and now living in it as a world with game-esque aspects. Certain things moved in a predetermined manner, and at least some of them were centered around her and the system.


    Godwin continued. ¡°The results pertaining to this ¡®future sight¡¯ of yours were equally perplexing. Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of meeting two generations of Augurs, as well as numerous individuals from other continents who possess some ability to divine the future. In those cases where I was permitted to study their abilities, all of them exhibited clear signs of being connected to the workings of fate in a manner visible to even someone like me.


    ¡°This connection is particularly noticeable in those who received their abilities from deities or powerful beings channeling the tellings of fate to them. Even the shamanistic diviners that I have encountered, who utilized methods beyond our relatively rudimentary understanding of divination magic here in the empire which I was not privy to, displayed similar traits. Yet you, baroness, show no signs of such a connection. Instead, I detected something else at play. It was not a link to fate as a whole, but rather something more defined. An ineffable existence of some kind.¡±


    A pensive expression had settled on the man¡¯s face as he seemed to consider exactly what that might imply. ¡°I cannot ascertain precisely what it was¡ªI cannot do anything other than posit mere hunches¡ªbut I intuitively want to liken it to condensed fate. The existence shared certain aspects with fate as I know it, although I could not even begin to comprehend its true significance. It could be something akin to fate in a bottle, a predestined path separate from the fate of this world, or perhaps a collection of all the fates you have already altered through your actions while aware of fate yourself. While it is rather frustrating to admit, I truly do not know.¡±


    Scarlett stayed silent, mulling over his statements. It was reassuring that he couldn¡¯t tell too much, at least. Particularly concerning the system. Yet his description left her somewhat confused as to what he might be referring to exactly.


    Was it merely how the system appeared to his spell, or was it something entirely different? Similar to what he¡¯d said, could it somehow be related to the fate of this world that she was familiar with from the game?


    Godwin sighed. ¡°I will have to dedicate further time to analyze this. There is much to unravel, and I believe the data from this examination may prove valuable in the future.¡± With a flick of his hand, the crystals seamlessly vanished into his cape. He stowed away the two artifacts as well with what could perhaps be described as the grace of a seasoned wizard.


    ¡°So, does this mean your examination is complete?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The man looked at her. ¡°For now, yes. I have gleaned as much as I can from this session, but as mentioned, there is still much to comprehend. Rest assured, I will delve deeper into this matter and share any further insights I uncover, as is only appropriate.¡± Before Scarlett could reply, the man continued. ¡°With that said, I am still rather curious about the contents of your visions.¡±


    The words hung in the air for a few seconds.


    ¡°Are you asking me to divulge everything I have seen?¡± she asked.


    Godwin raised his hands while sporting a small smile, shaking his head. ¡°No, no, I am not quite that greedy. However, one cannot fault an old man for wondering if there is something relevant or useful to him.¡± He wiggled an eyebrow.


    Scarlett studied him as she took a short while to mull it over.


    She had already proven to be an individual who could be of use to the man. She possessed valuable resources he might desire, such as the dragon corpse and items from Abelard¡¯s mansion, not to mention knowledge of the future. Furthermore, she was still a baroness, with him having no clear evidence of any crimes she had committed.


    Previously, she had refrained from pushing back too much against Godwin because she felt she lacked the leverage to safely negotiate with such a powerful figure. But now she had established herself. She could afford to be more assertive.


    ¡°I must stress once again that the knowledge I possess is often unreliable and incomplete,¡± she stated firmly. ¡°What it centers on is largely out of my control. This is especially true when it concerns matters involving the Cabal, for obvious reasons. There is not much that I can share with you. Nothing that would be genuinely useful to you and that I am willing to disclose, at the very least.¡±


    She locked eyes with the wizard. ¡°I also want to emphasize that some of the information I hold is highly sensitive and requires careful handling, even by those who have good intentions. While I have been accommodating thus far, that is solely because I value maintaining a positive relationship between us. However, let it be clear that you are not entitled to more than what I have already offered.¡±


    Empress let out a short meow, sounding almost amused by that statement.


    Godwin observed Scarlett for a few moments. ¡°No, I suppose I am not,¡± he eventually replied.


    ¡°¡­That being said,¡± she continued, taking another moment to choose her words. ¡°There is one piece of information that I believe might be relevant for you to know. It is related to a particular set of Zuverian ruins known as Beld Thylelion.¡±


    She saw a hint of recognition in the archwizard¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Based on what I have seen, Beld Thylelion is likely to open in the near future,¡± she said. ¡°And within it lies something coveted by both the Cabal and many other factions. The competition to obtain it will be fierce. Adalicia Mendenhall¡¯s research into the Tabernacle on the Rising Isle will be crucial for the mage towers to locate the ruin as quickly as possible so that you can make the proper preparations. If you wish to secure the prizes inside and prevent other groups from claiming them, I suggest you focus your efforts in that direction.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t actually want anyone to reach Beld Thylelion before her, but if someone did, it would be best if it weren''t the Cabal. By sharing this information with Godwin, she could steer him towards the right path while maintaining the appearance of assisting him more than she was. It would also better prepare the Cabal¡¯s opponents without her direct involvement. And even with this hint, Beld Thylelion wouldn¡¯t open until it was time¡ªby which point, she planned to have already plundered it for herself.


    Godwin seemed to weigh her words carefully. ¡°I have heard mentions of Beld Thylelion, although its exact purpose appears mostly lost to history,¡± he said. ¡°I do know that it is said to house what legends refer to as the ¡®Tribute of Dominion¡¯. In my experience, such legends do not arise without reason, so I must thank you for sharing this with me. Is there anything else you are willing to reveal?¡±


    ¡°This is already plenty,¡± she replied. ¡°What lies within those ruins is worth far more than anything else I could offer you.¡±


    That was actually true, if one considered the fact that the Tribute of Dominion was irreplaceable and one of the key elements in the game¡¯s storyline. While the Cabal needed the pieces of the Seal of Thainnith to release what was imprisoned in it and initiate their true plans, the Tribute of Dominion was comparable to the interface and power source necessary to execute those plans in reality.


    A low chuckle escaped Godwin. ¡°Well, Baroness, you certainly possess some confidence. But very well. I won¡¯t press the matter further for today. How about we discuss something of a more casual nature? For example, the ownership of some of those artifacts you retrieved from Abelard¡¯s mansion.¡±


    Scarlett looked at the man for a short while, then gave a low nod. Finally, a topic she could talk about without having to worry that a slip of the tongue would set loose an archmage on her tail.

 Chapter 161 - Disconcerting news

    The continued discussions with Dean Godwin went relatively smoothly, all things considered. Scarlett and the man went over what to do with the deceased dragon lying in her courtyard and the remaining artifacts and items from Abelard¡¯s mansion that hadn¡¯t yet been sold off. The Dean agreed to have Elystead Tower acquire a significant portion of it at a premium price. Furthermore, the archwizard showed a keen interest in getting his hands on the keys that Scarlett had used to activate the portal in Lord Withersworth¡¯s cellar. Since she no longer needed them, they struck a deal where she would sell them in exchange for some additional favors from him.


    For one, she had taken this chance to inquire more about magic in general and gain insight into what he knew about pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis that could be of help to her. Although the man hadn¡¯t witnessed her abilities firsthand, he had apparently heard of Scarlett¡¯s rather unorthodox use of magic, courtesy of Adalicia. Additionally, he had assured Scarlett of his immediate assistance with the dragon¡¯s disposal, along with arrangements for the Loci.


    At some point in their discussions, Empress had seemingly grown disinterested and sauntered off. Scarlett didn¡¯t really think the cat needed her supervision, and she doubted Empress would cause any trouble¡ªhopefully¡ªso she didn¡¯t pay it too much thought.


    Upon concluding their negotiations, Dean Godwin accompanied Scarlett to the mansion¡¯s courtyard. Several staff members were busy cleaning up what they could of the dragon¡¯s remains, which primarily meant removing the blood that was seeping into the stonework and storing it in temporary magic containers brought from the city.


    There, Scarlett had observed as the man skillfully used his magic to carve the dragon into smaller, more manageable pieces¡ªhe was kind enough to warn those faint of heart to leave before he started, because it had not been a pleasant sight¡ªthat he then stored away with some sort of spatial spells. According to their agreement, he would ensure the dragon¡¯s materials were properly harvested and then return them to Scarlett before deciding what would go to Elystead Tower.


    Once the courtyard was clear of the massive carcass, the staff was left with an even more significant cleanup task. Scarlett instructed the head servant, Marlon, to hire whatever extra help they needed¡ªthere was no point in trying to keep all of this secret from outsiders for long¡ªand inform them they would be getting a bonus. After that, she led Godwin to meet Evelyne and briefly introduce him before taking him to the back of the estate and the garden where the Loci was located.


    One of his first requests had been to analyze and inspect the artifact. Since he would also be helping her in improving it, she allowed that much and left him to his work. She had offered to assign servants or find an experienced mage from Freybrook to assist him, but the Dean had politely declined. Apparently, he preferred working alone.


    Considering everything she had heard about the man, that did not surprise her.


    Afterward, Scarlett decided to seek out Fynn and found herself standing outside his quarters in the eastern wing of the mansion. She raised her hand to knock, fully aware that he was likely already aware of her presence.


    As expected, the door swung open at the mere touch of her knuckles against the wood, revealing Fynn with his bright-white hair in disarray and his clear, yellow eyes peering at her with a searching look. He tilted his head to the side. ¡°You don¡¯t usually come to my room.¡±


    ¡°There is a matter I wished to briefly inquire with you about,¡± she said, glancing past him into the room. ¡°May I enter?¡±


    He stepped aside to allow her inside.


    Like most of the rooms in the eastern wing, his accommodations were decently large, but they lacked any notable personal touches. Fynn had been satisfied with the furniture that had come with the room when it was assigned to him, and as far as she was aware, he didn¡¯t have any hobbies or particular interests that didn¡¯t revolve around training and doing his job.


    That said, her eyes landed on a collection of candles arranged in a circle at the center of the room, facing one of the open windows. Only three of the candles were lit.


    She supposed it was better than nothing. ¡°Have you been performing more of your meditation?¡± she asked, turning to look at him. She still wasn¡¯t sure what this ¡®meditation¡¯ of his actually signified.


    The young man closed the door and walked over to the candles. The remaining fires flickered out from a gust of wind. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been trying to improve my control through the ancestors¡¯ guidance. They won¡¯t allow me to proceed to the next step unless I can do it without their help.¡±


    ¡°The next step?¡± Scarlett knitted her brow. ¡°Are you perhaps referring to gaining access to the second section of the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt?¡±


    He paused, as if considering it for a moment. ¡°Maybe? They didn¡¯t say. They just don¡¯t like me using their power too much.¡±


    She regarded him closely for a couple of seconds. ¡°I was not aware that you had been borrowing their power to that extent.¡±


    Fynn gave her a strange look, like she¡¯d said something odd. ¡°I haven¡¯t. They don¡¯t have any power to give.¡±


    ¡°Did you not say a moment ago that you were using their power?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­But they do not have any power to give?¡±


    ¡°There is a difference in their power and my power, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Scarlett brought a hand to the bridge of her nose as she released a small sigh. ¡°Fynn, I hope you realize that this is precisely why Allyssa finds you difficult to converse with at times.¡± She lowered her hand, studying him for a moment. ¡°If I were to posit a guess, when you say you are using your ancestors¡¯ powers, you mean to say you are drawing upon their knowledge rather than their actual power. The abilities they once possessed, as understood by them, are channeled through your own innate capabilities. Am I correct?¡±


    He nodded once again as if that much was obvious. ¡°Yes. I thought you already knew that.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I am not as familiar with the intricacies of your ancestors as you are. If I were, I would not have asked these questions. You should keep in mind that others cannot see into your mind to know what you mean when you say possibly misleading things.¡±


    A look of realization appeared on the young man¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, um¡­sorry?¡±


    Scarlett held up a hand. ¡°There is no need to apologize. Anyhow, I suppose you cannot simply ask your ancestors whether the ¡®next step¡¯ is related to the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt, or how close you are to reaching it?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    She wasn¡¯t certain they would be able to tackle the next section of that place at their current level. If necessary, she could always make some additional preparations. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if someone like Godwin was willing to accompany them on a trip like that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll answer. They don¡¯t like you very much,¡± Fynn said.


    Scarlett blinked, and a scowl involuntarily appeared on her face. ¡°¡­I see."


    Those ancestors really were a pain in the ass. Nothing she had heard of them gave her a good impression. But it wasn¡¯t as if she could interfere with Fynn¡¯s tribe business.


    Now that she thought about it, it occurred to her that they might even obstruct Fynn from entering the Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt if they believed she had unfairly stacked the deck in his favor. Bringing an archwizard along might be entirely out of the question.


    That was frustrating.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if they mention anything about it,¡± the young man said.


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    He eyed her for a moment. ¡°Was there something else you wanted to ask about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there was.¡± She looked out the window at the bare trees that were just outside the estate grounds. ¡°Earlier, I had a meeting with one of the empire¡¯s most prominent wizards to discuss potential collaborations between myself and Elystead Tower. You may have sensed his presence. He is currently examining the Loci in the back garden.¡±


    Fynn nodded. ¡°I did, yes. He has one of my people¡¯s heirlooms.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, he does. It would appear he was familiar with your tribe from before, so perhaps you have even encountered him yourself.¡±


    He appeared thoughtful. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him, but he has an old scent. The elders might have known him. They¡¯re the only ones who could have given away one of our heirlooms.¡±


    Scarlett eyed him. ¡°You do not mind that it is in his possession?¡±


    The young man shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not mine.¡±


    ¡°But it once belonged to your tribe.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­I suppose you are right.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°However, that is not what I wanted to inquire about. During my meeting with the wizard, did you detect another presence? A woman we have encountered twice before: Mistress.¡±


    Fynn nodded again. ¡°I did. She has an unpleasant scent. You told me she wasn¡¯t bad, though.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, that description might not be entirely fitting, but she is not our enemy, at the very least. Regardless, you should be cautious around her,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°What I want to know is this: during your time working under me, have you ever sensed a presence similar to hers near us?¡±


    The other Viles must have learned about Rosa¡¯s existence somehow, and Scarlett wanted to make sure she herself wasn¡¯t the reason behind it. Call it having a clear conscience, if you will.


    Fynn should have been able to detect any ordinary demon that might have kept tabs on them, and those would be the ones most likely to manifest in the Material Realm while still remaining hidden.


    The white-haired young man seemed to think about it for a few seconds, seemingly uncertain of how to answer.


    ¡°¡­I have,¡± he eventually said.


    Scarlett paused. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes¡­ I feel like I can smell something similar from Rosa.¡±


    Her eyes widened.


    He had¡­sensed Anguish¡¯s presence in the woman?


    She didn¡¯t think he could do that. It had never come up in the game or any of their previous conversations. Besides, a Vile would be better at concealing itself than regular demons.


    ¡°¡­Why have you not informed me of this before?¡± she asked, her tone growing serious.


    Fynn met her gaze with a look that radiated sincerity. ¡°I thought you knew. You and her are the same. You always seem to be lying in some way, and the way you interact with her makes it seem like you know what¡¯s wrong. When the scent is strongest, she always seeks you out, and then it disappears.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. There was a lot to unpack there.


    First of all, why did he believe she acted differently towards Rosa in that regard? She didn¡¯t think there was much difference in her interactions with Rosa compared to the others, if you disregarded the woman¡¯s distinct personality and how Scarlett dealt with that. And this was Fynn they were talking about. He was the last person she would have expected to notice any subtleties in her behaviour.


    Secondly, there was also the bit about lying. ¡°What do you mean when you say that we are always lying?¡± she asked.


    Fynn gave her a long look. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    She sighed. It felt like he was saying that a lot today. ¡°It depends on what you mean by that.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is a sense of falsehood in almost everything you say. Both with you and Rosa,¡± he explained slowly, as if trying to find the right words. ¡°At first, it confused me. It smelled like you were lying when you weren¡¯t, but at the same time, it was different from when you actually lied. It took me a while to realize it was more like you were pretending. I didn¡¯t understand that either, but it made more sense than before. I thought you were doing it on purpose.¡±


    Scarlett stared at him. Was that how she came across whenever she spoke? Like she was acting? Pretending?


    And he thought Rosa was doing the same?


    She pressed a hand to her forehead. Considering how Fynn¡¯s ability worked, she could somewhat understand why he might get confused when faced with her. It might be generous to call her a contrived mix of two separate personalities thrown into a blender. But Rosa shouldn¡¯t be like that.


    The woman did keep a lot of things secret, yes, but it had to be an exaggeration to say that she was acting all the time. Scarlett had seen moments¡ªboth in the game and in this world¡ªwhere the woman had been entirely genuine with her emotions. Rosa¡¯s cheerful persona might serve as a coping mechanism of sorts, but that didn¡¯t mean it was entirely fabricated.


    Nevertheless, it was to the level where Fynn could tell something was wrong. That meant Rosa had to be keeping more things bottled up than Scarlett had previously suspected.


    Scarlett refocused her attention on Fynn. ¡°You said she seeks me out when the presence is more noticeable? When does this happen?¡±


    ¡°Usually during the evenings and nights,¡± he replied. His brows furrowed. ¡°She¡¯s strange then, as well. I¡¯ve followed her, and she won¡¯t notice anything unless you get really close. Always smells afraid, like she¡¯s hiding it.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened even further.


    Rosa often visited her office in the evenings and nights. Scarlett had never fully understood why that had become a thing in the first place, though she had assumed it was at least partly because the bard simply enjoyed her company. However, there had always been signs of something more, something she had never dared to explore by asking Rosa. It wasn¡¯t an option for more than one reason.


    But if Rosa did seek her out when the signs of possession grew stronger, and they subsided in her presence¡­.


    Could there be side-effects of the possessions that Scarlett didn¡¯t know about? She couldn¡¯t recall the Rosa from the game ever mentioning anything about it, but the woman was notoriously reticent about her inner demons.


    And it was true that Scarlett had always sensed there was more to some of Rosa¡¯s actions and behaviour at times than she could grasp. She wouldn¡¯t put it past Anguish to inflict as much torment as possible on her potential incarnate before being able to seize complete control. It was the kind of sick game that was right up the Vile¡¯s alley.


    Without even noticing, a familiar, cold rage had wormed its way up inside Scarlett as she considered the implications of this knowledge.


    Say what you will about Rosa¡¯s personality, but the woman was one of her people. The thought that she might have endured even greater stress and suffering than Scarlett had originally believed stirred something deep within her. It reminded her far too much of when she lost control with Gaven or when Garside had been injured in front of her. Before that mess, she had never realized she could feel this protective of those close to her.


    She turned her gaze towards Fynn. ¡°Do not bring any of this up to the others. Is that clear?¡±


    He gave a firm nod. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will handle it accordingly. If you notice anything else unusual in the future, even if you believe I may already be aware, do not hesitate to inform me.¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°I would ask that you employ a measure of judgement beforehand, but if you are uncertain, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    With that settled, Scarlett sent one last look around the room before turning to leave. ¡°You should inquire with Garside about procuring more effects for your room. It might do you well to grow more familiar with the people here. Also, I ask that you be on guard for any other presences like Mistress or the one inside Rosa in the future. If one appears, and it is neither of the two, you are to immediately inform me and be prepared to defend against or apprehend it.¡±


    ¡°Mm. I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then I will leave you to your meditation for now.¡±


    Scarlett departed from Fynn¡¯s chambers, her mind now consumed with thoughts of demons and Viles as she walked through the mansion¡¯s hallways.


    Where were things going from here?

 Chapter 162 - A familiar meadow

    ¡°You ever wonder who thought it was a good idea to build a village and hide it away out in the sticks like this?¡± Rosa asked, walking beside Scarlett as they trekked through the slightly overgrown forest path ahead.


    ¡°No, I do not,¡± Scarlett replied, reaching out to push away a branch blocking her way.


    ¡°Well, okay, silly question. I forgot you make it a habit to smother any signs of creative and inspired imagination the second it¡¯s about to rear its head so that you don¡¯t have to be afraid of having fun now and then.¡± Rosa shook her head. ¡°Let me rephrase: don¡¯t you think it would¡¯ve been much easier if they hadn¡¯t built the village in the most isolated spot in the entire empire?¡±


    ¡°This is far from the most isolated spot in the empire.¡±


    ¡°You sure? Because it sure feels like it every time we have to come here. Tell me one other place where you have to go out into the woods, go through a mystical tear in space that only opens up when you show it a fancy hairpin¡ªa barrette doesn¡¯t count¡ªand then trudge through half a mile of bushes before reaching it.¡± Despite her complaints, Rosa wore a smile as she continued along the bumpy forest trail.


    ¡°Freymeadow was not originally located within this space, Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡°Excuses! I was not originally this fair and charming¡ªI know it might be hard to believe; however, when I was first born I couldn¡¯t even sing a simple ditty¡ªbut you don¡¯t find me holding that against myself.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a flat look. ¡°No, instead you do not appear able to do anything but exaggeratedly boast about yourself.¡±


    The woman waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Poppycock. Only about one-tenth of what I say is bombastic in any way. I¡¯ve counted.¡±


    Scarlett simply chose not to dignify that with a response as she turned her attention forward. The bard was as talkative as ever today.


    Her mind wandered back to what Fynn had told her the day before. Since then, she hadn¡¯t been able to stop thinking about Rosa¡¯s situation.


    At times like this, it was difficult to discern anything from the woman herself. It wasn¡¯t like Scarlett could just ask, so she was left trying to figure things out herself.


    It didn¡¯t help that there was also the threat of the other Viles looming over them at the moment, now that they were aware of the existence of a potential incarnate. Even with Mistress promising to help out on that front, Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but worry about what might happen if Mistress was lying or failed to keep any errant demons away.


    Scarlett had started taking some precautions in case such a scenario happened, but there was no simple solution that she could implement immediately. For the time being, she had to rely on Fynn and the Loci to detect any potential demons that might be around, but that would only get them so far.


    If they did run into a demon and it recognized what Rosa was, it would be difficult to stop the woman¡¯s identity from spreading. Without knowing its name, permanently killing even an ordinary demon was difficult. Most of the time, they were just banished back to one of the Blazes.


    ¡°By the way, how long is that ancient wizard fellow going to stay at the mansion?¡± Rosa asked after a while.


    Scarlett glanced at her. ¡°By ¡®ancient wizard¡¯, are you perhaps referring to Dean Warley Godwin?¡±


    ¡°No, I meant the other ancient wizard who¡¯s been running around the mansion the last few days. The one with the old scraggly beard and who keeps pulling rabbits out of his pointy hat.¡± Rosa pointed over Scarlett¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look, he¡¯s behind you right now.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t bother turning around, simply giving Rosa a skeptical look. ¡°The Dean will most likely leave tomorrow. He is still examining the Loci, as well as preparing some of the materials harvested from the dragon. Once the preparations for those matters are complete, he will have no more reason to stay.¡±


    After getting some time to inspect the Loci yesterday, Godwin had requested to extend his stay for further work on the artifact. Since Scarlett was receiving his help in improving the Loci and had nothing to hide within the mansion at the moment, she saw no reason to decline. As such, he had remained at the mansion this morning, and Scarlett had even invited him to dine with the rest of them for their morning meal.


    The wizard had been rather surprised to see Fynn there, since he apparently believed all members of the Grehaldrael tribe had died. It had been somewhat amusing to see the man attempt to question Fynn, only to receive his typical blunt responses. Interestingly, the wizard himself didn¡¯t appear too bewildered by that, and seemed to have anticipated that to some extent.


    ¡°You think I could ask him to magic up my klert so that it changes between different hues of brown whenever I play a note before he leaves?¡± Rosa asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that it might be fun to test that with an audience and see if they question their sanity.¡±


    ¡°I believe you certainly could,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Whether he will do it is a separate matter. First of all, I do not know if he is capable of enchanting items to that effect. Secondly, even if he can, he is an exceedingly busy individual. Do not forget that he is one of the most experienced and skilled mages in the empire, Miss Hale. I imagine aiding you in mentally tormenting your audiences is not high on his list of priorities.¡±


    Although she said that, Rosa had a knack for endearing herself to others when she wished. In a certain sense, Godwin had a pretty relaxed disposition, and Rosa had seemed to hit it off well during their initial interactions this morning. If Rosa made her request, it wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility that the man might genuinely consider fulfilling it.


    ¡°No worries.¡± Rosa tapped a finger to her forehead. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten anything. This ol¡¯ noggin has the memory of an owl.¡±


    ¡°That does not reassure me much.¡±


    The woman grinned. ¡°It wasn¡¯t meant to.¡±


    Scarlett paused for a moment, studying that grin. It looked so genuine, but how much of it was forced? ¡°¡­How have you been lately? Are you straining yourself?¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Rosa blinked, halting in her steps as her grin faded. Scarlett stopped alongside her, observing her expression. After a few seconds, Rosa let out a soft chuckle, her eyes shifting away from Scarlett and downwards. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to answer that now.¡±


    Scarlett maintained her gaze on the woman for a bit longer before resuming her stride. ¡°Then there is no need to.¡±


    Her words were followed by silence behind her, eventually punctuated by the rustling of boots against leaves as the bard caught up.


    They continued their journey through the forest without speaking until the density of trees gradually lessened, and they emerged into a spacious glade encircled by a narrow river. At the far end of the glade stood Freymeadow, a cluster of houses with simple wooden roofs, nestled by a low stone wall. A small herd of sheep grazed within an enclosure next to the village.


    It was a familiar scene to both of them by now.


    ¡°You mentioned a ¡®surprise¡¯ that you were preparing for me when we next visited Freymeadow,¡± Scarlett said, just as Rosa moved up and stopped beside her. ¡°Has there been any progress, or should I pretend as if it never happened?¡±


    The woman raised a hand to her chin, taking in the view. ¡°Hmm~ Who knows? Guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her. ¡°Is there still a need for evasiveness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll do you good to be on the receiving end of it for a little longer, I¡¯d say. Have faith in me. This is definitely for your own good.¡± Rosa dropped her hand as a somewhat awkward expression crossed her face. ¡°I also genuinely don¡¯t actually know if it will work. We will have to see.¡±


    ¡°Then I am looking forward to finding out,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It would be rather disappointing if all this amounted to nothing.¡±


    The bard turned to her with widened eyes.


    The corner of Scarlett¡¯s mouth curved up slightly. ¡°No pressure.¡±


    With that, she left Rosa behind and started moving towards the village. There was a dirt road that began near the stream and continued in Freymeadow¡¯s direction, so she followed it towards the settlement. As it reached the village, the road ran alongside the stone wall for a short distance before ending in an opening that could loosely be called a gate.


    Two middle-aged women sitting in front of a nearby house looked up from their work as Scarlett and Rosa entered Freymeadow. Scarlett spared them a glance. Both had baskets filled with wool beside them and tools resembling large brushes on their laps. These women were always here at the start of these loops.


    Rosa smiled and waved at them as usual, receiving surprised looks in return.


    Continuing deeper into the village, Scarlett and Rosa attracted even more attention from the villagers who were seeing them for the first time. Things were always the same on the first day of these loops, with the villagers displaying a mixture of wariness and curiosity towards the newcomers.


    Just like these villagers, Arlene wouldn¡¯t have any memories of Scarlett or their previous conversations. Somehow, that was both a relief and a disappointment.


    Soon, they reached the wide village square, featuring a raised wooden platform at its center. Some of the village children were gathered near the platform, playing with sticks and stones as their eyes turned in their direction. Rosa greeted them with another cheerful wave.


    Scarlett focused on the house at the opposite end of the square, walking over towards it. There, Arlene was sitting on her porch, observing the children with a distant gaze. With long raven hair that had a streak of white in it, the woman wore a familiar somber expression, highlighted by the traces of wrinkles and darker skin under her eyes.


    Arlene turned to look at Scarlett and Rosa when they stopped in front of the porch.


    ¡°Oh? Visitors?¡± The woman voiced the same words she always did at their first meeting.


    Scarlett had grown accustomed to it, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t feel quite right this time. She could still envision the other woman before her ¡ª the one who had listened to her confession with a calm demeanor and showed understanding of her situation.


    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± Scarlett eventually brought herself to say, echoing the same greeting she always did. ¡°I am Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    Arlene raised an eyebrow. ¡°Scarlett Hartford?¡± She studied her for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s a new name.¡±


    ¡°This is my retainer, Rosalina Hale.¡± Scarlett gestured towards Rosa, who had moved closer to the porch¡¯s railing and leaned against it. ¡°We have come from Freybrook to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± Arlene¡¯s gaze lingered on Scarlett for a second longer before shifting to Rosa. After seemingly finding what she¡¯d looked for, the woman redirected her attention to the village square. ¡°I¡¯ll have to disappoint, unfortunately. I¡¯m not much to meet.¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Scarlett said, fixing her eyes on Arlene. ¡°I wish to be taken under your tutelage.¡±


    The woman paused, turning back to Scarlett. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I wish to be taught by you.¡±


    Arlene narrowed her eyes and then pointed at the empty space beside Scarlett. ¡°Show me what you can do.¡±


    Scarlett followed her gesture. ¡°Is there a particular demonstration you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Magic would be preferable, but if you¡¯re here to learn my baking secrets, a sponge cake works as well.¡±


    Scarlett took a deep breath, then raised one hand in the air and conjured a wheel of fire. Dozens of flames swirled and revolved like a miniature whirlpool at its center.


    Arlene watched the display quietly for an extended moment, her brows knit in thought.


    It took a decent bit of focus on Scarlett¡¯s end to maintain the magic and have it be as perfect as she could. In most cases, this amount of precision and intensity would have been overkill, but a tinge of worry still managed to creep into her mind. What if this wouldn¡¯t be enough? What if the previous Arlene had lied to her?


    Finally, the woman broke the silence. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Scarlett dismissed her flames.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you,¡± Arlene said.


    Scarlett tried not to show the surprise and relief on her face. ¡°¡­May I ask why this was enough?¡±


    Compared to some of the things she¡¯d shown in previous loops, this current demonstration felt a lot less impressive in terms of scale and power. While it might have been a touch more complex, she honestly thought that her Aqua Mines had greater nuance and utility. If she¡¯d channeled the same focus and mana into a single Mine, it would probably possess enough force to utterly destroy an ordinary person.


    ¡°Would you prefer I don¡¯t teach you?¡± Arlene asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Scarlett hurried to say. ¡°I merely asked out of curiosity.¡±


    The woman seemed to consider her for another few seconds. ¡°¡­It looked promising,¡± she eventually replied. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    Arlene then turned to look at Rosa. ¡°Are you also seeking instruction?¡±


    The bard smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, don¡¯t mind me. Just a tag-along so that Red here doesn¡¯t get lonely.¡± She pointed a thumb in Scarlett¡¯s direction.


    Scarlett shot her a sharp look at the nickname but quickly averted her eyes upon catching the small smirk on Rosa¡¯s lips. It was wiser to ignore the woman and not give her any more amusement in moments like these.


    ¡°I¡¯m also here so that she has someone to leech life-force out of whenever she runs low,¡± Rosa added.


    Arlene turned back to Scarlett with suspicion in her eyes.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t suppress her sigh. ¡°She is referring to mana, and I do not ¡®leech¡¯ it from her. I possess an artifact that stores mana, and Miss Hale assists me in refilling it when necessary.¡±


    If Arlene was actually going to teach her, Scarlett might not even need Rosa¡¯s help to replenish her mana any longer. An experienced master mage would almost certainly wield more mana than Rosa. Additionally, Scarlett had access to [Ittar¡¯s Genesis]. While she didn¡¯t think using the item within the village was an option, it might be worthwhile to venture outside of the village at times to practice with it.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to participate, I suggest you step back,¡± Arlene told Rosa. Taking the hint, the bard promptly retreated.


    Then Arlene rose from her chair. Four flames materialized in the air before her, transforming into arrow shapes that pointed in Scarlett¡¯s direction.


    Scarlett took a step back, eyeing the flames. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Exactly what you asked me to,¡± Arlene replied. With a flick of her wrist, two of the fiery arrows shot off towards Scarlett. ¡°Teaching you.¡±

 Chapter 163 - Educational bouts

    Scarlett hurried to activate [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs], narrowly doing so as the arrows of fire slammed into her. For a moment, she almost lost her balance.


    Were those really made of just fire? [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] had mitigated most of the damage, but other than simple heat, she¡¯d actually felt the force behind that blow.


    ¡°What are¡ª!¡± she began, but Arlene had already launched two more fiery arrows towards her. Reacting quickly, Scarlett tried to seize control of them using her pyrokinesis, but it was like trying to stop someone¡¯s punch with a pair of chopsticks. The arrows struck her in the chest, though this time she was better prepared and stood her ground.


    She gritted her teeth. As Arlene conjured another set of fire arrows and stepped down from the porch, Scarlett raised her hand and summoned spheres of water to intercept the projectiles. It produced sizzling sounds as steam billowed from the collisions.


    It had been a while since she was in a real spar, but her practice sessions with Kat and Garside hadn¡¯t been for nothing.


    Arlene raised an eyebrow. ¡°True pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis? That¡¯s a curious combination.¡± With a wave of her hand, the water spheres were engulfed by larger flames. Loud cries of excitement and awe erupted from the children gathered at the center of the village square.


    Near Arlene, Rosa¡¯s expression bore a hint of concern, but Scarlett reassured her with a gesture.


    Just then, flames coalesced around Scarlett, forming a cage of searing heat that pressed in from all sides. It was enough to penetrate even through the defense provided by [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs].


    Scarlett activated the [Charm of Expeditious Change] and equipped the [Fireguard Knife], [Chromacloth], [Tiara of Lost Benediction]¡ªRosa could laugh at her later if she wanted¡ªand the rest of her gear. The items strengthened her fire resistance and defense, making the heat more bearable while also sharpening her focus and slightly enhancing her pyrokinesis.


    Arlene shaped more fire into even larger arrows aimed at Scarlett. She countered by conjuring a mixture of water and fire barriers to intercept their paths. The water barriers weakened some of the intensity from the arrows as they were pierced, while her fires actually managed to absorb some of the incoming flames. Though it consumed more mana than she would have wanted, she managed to stop most of the attacks before they reached her.


    Meanwhile, she had summoned eight Aqua Mines that surrounded Arlene. She couldn¡¯t identify the woman¡¯s weak points through the [Charms of Apperception]¡ªthe woman was too strong¡ªbut the Mines still packed a punch, bursting into clouds of steam that assailed Arlene from all angles.


    Not that the woman seemed to care much. A thin, almost see-through shield of fire materialized in a split second, deflecting all the attacks without causing the woman to flinch.


    ¡°That is certainly an interesting method of blending those two elements,¡± Arlene commented as she continued advancing towards Scarlett. An intense wave of heat emanated from her, testing Scarlett¡¯s protections and forcing her to step back. ¡°Unorthodox, certainly, considering the absence of composite spells for these schools. Usually, it would have been a questionable choice to focus on both, but you¡¯ve circumvented that weakness by ignoring spells altogether. You¡¯ve sacrificed efficiency, though. Nevertheless, it¡¯s probably the optimal combination to battle a fire mage such as myself.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. It was hard to tell which of the things Arlene was doing were spells and which were applications of pyrokinesis. She recognized the fire shield from earlier as a spell called [Flame Veil], but Arlene summoned it without any gestures or words, unlike most other mages.


    Arlene fell silent for a moment. ¡°Perhaps this is what they call fate.¡±


    Above her head, a tiny spark ignited, rapidly expanding to the size of a basketball. It radiated a bright yellow light, like the sun, as its intensity grew.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t wait for whatever that was to finish. She focused all her efforts on launching a barrage of attacks against Arlene¡¯s defenses. Aqua Mines, spheres of high-intensity fire, cages of flame ¡ª she gave it her all. At the same time, she tried to weaken the burgeoning miniature star above Arlene by dousing it with conjured water and assimilating some into her own fires, but nothing she threw at it seemed enough to overpower it.


    Arlene remained unfazed. This time, she hadn¡¯t even bothered casting [Flame Veil] to protect herself, instead enduring the full brunt of Scarlett¡¯s assault with her body. Scarlett¡¯s brief concern about accidentally injuring the woman quickly faded when Arlene stepped through it all without even a graze.


    ¡°That said,¡± the woman continued, ¡°employing your hydrokinesis for offense would likely have given you more success, even if your proficiency in it appears limited.¡±


    The fiery vortex above Arlene seemed to reach critical mass, generating a whirlpool of air as it whizzed and spun. Scarlett realized there was nothing she could do to stop this impending attack now, so she abandoned all ideas of offense and instead concentrated everything she had on blocking whatever would come at her. She summoned layers upon layers of dense water to encapsulate the tiny star, its brilliant light refracting through the liquid in a mesmerizing display as Scarlett erected even more elemental barriers between her and it.


    In an explosive burst of light, the vortex discharged a chaotic cluster of beams that tore through everything in their path and arched towards Scarlett in a dazzling array of incandescence. It didn¡¯t matter what she conjured to defend herself, as nothing slowed their advance for even a moment.


    Her heart stopped as they reached for her. Just as they seemed poised to strike her, however, the beams vanished, dissipating into nothingness along with all other magical presences in their surroundings.


    Scarlett stood there, sweat dripping down her brow, while Arlene calmly observed her.


    ¡°It seems I have my work cut out for me,¡± the woman remarked, though a slight smile played on her lips. ¡°We¡¯ll get you into shape eventually, I¡¯m sure. It might just take a bit of work.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong. Focus on this part and let the mana flow through it, as though you¡¯re wringing out a soaked towel,¡± Arlene instructed Scarlett from her side.


    Scarlett heaved a deep breath as she concentrated on the flame suspended in the air a couple of meters in front of her, taking the vague shape of an arrow with a slightly bulky and uneven shaft. She tried following the woman¡¯s directions, adjusting the mana flow as she molded the fire into a more defined form.


    ¡°That¡¯s better, but it won¡¯t hold more bite than a mosquito as it is right now,¡± Arlene said.


    Above Scarlett¡¯s fire arrow was another, larger one, with streaks of blue fire running through parts of it, highlighting how Scarlett should channel her own mana.


    ¡°Crafting the fire into the semblance of an arrow is easy,¡± the woman explained, ¡°but it¡¯s pointless unless you also want it to have the same force as a genuine one. Now, gather more of the mana at the back, where the fletching would be¡ªlike this¡ªand increase its intensity. That¡¯ll help when you want to give it speed. The most important part is the arrowhead, though. There is a little trick to it if you want to impart the sensation of actual mass behind the fire. This is what you should focus on the most, because this technique will come in handy for you in the future as well.¡±


    Scarlett continued following Arlene¡¯s guidance until she achieved something that the woman was satisfied with. Then she launched the newly forged fire arrow into the ground just before the porch where they were sitting. A small cloud of dirt rose up, leaving a barely noticeable scorch mark on the earth.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Acceptable, for now,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Although a normal arrow would probably be more useful.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not generally carry around a bow in my pocket,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen many noble ladies who do.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid I would have difficulty drawing one even if I did, so I am quite content with this as an alternative.¡± Scarlett brought out a handkerchief to wipe her forehead, gently touching her chest with her other hand.


    She still felt a bit sore from the earlier ¡®sparring session¡¯. It had all been rather sudden¡ªnot to mention that the woman had subjected her to even more bouts after the first to ¡®size her up¡¯¡ªbut it had been bearable for now. Kat had also been a bit on the forceful side back when Scarlett had been sparring with the Shielder woman. Maybe this could even be considered tame in comparison.


    Although, knowing Arlene, Scarlett wouldn¡¯t be surprised if things ramped up a lot in difficulty soon.


    For now, however, the woman had been satisfied with teaching her some actual magic after Scarlett had rested up a bit. They had started with those fire arrows Arlene had used in their initial exchange. They were apparently what one would consider the ¡®basics¡¯ when it came to pyrokinesis ¡ª not that Scarlett had ever found a book on the subject, nor anyone who had even nearly as much experience as Arlene.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t even been aware that it was possible to impart a sense of actual weight or force to the fire without causing an explosion of some kind. She was still slightly uncertain how that worked, but Arlene had explained that this was one of the perks of working with true pyrokinesis rather than regular pyrokinesis. It kind of did what you wanted it to do, as long as you wanted something ¡®reasonable¡¯.


    In her opinion, that explanation was plenty confusing and ambiguous on its own, but what mattered was that it seemed to work. This fact alone opened up a lot more possibilities for the future.


    She turned her gaze to Arlene. ¡°Apart from those fire arrows, which of the techniques you displayed earlier involved pyrokinesis? Was that miniature sun an example of it?¡±


    That was what had caught Scarlett¡¯s interest the most, frankly. She would love to be able to recreate that effect herself.


    Arlene shook her head. ¡°That was a spell called stellar inferno. The name is a bit exaggerated, but it¡¯s an interesting spell. Unfortunately for you, it¡¯s not something you¡¯re likely to learn.¡± She eyed Scarlett. ¡°Unless I¡¯m wrong in suspecting you¡¯re incapable of casting spells?¡±


    ¡°No, you are correct,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°At the moment, I am only capable of using pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis, and those are where my focus will remain in the future. However, it surprises me that you were able to discern as much this quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s apparent enough after seeing how you handled yourself earlier. It¡¯s certainly odd not being able to use traditional magic¡ªI¡¯m curious how you got yourself to that level without it¡ªbut it is nonetheless something I can work with. I have enough experience with both traditional spells and pyrokinesis.¡±


    ¡°Then is there no way to reproduce that ¡®stellar inferno¡¯ spell using only pyrokinesis?¡±


    ¡°There is, technically,¡± Arlene answered. She shrugged her shoulders, gazing out at the currently empty village square. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t serve much purpose. There are countless other ways you can use pyrokinesis to achieve a similar result that won¡¯t cost you even nearly as much mana.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    The woman leaned back in her chair and held up a hand. An array of tiny flames materialized above her fingers, arching around each other like miniature planets. ¡°The spell is essentially just another means of attacking multiple targets at once. That¡¯s all it boils down to. As for how it works, it capitalizes on a magical phenomenon known as ¡®thermal resonance¡¯¡ªI won¡¯t bother explaining what that is since you won¡¯t have any use for it¡ªwhich allows the spell to progressively draw upon the elemental root of fire and amplify itself with relatively little mana expenditure. So it has a low cost and packs a decent punch, but it takes a while to prepare. If you wanted to replicate it using pyrokinesis, you would need to continuously channel your mana to sustain it, and even then you would likely achieve a subpar result. Using those fire arrows I just taught you would be a better alternative, or that other technique you had.¡±


    ¡°I call those ¡®Aqua Mines¡¯,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°So you believe they are an effective application of my mana, then?¡±


    ¡°They are interesting, if anything, and we might be able to make something more from it in the future,¡± Arlene replied. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, pyromancy and hydromancy are an unorthodox blend of schools, but you clearly found an innovative approach. Certain wizards would be very interested in dissecting your methods to create an actual spell from it.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    It was unlikely that Scarlett would ever bother pursuing that avenue when she had so much else going on, but it was interesting to hear. Adalicia and other mages she had encountered did give her intrigued reactions when she displayed her abilities.


    Arlene went quiet for a bit after that, continuing to play with the flames above her hand. Scarlett observed her thoughtfully. ¡°If I may, there is one question I have been wanting to ask you that is tangentially related to what we just discussed.¡±


    The woman closed her fingers, causing the flames dancing above to fade. She turned to look at Scarlett. ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I believe there is no doubt that you are an experienced and powerful pyromancer,¡± Scarlett began. ¡°However, what I find slightly odd is your proficiency not only in theory and spells, but also in the pyrokinesis you are currently teaching me. Especially its applications in combat. I have spoken to several mages and wizards before, but I have yet to meet any who have displayed expertise in pyrokinesis or its equivalents beyond somewhat rudimentary applications. It is my understanding that everyone considers traditional spells to be superior.¡±


    She had even asked Dean Godwin about this, and he had mentioned that, while he was decent at aerokinesis, he essentially only utilized it for lifting things around and looking cool, though he didn¡¯t use those exact words.


    Arlene was the only mage Scarlett had met who actually used pyrokinesis in combat.


    The woman studied her for a few seconds. ¡°Let me start answering that by asking you a question: do you know why manifest magic is more prevalent among higher-level spells than lower-level ones?¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brow. ¡°It is because manifest magic is generally more complex to perform, no? Less experienced and skilled mages are less likely to employ it.¡±


    Manifest magic was magic that directly altered and manipulated the world itself, as opposed to evanescent magic which produced temporary effects without altering reality. Although an evanescent spell could influence its surroundings, the distinction was still pretty significant.


    The way Scarlett understood it, and based on Arlene¡¯s own words, manifest magic and normal pyrokinesis were the closest one could come to conjuring genuine fire from mana.


    ¡°Complexity is certainly a factor,¡± Arlene said, ¡°but there¡¯s another reason. Perhaps you¡¯ve yet to encounter this, considering you only use true pyrokinesis, but manifest spells¡¯ main advantage over evanescent ones is that they are far more challenging to counter.¡±


    Scarlett nodded her head. She had encountered that, actually, when she and Kat were ambushed by Cabal Adepts during one of their excursions. The Adepts¡¯ weapons had been enchanted to nullify the Shielder¡¯s spells, so Kat had switched to using manifest magic as a workaround. After all, a weapon made to cut through magical constructs in the shape of a stone would have a much harder time cutting through an actual stone.


    But it was true that this had never been a significant concern for Scarlett herself, because she was already using something that was equivalent to manifest magic. In fact, true pyrokinesis appeared to come with some added advantages, like being more effective against ghosts and other entities that traditionally have resistances against magic.


    Arlene smiled faintly at her. ¡°It seems you understand what I¡¯m referring to.¡±


    ¡°I believe I do, yes. But how does that relate to my question? You yourself can perform manifest spells, can you not? You would have no reason to use pyrokinesis, if so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simply a matter of flexibility,¡± Arlene explained. ¡°In duels between experienced mages, manifest spells are always crucial, but spells are, by definition, unmalleable. They are a schematic telling your magic to ¡®do this¡¯, saving you the trouble of having to produce immensely complex phenomena yourself. They have set uses and limited adaptability. Knowing the right spell for the right occasion is the mark of a skilled mage. But pyrokinesis, especially true pyrokinesis, offers much more versatility. It¡¯s faster and more malleable in combat, as long as you don¡¯t need anything too complex. In return, you sacrifice mana efficiency and power, but that can be compensated by having significant reserves.¡± The woman smirked. ¡°That is something I have never lacked, and that is also part of the reason why I have mastered both forms. I¡¯ve only known two others who bothered to do the same.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Scarlett¡¯s forehead creased in thought.


    That wasn¡¯t too different from what she had experienced herself and heard before, though she¡¯d never had it put this way to her. As for mana costs, her limited capacity had always been her biggest limitation. While [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] offered a potential remedy there, she could only afford to bring it out on specific occasions. Her only other mana-increasing item, [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker], provided only a fraction of what [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] did.


    She had been considering upgrading the necklace using the legendary-grade [Tablet of Sovegrephor] that she had acquired from the Sanctuary of Ittar. But she had also been saving that to upgrade her [Charms of Apperception] again, if she needed it to work against higher-level enemies when she faced those. It was a core part of her current combat style, after all.


    She did know the locations of a few other items with similar properties to the [Charms of Apperception], though, so it might be worth upgrading [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] now just to have that immediate mana boost. In truth, she was pretty curious to see how much mana the upgraded item would provide. It had originally been an item meant for players around levels 20-30¡ªa pretty powerful item for that range¡ªso upgrading it to legendary grade would be akin to bumping it up 30-40 levels.


    While it wouldn¡¯t rival [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], which gave 20 000 mana and even recharged itself, it still held promise.


    Her attention turned back to Arlene. The woman was watching her quietly.


    Well, there were a lot of things that held promise at the moment. And she supposed that, for the time being, all she could do was continue working to see how it all panned out.

 Chapter 164 - Charming reveals

    The sweltering evening sun bore down on Scarlett as she sat in the village square of Freymeadow, her focus fixed on the intricate workings of magic before her. A multitude of hazy, half-formed fire arrows hovered in the air, recently conjured and taking aim at a plump mass of vaguely human-shaped water nearby. She strained herself to maintain the dense liquid while simultaneously controlling the fire.


    After another moment, the arrows fully materialized, resembling those Arlene had used during their earlier spars.


    Mentally commanding them, Scarlett launched each arrow. There was some variation in speed, but they all struck the mass of water with resounding plops and splashes that echoed across the square. Steam rose from their entry points, and while most of the arrows dissipated upon impact, three managed to pierce the ¡®target¡¯ and tear through it.


    It was an exercise in frustration for Scarlett to juggle this many fire arrows¡ªa skill she had learned just earlier that day¡ªat the same time, while also sustaining a reasonably dense water target. This was far from her first attempt as well. It would have been easier if she had used the [Tiara of Lost Benediction] or had Rosa¡¯s buffs to help her, but there wasn¡¯t much point in practicing if she constantly relied on training wheels.


    That said, she wasn¡¯t a fan of making things needlessly difficult either.


    Arlene had advised her to challenge herself during the learning process, which was reasonable enough. But the woman seemed to have an odd definition of what ¡®challenging¡¯ meant in the context of practice. What Scarlett was currently doing was challenging¡ªshe was basically training in two things she was inexperienced with at the same time¡ªbut if Arlene had her way, Scarlett would be doing this twice over.


    Or at least it felt that way after the woman had been instructing her throughout the day and into the evening. In truth, Scarlett suspected that Arlene already had a pretty decent idea of her limits, and it wasn¡¯t as if the older woman was constantly hovering over her shoulder, shouting at her every time she made a mistake.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Arlene was expecting more.


    Now that Scarlett had finally been accepted as a disciple, the woman really wasn¡¯t holding anything back.


    It made her almost grateful for the fact that it had taken this long to get accepted. Because of that, she¡¯d already had several weeks of time to gradually acclimate herself to keeping up with a demanding training regimen here in Freymeadow. Without that, she wasn¡¯t sure she would have been prepared for the pace set by Arlene.


    It was entirely possible that, if Scarlett had been subjected to this intensity of training upon her first arrival here, she might have snapped at the woman or said something unwise out of pure frustration.


    What was probably the most annoying part of today¡¯s practice was that, even after having been at it for over half a day now, she had yet to reach the point of mana exhaustion. She was near it¡ªshe had been for several hours¡ªbut never crossed that threshold because Arlene always told her to stop in time.


    It was clear that the woman had a deep understanding of exactly how much rest was necessary to optimize practice and mana usage, the effects of which Scarlett was feeling fully.


    [Mana: 1797/5142]


    Dismissing what remained of her fire arrows and the water target, she took a brief moment to catch her breath and wipe the sweat from her face. Eventually, she raised her hand to begin anew. If she waited too long without depleting her mana, Arlene would be on her soon enough.


    Gathering her mana and shaping it into the desired image proved slightly more challenging this time. However, eventually, a sizeable grating of fire burst into existence a few meters ahead of her. The lattice-like structure allowed some visibility but prevented any larger object from passing through unscathed. Consisting of a grid of thin flames, it was somewhat irregular at first, with certain areas being almost transparent, but after a while it became more defined as Scarlett refined her creation.


    To test it, she conjured some water around a small stone at her feet, taking an extra moment to condense the liquid enough to lift the stone. She then launched the stone towards the fiery gate. As it pierced through the bars, a plume of steam rose from the boiling water while the stone itself fell to the ground a bit behind.


    Scarlett frowned. She¡¯d thought that would go better.


    This was another application of the technique Arlene had demonstrated before, where she ¡®imbued¡¯ the fire with more physical properties. According to Arlene, you didn¡¯t actually give the fire physical mass, but the woman had likened it to tricking the world into thinking as much, a feat only really achievable with true pyrokinesis. It had its limits, apparently, but there were supposedly spells that capitalized on this concept quite a bit.


    Scarlett had already tried it out several times now, though mostly on smaller scales. It would be incredibly convenient if she could conjure actual barriers and cages out of fire, but it was proving difficult to master. At the moment, she could only make the fire ¡®dense¡¯ enough to slightly nudge things.


    Her eyes glanced to the side.


    [Mana: 1434/5142]


    It didn¡¯t take too much mana, so she decided to extend the range of her fire gate, doubling its size and reshaping it into a cage as she moved it to enclose a tree stump that had been used in her earlier practice.


    Another technique Arlene had taught her involved directing some of the heat from her flames, though it was a task that proved even more challenging than the previous one. But at this point, Scarlett would welcome using up what remained of her mana.


    Clenching her teeth, she focused on following Arlene¡¯s instructions on how to manipulate the mana of her flames. Just as she was deep into her concentration, a few elusive notes of music drifted across the space.


    Her eyes widened as the notes seemed to resonate with her fire, causing the flames comprising her cage to tremble and shift slightly. Tiny, almost translucent echoes of the flames sparked into existence, bathed in a pale blue hue and moving in sync with the music. The echoes danced around Scarlett¡¯s flames, occasionally bursting into small explosions of ghostly blue light. Some of the echoes licked at the tree stump, where they seemed to simultaneously scorch and rejuvenate the bark.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Amazed and stunned by the sight, Scarlett watched as more and more echoes emerged, and where their blue flames touched red flames, even more echoes were born. It caused a chain reaction that engulfed the entire fire cage and formed a dense cloud of wispy blue flames, the tree stump vanishing from view in the radiant display.


    Gradually, as the red flames were overtaken by the translucent blue ones, the entire spectacle died off, breaking apart into motes of fading light. The tree stump emerged once again, its surface charred black in certain spots, while other areas were now covered in fresh bark.


    Scarlett kept her gaze on it for a while longer before turning her attention to the source of the music. Seated on the elevated wooden platform in the village square¡¯s center, klert in hand, was Rosa. She offered a sheepish smile and a wink in her direction.


    What was that?


    The bard swung her legs forward, hopped down from the platform, and started walking over towards Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that didn¡¯t turn out quite as I expected,¡± she said as she approached.


    Scarlett gave her a long look. ¡°I presume this was the ¡®surprise¡¯ you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Sure was.¡± Rosa¡¯s lips curved upwards as she leaned her instrument against the leg of Scarlett¡¯s chair, her violet eyes focused on her. ¡°Did you fancy it?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure what to think of it,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°It was certainly a spectacle. I can acknowledge that much. You have piqued my interest.¡±


    Not only had the performance somehow caused her fire to reproduce and grow, but it also seemed to both intensify the flames¡¯ power and grant them a regenerative property.


    ¡°How did you accomplish that?¡± she asked.


    She knew Rosa hadn¡¯t demonstrated anything like this in the game. While the bard possessed various buffs and other useful charms, there had been nothing remotely similar to what Scarlett had just witnessed.


    ¡°The idea first came to me back when we were in that eerie old mansion near Autumnwell,¡± Rosa said.


    Scarlett furrowed her brow. ¡°Abelard¡¯s mansion?¡±


    There hadn¡¯t been anything resembling this phenomenon there either.


    ¡°Well, when we were there, yeah. Can¡¯t say there was anything in particular in the mansion that inspired me, but, well¡­¡± Rosa fell silent for a moment, her lips pressing together. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I saw how focused you were on supporting everyone while we were fighting that old ghost, and it didn¡¯t feel right. Didn¡¯t feel like it quite suited you. Felt like you wanted to do more than that, but couldn¡¯t. So, I thought maybe I could do something to lend you a hand or three. After all, that¡¯s basically what I¡¯m here for, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    With a wide, theatrical gesture, the woman brushed her hair back. ¡°Well, that and being a dangerously captivating paramour to charm and bewitch all of your adversaries, I suppose.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a flat look. ¡°¡­Yes, of course.¡±


    Rosa responded with a lopsided grin. ¡°Since then, I¡¯ve been experimenting here and there. Started out by playing a few songs before live candles¡ªmost fired-up audience I¡¯ve ever had¡ªand it seemed like maybe I was onto something. Then, I sort of gave up on the whole idea for a while after¡­ Well, that doesn¡¯t really matter. But eventually, I managed to fine-tune the concept enough to where I felt it was worth giving it a try with the real deal. I wasn¡¯t actually sure it¡¯d work with that flaming inferno you call your magic, and I also didn¡¯t expect the reaction to be as intense as it was. But hey, all¡¯s well that ends well, am I right?¡±


    ¡°I am not certain if what we witnessed earlier can be considered a favorable outcome¡­¡± Scarlett glanced over at the tree stump, its appearance a chaotic mix of charred and freshly healed bark. ¡°Nevertheless, it does indeed appear to hold potential.¡±


    Would it be possible to gain better control of this effect? If so, it could potentially give a significant boost to Scarlett¡¯s firepower whenever Rosa was available, in addition to increasing the party¡¯s healing capabilities.


    That was under the assumption that those blue flames had possessed genuine healing properties. Most healing spells wouldn¡¯t regrow bark on a dead tree stump, so the situation was a bit strange.


    Furthermore, Rosa already had area-of-effect healing charms, so they would have to determine whether this offered any advantages over those. It seemed to have a longer range than Rosa¡¯s usual heals, and if it could propagate through Scarlett¡¯s flames independently, it could potentially spread over a large area quickly and efficiently.


    ¡°How taxing was it for you to sustain?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Rosa tapped her cheek in thought. ¡°Hmm. Well, let¡¯s put it this way. On a scale from one to ten, imagine you took the scale and stretched it out to eleven, wrung out a couple of twelves, and there you have it.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. ¡°Was it truly that draining?¡±


    The bard offered a small smile. ¡°No, not really.¡± She cocked her head. ¡°Maybe a seven? Or an eight? I¡¯d wager if I had kept that up for much longer, I would have ended up with a few burst blood vessels. But I¡¯m not writhing on the ground in pain this time, at least.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°Has that happened before?¡±


    Rosa¡¯s smile turned wry. ¡°Oh, worried about me? I¡¯m flattered.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I might have made a mistake or two while trying to figure this thing out.¡±


    ¡°That is hardly a reassuring answer.¡±


    The woman gave a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°Charms are like that. It¡¯s all about the vibes and navigating by feel, but you never know what you¡¯re gonna get. I once accidentally turned my hair pink trying to crack how I could make my songs taste like strawberry.¡±


    Scarlett did not hide the skepticism on her face. ¡°I assume you are joking.¡±


    Rosa simply smirked in response. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Shaking her head, Scarlett gestured at the woman¡¯s instrument. ¡°If you would assist me so that I can stand. I am in need of rest.¡±


    After a full day of training, her legs had grown too fatigued to be of much use.


    ¡°Your wish is my command, milady,¡± the bard replied with exaggerated flair, bending to retrieve her klert and producing a brief melody from the instrument.


    A surge of energy coursed through Scarlett¡¯s body, allowing her to shakily rise from her chair. She paused, detecting a hint of sweetness on her tongue.


    Strawberry.


    She turned to stare at Rosa, who winked at her before heading towards the house where Arlene sat on the porch. Scarlett observed the bard¡¯s departing figure for a few moments before following.


    So that hadn¡¯t been a lie after all¡­


    Arlene glanced up from her book as they approached, her gaze first falling on Rosa. The bard stopped and leaned against the porch railing, prompting Arlene to speak. ¡°That was an intriguing effect you manifested there. I have some previous experience with charm users, but I¡¯ve never witnessed anything quite like that. What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Beats me,¡± Rosa answered, both arms resting on the wooden beam as she supported her chin. ¡°Like I told Red here, it¡¯s all about the vibe. You keep at something until it clicks, and then you stick with it whenever you need it. It just works.¡±


    Arlene shook her head at that. ¡°This is precisely why I never delved into bardic charms myself. They¡¯re as nonsensical as the individuals who often employ them. No offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± Rosa replied. ¡°The common masses usually struggle to comprehend genius when they see it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± Arlene chuckled softly, then adopted a more serious tone. ¡°Unlike water and light, fire as an element lacks regenerative aspects. Hence, it¡¯s likely that your charm worked by only borrowing the power of Scarlett¡¯s flames to fuel its own effect, creating an effect akin to certain elemental resonances. Judging by its appearance, it¡¯s most probable that your charm tapped into the energies of an idol, manifesting a portion of its essence.¡±


    Rosa nodded solemnly. ¡°Hmm, precisely as I suspected.¡±


    Scarlett walked past the bard and stepped onto the porch, settling down in the vacant chair next to Arlene. ¡°I find it more plausible that you understood only half of her explanation.¡±


    Rosa gave her a wounded look. ¡°Here I¡¯ve been beating myself purple for the last few weeks trying to come up with this for you, and this is the thanks I get?¡±


    ¡°Although I recognize that you are saying that in jest¡­¡± Scarlett eyed her for a moment. ¡°¡­you are correct. What you have accomplished is impressive. You have my appreciation for even attempting it. However, if we intend to harness this phenomenon effectively, we will require better mastery and control over it.¡±


    Rosa placed a hand over her mouth with a gasp. ¡°What, you¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t want to subject your enemies to an unending cycle of burning and healing, driving them mad with agony and torment? Who are you, and what have you done with my winningly cold-hearted baroness?¡±


    ¡°This is precisely why I refrain from praising you, Miss Hale, in case you were unaware.¡± Scarlett shook her head. The grueling training was one thing, but she had the sneaking suspicion that wasn¡¯t what would ultimately wear her down here in Freymeadow.

 Chapter 165 - Upgrades and progression

    ¡°That¡¯s better. You are starting to get the hang of this. Much better than yesterday,¡± Arlene said as the woman observed Scarlett conjuring water and fire into a variety of elemental shapes at the center of a forest clearing.


    Each shape balanced an object on top, such as twigs, stones, and other small woodland items. Although ¡®balanced¡¯ might be too generous a word, as the objects were, at best, gently slowed in their descent towards the ground. The fires were gradually having their pebbles and stones sink through them, while the water shapes required constant reinforcement and adjustment to keep their slightly heavier objects completely afloat.


    Nonetheless, Scarlett was impressed she could do even this much.


    She had spent the majority of the last two days here in Freymeadow practicing her magic, focusing primarily on refining the technique Arlene had taught her to make her flames more ¡®substantial¡¯. Out of curiosity, she had tried applying it to her hydrokinesis as well, but unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t as effective in that context. So, she¡¯d reverted to simply increasing the pressure and density of her water to achieve a similar effect.


    That said, Arlene had provided some helpful insights in that area, despite it falling outside her expertise. This made Scarlett feel like she was making progress on that front as well.


    After maintaining her magic under Arlene¡¯s watchful eye for a while longer, Scarlett finally released it, taking a breath and wiping the sweat from her brow.


    The older woman studied her. ¡°Without that bardic friend of yours here to revitalize you, it might be wise that we stop here for now.¡±


    Scarlett glanced to the side.


    [Mana: 1673/11892]


    She had used the [Tablet of Sovegrephor (Legendary)] to upgrade her necklace this morning.


    [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker (Unique ¡ª Legendary)]


    {This necklace hungers for power and appears to draw in the mana around it, waiting to be unleashed. Enhanced by powers of old, it now craves even the smallest of trickles. 1132/9750}


    The increase in mana was welcome, yet it also felt sort of unfamiliar ¡ª like having suddenly grown longer legs but lacking the muscles and stamina to properly use them. This meant she felt even more drained when she did deplete her mana, a state she was running dangerously close to at the moment.


    It was easy to be fooled by how much mana was still left, but most of what remained wasn¡¯t her own. Instead, it belonged to the artifact. And since she¡¯d already had it recharged once by Arlene after they¡¯d arrived at this clearing, pushing beyond this point would likely leave her collapsed in the dirt within minutes.


    Usually, that was when Scarlett relied on Rosa to lend her the energy to move around with her magic, but since they had also spent most of the morning experimenting with Rosa¡¯s new charm, the bard was back in the village, resting. Right now, Rosa was probably about as tired as Scarlett would be if she continued any further.


    But this was something she had taken into account. There was a reason Scarlett had suggested to Arlene that they conduct their training in the forest for the afternoon.


    ¡°I will manage for the time being,¡± she said. ¡°I have made preparations for this situation.¡±


    She removed the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] and reached into the [Pouch of Holding] at her waist, producing a crystal ball containing a swirling rainbow of colors beneath an orange nebula of tiny stars.


    [Ittar¡¯s Genesis].


    Within, she could sense the energy that seemed ready to burst forth.


    [Mana: 20541/22289]


    Arlene glanced at the artifact momentarily, then at Scarlett. ¡°That does not seem like something you should have in your possession.¡±


    ¡°I imagine there are many that would share your sentiment. Nevertheless, it is mine for now.¡± Scarlett tested the weight of the sacred relic, lifting and lowering it. ¡°With this, I believe I can continue for some time.¡±


    Arlene appeared to consider her for a prolonged moment, then simply shrugged and returned her attention to the center of the clearing. ¡°I won¡¯t stand in your way. A word of warning, though. You should be careful where and whom you show that to.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware.¡±


    Summoning another set of elemental shapes, Scarlett resumed her previous exercises under the woman¡¯s guidance. It was far easier to focus on her magic when she could rely solely on the mana contained within [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] instead of tiring herself out by draining what little remained of her own reserves.


    Eventually, after twenty or so minutes of training, Scarlett dismissed her magic once again to catch her breath. As she reached for a flask of water to drink, Arlene spoke from beside her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a quick learner.¡±


    Scarlett paused, slowly turning to look at the woman, who stood with both hands on her waist. Compliments from Arlene, especially concerning her magical proficiency, were rare.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look.¡± The woman walked over and sat on a nearby tree stump, disregarding the moss and dirt on it. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. You are absorbing my teachings with surprising speed. Like a sponge.¡±


    Scarlett simply stared at her, not entirely sure how to respond. On one hand, it felt natural for her efforts to be praised, but at the same time, hearing it from Arlene like this felt strange.


    ¡°¡­I am merely following your directions,¡± she eventually replied.


    ¡°And you¡¯re doing so with impressive competence. It¡¯s clear you have a natural talent for pyrokinesis, and to a lesser extent, hydrokinesis. But what you¡¯re demonstrating goes beyond that. I doubt most others would have made similar progress in your position.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    That¡­


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how true that was. She felt like the woman had to be exaggerating. Most of the time, all she had to do was shape her magic according to Arlene¡¯s instructions and remember the associated feeling from her mana. It was like learning a new sport, with an experienced coach showing the proper technique and form, allowing Scarlett to improve without actively thinking about the how. It was far from a science on her end. If the game had had the archetype, she might have compared it with being a sorcerer in contrast to Arlene¡¯s wizard, but even that analogy could be giving her more credit than she deserved.


    ¡°I can tell you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Let me ask you a question. Do you know why most mages never progress beyond the basics of pyrokinesis in favor of spells, and why they almost never even touch true pyrokinesis?¡±


    ¡°I believe we have already had a conversation similar to this.¡± Scarlett observed the woman for a moment. ¡°¡­But if I were to humor you, I am aware that true pyrokinesis is supposed to be a challenging skill to learn. Mages who do so often focus on it only as far as it is necessary, as some of its principles aid in the development and casting of higher-tier spells. Additionally, as you yourself have pointed out, relying on pyrokinesis is less efficient than using spells.¡±


    ¡°That last one is the biggest factor, but the difficulty cannot be overstated. Given that, why do you think that you find it comparatively easy?¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. The answer to that clearly lay in her access to the system, but that wasn¡¯t really something she wanted to bring up with this version of Arlene. The notion made her uneasy.


    ¡°Beyond having a natural aptitude, I cannot provide an explanation,¡± she replied.


    ¡°You do, yes. That, and you possess a strong sense of will and of how the world should be,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°¡­Truly?¡±


    Arlene nodded. ¡°Yes. Even if an ordinary mage manages the basics of pyrokinesis, it¡¯s exceedingly rare for them to master its ¡®purer¡¯ variant. That is, in part, because true pyrokinesis requires a deeper connection with the essence of the element itself, rather than the mere manipulation of fire. As with all the primal forces in this world, tapping into them demands a resolute will and a distinct perception of the world, accurate or not. Skill is a significant factor as well, but that is what you are currently honing. What matters most is that you already know what you want and have a clear vision of how you perceive the world.¡± The woman pointed at her. ¡°This is the paradigm that shapes your interaction with the primal forces, and it¡¯s what grants you the impressive control you have been displaying since we first met. How you wield that control may be far less impressive, but that is what we¡¯re here to refine.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. Her ¡®will¡¯ could be considered strong, in a sense, but wasn¡¯t that simply a result of the original¡¯s personality and traits merging with hers? It was yet another effect of the system. Furthermore, she wasn¡¯t even sure how she ¡®viewed¡¯ the world, so she had no idea how that would relate to her magic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it too much,¡± Arlene said, letting out a short sigh. ¡°People tend to do that when I try to explain certain concepts to them. I was never as good at this as my old master. Simply know that establishing such a strong connection with an element as you have usually necessitates extensive training and preparation, both of the mind and the body. Your will can be seen as the anchor that binds you to the element, while your perception of the world is the rudder. It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be ¡®correctly shaped¡¯, but if you have a strong image of the world that you desire, it helps in making your magic shape it accordingly.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not aware that played a factor.¡± Scarlett could remember Arlene telling her something about the importance of one¡¯s will before, but the woman had never gone into much depth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a topic that most people comprehend well.¡± Arlene eyed her for a moment, then looked to the side. ¡°Regardless, you are making good progress. Even while limited to pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis, I think you¡¯ll be able to go far with what you have at your disposal.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scarlett glanced down at her hands and the crystal ball she was holding. ¡°If I may ask.¡± She returned her gaze to the older woman. ¡°Do you have any examples of what I might be capable of if I continue training with you?¡±


    Arlene¡¯s focus returned to Scarlett. She motioned through the air with her hand. Fire materialized at the clearing¡¯s center, crafting a miniature landscape of fiery hills, intricately detailed ¡®grass¡¯ swaying in an imagined breeze, and a cluster of tiny buildings near the scene¡¯s edge. Scarlett could not help but marvel at the precision with which Arlene used her pyrokinesis.


    ¡°If we¡¯re simply talking control, then I would expect you to reproduce something like this one day,¡± the woman said. ¡°Once you attain that level, I imagine you¡¯ll be able to figure out plenty of interesting ideas on your own. Unlike you, however, I don¡¯t have any experience with hydrokinesis, so I don¡¯t know what you might be capable of there. That being said¡­¡±


    Above the model landscape, more fire manifested, coalescing into an intense blazing star that twisted upon itself in complex patterns and runes, turning a deep orange that almost seemed to exude a heat on its own. Scarlett froze for a brief moment as she recognized the display.


    In the next instance, fiery tendrils coiled out from the star, enshrouding the sky over the landscape and obliterating the entire scene within seconds. Then, as swiftly as it had emerged, the spectacle faded.


    ¡°You will never be able to achieve something like this,¡± Arlene¡¯s voice reverberated beside her.


    Scarlett fixated on the empty space for a moment longer. Even though it was an illusion¡ªan artistic creation rendered through pyrokinesis¡ªbut she knew exactly what that had portrayed.


    She turned her gaze to Arlene. ¡°That was a primordial spell.¡±


    The woman arched an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Maybe it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise, considering Arlene¡¯s mastery of pyromancy, but Scarlett hadn¡¯t been aware that the woman knew that particular spell.


    Arlene met her gaze. ¡°As you mentioned earlier, pyrokinesis lacks the efficiency of spellcasting. Barring that peculiar charm your friend has, pyrokinesis requires you to direct and maintain all the mana yourself, whereas spells function autonomously following their casting. This means that spells hold an inherent advantage over pyrokinesis in terms of scale. A construct as complex as a primordial spell simply isn¡¯t possible outside of that framework. If you want to achieve a similar effect through pyrokinesis, you would need truly absurd amounts of mana and control.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then where do you think my limit will be?¡±


    ¡°Your limit?¡± Arlene shifted a strand of black-and-white hair from her eyes and leaned forward, resting her elbow on her leg. ¡°I think you¡¯re underestimating my teachings. I am saying that aspiring to reach that level through pyrokinesis alone is irrational, yes, but I am not saying that should stop you.¡± The woman locked eyes with Scarlett. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what I said earlier about a strong will and perception of the world? Thoughts related to limitations shouldn¡¯t even be on your mind.¡±


    Scarlett regarded her, lingering in silence for several seconds as she absorbed those words.


    This was another side of Arlene that she hadn¡¯t seen before. The woman often seemed intent on ensuring Scarlett didn¡¯t harbor any incorrect or overly ambitious assumptions about magic. Yet this marked the first instance where Arlene displayed such ambition herself. It felt as though Scarlett was seeing a lot of new facets of Arlene¡¯s character now that the woman was finally teaching her.


    ¡°I think this is the first time I have seen you smile since you arrived,¡± Arlene said.


    Scarlett blinked, realizing her lips had actually curved upwards slightly.


    The woman rose from the stump she had been sitting on and walked past Scarlett. ¡°I assume you still have more mana stored in that relic of yours? Then let¡¯s get back to it. I still have a couple more lessons I want to squeeze into that head of yours before evening falls.¡±


    Scarlett brought her mind back from the musings that had begun to drift through it, recentering herself and turning to follow Arlene. She could think about other matters later. Right now, there was more training to be done.

 Chapter 166 - Overlooked truths

    ¡°So, what does a girl actually do for fun around here?¡± Rosa¡¯s melodious voice rang out as Scarlett, Arlene, and the bard sat on the porch overlooking Freymeadow¡¯s village square. Rosa was seated between Scarlett and Arlene, leaning back in her chair with both feet resting on the tree stump Scarlett had used during her practice sessions. It was now a mess of charred and fresh bark, forming seemingly random patterns across its surface.


    ¡°From what I have observed during your time here, I think you are better equipped to answer that question than I am,¡± Arlene replied in a casual tone. The woman had her usual cover-less book resting on her lap, although it was closed at the moment. Her gaze wandered over the dirt square, where the village children were playing near the wooden platform in the center.


    It was the third day of this particular loop, and both Scarlett and Rosa had spent much of the morning working themselves tired. Now, they had been resting in the shade for the past half-hour.


    Usually, Rosa would occupy herself with her own little adventures during these periods in Freymeadow, but she had been joining Scarlett and Arlene more frequently in this loop. Part of the reason was her involvement in some of the training, but it seemed that Arlene had also taken a greater interest in the woman after witnessing her bardic charms.


    ¡°Sure, but sometimes it¡¯s good to get the perspective of the locals,¡± Rosa said. ¡°That¡¯s how you discover the really interesting things.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her head to the right, glancing at the woman. Rosa likely knew more about this place than Arlene did by now, but that didn¡¯t stop her from engaging in this type of conversation, it seemed.


    Arlene kept her eyes on the children. ¡°I¡¯m not a resident of this village.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Both of Rosa¡¯s eyebrows rose, although she was probably already aware of that much. ¡°Where are you from, then? Freybrook?¡±


    ¡°No, I come from a minor barony to the west. I¡¯m staying here simply because it¡¯s remote.¡±


    The bard nodded along to those words. ¡°I can understand that. Ain¡¯t the easiest place on a map to find. I¡¯ve been to hidden caves and ancient ruins that were less secreted away than this tiny little village.¡± Some of the kids looked over at them, and Rosa waved cheerfully in response. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d utter that sentence in my lifetime, I¡¯ll tell you that.¡±


    ¡°With your imagination, I find that difficult to believe,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Right? I¡¯m almost offended at myself for not being prepared that, at one point in my life, a strange noblewoman would come swooshing in and whisk me away into a world of adventurous exploration and tomb-raiding. I was too naive.¡±


    ¡°That is not quite what I meant.¡±


    Rosa grinned. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°So you were the one who recruited Miss Hale here?¡± Arlene asked, turning to Scarlett.


    ¡°I was, yes.¡±


    ¡°She walked up to me in an old tavern where I was performing and threw five hundred solars at my face, demanding that I work for her,¡± Rosa added. ¡°Claimed I possessed amazing ¡®qualities¡¯ to offer her.¡±


    Arlene looked between them for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face.


    ¡°I did not ¡®throw¡¯ five hundred solars at you. I offered them to you as compensation for your services,¡± Scarlett quickly clarified. ¡°And not at any point did I use the word ¡®amazing¡¯. Any qualities I might have mentioned were in reference to your bardic magic.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but I bet I could find a few witnesses corroborating that something was definitely thrown around back then.¡± Rosa smirked. ¡°Ah, but maybe those were just the effusive compliments and praises about my utterly breathtaking ¡®qualities¡¯.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. There was no winning when trying to argue with the woman.


    ¡°Bardic charms have always been a rare and abstract form of magic,¡± Arlene said. ¡°While it often appears to have ties to the essence of idols and the Wandering Realm, to my knowledge, no one fully understands its underlying mechanisms or limits. It¡¯s understandable that you would be curious to have someone capable of it in your service, Scarlett.¡±


    Scarlett crossed her arms. ¡°Yes. If only she had a more agreeable personality.¡±


    Rosa cleared her throat pointedly. ¡°She is sitting right here.¡±


    Scarlett turned her eyes to the woman and observed her for a moment. ¡°I can see that, yes.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s mouth curved down in what might have been supposed to be a pout, but it wasn¡¯t particularly convincing. ¡°Sometimes I feel like you don¡¯t fully appreciate how lucky you are to have such an exceptional lady within arm¡¯s reach of you all the time.¡±


    ¡°What a shame,¡± Scarlett replied in a deadpan voice.


    The bard pressed the back of her hand to her forehead as she turned away melodramatically. ¡°Ah, the suffering one endures for five hundred solars.¡±


    ¡°I am currently paying you more than that.¡±


    A while back, Scarlett had increased Fynn and Rosa¡¯s wages, since the barony was reaping significant profits from the items they auctioned. In fact, she had requested Evelyne to increase the pay for all their staff since she felt that it had been too low compared to the funds they were sitting on as an employer.


    Although she knew that an ordinary citizen could survive on less than a hundred solars per month¡ªand many probably did¡ªit didn¡¯t sound like much. Besides, Shin and Allyssa were Shielders, and it cost her well over a thousand solars to employ them continuously like this. The Shields Guild typically only handled specific assignments. Therefore, she thought it was only fair to balance the rewards a bit, considering she could. Of course, Fynn and Rosa also had the added benefit of getting free artifacts, as she intended to let them keep whatever she gave them. In contrast, she was technically only lending equipment to Allyssa and Shin.


    ¡°Semantics,¡± Rosa said with a wave of her hand. The woman¡¯s gaze then turned forward, and a warm smile spread across her face.


    Scarlett followed the bard¡¯s gaze and noticed that one of the kids was now approaching. It was a little girl with blonde hair and a face full of freckles. Scarlett recognized her from their previous visits to the village. Rosa had often played with her, and the girl had once offered Scarlett a handmade wreath at the bard¡¯s encouragement.


    Scarlett kept her eyes on the girl as she drew nearer. After a moment, she turned to Rosa. ¡°What was her name?¡±


    ¡°Hertha,¡± the woman replied. ¡°She¡¯s a shy one.¡±


    The girl stopped in front of the porch, looking up at them with a timid expression. She didn¡¯t say anything for a while, merely gawking at Scarlett and Rosa.


    Finally, Rosa withdrew her feet from the tree stump and leaned forward, patting the wood. ¡°Wanna join us? You don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯m about ninety percent sure that the scary lady here doesn¡¯t bite.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    After a few more seconds of hesitation, Hertha cautiously stepped onto the porch and moved over to the tree stump. She stared at Scarlett as she settled down, positioning herself in front of the trio.


    Scarlett studied the girl in return, wondering what was going through her mind.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s intrigued by all that magic you¡¯ve been throwing around lately,¡± Rosa said.


    Scarlett glanced at her. ¡°Is that so?¡± She looked back at Hertha. ¡°¡­Would you like me to demonstrate some of it to you?¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes went wide, and she vigorously shook her head.


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    How was she even supposed to interpret that, then?


    She shifted her gaze over to Arlene, but the older woman was only observing them silently, showing no signs of joining the conversation.


    ¡°You can show her later,¡± Rosa said, her smile still directed at Hertha. ¡°Right now, the lady is resting, and we wouldn¡¯t want to bother her, would we?¡±


    The girl blushed slightly, her face tilting downward towards the floorboards. ¡°¡­Yes,¡± she whispered in a small voice.


    Scarlett kept her eyes on Rosa.


    Even though she had witnessed similar scenes several times over by now, she still found it impressive how skilled the woman was at handling these things. She wondered what it would have been like if she herself had been that experienced in dealing with children when she had to take care of her younger sister back in her world.


    Well, not that it mattered much now.


    She returned her attention to Hertha. ¡°Then I will show it to you when I have rested.¡±


    The excitement at hearing that was evident on the girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me,¡± Rosa chimed in. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure her display doesn¡¯t end up something boring like lighting an old candle or what-have-you. My secret musical recipe is exactly what¡¯s needed to add some real spice to things!¡±


    ¡°I believe you might be embellishing somewhat,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Embellishing?¡± The bard huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know the meaning of the word. I¡¯ve never told a lie in my life. They used to call me Madame Franklyn Fibless De Truthworthy.¡±


    Hertha giggled at that, and Rosa¡¯s smile broadened. She leaned closer to the girl conspiratorially, continuing in a whisper. ¡°Of course, don¡¯t tell anyone about that. I wouldn¡¯t want the secret to get out.¡±


    The girl nodded, as if agreeing, and Rosa held out a pinky finger. As the two of them pinky-promised on it, the bard continued confiding something to the girl. Meanwhile, Scarlett turned her attention to Arlene.


    ¡°There is something I have been meaning to ask you,¡± she began.


    Arlene looked at her. ¡°And what would that be?¡±


    ¡°Although you have been teaching me these past days, a fact that I am truly grateful for, there is another topic that I am curious about and which I wished to make a request of sorts of you.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not related to your magic?¡±


    ¡°Not directly, no.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    Scarlett considered the woman for a few seconds before answering. She had been wondering what the best way to approach this would be now that she had come this far. ¡°I can imagine that by secluding yourself in this village, you have not had many opportunities to travel around the empire and attend any personal matters that you might have left unresolved. Am I correct in assuming so?¡±


    Arlene brushed aside a lock of dark hair. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, no. There are many things I¡¯ve left unfinished.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, I have a proposition. Since you have done much to support me, it is only right that I do something to help you in return. If you so wish, the next time I leave, I could endeavour to assist you in resolving one of these matters on your behalf. What do you say?¡±


    The woman eyed her quietly for a moment. ¡°Are you perhaps thinking that I¡¯m holding back with my teachings and that I will teach you more if you do this for me?¡±


    ¡°No, that is not at all what I am thinking.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I merely wanted to properly express my gratitude.¡±


    Arlene shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I am training you out of my own volition. If I wanted something more, I would have asked for it before I started teaching you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, however¡­¡± Scarlett trailed off, trying to think of something that might convince the woman.


    At that point, Rosa leaned back from her whispering with Hertha and turned her attention towards the two of them. Her gaze eventually settled on Scarlett. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just say it as it is? Knowing you, I¡¯d be surprised if you didn¡¯t have two dozen secret reasons why you want to do this, and I¡¯m sure ol¡¯ teach here can see through about a dozen and a half of them. It¡¯d be easier to get straight to the point.¡±


    Scarlett looked at the bard, surprised by her bluntness.


    But¡­ Well, she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Scarlett turned back to Arlene, who wore an expectant expression.


    ¡°¡­You are, of course, right. I apologize for my discourtesy.¡± In truth, she just wanted one of Arlene¡¯s quests from the game so that she could complete it, earn skill points, and obtain the associated reward. It wasn¡¯t something she had to do, but it would be a nice way to make progress while she was outside of Freymeadow.


    Arlene gestured lightly with her hand and a slight smile on her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I will be frank,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I was hoping to assist you with some task in exchange for something of yours. Something beyond the teachings you are currently providing. You are an accomplished mage, so I imagine that you have valuable artifacts that could benefit a novice magic user like myself.¡±


    That was about as close to the truth as she could get under these circumstances.


    Arlene¡¯s smile faded, but she didn¡¯t look angry. She did, however, study Scarlett intently for several seconds, causing a hint of worry to creep in. Finally, the woman spoke. ¡°Alright then. There is something that you might be able to help me with.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I once had an acquaintance near Roselake, if you know the area. I don¡¯t know what happened to them, however. If you could inquire into that for me, I might be grateful.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s excitement waned. She had somewhat been expecting this, but¡­


    ¡°I realize that it may be impolite of me after being the one who made the request, but is there perhaps another task you could offer me?¡± she asked. ¡°¡­Perhaps something that is closer to Bridgespell?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have time to go to Roselake at the moment¡ªshe was pretty sure there didn¡¯t even exist a town by that name anymore¡ªbut she did have a scheduled trip to Bridgespell. If possible, she wanted to kill two birds with one stone.


    Arlene fell silent as she studied Scarlett, a curious glint in her eyes. ¡°Bridgespell, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The woman touched her chin thoughtfully. ¡°I suppose there is something you could do for me there as well. I lost a gift from someone dear to me there, once. If you could find it for me, I would be willing to offer you something extra in return.¡±


    Scarlett felt a slight sense of relief. That¡¯s exactly what she¡¯d hoped for. ¡°Tell me more about how it went missing, and I will do my best to recover it.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there isn¡¯t much to tell,¡± Arlene said. ¡°It¡¯s a simple dagger, with no distinguishing characteristics. I lost it in a regrettable argument with the very person who gave it to me. I¡¯ve no clue where it might be now. He was always the sentimental sort, even as a priest, so I imagine he kept it.¡±


    ¡°This friend was a part of the clergy of the Followers of Ittar?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Ittar is a false god,¡± a soft voice suddenly interrupted, coming from in front of Scarlett.


    She turned to Hertha, seeing the girl now staring at her with an intense gaze.


    ¡°Ittar is nothing but a pretender and a tyrant of illusions and manipulation. His followers are blind to the truth, serving a false deity through ignorance and misguided devotion. The gods keep us in the dark, hiding the path to the truth. You have to renounce his lies, or you will be deceived along with the rest of the empire.¡±


    Both Scarlett and the others watched in silence as the girl spoke, decrying Ittar and the rest of the gods.


    Arlene maintained a completely expressionless face, while Rosa winced slightly at Hertha¡¯s fervor. When the girl finally finished, several seconds passed without anyone speaking. Hertha just continued staring at Scarlett.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rejoin your friends for now?¡± Arlene eventually suggested in a calm voice.


    The girl turned to look at the woman, watching her for a long, drawn-out moment before standing up. She stepped down from the porch and started walking back towards where the rest of the children were gathered without a word.


    Scarlett watched her retreating figure for a little while longer.


    She should have anticipated something like that to happen when Ittar was mentioned. She should have been more careful in bringing up a topic like that here, but she let her guard down because it was only a child.


    Her gaze turned to the other two. Arlene¡¯s face revealed no thoughts, while Rosa looked back at her with a somewhat awkward smile. Scarlett met the bard¡¯s eyes.


    Rosa didn¡¯t seem surprised, but perhaps that was to be expected. Rosa was the one who interacted the most with the kids in this village throughout the loops. It only made sense that the woman would be the first to notice any peculiarities with them.


    It was also very like Rosa not to bring it up or make a big deal about it. She likely suspected that Scarlett already knew.


    ¡°To answer your question,¡± Arlene spoke up, breaking the silence that had settled over them. ¡°My friend was indeed one of the Followers. A priest named Donovan. That is all the help I can provide.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly not much to go on if we¡¯re supposed to find one unspecified dagger.¡± Rosa let out a light laugh, though it didn¡¯t help to lighten the atmosphere much.


    ¡°¡­It will be sufficient.¡± Scarlett observed as Hertha joined the other children in their games seemingly without issue, receiving some awed reactions from the kids as they looked in their direction.


    Rosa glanced at Scarlett, then shrugged. ¡°Well, if she says so.¡±


    None of them said anything else as they sat there for a while, watching the children at play.


    Some truths were easier to overlook and pretend like they didn¡¯t exist until it was time.

 Chapter 167 - Putting some heart into it

    ¡°¡ªmy agents have increased their efforts concerning our operations in Ambercrest¡¯s Silkspindle Ward,¡± Beldon¡¯s voice resonated from the device on Scarlett¡¯s desk. It was a small carving of a bluebird, standing on a circular base of pure marble that emitted a slight glow.


    ¡°That is all well and good, but I fail to see its relevance to me,¡± Scarlett replied coolly.


    On the other end of the communication device, she heard Beldon let out a small laugh. ¡°Just thought you might like to know.¡±


    She shook her head. He really didn¡¯t need to update her on the progress of his investigation into Count Soames. She was purposefully avoiding involving herself in all that.


    Deciding to change the subject, she spoke. ¡°And what of the underground passages in Silverborough and Bridgespell that I informed you of?¡±


    ¡°My men have found an entrance to the ones in Silverborough and begun to map those out, but they are still searching for any such entrances in Bridgespell. If they truly do exist, I anticipate they¡¯ll be found within the week.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I assume I do not need to instruct you on how to best utilize them once they are located. Simply remember that I have a claim on any significant artifacts that you find down there.¡±


    After she had agreed to partner with Beldon and Mirage back in Windgrove, the man had provided her with this communication device to stay in touch when necessary. Although it could only be used a few times each week, it proved more convenient and efficient than constantly exchanging encrypted letters back and forth.


    While their partnership was still in its early stages, Scarlett had already started sharing information with Mirage that she deemed useful to them and unimportant to her. This included knowledge about some abandoned underground passages beneath major cities like Silverborough and Bridgespell, which a covert organization like Mirage could leverage in their operations.


    These places weren¡¯t really dungeons, so Scarlett wasn¡¯t concerned about missing out on skill points by delegating their exploration to Mirage. However, since there could still be valuable items down there, she had made some demands in return for providing the information.


    Additionally, these pathways could also serve as hiding spots or shelters in the event of a catastrophic disaster in the future, which had also factored into her decision to reveal their existence. While she couldn¡¯t directly reveal or prevent the Cabal¡¯s upcoming attacks and other things that would happen, she could make some preparations like this here and there.


    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t dare to forget that part of our agreement,¡± Beldon¡¯s voice emanated from the bird statuette. ¡°It pains me that you would even doubt my trustworthiness to the extent of confirming that.¡±


    ¡°Trust but verify is a maxim that I believe is applicable here,¡± Scarlett said. Her attention shifted to a pile of papers beside the bird carving on her desk. They contained reports Beldon had provided her before her departure from Windgrove, detailing what he had gathered regarding her whole involvement in the Sanctuary of Ittar incident. She intended to go through it to review exactly what had leaked and what hadn¡¯t. ¡°¡­Has there been any progress in the search for the woman I mentioned?¡±


    There was a momentary pause on the other end. ¡°No, there hasn¡¯t. I¡¯ve had people searching for someone matching her description throughout the empire, but there have been no sightings of anyone fitting it for the past few months. I imagine you don¡¯t need me to tell you where she was before that.¡±


    Scarlett sighed. ¡°No, you do not.¡±


    So the Countess hadn¡¯t been spotted at all since Scarlett picked her up in Bridgespell. That was not what she wanted to hear.


    For weeks now, she had been trying to uncover traces of the woman, but without any success. It was reaching a point where she was worried the Countess might have actually died, although that seemed unlikely considering who they were talking about.


    Yet it was also improbable that the Countess would be able to conceal herself so thoroughly like this if she was anywhere that had a decent number of people. That ruled out any major cities and towns.


    It was frustrating that Scarlett didn¡¯t know where to go from here regarding that. All she could do was task Mirage with continuing the search and hope for a breakthrough. She had also attempted to utilize her connection with Godwin and Elystead Tower to have someone there divine the Countess¡¯ location using one of the woman¡¯s embroideries that had been left behind, but the dean had informed her it was hopeless.


    One look with a divination artifact he possessed was all he needed to confirm that. There appeared to be a barrier of some sort obstructing any divination related to the Countess¡ªnot that divining was exact to begin with¡ªand Scarlett suspected it was because of the woman¡¯s affiliation with a goddess. Additionally, she¡¯d also had to convince Godwin not to ask further about the matter.


    ¡°I will immediately notify you if we uncover anything,¡± Beldon said. ¡°As I am sure you would if you came across anything significant for my operations, right?¡±


    She could envision the man waggling his eyebrows from wherever he was right now.


    ¡°Anything that will not result in major repercussions, yes.¡±


    ¡°Ever the candid one, Baroness,¡± he readily replied. ¡°Always makes it a pleasure speaking with you.¡±


    ¡°Was there anything else you wanted to discuss for now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I believe that covers everything.¡± The man¡¯s tone turned serious. ¡°You¡¯ll hear from me. Farewell.¡±


    ¡°Yes, farewell.¡± Scarlett touched the base of the communication device, causing the glow to fade. She then placed the device inside her [Pouch of Holding] on the edge of the desk before standing up.


    She had been conversing with Beldon for the past half-hour, and before that, she had been reviewing even more of the paperwork Evelyne had passed on to her recently. Most of the day had been spent cooped up in the office, so some fresh air would be nice about now. It would also give her the opportunity to check up on the progress with the Loci.


    Leaving the room, she walked through the mansion¡¯s hallways towards the back of the estate.


    As promised, Godwin had spent the last couple of days analyzing and working on the Loci during her absence in Freymeadow, and he should still be at it. She anticipated him to leave in the afternoon, though.


    Exiting the mansion, she was met by a gust of cold wind and paused to survey the estate. Snow had yet to start falling in the empire, but the trees beyond the walls stood mostly bare. Using her pyrokinesis to keep warm, she made her way towards the garden.


    Its outer edges consisted of naked branches in muted colors, forming arid passages that she moved through. The closer she got to the heart of the garden, however, the more apparent the signs of vegetation became. Flowers soon started popping up around her, and the green returned to the hedges.


    As the air grew warmer, and she neared the spot where the Loci was located, she overheard a pair of voices carried by the breeze.


    ¡°¡ªif I¡¯m not mistaken, the scions of Grehalyr had not left your ancestral home for generations, so I am surprised by your knowledge on these topics,¡± a smooth, elderly voice said.


    ¡°The tribe never left, but there have always been wanderers,¡± Fynn replied. ¡°My mother was one.¡±


    ¡°I see. And their knowledge was passed onto the younger generation through the ancient conjuring that connected your tribe. The Howling Echo, I believe it was called?¡±


    Scarlett stopped just beyond the corner of one of the hedges to listen in on their conversation for a moment.


    ¡°You know about that?¡± Fynn asked.


    There was a brief pause, as it sounded like Godwin was tinkering with something. ¡°Ah, there we go. That should work. And yes, I am indeed familiar with it.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The Howling Echo carries the voices of our ancestors.¡±


    ¡°It has always been one of the more intriguing phenomena that I have encountered, not to mention a remarkable and astoundingly profound achievement of proto-shamanistic magic. I would give my right hand and more to have even an inkling of how it was accomplished.¡±


    ¡°It was a gift from Grehalyr, but we can only commune with the Echo when we are within her haunt.¡±


    ¡°Unless you have that ring on your finger, I presume.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s voice fell silent for a moment. ¡°¡­You know about the mark of the gale as well?¡±


    A quiet chuckle from Godwin reached Scarlett¡¯s ears. ¡°I used to have quite close ties with some of your elders, boy. I am acquainted with enough of your tribe¡¯s legends to recognize what that ring signifies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said that before, but I have never heard of you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. How old are you now?¡±


    ¡°Nineteen, by the empire¡¯s count.¡±


    ¡°Then you would have been five during my last visit to your tribe. I tend not to tarry in any one place for too long, so I doubt we would have had the opportunity to meet. And knowing your elders as well as I did, I would not expect them to have spoken much of me to the younglings.¡±


    ¡°Mm, that is true.¡±


    Sensing the conversation was slowing down, Scarlett started moving again. Rounding the bush in front of her, she stepped into a larger open area that served as the center of the garden. Godwin stood before the pedestal where the Loci was placed, leaning over it with an array of peculiar tools and crystals floating nearby. Fynn stood a couple of steps behind him, observing the man¡¯s work.


    The wizard paused his activities and turned his head to look towards Scarlett. ¡°It seems we have a visitor.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s gaze also shifted to her, though his expression remained neutral. He would have detected her approach long before she even left the mansion.


    In contrast, Scarlett was actually slightly surprised to find the young man here, alongside Godwin. While she could usually have checked as much beforehand through the Loci¡¯s senses, its accuracy was somewhat compromised while the Dean was working on it. She also tried to limit her use of it within the mansion grounds unless necessary.


    With an archwizard around, she didn¡¯t really have to worry about most intruders.


    As she moved closer to the two, she turned her attention to the gemstone artifact that was the Loci. The emerald atop the pedestal emitted a more vibrant glow than it had before.


    Attached and sculpted into the base of the pedestal was a translucent obsidian-like crystal with hints of what might have been a heart at its center. The heart pulsed with a dark aura, and the surface of the crystal was marred with veins of grey, swirling and shifting like ethereal wisps of smoke. Some of these veins intersected with lines etched into the stone pedestal, weaving their way to the top where the Loci had a circular rune around it.


    ¡°How is the work progressing?¡± she asked, looking at Godwin.


    ¡°Oh, quite splendidly, if I do say so myself.¡± The wizard gestured towards the Loci. ¡°Working with the heart of an ashenwraith dragon has been a fascinating experience in its own right, and I am also grateful for the opportunity to further examine this ¡®Loci¡¯ of yours. It is rather unlike anything I have studied before, in certain aspects. My experiments suggest that it originally came from some variant of a harmonic prismite, which can rarely be found in the Wandering Realm. Despite their name, however, they are notoriously difficult to stabilize for use in any form of artifice. I must once again commend Abelard¡¯s skill in what he achieved here. If the man had not been so consumed by his own unsavory pursuits, he could very well have been celebrated as one of the greatest artificers of his generation.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the Loci and the ashenwraith heart that would soon power the artifact. She could already sense the difference this new addition had made. It felt as if a reservoir of energy and power was waiting on the other end of her bond with the Loci, eager to be used and integrated into the surroundings.


    Although the Loci itself didn¡¯t appear quite ready for that. From the impression it was giving her, it almost seemed to be in a sleep-like state of sorts.


    She shifted her attention to Godwin. ¡°The result does indeed look promising. Thank you once again for assisting me with this request. Now that you are nearly finished here, I assume you will be departing soon?¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°You are correct. I received a message this morning from my vice-dean and several department heads who had some complaints about my prolonged absence following the incident in Windgrove. It makes one wonder what I keep them around for if they cannot handle matters themselves, but it is what it is, I suppose. Although I could spend days studying this intriguing creation and conversing with our young Grehaldrael here, I am afraid I have little choice in the matter this time.¡±


    ¡°Before, you told me they couldn¡¯t force you to return, even if they all came here and tried to drag you back to Elystead,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°Quite right.¡± A small grin appeared on the Dean¡¯s face as he looked back at the young man. ¡°Unfortunately, they¡¯ve resorted to far more dastardly methods this time. I have been informed that my ever-loyal disciple Mendenhall sought my daughter¡¯s intervention, and I suspect I am about to be disowned if I don¡¯t make haste.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°You have a daughter?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t been aware of that.


    He turned to her. ¡°That I do.¡±


    The man always gave her the impression of someone who hadn¡¯t settled down in his younger years, let alone become a father.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± It was surprising, but it also wasn¡¯t her business to pry into his matters. ¡°We will not keep you if you are indeed short on time. Feel free to take your leave whenever it suits you. If you can, however, I would ask that you convey my regards to Miss Mendenhall, and let her know that I hope we can collaborate on our next project sometime soon.¡±


    ¡°I will pass that along,¡± Godwin said, his tone turning a bit wry. ¡°Is there something you wish to tell Vice-Dean Rowley as well, perhaps?¡±


    Scarlett frowned, giving the man a brief glare. ¡°You may inform him that, as a favor to an old acquaintance of my father, I will overlook our previous meeting. However, he should not expect me to extend him the same offer that I did at the time, even if we were to meet again.¡±


    The wizard chuckled. ¡°I am once again left curious as to the precise words exchanged between the two of you on that occasion.¡±


    She stared at him. ¡°You do not know?¡±


    Godwin shook his head. ¡°No, Rowley has been surprisingly tight-lipped about his meeting with you and what was discussed. Though he did not hold back his words otherwise.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s forehead creased. So the vice-dean had actually been serious when he¡¯d told her he wouldn¡¯t share their conversation with anyone else? Even though it involved something as major as a primordial spell?


    ¡­Maybe she had been a bit harsh on the man, then. However, that didn¡¯t mean she would simply forgive him like that. She wasn¡¯t that magnanimous.


    At least now she understood why the topic of primordial spells had never been brought up by Dean Godwin in any of their talks. She had mentioned them once to Adalicia as well, but it didn¡¯t surprise her as much that the woman hadn¡¯t shared that information with anyone else yet.


    Scarlett considered Godwin for a moment. For now, he was providing her with exactly as much help as she needed, so she might save the primordial card for some time in the future when she might need it.


    ¡°While I have been surprised several times during my brief stay here in Freybrook, I must admit that I have rather enjoyed it,¡± Godwin said. ¡°You have access to some very interesting retainers in your employ, Baroness, not to mention the resources at your disposal. I will make sure to visit again in the future, when given the opportunity. I am quite curious to see how the Loci will develop from here. Oh, and convey my compliments to the chef. It¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve had such exquisite meals outside of a royal palace.¡±


    ¡°I will do so, and you are welcome to visit again if you wish. I only ask that you inform me in advance of such visits, in case I am unavailable or occupied with sensitive matters.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡±


    Scarlett observed him. There was a glint in the old man¡¯s eyes that Scarlett suspected meant he wouldn¡¯t be giving her any warnings in advance.


    ¡­He was a troubling fellow.


    ¡°It is a shame that I did not have more opportunities to meet that feline associate of yours,¡± Godwin said, looking around the garden as if expecting a black-furred cat to come out at any moment.


    ¡°I do not decide when and where Empress decides to appear, so I am afraid there is nothing I can do about that.¡±


    Since Scarlett¡¯s meeting with Mistress and Godwin a few days ago, Empress had been completely absent from the estate for some reason. She wasn¡¯t even sure if the cat would return again.


    Godwin chuckled. ¡°I would be more than surprised if you could.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I will finish matters up here before I take my leave, but I suspect that I will not have the time to go find you before I do. I will take into account what you have shared with me earlier, and contact you if I make any progress on researching that sight of yours that we discussed. You may, of course, feel free to reach out to me if you need help as well.¡±


    He gave her a gentlemanly smile, though Scarlett got the feeling that he wasn¡¯t saying that out of pure altruism. There were a lot of things that he wanted from her, so he would probably take any chance that he could to get her to be in his debt.


    ¡°The sentiment is appreciated,¡± she said. ¡°If I require your expertise and knowledge, I will contact you if it is a matter that I cannot resolve myself.¡±


    Even if she told him that, his current ability to help her was limited. Most of her current endeavours weren¡¯t things she could involve him with. Still, it would be good to maintain a connection with him.


    Godwin nodded. ¡°Good, good. If I may ask, what are your plans moving forward? I have heard that you are a rather busy woman, and I take it that the Loci is not your sole project at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I will be traveling to Bridgespell soon,¡± she replied. ¡°There is something there that I have promised an acquaintance of mine to locate, and I intend to fulfill that promise. Miss Hale also has matters to attend to in the area, so this will present an excellent opportunity for her to do so.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The man studied her for a moment, and he likely had a vague understanding of what she was talking about.


    As a potential incarnate, the Vile inside of Rosa had to be dealt with before it was too late. Scarlett had assured Godwin that she had the situation under control, and she had no plans of becoming a liar regarding that.


    ¡°In that case, I wish you the best of luck,¡± Godwin eventually said. ¡°I suspect that you will need it.¡±


    His words carried an underlying implication of what would happen if she failed. Although he was currently allowing matters to proceed as they were, if things spiraled out of control, he would probably disregard whatever consequences he might face and try to deal with Rosa himself.


    Scarlett met his gaze. ¡°Even without luck, I intend to navigate the situation to where I create my own.¡±


    Regardless of the cost, she had already committed herself to this course of action. That wouldn¡¯t change, even with an archwizard standing in her way.


    Godwin eyed her for several seconds. ¡°And I have the sneaking suspicion that you could.¡±

 Chapter 168 - A very polite pull over

    Scarlett and Fynn were seated in their carriage as it traveled through Freybrook¡¯s Northern District, heading towards the heart of the city. Scarlett had some business with a local artisan regarding the handling of some dragon materials, and she also planned to check the progress of the new carriages ordered by her and Evelyne from one of the city¡¯s workshops.


    Her gaze rested outside the window, observing the enclosed estates that dominated this part of the city, though her expression remained impassive as her thoughts were mostly focused on other matters.


    Lately, she had devoted much of her time to trying to devise contingencies and formulate plans to counter any potential threats that might arise if the Viles were to find Rosa and take action against them. She also had to consider Anguish¡¯s looming presence within the bard, as well as the upcoming empire-wide assault that the Hallowed Cabal was planning.


    Compared to all of that, Arlene¡¯s quest seemed almost trivial. In a way, it led her to question whether it was worth her time amidst the multitude of pressing issues. Most likely, it was. What she could gain from that quest was valuable, and she was already heading to Bridgespell anyway. Their passage through the Kilnstone network was booked for tomorrow, so she hoped to make progress on the Rosa situation while completing the quest.


    After that, it might be worth considering¡ª


    Her thoughts stopped as the carriage suddenly slowed down and came to a halt.


    With a frown, Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved to the front of the cabin. ¡°Why are we stopping?¡± she asked loudly.


    ¡°Ehm, I¡¯m sorry,¡± came the coachman¡¯s voice from outside. ¡°But there¡¯s¡­¡±


    In the corner of her eye, Scarlett glimpsed movement through the window as the cabin door swung open. An ordinary-looking man in a top hat and a long dark cape entered, his head bowed to avoid the ceiling. He was followed by a black-furred cat that gracefully leaped onto the wooden floorboards.


    The cat fixed its clear, amethyst eyes on Scarlett.


    She stared at the two newcomers as the man leaned an ornate cane against the seat opposite her and sat down. Crossing one leg over the other, he folded his hands and offered her a polite smile.


    ¡°Greetings, Baroness. It has been some time,¡± The Gentleman said.


    A low growl emanated from Scarlett¡¯s left, and she only now remembered Fynn¡¯s presence. Turning to look at him, she found the white-haired young man glaring at The Gentleman with both hands pressed into his seat, as if poised to bound in front of Scarlett at any moment. Perhaps it was only because he had recognized Empress that he had yet to do so.


    The cat in question nonchalantly jumped onto the seat beside Scarlett, settling down on the soft leather between her and Fynn as if it had been reserved specifically for her. Her tail swayed lazily in the air, brushing against Fynn¡¯s leg as he glanced down at the cat with an uncertain expression.


    Regaining her composure, Scarlett raised her hand and gestured for him to relax. ¡°There is no need for hostility, Fynn. This is a business associate of mine,¡± she said. Then she turned her attention to The Gentleman. ¡°It has indeed been some time. This is quite the sudden and unexpected visit.¡±


    ¡°I hope that is acceptable,¡± the man replied. ¡°I happened to have some matters to resolve along the same route as you and thought it a prime opportunity to feed two birds with one hand, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°My Lady¡­?¡± the coachman¡¯s voice sounded out from outside again.


    The Gentleman reached up to his head and removed his top hat, placing it beside him and giving it two pats. ¡°Don¡¯t let me keep us.¡±


    Scarlett eyed him for a moment. ¡°The situation is under control. Please resume our journey,¡± she called out, and the carriage soon began rolling again. ¡°While I have been anticipating your visit for some time now, I did not expect it to occur under these circumstances. In truth, I thought you would have revealed yourself weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°My apologies. I have been rather tied up with other responsibilities,¡± the man explained. ¡°I am sure you understand.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I do.¡± She glanced down at the cat lying beside her. ¡°¡­It appears the same has not been true for Empress, however.¡±


    The Gentleman¡¯s smile grew slightly as he gave a small laugh. ¡°No, she can be rather impatient when it comes to some of the activities that I typically occupy my time with. On her behalf, I would like to express my gratitude for hosting her in your home on occasion.¡±


    The cat let out what might have been a peeved meow as she shot him a small glare, but the man was unfazed as he looked down at her. ¡°Now, dear, it is only common courtesy to properly express one¡¯s gratitude after being extended such consideration, even under those circumstances. And lest I am misremembering, you only declared one particular windowsill as part of your territory, not the entire estate.¡±


    Empress fell silent at that, though the cat did glare at him for a second longer before turning her head away and resting her chin on the leather seat, seemingly choosing to pretend his existence was no longer her concern.


    The Gentleman, in turn, only let out another light chuckle as he turned back to Scarlett. ¡°I hope my dear companion hasn¡¯t proven too bothersome.¡±


    ¡°There have been no issues whatsoever,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If anything, my people and I have been honored by her presence.¡± Even if the cat had been a nuisance, it wasn¡¯t as if she could come right out and say so. ¡°¡­We were somewhat taken aback when the remains of a dragon suddenly appeared in the courtyard, however, and I will admit to some uncertainty at first about how to handle the situation. But in the end, we managed to find a satisfactory solution.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± The Gentleman rested one hand on the crown of his cane, shifting his gaze to the cat. ¡°Empress tends to become possessive at times, which can make her a tad unpredictable and overbearing in her reciprocations. Rest assured, it is unlikely to happen again. Isn¡¯t that right, dear?¡± The last words were spoken in a slightly sharper tone.


    Empress remained unfazed, tilting her head slightly to meet the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It is not that I am not grateful,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The dragon¡¯s cadaver proved to be quite useful to me. But as I mentioned, it was all rather sudden and unexpected. It caught many members of my household off guard.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but she is aware of what she can do and what she ought to avoid. I am afraid this incident falls into the latter category.¡± The Gentleman gently shook his head. ¡°It has already happened, and I am not so boorish as to take back what has already been given. Nevertheless, there are other considerations Empress needs to be mindful of, as she well knows. I expect you to exercise more caution, dear, even if you stumble upon something that you find momentarily intriguing.¡±


    The cat gave him a long, contemplative look before turning her attention elsewhere and began licking her paw.


    A heavy silence lingered in the cabin, and Scarlett felt like an observer of an awkward exchange between a married couple.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Fynn suddenly asked, watching The Gentleman with suspicion.


    The man met Fynn¡¯s eyes with a calm demeanor, studying the young man for a few moments. ¡°You undoubtedly carry the blood of Grehalyr in your veins, my boy.¡± Releasing the grip on his cane, he touched a hand to his clean-shaven chin. ¡°Who am I, you ask? An excellent question. Usually, I would introduce myself as ¡®The Gentleman¡¯, but that wouldn¡¯t really answer your question, would it?¡±


    The Gentleman continued to scrutinize Fynn, as if anticipating a response. When none came, he averted his gaze, as though focusing on an invisible point in the air before resuming speaking. ¡°I suppose one could say that I am a wanderer. A traveler and a spectator. If you¡¯ll pardon the clich¨¦, the world can be described as a canvas, and I have made it my creed and mission not to let it go unappreciated.¡± His eyes returned to Fynn. ¡°Does that appease your curiosity?¡±


    Fynn stared at him for a while before finally lowering his head in a nod. ¡°It does.¡±


    The Gentleman redirected his attention to Scarlett. ¡°Now, perhaps we should proceed to the matters at hand. I believe you have something for me?¡±


    ¡°I do, yes.¡± She reached for her [Pouch of Holding], tucked between her waist and the wall to her right, and retrieved the item he was referring to.


    [Sphere of Serendipity (1/2) (Unique)]


    {An item far out of the ordinary, it seems to call out for its twin, awaiting a reply}


    In her palm gleamed a gold-colored metal sphere, intricately engraved with lines that wound around its face. Depictions of suns, moons, and other celestial bodies adorned its surface between those lines, interspersed with the occasional odd Zuverian glyph.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Scarlett handed the sphere to The Gentleman, who accepted it with one hand and briefly examined it. ¡°Despite some of the rather unfortunate circumstances surrounding it, this is a remarkable display of craftsmanship and skill. It is a shame that it had nearly been forgotten until now.¡± He looked back at Scarlett. ¡°You needn¡¯t fret. I will ensure it reaches its intended destination, as agreed upon. Obtaining its twin, however, falls to you.¡±


    ¡°I will manage,¡± Scarlett said.


    The man nodded. ¡°I have every confidence in your resolve. Yet, such conviction can waver when faced with the realities of one¡¯s situation and the actions one must take. But I suspect you do not need me to remind you of that. I hope you find success in your endeavours.¡±


    He placed the artifact into the top hat next to him, and it seemed to vanish deep within.


    Scarlett considered him for a moment. She could understand his skepticism, but he also seemed sincere in his well-wishes, even though their official collaboration was drawing to a close. His role was solely to deliver the [Sphere of Serendipity] to Beld Thylelion, and from there, it was all up to Scarlett. Sometime in the future, he would call in the favor she owed him, but aside from that, they would have no further dealings with each other.


    ¡°¡­If I may ask,¡± she began. ¡°I am curious as to what you will be doing moving forward. I have heard that your recent actions have stirred up commotion among the Viles.¡±


    The Gentleman waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Ah, those fellows always know how to overreact. They know what I will and will not do, but they never quite seem able to accept it,¡± he remarked with a short sigh, as if he was talking about a bunch of unruly hooligans.


    Empress meowed harshly.


    ¡°Now, now, dear,¡± the man chided. ¡°While that may be true, you should still mind your manners. Moreover, I believe you are being rather unfair to me, don¡¯t you think? It is not as if I am some sort of villain.¡±


    Scarlett observed their brief interaction, unsure exactly of the context. ¡±What triggered this reaction from them?¡± she asked.


    He turned his attention back to her. ¡°I imagine it was related to my revelation of the existence of a prospective new incarnate,¡± he answered casually.


    Scarlett froze.


    She stared at him, trying to process what she¡¯d just heard.


    ¡­The Gentleman had been the one to disclose Rosa¡¯s existence to the Viles and the entirety of the Blazes?


    The man watched her reaction with a composed expression, a slight smile playing on his lips. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry too much,¡± he said. ¡°Your friend is safe for now. I was careful about the information I shared, you see.¡±


    Scarlett simply continued staring at him, torn between the urge to let her emotions out and confronting him about his motives and the understanding that this was not someone she could pressure in any way.


    Did this mean that The Gentleman was actively working against her? Had he been doing so from the start? This was so far beyond her expectations that she didn¡¯t even know what to think. She had believed that, at worst, he would be indifferent to her and her cause, yet now he was willingly providing information about her people to her enemies?


    The Gentleman remained silent in his seat, patiently observing her as these thoughts raced through her mind.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡± she finally managed to press out.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the man mused, appearing to ponder her question for a moment. ¡°I will be honest, I had hoped you would not ask that. Albeit unlikely, it would have simplified matters for me considerably, wouldn¡¯t it? But I suppose you do deserve some form of explanation.¡±


    Scarlett peered into his relaxed eyes, praying he wouldn¡¯t say something that would make her lose the grip she was desperately keeping on her anger and indignation.


    He offered another faint smile. ¡°I am sure you are already aware, to some extent, that your presence has triggered change. You have set in motion waves of situations that have altered and disrupted the natural order of events, and while I typically prefer to stay out of such matters, I had to step in and make certain adjustments.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened. Was he implying that her impact on this world had grown too large, to the point where he himself had to counteract some of it?


    ¡°¡­Why was it necessary for you to intervene?¡± she asked.


    He had always been an enigmatic character in the game, but this didn¡¯t fit with what she thought she knew of the man. Did he have some undisclosed agenda that directly opposed hers?


    ¡°That is a more complex question to answer,¡± The Gentleman said. ¡°One might say that events were straying too far from their courses, so I gently nudged them to move in more expected directions. Still different from their initial course, but different in another way.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brows furrowed. Did this mean that he didn¡¯t want things to deviate from their predetermined course, and would actively work against any such changes? Was it related to the game version of events, and the fate Godwin had spoken of? But if that were the case, he would want to stop both her and the Cabal from taking any action, and that didn¡¯t align with what he¡¯d been doing up till now.


    However, he had also just admitted to essentially betraying her to a bunch of demons.


    As if sensing her thoughts, The Gentleman spoke again. ¡°This must all be rather confusing for you, but as I mentioned earlier, there is no need to worry. I won¡¯t interfere with your affairs, nor am I here to threaten you or anything of the sort. I do not personally mind any of what you are doing. It is simply that there is a balance to certain things. Although, truth be told, it¡¯s not strictly my responsibility to maintain it. But sometimes, one must step out of their comfort zone to do things one does not necessarily relish.¡±


    Scarlett felt a slight sense of relief at hearing that, but his words didn¡¯t entirely dispel her concerns. While it was reassuring to learn that The Gentleman wasn¡¯t outright her enemy, it still implied that he might act against her if he thought it necessary.


    ¡°What do you mean when you speak of a balance that needs to be maintained?¡± she asked. ¡°What sort of balance is this? Is it somehow connected to the fate of this world? Do you mean to suggest that fate cannot be altered too drastically?¡±


    The man simply smiled at her, as if he didn¡¯t hear a single word she just said. ¡°I¡¯ve recently heard some intriguing tidbits from Empress. It would seem you have struck some interesting deals in the wake of learning the Viles¡¯ movements, am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°Are you truly not going to answer my question?¡±


    He gave her a long look. ¡°I would like to think that I am being generous today.¡±


    Scarlett held his gaze for several seconds before eventually sighing, the tumultuous emotions within her churning beneath the surface. She lacked the leverage to extract more answers from him, even though she was sure he had them. If anyone had knowledge of the inner workings of this world, it was him.


    ¡°To answer your question,¡± she said, ¡°I did indeed come to an agreement with Mistress on how to handle the matter. I should note that the woman did not seem particularly fond of you.¡±


    The Gentleman chuckled at that. ¡°No, it would surprise me if she were. After wandering around for long enough, one tends to ruffle a few feathers. Nevertheless, you appeared to have succeeded in swaying her to your side, despite my involvement.¡±


    ¡°I am not entirely sure I can describe it as ¡®swaying¡¯ on my part. I had more of an impression that Mistress acted on a whim as much as she believed she had something to gain from me.¡±


    ¡°I daresay that there are many people who would consider that accomplishment impressive enough.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But based on Mistress¡¯ words at the time, I suspect her visit and sudden desire to aid me were more influenced by your actions than either of us initially realized,¡± Scarlett said.


    Now that she thought about it, even if The Gentleman had leaked Rosa¡¯s existence as an incarnate, had he also been the one that subtly influenced Mistress to show up and promise to assist Scarlett in avoiding attracting the attention of any demons, then the man wasn¡¯t even actively working against her as much as she had first thought.


    But why had he still felt it necessary to heighten the risks associated with Rosa¡¯s situation?


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t help the frown that crept onto her face. This was growing increasingly convoluted. Exactly what were his motivations here? Judging from his earlier words, and what she knew of him from the game, he seemed content being mostly a spectator. But did that mean letting things run their course, or would he only watch from the sidelines if events played out as he desired?


    Suddenly, Empress stretched her back and hopped down from her perch next to Scarlett.


    The Gentleman glanced out the window. They had left the Northern District by now, and more buildings filled the surroundings. However, the man¡¯s gaze seemed fixed on something beyond those structures. ¡°It appears this is where we part ways,¡± he announced, grasping his cane. He tapped the cane¡¯s end against the floorboards once, producing a light thud, and the carriage began to slow. Scarlett could hear the coachman¡¯s surprised exclamations from outside as he struggled to regain control of the horses.


    The Gentleman retrieved his top hat and placed it atop his head, tipping it at Scarlett as he prepared to depart. ¡°It has been a pleasure, Baroness. Young Grehaldrael.¡±


    Empress offered a final meow as she brushed past Fynn and Scarlett¡¯s legs, striding towards the cabin door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Scarlett called just as the carriage came to a full stop and The Gentleman was about to open the door. He turned back to look at her. ¡°There was one question I wanted to ask you before you leave.¡±


    The man opened the door, and Empress slipped out, but he lingered for another moment. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­It concerns Adtia¡¯s avatar. A woman known as the Countess. I have been attempting to locate her for some time now, but I cannot discern her whereabouts, or even if she is alive. Can you share anything about that?¡±


    He arched a brow, considering her for a moment. ¡°I am afraid not. The Lady of the Night and the Moon may have faded from the memories of today¡¯s people, residing in the shadow of her brighter counterpart, but she remains a deity nonetheless. Her avatar will be hidden from all eyes that seek to uncover her location. It is unlikely that the woman you are looking for is dead, but that is as much as I can tell you, I am afraid.¡±


    Scarlett found his answer far less satisfying than she had hoped, but there wasn¡¯t anything she could do about that. ¡°I see. At the very least, I appreciate your honesty.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I bid you farewell. Until next we meet, Baroness.¡± With those words, the man stepped out of the carriage and closed the door behind him. Through the window, Scarlett watched as he walked up to what appeared to be an entirely ordinary storefront, passing an older couple on the street, and entered, accompanied by the black-furred cat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my Lady! I can¡¯t get the horses to move again,¡± the coachman called from the front. ¡°I¡¯ll see if¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, two horses neighed, and the carriage resumed its motion, followed by the coachman¡¯s bewildered cry.


    ¡°Do not mind it,¡± Scarlett replied in a loud voice, her gaze lingering on the building where The Gentleman and Empress had disappeared. ¡°Simply proceed to our original destination.¡±


    ¡°Ehm, as you wish, my Lady¡­¡±


    A minute of silence passed as the vehicle soon returned to its normal movement. Finally, Fynn spoke up.


    ¡°That man was strange,¡± he said.


    Scarlett turned to him, studying his face for a moment. The young man seemed to have taken the encounter in stride, at least, though she did detect signs of confusion on his face. Much of what they had discussed probably went over his head.


    ¡°¡­Indeed he was,¡± she replied. ¡°I suspect you have already surmised as much, but this meeting and our conversation must remain a secret.¡±


    Fynn nodded. ¡°Mm. Sounded important. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Scarlett turned her attention forward, reclining in her seat as the carriage continued its journey. A myriad of thoughts raced through her mind, and she found it hard to focus on any specific one.


    Sorting through everything she¡¯d learned and deciphering whether this encounter had been beneficial or detrimental would have to wait for another time. For now, she just wanted to relax and calm down.


    That much she felt like she could indulge herself.

 Chapter 169 - Holy endeavours

    Scarlett looked out of the carriage window at the stone buildings outside as they slowly traveled down Bridgespell¡¯s cobbled streets, watching the colorful storefronts and inviting establishments they passed by. Although it was one of the empire¡¯s larger cities, Bridgespell¡¯s Kilnstone district was a winding labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways unless one followed the main thoroughfare, which their journey had taken them off not long after arriving in the city.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that the traffic was any less intense along their current route. It was simply more cramped. Pedestrians scurried to make way for the carriages and wagons, and the crowds weaved between the buildings like a swarm of ants.


    ¡°Ah, this brings back memories,¡± Rosa hummed to Scarlett¡¯s left, leaning forward in her seat with her chin resting on her palm. Her gaze followed Scarlett¡¯s out the window. ¡°There¡¯s no place quite like Bridgespell if you want to experience what it¡¯s like to be a sardine packed into a barrel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡± Allyssa asked from her seat across from Rosa.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the bard replied, casting an amused look at Allyssa.


    The Shielder returned it. ¡°Is there anywhere around the Empire you haven¡¯t been?¡±


    Rosa furrowed her brows, tapping a finger against her cheek. ¡°I suppose I haven¡¯t visited the Rising Isle yet. Or the Forgotten Tower, for that matter. They¡¯re close enough to the empire in my book that I can¡¯t not hit them up eventually.¡± She shot a sly smile in Scarlett¡¯s direction. ¡°If I stick close to this one for long enough, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s only a matter of time before I get the chance as well. I¡¯ve already checked off reaching the summit of one of the highest mountains on the continent, thanks to her.¡±


    ¡°No one has ever been to the Forgotten Tower,¡± Allyssa remarked. ¡°And doesn¡¯t the Rising Isle only allow mages?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have any policy against non-mages visiting the island.¡± Shin said, looking up from the book that he was reading. ¡°They haven¡¯t for a long time. I would imagine that there are at least some living there who aren¡¯t mages, and there have been several collaborations between the empire and the Isle in recent decades, allowing visitors from our side.¡±


    ¡°Ok, well, yes, sure. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll admit that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Scarlett somehow ended up taking us there someday.¡± Allyssa shook her head. ¡°But my imagination draws the line at the Forgotten Tower. That¡¯s a bit too far-fetched, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know~¡± Rosa glanced at Scarlett, her smile growing into a smirk. ¡°Is it?¡±


    Scarlett looked at the bard for a moment, then returned her gaze to the passing cityscape. ¡°I do not believe you are quite ready for that yet.¡±


    She could picture the grin on Rosa¡¯s face widening even further at that, even as Allyssa let out a noise of bewilderment.


    ¡°W-Wait, you can¡¯t say that. Then I might actually believe you¡¯re serious,¡± the young Shielder protested. ¡°You are joking, right?¡±


    Scarlett shifted her eyes to look at the girl. ¡°Of course,¡± she answered after a brief pause.


    Allyssa blinked. ¡°Nonono. Now you¡¯re saying it like that. Like you do when you know something we don¡¯t. But you have to be joking, don¡¯t you?¡± She turned to Fynn. ¡°She¡¯s not serious, is she? Please tell me she isn¡¯t.¡±


    The young man glanced at Scarlett, then back at Allyssa. ¡°I¡¯ve been told not to share things like that anymore.¡±


    Rosa chuckled, while Allyssa seemed at a loss for words. As the girl turned to Shin, attempting to persuade him into convincing her that Scarlett had to be joking, Rosa leaned closer to Scarlett.


    ¡°Just for the record, are you actually serious?¡± the bard whispered, a glint of interest in her eyes.


    Scarlett met her gaze for a second, then simply shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    The Forgotten Tower was a remnant of ages past and had been a mystery among the countries on the continent for centuries. Someone visiting that place would truly be a discovery like none other.


    With that statement, she turned around and resumed her city watching. Rosa wasn¡¯t the only one who could have some fun at others¡¯ expense.


    The carriage continued its journey through the city, eventually arriving in what appeared to be one of Bridgespell¡¯s older sections. The buildings and streets here bore unmistakable signs of age, particularly in their architectural style, but they still remained well-preserved. Some of the structures were also grander in scale, and it was clear that some care went into maintaining the area¡¯s charm.


    This place was called the Emberwood Ward. Before their trip to Bridgespell, Scarlett had spent a good amount of time researching the city¡¯s layout and its various wards, since it would be relevant to their visit this time.


    ¡°What¡¯s our agenda here for today?¡± Shin asked after a while, having set aside his book to take in the sights outside. ¡°You mentioned that we¡¯ll be exploring a couple of caves and ruins here in Bridgespell, as well as an old Follower shrine, but I assumed those were outside the city. Is there a reason why we¡¯re starting with this part of the city? Is this where we will be staying?¡±


    ¡°It is not, no,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°For the duration of our stay in Bridgespell, we will be lodging at the Golden Griffin Inn, situated in the Upper Ward. Before we arrive there, however, there are some other matters to attend to. Our first order of business is to visit the main temple of the Followers of Ittar in the city.¡±


    ¡°You planning on picking up the red cloth?¡± Rosa asked, playfully nudging Scarlett¡¯s side, though the woman barely made any real contact.


    Scarlett eyed her. ¡°¡­I am not. However, I am now considering inquiring whether they have need for an obstreperous bard.¡±


    Rosa blinked, then erupted into a lengthy, melodious laugh. ¡°That doesn¡¯t actually sound that bad. I¡¯d prefer a less posh and obnoxious-sounding description, but who knows? Maybe I¡¯d fit right in with the priests and their gaggle of knee-benders. I have been called divine on more than one occasion.¡± She patted the neck of her klert instrument, which leaned against the seat between her legs. ¡°And they¡¯ve asked, you know? Had a priest that followed me around from village to village for a while, giving me the whole spiel and trying to convince me to join up. But if I did, I¡¯d have to deprive the world of my ravishing visage.¡± The woman added a fake shudder with an expression of dread. ¡°That would just be too cruel.¡±


    Just as she finished, the carriage came to a halt at the end of a long rectangular square teeming with vehicles and people. A grand temple, hewn from pale stone and white marble, sprawled along both sides of the square, covering nearly half of it. The temple boasted tall pillars that flanked its two wings next to walkway balconies, their bases embellished with intricate gold filigree.


    At the opposite end of the square, a long set of stairs, guarded on either side by statues with their arms raised to the sky, ascended to the temple¡¯s entrance. The entrance itself comprised a broad archway, further adorned with pillars and a colossal, featureless man¡¯s face carved into the stone above it.


    While most of the people moving about the area seemed to be ordinary citizens, there were a decent number who were dressed in thick red robes embellished with glistening gold accents. They wore white masks that concealed their faces, and some sported more intricate variants with two squares intersecting at right angles, along with thin cloth hangings. The attire marked them as priests of Ittar.


    Scarlett disembarked from the carriage along with the others, wasting no time in making her way towards the temple¡¯s entrance. She passed by both clergy members and civilians as she began climbing the staircase. Upon entering the temple, she was greeted by a spacious vestibule with a wide glass-panelled ceiling that bathed the area in sunlight. The marble floors gleamed under the golden rays, while the delicate fragrance of incense wafted through the air from thuribles decorating the walls.


    Several archways led to different parts of the temple, and a tall statue of Ittar stood at the heart of the room. Some individuals knelt before the statue, engrossed in prayer, while a couple of clergy members moved among them, bestowing what might have been blessings.


    Scarlett noticed one priest sitting on a stool near the entrance, their face concealed by one of those white masks. She assumed they were a woman, and based on the mask, likely an acolyte.


    The clergy member turned her head towards Scarlett as she approached, briefly glancing over the group of four that followed her. ¡°Welcome, child of the sun, to the sacred abode of Ittar¡¯s dwelling. May the blessings of his radiant light shine upon you. Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, and I seek an audience with either the high priest or the ritual master of this temple, should they be available.¡±


    The acolyte seemed to hesitate for a moment. ¡°¡­The ritual master is currently presiding over a sermon, so I am afraid she is unavailable. I can see if the high priest is occupied at the moment, if you would be so kind as to wait here.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    The masked woman stood and turned to leave, and Scarlett braced herself for having to wait for some time. While it wasn¡¯t exactly an accurate comparison, getting in contact with a manager in customer service was never straightforward.


    ¡°Why do they all wear masks?¡± Fynn asked after a minute had passed, his attention fixed on the priests moving around the room.


    ¡°So that people can¡¯t see the funny faces they¡¯re making,¡± Rosa answered. ¡°That¡¯s how they convince people to join.¡±


    ¡°I have a sneaking suspicion that isn¡¯t as appealing a perk as you think it is¡­¡± Allyssa said, casting a skeptical look at the bard. She then turned to Fynn. ¡°I think it¡¯s fair to ignore her on this one. The masks are symbolic.¡±


    ¡°Symbolic of what?¡±


    Allyssa waved her hand, gesturing around the room. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to symbolize the connection between Ittar and us mortals. The masks serve as the representation of him and his radiant nature, you know? You can¡¯t really gaze at the sun without hurting your eyes, and it¡¯s the same idea, kinda. Stops you from seeing their faces.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also to show humility and equality,¡± Shin added. He squinted against the brightness in the room, the scar over his left eye knitting together. ¡°By covering their faces, the Followers emphasize that they¡¯re only conduits for Ittar¡¯s teachings, and that anyone can stand among their ranks.¡±


    Fynn furrowed his brow. ¡°Can they?¡±


    ¡°To a large extent, yes. The Followers accept anyone into their fold, and I¡¯m not aware of any particular biases on that front.¡± Shin shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Although I¡¯ve heard that many of their members hail from those who receive their help. So people from hospices, orphanages, and other institutions they run.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they can be a bit pushy,¡± Rosa said, observing some of the devouts praying in front of the large statue of Ittar. Her demeanor was unusually somber. ¡°They like extolling all the fancy benefits you get from joining their community. Personally, I never thought I could make it with that many people around me all the time. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever felt especially close to the big sun guy either.¡±


    Allyssa gave the woman a surprised look. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying the Followers actually tried recruiting you specifically before? I thought you were joking.¡±


    Rosa turned to the girl with an affronted expression. ¡°Me? Joke? Never. A jest or two, though¡­¡±


    Allyssa shook her head with a small chuckle.


    ¡°Anyhow,¡± Rosa continued, ¡°I was telling the truth about that, yes. It was ages ago, though. Back when I was still running around with a gap in my teeth and a hole in my pocket. Stayed at one of their homes for about a month, where I caught the eye of a particularly earnest fellow, but I wasn¡¯t too keen on other people at the time.¡± The woman grimaced. ¡°Ended up running off after I accidentally made the local overseer dance a step or two too close to a pair of stairs. Not my proudest moment. I did patch up the old man¡¯s broken ankles before I left, though.¡±


    ¡°But does that mean you were¡ª¡±


    Before Allyssa could finish her question, the acolyte from before returned and addressed Scarlett. ¡°The high priest has set aside some time to receive you. If you follow me, I will guide you to his office.¡±


    ¡°Seems like time¡¯s up,¡± Rosa said, a smile having returned to her face. She looked towards Scarlett. ¡°What say you about taking the lead, my Lady?¡±


    Without any response, Scarlett began following the acolyte, proceeding through the main vestibule and down a long stone corridor connecting to it. After a few twists and turns, and passing through areas where sermons and the like seemed to be held, they finally stopped outside a modest birch door adorned with basic religious imagery.


    The acolyte turned to them. ¡°The high priest is inside. The room is not very large, so I ask that only two of you enter.¡±


    Scarlett signaled for Rosa to join her, a look of surprise flickering across the bard¡¯s face as if she genuinely hadn¡¯t expected to be chosen. Nonetheless, she followed Scarlett inside without question.


    Entering the room, Scarlett and Rosa found themselves in a cozy office carved from grey stone. The decor was simple, consisting mainly of plain bookshelves running along the walls and pious paintings hanging above them. At the desk on the far end sat a man in his late fifties, with streaks of white in his brown hair. He regarded them with a pair of half-wrinkled, sky-blue eyes.


    The robes he was dressed in were the same type of vestments as most full priests among the Followers wore, though the design differed slightly, featuring more white elements. His helmet rested on a shelf to the side.


    ¡°Ittar¡¯s grace be upon you, Baroness. Welcome,¡± the man greeted with a nod. ¡°I am High Priest Matthias, overseeing most of the official matters at this temple and within the diocese.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the warm reception, Your Excellency,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°As you know, I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford. This is my retainer, Miss Rosalina Hale.¡±


    The high priest gave a nod in greeting to Rosa as well, then gestured towards three stacked chairs next to the entrance. ¡°Please, have a seat. I have been engrossed in secular affairs for most of the day, and I was not expecting a visit from someone of your standing. You will have to excuse the rather modest accommodations.¡±


    ¡°I do not mind,¡± Scarlett said. Rosa moved before she could, grabbing two chairs and carrying them across the room to place them before the desk. A bit surprised, Scarlett walked over to sit down.


    The high priest observed them as they settled in, resting his clasped hands on the desk. ¡°May I ask about the purpose that brings a baroness to my office today? I typically refrain from involvement in matters concerning nobility, but I happen to recall your name as being one of those recorded in the Hall of Providers this year. For discovering and returning one of the Chalices of Canon, no less. It stirred a good amount of discussion among my fellow clergymen at the time, which piqued my curiosity upon hearing your name in today¡¯s context.¡±


    ¡°So you were already aware of my contribution during the Providing Ceremony. Then my business here today might be of interest to you.¡± Scarlett folded her hands on her lap. ¡°I am currently investigating some other findings of a similar nature to those that led me to the Chalice of Canon. These findings point me here, to the Bridgespell region. It is in relation to that I chose to seek you out.¡±


    The man¡¯s brow rose slightly. ¡°First, the Chalice of Canon, and now another similar undertaking only months later? Can I take it you have a particular interest in uncovering sacred relics? Your devotion is commendable, especially if you are dedicating your personal time to such pursuits. What is it you wanted to ask of me, specifically?¡±


    ¡°Am I correct in understanding that there is an old shrine west of Bridgespell where young acolytes are trained, constructed a little over three centuries ago by one of the first deacons?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°I believe you are referring to the Sunfire Shrine.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yes. I wish to gain access to it.¡±


    The high priest frowned. ¡°I presume you are implying that there are unearthed relics within the shrine.¡±


    ¡°That is what my findings suggest.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask about the nature of these ¡®findings¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You can, but regrettably, I cannot share that information at this time. The precise details of my research must remain confidential for now. However, I am willing to share the results of my investigation with you, as I did previously with the Chalice.¡±


    Considering Scarlett¡¯s research was largely based on her recollections from the game and what little Arlene had provided, there really wasn¡¯t much to share.


    The man regarded her silently for a moment. ¡°I hope you do not take offense at my saying so, Baroness, but it¡¯s likely that your research holds little worth on this occasion. As you yourself noted, the Sunfire Shrine has been used by our clergy for centuries, built by one of the original deacons. If any relics were hidden there, they would have been discovered long ago. If you could share what you believe to be there, I could have one of our acolytes search our records to confirm it. However, I cannot promise more than that.¡±


    Scarlett studied him for a while, a trace of irritation nagging at the back of her mind due to the fact that she actually had to try to convince this guy. In the game, you would first do a bit of sleuthing after getting Arlene¡¯s quest, which is what led to discovering the Sunfire Shrine¡¯s existence and relevance here. While doing so, you would find an item that served as a convincing argument for the Followers to grant you access. But getting that item would be a waste of time for Scarlett in this world, which is why she had instead gone straight here.


    Another option had also been to simply sneak into the shrine without bothering getting permission. That was pretty easy in the game, but it carried significant risk in this world. Especially considering that none of Scarlett¡¯s party members were experts at stealth.


    So she would just have to craft a compelling enough story and splice in a bit of truth.


    ¡°I am confident that you will not have found this,¡± she said. ¡°In my research, I came across references that appear to trace back to the shrine¡¯s construction. While I cannot confirm whether the texts were authored by the man himself, they explicitly mentioned Deacon Donovan Emberwood establishing the shrine in honor of one of his closest disciples, as well as the entombing of a powerful relic in a concealed section within the shrine.¡±


    She had originally forgotten the specific deacon¡¯s name from the game, so she had delved into some old scriptures mentioning the original deacons to piece together the details.


    The high priest regarded her with a serious expression. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°And what relic did these texts refer to?¡±


    ¡°No details were provided regarding its name or purpose.¡±


    There were a few items of potential interest there, truthfully. She couldn¡¯t quite remember the effect of the boss¡¯ loot, but it would probably have been a legendary-tier item. Keeping that for herself would have been nice, but she needed to secure the Followers¡¯ cooperation here, and since it had been left by one of the first deacons, they wouldn¡¯t just let her take it.


    But as long as she got her hands on what was actually waiting for her in that place, she would be more than satisfied.


    The high priest wore a thoughtful expression as he brought a hand to his chin, remaining quiet for some time. ¡°I will say that this is the first time I have encountered such a claim regarding the shrine, although I am not well-versed in its history. Should your account prove accurate, however, we would of course be interested in further investigating this matter.¡±


    ¡°If you would permit me, I am more than willing to lend my assistance in such an endeavour,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I could provide valuable insight into ensuring the concealed section¡¯s opening without causing damage to the structure. It would also be greatly helpful for my continued research to visit that place personally.¡±


    The man pressed his lips together, appearing to consider her proposal. ¡°I am afraid a matter such as this isn¡¯t solely within my jurisdiction to decide. Not only is there the Shrine Custodian¡¯s opinion to keep in mind, matters pertaining to sacred relics and texts are overseen by the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments, who are in turn under the purview of the Quorum. I would have to present it to them before I can give you a definitive answer on how to proceed.¡±


    ¡°That is understandable. My retainers and I will be staying in the city for some time, so we can wait until a decision has been reached.¡±


    Scarlett planned to clear as many dungeons in the area as she could while she was here, so a few days¡¯ wait wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance. In the worst-case scenario, she could try infiltrating the place. Though she hadn¡¯t used it since the incident with Gaven at the Sanctuary of Ittar, she still had the [Memory of the Covenant], which allowed at least one member of her party to conceal their true appearance.


    ¡°I appreciate your understanding, Baroness, and the potential opportunity you may have presented. I will do my best to expedite the process of bringing this matter to the attention of the appropriate people and provide you with a response at the earliest convenience.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will be waiting. You may reach me at the Golden Griffin Inn if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Was there anything else you wished to discuss, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°No, that was all. We will take our leave to avoid further disruptions of your duties.¡±


    ¡°Then the child from before will lead you back,¡± the high priest said. ¡°May Ittar¡¯s light guide your path.¡±


    With that, both Scarlett and Rosa exited the man¡¯s office and rejoined the others who had been waiting outside. There, the acolyte led them back to the temple¡¯s entrance, where they returned to the carriage.

 Chapter 170 - Precursors and preparations

    As their carriage set into motion, moving away from the Followers¡¯ temple, Rosa slumped back into her seat next to Scarlett.


    ¡°You know,¡± the woman began, ¡°with all this talk about ¡®research¡¯ and whatnot that I keep hearing from you during these serious talks, it really makes one wonder when exactly you¡¯re doing all of it.¡± She turned her head to look at Scarlett. ¡°I always see you with your nose buried in papers in your office, but as far as I can tell, most of those have more numbers and figures in them rather than tales and texts from dead holy folk.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow at the bard. ¡°That is because you do not pay enough attention.¡±


    While it was true that she had been reading more official documentation lately because she and Evelyne were preparing for the Cabal¡¯s upcoming attacks, that was far from how she spent most of her time. A significant portion of her free time at the moment was dedicated to reading books to further familiarise herself with this world, such as texts on old history, the Zuverian civilization, the empire¡¯s nobility, and the nation¡¯s governance and judicial systems.


    And she had, in fact, spent these last few days conducting actual research. While it mainly revolved around planning this trip and studying maps of Bridgespell and its surrounding region, it was research all the same.


    That said, maybe it wasn¡¯t the best idea to have Rosa spending so much time in her office if she didn¡¯t want the woman to notice that something was off. The notion that Rosa would notice she didn¡¯t do much research related to what she claimed had honestly never crossed her mind.


    The bard shrugged and turned away. ¡°Fair enough. I can¡¯t make heads or tails of most of what you keep yourself occupied with.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t entirely buy that. Rosa was far from stupid, and she had demonstrated surprising perceptiveness on numerous occasions, whether it be related to supernatural occurrences or more mundane matters.


    As the carriage continued on, the others fell into discussions about the upcoming days, while Scarlett shifted her attention to the passing cityscape.


    The older buildings and narrow streets of the Emberwood Ward eventually gave way to wider lanes and newer structures as they entered one of the adjacent districts. It still felt cramped compared to Freybrook, but that probably had more to do with the high volume of people in this area rather than the actual size of the streets.


    From what she had learned in the past few days, Bridgespell¡¯s population was more concentrated around the heart of the city¡ªand the four wards that composed its core¡ªcompared to Freybrook. But Freybrook was also a bit of an outlier in the empire. Not every city could afford to allocate an entire district the size of a small town exclusively to the residences and estates of nobles and wealthy individuals. She would argue that most cities probably shouldn¡¯t as well.


    As their carriage ventured further, entering one of Bridgespell¡¯s main thoroughfares, the traffic intensified noticeably. But it also flowed much more smoothly, allowing them to make swift progress towards their next destination. Tobia, the coachman who often chauffeured Scarlett around whenever she left Freybrook, demonstrated his experience as he navigated around the vehicular maze. She had provided him with directions before they left, and he was familiar enough with Bridgespell¡¯s labyrinthine streets to have a good grasp of how to move about in the city.


    After a while, they arrived in a district where stalls and stores lined both sides of the lanes. The carriage came to a halt beside a large three-story building, flanked by two smaller wings, each with two floors. The foot traffic here was moderate compared to some of the nearby locales, but a collection of carriages stood in rows in a long side-building that connected to one of the wings.


    Exiting the carriage along with the others, Scarlett proceeded to the building¡¯s entrance. Inside, they entered a spacious foyer with a polished stone floor that was bustling with various glass showcases and a reception desk that occupied most of the far wall. Scarlett advanced towards a gentleman attired in a well-fitted suit seated behind the desk.


    He greeted her with a polite smile. ¡°Welcome to the Golden Gavel. How may I be of service?¡±


    ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, here to arrange the transfer of some artifacts and items in accordance with an agreement between my barony and your auction house.¡±


    The man retrieved a bundle of papers from under the desk and placed a wooden placard in front of him. ¡°Please, follow me. I¡¯ll escort you to our storage apartments, where a room should have been prepared for you.¡±


    Stepping out from behind the desk, he guided Scarlett and her party down a connecting corridor until they reached a row of doors that lined the hallway. After a brief perusal of his documents, he gestured towards a door with a sign beside it. ¡°You may place the articles in this chamber, my lady.¡±


    Scarlett motioned for Fynn to accompany her, and they entered the room. It was empty save for a few chests and shelves adorning the walls. She then had Fynn open the [Bag of Juham]¡ªwhich she had explicitly instructed him to bring for this purpose¡ªand the young man commenced the task of emptying its contents into the room.


    At the moment, the bag almost exclusively carried various types of Zuverian items ¡ª coins, light crystals, strange tools, delicate vases, and an assortment of other trinkets that they had amassed during their exploration of the latest ruins with Adalicia. Most of the items related to magic from that place had already been sold to the mage towers, which left the stuff that held less ¡®practical¡¯ value.


    After nearly a minute of simply piling all the gold coins into one of the chests nestled in the corner of the room¡ªthere had been a lot of coins in those ruins¡ªFynn finally finished up, and they left the room. The neatly dressed staff member, along with the rest of Scarlett¡¯s party, waited patiently outside.


    ¡°Is everything settled?¡± he asked, his eyes darting over to Fynn and the unusual bag slung over the white-haired young man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It is,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The man offered the same polite smile as before. ¡°Marvelous. As I am sure you are aware, you need not worry about the safety of your items while they are in our care. Each chamber is enveloped in multiple protective enchantments to ward off any unauthorized intrusion, and we will treat your belongings with the utmost care.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that you will.¡±


    They walked back to the foyer, where the man expounded on their procedures for handling articles slated for auction and offered insights into the upcoming auction itself. While it was scheduled in four days, considering the nature and quantity of Scarlett¡¯s items, it could take more than a month for all of them to be sold off. He emphasized that this pace was far better than any other auction house within the empire, though.


    Scarlett simply nodded along to the man¡¯s words. He probably wasn¡¯t exaggerating that much. She had chosen this auction house specifically because they were said to be the most experienced in selling Zuverian relics. While she and Evelyne typically conducted their artifact sales through one of the larger houses in Elystead, in this particular case, it was easier to work with these people.


    As they returned to the carriage, the group set off on the next leg of their day¡¯s journey. There were still a few more stops left on her itinerary.


    After a short while, they stopped in front of a much smaller, single-story building with a sloping tiled roof. A sign above the entrance depicted a needle and dress, while tall windows showcased a view of vibrant bolts of fabric and various garments meticulously displayed inside.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Bridgespell boasted some of the empire¡¯s most celebrated artisans, and Scarlett intended to capitalize on this opportunity by visiting a few of them. Her goal was to commission some gear for herself and her party.


    Despite obtaining a sizeable collection of artifacts and equipment from her dungeon explorations over the months, the majority of these items were either low-level or unsuitable for her needs. Of the higher-tier items, she lacked enough to fully outfit her party for the time being. While they managed with what they had, she herself still primarily relied on her [Garments of Form] as her main piece of armor.


    Naturally, if she continued to clear progressively challenging dungeons as she planned to, they would inevitably find more equipment that suited her purposes. But it would take some time to collect what might be considered complete sets, and that approach lacked the flexibility of having gear custom-made, even if the former was usually how you found the best items.


    She had decided to work with some of the artisans here in Bridgespell to create items from the materials she had at her disposal, including partially damaged artifacts like the [Scorched Robes of Sorcerous Synergy (Epic)] salvaged from the Zuverian ruins near Faybarrow, as well as the dragon materials harvested from the ashenwraith dragon.


    She had arranged her visits with the artisans in advance, and although some of them had been busy, they¡¯d all been more than willing to work with her upon learning of the unique materials she was bringing.


    Making four quick stops at different workshops to discuss the requests, Scarlett and her party took measurements and left the necessary components. After they wrapped up with that and returned to the carriage again, Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but notice the array of expressions and looks directed her way by her companions.


    She met their gazes as the carriage set into motion. ¡°Is there something you would like to say?¡±


    Rosa was the first to speak, her tone laced with curiosity. ¡°Those weren¡¯t your run-of-the-mill evening dresses you just ordered for us.¡±


    ¡°No kidding,¡± Allyssa said, her expression revealing a hint of discomfort. ¡°I got chills hearing the price for just one of those outfits.¡±


    Scarlett shrugged. It wasn¡¯t as though she disagreed there.


    Considering the materials she was using on them, she wanted the pieces commissioned now to meet high standards. She expected Epic-tier quality, at the very least, which meant she had been quite meticulous in her requests. That naturally translated to hefty price tags, even with her contribution of materials. They were talking about a total cost in the six figures, and while well within Scarlett¡¯s current means, it still left her feeling uneasy spending so much on so seemingly little.


    This was one of the reasons she had refrained from commissioning a lot of items in the past.


    But all the money she was raking in had to be used somewhere. The saying ¡°Money not spent is money wasted¡± resonated particularly strongly in her case, considering the life-threatening situations she and her party would confront in the future. Splurging on top-notch gear now and then would do her good if it helped mitigate the danger later on.


    ¡°Just another Tuesday for you then, I¡¯d wager?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett directed her gaze out the window. The next stop wasn¡¯t far off. ¡°Indeed, Miss Hale. This is how I spend many of my weekdays ¡ª expending hundreds of thousands of solars to commission equipment for strangers to wear simply for the enjoyment of it. Astute observation, as always.¡±


    ¡°¡®Astute¡¯ is my middle name, right after ¡®Mendacious¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you are seriously having those made for us?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°I almost thought I was imagining things when that tailor started taking my measurements.¡±


    ¡°They will be on loan, but yes,¡± Scarlett replied.


    With that, she allowed the conversation to taper off, letting the others start up their own discussions while she paid attention to the buildings outside.


    At some point, the conversation beside her seemed to drift to Allyssa and Rosa discussing the bard¡¯s previous jobs and her creative process for composing songs and melodies. That dialogue then transitioned to Rosa explaining how she came up with new charms that harmonized with her music, with the woman making a comment about the inordinate amount of sweat and blood shed because of a certain ¡®taskmaster¡¯ while coming up with her latest charm.


    Scarlett got the urge to say something there, but she restrained herself as she spotted a suitable location to halt the carriage on the side of the street. She called out to the coachman, signaling him to stop, and all eyes turned to her as she leaned forward to open the cabin door.


    ¡°Miss Hale, this is where you will be disembarking,¡± she announced.


    Rosa blinked, and the others looked surprised.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± the bard said.


    Scarlett gestured toward the door. ¡°I am asking that you exit the vehicle.¡±


    Allyssa looked between the two of them. ¡°Wait¡­ Are you kicking her out?¡±


    Rosa¡¯s eyes widened momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure, clearing her throat and coughing into her hand. ¡°Of course, when I said ¡®taskmaster¡¯ earlier, I was speaking metaphorically about my own insatiable desire to excel and impress my esteemed employer. An employer that, I dare say, would never consider penalizing me for something I may or may not have said by relegating me to walk alone through a large city, armed with nothing but the klert in my hand and the boots on my feet.¡±


    Scarlett observed the woman silently. Although it probably wasn¡¯t something to take pride in, it was undeniably satisfying to see Rosa react like this. Regrettably, she couldn¡¯t let the charade persist for much longer.


    ¡°If this were a more just world, then perhaps that is what I would do. Unfortunately, that is not the reason behind this.¡±


    As she heard the bard mutter ¡®unfortunately?¡¯ under her breath, Scarlett reached into her [Pouch of Holding] and pulled out a list, which she handed to the woman.


    Rosa received it with a slightly flabbergasted expression.


    ¡°That is a record of tasks that need to be completed and articles that need to be procured,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°I am entrusting you with the responsibility of managing each item on that list. While I have other matters to attend to presently, I have confidence in your ability to handle them without my constant supervision.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay¡­¡± Rosa turned the list over in her hand, studying its contents. Allyssa and Shin leaned over from their seats to catch a glimpse of it, while Fynn seemed perfectly content to stay where he was, silently observing.


    ¡°These are your funds for the day,¡± Scarlett added, reaching into her pouch and retrieving a purse filled with coins that she had prepared in advance, passing it to Rosa, who continued poring over the paper.


    ¡°This is a pretty long list,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°I recognize a lot of the things you want her to get, but what are they for? It¡¯s going to take a lot of time if she¡¯s handling this alone.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her attention to the girl. ¡°You have been focusing on improving the efficacy of your greater healing potions, correct?¡±


    Allyssa seemed a bit caught off guard by the question, but nodded. ¡°I am, yes.¡± She blinked, looking down at the list again. ¡°Wait, is this for¡ª?¡±


    ¡°You? In part, yes. I intend to have you continue honing your skills while you serve as my retainer, and as such, this is the least I have to do.¡±


    The young Shielder had been diligently working on her study of alchemy over the past few weeks during their downtime at the mansion. With the ingredients and resources provided by Scarlett, Allyssa had made significant strides and was now able to produce greater-grade potions at a satisfying rate. Scarlett was hoping that she would soon be able to make superior-grade ones as well.


    About half of the items on the list provided to Rosa were reagents and components that Allyssa could use in her profession. Bridgespell had a more active market for alchemy reagents due to housing one of the larger mage towers and one of the largest Shielder branches in the empire. Moreover, the city¡¯s proximity to the Faywild Basin to the south also made getting reagents a much simpler prospect. This meant it was easier to acquire alchemy supplies here in Bridgespell than in Freybrook.


    That¡¯s not to say you couldn¡¯t get them delivered to Freybrook, but this was cheaper. It also served as a reasonable pretext.


    ¡°Miss Astrey, Mister Thornthon,¡± Scarlett addressed Allyssa and Shin. ¡°If you wish, the two of you can accompany Miss Hale to assist her with these tasks. Once you have completed your work, I trust that you will be able to locate the Golden Griffin Inn by yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Allyssa glanced between the list and Rosa. ¡°Okay, sure. I¡¯m familiar with enough of these items that it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t seem to think there was anything wrong with that request.


    Shin, however, regarded Scarlett with a contemplative expression for a few seconds. ¡°Will that be okay? Our duty entails escorting you, so I¡¯m uncertain if it¡¯s appropriate for both of us to leave.¡±


    ¡°Your concern is unnecessary,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Once I have concluded my immediate affairs, I will proceed directly to the inn. With Fynn accompanying me, the likelihood of encountering trouble in the city is minimal.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright,¡± he conceded after a moment.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll head off,¡± Rosa declared, moving to exit the carriage along with the other two. After they¡¯d stepped out, though, she peeked her head back inside. ¡°Wish us luck. And try not to embark on too thrilling of an adventure without us, pretty please?¡±


    Scarlett responded with an indifferent expression. ¡°I will endeavour to ensure we have a decidedly uneventful time.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Rosa offered a thumb-up before closing the door.


    Scarlett watched the trio through the window as they walked away, navigating the streets and getting their bearings while examining the list she had provided. After they turned a corner and disappeared from view, Fynn¡¯s voice broke the silence beside her.


    ¡°You were lying to them.¡±


    She kept her gaze out the window. ¡°I was, yes.¡±


    The carriage started rolling, beginning its journey towards their next destination. The Golden Griffin Inn.


    She was hoping this would work out as she wanted.

 Chapter 171 - A bards jaunt

    ¡°So, how are we doing this?¡± Allyssa asked Rosa as the girl leaned closer to her, eyeing the list Scarlett had handed them. ¡°I¡¯ve never been here before, so I don¡¯t know where you can get any of this stuff, but any apothecary or potion emporium should at least have most of the reagents we need.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~¡± Rosa observed Allyssa for a moment. The girl had her blonde hair bundled up in a braid today, with those amusing little goggles perched atop her head, even in the middle of a crowded city. ¡°How about we split up? You peachy young¡®uns can handle all that dangerous-sounding stuff, while auntie Rosa here deals with the remaining errands our dear, aloof icicle of an employer assigned us. These streets are as familiar to me as the hymn to Ittar.¡±


    Both Shin and Allyssa exchanged glances.


    ¡°Is this where you admit you don¡¯t know the lyrics to it?¡± Shin asked.


    Rosa grinned broadly. They were catching on. ¡°Not a word. But I¡¯ve got an uncanny sense for these things.¡±


    She turned away, feigning interest in the neighborhood as she scanned around, concealing the pretense behind her grin. It was bittersweet to realize that these kids had been hanging around her long enough to know her this well.


    That went double for Scarlett.


    Pointing to a street on their right where a few wagons passed by, Rosa directed the two youths¡¯ attention to a storefront with a sign advertising books and similar articles. ¡°See? I¡¯ve already pinpointed a prospective first stop for the first item on the list. A map! The rest will be a pinch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I doubt you,¡± Shin said, ¡°but splitting the list would mean you have to deal with half of it all by yourself.¡±


    Rosa snorted as she waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Details, details. Who am I to get in the way of the bonding time of this country¡¯s younglings? Now, shoo, shoo. Go and do whatever modern diversions kids these days do.¡±


    Both gave her long looks, and she couldn¡¯t help chuckling a little at their reactions. ¡°Okay, maybe not. But I think I¡¯ll manage just fine. Might even take this opportunity when our noble overlord isn¡¯t watching to hit up some intriguing locales and pocket some extra coin. We weren¡¯t given a time-limit, after all.¡±


    Her smile faded when she instinctively reached both hands to her side and realized she didn¡¯t have her klert. She had left it in the carriage.


    Since when did she ever forget to bring her instrument?


    Today wasn¡¯t even a bad day. In fact, this whole past week had been better than most she¡¯d experienced in quite some time. The visions were at a minimum, and she felt more in control than usual. Yet somehow, she still forgot the one constant companion she had for the past few years.


    Now that she was consciously thinking about it, it felt off not to have her klert in her hands or slung across her back. It was as if she was moving around with a missing limb.


    Was this what her getting comfortable led to?


    While lost in her thoughts, Allyssa plucked the list from Rosa¡¯s grasp, folded it, and tore it in half. She kept the lower portion for herself and handed the other half back to Rosa.


    ¡°Should we maybe meet back up at that square later when we¡¯re finished?¡± the girl asked, pointing down the street to a charming square with some benches and stalls that beckoned to passersby.


    Shin took the piece of paper from Allyssa with an adorably serious but natural air, stashing it in his pocket before turning to Rosa. ¡°If you need help, we can meet up earlier and check in with each other.¡±


    ¡°No, you two take your time.¡± Rosa looked around the bustling street. She genuinely wanted to take this chance when things were calm to savor being around people again, even if she couldn¡¯t perform. ¡°I¡¯ll be more than alright.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Allyssa eyed their surroundings, the girl¡¯s attention seemingly drawn to a street further down the block. ¡°I¡¯d say that direction looks promising, so let¡¯s start there, Shin.¡±


    The young man gave her a brief glance. ¡°And why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°Gut feeling,¡± Allyssa replied.


    Rosa couldn¡¯t help but wear an amused smile as Shin rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I wish you all the luck, little ducklings!¡± she teased the two before promptly pivoting on her heel, weaving her way through the bustling crowd and towards the nearby street. After gracefully maneuvering between an elderly couple and two wagons blocking her path, she arrived at the store she had spotted earlier and entered with a purposeful spring to her step.


    Inside the store, Rosa spoke with the proprietor and procured a couple of maps depicting the region and that matched Scarlett¡¯s descriptions. As she emerged from the establishment and glanced down at the list of tasks, she found herself a bit puzzled.


    If she were to be honest, she didn¡¯t really understand the point of the list. Some items on it made sense, like the map and certain books that Scarlett might want, but why would the woman be asking for her to buy a quill? Or silver jewellery, for that matter. Scarlett probably had a surplus of both back in that colossal mansion of hers, and it wasn¡¯t as if she needed Rosa to buy more for her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was Scarlett¡¯s way of playing a trick on her. One could never tell with that woman. Scarlett was a sly one when she wanted to be, but that was one of the charms that made her so fun to be around, even if you discounted all the other unique things about her.


    It was almost enough to make Rosa forget Scarlett was a noble at times, even when basically everything about the woman screamed ¡®aristocracy¡¯.


    Rosa chuckled softly to herself as she rounded a corner, embarking on the quest to find a place that sold jewellery. A million times she¡¯d told herself not to get pulled into this quagmire of what she had been certain was nothing but a fake reprieve. To not chase the illusory hope that had sprouted from her interactions with Scarlett. Yet, somehow, she had done the exact opposite. She¡¯d actually started believing. She couldn¡¯t stop herself.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Scarlett knew about her. The woman knew. Somehow.


    This notion both terrified and comforted Rosa. There were still so many unanswered questions, a host of things she wanted to know, and numerous mysteries she didn¡¯t understand. And now, there was the very real possibility that Scarlett held the key to the answers she sought.


    But there was a barrier between them. As much as she felt that Scarlett understood her better than almost anyone she¡¯d ever met, their relationship resembled a charade more than anything else. They were playing a game in which only they knew the rules.


    Rosa loved it. She relished in it. Sometimes she genuinely had fun with it. But there were so many layers of separation between them, and she had no idea where the authenticity began and the pretense ended most of the time.


    Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t want it to end. She was afraid she couldn¡¯t bring herself to end it, even if she had to. Despite all the years that had passed, she still felt like nothing more than a child running from her problems. But this wasn¡¯t just about her. It never had been.


    The hypocrisy of going around pretending to care about other people¡¯s pain while neglecting the suffering she herself might cause was almost comical.


    But Scarlett¡­ Scarlett was different. Somehow. Everyone who met her could see that. And beneath the facade of a poised, all-knowing actor that the woman projected¡ªan image that Rosa found herself continuously buying into¡ªlay something else. Rosa had caught glimpses of it, hints of vulnerability when even Scarlett couldn¡¯t maintain her act entirely.


    Rosa wanted to know what lay under it all, but she questioned whether she had the right to. She wasn¡¯t sure she was qualified. Because in spite of all the praise she often received for her charms and supposed ingenuity, she had never felt strong. She had never felt reliable. And she had never felt trustworthy.


    But for the first time in years, she had felt somewhat safe. And she wanted to repay that feeling, if she could.


    She glanced down at the list clutched in her hand.


    Well, she supposed this didn¡¯t really count, but it was better than nothing. Plus, she was still getting paid.


    With that in mind, she advanced ahead, prepared to tackle the tasks entrusted to her.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± a voice called out from the back of the store as Rosa closed the creaky door behind her, allowing her eyes to acclimatize to the dimly lit interior.


    It was a quaint establishment. If there ever was a place that perfectly embodied the term ¡®nook and cranny¡¯, she could easily see it being this one. The air was thick with the scent of dried herbs, intermingling with the earthy aroma of aged books and wood. Only a handful of flickering candlelights illuminated the cramped space, their glow casting dancing shadows across the narrow aisles.


    Crowded shelves extended upwards, brushing the low ceiling, crammed with jars, vials, peculiar tools, books, and an assortment of containers in all shapes and sizes. Unfamiliar elixirs stood on display, their vibrant hues piercing through the darkness like small beacons, while preserved plants dangled from the rafters, creating whimsical silhouettes against the backdrop of worn, tapestry-covered walls.


    Rosa couldn¡¯t see all the way to the back of the store from the entrance, so she navigated through the tight aisles with measured steps, her gaze roving over the eclectic collection of wares. Maybe Allyssa and Shin had already visited this place for some of the alchemy reagents.


    She reached into her pocket and withdrew the folded piece of paper there. Unfurling it, she once again perused its contents.


    Scarlett had clearly put some thought into this list and where she dropped them off, considering Rosa had been able to find most items within a few streets of each other. It was all very methodical and organized, reminiscent of the woman¡¯s personality.


    However, Rosa had been having difficulty finding the last item on the list. She didn¡¯t even know what ¡®oracle wax¡¯ was supposed to be. She had already asked around in over a dozen places, but none had the slightest inkling of it. Still, she trusted that Scarlett hadn¡¯t included something that couldn¡¯t be found in the area.


    Which was why she had finally ended up in this place.


    ¡®Oracle wax¡¯ had an appropriately mystical ring to it, and this shop had the same vibe going for it. If this was a bust, she might actually have to rendezvous with the kiddos and see if they had a clue. Worst-case scenario, they would return to Scarlett without the wax. Lashes seemed an unlikely punishment for that, at least.


    Upon reaching the rear of the store, Rosa found the proprietor standing in a tiny space behind a low wooden desk. The elderly lady appeared deeply engrossed as she leaned over a weathered old book, her plain grey attire and coiled grey hair suggesting she¡¯d woken up this morning and forgotten the concept of colors. The face adorned with wrinkles only added to the effect.


    ¡°Why, hello there,¡± Rosa greeted as she approached.


    The lady raised her eyes from the book, fixing her gaze on Rosa. ¡°What¡¯s your business here?¡±


    Rosa glanced over at the items on the nearby shelves in line with her head, pretending to examine them with great interest. ¡°Well, that really depends,¡± she said slowly, extending a finger to trace the dusty surface of a vial that contained what she was going to pretend was a floating crow¡¯s eye in it. ¡°With any luck, I¡¯m here to purchase some of these very intriguing baubles that grace this fine establishment of yours. Let¡¯s hope for that, shall we?¡±


    The store proprietor cast her a prolonged scrutinizing look, and Rosa responded with a tilt of her head and a disarming smile. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have any oracle wax, would you?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression twisted into a frown, and she studied Rosa for a few extra seconds. ¡°Oracle wax, you say?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, those were the very words that escaped my lips. Minus the odd inflection, mind you.¡±


    The old lady closed her book and pushed it to the side, leaning down to a lower shelf near her and supporting herself with a hand on the counter. She retrieved a box, placed it on the counter before Rosa, and opened it to reveal a lump of turquoise blue resin. An aromatic sweetness filled the air, cutting through the other heavy scents in the store.


    ¡°Is this what you want?¡± the woman asked.


    Rosa inspected it for a moment. ¡°If that¡¯s oracle wax, then yes.¡±


    A snort left the woman. ¡°So you aren¡¯t here for this.¡±


    She shut the box¡¯s lid with a deliberate motion, sliding it to the side, leaving Rosa wondering. The old lady redirected her attention to Rosa and extended a wrinkled hand with weathered, sun-kissed skin.


    Rosa looked down at the offered hand.


    ¡°The payment,¡± the woman stated.


    Rosa blinked. Typically, payment came after a transaction had been agreed upon.


    Despite that, she withdrew the pouch Scarlett had given her and pulled out a few gold coins. ¡°How much?¡± she asked, beginning to count them in her palm.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about solars.¡±


    Rosa glanced up at the woman. ¡°I¡¯m flattered, but I think I¡¯d prefer to stick to coins.¡±


    The old lady''s cheeks twitched. ¡°Girl, what are you prattling about? Either you present me a token, or you leave.¡±


    Token?


    Rosa leveled a quizzical gaze at the woman, unsure about her meaning. What kind of establishment didn¡¯t accept solars¡ª


    Her hand halted in the midst of counting the coins as a realization dawned. She offered a sheepish smile as she started returning the coins to the pouch. ¡°Sorry about that. Of course, you meant the token. Silly me!¡±


    She reached into her pocket, where she kept an item that she had been instructed to hold on to a while back. With a flourish, she produced a single hefty silver coin, holding it out to the woman. Engraved on its face was a talon clutching a bleeding heart, with barely discernible small indentations at the bottom.


    The proprietor examined the coin for a moment, accepting it from Rosa¡¯s hand and running a thumb over the inconspicuous indentation at the base. She then looked up at Rosa, studying her intently. Finally, she nodded, slipping the coin into her clothing and stepping out from behind the desk. She approached a door at the rear of the establishment, holding it open and glancing back at Rosa.


    ¡°Step inside,¡± she said.


    Rosa hid her confusion as she examined the open passage leading into a poorly lit hallway. ¡°Why, if I might ask?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a client, aren¡¯t you? Then come with me to the back. I don¡¯t handle Talonborn business here.¡±


    Rosa swallowed.


    What in the world had Scarlett roped her into?

 Chapter 172 - A bards haunt

    Agrona Colby scrutinized the brown-haired woman standing in her store, studying the girl¡¯s expression closely.


    She had a feeling that this one would prove to be an exasperating client to deal with. Her instincts had been honed in such matters over six decades, so she didn¡¯t doubt that assessment. If only she¡¯d had more gold saved up, she might have already shown this girl the door. But ignoring work arranged by the Talonborn Circle was a luxury she couldn¡¯t afford.


    When the young woman remained unmoving, Agrona sighed and took it upon herself to lead the way through the entrance at the back of her establishment. ¡°Follow me,¡± she said, not bothering to hide the distinct tone of displeasure in her voice.


    A moment later, she heard the creaking of old floorboards as her client finally decided to follow suit.


    ¡°So, what are you here for?¡± Agrona asked, briefly glancing over her shoulder at the woman. ¡°Do you want to curse someone? Enchant some fetching young man? You young lasses always fixate on the most pointless of things.¡±


    Oh, sure, it was far from common for such frivolous requests to be brought to the Talonborn Circle, but Agrona had seen it before. Young noblewomen, especially, had a knack for entertaining the strangest of notions if they heard about the Circle.


    At first glance, this lass didn¡¯t appear to be a noblewoman, at least, but she also didn¡¯t seem entirely certain what she was doing here. Agrona had verified that the Talonborn token had indeed been issued for this girl; however, that didn¡¯t entirely rule out the possibility of someone else sending her here. There were many who preferred to keep their affiliations with the Circle secret.


    The young woman¡¯s inquisitive gaze trailed Agrona as they continued down the cramped hallway. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll admit that does sound intriguing. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Then what is your business with the Talonborn Circle?¡±


    ¡°Funny question, that. I was actually wondering the same.¡±


    Agrona pushed past a well-worn, heavy curtain, ushering the girl into the back room. The walls here were adorned with aged tapestries, bearing faded sigils and motifs that Agrona hadn¡¯t bothered to restore. In one corner stood a sizeable coffer, while the center of the room featured a sturdy oak table, flanked by two chairs on each side. A rickety wooden ladder leaned against one of the walls, leading to the attic where Agrona stored the rest of her inventory.


    A small scoff escaped her lips as she stopped near the room¡¯s entrance, turning to her client. ¡°So, you don¡¯t even know why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Whoever sent the lass could at least have bothered telling her something. This wasn¡¯t a nursery.


    The young woman responded with a small smile. ¡°I thought I was here for oracle wax, and that would have been enough for me. But you seemed so enthusiastic about all this ¡®talon¡¯ business, so I just followed your lead. I must say, though, I love the whole ¡®secret coven¡¯ ambiance you¡¯ve got going here.¡±


    Agrona raised the Talonborn token the woman had brought. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    ¡°A very expensive but terrible paperweight.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t.¡± She shook her head. ¡°How did you get this, hmm?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it just sort of happened,¡± the young woman said, casually brushing aside a curled lock of hair. ¡°Someone offered to sell it to me for five thousand solars, and I couldn¡¯t resist. I figured there just had to be something special about it if it cost that much. You know how it is.¡±


    Agrona narrowed her eyes. ¡°Offered?¡±


    The circle didn¡¯t simply offer tokens to any random passersby.


    She looked down at the token again, inspecting it closely. The inscribed signature at the bottom confirmed that it was genuine and the woman¡¯s identity as the client. ¡°And I take it I¡¯m supposed to believe you coincidentally stumbled upon my store as well, hmm? Should this old crone consider this her lucky day?¡±


    ¡°I try to view every day as one of my lucky days, so maybe some of that rubbed off on you.¡± The other woman smirked as her gaze scanned across the room. ¡°The truth is that I did only want to get some oracle wax for a friend of mine. You were the one who brought up all this talon stuff.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. And who is this friend?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    Agrona fell silent, watching the girl¡¯s face for a few seconds. Then she turned around and stepped deeper into the room. It wasn¡¯t her business to pry into her clients¡¯ affairs.


    She crossed over to the table at the center of the room, resting her weight on it as she slowly took a seat on one of the chairs. Her back protested, but it always did that nowadays. She gestured for her client to take the seat opposite hers.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here,¡± she said. ¡°Then I suggest you put that clever head of yours to work and figure out something you want. I¡¯m not some swindler who accepts payment for doing nothing.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes continued moving across the room, lingering on the walls for a while before returning to Agrona. ¡°There are lots of things I want, but I don¡¯t really know what you can offer.¡±


    Agrona felt tempted to let out another sigh. ¡°Demonology, ¡®occult¡¯ rituals, enchantments, curses ¡ª the Circle possesses knowledge and expertise in these areas and more. If you¡¯re here, it¡¯s evident you need assistance in matters related to these.¡±


    Her client¡¯s attention seemed drawn to the wall again, and a tiny frown creased her brow. Agrona followed her gaze, but nothing unusual caught her eye.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know about that,¡± the woman replied slowly, looking back at Agrona as she took the seat across from her. ¡°I bet if you asked most people, they¡¯d say I ended up here purely by chance. Lots and lots of it. Serendipity, if you will.¡±


    ¡°Whether it was luck or not doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Agrona said. ¡°You¡¯ve already paid, and you¡¯re now my client. If there is something, anything, you want help with that I can assist with, then I will.¡±


    The brown-haired lass rested an elbow on the table, remaining quiet for several seconds. She seemed to be contemplating something, and her earlier breezy demeanor seemed to fade. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re telling me you know a lot about strange things?¡±


    ¡°Strange things?¡± Agrona scoffed. ¡°If that is what you want to call it, then fine. The answer is yes. Understand, girl, that I have been dealing with ¡®strange things¡¯ since before you were in nappies.¡±


    The woman stayed silent for a few moments longer before speaking again. ¡°Then there is something I want to know.¡±


    Agrona gestured with her hand. ¡°Go on. Don¡¯t dawdle.¡±


    Her client paused, then finally seemed to come to a decision. ¡°¡­There is something wrong with me. There has been ever since I was young. I¡­see things, and there is¡­something haunting me.¡±


    ¡°Bagh, is that all?¡± Agrona asked. ¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t heard before, then. Sounds like a hauntgeist of some kind, or a nightshade if you¡¯re unlucky. How did it begin? Did you encounter anything unusual before it did?¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know.¡± The woman pressed her lips together. ¡°I can barely remember anything from that time. Only¡­¡±


    For some reason, she stopped talking, staring straight ahead with wide eyes.


    Agrona scowled. ¡°Yes?¡±


    The woman blinked, as if a momentary haze disappeared from her eyes, and she returned her focus to Agrona. ¡°What? Sorry¡­ It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s unlikely that it can do anything while you¡¯re awake. Pay it no mind. Continue.¡±


    The woman shook her head, and her cheerful demeanor from earlier resurfaced with a smile. ¡°Can¡¯t say it seems thrilled about me being here, I¡¯ll tell you that. Anyway, sorry to say that I don¡¯t know if I ran into anything in particular before this thing decided to latch itself on to me. No clue even about what it is. There¡¯s not much I can tell you, but I would be more than happy to hear whatever you might know.¡±


    Agrona rose from her chair and turned around, walking over to the coffer nestled in the corner. ¡°What I know could fill volumes, lass, but there¡¯s no sense in me wasting time spilling it all until we have a clear grasp of what we¡¯re dealing with exactly here. That¡¯ll be our first order of business.¡±


    She grimaced as she bent over, unlocking the coffer to unveil its tightly packed contents. Rummaging through it for a moment, she retrieved a few dark red candles and a gilded candelabra.


    ¡°¡­Is there a chance that you can remove it?¡± a soft voice asked from behind her.


    Agrona¡¯s lips curved upward slightly. It seemed like the girl had lived a harsh life.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises, but it¡¯s certainly a possibility.¡±


    Turning back around, she carried the candles and candelabra over to the table, setting them down carefully. The candles were arranged in a circular pattern, and she produced a piece of white chalk to inscribe a sigil in the oak wood between them.


    ¡°Is that some sort of spell?¡± her client asked.


    ¡°Hmph. If by ¡®spell¡¯ you mean the kind thrown around by the mages around these parts, then no. This is an age-old ritual. It forges a connection with the spirits of the beyond, and they¡¯re far more likely to bestow any usable knowledge on you than any priest or wizard.¡±


    Once she was finished drawing the sigil, Agrona positioned the candelabra at its center and ignited the candles with what rudimentary spells she did know. Mages were often so full of themselves, but the occasional blaze spell could be useful.


    As she sat back down in her seat, she noticed that the youngling¡¯s expression had taken another peculiar turn. The girl cast furtive glances around the room, as if searching for something.


    Agrona snapped a gnarled finger beside her ear. ¡°Pay attention, lass. I¡¯m right here. Focus on me.¡±


    The woman blinked, and soon her gaze returned to Agrona. She let out an awkward laugh. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re making it feel lonely. It¡¯s getting a bit cramped in here.¡±


    Agrona studied her for a moment. It was strange that whatever entity had attached itself to the girl was exhibiting such aggression while she was fully conscious. Moreover, it seemed to have grown worse since they entered this room. Clearly, it possessed an understanding of what was happening, which was curious enough. But what was it up to?


    Well, she would have her answers soon. Pushing those thoughts aside, Agrona took a deep breath. ¡°Place your hands on this,¡± she instructed, pointing to the arms of the gilded candelabra.


    Her client complied, and Agrona reached over to cover the girl¡¯s hands with her own.


    ¡°Now, concentrate. I will begin,¡± she said in a commanding tone before clearing her throat. Her gaze locked onto the young woman¡¯s violet eyes. ¡°Through the shadows of twilight¡¯s embrace, I call forth thee. From the abyss of time, I beckon your presence.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression grew anxious as the words began to touch upon the fabric of the world, but Agrona could feel that it was working as expected.


    ¡°Hear my voice,¡± she continued. ¡°Resonate through the veils of existence. Illuminate that which is hidden and reveal the nature that dwells within.¡±


    From her extensive experience, Agrona detected how the ritual subtly encouraged the barriers separating the various layers of existence around them to grow less defined. More permeable. She could begin to sense something within the woman.


    Suddenly, her client¡¯s eyes widened, a hint of darkness encroaching upon them, and she tried retracting her hands from beneath Agrona¡¯s grip.


    ¡°W-We need to stop. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s coming too close.¡±


    Agrona firmly pressed down with a strength that she was sure would surprise most. It would be foolish to interrupt things now. The ritual itself posed no danger. It would simply allow her to perceive that which was not visible to the naked eye. It wouldn¡¯t conjure any entities into their presence, no matter how powerful they were.


    ¡°Grant me the knowledge to perceive the unseen, to fathom the dark presence entwining the being. Let the essence be laid bare, that a path can be laid before us.¡±


    With those closing words, the ritual concluded, and Agrona peered deep into the woman¡¯s eyes, delving into the lurking presence within.


    Her heart seemed to stop as she drew in a sharp breath.


    There was nothing but darkness there. A pure, unadulterated void. And it stared right back at her.


    It was as if a vice tightened around her throat, an oppressive weight bearing down on her from above. Her wide-eyed gaze remained locked on this entity, this abyss that grinned at her, and for a moment, she was certain that she could feel the young woman¡¯s fear.


    In an instant, the aged tapestries adorning the walls twisted and contorted, unfurling inside out, birthing an undulating sea of writhing maggots. A symphony of grotesque, squelching noises echoed through the room. The furnishings distorted and morphed, her chair sprouting gnarled limbs and jagged teeth from its arms, while the table¡¯s sides elongated, the wood¡¯s surface warping into deformed, sneering faces that sneered and leered with wicked glee.


    The room itself seemed to warp and convulse, its dimensions stretching and twisting like a nightmare. The ceiling curled downward, oozing a malevolent, vile substance, while the floor beneath their feet transformed into a wriggling mass of slimy tendrils, lashing out with sinister intent.


    Agrona¡¯s shriek rang out as she recoiled from the horrifying sights. From the woman who sat at their center. The ritual ended, and she felt the connection to the beyond dissipate.


    But the terrors persisted.


    ¡°A-Away!! Away! Away with you!¡± she cried, desperately trying to break free from the debased abomination she now occupied. The young woman before her said something, but her words were drowned out by the cacophony of squirming sounds.


    ¡°N-No, no!¡± A tentacle snaked around Agrona¡¯s ankle as she managed to escape from her chair, its slimy texture slithering up her leg and making contact with the exposed skin beneath her robes. It felt frigid and disgusting, sending shivers of revulsion through her.


    She stumbled backward, landing on her backside and colliding with the wall. Hundreds of tiny, crawling sensations pressed into her back, draining the color from her face.


    Something seized her hands. Panic surged as she attempted to tear herself free, only to realize it was her client. Kneeling before her, the woman bore a sweaty, pained expression, leaning closer, her mouth shaping words.


    ¡°¡ªts not real. Ignore it! Focus on me, please!¡±


    Agrona froze as she inadvertently locked eyes with the woman once more. The terrible, terrible darkness still lurked within them. Laughing at her. Smirking at her insignificance.


    She pushed away with her arms, and the woman tumbled back, colliding with the overturned chair. ¡°No, no! I don¡¯t want anything to do with you! Leave! Please, leave!¡±


    Clasping her hands to her head and shutting her eyes, breath strained, Agrona tried to block out the horrors around her, wishing they would all vanish. This wasn¡¯t something she could handle. This wasn¡¯t something anyone could handle. It was too much. Too much!


    Her hands were grabbed hold of and pried away from her face. She looked to see the woman kneeling beside her once more, gritting her teeth as small traces of blood smeared her fingers. ¡°Please, tell me. Did you see something? Anything?¡± the woman asked, almost begging.


    Agrona shook her head vehemently. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t want to know!¡± She wrested one of her hands free, retrieving the Talonblood token from her breast pocket and thrusting it into the woman¡¯s palm. ¡°Here! Take this and go! I can¡¯t help you! I won¡¯t! Away!¡±


    She tensed as the floor beneath her shifted, and another tentacle snaked around her right leg. It also felt as if something had descended into her robes by her neck. Yet she couldn¡¯t shake herself loose, as if all the strength had left her body.


    The other woman didn¡¯t budge, despite Agrona¡¯s feeble attempts to push her away. ¡°Please. You saw something. Tell me. I¡¯ll take anything.¡±


    ¡°I said I can¡¯t help you! This is your fault! Leave!¡±


    Foolish girl! She had no idea what she was harboring, and now she was bringing its malevolence onto everyone else!


    Her client¡¯s expression froze, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°¡­I know¡­¡± she murmured, the words barely reaching Agrona over all the noise. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­please¡­ Tell me. I don¡¯t want this anymore.¡±


    Agrona screamed anew as she felt something crawl down her spine.


    ¡°Malachi! Seek out Malachi!¡± she cried. ¡°You can find them in Crowcairn, outside the city! They might know more!¡±


    She didn¡¯t care what the girl did, only that she left and took these nightmares with her.


    The brown-haired woman drew even nearer, her face inches to Agrona¡¯s. Agrona shied away from those desperate yet terrifying eyes. ¡°Malachi? Who¡¯s Malachi?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re someone who might possess more knowledge about this,¡± Agrona forced out. ¡°But she is dangerous, so approach her at your own peril. Just don¡¯t involve me in any of it. Now, please leave!¡±


    The woman hesitated, but eventually, she moved back and stood, turning her back away as she made to exit the room. Agrona¡¯s eyes remained locked on her retreating form until it disappeared entirely. At that point, she couldn¡¯t suppress some of the sobs that escaped her throat. The harrowing visions that had been so close slowly started fading, but their memory still remained, etched into her mind. And those dark, dark eyes.


    Clutching her knees, Agrona regretted ever letting this client into her home, and admonished her own weakness.


    But above all else, she pitied the girl who had that thing living inside her, and the fate that awaited her.

 Chapter 173 - Safeguards

    Scarlett sat in the foyer of the lodgings provided for her and her group at the Golden Griffin Inn, sipping tea from a cup that one of the employees had brought. Their accommodations took up an entire section of the inn, comprising six rooms, a small gathering area, a dining hall, and this small foyer.


    The establishment catered exclusively to nobles and other affluent individuals, giving Scarlett the impression of a high-class hotel rather than a typical ¡®inn¡¯. She imagined this was the closest thing to staying at a five-star lodging in this world, except perhaps for places like the Dawnlight Palace in Elystead and Grovefort Castle in Windgrove.


    On the table before her lay a book about the tenets and histories of the original ten deacons who had made up the Followers of Ittar¡¯s Quorum during the early days of the empire. As she awaited the return of the others, she leisurely perused its pages while savoring her drink.


    Fynn had been waiting with her earlier, but he wasn¡¯t one to sit idly by when there wasn¡¯t a specific job to fulfill. At the moment, he had retired to his quarters, where Scarlett presumed he was occupied with his meditation and communing with the ancestors of his tribe.


    A knock sounded from the foyer¡¯s entrance as an employee opened the door and peered inside. ¡°How are you, my Lady? Is everything to your satisfaction?¡±


    Scarlett glanced up from her book at the man. ¡°Yes, for now. I will notify you if that changes.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. We are at your disposal if there is anything that you need.¡± The man slightly lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯ve come to inform you, as you requested, that your companions appear to have returned. A party of three, two women and a man, is currently being led here as we speak.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    With that, the man performed a small bow as he left, gently closing the door behind him.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered on the doors even after he disappeared. Eventually, she rose from her seat, returned the book to her [Pouch of Holding], and walked down the hallway connecting to the foyer until she reached the quarters that had been prepared for her.


    Inside was a beautifully furnished room with a long bed against one wall and a pair of large windows overlooking what must have been a charming garden during warmer seasons. In one corner stood a round hickory table with two chairs. Moving over to it, she sat down and rested an arm against the table, tapping her finger on the wood.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what to expect now that she had sent Rosa off to handle this alone. In the game, you were supposed to be with her, and Scarlett would have preferred that. But she was already pushing the limits of what her pact with Anguish allowed by giving Rosa tasks that involved interacting with important quest points. Anything beyond this, and she wasn¡¯t sure what would happen.


    Perhaps if she could convince Rosa to get help from Allyssa or any of the others, things would be easier from here. But the woman might be just as likely to push them away as agree to that, which made matters difficult.


    Nevertheless, the primary goal was to make progress in dealing with Rosa¡¯s demon problem. Anguish would be furious¡ªan incensed Vile wasn¡¯t something anyone wanted on their hands¡ªbut for now, the demon was at least somewhat restrained. On several fronts, really. There was her pact with Scarlett, Beldon¡¯s investigations into Count Soames if those went anywhere, and the other Viles encroaching on Anguish¡¯s territory while trying to learn more about the potential incarnate.


    The pact between Scarlett and Anguish would last for at least a little while longer. She didn¡¯t know how long, but she was hoping for at least a month or two. Even a few weeks would be enough. While she had been somewhat concerned earlier about signs of Anguish taking control of Rosa soon, things had appeared relatively calm these last few days. Presumably, The Gentleman spreading the news of Rosa¡¯s existence played a part in that when it sicced most of the Blazes at Anguish.


    Scarlett had even inquired with Fynn just to be sure, but he hadn¡¯t detected much of a demonic presence emanating from the bard lately. That gave Scarlett hope that things might actually go relatively smoothly. Of course, she wasn¡¯t expecting everything to go off without a hitch, but it would be a welcome change.


    As she waited by herself in the room, she eventually heard three sets of footsteps in the hallway, along with faint voices. Soon, two doors opened and closed, and then there was only one set of steps left, approaching Scarlett¡¯s room. She concealed her left hand beneath her right.


    The door opened, and Rosa entered the room.


    The first thing Scarlett noticed was how tired the woman looked. It wasn¡¯t the fatigue of an afternoon spent running errands around the city; it was more akin to someone who had just attended a funeral. Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but wonder what excuse Rosa had given to Allyssa and Shin for her disheveled state.


    Rosa quietly closed the door behind her and crossed the room. Scarlett¡¯s gaze followed her as she stopped next to the table beside her and sat down in the only other seat, staring off into the room.


    Almost a full minute of silence followed.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Scarlett eventually asked, studying the silhouette of the woman¡¯s face. Rosa¡¯s curled hair draped over her shoulders, partially obscuring her cheeks, so Scarlett could only see the edges of her mouth and the tip of her nose from this angle.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Rosa blew back a lock of brown hair, turning to look at Scarlett from a pair of dark eye sockets ¡ª darker and deeper set than they had been that morning. Perhaps others wouldn¡¯t have noticed, but Scarlett always paid close attention to the bard and any signs of possession.


    The woman seemed to be restraining herself from her usual cheerful smile. ¡°Look at me. Really look at me. What do you see?¡±


    Scarlett observed her for several seconds. ¡°¡­You appear weary.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Exactly.¡± Rosa met her gaze, then opened her mouth to continue, but stopped. She closed her eyes and took a breath before exhaling slowly. When she opened them again, there was a bit more composure in her gaze. ¡°We can¡¯t talk about it¡­can we? I can¡¯t even tell you what happened, what I saw? Am I wrong? Am I?¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet for a while before finally shaking her head. ¡°Even what we are doing now is unsound. But I did not think I could simply leave you be this time.¡±


    It was a question of what qualified as interfering with Anguish or the Vile¡¯s connection to Rosa. If there was one thing Scarlett had learned since she struck this deal, it was that demonic pacts like theirs allowed for some interpretation. There was more leeway than she had initially thought. But she could sense that her actions this day had been balancing on the edge. The seal on her left hand had reminded her of its presence more than once.


    ¡°¡­Could you stop me?¡± Rosa asked. ¡°Really stop me? If it came to it? If I lose control and there¡¯s no other choice?¡±


    Scarlett remained silent. That wasn¡¯t a question she could answer in their current situation.


    The woman chuckled. ¡°Yeah, thought as much. It¡¯s not every day one can expect one¡¯s boss to tell you whether they can put you down in a pinch or not.¡±


    Scarlett frowned, but before she could respond, Rosa heaved a long sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this has been a terrible day or a great one. It dredged up enough memories to bury a city block or two, but at the same time¡­ This might be the first time in my life where I actually have something real to go off of.¡± The bard¡¯s violet eyes locked onto Scarlett. ¡°I bet you don¡¯t understand exactly what that means to me.¡±


    ¡°I believe I do,¡± Scarlett said.


    Rosa let out another light chuckle, shaking her head lightly. ¡°No, I really don¡¯t think you do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, if it is a positive development, then I am happy for you, nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Wish I could be as well. But truth be told, I¡¯m still about as confused as a headless chicken in a coop of scrambled cockatrices.¡± Rosa leaned back in her chair and gazed up at the ceiling.


    Both of them sat there in silence for a while longer.


    ¡°You know, I met this old lady today,¡± Rosa finally continued. ¡°Had a bit of a chit-chat with her, and...I don¡¯t think I treated her well. Mind you, she was about as prickly as a thornbush and as grumpy as a senile cat, but at least she tried to help me. She told me about someone.¡±


    Scarlett kept her eyes on the woman as she listened. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    She had a rough idea of how that encounter might have gone. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if the old lady never wanted to see Rosa again. Still, Scarlett hoped that the bard had gained some useful information.


    ¡°Do you know where Crowcairn is?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett suppressed the small smile that threatened to appear. ¡°Crowcairn? I cannot say that I have heard of it before, no. Perhaps you can locate it on one of the maps that I asked you to procure?¡±


    Rosa paused, turning to look directly at her. Scarlett maintained a neutral expression, even as the woman¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°Oh, yes. Indubitably. What a stroke of serendipitous luck that I just so happened to buy that today.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Simply ensure that you return it to me once you are finished. I have need of it, after all.¡±


    Rosa brought up one of her hands in front of her face and inspected it casually, huffing on her fingernails before buffing them on her tunic with a smirk. ¡°Why, of course.¡± She shifted her attention back to Scarlett, studying her for a while, and her smirk gradually faded into only a small smile as she then looked across the room with a distant gaze. ¡°¡­We were planning to stay here for a while this time, weren¡¯t we?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°One week, at the very least.¡±


    She was expecting it to take at minimum a few days before the Followers got back regarding the whole Sunfire Shrine matter, and if they didn''t, she would need some extra time to find an alternate way in. Additionally, there were several dungeons she planned to look up during their time here.


    Although all of that took a backseat to Rosa¡¯s business here in Bridgespell.


    For this reason, she had ensured they had multiple options for when they would return to Freybrook. One week was longer than they had spent anywhere other than Freybrook or Elystead, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if it passed by faster than expected.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind if I took a day or two to visit an acquaintance of mine sometime during our stay, then?¡± Rosa asked.


    ¡°I would not, no,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°You are free to take your leave whenever you see fit.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± The bard fell silent for a moment, then she pushed herself out of her chair as she stood. ¡°Think I¡¯ll push that off for a couple of days, though. Have to prepare mentally and all that. You know how it is.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll even take more than a couple of days. A few days. Few sounds good.¡±


    ¡°If that is what you believe is best.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I know a lick about if it¡¯s for the best, but¡­¡± Rosa looked down at Scarlett, locking eyes with her. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure I can do it.¡±


    ¡°I have faith that you can,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°For all the time you spend extolling your own virtues, I personally am of the opinion that you underestimate yourself far more than you should, Rosa.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened, and she stared at Scarlett for a long, drawn-out moment. Eventually, she took a step back and turned around, barely managing to hide the smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m damn lucky that I met you, Red.¡±


    ¡°I am aware.¡±


    Rosa laughed and moved towards the exit, waving her hand over her shoulder. ¡°Just call for me if you feel lonely and want to hear a dainty little tune that¡¯ll cheer you up. Just for you, I¡¯ll make sure to be here in a jiffy.¡±


    With that, the woman left the room, leaving Scarlett by herself. She continued looking at the door for a while, lost in thought.


    Finally, she lifted her right hand and glanced down at her left, eyeing the faint imprint visible on the skin, forming a dark purple crest. She could imagine Anguish¡¯s displeasure, which would likely intensify from now on. That made her want to smile once again.


    She really wasn¡¯t beyond pettiness, it seemed.


    The fleeting satisfaction vanished a moment later, however, as she considered the risk involved for Rosa.


    She retrieved the book she had been reading earlier and flipped to the page where she had stopped, trying to shift her mind to something more productive. Excessive concern wouldn¡¯t serve her well. She was doing what she could, and that was that. She was committed to helping Rosa where she could, and the rest was up to the bard herself for the time being.


    Hopefully, it would prove enough.

 Chapter 174 - Priestly reunions

    The first four days of their stay in Bridgespell went by in a flash. Scarlett and her party spent much of the time scouring the surrounding countryside for the dungeons she knew were scattered throughout the region. Bridgespell was a place you revisited multiple times in the game, and it boasted a fair number of points of interest nearby. She could offhandedly think of at least a dozen she had cleared in the game, but unfortunately, most proved harder to find than she had hoped.


    For now, they had managed to locate four dungeons. Clearing those had been relatively effortless, at least, so she had amassed a decent amount of loot and skill points.


    [Points: 15]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)


    [Argent Pyrokinesis] (100 points) (LOCKED)


    [Superior Hydromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Hydrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Superior Mana Control] (25 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    It marked the first time in several weeks that Scarlett had earned any new skill points, and it felt good to make progress on that front again. Although she couldn¡¯t afford to upgrade any of her skills yet¡ªthe cheapest options being superior hydromancy, pyromancy, and mana control, each requiring 25 points¡ªshe expected to gather at least ten more points while in Bridgespell. That would provide her with enough to upgrade one of those skills if she wanted to.


    She was considering going for [Superior Mana Control], a skill that would undoubtedly prove valuable in her training with Arlene. However, the temptation to upgrade her hydrokinesis to [Major Hydrokinesis] was also there, even though it cost 50 points.


    Deciding her priorities regarding that would have to wait until later, though. She might opt to first refine her proficiency with hydrokinesis as a technique before upgrading it further. At present, however, she had other things to deal with.


    Currently nestled in the carriage alongside the rest of her party, they were making their way through the bustling streets of Bridgespell towards the Emberwood Ward, home to Followers of Ittar¡¯s temple. This morning, they received a message from the high priest concerning the Sunfire Shrine matter she had gone to them about.


    Rosa, seated to her left, engaged in light-hearted conversation with the others, as was her custom. There were no traces of the vulnerable woman Scarlett had seen a mere four days prior, nor any hints of the troubles that were no doubt occupying her mind. Scarlett was still waiting, anticipating the moment when Rosa would broach the subject of leaving for Crowcairn, but it had yet to arrive.


    Though it did make her ever-so-slightly concerned that the bard might ultimately ignore the matter entirely, Scarlett chose to maintain her trust for the time being.


    After all, it would be difficult to get anywhere if Rosa herself wasn¡¯t determined.


    It took them roughly half an hour to traverse through the busy city, navigating from their inn to the temple. Eventually, they arrived at the same square they had visited previously, facing the grand temple constructed from pale stone and marble, standing as a testament to the Followers¡¯ devotion.


    An acolyte, draped in red robes and donning a blank white mask, greeted them with hands pressed together in a graceful bow as they ascended the stairs to the temple¡¯s entrance. ¡°The high priest has been expecting you,¡± a man¡¯s voice emanated from behind the mask. ¡°If you would be so kind as to follow me.¡±


    With those words, the person pivoted and led Scarlett and her party past a congregation of believers and clergy members gathered around the central statue of Ittar within the temple¡¯s main chamber. They meandered through the corridors of the temple, finally reaching the door leading to the high priest¡¯s office.


    The acolyte turned to Scarlett. ¡°The high priest is waiting for you inside, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett acknowledged the man with a nod as he opened the door for her, allowing her and Rosa to enter.


    Inside, the high priest occupied his seat behind the desk positioned at the far end of the room, clad in the same elaborate vestments as last time, with his priest¡¯s mask resting on a nearby shelf. As Scarlett and Rosa arrived, he raised his gaze from a pile of papers.


    ¡°Baroness, may Ittar¡¯s light grace you. Welcome back,¡± the man greeted them, gesturing towards a pair of chairs arranged opposite him. ¡°Your patience in this matter has been greatly appreciated, as has your initiative and devotion in bringing this to our attention. I hope you have had a pleasant stay here in Bridgespell these past few days.¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Scarlett replied as she and Rosa took their seats. ¡°There has been no shortage of activities to occupy my time, most of which have proven quite fruitful.¡±


    ¡°I understand that you are a woman of many commitments, Baroness.¡± The high priest folded his hands together on the desk. ¡°In these worrying times, there is much that needs to be done, but not enough time for it all, even for those who follow in Ittar¡¯s guiding light. We can only work together whenever possible, supporting each other as fellow children of man.¡±


    ¡°Not sure everyone got the word on that one,¡± Rosa said.


    The high priest turned his attention to her, a subtle smile gracing his lips. ¡°Miss Hale, was it? No, regrettably, you are correct.¡± He gently shook his head. ¡°There are far too many within this empire who do not care for their fellows unless it directly benefits them. Unsavory as it may be, it is an immorality inherent to our very nature as a society. Ittar¡¯s teachings offer guidance on combating such moral shortcomings, but not all are receptive to these lessons. While I hold great respect for the principles upheld by other faiths, such as the Pantheon¡¯s order or the Harmonious Way, I fear that the prevailing forces conspiring in these lands now align with more malevolent groups. Ultimately, it is the common man who bears the consequences of their actions.¡±


    The man looked back at Scarlett. ¡°But our purpose here is not to dwell on these topics. I was the one to call you here today, Baroness, and I shall not waste any of your time. Let us proceed directly to the matter at hand.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    She gestured for him to continue. She was hoping this was good news.


    ¡°As I mentioned during our previous meeting, Baroness, the reclamation and restitution of relics and sacred artifacts fall under the purview of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments. I have no say to oppose their authority in that, even concerning matters within my own diocese. That is why I could not immediately give a response to your request to inspect the Sunfire Shrine last time, even if I had desired to do so.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°That is more than understandable. I am aware that the Followers of Ittar bear numerous responsibilities within the empire, and a clear delineation of jurisdictions is necessary to maintain order within your ranks.¡±


    The high priest smiled. ¡°I am glad you see it that way.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Anyhow, taking into account your request and the information you provided, I communicated what you told me to the Congregation and leveraged my position as a high priest to petition the Quorum to make a swift decision on the matter. Normally, such a request would never even be considered, but in light of your feat during the Providing Ceremony and what I have later been told about your extensive experiences and achievements in discovering other artifacts and notable historical locations, the Quorum agreed to discuss it after certain deacons expressed interest.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. She knew the Followers had been keeping an eye on her, but the extent of their surveillance remained unclear. At the very least, they seemed to be aware of her recent explorations of various ruins and the like. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder which members of the Quorum had advocated on her behalf, although she had a strong suspicion about one of them.


    ¡°They reached a decision yesterday,¡± the high priest continued. ¡°In it, it was agreed that you would be permitted access to the shrine to carry out your investigation, under the premise that no unwarranted harm is inflicted upon the shrine itself or its surroundings. Additionally, any relics or artifacts discovered must be surrendered to the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments.¡±


    ¡°I would expect nothing less. My primary interest lies in unraveling the history of that shrine and uncovering Deacon Emberwood¡¯s motivations behind its construction. As such, I have no objection to this.¡±


    She did need at least one item from there to complete Arlene¡¯s request, but it wasn¡¯t something the Followers themselves would have any use for at first glance. She believed she could persuade them to part with it if she offered enough in return.


    ¡°I believe I might have mentioned this previously, but your devotion and passion are truly commendable, Baroness,¡± the high priest said. ¡°However, there was one more condition before you could be allowed entry into the shrine.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°The Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments insisted that members of our clergy accompany you on this undertaking.¡±


    Scarlett nodded at that. She hadn¡¯t expected anything less.


    Although the Followers of Ittar was a religious institution, they themselves never based their decisions on faith alone, especially not when the Quorum was involved. She had anticipated them sending their own representatives with her from the start. If they hadn¡¯t, she could have claimed a much larger share of the loot within the shrine.


    ¡°Of course, we understand that having inexperienced individuals accompany you might hinder your efforts, just as bringing too many people could be counterproductive. Therefore, the Congregation promised to send only one of their members, who they believe will be more than enough to provide you the support needed.¡±


    Only one person?


    Scarlett supposed that was actually better for her than having a bunch of priests watching her every move. While the high priest used the word ¡®support¡¯, their main purpose would undoubtedly be to supervise her.


    ¡°He traveled here to Bridgespell with great haste after the decision was made and arrived this very morning. I sent for him as soon as I heard of your arrival, so he should be here any moment now.¡±


    Scarlett was curious about who this person was. The Followers of Ittar had a few notable names within their ranks who could go head-to-head with even some of the Cabal¡¯s members. This person probably wouldn¡¯t be anyone she was familiar with, though. While she had heard of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments in the game, she wasn¡¯t sure who their members were.


    ¡°I believe his name was Ray Abraham,¡± the high priest added.


    She paused, staring at him for a moment. ¡°Did you say Ray¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Did someone call my name?¡± a colorful voice rang out from behind as the door creaked open.


    Scarlett turned her head to see a blond man, his long hair cascading over his shoulders and dressed in an immaculate set of white robes adorned with blue-red accents, entering the room. His teeth showed in a brilliant smile as he met her gaze. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Baroness Hartford, my dear old comrade! When I first learned of this little assignment, I wondered if I hadn¡¯t misheard your name, for there to be such a stroke of fate. I¡¯m pleased to see I wasn¡¯t mistaken. A delight, as always, to see you.¡±


    Scarlett kept her eyes trained on the man.


    Raimond Abram was exactly as she remembered him.


    ¡°No flowery compliments for me, then?¡± Rosa asked beside her, having turned around in her chair to rest an arm against the chair¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m hurt.¡±


    The man¡¯s smile only widened as he shifted his attention to the bard. ¡°Why, there most certainly is, Miss Hale. Long have the days been since I last saw you, and though it was but a brief meeting, I can still vividly recall our delightful conversation as if it happened yesterday. I am surely blessed by Ittar to have the opportunity to meet both of you fair women again today.¡±


    ¡°You are already familiar with each other?¡± The high priest sounded slightly surprised from his seat behind his desk.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered on Raimond for a moment longer before returning to the high priest. ¡°We are, yes. We share a close acquaintance and have crossed paths on a few occasions in the past. I was not, however, aware that Father Abraham was a member of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments.¡±


    While Raimond often traveled around in his guise as ¡®Ray Abraham¡¯, the man was still a deacon and a member of one of the Followers¡¯ highest decision-making bodies. Assigning him to a relatively minor task like this seemed strange. If anything, he was overqualified.


    ¡°You wound me, Baroness,¡± Raimond said, coming to a halt next to a bookshelf in line with the high priest¡¯s desk. ¡°Are we still but mere acquaintances? By now, I would hope that we have developed a certain rapport between us, no? Perhaps even a budding friendship, if you will?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t do friendships,¡± Rosa cut in. ¡°At best, she tolerates your presence around her now and then while offering the occasional scowl. I like to think it¡¯s her way of showing affection.¡±


    Raimond chuckled. ¡°Well, I suppose I could live with that as well. There is a certain allure behind having a woman such as the Baroness glowering at you.¡±


    Scarlett looked between the two of them. ¡°¡­Good to see that you both are getting along.¡±


    The high priest cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem, this might make matters even easier. Reverend Abraham here has been granted the authority by the Congregation to investigate the Sunfire Shrine alongside you, Baroness. Reverend Stanway, the Shrine Custodian, will assist you with any requests you might have when you arrive. You may depart at your own convenience.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your assistance and cooperation in this matter, Your Excellency, and for providing me with this opportunity,¡± Scarlett said.


    The man simply smiled. ¡°During my time in this seat, this is the first chance we have had to discover more about the history related to the original deacons from the time of the Renascence and founding of the empire. It also presents the possibility of recovering priceless relics. I am quite excited at the prospect myself, and with Reverend Abraham''s help, I am confident everything will proceed smoothly. I wish you all the best. May Ittar¡¯s light illuminate your path.¡±


    ¡°May it indeed,¡± Raimond agreed with a nod.


    Scarlett glanced at the man. She wondered how this partnership would unfold.

 Chapter 175 - Heated shrine visits

    The carriage traveled through Bridgespell¡¯s gates and continued its journey down the well-worn cobblestone roads, leaving the bustling city behind and venturing into the comparatively tranquil embrace of the surrounding countryside. Scarlett peered out of the window, tracing the extensive fields stretching towards the western horizon. Fences and meandering dirt lanes partitioned much of the land into distinct parcels, though it all essentially blended into one at this distance.


    She imagined the fields teemed with life during the warmer seasons, when farmers and the like toiled away to work the harvest. But now, the landscape wore a different coat, with thin vegetation and an almost palpable stillness to the view.


    ¡°Thus, I bid adieu to Bridgespell on the very day I set foot on her captivating streets,¡± Raimond mused from his seat at the opposite end of the cabin, his eyes fixed on the metropolis, gradually growing further and further away. ¡°Delightful city, really, but I¡¯m grateful my travels don¡¯t bring me here too often. One can¡¯t help but feel suffocated amidst the teeming crowds and constant flurry of motion.¡±


    Allyssa chuckled, glancing over at the priest. ¡°That¡¯s almost exactly what Rosa said when we first got here.¡±


    Raimond cast a look between the girl and Rosa, wriggling his eyebrows. ¡°Well, it appears that the adage ¡®great minds think alike¡¯ holds true.¡±


    ¡°Hear that?¡± Rosa nudged Scarlett playfully in the side, a spark of amusement dancing in her eyes. ¡°A priest has declared my mind ¡®great¡¯. It¡¯s official now, sanctified by the divine fellow up high. Bet you feel pretty lucky to have snagged me as your personal minstrel now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett briefly looked at the woman before returning her attention to the passing scenery outside. ¡°Indeed, is there anyone as fortunate as I?¡± she spoke dryly.


    Following their meeting with Raimond at the Followers¡¯ temple, their party had set out for the Sunfire Shrine after some brief introductions. Raimond didn¡¯t have any carriage of his own, so, of course, he had joined them in theirs. A fact that Rosa probably enjoyed the most, judging from how well the two seemed to connect.


    ¡°There almost definitely is not,¡± the bard¡¯s voice sounded out in response to Scarlett¡¯s statement.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that sarcasm?¡± Fynn asked.


    ¡°Almost definitely not,¡± Rosa said. Immediately following that, Scarlett heard shuffling, and glancing to her left, she saw that Rosa had used one hand to cover Fynn¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that was a lie.¡±


    Fynn wordlessly looked at the woman for a prolonged moment until Rosa finally released her grip. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to,¡± he finally replied.


    Rosa seemed to narrow her eyes, then looked towards Allyssa and Shin, seated across from her. ¡°Which one of you taught our sweet, uncorrupt boy to lie without even an ounce of shame?¡±


    Allyssa held up both hands in the air defensively. ¡°I¡¯m innocent. I mean, I¡¯ve tried, but that¡¯s like trying to teach a fish to waltz.¡±


    Shin just shook his head, seemingly opting for stoic silence.


    Rosa¡¯s scrutinizing stare shifted to Raimond. The priest placed a hand over his heart at the unspoken accusation. ¡°It would be rather impressive if I had managed such a feat in the short time I¡¯ve known him, wouldn¡¯t it? But I am afraid not. Still, I¡¯m flattered to be included in your suspicions.¡±


    ¡°That leaves only one possibility.¡± The bard turned to Scarlett with an exaggerated expression of horror and disbelief, leaning over to cup Fynn¡¯s chin between her fingers. ¡°What have you done to corrupt this pure boy? Is there no end to your villainy?¡±


    Scarlett gave her a long look. ¡°¡­Have you considered that he might not be lying?¡±


    Rosa shook her head, her voice filled with conviction. ¡°Impossible! Fynn can¡¯t help but expose even my teeniest of white lies. It¡¯s like a compulsion, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the young man in question, who sported a mildly perplexed expression. Rosa would know that Fynn often turned a blind eye to her lies¡ªprobably more frequently than Scarlett was aware¡ªbut the woman was ¡®magnanimous¡¯ enough to pretend that wasn¡¯t the case.


    If anything, Scarlett found it impressive that Fynn had developed the discernment to know when it was appropriate to call out Rosa¡¯s falsehoods and when to let them slide. It was a stark contrast to the image most people probably had of him.


    But Scarlett had no intention of calling this fact to attention at the moment. She suspected that Rosa needed this playful banter as much as anything else.


    ¡°It is curious that you would accuse me of corrupting him,¡± she said. ¡°I seem to recall you preaching that ¡®white lies¡¯ are a necessary evil on more than one occasion. One would think that to be a more plausible explanation for any changes in his behavior.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try and trick me with your ¡®logic¡¯ and ¡®reason¡¯. I know you¡¯ve been holding secret rendezvous with Fynn, coaching him in the art of deception!¡±


    Scarlett paused. That was¡­actually not too far from the truth. She had told him to exercise more caution when it came to sharing certain information. But that was unrelated.


    Rosa blinked, her eyes locking onto Scarlett. ¡°Wait, really? I was just pulling your leg, but it seems I hit the mark.¡±


    Scarlett released a small sigh. ¡°I have counseled Fynn on the matter, instructing him to be more prudent with his words and to be mindful of others¡¯ thoughts. It does not pertain to this situation, however, so let us not blow it out of proportion.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The bard finally let go of Fynn¡¯s chin, turning away from Scarlett and leaning even closer to the white-haired young man. ¡°So, what secrets has our dear Baroness been whispering in your ear lately?¡±


    Fynn shook his head firmly. ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡±


    Rosa gasped. ¡°She truly has corrupted you. Quick, Father Abraham, can¡¯t you cleanse him with your priestly invocations?!¡±


    Raimond chuckled. ¡°I am afraid that is not quite how it works, Miss Hale. While there are certain members of the clergy who possess techniques for coaxing the truth out of people, I am not practiced in such arts. And, of course, even if I were, I would never dream of employing them on someone so evidently pure-hearted as this young man.¡± He paused, tapping a finger to his chin in thought. ¡°Have you considered bribery, perhaps? Bridgespell boasts some renowned patisseries that are¡ªto use a touch of hyperbole¡ªtruly divine.¡±


    Rosa nodded earnestly. ¡°Hmm, that might just do the trick.¡±


    Scarlett looked at Raimond. ¡°Father Abraham, I would appreciate it if you refrained from aiding her in prying into my personal affairs.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be a man of the cloth? Why was bribery the first thing that came to mind for him?


    He showed an apologetic smile. ¡°Pardon me, Baroness. As a wandering priest, it has become somewhat of an ingrained habit to offer counsel when interacting with others.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze shifted towards Rosa. ¡°I suppose you are not the primary concern here.¡±


    The bard blinked. ¡°I feel like I should be offended here, but for some reason, all I feel is pride.¡±


    Scarlett felt the exasperation mounting, and she decided that the best way to proceed from here was simply to disengage. She turned back to the window, allowing the others to engage in their own discussions while she contemplated their upcoming dungeon run. Her recollection of their destination wasn¡¯t the best, but that probably wouldn¡¯t matter too much. It wasn¡¯t a particularly complex dungeon, excluding perhaps the method of getting access to it.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The Sunfire Shrine was located roughly an hour away from the city by carriage. As their journey progressed, the conversations continued among the rest of the group. Rosa and Raimond, in particular, engaged in lighthearted banter, sharing their various experiences from across the empire. Meanwhile, Allyssa appeared genuinely fascinated by Raimond¡¯s stories and the sights he had encountered as a wandering priest, which sparked a slight contest between the priest and the bard.


    Scarlett found that Raimond¡¯s tales, while somewhat bombastic, won out in the end. Listening in occasionally, there was also one point where she heard Raimond inquiring about what was apparently the burgeoning rumors of Scarlett being a dragon slayer. A ridiculous prospect, honestly, but for once, she wasn¡¯t surprised by the exaggerated gossip spreading about her. It was only a matter of time before it got out that a dead dragon had been found within her mansion, after all.


    At least Raimond seemed discerning enough to believe the others when they assured him Scarlett hadn¡¯t been the one to kill the dragon and that its presence was connected to a visit from the dean of Elystead Tower. It was the best explanation Scarlett could come up with that would make sense to people, and she had sought Godwin¡¯s approval to share it.


    By the time they reached their destination, Bridgespell and its surrounding scenery had long since disappeared from view.


    Nestled amidst several rolling hills, the Sunfire shrine was a relatively humble cluster of structures with unassuming stone exteriors and simple pillars that blended in well with the landscape at this time of year. A short, weathered cobble wall enclosed the shrine, adorned with delicate carvings depicting the sun alongside imagery of flames reaching towards the sky near the entrance.


    As they approached the gates, there was no welcoming party in sight. The coachman had to halt the carriage and personally open the aged metal gates to allow for their passage. Beyond lay a peaceful courtyard, flanked by smaller buildings, presumably accommodations for the clergy and the like. At the heart of the compound stood the Sunfire Shrine itself.


    As Scarlett and her companions disembarked from the carriage, an acolyte emerged from the shrine. Cloaked in the customary red robes and white mask of the Followers, the figure hurried towards them.


    The acolyte stopped before their group and bowed with both palms pressed together. ¡°Forgive our tardiness; we did not know when to expect you. May Ittar¡¯s light grace your path and welcome you all to the Sunfire Shrine, esteemed guests.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for the formality, brother,¡± Raimond said with a warm smile, sweeping his long hair aside as he surveyed the shrine. ¡°I don¡¯t believe either Baroness Hartford nor myself would demand such reverence from those who diligently devote themselves to their paths of reflection and self-improvement. We are the ones intruding, so please, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Indeed. You may dispense with the ceremony for the time being. If you could lead us to Shrine Custodian Stanway, we will proceed from there.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you will follow me.¡± The Acolyte turned and gestured for them to follow him.


    They walked up to the shrine¡¯s entrance, stepping through a pair of tall bronze doors into a spacious chamber. At the end of the chamber, a modest altar housed a statue of the enigmatic Ittar, cradling a flickering flame in his hands. Several pews lined the area leading to the statue, while well-worn mats lay on the ground immediately before it. A group of acolytes knelt on the mats, each donning masks and immersed in silent prayer.


    The relative simplicity of this shrine was contrasted quite a bit with the grandeur of some of the Followers¡¯ other places of worship, which Scarlett found somewhat curious. As she understood it, the Sunfire Shrine was one of a few locations in the empire where the clergy of the Followers of Ittar practiced a fusion of pyromancy and lumomancy spells, which was an unusual combination within the church.


    One might expect a sun god¡¯s worshipers to emphasize fire more, yet that wasn¡¯t the case here. Perhaps one of the reasons for that was because this region had once worshipped a fire goddess before Ittar, and the Followers had gradually pushed that legacy aside instead of assimilating it. The House of Fire in the capital had once been dedicated to that goddess, but while the name remained, its ties to her had faded into mostly obscurity.


    As Scarlett and her party followed the acolyte through the main chamber and into its connecting corridors, she noted that Raimond kept a close eye on their environment as they moved, even as the smile never left his face. Given how high his actual position within the Followers was, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was assessing the shrine¡¯s state and ensuring everything was in order.


    Eventually, the acolyte led them to what looked like a smaller training chamber. The floor tiles bore the marks of generations of use and abuse, with signs of damage scattered across the surface. At the room¡¯s center stood an older, slightly burly man in red-and-white robes, overseeing two younger men in light grey robes. The latter two appeared to be practicing some sort of spell involving cords of fire and pure light, which twined around each other in patterns that made Scarlett think of candy canes.


    None of the three wore masks, and the two younger ones¡¯ clothing was much simpler than those of the acolyte who had led them here, but perhaps that was to be expected while training with fire magic.


    Scarlett observed their spellcasting with interest as she and the others approached the trio. She didn¡¯t recognize what spell it was, nor could she see any obvious combat application in it, so she wondered whether it was perhaps some kind of spell meant for practicing composite magic.


    The older man, presumably Shrine Custodian Stanway, turned to face them. ¡°Father Beaman. Are these the guests we were expecting?¡± he asked, scanning Scarlett and her group with a deliberate gaze.


    The masked acolyte nodded. ¡°They are, Custodian. This is Baroness Hartford and¡­¡± He hesitated, turning to Raimond as if only now realizing he had never gotten his name.


    The man¡¯s smile looked demonstrably gracious. ¡°Reverend Ray Abraham. I was sent here on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments.¡±


    The Custodian¡¯s expression held a slight frown as he eyed Raimond, but he soon returned his attention to the two young men practicing their magic. ¡°Cease your training for now. We will resume it from here later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Custodian,¡± the men responded as they dismissed their spells.


    Curious, Scarlett studied both of them. ¡°If I may ask, which spell was it that you were practicing just now?¡±


    Custodian Stanway turned his gaze towards her. ¡°That was the Gleaming Scepter. It is a fundamental invocation taught to all acolytes here, preparing them for more advanced and potent invocations in the future.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°The end goal with this particular invocation is Luminous Inferno, but few ever reach that level.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett¡¯s attention lingered on the two men for another moment. She did recognize that last spell name, at least.


    Although the Followers of Ittar referred to them as invocations rather than spells¡ªand their magic often exhibited slight differences from that of mages¡ªthey were, in essence, still spells. During one of her visits to Freymeadow, Arlene had even provided Scarlett with a brief lecture on the topic.


    As for Luminous Inferno, it had been one of the most powerful pyromancy-lumomancy composite spells in the game, boasting a higher damage output than almost any other spell if you excluded primordial ones.


    ¡°You are a mage, I suppose?¡± Stanway asked in a somewhat dry tone.


    ¡°In a manner,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°While most mages might dispute the matter, and I would be inclined to agree with them, there is no doubt that I am proficient in certain types of magic. Pyromancy in particular. Hence, my interest in the demonstration just now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that does not surprise me.¡± With a wave, he signaled to the two young men he¡¯d been instructing, as well as the acolyte, to leave the room. Then, gesturing for Scarlett and the others to follow, he led them towards one of the adjoining hallways. ¡°I have been made aware of your purpose here, as well as your identities. Particularly yours, Reverend Abraham.¡±


    Stanway cast a pointed look Raimond¡¯s way, implying he wasn¡¯t particularly thrilled about the man¡¯s presence here, before refocusing his attention on Scarlett.


    ¡°I will tell you that I have presided over this shrine for three decades, overseeing the training of numerous acolytes and priests within its walls. While I don¡¯t intend to insinuate that your claims of a concealed section left behind by the venerable Deacon Emberwood are inconceivable, I am intimately familiar with these halls. I find it difficult to believe there is much here for you to uncover.¡±


    ¡°I understand your skepticism,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°However, with all due respect, I believe you are mistaken in this instance.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. And why is that? What texts or evidence have you unearthed that makes you think you can challenge the knowledge accumulated by generations of custodians who have safeguarded this shrine since its inception?¡±


    ¡°While I am not prepared to divulge the precise source of my information for the time being, I can assure you that it is reliable. I anticipate that you will soon witness its validity firsthand.¡±


    The shrine custodian¡¯s eyes narrowed as she evaded his question. He glanced at Raimond, as if wondering whether the man would let the matter rest at that, but the blond priest showed no inclination of intervening. Eventually, Stanway just let out a dull scoff as they reached an aged wooden door at the end of a hallway. He gripped the handle and applied force, swinging the door open to unveil a dimly lit stairway descending below.


    Now Raimond cleared his throat, raising his hands. ¡°If you¡¯ll allow me.¡± He clapped twice, and the entire stairway was illuminated by some unseen source.


    That was certainly more practical than Scarlett¡¯s typical approach to lighting up spaces. Maybe she should look into acquiring some sort of artifact or item with similar capabilities. Adalicia might have one she could buy, considering the wizard was experienced in lumomancy.


    Stanway shot another look at Raimond before motioning for the stairway. ¡°Then let us continue.¡±

 Chapter 176 - Hidden under your nose

    Scarlett and her party trailed Shrine Custodian Stanway down the now-illuminated stairs, venturing into the undercroft below. The descent led them into a long, dimly lit rectangular chamber hewn from stone, its walls bearing intricate carvings depicting various religious scenes. Soft, flickering candles ignited from sconces hanging from the stone¡ªScarlett noticed Stanway subtly motion with his hand before that¡ªand painted playful patterns on the cool, dark floor.


    Within the heart of the undercroft were a row of arched alcoves, each housing what appeared to be tombs adorned with thick inscriptions at their base. At the far end of the chamber stood a modest altar dedicated to Ittar, the wall beyond it covered with murals of writing. The air carried a subtle scent of incense mingling with that of undisturbed dust.


    ¡°Please observe proper reverence while in this place,¡± the shrine custodian said as he led them deeper into the room, pausing briefly in front of the central tombs. ¡°Some of our most venerated and esteemed brethren and sisters who trained at this shrine rest here, and I will not tolerate any tarnishing of their legacy during my watch.¡±


    ¡°Fear not, Reverend Stanway, for I hold nothing but the utmost respect for those at rest here.¡± Raimond¡¯s eyes seemed to scan the inscriptions on the tombs. ¡°You have my word that we harbor no intentions of disrespecting these revered figures.¡±


    With a gesture resembling a prayer, the man joined his hands and momentarily lowered his head. Scarlett eyed him for a second before doing the same. It didn¡¯t hurt to make a more favorable impression.


    Then they moved ahead, past the tombs, and approached the altar.


    As Raimond continued studying their surroundings, he spoke again. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, before this underground area became a resting place for esteemed members of our order, its original purpose was a mystery, correct?¡±


    The shrine custodian had his hands folded behind him, occasionally casting a glance at Scarlett and her party to ensure they didn¡¯t engage in any objectionable activities. ¡°Your memory serves you well, Reverend Abraham. The venerable Deacon Emberwood constructed this shrine as a place to impart his teachings on the order¡¯s young minds. However, the undercroft was not part of the initial plan, as far as we are aware. In fact, it remained concealed for the first few generations after the shrine¡¯s construction, and the deacon¡¯s writings made no mention of its existence. It was only during the fourth shrine custodian¡¯s tenure that it was discovered, and the fifth decided to make it the final resting place for devoted followers.¡±


    Scarlett glanced back at the tombs. So, those were possibly a century younger than the rest of this place?


    Considering that the original ten deacons lived before and during the founding of the empire, a period known as the ¡®Renascence¡¯ to the Followers¡ªwhen the faith of Ittar experienced a resurgence after being abandoned for generations¡ªit meant the tombs were likely a bit over two hundred years old. The empire itself was founded nearly four centuries prior, but some of the original deacons lived to a ripe old age, and Scarlett knew that Donovan Emberwood had been quite elderly when the shrine was built.


    ¡°If this undercroft was hidden for so long, who¡¯s to say there aren¡¯t more secrets beyond that?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°You seemed pretty confident we wouldn¡¯t find anything today.¡±


    Stanway turned to her, eyeing the young Shielder for a moment. ¡°Because since then, each shrine custodian has dedicated at least one year of their initial term to delve into the history of the shrine and search for any such secrets. I am no exception. It has become somewhat of a tradition, yet so far, it has yet to yield any results.¡±


    As they arrived at the altar, the man lowered his head in silent prayer. Atop the altar rested a gold reliquary, surrounded by the remnants of burnt-out wax candles. He collected the used candles and placed them in a wooden box next to the altar, then replaced them with fresh new ones. They lit up in another display of what Scarlett assumed was his application of pyrokinesis.


    Throughout this brief ritual of his, the rest of them remained silent. After finishing, Shrine Custodian Stanway gestured towards the wall ahead of them. ¡°This is what Deacon Emberwood left behind for us. Here are his teachings and learnings, intended to guide us in the art of the invocations he himself pioneered.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her gaze to the wall and the text on it. The collection of passages was considerable, etched into the cold grey stone, spanning about five meters in width. Lines upon lines of writings that no doubt offered a wealth of knowledge to those who knew how to apply it. Simply reading through it all would probably take several hours.


    Raimond stepped closer, touching a hand to the script. ¡°I have heard of the Emberwood Murals before, but this is my first opportunity to witness them in person. As they say, it is indeed a valuable treasure left behind by a magnificent man. Ah, it makes one wish that one had visited earlier.¡±


    Shin also seemed fascinated by the sight, and the young man turned to the shrine custodian. ¡°You claim the deacon left these teachings behind for you, but you also mentioned that this chamber was hidden for generations. Why would he conceal teachings if he wished others to learn from them?¡±


    Scarlett only half-attentively paid attention to the conversation as she stepped back to view the entirety of the wall at once. She pulled out her notebook and opened a blank page.


    ¡°The answer to that remains as much a mystery to us as it does to you,¡± Stanway¡¯s voice droned in the background. ¡°The writings themselves make it clear that Deacon Emberwood did intend for his disciples and future acolytes to find it, but there is no mention of its concealment. It is known from other historical accounts that he harbored a deep sense of regret during his later years due to an undisclosed event, and it is believed that he saw hiding this undercroft as part of his penance for that.¡±


    While the others continued their discussion, Scarlett furrowed her brows, her entire focus becoming absorbed by the mural before her. Seeing it in person, she could understand why none of the Followers had cracked this puzzle, despite generations of effort. It had been a lot more obvious in the game.


    She stepped back even further. Rosa and the rest of her party gave her odd looks, but she continued until she stood several meters away from them. The shrine custodian even narrowed his eyes at her, clearly perplexed by her actions.


    From this distance, Scarlett had to squint her eyes to make out what the etchings on the wall said, but that didn¡¯t matter. She wasn¡¯t aiming to decipher the text itself. The Followers had already been doing that for centuries.


    In her notebook, she hastily sketched out images according to what she saw through some precise applications of her pyrokinesis. It was both immensely satisfying and more efficient doing it in that way, since it allowed her to write with several ¡®pens¡¯ at once. When she was finished, she examined the results for a few seconds, then turned to a new page with a shake of her head.


    The focus here wasn¡¯t the text¡¯s meaning, but its arrangement. In the game, the pattern had been glaringly obvious if you stood in the right spot. However, in this world, it had presumably not been designed for the average person to solve in a matter of minutes. At least not judging from how challenging it was for Scarlett to identify the pattern right now.


    She jotted down another sketch and considered it. In this attempt, she had roughly singled out similar text segments on the wall and connected them with lines, but the result resembled nothing more than a chaotic tangle of lines and dots.


    That probably wasn¡¯t the correct shape.


    Frowning, she retreated even further and started anew on another sketch. It was a struggle to discern a pattern within the mural when all her brain wanted was to read the words inscribed there. She almost found herself wishing she¡¯d spent more time trying to solve those stereogram illusions that occasionally circulated back in her world.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Minutes passed as she persisted, sketching attempt after attempt, while the others discussed the history of this place. Scarlett strained her eyes, trying to blur her vision and see the pattern she knew had to be there. Every time she thought she saw something, she painstakingly copied it down and inspected her result to see if it made sense.


    Finally, after enough tries that her eyes were starting to ache, her efforts bore fruit. She felt like she made out what might be an intentional pattern among some of the segments, and after glancing at her sketch with the lines connecting each dot, she had something that resembled an oblong sun with streaks radiating from it.


    That had to be it.


    ¡°If you would all step back, please,¡± she announced to the others.


    Without hesitation, her companions complied, moving to the chamber¡¯s far side, away from the wall and altar. Raimond cast inquisitive glances their way, but he, too, followed suit. The shrine custodian, however, fixed his gaze intently on Scarlett.


    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± he asked, his tone grave.


    ¡°Reveal something that I suspect has been overlooked,¡± she replied calmly. ¡°Rest assured, I will not harm the mural.¡±


    Well, probably not. Stone should be able to withstand a bit of heat.


    The man continued scrutinizing her for a few more seconds, then turned to Raimond. ¡°Reverend Abraham, can you take responsibility for her words just now?¡±


    Raimond looked at Scarlett, his expression leaving little to discern. Then a smile crossed his lips. ¡°Why, I believe I can.¡±


    Although Shrine Custodian Stanway didn¡¯t seem especially satisfied with that response, he eventually stepped aside, allowing Scarlett to proceed. She gave the man an appreciative nod before raising her hand.


    In the game, you kind of had to awkwardly throw several [Fire Bolts] or similar spells at the wall for this part, but this was one of those rare occasions where it was actually easier in real life.


    A myriad of living fires manifested in front of the spots she had pinpointed on the wall, their flames gently grazing the stone.


    The shrine custodian let out an agitated cry, and Scarlett felt a tug on her magic as if something was attempting to wrest control from her. However, it proved laughably easy to push through, and she maintained the flames. Compared to when Arlene did something similar, this was a breeze.


    Stanway turned to stare at her, his mouth opening as if to yell, and that was when the areas where Scarlett had positioned her fires lit up, and the flames themselves seamlessly melded into the stone. Deep red lines emerged, connecting the areas and forming the image of a sun on the expansive mural.


    The shrine custodian froze, twisting his head to gawk at the sight. Scarlett allowed a minor smile as a small rumble reverberated through the undercroft. A moment later, the altar in front of the wall shifted, sliding to the side to reveal a narrow passage leading straight down.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Stanway stammered, and Rosa stepped over to pat him on the shoulder.


    ¡°No need for the long face, pal. I¡¯ll bet ya a few hundred solars that everyone feels this way when they first see her showing off,¡± the bard said.


    Raimond gently cleared his throat. ¡°I would like to note that this is technically my first time witnessing it as well. As a man of the vow, I can¡¯t indulge in bets, but I will gladly accept a song written in my honor. Just make sure to emphasize my stunning jawline and the lustrousness of my hair, is all that I ask.¡±


    Rosa blinked at the man, then shook her head with a chuckle. ¡°Suppose you got me there. I¡¯ll see what I can whip up.¡±


    Shrine Custodian Stanway paid little attention to those two as he turned to stare at Scarlett.


    ¡°It appears I was correct after all,¡± Scarlett said, closing the distance towards the altar. ¡°I hope you can trust me now when I say that we will exercise due caution to preserve what lies beyond here to the best of our abilities, so that you can study it when we have completed our investigation.¡±


    She paused before the opened passage that led into the darkness below. Although there was no ladder, handholds had been chiseled into the stone, allowing for a safe descent. She turned to Raimond. ¡°Father Abraham, would you do the honors?¡±


    The blond-haired man looked rather amused as he approached her, tucking away some stray locks of hair behind his ears and peering down into the hole. ¡°You have quite the number of surprises up your sleeve, Baroness. I¡¯m fortunate that I get to observe firsthand the methods employed to retrieve the Chalice of Canon.¡±


    Scarlett saw no point in mentioning that her contribution to that particular accomplishment hadn¡¯t amounted to more than instructing Fynn to run to a certain place and dig up some dirt. It wasn¡¯t exactly the most impressive of achievements.


    Raimond snapped his fingers, and the darkness within the passage dissipated, revealing a stretch that went down roughly thirty meters or so to an empty stone floor.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Shrine Custodian Stanway said. The man seemed to have finally collected himself again as he approached them. ¡°How did you do this? How did you know about this passage?¡±


    Scarlett glanced at him. ¡°I believe I have already stated that I will not disclose the source of my information. As for how I accomplished this, I simply identified the pattern concealed on that mural.¡± She motioned towards the text-covered wall. ¡°If you so wish, you can attempt to locate it as well. It should be easier now that you have observed its appearance.¡±


    The man looked over at the wall for a moment before returning his attention to Scarlett and peering down the passage before them. ¡°You intend to go down there now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was our intention from the start. Do you have any objections?¡±


    Raimond stepped over to place an encouraging hand on Stanway¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Fear not, brother. The venerable deacon¡¯s legacy will be respected for as long as I am present.¡±


    The shrine custodian still looked reluctant, but eventually, he took a step back.


    Scarlett offered him a small nod before gesturing for her party to begin their descent. Fynn led the way, followed by Shin and Allyssa. Rosa came next, and Scarlett used the [Charm of Expeditious Change] to switch from her travel dress to her usual expedition attire. This earned her a slightly surprised look from both Raimond and the shrine custodian, but she ignored it as she followed Rosa.


    A few months ago, descending this passage might have been challenging for Scarlett, but now, having actually gotten in some exercise and with various stamina buffs from her items, it was only slightly tiring on her arms.


    Eventually, she reached the bottom, and Raimond landed beside her shortly after. They found themselves in a spacious circular chamber with three pathways stretching in different directions, each marked with distinctive symbols carved into the stone above. Unlike the religious imagery in the undercroft above, these symbols resembled more the runes used by mages and wizards in the books Scarlett had read.


    ¡°Curious,¡± Raimond commented as the priest walked over to the center of the chamber, inspecting each path. ¡°It is said that Deacon Emberwood was once a mage in his youth before he started on the path of following Ittar. He even had familiarity with the first emperor at the time. But I never expected him to have left something like this behind after his passing.¡±


    Scarlett followed his gaze down the tunnels. Even with Raimond¡¯s magical illumination lighting up the space, each passage seemed to stretch indefinitely. A trick of the light, most likely. After all, many of the Followers excelled in that, among other things. Lumomancy was one of the more versatile schools of magic, and being one of the original ten deacons, Emberwood would have been a master in applying it.


    That said, Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure which passage they should explore first. It wasn¡¯t like she could remember the exact order she took in the game, and the symbols offered little information. She knew those runes were supposed to be used as shorthand among mages, but she wasn¡¯t an expert in that field. Not to mention that these particular symbols were probably outdated by a few centuries at this point.


    They would simply have to guess.


    However, this was a dungeon created by a powerful individual from a bygone era. They would have to exercise some caution. While Scarlett and her party should be roughly in the appropriate level range for this place, judging by what they¡¯d been able to clear so far, that only meant they stood a reasonable chance here; it didn¡¯t mean they could afford to take things easy.


    Although, with Raimond here, they probably wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any serious injuries. He was an even better healer than Rosa.


    Scarlett glanced over at the priest, who appeared to be studying the runes above the tunnels with one hand pressed to his chin, exchanging comments with Rosa beside him.


    That knowledge was comforting in a way, but she still felt uneasy about his presence here. Regardless of his stated reasons for joining them, he was still a deacon. Could he seriously have decided to accompany them out of mere curiosity and because of some sense of friendship? They had only met a few times before, and while he was close to Livvi, Scarlett herself wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call him a friend.


    There was a lingering concern that he might have somehow discovered her involvement in the heist at the Sanctuary of Ittar and was trying to investigate further by getting close to her, but that also seemed unlikely. Beldon Tyndall had already provided her with a pretty comprehensive report on how he had deduced her involvement in that matter, as well as the steps he had taken to prevent others from doing the same. She trusted the man¡¯s judgement on the matter.


    Nevertheless, she would have to keep a watchful eye on Raimond moving forward. She didn¡¯t want to become his enemy, if possible. There were still things she needed the Followers¡¯ help with in the future, and having connections to one of their deacons would be incredibly beneficial in that regard.


    ¡°In which direction are we starting?¡± Shin¡¯s voice broke her thoughts, and Scarlett turned away from Raimond and Rosa to look at the young man.


    Taking a moment to consider, she pointed randomly towards one of the paths. ¡°We will be starting with that one. Prepare yourself.¡±


    Shin stepped over to Allyssa, who was responsible for the [Bag of Juham] for this expedition, and pulled out his sword and shield. Allyssa pulled down her protective goggles and adjusted the bandolier over her chest as she drew her hand crossbow.


    With a thought, Scarlett equipped the rest of her gear and advanced towards the passageway she had indicated.


    It was time to clear this place.

 Chapter 177 - The common delve

    Scarlett and her companions ventured down the path she had chosen at random, their steps gradually taking them deeper into the winding tunnel. It was a peculiar experience, since when gazing ahead, the corridor seemed to stretch on infinitely, offering no discernible progress as they walked. A glance over their shoulders, however, revealed that they were indeed moving away from the central chamber.


    Magic did strange things sometimes.


    What amazed Scarlett the most was the very existence of a hidden underground place like this. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the deacon responsible for it had managed to keep its existence a secret. Excavating it the traditional way would have taken ages and an army of laborers. She supposed magic was the answer to that as well, but that raised further questions. To her knowledge, there weren¡¯t actually any dedicated construction mages or similar professions. It felt as though such roles should exist, but maybe the spells required for such a task were too advanced for it to become a thing on a larger scale. It would require manifest spells, at the very least, which wasn¡¯t something every mage could learn.


    Perhaps some of the mage towers had specialized divisions for things like that, though. She imagined there must be a decent demand for such services, particularly from groups like the imperial army. It might be worth looking into in the future, even if she personally had no immediate need for it.


    ¡°This place is starting to give me the same vibes as that haunted mansion did,¡± Allyssa said as they continued through the endless passage. ¡°All that¡¯s missing is a ghost or a creepy doll leaping out at us from the walls.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you have had some rather intriguing experiences,¡± Raimond remarked, walking near the front of the group alongside Fynn. The blond-haired priest turned to Allyssa, back facing forward momentarily. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that we don¡¯t encounter any errant spirits of the dead today, shall we? We are in a place of faith and spirituality, after all.¡±


    ¡°But it sure would add some excitement to things,¡± Rosa chimed in.


    The man chuckled. ¡°I suppose it would.¡±


    Allyssa looked around. ¡°What can we expect here, if not ghosts and the like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say,¡± Raimond replied thoughtfully. ¡°One can never be too certain with these old shrines and ossuaries left behind by those who pioneered our order. You wouldn¡¯t believe some of the things that the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments has encountered throughout its existence.¡±


    Scarlett cast a curious glance his way, turning her attention away from the path that continued ahead. So was he part of that congregation, or was it just a temporary cover? She wasn¡¯t familiar enough with the inner workings of the Followers of Ittar to know whether a deacon could also be a member of its various branches, or if the Quorum remained separate from everything else. Maybe he had been a member of the congregation before becoming a deacon.


    As she eyed the man, it took her a moment to realize that the rest of the group¡¯s attention had shifted to her, as if waiting for her to answer the question instead.


    ¡°¡­I am afraid that this is one of those situations where I know little more than Father Abraham,¡± she said. ¡°We will simply have to wait and see. As such, I would recommend that you remain prepared for anything.¡±


    Although she had a rough idea of what to expect here, she didn¡¯t want to draw too much attention to her knowledge while Raimond was present. Besides, with their current party, foreknowledge about their adversaries wasn¡¯t critical.


    She sensed that Rosa and the others weren¡¯t entirely convinced by her supposed ¡®ignorance¡¯, judging from the looks they gave her, but no one said anything.


    They continued down the passage for a while longer, and eventually, despite the corridor seemingly stretching onward before them, they abruptly stepped into a spacious chamber. It appeared to contain nothing more than another endless path starting at the other end.


    Fynn frowned, his nose wrinkling together. ¡°We¡¯re not alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree,¡± Raimond said. The priest stepped forward, and with a wave of his hand, a dozen tall, lanky figures materialized throughout the room as if a curtain had been drawn. Each figure wore gold-red robes reminiscent of the ones worn by the Followers¡¯ priests, their heads entirely concealed by smooth, blank gold helmets. Initially, they resembled statues more than people, standing entirely motionless.


    Yet, as Fynn began to move deeper into the room with a low growl, the figures sprang to life. Their arms moved in strange, deliberate patterns, with the left half of the figures conjuring rings of fire that morphed into tiny globes of flames that circled them, while those on the right enveloped themselves in nimbus-like auras of pure light, spinning at remarkable speeds.


    Fynn picked up his speed, with Shin following slightly behind, his shield raised. Their group had grown adept at working together, and Allyssa had already begun extracting vials from her bandolier. Meanwhile, Rosa took a step forward, playing her klert to buff the rest of them.


    Scarlett, meanwhile, intended to hold back with her mana a bit unless absolutely necessary. This wasn¡¯t the main encounter in this dungeon, after all. She set her attention on those enemies who were using pyromancy.


    In her training with Arlene, she had learned that manipulating other pyromancers¡¯ magic consumed less mana than conjuring her own flames. While it could be challenging¡ªnearly impossible against someone like Arlene herself¡ªthe woman had claimed that Scarlett had a knack for it.


    The half-dozen priest-like foes unleashed a barrage of spells towards Shin and Fynn. However, the moment they did, Scarlett mentally seized control of the pyromancy half.


    About a third of the searing fire globules fizzled into nothingness, while another third lost their shape, veering off their intended trajectory and spiraling back towards their casters. Only a handful of them managed to reach Fynn and Shin, but those were shrugged off by the two.


    Raimond also lent his support, creating shimmering discs of golden brilliance that blocked the beams of light shooting out from the nimbuses surrounding the other half of their opponents. Occasionally, golden rays extended from a radiant circle that had formed beneath his feet, crawling across the floor to mend those injuries that Shin and Fynn did sustain.


    Moments later, Fynn reached their enemies, charging into two of the priests at once, with Shin following behind him. The duo were outnumbered, but with Scarlett keeping the attacks of one half of the priests in check while Raimond dealt with most of the others, it only took their party a few minutes to come out victorious.


    Upon defeat, the priests¡¯ lifeless bodies slumped to the ground like bundles of discarded fabric. Surrounded by these heaps, Shin and Fynn almost looked like they stood at the center of the remnants of a wild shopping spree.


    Allyssa wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead as she approached them. ¡°What are these?¡± she asked, kneeling next to one of the red-gold robes on the floor, pulling at it carefully.


    Raimond, dusting off some non-existent dust from his own white robes, joined her. ¡°Auranthials, sometimes called the Followers¡¯ ¡®Radiant Guardians¡¯. They are a type of construct that was not uncommonly used by my order during the early days of the empire and the Renascence. You could liken them to golems, if you wish.¡± He stopped next to Allyssa, looking down at the one beside her. ¡°The method for creating them is a closely guarded secret, and whispered to be exorbitantly expensive, so they are a rare sight indeed in contemporary times.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The girl scrutinized the defeated ¡®Auranthial¡¯, then turned to Raimond, brow lightly furrowed. ¡°Their movements were weird. It was almost as if they were alive, but not.¡±


    ¡°They are imitations of life, animated by the techniques and power of Ittar. Rest assured that they aren¡¯t genuine living beings,¡± the priest said. His gaze wandered around the room, bearing a slightly wistful expression. ¡°There are ways to make them a bit¡­more, but even so, they are not truly alive.¡±


    ¡°What does ¡®more¡¯ mean in this context?¡± Shin asked, swiping off some black scorch marks from his shield as he approached the two.


    Raimond regarded him for a moment, then offered a faint smile as he shifted his attention to the passage that continued onward at the other end of the chamber. ¡°Shall we proceed as we were, perhaps? I suspect this isn¡¯t the only surprise the venerable departed deacon has left for us in this place.¡±


    Both Shin and Allyssa exchanged looks, but neither pressed further on the topic. To Scarlett, it didn¡¯t matter much anyway. She did, however, eye some of the defeated Auranthials and wonder if their remains might have any value. Given the nature of this excursion, though, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take any of it for herself.


    They resumed their journey, delving deeper into the dungeon. As they advanced, they ran into a few more groups of concealed Auranthials, varying in numbers. Each encounter lasted a few minutes, but with Raimond here and Scarlett being able to disrupt many of their opponents¡¯ spells, they faced minimal risk for the time being.


    In fact, she felt that this was excellent training for her pyrokinesis overall. She recognized the spells the Auranthials used as primarily being [Ignis Barrage], [Emberstrike], and [Blazing Salvo]. While these were fairly powerful spells, some of which she had seen Kat use on occasion, that didn¡¯t stop her from interfering with their structure.


    There were limits to how far she could manipulate the spells¡ªshe couldn¡¯t take complete control of them and could only hope to redirect them¡ªbut it still proved an effective method of using her enemies¡¯ abilities against themselves. It also made her realize that this was probably the closest she would ever come to casting actual spells herself without the use of an item of some kind.


    There was still a question of exactly how effective this technique would be against other pyromancy mages other than these Auranthials. They weren¡¯t really alive, and she assumed that individuals like Kat or Evelyne¡ªmages who she considered herself roughly equal to when it came to pyrokinesis, excluding any additional buffs¡ªwould be much harder to contend with.


    Perhaps she should spar with Evelyne next time she returned to Freybrook. It could prove to be a valuable learning experience for both of them.


    After continuing down the same passage and engaging in the occasional battle for a bit over an hour¡ªthis was one dungeon that definitely took longer in this world than in the game, she noted¡ªthe party arrived in a larger chamber that seemed to mark the end of this section. Neither Fynn nor Raimond sensed any enemies, and there were no paths leading further from here.


    On the far wall of the chamber, a stone table held a burning candle, two small chests, and an old silver ring resting in a bowl. Above them, a single mural had been carved into the wall.


    Scarlett and the others approached.


    For my most steadfast disciple, I leave my repentance towards you and your kin. Even with my lacking guidance, your accomplishments made me proud. Yet, I am burdened with the knowledge that I could not fulfill my promise to you. For this, I am sorry.


    ¡°I guess the deacon who made this place wrote that, then?¡± Allyssa commented. ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like the fellow was sorry for whatever he did to this disciple of his,¡± Rosa said, glancing at Raimond. ¡°Or for something he failed to do. Strange, though. I wasn¡¯t under the impression that priests took disciples. Not in the traditional sense, at least. Aren¡¯t your lot all about community and teaching the masses?¡±


    Raimond¡¯s face took on a contemplative expression as he considered the ancient text. ¡°Typically, that¡¯s the case, yes. But I have heard that Deacon Emberwood was somewhat unorthodox in that regard. Supposedly, he had mage disciples even while sitting in his seat as a deacon, and from this, it appears as if he held them rather dear to his heart.¡±


    The man looked over towards Scarlett, and their eyes locked briefly. Did he have something he wished to say to her? Eventually, Raimond shifted his attention to the small chests resting on the table. These chests, polished to a gleaming sheen and made of limestone, featured delicate and gilded edges. The priest approached them with measured steps, gently attempting to open the first one. It wasn¡¯t locked, so the lid slid open effortlessly.


    Inside was a medallion of deep ocher hue, boasting a single, radiant gem at its center.


    [Companion¡¯s Medallion (Epic)]


    {Warm to the touch, this pendant evokes the spectral presence of a once-cherished companion, awaiting the command of its master}


    Raimond seemed to study the medallion for a few seconds before closing the chest. He then proceeded to open the other chest, revealing a short bronze rod with a brazier at the top and a spike at its base.


    [Traveler¡¯s Respite (Epic)]


    {A magical flame resides within this rod, prepared to be called upon and envelop its surroundings with its comforting warmth}


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t deny that she was tempted by the items and their descriptions. However, these were not part of her primary objective in this place, and she knew the Followers wouldn¡¯t part with them easily anyhow.


    Raimond soon gave a brisk nod and closed that chest as well. ¡°The Congregation and record keepers will be quite fascinated by these, I¡¯m sure. Although, truth be told, they seem to be captivated by most anything older than a molding piece of bread, so that may not be saying much.¡±


    ¡°I was under the impression that you were also a member of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments,¡± Scarlett said.


    He turned to her, a small smile playing on his lips. ¡°Technically, yes, but I like to consider myself a slightly more free-spirited soul. The world is a canvas, and I am its unerring brush. Each of its movements speaks a language of its own, and I am here to embrace it.¡±


    ¡°A man after my own heart,¡± Rosa chimed in, her tone light-hearted. ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve tried the bardic life, like me. I heard you play the flute, yeah? We could have dazzled audiences across the empire as a musical duo.¡±


    More than a hint of melancholy crossed Raimond¡¯s face as he gazed into the non-existing distance. ¡°Ah, wouldn¡¯t that have been a splendid prospect? And why limit ourselves to the empire when an entire continent could have been our stage?¡±


    Rosa let out a mirthful laugh as she shook her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t wanna dampen your spirits with thoughts of missed opportunities.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, dwelling on what might have been can make one rather forlorn. Regardless, it is my calling to wander these lands as a humble priest and offer Ittar¡¯s guidance to those weary souls in need.¡± Raimond winked at Rosa. ¡°But who knows? Fate¡¯s capriciousness may yet lead us to bedazzle audiences together in the future.¡±


    ¡°True that. You never know,¡± the bard replied with a grin.


    Scarlett observed the two for a brief while, then she stepped up beside Raimond in front of the table and gestured towards the final item resting there.


    The old ring. Literally.


    [Old Ring (Common)]


    {A timeworn silver ring once belonging to a noble youth. Unremarkable in every other way}


    She found it somewhat surprising that the ring warranted an item description, honestly. It was basically useless. But maybe it was for the sake of consistency. That was about what she had come to expect from this system.


    ¡°I realize it might be brazen of me to ask,¡± she began, addressing Raimond, ¡°but do you believe it would be possible for me to take this ring? As I am sure you can tell, it is not an artifact nor enchanted in any way. I suspect that it belonged to the deacon¡¯s disciple, and if so, it could hold relevance for my research. I would be greatly appreciative of the opportunity to further investigate its origins.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Raimond appeared to ponder her request for a moment, a perceptive glint appearing in his eyes. ¡°I will almost certainly receive some less-than-flattering comments about it later, but considering the circumstances and what you have provided my order in revealing this place, I see no reason to deny your request. In truth, I don¡¯t believe the Followers have any right to meddle in the venerable Deacon Emberwood¡¯s secular affairs, and the fact that he concealed this place from his fellow clergy members already speaks volumes to its purpose. Perhaps allowing you to be here and take this ring aligns better with the man¡¯s original intention than if I and the Followers were to keep it.¡±


    With that, the priest reached down and picked up the ring, offering it to Scarlett.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, accepting the ring and briefly inspecting it before safely stowing it away in her [Pouch of Holding].


    In all honesty, she had little interest in the ring or its backstory. It held almost no value for her, and the game had never focused on its significance either. It was just a minor detail, part of the set dressing for this side-quest that the player completed for Arlene. That said, Scarlett did need to get her hand on one of the later keepsakes from this place, so setting a precedent was good.


    She was a bit surprised by Raimon¡¯s casual willingness to grant her request, but she wasn¡¯t about to complain. She had been prepared to put in much more effort to convince whoever the Followers sent with her at this point, but he made it easy for her.


    She gestured to the two small chests which held the much more interesting artifacts in them. ¡°Will you not be taking those items?¡±


    Raimond shook his head. ¡°For now, it is enough that I ascertain what they are. We will send people to examine them more thoroughly at a later time.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett redirected her attention back to the passage they had entered from. ¡°Then I believe our business here is concluded. Shall we return and explore the remaining paths?¡±

 Chapter 178 - A teachers past

    Scarlett and her party spent some time retracing their steps back to the main chamber where they had begun their exploration. From there, they randomly chose one of the two remaining tunnels to continue their venturing.


    Similar to the first path they had taken, they encountered several groups of concealed enemies ¡ª Auranthials, as Raimond called them. While dealing with these foes did require some effort, it was far from the worst Scarlett and her party faced.


    After a little over an hour, they reached the end of the second path, entering another large chamber. Similar to the previous chamber, a stone table stood at the far end, holding two small chests, a burning candle, and a weathered book. Above the table, an inscription was carved into the wall.


    For my most austere disciple, I leave my regrets that I treated you with too little care as a master, although I suspect you never saw me as such. Not until it was too late did I realize my negligence, and I am still plagued with doubts about whether I could have prevented the events that unfolded. Though you might not care as your brother did, I am still sorry.


    Scarlett read the text carefully as they crossed the room.


    She couldn¡¯t recall much about these inscriptions from the game. It was possible they had said something completely different there or had simply contained less text. To her, they had been nothing but set pieces for the dungeon, only loosely connected to Arlene¡¯s backstory. Since the woman had always been an enigmatic character with an uncertain identity, there had never been a large focus on these parts of her past.


    However, now that Scarlett had come to know the person behind that character, she found herself increasingly curious about it all. Apart from the title Arlene had gone by towards the end, and a few of the people she had known, this was the closest to information about her origins that Scarlett had encountered. Because while none of these inscriptions talked about Arlene herself, they were referring to her fellow disciples.


    Knowing who they were could tell Scarlett more about Arlene.


    ¡°This old deacon certainly sounds like the remorseful type,¡± Rosa said as the group stopped before the table with the items on it. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he built this place just because he felt bad about disappointing his disciples.¡±


    ¡°It would appear so.¡± Raimond studied the text with a thoughtful expression. ¡°I find it rather intriguing, actually. Perhaps this will provide more context for the other actions carried out by the venerable deacon towards the end of his life.¡±


    ¡°Did he do something unusual?¡± Allyssa asked, leaning over to examine the dusty cover of the book on the table.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Raimond replied. ¡°I am far from an expert on the annals of the original deacons. The record keepers would be the ones to ask about that. But I am aware that there were certain questions left unanswered after his death that we still wonder about today. Shedding more light on the happenings of the past can always be considered a constructive endeavour. Especially when it concerns influential figures who shaped the institutions of their time.¡±


    Scarlett reached into her [Pouch of Holding] and pulled out a black handkerchief. Carefully, she dusted off the book¡¯s cover, revealing a worn brown surface that lacked a title.


    [Old Journal (Common)]


    {An old journal once belonging to a young noble lady, but long since abandoned by its owner}


    ¡°Another keepsake of the disciple that the inscription is referring to, I imagine,¡± Raimond said.


    Scarlett glanced at him.


    He just waggled his eyebrows at her. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. Pretend I¡¯m not here.¡±


    Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before returning to the book, which she carefully opened. The pages were yellow and weathered, but the neat handwriting on its pages was still legible.


    It seemed to be a notebook covering several magic lessons, with organized contents and a few comments written in the side notes. From the writing style, Scarlett got the sense that the author had a rather uptight and arrogant personality. There were several criticisms, albeit subtle, about the disregard for propriety that a fellow disciple exhibited, with the author expressing dissatisfaction with the master¡ªDeacon Emberwood¡ªfor allowing it to happen.


    It didn¡¯t surprise Scarlett for even a moment that the ¡®fellow disciple¡¯ in question was Arlene. The woman seemed to know proper decorum, but only cared about it as far as she felt like. Scarlett herself had several of her own grievances that she simply didn¡¯t air.


    Still, it was strange seeing Arlene being referred to in this context. Judging from these notes, this must have been written when Arlene was still young, before the woman became such an accomplished mage. Yet, even then, she showed incredible promise, as evident from the author¡¯s annoyed remarks.


    There were also mentions of a third disciple¡ªa Mitchel¡ªbut the author¡¯s own name was never brought up. Nor were there any surnames, though Scarlett hadn¡¯t expected any. What was evident was that the disciples were siblings, and that the owner of this journal was the oldest among them. Scarlett could vaguely recall Arlene mentioning an older sister at one point, someone Arlene had said that Scarlett reminded her of.


    After reading for a while, Scarlett put the journal away into her pouch, having gotten Raimond¡¯s approval to keep it as well. Like the silver ring, she didn¡¯t necessarily need it, but it was certainly more interesting to her than the ring had been. Meanwhile, Raimond and the others had already opened the two chests and examined whatever artifacts were inside. Scarlett didn¡¯t pay the items too much attention since she wouldn¡¯t be able to get her hands on them anyway.


    When they were finished, the party turned back and started making their way to the main chamber. It took them around twenty minutes, and from there, they promptly started moving down the last remaining path.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Scarlett¡¯s expectations grew slightly as they progressed. This tunnel would be the one that led them to what she had come for.


    She exercised extra caution not to waste more of her mana than necessary as they confronted the remaining Auranthial guardians blocking their path. During this dungeon run, she had used around 5000 mana simply countering their pyromancy spells. In the past, that would have left her almost completely drained, but after upgrading the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker], she still had more than half of her mana left.


    After replenishing her stores with some [Greater Mana Potions] Allyssa had made, she was up to full again after they dealt with the last group of enemies.


    [Mana: 12039/12039]


    Although consuming too many mana potions always felt a bit like mana exhaustion, this much was manageable.


    Upon reaching the final chamber, they were greeted by a similar sight to the previous sections. A spacious but mostly empty stone chamber with a table at one end and an inscription carved into the wall.


    To my closest disciple and dear friend, what words can be left to express myself? I have none. I cannot even reproach you for your actions, for I understand and sympathize with them. I only lament the circumstances that forced me to prioritize my duties before you. I am sorry. Your fate will never stop haunting me.


    ¡°Reading this, it kinda makes me feel bad for him and his disciples if they never saw this,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°Think there¡¯s any chance they might have seen it anyway?¡±


    ¡°I suspect not,¡± Scarlett answered.


    She knew for a fact that Arlene would never have had the chance to set foot in this place, at least.


    Raimond shook his head slowly. ¡°To be so close to a person and yet be separated by circumstance and misfortune is a cruel twist of fate.¡±


    ¡°Do we know what this disciple did?¡± Shin asked, turning to the priest. ¡°Even if the identities of the disciples are a mystery, the words inscribed here suggest that Deacon Emberwood may have taken action against this particular disciple while serving in his capacity as a deacon in some fashion. There would be records of that, wouldn¡¯t there be?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Raimond mused, his gaze fixed on the writings on the wall. ¡°With some sleuthing, I am certain we could uncover some answers. But whether they would be as conclusive as you expect, I am not so certain¡­¡±


    The man turned his attention to Scarlett. ¡°Would you like me to inquire into the matter? I could, once we¡¯re finished here. I am familiar with some individuals well-versed in the old scrolls and texts that record the era of the Renascence and its subsequent years. As these disciples of the venerable Deacon Emberwood seem relevant to the research that brought you here, and which serendipitously allowed me to be here with you today, it would only be fitting that my order offer our assistance where we can.¡±


    She eyed him for a moment. ¡°That would be most welcome, yes.¡±


    While she already had a decent idea of what would have occurred, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have their help in learning more about Arlene¡¯s past. Her teacher wasn¡¯t the most forthcoming person about these things herself.


    ¡°Very well then!¡± Raimond¡¯s expression sparked with what had to be exaggerated determination. ¡°I¡¯ll see what can be done. You need only place your trust in me, and I shall take care of it.¡±


    Returning her focus to the table before them, Scarlett spotted a short dagger lying among the other items. It sported a simple steel blade covered in rust, its hilt mostly decomposed and hardly recognizable.


    [Old dagger (Common)]


    {An old dagger once belonging to a young noble lady, a gift from her master. It appears utterly mundane}


    Scarlett reached for her handkerchief once again and delicately wrapped the dagger before stowing it in her pouch. She glanced at Raimond, relieved that he still didn¡¯t seem to object to her taking these items. She had half-expected him to protest, considering who he was. But it appeared that even he didn¡¯t see anything beyond a rusty blade here. Most enchanted items and artifacts were more resilient to the passage of time, and those that were affected to this degree were likely already in that state before enchantment.


    If he had realized what she had just taken, though, things probably wouldn¡¯t have been so easy.


    After Raimond inspected the two chests present on the table, Scarlett turned her gaze back to the path they¡¯d taken here. She¡¯d gotten what Arlene wanted, but now came the real challenge.


    ¡°Shall we make our return?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I say let us.¡± Raimond clapped his hands to remove some dust.


    ¡°Something tells me we aren¡¯t finished here quite yet,¡± Rosa said as they started moving, idly thumbing the neck of her instrument. ¡°I¡¯ve danced this dance before. The instant we step out of this room, we¡¯ll be accosted by a troupe of irritable phantoms, masquerading as skeletons, with an obsession for raising some new waltz partners.¡±


    Raimond gave the woman a curious look. ¡°A strange way of putting it. The more I hear from you, the more intrigued I am by what type of adventures you¡¯ve been on. Perhaps I should retire my priestly robes for a time and join you and the Baroness on some of her escapades.¡±


    Rosa grinned. ¡°Knew you would come around eventually.¡±


    Scarlett simply shook her head. ¡°Even for a wandering priest such as you, Father Abraham, I strongly suspect abandoning your duties is not so straightforward.¡±


    Though she doubted he was serious, if he was, she had to make it clear that such a venture wasn¡¯t on the agenda. The last thing she wanted was a priest from the Followers of Ittar shadowing her constantly and keeping tabs on her activities. Especially if that priest happened to be a deacon in disguise.


    ¡°Ah, right you are, unfortunately,¡± Raimond lamented, sounding genuinely disappointed. ¡°I can already hear the complaints I¡¯d endure from certain peers. It is not guaranteed I would live to survive whatever sermons they would thrust upon me.¡±


    Engaging in some light conversation on the way, the group made their way back to the main chamber, passing through the rooms where they had confronted this place¡¯s guardians. Red-gold robes belonging to the vanquished Auranthials lay strewn about the floor, some more intact than others.


    Finally, upon almost returning to the chamber where they¡¯d started, Scarlett halted right before they entered, holding out an arm to signal the others to do the same.


    Rosa cast her a knowing look before cautiously peering into the chamber, as though half-expecting ghosts and skeletons to materialize at any moment. ¡°Is it too late to say ¡®I told you so¡¯?¡±


    Fynn¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I can¡¯t sense anything.¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell, there is indeed nothing here,¡± Raimond said, his gaze shifting to Scarlett.


    Shin, positioned protectively in front of Allyssa and Rosa with his shield at the ready, also looked at her. ¡°What can we expect?¡±


    ¡°A trial of sorts, if my suspicions are correct,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Based on my readings, the deacon did not intend for this place to be forgotten entirely. Since we have not encountered whatever remains yet, there are several possibilities.¡±


    At her prompting, Fynn took the lead and stepped into the chamber.


    Instantly, the atmosphere transformed, and a towering, ethereal figure manifested in the center of the room. It was hazy, adorned in crimson robes and a resplendent gold mask that almost seemed to emit a faint glow.


    ¡°My, oh my,¡± Raimond murmured to Scarlett¡¯s left. ¡°Deacon Emberwood in the flesh, it seems. Or perhaps more aptly, in spirit. Partly, at least.¡±


    The guardian boss of this shrine, left behind by one of the original deacons, extended its arms, causing the space around it to shimmer as numerous Auranthials, similar to the ones they had previously encountered, materialized in the chamber. Their lifeless masks turned to face the party as one.


    With a thought, Scarlett donned the [Tiara of Lost Benediction] and what remained of her equipment.


    It was time to go all out.

 Chapter 179 - Lingering regrets

    Scarlett surveyed the enemies before them. The Auranthials on the right were the lumomancers, while those on the left were the pyromancers.


    ¡°Fynn, you are responsible for those to the right. Miss Astrey, Mister Thornthon, focus your attention on the ones to the left. Miss Hale and Father Abraham will handle defense and support,¡± she immediately issued her orders. ¡°For now, I will keep the central one occupied.¡±


    Then the battle commenced. A low growl escaped Fynn as the wind surged around him and propelled him forward, his knuckles adorned with translucent green claws. As he charged towards the enemies, Shin also stepped forward with shield raised.


    Rosa¡¯s klert produced a blend of harmonious tones as the bard deftly interwove three different charms, buffing the entire group. Scarlett felt her focus sharpen and newfound vitality coursed through her.


    Allyssa fired her hand crossbow at one of the Auranthials who conjured fiery globules in front of it. Simultaneously, she retrieved a flask from her bandolier and hurled it towards the pyromancers to the left.


    Seeing her party act without hesitation, Scarlett cleared her mind of distractions and raised her hands. She had been itching for a chance to go all out for a while now. None of the other dungeons they had cleared in the Bridgespell area had pushed them to their limits.


    She started by assuming control of the ten or so spells being cast by the pyromancer Auranthials. With the added buff from the [Tiara of Lost Benediction] and Rosa¡¯s enchantment, the action was almost effortless. She then summoned several fire arrows and Aqua Mines around the room, targeting their enemies¡¯ weak points, which were strikingly apparent to her artifact-enhanced vision.


    The tall boss figure, a remnant left behind by Deacon Emberwood, found itself ensnared within a spherical cage of fire. That was mostly for show, though, as Scarlett focused her initial assault on the other foes. Barely a moment had passed since the fight began, and all the spells and attacks from both sides were unleashed almost simultaneously.


    An explosive cacophony filled the chamber as fiery eruptions and thunderous crashes echoed throughout. Steam billowed in sporadic pockets, and Scarlett¡¯s fire arrows found their mark. Most of the pyromancer Auranthials¡¯ spells fizzled into nothingness or went astray, targeting their own comrades. An explosive burst of ice erupted from the flask Allyssa had thrown, landing in their midst and encasing part of their robes and lower bodies.


    The brunt of Scarlett¡¯s barrage landed on the lumomancer Auranthials, creating opportunities for Fynn by knocking them down or destabilizing them with her Aqua Mines or exploiting gaps in their defenses to punch through with her fire arrows. Some of those Auranthials¡¯ spells¡ªstreaks of light emitted from the nimbuses circling them¡ªwere knocked off course and collided with the walls, while shimmering discs of brilliant light blocked the rest. Beside Scarlett, Raimond casually tossed his bright blond hair over his shoulder, wearing a confident smile as the air almost seemed to dazzle around him.


    When Fynn reached his targets, he crashed into them like a battering ram and began tearing through their ranks. While they were sturdy enough to withstand his blows for a while, and he was basically outnumbered ten to one, Scarlett¡¯s previous attacks had left them vulnerable, hopefully to the degree where the young man could keep them in check while supported by Rosa and Raimond.


    It was then that Deacon Emberwood¡¯s remnant took action. An array of sigils glowing red and bright white appeared all around the room.


    Scarlett shifted most of her attention to the boss as she prepared for its next move. With some slight mental exertion, she conjured clear trays of water to encase each sigil while also recreating her earlier onslaught, directing it all towards the remnant.


    Both their attacks fired off at the same time.


    Streams of searing fire and radiant light erupted from the sigils, piercing through the water barriers, which, despite her hopes, failed to provide any substantial obstacle. The fiery tendrils snaked through the room like they had wills of their own, some targeting Fynn, while others homed in on Scarlett and the rest of their backline.


    Raimond¡¯s discs of light materialized, attempting to intercept the attacks, but their sheer numbers overwhelmed even his defences, allowing a few to get through. A beam of light struck Scarlett¡¯s left shoulder, while a blast of fire slammed into her midriff, almost knocking the wind out of her. The light beam stung more since she had some fire resistance from her [Chromacloth], but both attacks partially penetrated the defense granted by the [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs] skill.


    Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain. This dungeon was high enough level that relying solely on that skill wouldn¡¯t suffice. This was why she wanted to use some of the dragon materials to craft more effective defensive equipment.


    Her shoulder throbbed¡ªshe suspected it might have been dislocated, though she was far from an expert in these things¡ªbut it was bearable. Next time she would have to use the short-range teleporting ability that her [Garments of Form] granted her to dodge that.


    As she reached for a health potion and assessed the damage she had inflicted on the boss, both Rosa¡¯s soothing music and Raimond¡¯s healing light enveloped her and their group. She felt her injuries rapidly mending themselves.


    Having two healers in the group made a lot of things easier.


    Ignoring the healing potion, she narrowed her gaze at the boss. Deacon Emberwood¡¯s remnant remained suspended in the air at the chamber¡¯s center, seemingly undeterred and having broken through her fire cage. There were no visible signs of damage from her attacks, but she doubted they had been entirely in vain.


    If this remnant had been on par with the real Deacon Emberwood, she imagined it wouldn¡¯t have mattered what she threw at it. That man would probably have been somewhere in the 70-80 level range, while this boss probably wasn¡¯t any higher than 65¡ªshe couldn¡¯t recall exactly¡ªsince her [Charms of Apperception] still revealed its weak points.


    Among the higher levels, the disparities in strength became more pronounced. Even a group of level 60s wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a level 70 opponent, but against a level 65, they might.


    Whether her party was actually near that level was another matter entirely, but it was also a moot question. This world didn¡¯t function by the same binary logic.


    Glancing to the side, she eyed her mana reserves.


    [Mana: 9839/12039]


    This should be doable. Even though she had already used up over 2000 mana, she still had some mana potions at her disposal before reaching her limit. The purpose of that initial assault had been to destabilize the Auranthials and let her party capitalize to build up momentum. She could afford to be a bit more conservative from now on, which meant she would be able to keep this up for a while.


    The boss began conjuring up even more sigils around the chamber, and Scarlett responded by preparing her own offensive. This time, she also tried manipulating the fire aspects of the boss¡¯s attack as it launched its spells, but that proved more challenging than with the Auranthials. Nevertheless, she succeeded in diverting some of the spells to strike the boss¡¯s allies, which was more mana-efficient than using her own magic to do so.


    The battle transformed into a continuous exchange of blows between Scarlett and the boss, while the rest of her party focused on supporting each other and engaging the Auranthials. With her occasional help to neutralize some of the pyromancy spells whenever she was free to, Shin and Allyssa managed to prevent their group of Auranthials from causing any significant amount of damage. Although the Shielder pair struggled to eliminate their foes, they were doing enough.


    Fynn, despite being outnumbered and outmatched, was fighting valiantly against the lumomancy Auranthials. Even with several buffs from Rosa and his innate magic, though, as well as Raimond¡¯s protection and healing, the young man was wearing himself thin. Nonetheless, he continued pouncing on any Auranthial that dared divert its attention from him, doing an even better job than Shin and Allyssa at controlling his adversaries.


    It also helped that they couldn¡¯t hide from him by going invisible or conjuring any illusions, since he could see through all of those without issue.


    That said, his shirt resembled more a tattered web of holes and rips than clothing at this point, and while each burn or scorch mark healed shortly after he sustained them, the cumulative toll on his body continued to grow. Only Raimond and Rosa¡¯s constant attention prevented him from collapsing.


    Not that he seemed to care much, judging from his unyielding growls and savage assaults, sending Auranthials hurtling to the ground. Four of them were even lying in lifeless heaps.


    Scarlett had sustained a few injuries here and there, but those were healed quickly and she managed to dodge the worst attacks. She had also succeeded in eroding the boss¡¯s health enough to visibly damage it. Its robes were torn, exposing holes where there was nothing but condensed white light beneath.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Originally, she had harbored concerns that the boss might boast fire resistance that countered her, but either her worries had been groundless, or any such resistance proved less effective against true pyrokinesis. Her attacks were unquestionably having an effect, albeit gradually.


    [Mana: 4626/12039]


    She had already consumed a couple of mana potions, and it was dangerously easy to inadvertently exhaust one¡¯s remaining reserves without noticing in fights like this. Nevertheless, she still felt confident that she could manage.


    As she countered another assault from the boss and retaliated with her own blend of Aqua Mines, fire arrows, and other more basic applications of pyrokinesis, the remnant suddenly froze in mid-air.


    A faint smile wormed its way onto Scarlett¡¯s lips. Seemed like that had been enough.


    The boss stretched its arms wide.


    All the Auranthials went still. Both Fynn and Shin paused in confusion as their opponents suddenly fell into useless piles of cloth and embers of white light flowed from them towards the boss.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves,¡± Scarlett declared.


    You always had to be extra careful when bosses entered their final phase.


    Deacon Emberwood¡¯s remnant absorbed the incoming light, and its robes restored themselves. The tall figure descended to the ground, growing in size until it nearly brushed against the stone ceiling. A deep voice resonated through the chamber.


    ¡°For those who have found this place, know that it was never my intention to allow outsiders here. This place is naught but a manifestation of my own selfishness and desire for penance, futile and meaningless as it is. Forgive me, but if you wish to leave after disturbing this place, you will have to prove yourself capable.¡±


    The voice seemed to have no clear source and sounded much like a prerecorded message from ages past. Still, there was a certain weight and presence to it.


    The now-towering figure of the deacon¡¯s remnant raised its arm, and a coiling blend of fire and light, intermingling in a candescent display of harmony and intensity, formed at the far end of the chamber. It expanded to blanket the entire wall, from floor to ceiling, and then slowly began its deliberate advance, leaving no sanctuary.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes darted about as she watched the impending attack, and an idea surfaced in her mind. This was a variant of the [Luminous Inferno] spell from the game, and while they might be able to take it head-on and rely on healing to make it through, there might be a better option.


    ¡°Step back!¡± she called out to Shin and Fynn before turning to Rosa. ¡°Miss Hale, I shall require your assistance.¡±


    The bard met her gaze and quickly seemed to catch her meaning, offering a sure nod with a smile.


    Scarlett then raised her hands once more, facing the oncoming storm of bright red-and-white fire, twisting upon itself. The deacon¡¯s remnant remained motionless at the chamber¡¯s core, seemingly unfazed even as it teetered on the brink of being engulfed by its own spell.


    Taking a final, deep breath, Scarlett mustered all of her concentration and summoned a sea of fire to confront the encroaching wave.


    The flames that erupted were a deep red, darker than those conjured by the remnant, and stretched from one end of the chamber to the other, even threatening to swallow the boss¡¯s figure as well. These were the highest-intensity flames Scarlett could muster with what mana she had left, and it took all of her effort to control them properly while condensing them to this degree. Her remaining mana dwindled rapidly, but even with all of this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop what was coming.


    Then, a fresh melody rang out from Rosa¡¯s instrument, creating a beguiling arrangement that permeated the room like an ethereal symphony. The deep-red flames responded to the notes, trembling and shifting ever-so-slightly. Tiny, almost translucent echoes of the flames flickered into existence, their hue a delicate shade of blue, dancing in harmony with the music.


    A moment passed, and the echoes began to explode into small bursts of blue light, resonating like the strings of an otherworldly harp. As they brushed against Scarlett¡¯s crimson flames, more echoes sprang to life. Soon, they spread, blanketing the center of the chamber with a vibrant canvas of blue-and-red fire that looked almost alive. The spectacle was almost awe-inspiring in its brilliance, obscuring the boss and the surrounding space.


    The very air itself seemed to shudder as the fiery tableau shifted, streaks of white light piercing through it, accompanied by the cooler flames of the [Luminous Inferno] spell. Embers of blue pounced on the new flames, consuming them and birthing even more echoes that spread relentlessly. The thunderous roar of the blazing fire merged with the mesmerizing melody of Rosa¡¯s magic as the blue flames extended their dominion.


    For several heart-pounding seconds, Scarlett and the others watched this display. More and more of the conflagration before them transitioned to an ethereal blue, until eventually, the echoes began fading away, taking with them fragments of the boss¡¯s attack. The lumomancy aspects of the spell lingered a bit longer, a few odd streaks of white light streaking and hovering in the air, but those eventually started losing their cohesion as well and petered out into nothingness.


    In the midst of all this, Deacon Emberwood¡¯s massive remnant was a chaotic blend of bright light shining through the scorched patches on its robes and pristine, untouched spots that belied the inferno it had just suffered through.


    Scarlett and Rosa had yet to fully master the technique, so its offensive capabilities against normal foes remained somewhat lacking.


    An awed sound escaped Allyssa close to Scarlett, while Raimond appeared both surprised and entranced by what they had just seen. Shin and Fynn quickly turned their gazes to the boss, though.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t linger, pulling out a slender blue vial from her pouch¡ªa [Greater Mana Potion]¡ªand drinking it. A sensation of newfound vigor surged through her body, mingling with a feeling of mounting fatigue, as if she was straining every muscle at once. It was a familiar experience after having pushed herself to the brink of mana exhaustion numerous times in Freymeadow.


    [Mana: 2634/12039]


    It wasn¡¯t much, but hopefully, it was enough to finish this.


    She conjured a few fire arrows¡ªa technique that she had found to be more mana-efficient than trying to engulf the target in flames¡ªand directed them at the boss alongside a cluster of Aqua Mines.


    Fynn followed her lead, moving with Shin as their group adapted to the situation. Rosa leaned against the nearby wall with a tired expression, her mana probably depleted from sustaining that last charm and everything up to that. They would have to manage without her for the remainder of the fight.


    Thankfully, Raimond seemed to have plenty of mana left as he stepped over and offered an arm to Rosa while keeping an eye on the ongoing battle.


    As Scarlett and her retainers began their assault against the boss with everything they had left, the deacon¡¯s remnant retaliated with a swift and powerful swipe of one of its huge arms towards Fynn. An ephemeral green sheen enveloped the young man just as a blinding surge of light, akin to an afterimage, followed the remnant¡¯s arms and engulfed Fynn.


    For a moment, Scarlett worried if that might have been too much for him to handle. However, even as Fynn¡¯s figure appeared a second later, hurtling through the room, he managed to arrest his momentum by digging his translucent claws into the stone floor, skidding several meters before slamming into the chamber¡¯s wall.


    He looked plenty hurt, yes, but a golden circle sprang forth from beneath Raimond¡¯s feet soon after and its light swiftly spread towards Fynn, mending his wounds with impressive speed.


    Meanwhile, both Scarlett and Allyssa continued their assault on the boss¡¯s already weakened form with a combination of magic and alchemical concoctions. Scarlett¡¯s attacks, in particular, found their mark with almost unerring accuracy now that the remnant had grown in size. When Allyssa¡¯s flasks made contact, a vile darkness spread upon impact, corroding the boss¡¯s robes further and gradually consuming small parts of its body.


    As Shin moved in to block the remnant¡¯s next attack¡ªa powerful slash with its other arm followed by a surging blaze¡ªScarlett focused on diminishing the intensity of the flames behind that attack. Shin¡¯s shield took the blow, propelling him several meters back, his left arm hanging limply by his side. However, he endured and was soon the recipient of more of Raimond¡¯s healing magic.


    With both Shin and Fynn joining the fray as soon as they were healed, and Scarlett and Allyssa relentlessly keeping at it with their attacks, they managed to deal with the boss¡¯s onslaught by supporting each other. The injuries on the remnant¡¯s body expanded, revealing even more condensed light beneath.


    Finally, when the boss¡¯s form had been reduced to little more than a towering column of radiant white light, with only the gold mask retaining its physical appearance, it abruptly halted in the middle of another attack.


    Scarlett and the others stopped, waiting to see what would happen next.


    The remnant began to shrink, gradually regaining its original appearance, its red robes returning as it underwent this transformation. Then it simply stood there for a few seconds, its gaze seeming to focus directly on Scarlett.


    Her eyes narrowed. This was the first time during this encounter that the remnant actually seemed to look at any of them.


    The same voice from before sounded out, but this time, it clearly originated from the remnant and was filled with emotion.


    ¡°Could use more refinement, but I approve. Ensure that heirloom returns to where it belongs, and convey my final goodbyes. Thank you for concluding the story of what remains of this sorry old man.¡±


    With that, the boss collapsed into a pile, its mask clinking against the stone.


    Scarlett stared at the fallen remnant.


    She¡­wasn¡¯t sure if it ever said anything like that in the game.


    [Quest completed: Cleared Sunfire Shrine]


    {Skill points awarded: 8}


    [Side-quest completed: Bring closure to Deacon Emberwood¡¯s infused fragment]


    {Skill points awarded: 6}


    Had it¡­recognized her somehow? Recognized her magic, maybe? Realized that she had been taught by Arlene?


    ¡°Ehm¡­¡± Allyssa began hesitantly, the girl¡¯s words hanging in the air for a while. ¡°W-Was that one¡­alive?¡±


    ¡°No, it was an Auranthial, just like the others,¡± Raimond answered solemnly. His usual calm demeanor was replaced with a deep earnestness as he observed the remains of the boss. ¡°It was simply¡­more. Infused with part of the spirit and memories of a man who, I suspect, did not care for the burden such an existence entails.¡±


    Scarlett glanced back at Rosa, who had settled down on the ground, looking visibly exhausted but grinning as she met Scarlett¡¯s gaze and offered a thumbs-up. Scarlett returned a nod before checking on the rest of the party. Everyone appeared to be in one piece, if worn out.


    Raimond crossed the chamber, his white robes flowing behind him as he approached the deacon¡¯s remnant. Scarlett watched the blond priest¡¯s back as he seemed to offer a short prayer before kneeling down and picking up the gold mask lying on the stone floor. He turned around and returned to Scarlett and the others, brushing off some nonexistent dust and looking down at the mask with a contemplative expression.


    Scarlett inspected it as well.


    [The Deacon¡¯s Sunfire Visage (Legendary)]


    {Infused with the fiery and brilliant power of the sun, the essence of a man whose regrets lingered burns bright within this veil he left behind}


    She would have loved to keep that mask for herself, but there was no way that was happening. At least she might gain some more favor with the Followers of Ittar for helping them find this.


    Raimond looked up at Scarlett and the others. ¡°The rather lamentable circumstances surrounding this mask notwithstanding, I believe this counts as a rather astounding success. Shall we call it a day?¡±

 Chapter 180 - For he who watches

    Raimond¡¯s eyes swept across the underground chamber as he and his eclectic band of newfangled companions took a delectable moment or three to catch their breaths and bask in the glory of the splendid triumph they had all just achieved. He wore his most dazzling of smiles as his gaze briefly lingered on each member of the group.


    The Shielder duo¡ªconsisting of Allyssa Astrey, with her spirited personality, and Shin Thornthon, poised and with an inquiring mind¡ªboasted a delightful contrast that harmonised beautifully. Their undeniable bond was evident as Allyssa fussed and scolded her partner for his carelessness while simultaneously helping him treat the minor scrapes that remained after Raimond¡¯s healing magic had worked its wonders.


    The pair radiated a youthful energy and vigor that Raimond was certain would carry them far in life, as long as they managed to avoid crossing paths with any vexed dragons or the like. The Shields Guild was a beacon of good in the empire in many ways, but its members were not always known for their circumspection.


    Beside them, the enigmatic white-haired fellow known only as ¡®Fynn¡¯ sat on the stone floor, his eyes closed in a meditative trance. The youth¡¯s current demeanor was a rather stark juxtaposition to the ferocity and intensity he had displayed earlier in combat. He gave Raimond the impression of a lurking predator, embodying both the natural innocence and ruthlessness of a wild beast.


    Raimond had heard tales of the tribe that had made the Whitdown Mountains their home for generations, coexisting alongside the empire in an extraordinary feat of relative harmony, but he had never thought he¡¯d have the opportunity to meet one of their members in the flesh. He considered himself exceptionally fortunate for having done so.


    Leaning against the wall next to Fynn was perhaps the most captivating of the group¡ªif Raimond could say so himself¡ªand a woman much of the same cloth as him. Rosa drank water from a flask like a person parched for three days, holding the receptacle above her head to let the liquid wash her skin of the sweat and grime from their previous encounter.


    Raimond found himself rather intrigued by the woman, not only for her delightful personality and the fact that she was a wonderful conversationalist. He was also intrigued by her curious blend of magic. Minstrels were common enough throughout the empire¡¯s cozy hamlets and bustling cities, but those practiced in the arts of bardic charms were rare north of the Luicean Isles. Among those he had met, while they had all been without a doubt pleasant encounters in their own right, Rosalina Hale seemed to have a special quality of her own.


    Last, but certainly not least, Raimond¡¯s gaze settled on the proverbial heart of this group, the fervid-yet-wintry Baroness Scarlett Hartford. The red-haired woman appeared much as weary as her companions after dealing with the infused Auranthial left behind by the venerable Deacon Donovan Emberwood. Yet, that did not diminish the dignified aura she exuded as she crossed her arms before her chest, casting a sharp and discerning gaze over the others.


    Though Raimond still considered himself a fresh, budding bachelor in the prime of his life¡ªhe was still a youthful thirty-three¡ªhe had lived long enough to encounter his fair share of remarkable figures over the years. While not all were as uniquely fascinating and entertaining as the Baroness, individuals of her calibre were not as rare as one might expect.


    Or perhaps they were, but it was a kind of rarity akin to finding a four-leaf clover in a vast field. A pleasant surprise when stumbled upon, but if one continued their exploration long enough, they were bound to discover more.


    Even with that said, Raimond couldn¡¯t deny that he had observed qualities in the noblewoman that were singular to her. Just as each clover could possess its own distinct pattern, the Baroness held a captivating enigma where that pattern took the shape of fiery flames amid a flurry of ice and snow, all centered around a tiny bud of what could perhaps signify a possible fifth leaf.


    To one such as Raimond, who found nothing more beautiful and brilliant than the hidden potential within each person, what he had witnessed in the Baroness was an allure that set the very embers in his heart ablaze with ardour.


    During their first encounter at the Light Fest in Elystead, he immediately sensed that she was not your typical noble. Even his dear compatriot, Livvi Knottley¡ªwhose intuition and acumen Raimond held in high regard¡ªhad been surprised by the woman at the time, despite ostensibly having known her since childhood.


    The stories he had heard of the Baroness after that and her actions during the Providing Ceremony confirmed his initial impressions, and subsequent encounters had only solidified his belief.


    But it wasn¡¯t until today, after having been afforded the almost serendipitous opportunity to accompany the Baroness and her group on this fascinating excursion, that he could form a clearer picture of the woman¡¯s true character.


    Many questions remained unanswered, and numerous mysteries still intrigued him, but he believed himself to now understand enough of her character, though the motivations behind some of her actions still eluded him. The single most significant mystery of all was perhaps the one she kept closest to her chest and the one that intrigued him the most: whom, exactly, were all these recent exploits of hers for?


    He was well-informed of the many curious trips and discoveries she had made of late, as were, he imagined, several other notable figures in the empire. This included some of her dealings with the mage towers, a major auction house in Elystead, and newly forged relations with the Withersworth family in Autumnwell.


    It all painted the picture of a noblewoman who had somehow acquired valuable information in several noteworthy areas and was determined to leverage it swiftly and efficiently to increase her wealth and influence. While she did so in a fashion that was slightly unorthodox for a member of the aristocracy, it aligned quite closely with the nobility¡¯s general goal of personal and hierarchical advancement.


    However, what Raimond saw was something more far-reaching. He perceived not a noble lady simply aiming to increase her own power, but a woman preparing herself, caring little for what others made of her actions. Whether this determination was fueled by confidence or ignorance was harder to discern, but he leaned towards the former. She possessed access to knowledge and resources that astounded even him in some ways, and he had no doubt that she was keenly aware of the brewing storms beneath the empire¡¯s surface.


    As a result, the burning question that most ignited Raimond¡¯s curiosity and concern was which side of the coming conflict she would align herself with.


    Though he wished to banish the idea, Raimond wasn¡¯t so naive as to entertain the notion that every noble possessed a heart filled with pure intentions and unwavering dedication to the empire, ready to relinquish both wealth and life to protect it. It was a lamentable fact, but reality painted a different picture. While certain nobles, such as Duke Tyndall and Marchioness Thackeray, were paragons in their own right in that regard, even their steadfast loyalty had its issues, and the empire bore a tapestry of historical and contemporary complexities that heralded perilous times ahead.


    The Baroness turned her gaze towards him, and Raimond offered one of his most resplendent smiles. In return, she gave him a stout nod before diverting her attention to the rest of the chamber again, seemingly getting lost in thought.


    Indeed, he would have liked for his interactions with the Baroness today to have convinced him of her good-natured intentions for the empire at large, but he could not be fully convinced of that. For though he held a deep respect for the woman and how she treated her subordinates, and he recognized that many of the more unsavory rumors surrounding her character were either unfounded or no longer entirely accurate, he had also seen signs that aligned with his fears.


    Scarlett Hartford was not a woman who flinched in the face of adversity, nor did she budge from her chosen path, even for those who might be called her allies. Raimond observed no hesitation in her when it came to doing what she considered necessary, a quality that could be a double-edged sword.


    The Baroness¡¯ motive for visiting this shrine today went beyond the mere acquisition and tracking of ancient relics, a task she had seemingly undertaken at many other historically significant locations. Nor did her presence here center around research related to Deacon Emberwood and the three figures who had once been the man¡¯s disciples, as she claimed. Or, at least, not solely. While Raimond¡¯s understanding of the true underlying purpose of today¡¯s expedition remained incomplete, he was certain the Baroness had grander aspirations within these hallowed walls.


    And she viewed the Followers as an impediment obstructing her path to achieve that goal.


    Raimond wondered what lengths she might have gone to get her way had he not been as obliging as he had been? Would she have been content with what she obtained, or would she have devised an alternate strategy to ensure her success? The answer, once more, pivoted on the axis of her motivations.


    It was not often Raimond placed himself in a quandary quite like this one. Had any of his peers been in his position, he imagined they would have assumed a much more assertive approach with the Baroness, aiming to ascertain her allegiances. He suspected they might have come to regret it, eventually.


    Once each member of the Baroness¡¯ party had recuperated enough, the woman issued the command that they were leaving. Raimond had maintained his quiet while they waited to avoid being a nuisance, but he seized this opportunity to inquire about an earlier event he had that had left him captivatingly¡ªand figuratively¡ªcharmed.


    ¡°Miss Hale, Baroness, if I may, I have a couple of queries that I would like to make.¡±


    Both women shifted their attention to him.


    ¡°I suspect I already know their contents,¡± the Baroness said.


    ¡°That would not surprise me in the least.¡± With a flourish of his arm, Raimond gestured towards the other end of the chamber. There, an intricate interplay of dark and pale splotches on the stone floor showcased the remnants of the strange magic the duo had employed to counter Deacon Emberwood¡¯s infused Auranthial¡¯s grand spell earlier. ¡°What manner of magic was it you displayed earlier? I do not believe I have ever witnessed anything quite like it, though I am grateful for the privilege of now having done so. Among the myriad genres of magic and various disciplines I am familiar with, I¡¯ve not encountered such an enchanting spectacle in many moons.¡±


    He had already been aware that the Baroness primarily relied on her own unique strain of magic. Her masterful command over pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis was awe-inspiring, to say the least, and there were most certainly a plethora of mages who would eat their robes if they witnessed the ease with which she appeared to practice the skill. While she claimed not to know any spells beyond that, Raimond harbored doubts about the reliability of that statement. It strained credulity, from what he knew.


    However, even with her distinctive use of magic and enigmatic capabilities, Raimond grappled with how to classify what he had witnessed earlier. It bore similarities to certain spells and phenomena he was familiar with, yet he had observed none of the same techniques in use during the display.


    ¡°What you witnessed there was a fusion of my pyrokinesis and Miss Hale¡¯s bardic charms,¡± the Baroness explained. ¡°As you may have observed, it boasts some interesting attributes.¡±


    Rosa offered an extravagant bow, punctuated by the tipping of an imaginary hat. ¡°I invariably aim to infuse a dash of ¡®interesting¡¯ into everything I touch, thank you very much. Naturally, this ethos extends even to my esteemed employer¡¯s more heated enterprises.¡±


    The Baroness gave the woman a flat look, but Raimond nodded. ¡°I find myself increasingly afflicted with envy for the exceptional individuals you surround yourself with, Baroness. It appears fate has bestowed upon you quite the blessing with the company you keep.¡±


    That explanation aligned much with what he would have expected. While the carefree and often frivolous nature of bards tended to overshadow the significance of their charms as a discipline among mages and other magic practitioners, there were more comprehensive reasons behind the general disregard for bardic charms in the empire. It was a well-known fact that charms and their intricacies defied most understandings, and while mages were inquisitive by nature, rarely did they choose to spend time on seemingly futile pursuits when there were other things to study.


    Raimond considered himself slightly more open-minded than most mages in that regard, but even he had to concede that the essence of what he had witnessed earlier remained a mystery to him as well. Although he had caught glimpses of the mana and composition of the Baroness¡¯ magic, perceiving and comprehending the enigmatic echoes that the bard¡¯s charm produced proved a feat beyond his reach.


    ¡°When did you both find the time to even practice and learn that thing?¡± Allyssa asked, joining their little group as Fynn and Shin exchanged a few words a short distance away. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before, but it was¡­breathtaking.¡±


    Rosa grinned and gave a playful shrug. ¡°Oh, you know. We managed to sneak in some training here and there.¡± The woman waggled her brows. ¡°When you have a certain noblewoman looking over your shoulder all the time, it sometimes feels like one day stretches into three.¡±


    Allyssa paused, her eyes widening slightly as if finding some hidden meaning in those words, and Raimond observed the subtle exchange. It seemed like there were even more mysteries that the Baroness was hiding.


    ¡°If we have sated your curiosity, Father Abraham, shall we make our departure?¡± the Baroness asked, her focus on Raimond.


    He turned his attention to her and offered a warm smile. ¡°Yes, let us, I say. I believe we have quite the thrilling tale to share with our resident shrine custodian and high priest upon our return.¡±


    With that, the group moved over to the wall where they could climb back to the undercroft located under the Sunfire Shrine. Raimond waited until last before he began his ascent, casting a final contemplative glance at the vestiges of the Auranthial left behind by Deacon Emberwood centuries prior.


    It was an unfortunate fate indeed that the man had been driven to such depths of anguish that he deemed it necessary to infuse an Auranthial with his essence. Raimond thought the fate of the existence the man had created needlessly cruel, suffering through centuries of uneventful waiting in a place such as this, yet he couldn¡¯t help but admire the unyielding determination of the venerable deacon.


    Scaling the passage above him, Raimond joined Baroness Hartford and the others in the undercroft, where an acolyte seemed to have been waiting for them. He instructed the acolyte to summon the shrine¡¯s custodian.


    The man arrived soon enough, wearing a tired expression as he crossed the underground chamber. One might have thought he had been the one navigating a centuries-old tomb replete with perilous constructs devised by a powerful deacon, though Raimond refrained from passing judgement.


    He imagined there were few people who would greet the sudden arrival of an outsider, unearthing long-held secrets hidden beneath their noses for generations, with enthusiasm.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Reverend Stanway asked, his attention first on Raimond before turning to the Baroness. ¡°Were there any complications?¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Nothing beyond our capabilities,¡± the woman answered in her characteristically curt tone.


    ¡°We stumbled upon several Auranthials left behind by Deacon Emberwood, as well as three memorials dedicated to what appears to have been his personal secular disciples,¡± Raimond said. ¡°Fortunately, there was little damage to anything of importance, providing ample opportunity to explore what remains at your leisure.¡±


    He had to admit that he was impressed by the care the Baroness¡¯ group had shown in preserving even some of the seemingly insignificant sections of the tomb. Most of the damage their surroundings had suffered resulted from the spells launched by the Auranthials, which likely would have been inevitable even with a more extensive recovery party.


    Reverend Stanway adopted a contemplative frown. ¡°His secular disciples, you say?¡±


    ¡°That I did.¡± Raimond nodded. ¡°Most of the relics left behind by the deacon remain undisturbed. I suggest you have someone catalog them for now, while you await the arrival of the Congregation¡¯s Curators to assess them and determine the appropriate course of action.¡± Raimond showed the gold mask he had retrieved from the infused Auranthial¡¯s remains. ¡°I shall be requisitioning this on behalf of the Congregation and ensure it is brought where it belongs for now.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in rapt astonishment as he gazed upon the mask. ¡°I-I understand¡­¡±


    ¡°We will now be taking our leave,¡± the Baroness declared as she walked past the Reverend, who took a brief moment to tear his eyes from the mask and direct them towards the noblewoman, who seemed to have relegated his presence to the back of her mind.


    Raimond¡¯s gaze followed her. While the Baroness and the shrine custodian hadn¡¯t had the most auspicious of first encounters, he knew countless nobles who would have reveled in the opportunity to flaunt their achievement in the man¡¯s face in a situation like this. However, it came as no surprise that Baroness Hartford didn¡¯t bother. She seemed the type who cared little unless you truly offended her, such as Count Soames once had.


    He offered his fellow priest a congenial smile. ¡°It appears that I am left with little choice but to join them. They serve as my transportation, you see.¡±


    He proceeded to walk past the man as he followed in the wake of the Baroness and her entourage as they exited the undercroft and made their way through the Sunfire Shrine¡¯s corridors, emerging into the courtyard where the carriage they had arrived in still waited.


    The return journey to Bridgespell proved an uneventful one. Regrettably, Raimond found himself short one conversational partner as Rosa seized the chance to doze off during the entire ride. Nonetheless, it provided an amusing spectacle to witness the winsome bard¡¯s head repeatedly droop onto the Baroness¡¯ shoulder, only to be persistently pushed away as the noblewoman shot her irked glances.


    In Rosa¡¯s absence, Raimond instead capitalized on this opportunity to forge deeper connections with the two young Shielders and the laconic Fynn, engaging in casual conversation.


    Upon reaching Bridgespell, their first destination was the expansive temple belonging to the Followers, nestled in the Emberwood Ward.


    As the carriage pulled to a halt near the square leading to the temple, the Baroness cast a frosty look at the slumbering bard beside her before turning to the Shielders sitting to Raimond¡¯s right. ¡°Miss Astley, Mister Thornthon, the two of you may remain in the carriage along with Miss Hale, while Fynn and I go and meet with the high priest.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Allyssa replied, and Shin nodded in agreement.


    With that, the Baroness elegantly disembarked from the carriage, followed by Fynn, with Raimond being the last to step out.


    As both of their gazes alighted upon him, he straightened his pristine white robes with one hand, the other maintaining a firm grip on the strap of a knapsack holding his personal effects.


    He glanced at the Baroness¡¯ appearance, then looked back into the carriage and at its current occupants. ¡°If you¡¯ll allow me to say, it appears that Miss Hale might not be the only one in need of some rest. After the day¡¯s taxing ordeal, returning to your lodgings and indulging in some well-deserved respite might be a prudent course of action.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look that tired,¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice floated from within the carriage as she leaned forward to peek at him through the open cabin door. ¡°Don¡¯t priests need breaks?¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, my friend. I am a staunch advocate of beauty sleep, lest I risk depriving people, and myself, of my lustrous presence.¡± Raimond chuckled. ¡°And I can assure you that I, too, am rather fatigued, though it may not be too outwardly apparent.¡±


    ¡°I intend to rest once I conclude my talks with the high priest regarding today¡¯s expedition,¡± the Baroness said behind him, and Raimond turned to her once more as the woman seemed to scrutinize him. ¡°Will you be joining in the meeting?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I might visit the man later, but first, I will have to report to my superiors. They are the stringent sort.¡±


    The woman¡¯s gaze stayed on him for a prolonged beat, and Raimond found himself rather amused trying to decipher her thoughts. For a fleeting instant, he even considered the possibility that she knew the identity of his supposed ¡®superiors¡¯, although that seemed improbable.


    Perhaps he was becoming a touch too drawn in by the enigmatic aura of certainty and prescience that the Baroness cultivated through her words and actions. He thought it somewhat unfair to suspect her solely because of that, even if there was a slight chance.


    ¡°Very well.¡± The Baroness eventually gave a curt nod in reply.


    Raimond turned his attention back to those in the carriage cabin. ¡°It has been a most enjoyable day, my transitory companions. Today has unfolded as a most gratifying interlude for myself, and I am certain that the future surely holds marvelous and splendid endeavours in store for both of you, Allyssa, Shin. I fervently hope circumstances align for us to rendezvous once more soon. Please, extend my most grateful adieus to our slumbering Miss Hale as well, and convey my appreciation for her delightful company.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Shin said.


    Allyssa let out a small chuckle. ¡°I think she might not be thrilled to have slept through your goodbye, though.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but what can one do to resist the siren call of slumber when it beckons with gossamer threads of languor and lethargy into the realm of dreams?¡± Raimond offered a subtle bow. ¡°While I would love to offer my farewells to a fellow connoisseur of life¡¯s finer pleasures, I would be even more remiss to wake her from her repose. Yet, who knows? Mayhap fate will conspire to have our reunion be earlier than one might expect?¡±


    ¡°I believe that is enough for the goodbyes,¡± the Baroness interjected. The woman¡¯s eyes passed over her retainers in the carriage. ¡°We will return within the hour.¡±


    With those words, she turned and headed towards the temple, accompanied by the ever-taciturn Fynn. Her demeanor showed very little concern for the scattered curious glances cast her way from the various onlookers in the square.


    Offering one final smile to Allyssa and Shin, Raimond executed a graceful spin on his heel and hastened his stride to catch up with the noblewoman and her white-haired companion. As they reached the temple¡¯s entrance, the Baroness cast a sidelong glance in his direction.


    ¡°What are your plans from here, Father Abraham?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, that is ever a question for me, Baroness. My superiors can be a fickle lot, so one never knows what expectations they might have or what they will request next. Should there be nothing of specific import, I will be returning to my role as a traveling priest, spreading the light and teachings of Ittar to those weary souls in need of his grace.¡±


    ¡°It appears your responsibilities within the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments are rather lax and undefined, Father. I was not even aware you were a member before today.¡±


    ¡°I confess, it is not often I am called upon for these types of ventures, and rarer still is the occasion when I am afforded the opportunity to do so alongside familiar faces.¡±


    The Baroness briefly glanced at Fynn, who was observing the passing priests and townsfolk, before returning her attention forward. ¡°I see. And these superiors of yours ¡ª are they the ones who oversee the Congregation¡¯s matters?¡±


    ¡°In a manner, yes.¡± Raimond stepped aside to assist an older lady who had nearly stumbled on one of the steps. The lady thanked him, and he soon returned to the Baroness¡¯ side. ¡°The head of the Congregation is a stern woman who is perhaps best described as the embodiment of an arctic breeze surrounding the purest of hydrangeas. We share a unique rapport, you see ¡ª one built and cultivated on trust across years of shared toilings. There¡¯s nothing quite like it.¡±


    The Baroness leveled a long look at him. ¡°¡­I am sure.¡±


    They entered the temple, arriving inside the main vestibule. Raimond turned to the noblewoman and the young man next to him, smiling warmly. ¡°This is where our paths will have to diverge, I¡¯m afraid. As ever, a pleasure to meet you, Baroness, and you, my mystifying comrade of newfound camaraderie, Fynn.¡±


    Fynn simply nodded in return. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what you¡¯re saying, but okay? Bye.¡±


    Raimond was shocked to see what might have been the tiniest hint of a smile creep onto the Baroness¡¯ face as she regarded him. ¡°While your enthusiasm teeters on the level of being daunting, the sentiment is mutual. Until next we meet, Father Abraham.¡±


    Raimond found his spirits rather enlivened at that. With a wink and the elegant brandishing of his hair, as it flowed over his shoulders, he executed a smooth turn and began his journey towards one of the hallways on the left side of the chamber.


    The day¡¯s proceedings had left him with a deep sense of accomplishment, though he did lament the absence of a pretext to enjoy some more time with the Baroness and her group. If only he weren¡¯t certain that a member of the Dawnbringers would be sent to retrieve him if he dallied any longer, he might have dared to extend his little sojourn here in Bridgespell.


    Navigating the temple¡¯s corridors, Raimond passed the occasional priest or acolyte who offered him short greetings when they recognized the symbols emblazoned on his sleeves, marking his association with the Congregation. It had been some time since he last had the chance to wear these garments.


    Eventually, he arrived at a secluded chamber nestled deep within the temple. These would be his temporary quarters while in Bridgespell, although it didn¡¯t appear as if he would have much time to enjoy them.


    Tossing his knapsack onto a modest bed tucked in the corner, he untied its top and extracted the gold mask inside, regarding it for a moment.


    It had once been tradition among the deacons of the Quorum to inherit the veils of their predecessors. A blend of symbolism and practicality, perpetuating the lineage of the original ten deacons and the powerful relics in their possession. Over time, more and more of those veils had disappeared from the roster as deacons succumbed or went missing during times of tumult or upheaval. However, one particular veil¡¯s whereabouts had remained an enigma since the tradition¡¯s inception.


    Now, they knew why. Deacon Emberwood had used his veil¡ªthe mask that marked his seat as a deacon¡ªfor infusement when forging that Auranthial. For the first time in over three centuries, it could now reclaim its place within the fold.


    Raimond imagined it would have been a rather momentous and sentimental occasion if it had been presented to the Quorum a couple of centuries prior, when all the veils still remained. It lost some of its effect when there was only one other left.


    Still, he expected to receive some amusing reactions when he did present it to the others. It was a legendary artifact dating back to the founding of their order, after all. Old Gresham, in particular, would probably be exuberant over his seat finally regaining one of its ancient regalia after all this time. Alas, the task of coaxing a smile from the man was an exercise in futility.


    With a wistful sigh, Raimond set the mask aside and turned his attention to another item he had extracted from his knapsack. A diminutive golden sphere with a mesmerizing silver gem at its core.


    Using a handkerchief, he wiped away some of the dust that had collected on its surface¡ªit was a priceless and irreplaceable relic only in possession of the Quorum¡¯s ten deacons, and he would rather not anyone discover he sometimes kept it in a mundane knapsack¡ªbefore infusing it with his mana.


    The gem inside turned a shade of black as it was cloaked in a dark fog, and Raimond positioned the sphere on a small table next to the bed as he pulled out a chair to sit.


    A few moments passed before the air above the sphere flickered, and the translucent visage of the top half of a woman adorned in a gold mask materialized. Onyx tresses cascaded down from the side of the mask, ending in an elegant tail over her left shoulder and the red robes she was wearing.


    ¡°Deacon Abram,¡± the woman¡¯s voice carried an austere edge as her gaze seemed to pierce through Raimond, even through her mask. ¡°Did you have fun evading your responsibilities while you embarked on your little escapade?¡±


    He met her with his most charming of smiles. ¡°Marvelously so! It is a pity, my dear Ava, that you weren¡¯t present to partake in it as well. I dare say even you might have found it interesting. A future foray is in order, perhaps, where you can eschew your obligations and join me on a grand adventure reminiscent of the tales of old.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your antics right now, Abram,¡± she replied without a hint of emotion, though Raimond suspected a hint of a smile hiding behind that veil of hers. Probably. Though the ¡®Steelgaze Deacon¡¯ Ava Solnate did not earn her nickname for nothing. ¡°The others have lodged several complaints towards me for enabling your actions this time.¡±


    ¡°For which you have my unending gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Do not expect a repetition of it.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    A brief silence enveloped them as neither spoke. Raimond yawned, stretching his limbs as he settled back in his chair. Why his body had decided that any years after his twenties were the time to grace him with niggling discomforts, like lingering soreness and petty aches after expending a more-than-noticeable amount of his mana, remained a mystery he had yet to solve.


    ¡°¡­So what did you find?¡± his charming colleague eventually inquired after an ample span of quietude had passed. ¡°What was so important that it warranted the involvement of a deacon of the Quorum in the affairs of a mere baroness?¡±


    Suppressing a burgeoning grin, Raimond cleared his throat. ¡°I believe we are both aware that the ¡®mere baroness¡¯ you are referring to is a touch more than just that, though I suppose you can be forgiven for not having immersed yourself in the reports as thoroughly as yours truly.¡±


    ¡°I am aware that she was the one to recently uncover one of the Chalices of Canon, among other notable artifacts and locations. That does not excuse your involvement today. I could have dispatched any of my operatives to address the situation.¡±


    Raimond raised a finger and wagged it. ¡°Ah, but you see, mademoiselle, that is where you are wrong. It¡¯s all about the details, my dear. And in that realm, I may, in fact, be considered something of a virtuoso, as I¡¯m sure you know. It¡¯s precisely why I supported High Priest Matthew¡¯s endorsement of the Baroness¡¯ request.¡±


    ¡°So you claim.¡±


    He let out a low chuckle as he leaned to the side and picked up Deacon Emberwood¡¯s mask from where he¡¯d placed it on the bed. ¡°Behold, the fruits of my labor! Me and my compatriots expended sweat and spilled blood to obtain this prize, so I expect you to be suitably impressed.¡±


    The image of Deacon Solnate paused for a moment, her attention fixed on the artifact in his hands. ¡°¡­.Very well. It appears there may have been some merit to your words this time,¡± she admitted, though Raimond felt a bit more enthusiasm was warranted. Hopefully the others would have more engaging reactions.


    ¡°There were nine other relics left behind by the venerable Deacon as well,¡± he said. ¡°For now, they remain in the shrine, but I am sure you can send over a Custodian to inspect them when you see fit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have one sent over tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Efficient as always, I see.¡±


    ¡°What more did you learn?¡± the woman asked.


    Raimond knitted his brows in thought. ¡°Hmm. That one is a bit more challenging to answer. There were a great deal of intriguing facets I observed today, but I believe it can all be effectively encapsulated in a single sentence.¡±


    Deacon Solnate seemed to wait for him to continue as several seconds passed, but finally, he heard what might have been a small sigh through the invaluable communication artifact. ¡°¡­And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked!¡± he proclaimed, assuming a serious expression as he shifted his posture and leaned forward in his seat. ¡°My deduction is thus: I suspect we have greatly underestimated the importance Baroness Scarlett Hartford might play in the future conflicts that will come.¡±


    ¡°You base this on her achievements up to this point, or your interactions with her during this excursion?¡±


    ¡°Both, but primarily the latter. She is a shrewd woman, but she is also unafraid to display many of her capabilities. Even so, while I say that, I speculate that what I have witnessed so far is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do about her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing?¡±


    Raimond nodded his head. ¡°For now, I believe that is the best course of action. We are yet to know her allies or her motives, and until we do, it is wisest not to poke the hornet¡¯s nest. It would truly be a tragedy if we were to provoke a potential ally before we know more about her.¡±


    ¡°The others are unlikely to accept that stance should they hear your earlier assessment.¡±


    A renewed smile graced Raimond¡¯s features. ¡°How fortunate I am that I can trust you not to so callously share a man¡¯s lone confessions, am I not?¡±


    The conjured image of his colleague gave him a long look. ¡°¡­Was there anything further you had to say at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Yes, perhaps. Have you heard tell of the empire¡¯s new dragon slayer?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Raimond chuckled. ¡°No, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t. I do not believe the rumors have spread quite that far yet.¡±


    ¡°Are you still referring to Baroness Hartford?¡± Deacon Solnate asked.


    ¡°I am indeed.¡±


    ¡°She slew a dragon?¡±


    ¡°That is what some of the rumors suggest.¡±


    ¡°I am not interested in hearsay. I am asking for what you know, Raimond.¡±


    ¡°Ah. If so, then the answer is probably no.¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    Raimond brought a contemplative hand to his chin. ¡°For now, it appears to mostly be a rumor local to Freybrook, but some of our fellow members of the cloth from there informed me that news had spread about the corpse of a deceased dragon appearing at Baroness Hartford¡¯s mansion. How it got there and how the dragon met its end remain a mystery, but there were apparently several witnesses. I am sure I do not have to tell you how imaginative people can be.¡±


    ¡°Do we have any concrete information?¡±


    ¡°Some claim that Warley Godwin was the one responsible, and when I inquired with the Baroness¡¯ entourage, they confirmed as much.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain,¡± Raimond admitted. ¡°From what I have seen, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the Baroness and her group to take down a younger dragon, but I¡¯m not optimistic about their chances.¡±


    There was a short silence on the other end before Deacon Solnate nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll take this into consideration. Was that everything?¡±


    ¡°I believe so, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then I will conclude our conversation here. The conclave with the Augur and the remaining deacons regarding the expanded defenses at the Sanctuary is starting soon. Do not expect me to provide excuses for your absence.¡± The woman moved as if to end their communication. ¡°I expect a comprehensive report detailing today¡¯s events to be delivered to me in writing by the end of the week.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, wait, perhaps we can¡ª¡±


    The image dissolved as the obsidian gem inside the golden sphere reverted to its silver hue. Raimond sat there for a moment, realizing the looming threat that he had entirely overlooked when he first cajoled Ava into allowing him to temporarily return to his previous station.


    In the years since his departure from the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments, he had never had to compile a report due to the relative freedom his current position and authority afforded him, and as such, he had almost entirely forgotten one of his most dreaded existences.


    He had forgotten the paperwork.

 Chapter 181 - The pot and the kettle

    The gallery around Scarlett buzzed with hushed murmurs as a gavel resounded against the wooden podium at the center stage. An elegant man in a finely tailored suit stood in the spotlight, overlooking the assembled crowd.


    ¡°Last call, ladies and gentlemen. The decision rests upon a precipice, and this is your final opportunity. Going once, going twice, sold! To the discerning bidder with the keen eye, this exquisite amphora is now yours for thirty-three hundred solars!¡±


    With a deliberate motion, the auctioneer¡¯s gavel struck the podium once more, signaling the end of the bidding. A round of applause filled the room as two attendants stepped onto the stage to carry away a tall vase with a narrow cylindrical neck and a pair of graceful handles at its mouth.


    Scarlett lightly tapped a finger against the armrest beside her as her eyes trailed the vase for a moment. She imagined Garside might have appreciated such an item, given the eclectic collection in his quarters. That wasn¡¯t what she was here for, though.


    She was currently an observer at one of the Golden Gavel¡¯s auctions, the very establishment she had visited upon her arrival in Bridgespell and through which she was auctioning her Zuverian artifacts. While there wasn¡¯t anything in particular she wanted to buy here today, she¡¯d had some time over in the afternoon and thought it might be an interesting diversion.


    Unfortunately, it had proven somewhat underwhelming, in her opinion.


    Not only was it excruciatingly tedious to simply sit here and wait for each item to be unveiled, but the offerings displayed failed to catch her interest for longer than a second. That vase came closest to something you might consider getting, if only as a gift to her butler, but she wasn¡¯t certain he¡¯d even appreciate it. Besides, 3300 solars was a significant sum to just throw away for most people in the empire.


    At least she could take some solace in the fact that the items she had put up thus far had fetched decent enough prices. She was already fifteen thousand solars richer, and there were still many more of her items slated to be auctioned off in the coming weeks.


    As the auction continued, Scarlett observed the proceedings half-attentively, making some casual mental notes on the bid prices. Her thoughts drifted to other matters more often than not, though.


    As a guest who had contributed several notable pieces, the Golden Gavel had arranged a private seat for her, and she appreciated not having people giving her looks all the time. While today¡¯s auction likely didn¡¯t attract an extensive nobility presence, given how none of the featured pieces commanded astronomical sums, and thus it was unlikely many here would recognize her, Scarlett¡¯s presence had a tendency to draw attention with just her general demeanor.


    Once the auction came to a close, Scarlett motioned for Fynn, who had been standing behind her the entire time. Together, they made their exit. Since she hadn¡¯t bought anything, there was no need to bother picking any items up, allowing them to smoothly slip out through a side exit, avoiding the main throng of departing attendees leaving the auction house.


    Upon arriving at their awaiting carriage, Scarlett found Allyssa, Shin, and Rosa already standing by. The trio had been allowed to spend the last couple of hours however they wanted, and judging from the laden pack Shin was carrying, the two Shielders had busied themselves procuring supplies and books. Rosa was holding her klert, so perhaps the bard had spent the time in a nearby tavern or similar establishment.


    They boarded the carriage, which whisked them away to the Golden Griffin Inn, where they were staying. Once there, most of the party split up into their separate lodgings.


    Scarlett had decided that they wouldn¡¯t be spending this day exploring any further dungeons, given they had tired themselves out doing exactly that over the past few days, including the Sunfire Shrine the day before. Some extra rest might do them well.


    Scarlett remained in the foyer of the accommodations provided to them by the inn for a while after noticing that Rosa was the only one to linger. She could tell from the woman¡¯s expression that she had something on her mind.


    They looked at each other for a moment before Scarlett turned and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Rosa wordlessly trailed behind her as they reached her room, where Scarlett walked over to the table in the corner and sat in one of the two seats, signaling for Rosa to do the same.


    A moment of silence hung in the air after they had both settled down. Eventually, Scarlett spoke. ¡°Is there something you wish to say?¡±


    Rosa didn¡¯t answer for a while, her gaze focused on the neck of the instrument cradled in her lap. Eventually, she looked up, meeting Scarlett¡¯s eyes. ¡°So¡­ About me taking those days off to visit an acquaintance. That offer still stands, right?¡±


    Scarlett regarded her for a few seconds. ¡°Are you certain you want to address that matter now?¡±


    After another pause, Rosa nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think I am.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Then I see no issue with it.¡± Scarlett rested one arm on the table¡¯s surface, maintaining her gaze on the bard. She had been waiting for this moment to arrive, so there was no way she would refute it at this point. However, there was one thing that concerned her.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°¡­Do you intend to go make the trip alone?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan, yeah. It¡¯d be a bit silly to bring someone else along just to visit an acquaintance, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t fully suppress the frown that crept onto her face. She discreetly placed her left hand on her lap to shield it from the woman¡¯s view. ¡°I would prefer if you did not venture by yourself to an unfamiliar location, even if it is to see someone you know. You should take Allyssa and the others with you.¡±


    ¡°And leave you by yourself?¡± Rosa¡¯s amused laughter filled the room. ¡°Considering how paranoid you always are, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d even suggest that. Unfortunately for you, I feel like leaving you on your own is just another disaster waiting to happen. Before I know it, I¡¯ll be returning to Bridgespell only to find a pack of dead dragons sprawled in the streets, with you standing over their lifeless corpses like the proud dragon slayer you are. Then you¡¯ll nag at me about how tedious the cleanup is going to be.¡±


    Scarlett chose to overlook the minor jab at her personality. She didn¡¯t want this conversation to derail like her talks with Rosa often did. ¡°In that case, Shin will stay with me. However, you should at the very least bring Fynn and Allyssa.¡±


    A faint, searing pain emerged on the top of her left hand as the seal from her pact with Anguish made its presence known. While it clearly wasn¡¯t entirely governed by intent¡ªotherwise, she wouldn¡¯t even have been able to do this much to begin with¡ªit at least had some sense that she was trying to help Rosa.


    As for Anguish herself, the Vile would have seen through Scarlett¡¯s actions ages ago. But for the time being, she wouldn¡¯t be able to intervene. At least not directly. Still, it wouldn¡¯t surprise Scarlett if Anguish had done what she could to influence Rosa so that the woman wanted to go alone.


    That wasn¡¯t what Scarlett wanted. The place the bard was heading wasn¡¯t safe. Without Scarlett there to ensure things went smoothly, it was hard to predict exactly how things would unfold. It might work out, but leaving that up to chance left Scarlett uneasy. This wasn¡¯t even a case of her being controlling. It was Rosa¡¯s safety they were talking about.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if they stay here,¡± Rosa said.


    Irritation welled up within Scarlett at the woman¡¯s stubbornness, and Anguish¡¯s role in all of this. ¡°Fynn and Allyssa are more than capable of assisting you on your trip. They have also proven themselves trustworthy. Do not allow your own pride and anxieties to cloud your judgement on this matter.¡±


    The room fell silent.


    Rosa blinked, staring at her.


    Scarlett drew her mouth together. That had not come out quite as she intended.


    ¡°How about this?¡± Rosa began, giving her a confident look. ¡°I¡¯ll check and see if Father Abraham might be interested in a brief countryside jaunt. You¡¯ve mentioned that he¡¯s a trustable enough fellow, and I wouldn¡¯t mind spending an extra day or two talking with him.¡±


    Scarlett paused, her jaw set. She hadn¡¯t even been aware that Rosa considered that as an option. The woman would prefer involving a priest she had only met a couple of times over seeking assistance from Allyssa and the others? Was she really that afraid of revealing her condition to them?


    ¡°No, I cannot allow that,¡± Scarlett replied.


    Raimond might be a priest, but she didn¡¯t want him getting involved in this. Sure, it was entirely possible that he could provide valuable help in this situation and that he wouldn¡¯t do anything to Rosa even if he realized she was a potential incarnate, but that wasn¡¯t a risk Scarlett was willing to take. Not to mention all the questions it would raise from the man when he considered Scarlett¡¯s connection to it all.


    Rosa shrugged. ¡°Then it¡¯s best if I go on my own, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°On the contrary. I will be asking Fynn to¡ª¡± Scarlett¡¯s words were cut short as the seal on her left hand burned against her skin and something tugged at her from within. She gritted her teeth, trying not to let the pain show, though Rosa¡¯s brows had already furrowed with concern.


    Internally cursing Anguish, Scarlett wished Rosa could have showcased her usual deference for her opinion this time. She sensed the pact actively straining at her being¡ªmaybe even her soul, if such a thing existed¡ªand compelling her to keep quiet.


    This sensation reminded her of the time she¡¯d forged that pact with the demon outside Ambercrest and how it had tried to enforce the conditions on her. This time, however, it was more potent and felt more malicious in its intent.


    After a few seconds, she managed to shrug the effect off as the seal on her hand calmed down, but she could tell that it would return in full force if she were to push things further.


    Rosa was watching her closely, lingering worry etched on her face, before the woman finally spoke. ¡°I think it¡¯s best for us all if I go alone.¡±


    Scarlett locked eyes with the bard, wanting to scold her for her irrationality. But when their gazes met, she detected an unusual determination in Rosa¡¯s eyes ¡ª a quality she rarely observed to this degree in the woman. Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened as a realization dawned on her.


    Rosa wasn¡¯t doing this simply out of a desire to keep her condition concealed from the others. She was worried about their safety. She thought that bringing them along might pose a risk not only to them but possibly even to Scarlett indirectly.


    And she might not be entirely wrong.


    Quietly, Scarlett watched Rosa, some of the earlier irritation receding under the surface. While she still didn¡¯t want the woman going by herself, trying to convince Rosa otherwise at this point would be difficult.


    ¡°¡­Can I take that as a yes?¡± Rosa asked, cautiously studying her.


    Scarlett stayed silent for a while longer before giving a reluctant nod. ¡°If that is what you wish.¡±


    Following that, the two of them sat there for a few minutes, neither uttering a word. Eventually, Rosa began to rise from her seat. ¡°Suppose there¡¯s no point in worrying for nothing and delaying things for longer than necessary. I¡¯ve already packed what I need, so I¡¯ll be heading out immediately. Be back in a day or two.¡±


    Scarlett hesitated before responding. ¡°¡­Good luck. Ensure that you do not do anything foolish, and prioritize your safety. Remember to bring all the equipment I have provided you.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s mouth curved into a grin. ¡°Always.¡±


    As the woman left the room, Scarlett¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the door, deep in thought. Last time she had entrusted a matter to chance and delegated responsibility to others, it hadn¡¯t ended well. It had been her mistake that time, her fault, and she wanted to avoid something similar happening again.


    Several minutes passed as she sat in contemplation when a soft meow emanated from her right.


    She turned her head towards the chair where Rosa had been sitting, finding a jet-black cat with clear amethyst eyes lying there. The cat¡¯s tail swayed through the air as it regarded her with an inscrutable gaze.


    A fleeting sense of bewilderment brushed Scarlett¡¯s mind, followed by a certain thought that brought back her earlier frown. Then, an idea formed.


    ¡°Empress,¡± she began, meeting the cat¡¯s eyes. ¡°Could you deliver a message on my behalf?¡±

 Chapter 182 - A bards perplexing meetings

    Rosa gazed out of the carriage window, observing the bustling, crowded streets of Bridgespell as the vehicle merged with the lively stream of urban traffic coursing through the city.


    Sitting alone in the cabin was a novel experience for her. It marked the first time she had ever been by herself in an actual carriage. It was also the first time she¡¯d stayed at an inn that went as far as providing transport around the city for guests.


    Ever since she began working for Scarlett, she¡¯d been introduced to all kinds of fancy and original experiences.


    A grimace wormed its way onto her face, and she quickly averted her eyes when she caught sight of a passerby with tentacles sprouting from beneath their shirt, wriggling in the air above their head as if preparing to tear it off.


    The visions had been less frequent lately, but when they did appear, they didn¡¯t hold back anymore. Her unseen passenger was growing impatient.


    She didn¡¯t dare hope that this trip would completely free her from its yoke, but maybe she could finally get some answers. That was all she wanted at this point. To make sense of the mess that was her life.


    Her thoughts drifted back to her earlier conversation with Scarlett.


    She still didn¡¯t understand what was holding the woman back or dictating her actions on this matter, but she was now convinced that Scarlett did know what was wrong with her. Not just that, but she also knew how to fix it.


    Rosa trusted that Scarlett had reasons for keeping quiet, and that the woman was working to help her. That was why it pained her to go against Scarlett¡¯s wishes like this, but this was the one instance where she couldn¡¯t simply go along with things.


    Yet, for once, it didn¡¯t feel like it was just because she was running away; she understood why Scarlett didn¡¯t want her to go alone. Rosa was apprehensive about doing so herself. But even if Fynn or any of the others could help, and if they would accept her once they learned her secrets, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to let them come with. Because it was dangerous. And while things had been relatively calm lately, she sensed that it was only a matter of time until something snapped again. When she reached the breaking point, those around her were always those who got hurt first.


    Maybe she was being unreasonable. She knew for a fact that Scarlett had thought so. But this was one of the few decisions that was solely up to Rosa to make, and she wasn¡¯t willing to risk the others¡¯ lives, even if it meant increasing her own risk.


    A morbid chuckle escaped her.


    Maybe this was how it felt to rebel against one¡¯s old folks¡¯ decisions. There was an illicit sense of exhilaration about it, she had to admit.


    The Golden Griffin Inn was situated in the Upper Ward of Bridgespell, closer to the western gate. From the maps Rosa had seen, her destination lay to the east of the city. The carriage transported her to the Stoneway Ward, near the eastern gates, where she disembarked in a smaller market neighborhood.


    With her klert securely fastened to her back and a pack strapped over her shoulder, she spent roughly fifteen minutes browsing for the necessary supplies for her journey. After that, she searched for a ride heading into the countryside.


    Eventually, she found a place that had a wagon passing through the city and picking up passengers, bound for a town half a day¡¯s travel away called Flatgulf, not too far away from where she was going. Having paid her fare, she climbed onto the back of the wagon, placed her pack and klert at her feet, and settled back in her seat as the pair of workhorses neighed and the vehicle began to move.


    It felt like she was reliving the old days when she roamed from settlement to settlement by herself every other week, earning her bread minstrelling away wherever she could. It was bizarre to think that not even half a year had passed since then; yet, in some ways, it felt like a lifetime.


    The thought filled her with both nostalgia and wistfulness. She didn¡¯t mind her old way of life. Even if her circumstances had been different, she might have still chosen that path back then. But she knew that, if faced with the choice of returning to that lifestyle or having things stay as they were now, she would choose the latter eleven times out of ten.


    The question was whether she¡¯d even have that choice.


    She could only wait and see how the dice would fall.


    ¡°You appear to have some weighted contemplations on your mind,¡± a voice broke the silence of her thoughts.


    Rosa blinked her eyes open, directing her gaze forward towards the man sitting there. She¡¯d barely noticed him when she boarded. He had an unassuming appearance, dressed in a dark suit with a cape draped over his shoulders and a top hat crowning his head. A black cane leaned against the seat beside him as he regarded her with a pair of dull brown eyes.


    She offered a courteous smile to the stranger. ¡°Understatement of the century, that¡¯s for sure. Got more thoughts whirling through my head than a theatre troupe with a hundred plays in rehearsals. Don¡¯t rightly know what to make of it all.¡±


    The man let out a light chuckle. ¡°That does indeed sound like a formidable task. Where is your journey taking you to occupy your thoughts so intensely?¡±


    ¡°Crowcairn.¡±


    ¡°Crowcairn, you say? It¡¯s not often that place attracts your kind.¡± He motioned towards the instrument at her feet.


    Rosa glanced at the klert before returning her eyes to him. ¡°You¡¯ve been, then?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve traversed most corners of the empire. You could say I am somewhat of a wanderer by trade, if you will.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Guess that makes two of us.¡± Some of the tension eased from Rosa¡¯s shoulders as she leaned forward slightly in her seat, allowing the mire of worries that had besieged her mind to recede into the background. ¡°That¡¯s life as a bard, though. You never know where you¡¯re going to end up.¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°There are some who prefer that way of life,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it? Used to think I was one of them.¡±


    ¡°I take it that no longer holds true for you?¡±


    Rosa absently started playing with a lock of her hair, twirling it between her fingers. ¡°Well, I¡¯m still at sixes and sevens with that one. There¡¯s this lady who¡¯s got me leaning towards ¡®no¡¯ with the way she¡¯s paying me in my current gig, but life¡¯s not all about the coin, is it?¡±


    The man reached up, removing his hat and placing it on the seat beside him in one deliberate movement. ¡°There are those who make it about that, but I suspect that your philosophy is the healthier one for your average person.¡±


    Rosa nodded along. ¡°¡®Course, the same lady¡¯s also giving me the whole royal treatment in just about every other regard as well, so I can¡¯t really complain with all the perks she¡¯s throwing my way.¡±


    ¡°It sounds as if this woman places considerable importance on your contributions, then,¡± the man said. ¡°Is she your employer?¡±


    ¡°That she is. Though I can¡¯t speak for any importance she¡¯s placing on me. She¡¯s a tough nut to crack, that one.¡±


    Another soft chuckle escaped him. ¡°I have encountered my fair share of such individuals in my time as well. Breaking past such barriers often requires rather unique circumstances. Nonetheless, I hope you can find resolution for your concerns.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better than wishing me the worst. Thanks.¡± Rosa turned her gaze towards the front of the wagon, where the driver navigated the horses past a stall protruding a bit too far into the street, shouting a couple of expletives at the stall owner. ¡°So that¡¯s me, at least,¡± she continued, returning her attention to her newfound conversation partner. ¡°Where are you heading?¡±


    The man folded both hands in his lap, appearing contemplative. ¡°That question carries multiple answers from me, many of which I¡¯m not at full liberty to divulge. However, you could say that this current outing serves as a minor detour for me. I recently managed to displease a certain business associate of mine, and they requested a favor. The precise nature of that favor was rather nondescript and up for interpretation, and I suspect they understand that my assistance may not align with their ideal scenario. Nevertheless, I deemed I should at the very least assess the situation before giving my response. This particular situation is one where there is some room for flexibility, even on my end.¡± He offered her a warm smile. ¡°But it appears that my involvement won¡¯t be necessary after all.¡±


    Rosa grinned. ¡°You could give my employer a run for her money in the art of speaking in riddles, my friend. I feel like I meet more and more people who think it¡¯s the latest fashion to be mysterious nowadays. Did I miss out on some new fad, or do I simply attract the enigmatic type?¡±


    The man shared her amusement, a small laugh escaping his lips. ¡°Perhaps you do. If so, then it might be opportune for you to extend your appreciation to your employer for accustoming you to the trend early.¡±


    ¡°Suppose I should. But just between you and me, I wouldn¡¯t mind if she toned down the ¡®mysteriousness¡¯ just a tad. Would make things a lot easier when working for her.¡±


    ¡°Such are the woes of employment, it would seem,¡± the brown-haired man remarked, gently shaking his head. He fell silent for a moment, his attention directed down the street ahead of them as if staring at something in the distance. ¡°¡­While Crowcairn is usually tranquil and calm this time of year, I¡¯d still advise you to exercise caution on your journey. The roads have become increasingly unpredictable, and there have been reports of rather unsavory individuals in the area lately.¡±


    ¡°Unsavory? In what way?¡±


    ¡°I am afraid I lack the answer to that.¡±


    A slight furrow formed on Rosa¡¯s brow. ¡°Well, thanks anyway. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it would be best not to visit that settlement on your own,¡± the man suggested.


    Rosa shrugged. ¡°Got no one else to bring.¡±


    Yet another faint smile graced the man¡¯s face. ¡°If that is your decision. It is not my place to interfere, though I will confess to harboring a mild curiosity about how things will turn out. The present scenario is a rather exceptional one.¡±


    Rosa gave him a puzzled look. What was that supposed to mean? ¡°Not that I¡¯m one to knock on the way you talk, but you¡¯re slipping back into¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now, this is an intriguing development,¡± he suddenly said, his gaze still fixed ahead. ¡°So this is the chosen path. Hmm. I will say that it is not the approach I would have personally advocated, but that does not matter much at this juncture.¡±


    Without looking, he reached for his cane, tapping its tip against the wooden floorboards once as he turned back to Rosa. ¡°I will be getting off here. It was a pleasure conversing with you, and I wish you the best from here.¡±


    The wagon rocked as it came to a halt outside a stable near the city gates. The man retrieved his hat, placed it on his head, and rose from his seat. Tipping his hat to Rosa, he stepped off the wagon with remarkable ease, striding away down the block.


    Rosa¡¯s eyes followed him as he disappeared down the street, her mind pondering exactly who that man had been. She used to think Scarlett had a strange air about her at times, but that man had definitely outdone the noblewoman in that regard.


    A few moments passed, and a couple of additional passengers climbed onto the wagon after speaking with the driver. Rosa shook her head to bring her thoughts away from the man¡¯s identity. It wasn¡¯t as if she was likely to ever meet him again.


    When she refocused on the space in front of her, she found herself face to face with a blond man donned in white robes who was staring directly at her.


    ¡°Fate certainly works in mysterious ways, doesn¡¯t it?¡± the man remarked, flashing a radiant smile that revealed his white teeth. ¡°Here I was, lamenting that I had been unable to bid you a proper farewell yesterday, yet lo-and-behold, who do I come across but the very woman whose charming countenance took up my mind! Truly a serendipitous encounter.¡±


    Rosa blinked, shaking her head twice and squinting her eyes at him. ¡°Mind helping me out here? I think I¡¯m seeing things, because you bear an uncanny resemblance to a certain Father Abraham that I know.¡±


    The man chuckled. ¡°I would surely hope so, considering that I am said Father. The priestly kind, that is.¡±


    ¡°Would you throw me off the side for asking what you¡¯re doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was about to ask you the very same question, Miss Hale. I would have assumed you to be with Baroness Hartford and her entourage at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I took some time off to travel out into the countryside and visit an acquaintance. Scarlett¡¯s the dependable sort, so I think she and the rest will survive without me for a day or two, even though it might be a challenge.¡±


    Father Abraham raised an eyebrow, studying her. ¡°As I said, fate, ever a capricious mistress, truly works in mysterious ways. Coincidentally, I too am leaving Bridgespell for a day or two, though my purpose involves my priestly responsibilities rather than a personal visit.¡± His expression turned into a scowl for just a brief moment. ¡°It was also the only salvation I saw at hand to deliver me from a horrifying trial imposed upon me by a colleague of mine. The temple received some disquieting reports that necessitated my attention, leading me to embark on this journey.¡±


    Rosa gave him a long look, earning a slightly curious look from him in return.


    Then she burst into laughter.


    Her amusement drew the attention of the only other passenger in the wagon with them, who was giving her a strange side-stare.


    If she had ever believed that the gods cared about or took an interest in her, she might have thought that this was providence or some such nonsense.


    ¡°I¡¯d wager my right pinky that Scarlett won¡¯t exactly be thrilled when she hears that I ran into you here when I return,¡± she said, dabbing at her eyes to wipe away the tears of laughter.


    Father Abraham¡¯s expression shifted to one of mild hurt.


    She gave him a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s got anything against you. She¡¯s just the type that takes a while to warm up to strangers.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that you meant that as consolation, but know that, for me, your words only serve to exacerbate the pain I feel,¡± the man said.


    Another laugh escaped Rosa, and she leaned back in her seat as the priest looked even more upset.


    Although she had no idea what to expect once she arrived in Crowcairn, she had almost dreaded the trip there even more, where she would be left alone with nothing but her thoughts and the visions that haunted her. But maybe that part wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all.

 Chapter 183 - Step one

    Rosa shielded her eyes from the sun¡¯s rays as it descended towards the western horizon, painting the sky in a radiant display of colors. The mid-December chill accompanied their journey as the wagon trundled along the dusty road, and she wrapped herself in a warm cloak to stave off some of the cold.


    If she didn¡¯t mind wasting her mana, she could have kept up a charm or two to provide some warmth to the wagon¡¯s occupants, but it was probably for the best that she conserved her energy for this trip.


    Seated across from her was Father Abraham, still dressed in his pristine white robes, the man¡¯s long blond hair flowing over his shoulders. He didn¡¯t seem to mind the cold much, though Rosa wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it turned out those clothes were enchanted. The priest clearly wasn¡¯t just a simple wandering priest, despite his claims.


    The man turned his eyes westward, gazing over the rolling hills towards the sun-drenched horizon. ¡°Ah, the splendor of a day bidding adieu and a night¡¯s approaching embrace,¡± he mused. ¡°Always a spectacle to behold, isn¡¯t it, Miss Hale?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s decent enough,¡± Rosa replied. ¡°Prefer the sunrise, where you don¡¯t have to worry about getting stranded in the middle of the countryside unable to see past your own nose. But there¡¯s a certain charm to the sunset as well. A lot more intimate and romantic, for one.¡±


    A soft chuckle escaped the priest¡¯s lips. ¡°That it is. I count myself fortunate that I get to spend it with a lady as enchanting as yourself.¡± Father Abraham turned to look at the only other passenger in the wagon¡¯s rear, an elderly man with weather-beaten skin and a hawk-like nose. ¡°And you as well, of course, good sir.¡±


    Rosa smiled, her fingers absently fiddling with the pegs of her klert to keep warm. ¡°I¡¯d save shooting your shot for now, mister. While I won¡¯t shy away from dancing a dance or two, the last fellow who tried wooing me quickly realized he was in for more than he¡¯d bargained for. Last lady, as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dare. Doubly so now after having heard that. Moreover, I couldn¡¯t bear to inflict such cruelty upon the fine citizens of this empire by altering my bachelor status.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s something I can get behind,¡± Rosa said, then paused, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Funny. I feel like I¡¯ve uttered almost those very words before, or if I haven¡¯t, I should have.¡± She plucked at one of the strings on her instrument, producing a short, muted note. ¡°Though my audience at the time likely wouldn¡¯t have been as appreciative of the accuracy of that statement as I am now.¡±


    ¡°Would this audience perhaps have included a certain baroness?¡± Father Abraham asked.


    Rosa nodded. ¡°Got it in one.¡±


    The man smiled. ¡°You two appear to share a rather unique bond. It is not often one sees something of the sort between a noblewoman and her retainer.¡±


    Rosa released an amused breath. ¡°Yeah, unique¡¯s one way to put it. I¡¯d like to take some of the credit for that, but there¡¯s not a thing with that woman that doesn¡¯t veer into peculiarity or strangeness eventually. Lady¡¯s got a pet stone that she¡¯s sunk more money into than most people see in a lifetime.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But yes, we¡¯re close. In a manner, at least. To be honest, though, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a living soul that truly knows her or what¡¯s going on in that head of hers.¡±


    Her mind wandered to the countless instances where Scarlett had hidden things from her, even when it was blatantly obvious. Had it been any other person, Rosa wondered if she would have tolerated that behaviour to this extent. Sometimes she wondered why she even did it with Scarlett.


    But then again, she wasn¡¯t one to talk. The woman had been at least as accepting of her own dirty secrets, if not more so.


    ¡°Based on the¡ªunfortunately¡ªlimited interactions I¡¯ve had with the Baroness, I am inclined to agree with you,¡± Father Abraham said. ¡°Even Miss Livvi Knottley, who has known her since childhood, admits to struggling with understanding the woman completely. It seems to be a recurring trait of the Baroness to leave those around her baffled and astonished. It leaves me wondering if it¡¯s intentional on her part.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it.¡± Rosa grinned wryly. ¡°Can¡¯t tell you a lot about how much of it is intentional or not, but she¡¯s definitely aware of it most of the time. If shamelessness had a face, it would be paying her a percentage for lending it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you two!¡± a voice called from the front of the wagon as the driver looked back at them. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, they approached a crossroads ahead. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get off here if you¡¯re hoping to reach Crowcairn before nightfall. It¡¯s about an hour''s walk from here if you move those feet of yours with some speed.¡±


    Rosa arched a brow, turning to look at Father Abraham. ¡°You¡¯re heading to Crowcairn as well?¡±


    She¡¯d assumed the man was taking the wagon all the way to Flatgulf.


    The priest nodded. ¡°We are becoming rather mired in coincidences here, are we not? At this pace, before we know it, we might discover that we are long-lost twins separated at birth.¡±


    Rosa smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t know about that one. I think you got a few years on me for that to be the case.¡±


    He looked even more hurt than when she implied Scarlett might not quite see him as a friend. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I am barely past thirty. I¡¯m in my prime!¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    The wagon pulled to a halt where the road forked. One path continued northeast, its dirt well-packed from frequent use, while the other headed south, showing less sign of traffic.


    As the horses neighed and the wagon resumed its journey without them, leaving both Rosa and Father Abraham standing at the intersection of the two roads, they exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Guess you¡¯re stuck with me for a while longer,¡± Rosa said, hefting her klert onto her back and securing it with a strap. She then bent down to pick up her pack from the ground.


    The priest had his own knapsack slung over his shoulder. ¡°And I am quite glad that I am. Rare are the times where I get to enjoy the company of a kindred soul during my travels.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d drink to that if I had one.¡±


    ¡°If I may ask,¡± he began as they started trekking down the road ahead, ¡°who is this acquaintance of yours that you are visiting in Crowcairn?¡±


    Rosa cocked her head as she looked forward. ¡°A friend of a friend, I suppose you could call them? I need a bit of help solving a minor inconvenience, and they¡¯re the only person I know who might be able to assist without jumping through a hoop or one hundred. What about you? What were those ¡®disquieting reports¡¯ that led you here about?¡±


    ¡°Not much, if I am to be entirely frank with you,¡± Father Abraham said. ¡°We received some conflicting information compared to what we knew before, and since I happened to be close by, I took it upon myself to determine the reason for that.¡±


    She glanced at him.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Like he¡¯d said, it was quite the coincidence that he happened to be heading to Crowcairn on the same day as her. Almost too convenient to believe. Was he telling the truth?


    Maybe Scarlett had a reason to advise against getting him involved in their affairs. The woman rarely acted without purpose. Rosa¡¯s gut told her the man was alright, but for the time being, a bit of discretion wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    As they strolled along the path towards Crowcairn, they engaged in some light chatter, but neither spoke much about the reasons for their presence in the area. They didn¡¯t have to voice it to know that the other party was keeping something to themselves, and Rosa liked to think that there was an unspoken understanding not to pry into the other¡¯s business for now.


    Eventually, after about an hour of walking, just as the wagon driver had told them, they neared what appeared to be a smaller settlement. The darkness had deepened to the point where Rosa would typically have relied on the stars and moonlight to see, but a perk of traveling with a priest of Ittar was their handy lumomancy. Father Abraham had conjured several tiny lights that illuminated their path without blinding them, a welcome aid on the somewhat rough road.


    The first proper buildings that came into view were some aging barns along the roadside, but those looked to either be abandoned or unused at this time of year. It wasn¡¯t until ten or so minutes later that they reached what appeared to be Crowcairn itself, which comprised a collection of stone and wooden houses nestled next to a meandering river.


    In the western and eastern parts of the empire, living in a village this exposed to outside threats would have been a nightmare for any ordinary person. Around Wildscar and the Everdust Barrier, Rosa knew that many still lived in fear of another undead incursion from the Undead Council and their horde of spawns, even decades after the last occurrence. In the west, the dense forests and mountains in the region always put one at risk for monster attacks, even during the coldest months of the year.


    Rosa herself had traveled around the western empire on foot plenty of times without too many incidents, and she knew attacks were about as rare as polite dragons nowadays. Still, it was a different thing when one lived in one place year-round, where a single unfortunate attack could scar a village for decades.


    Here in the central parts of the empire, people barely had to worry about those things. Not only had the majority of roaming monsters long since been culled to a point where they were mainly only found in predictable locations¡ªif she were to believe what various Shielders had told her, and they were supposed to be the experts¡ªbut the Faywild Basin south of Bridgespell also acted like a major monster sink, attracting most of the dangerous creatures to it and leaving the surroundings relatively peaceful.


    She bet that without the basin¡¯s proximity, these villagers wouldn¡¯t be enjoying half as relaxed an existence as they were.


    That being said, she was surprised when they entered the village and found that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t quite as tranquil as she had expected. Despite it being well past sunset, there were still people out in the streets and in their workshops, working away where they could. A few individuals sat outside their houses with lanterns beside them as they tended to chores such as washing clothes, and there was even a blacksmith hammering away at some nails in his forge, the sound of his hammer echoing through the village. Shockingly, no one seemed to mind.


    A productive bunch if she¡¯d ever seen one. They reminded her a bit of the people in Freymeadow. Except for the kids, those villagers were constantly occupied with one task or another.


    The people who noticed her and Raimond walking through the village gave them appraising looks, but most didn¡¯t bother with a greeting, even as Rosa waved and smiled.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I was quite expecting them to roll out the welcome mat,¡± she whispered to Father Abraham, leaning in closer to him, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t mind if they at least pretended to say hello.¡±


    ¡°Well, different strokes for different folks. They are the ones missing out, I would say,¡± the man replied. He had dismissed his lights after they entered the settlement and was now surveying the facades of the buildings they passed. ¡°Where will your feet take you to find this acquaintance of yours?¡±


    Rosa followed his gaze, eyeing the houses. ¡°Well, not really sure where around here they live. Was planning on asking around. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Much the same, I¡¯m afraid. It would have been far simpler otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Then how about we both start there?¡± She pointed towards the blacksmith she¡¯d spotted. Given the village¡¯s size, she doubted they had an inn or tavern, so the local blacksmith was probably about as good as they¡¯d get on this short notice.


    Father Abraham motioned with his arm. ¡°You first, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Why, thank you.¡± Rosa gave him a brief curtsy before heading towards the open foundry where the blacksmith was toiling away. It was built into the side of a house near the river, featuring a small forge set into stone with a bellows attached to it.


    The blacksmith was engrossed in his work and didn¡¯t seem to notice as they approached. Rosa cleared her throat gently as they stopped just outside the foundry.


    The man paused, holding a pair of tongs and a hammer in his hands, and looked up at them. A sturdy man with a bald head and deep-set brown eyes, he was exactly the sort that Rosa imagined communicated in huffs and grunts.


    ¡°Hiya there,¡± she began. ¡°Sorry to bother you in your work and all that, but would you mind answering a couple of questions?¡±


    The blacksmith¡¯s eyes shifted, focusing on her briefly before scanning Father Abraham¡¯s appearance, lingering on the priest¡¯s robes, and then returning to Rosa. ¡°Yes,¡± he grunted in exactly the gruff voice she¡¯d been expecting.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just keep it to one,¡± she replied with a smile, turning to Raimond to give him a playful wink, earning a betrayed expression from him. First come, first serve.


    The blacksmith regarded her for a moment, then set his hammer down on a nearby table with what sounded like a sigh. If a bear had made it. ¡°Speak.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s smile grew. ¡°On it. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know where I can find a person called Malachi around here, would you?¡±


    The man seemed surprised, studying her for a bit before setting his tongs aside as well and crossing his arms. ¡°¡­Up north. Keep going for half an hour and you¡¯ll reach it. Don¡¯t bother telling her I sent you.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t do.¡± Rosa held up her thumb and index in a circle as she turned around to leave.


    ¡°Good sir, now that you¡¯ve graciously expended some effort to answer the lady¡¯s question, might you perhaps indulge one of mine?¡± Father Abraham asked.


    Rosa paused, glancing back at the blacksmith, who turned his attention to the priest, forehead forming into a slight glower. ¡°No. Now leave.¡±


    She suppressed a slight chuckle at the dejected look on Father Abraham¡¯s face.


    As the two of them walked away from the foundry, the priest drew in a long breath and then sighed. ¡°I thought I was being rather polite. Could it have something to do with how I look?¡±


    Rosa shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. Maybe he just didn¡¯t find you as charming as me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Father Abraham¡¯s brow furrowed, then he shook his head. ¡°No, I simply cannot fathom such a scenario. At the very least, I am at least as charming as you, no?¡±


    Rosa squinted at him, examining his features. He was about as handsome as men got if you asked her, but if anything, that made men like that blacksmith think you were less charming. Not that there¡¯d be any actual fun in pointing that out.


    ¡°Maybe you should try wearing a dress instead of those robes of yours. Might improve your chances next time you have to ask questions.¡±


    ¡°I would rather not. The last time I attempted anything of the sort, I almost found myself wed to a baron searching for a mother for his destitute daughter. Poor man is likely traumatised to this day.¡±


    Rosa snorted. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to tell me that story sometime.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, perhaps after imbibing a few spirits, or a dozen. You are buying, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. We¡¯ll have to see about that one. No promises.¡± Spotting a road leading out of the village and northward, Rosa turned to Father Abraham. ¡°I think this is where we¡¯ll have to part ways for now. If your business is here in the village, there isn¡¯t much point to you following me all the way to where I¡¯m going. We¡¯ll have to catch up at a later time and swap more stories.¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze started roaming their surroundings. ¡°You won¡¯t be waiting until morning to meet this acquaintance of yours?¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯ll be easier to get it done right away.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to waste any time if she could help it. The person she was looking for might not be available at the moment, but if they were, she didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Father Abraham wore a thoughtful expression on his face as he examined the buildings, stopping for a moment to look at an older lady who was watching them from the doorstep of her house as she wrung out some wet clothes. ¡°Very well. I suppose I¡¯ll have to find some lodgings for the night before inquiring with some of the other villagers about my own matter. If fortune smiles upon us once more, perhaps our paths will cross again just as we¡¯re about to depart for Bridgespell, Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Rosa. I think I told you that the first time we met, honestly.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°That you did. Then, Rosa, until next we meet.¡±


    ¡°Until then, Ray.¡± She nodded to him before spinning on her heel and setting off down the road out of the village.


    While she enjoyed the man¡¯s company, she didn¡¯t mind leaving him to his affairs here. Her instincts told her she¡¯d rather not get too caught up in that, if possible. She had an inkling that she wasn¡¯t the only one to spot the strange signs in this village.


    As long as those matters didn¡¯t intersect with her objective here, it was all well and good. She already had her purpose, and she¡¯d promised to get back to Bridgespell safely after that. That¡¯s where her focus lay.


    And it all began with finding this Malachi person.

 Chapter 184 - Malachi

    It took Rosa well over thirty minutes to reach the place the blacksmith had mentioned, even though she¡¯d tried maintaining a brisk pace to keep warm on the chilly night. Trudging through the darkness, she found herself thinking it might have been worth keeping Father Abraham around, if only for him to serve as a human lantern. It would certainly have helped her avoid a few near-tumbles on the way.


    The first sign of habitation she found northwards was in the form of a decaying, timeworn fence enclosing a vast field on the right side of the road. The dark masked how far it stretched, but it was clear that it hadn¡¯t been used actively for a considerable period.


    Soon, she spotted a farmstead that looked to have been untouched by human hands for years. Still, it was the first place that might count as a ¡®home¡¯ Rosa encountered, and the blacksmith had made no mention of continuing past it, so she ventured off the beaten path and headed towards it.


    As she approached, her eyes swept across the farmstead. At its center stood a stone well, and beside an old barn lay a heap of rusted tools. If this was where that Malachi person lived, Rosa doubted they were a farmer.


    That brought up some questions about what such an individual would be doing living in such a remote location. The elderly woman who¡¯d told Rosa about Malachi had also issued a warning about them being dangerous, though the nature of that danger remained a mystery. It could range anywhere from them being a knife-wielding maniac to a terrible cook, and Rosa really didn¡¯t know what to expect. The entire situation had her on edge.


    The unsettling atmosphere of this place didn¡¯t help with her unease, and it felt like something could jump out at her at any moment now. The farmstead didn¡¯t just feel abandoned. It felt forsaken. At first, Rosa had thought it was the visions playing tricks on her senses, but with every step closer she got, that impression became more entrenched.


    She paused as she caught a flicker of movement between two buildings. Whatever it was had a tail, but was it just her imagination, or did the tail have spikes?


    Normally, she would write that off as another product of her visions, but this place made her reluctant to dismiss it like that. Though it would be just like her ¡®freeloader¡¯ to exploit that uncertainty and use it against her.


    Reaching behind her, Rosa unstrapped her klert, clutching the wooden instrument tightly. She remained vigilant, ears cocked for any unusual sounds. After a while, she resumed her slow approach, making her way towards the structure that appeared to be the main building. A dilapidated homestead that belonged in the types of tales you told children to keep them from running off into the woods in the middle of the night for fun. When she reached the entrance, she extended her hand to knock on the timeworn planks of the door.


    Then she waited.


    Unsurprisingly, there was no immediate response. Even if someone was home, a knock at the door might not rouse them from their slumber. She tried knocking again, this time with more force. For once, she didn¡¯t mind a touch of rudeness. Strangely enough, she felt more exposed standing here in front of the house and waiting than she had standing out in the open.


    Several more minutes elapsed as she tried knocking a third time. She was starting to worry that there either wasn¡¯t anybody here or that this wasn¡¯t enough to catch their attention.


    ¡°And who are you?¡± a raspy voice suddenly pierced the night¡¯s silence.


    Rosa nearly jumped out of fright, spinning around to face a figure draped in dark robes. A hood concealed their head and most of their features in the shadows. For just a brief moment, she squinted her eyes to confirm if they were real or not. Then, shaking her head, she wore a smile. ¡°You practically startled me out of my skin, but hello there. Fancy meeting someone else in these parts. I¡¯m Rosa, and I was looking for the person living here.¡±


    The figure, a woman, it seemed, regarded her from beneath the hood¡¯s shroud. Rosa glimpsed the faint hint of a smirk forming on pale lips. ¡°A peculiar woman arriving at my abode in the dead of night is a rare occurrence. Especially one so young¡­and bright.¡±


    ¡°Er, right¡­¡± Rosa glanced around, examining their surroundings. ¡°A bit of an unconventional greeting, that, but I guess I¡¯ve heard worse. I take it you¡¯re Malachi?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been called that,¡± the woman answered. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I think I might need your help.¡±


    ¡°My help?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have a¡­unique problem, and I¡¯ve been told you might have some more insights into it. I¡¯m more than willing to pay, if that helps any.¡± Rosa reached into her pack and retrieved a pouch that clinked with the sound of coins. Scarlett was generous enough with her pay, and Rosa had been able to save up a decent sum now that she didn¡¯t have to worry about covering basic expenses. ¡°Just name your price.¡±


    Malachi studied her for a moment. ¡°Follow me,¡± the woman eventually said, turning around and walking away.


    Rosa briefly looked back at the door she¡¯d been knocking on before hurrying to trail after her. Malachi led her around the building¡¯s exterior and towards a smaller side barn. With a loud creak, she pulled open its doors¡ªRosa would definitely have heard it if the woman had come from here¡ªbefore entering. The barn¡¯s interior was so dark that Malachi¡¯s black attire almost seamlessly blended in with the shadows, forcing Rosa to tread carefully as she followed.


    As they came to a stop in front of a hatch set into the floor, Malachi leaned over and pulled it open, revealing an unlit stone stairwell descending into darkness. Rosa strained to see where it led, but it was impossible.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dally. Come,¡± Malachi instructed, beginning her descent.


    Rosa hesitated, a frown creasing her forehead. Following a cloaked, enigmatic, and potentially dangerous figure down a pitch-black stairway wasn¡¯t her idea of good fun. Or anything good, really. It got her thinking that maybe she should have borrowed those enchanted glasses of Scarlett¡¯s that let one see the dark, but it was too late for regrets now.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    If she met her end in the belly of some concealed monstrosity lurking in the shadows, at least she¡¯d die blissfully ignorant of how it looked.


    With what she felt was a reasonable measure of reluctance, she gingerly took her first step, then continued down, one cautious step at a time. Her hand searched for the coolness of the stone wall as a guide, tracing her descent into the impenetrable darkness. In her other hand, she held her klert and the strap of her pack. Navigating by touch, she listened for any sounds indicating the presence of her hopefully-not-secretly-a-cannibal guide.


    Finally, her feet met a level surface when she reached what seemed to be a corridor of sorts. A door swung open ahead, flooding the corridor with a burst of light that nearly blinded Rosa, and she glimpsed Malachi entering the room beyond. The woman glanced back at her, as if waiting for her to catch up.


    Rosa sped up and followed her into the room, only to stop abruptly.


    It was a spacious underground chamber, hewn from stone and illuminated by the emerald glow of green crystals embedded in the walls. At one end, several tables were cluttered with an assortment of strange, sharp tools and instruments, flanked by rows of odd glass-enclosed containers. Within those containers was the kind of stuff that haunted Rosa¡¯s visions.


    Creatures adorned with dark scales of purple and crimson, sporting sharp and menacing features, along with rows of teeth capable of rending flesh. Eyes gleaming with pure malice, flickering an intense blood-red as they focused on her, as though anticipating fresh prey.


    They embodied everything the tales had described and more, a sight Rosa had never wished to encounter firsthand like this. Demons.


    She¡¯d already taken a step back without realizing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. They bite, but not through glass,¡± Malachi spoke, moving across the room. She pulled back her hood, revealing a mass of thick, disorderly silvery-grey hair tightly wound into a bun. ¡°They are part of my experiments.¡±


    ¡°¡­Experiments, you say? That¡¯s a pretty unique hobby, if you ask me.¡± Rosa kept her cool as her gaze darted between the imprisoned demons. There were five in total, each glaring at her as if she were a piece of raw meat. It was unnerving. Was that glass really enough to stop them from reaching her? And why had Malachi brought her here before anything else?


    The looming uncertainty of exactly how much danger she was in did not help her feel better.


    ¡°So they tell me.¡± The woman stopped beside a table with books and parchments spread across it, picking up a glass filled with a milky white liquid and drinking it. Then, she turned her attention back to Rosa.


    Rosa masked her surprise when she finally got a clear view of her appearance.


    Malachi wasn¡¯t as old as her raspy voice and grey hair suggested, though faint lines marked her face. What drew Rosa¡¯s attention the most, however, were the woman¡¯s eyes. They were a striking emerald green, and they were glowing.


    ¡°None of this should be too surprising to you, given your distinctive constitution,¡± Malachi said.


    Rosa¡¯s train of thought ground to a halt. ¡°¡­You can tell there¡¯s something wrong with me that quickly? What do you see?¡±


    ¡°The connection between you and the realms beyond the Veil is exceptionally potent. Intriguing.¡± Malachi pivoted towards a different table, filled with what mostly appeared to be a collection of cutting implements. Rosa paused for a moment as the woman picked up an object resembling a sextant equipped with multiple lenses. Malachi adjusted it and directed it at Rosa. ¡°I wonder why, hmm¡­?¡±


    ¡°Veil?¡± Rosa eyed the woman closely, trying to decipher the meaning behind the words while she kept the conversation going. ¡°What veil?¡±


    Malachi lowered the instrument and regarded her for a few seconds. ¡°You lack learning.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I didn¡¯t.¡±


    The woman clicked her tongue and strode over towards the nearest demon-occupied container. Inside resided a four-limbed creature that could best be described as a grotesque fusion of a hyena, a lizard, and an armory¡¯s worth of daggers for scales. Rosa instinctively took another step back when Malachi opened a small hatch in the glass and, with swift movements that she could barely follow, reached inside to grab the demon¡¯s head.


    The demon struggled, but its feeble attempts made it appear almost pitiful. The woman effortlessly overpowered it, dragging it towards the edge of the container. Its body was forced against the glass as Malachi pulled its head through the hatch, aiming it at Rosa.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± she demanded.


    The demon continued to squirm and twist its body, but its fiery red eyes never left Rosa for even a moment, dark viscous saliva dripping from its jaws.


    ¡°I asked a question.¡± Malachi pressed long nails into the demon¡¯s scales, and it let out a piercing wail that assaulted Rosa¡¯s ears, evoking memories of some of the things she¡¯d heard in her visions.


    ¡°I-Incarnate. Incarnate. Incarnate!!¡± the demon howled in a voice that cut like knives.


    Malachi stilled for a moment. ¡°¡­Incarnate, you say? Interesting¡­¡± The woman forced the demon¡¯s head back through the shaft and released her grip. With an almost careless motion, she sealed the container and turned her attention back to Rosa, giving her a scrutinizing gaze.


    A shiver danced down Rosa¡¯s spine as those luminous green eyes bore into her. The term ¡®incarnate¡¯ was unfamiliar to her, but fragments of understanding began to fit together from her past experiences. The most pressing question now was what this term meant to the person before her, though.


    ¡°It would seem fortune has smiled upon you, given how you likely wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now if you had encountered any other demons before,¡± Malachi said. She gestured towards the demon still fixated on Rosa behind the glass. ¡°If this one had the opportunity to squeal, half of the Blazes would be on your trail within a fortnight. But not to worry, it won¡¯t be spilling any secrets while imprisoned here. The same holds true for all of my projects.¡±


    Rosa lapsed into a brief silence, swallowing as she considered her situation and the implications of Malachi¡¯s words. Instinct had urged her to flee from the moment she arrived, but reason was saying to stay. This was her long-awaited opportunity to finally get some insight into her life, and this person clearly possessed more knowledge about her circumstances than anyone else she¡¯d met.


    Except, perhaps, Scarlett, depending on what the noblewoman was withholding. But Scarlett had wanted her to go here. The woman had orchestrated it. Rosa trusted that meant whatever answers she was looking for could be found here, with this Malachi person.


    But Scarlett had also expressed concerns for her safety, likely for a reason.


    ¡°Why would demons be after me?¡± Rosa eventually asked.


    She suspected she knew, and she might always have, deep down. Maybe she had simply been unwilling to look her problems in the face enough to notice.


    Malachi shook her head, strolling back over to the cluttered tables to return the sextant to its place. ¡°To not even know what you are. Surviving thus far, evading capture or endless servitude, is a remarkable feat. Though I suppose the presence that accompanies you is the cause for that. It cannot touch you directly yet, and it trusts no one else to do its bidding regarding something so sensitive, so it¡¯s kept you hidden like a dragon guarding its hoard.¡±


    Rosa took a tentative step forward. ¡°You can sense its presence?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°What, yes. Ordinarily, who would be more of an enigma, but not after recent events.¡± A disturbing smile appeared on Malachi¡¯s face.


    Rosa inched closer. ¡°¡­And who is it?"


    As the question left her lips, something stirred inside. It was as if she had called its name, and she felt her passenger¡¯s attention focus on her. It had been strangely calm until now, but now that was over.


    However, counter to her expectations, there were no nightmarish visions distorting her surroundings. Everything in the underground chamber remained as it was. The entity within her was merely watching¡­


    Waiting.


    ¡°That knowledge,¡± Malachi answered slowly, her smile growing slightly maniacal, ¡°is something you must earn.¡±

 Chapter 185 - The princess is always in another tower

    Scarlett reclined against the cabin wall behind her, eyes half-shut as the carriage swayed gently. She tried to ignore the persistent headache that had plagued her since morning. The day had presented her with a whirlwind of thoughts, far more than she cared to entertain.


    From the opposite end of the cabin, Allyssa¡¯s voice broke the silence that hung over them. ¡°Is it really alright that we¡¯re coming along?¡±


    Scarlett cracked her eyes open, studying the girl. ¡°You need not worry. This is merely another facet of your duties while under my employ.¡±


    ¡°I get that,¡± Allyssa said. The young Shielder leaned forward in her seat, peering out one of the windows. ¡°It just feels strange, being granted entry to a place like this so casually. Don¡¯t they have to vet us or something? And it all happened so suddenly. I didn¡¯t even have time to mentally prepare myself.¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t blame her for her concerns. She hadn¡¯t anticipated this course of events either. Her attention shifted from Allyssa to the world outside, where their carriage approached a set of steep stone walls rising from the cobbled streets. Tall, crenelated towers rose beyond the walls, crowned with fluttering banners bearing the crest of a black and gold lion fluttering in the breeze.


    Passing through the gatehouse, they entered a sprawling courtyard alive with a medley of activities.


    Lordsfort Keep, in many respects, served as the heart of Bridgespell, and despite also being the personal residence of a duke, it embodied many of the values present in the city. Though it lacked the grandeur of the Tyndalls¡¯ Castle in Windgrove, and wasn¡¯t even close to being as large, it buzzed with people bustling from left to right, ranging from servants to traders and guardsmen. The keep was a melting pot of diverse backgrounds and wasn¡¯t restricted only to the duke¡¯s men.


    To the side, smaller structures likely housed armories, servants¡¯ quarters, work offices, and more, while the main stronghold stood as the centerpiece overlooking it all. Its imposing facade featured stained glass windows of vivid hues, filtering daylight into a tapestry of colors. It alone was easily double the size of the Hartford mansion in Freybrook, with guards standing before its entrances.


    ¡°We¡¯ve still got our job to do, so try to keep those nerves at bay,¡± Shin said, placing a hand on Allyssa¡¯s shoulder and pulling her back into her seat to stop her from staring too much. ¡°Maybe you should take a page out of Fynn¡¯s book.¡±


    He gestured towards the white-haired youth seated to Scarlett¡¯s left. Fynn wore a stoic expression as he gazed outside.


    Allyssa shot Shin a small glare. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m still not used to visiting castles regularly. I¡¯m sure you have lots of experience visiting the home of literally one of the most powerful people in the empire.¡± She crossed her arms as she leaned back in her seat with a huff. ¡°And don¡¯t compare me to Fynn. That¡¯s hardly fair. I doubt he even knows what anxious means.¡±


    Fynn turned to her. ¡°Actually, I do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? And when was the last time you felt anxious?¡±


    He fell silent, tilting his head as if considering it. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m allowed to say.¡±


    Allyssa blinked, and both she and Shin glanced at Scarlett.


    Scarlett suppressed a small sigh. She¡¯d thought Fynn had made significant progress in terms of keeping secrets lately, but there were still areas he needed to improve on.


    ¡°When was the last time that you can speak about?¡± Allyssa asked, returning her attention to Fynn.


    Now it was Fynn¡¯s turn to look at Scarlett, motioning with his head. ¡°When I first met her.¡±


    Allyssa nodded, her blonde locks swaying as she did. ¡°Okay, yeah. I get that.¡±


    Scarlett frowned slightly. Interacting with her wasn¡¯t that stressful, was it? She thought she had grown pretty relaxed overall, honestly. Relatively speaking.


    A lot of that was probably because of Rosa, though. That woman¡¯s presence brooked no solemnity.


    Tapping a finger against the windowsill beside her, Scarlett¡¯s thoughts inevitably circled back to the bard and her current situation, frown deepening.


    This was exactly what she had been trying not to dwell on.


    It irked her that Rosa had chosen to leave by herself. When they met again, Scarlett had some choice words to share with her. Until then, however, she couldn¡¯t do anything other than hope for the best.


    That, too, irked her.


    She had tried reaching out to The Gentleman through Empress to get his help. He was about the only individual she could trust to aid with the matter without her actually having to say anything revealing. He had also admitted to not having much stake in the situation, so she¡¯d hoped he could perform some minor action in exchange for another favor or something of the sort. But since she had asked the cat to relay the message the day before, there had been nothing but radio silence on that end. That could mean anything, which was the annoying part.


    Her primary concern centered on what could happen to Rosa in Crowcairn. It wasn¡¯t the safest of places, for a multitude of reasons. Malachi was also a dangerous individual in more ways than one, and cooperation wasn¡¯t her strong suit, but considering what Rosa was, it was unlikely that Malachi would hurt her. The village and its inhabitants, however, were another matter. They could pose a threat to Rosa, depending on how things went.


    If Scarlett could intervene in any of it, she would. But she had already explored what options were available to her while constrained by her pact with Anguish. The most efficient avenues came with a host of conditions and complications, and she suspected that Rosa would never accept them if she ever got word of it.


    Yet, even setting aside the whole Rosa situation, Scarlett had her own affairs to deal with today. If she had time to worry about these things, then she also had time to consider her present course of action.


    The carriage came to a halt at the end of the courtyard. Scarlett exited alongside her entourage, where a well-dressed male servant awaited, bowing as they approached.


    ¡°Welcome, Baroness Hartford. The Duke is expecting you in the parlour.¡±


    Scarlett acknowledged the man with a quick nod as they followed him into the manor.


    Initially, she had different plans for the day than visiting the Duke of Bridgespell. However, this morning brought a sudden invitation from Duke Valentino to their inn, requesting an urgent meeting. She didn¡¯t have any pressing business with him, and she would have preferred to continue with her affairs for the day, but a duke¡¯s summons wasn¡¯t something you disregarded if you could afford not to.


    That said, it was unusual for a duke to bother summoning a mere baroness to his residence, especially one without any holdings near his lands. It did leave her curious about the purpose of the meeting, as the invitation had been vague on the details.


    She did find it slightly surprising that he was even aware of her presence in the city. The Kilnstone network was under the crown¡¯s jurisdiction, and information about individuals¡¯ use of it shouldn¡¯t be readily available, even to a duke. She supposed establishments like the Golden Griffin Inn or the Golden Gavel might provide some information to a man of his standing, but it didn¡¯t explain why he was interested in her specifically.


    Sure, there were plenty of things that stood out about her, but which of those were relevant to him? She¡¯d never spoken with the man, and she doubted the original Scarlett had much of a relationship with him, either.


    Presumably, she would soon have the answer.


    As they navigated the manor¡¯s corridors under the servant¡¯s guidance, Scarlett noted that there were an unusually high number of guards around, stationed at the doors and in the corridors they passed. Most bore Duke Valentino¡¯s colors, but some donned more neutral attire that didn''t hint at their allegiance.


    Had there been some sort of attack, or were they expecting one? Perhaps there was some distinguished guest warranting the heightened security, though the candidates of people fitting that criteria at a duke¡¯s residence were limited.


    Eventually, they reached a single ornate door, where the male servant stopped and faced Scarlett¡¯s party. ¡°The Duke is awaiting you inside, Baroness. I will have to ask the remainder of your party to accompany me for the time being.¡±


    Fynn and the others exchanged brief looks with Scarlett. Fynn, in particular, appeared to sense something behind the door, judging by his expression, but Scarlett signaled that it was fine. She doubted she would face any danger in this setting.


    As her companions were led away, Scarlett entered the room.


    The duke¡¯s parlour was very much a sanctuary of comfort and elegance, with exquisite tapestries depicting pastoral scenes and intricate patterns woven in threads of gold and black adorning the walls. Sunlight streamed in through sizable glass windows, illuminating the room and drawing her attention to its center.


    Seated in plush velvet armchairs were two individuals.


    The first person was someone Scarlett had only seen a couple of times before, but whose presence she expected. Duke Ingomar Valentino was a somewhat portly but robustly built man in his late fifties, dressed in black attire trimmed with golden embellishments. His neck-length hair, streaked with white on the sides, framed his rumpled face that boasted a thin mustache, and his hand rested on the head of a cane leaning against his chair.


    The other seated figure was the one who caused Scarlett¡¯s eyes to widen. Almost instinctively, she lowered herself into a small curtsy. ¡°May the brilliance of dawn greet the empire¡¯s burgeoning sun. Baroness Scarlett Hartford extends her greetings to the crown prince.¡±


    Occupying the chair opposite the Duke of Bridgespell was a young man with short, vibrant blond hair cascading to one side, dressed in a red-and-blue uniform accentuated by golden pauldrons and bracers. His gaze shifted to Scarlett as she spoke, regarding her with a casual look.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Behind the crown prince stood two familiar figures, donned in resplendent gold-white armor, helmets held under their arms. Dame Iyana Webb and Dame Leandra Alston stood guard, Second Sword and Third Sword of the Empire. Dame Iyana maintained an impassive mask, briefly assessing Scarlett, while Dame Leandra considered her with an odd expression.


    Scarlett suppressed some of the reverence and pride that surged within her upon encountering a member of the imperial family. While the intensity was milder than the first few times she¡¯d experienced this same feeling, she still found it slightly annoying that it happened in the first place. This annoyance, in turn, irritated the Scarlett part of her, which was even more vexing, creating a loop of frustration.


    This damn system really made her emotional state thoroughly more complicated than it had to be.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the time to think about things like that. Her most immediate concern was understanding why she had been summoned to Duke Valentino¡¯s residence with the crown prince in attendance.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford.¡± Duke Valentino¡¯s tone held a note of authority as he gestured towards a third armchair positioned before the low mahogany table between him and the prince. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered briefly on the prince before she offered a slight nod to the Duke, moving over to the armchair and settling in. ¡°This is a¡­surprise, Your Grace, Your Highness. When I received the invitation this morning, I had not anticipated to be in such illustrious company.¡±


    ¡°The circumstances called for discretion,¡± the Duke explained. ¡°Although I had intended to meet with you myself after learning of your presence in my city, if I found the time, today was not originally the day for that. Prince Garden and I, however, have been deliberating over some pressing matters, and we concluded that your expertise might be pertinent to our discussions. That is why I had you sent for.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Scarlett replied, her gaze shifting between the duke, the crown prince, and the Royal Guards standing behind the prince. It seemed they weren¡¯t wasting any time getting to the point. ¡°In what capacity do you require my expertise? If it serves the empire and the Imperial Family, I am, of course, committed to providing my assistance to the best of my abilities.¡±


    Leaning back in his seat, arms crossed, the prince scrutinized her closely. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure what was going through his mind. Despite the prominent role he held within the empire, he appeared so little in the game that she barely knew anything about his character.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had the opportunity to meet with my sister before, haven¡¯t you, Baroness?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I assume you are referring to Princess Regina, Your Highness?¡± Scarlett cast a brief glance in the direction of Dame Leandra. Most of the woman¡¯s pale blonde hair was tied up in a bun, and her sharp eyes met Scarlett¡¯s for a moment. Typically, Leandra would be escorting the first princess, so seeing her with the crown prince like this was strange when he already had Dame Iyana with him.


    ¡°Hilde seldom leaves Elystead, so yes, Regina. I have heard that you¡¯re experienced in matters related to Zuverian history and artifacts, and she has been obsessed with that stuff since she was young,¡± the prince said.


    ¡°I do recall the First Princess once inquiring with me about my knowledge on the subject, so that does not surprise me,¡± Scarlett remarked, her attention returning to the duke and prince. She wasn¡¯t sure she liked where this was heading. ¡°Could this matter, by any chance, be related to that?¡±


    The duke fixed her with a long, serious look. ¡°Whatever is discussed within these walls must remain within them, understood? If this confidentiality is breached, do not assume you and your barony will escape unscathed, Baroness.¡±


    A subtle frown formed on Scarlett¡¯s brow. That boded even worse. ¡°Rest assured, you have my word that I will not divulge the contents of this meeting to anyone outside this room.¡±


    The man thoughtfully moved a thumb over the crown of his cane, his eyes locked on her. After a moment, he nodded. ¡°Very well,¡± he said, shifting his attention to the crown prince. ¡°Your Highness, if you will.¡±


    The prince began to speak in a measured voice. ¡°My sister has gone missing.¡±


    Scarlett stared at him.


    She had been thinking that this all sounded far too familiar to certain events she recognized.


    ¡°¡­If I may ask, what precisely do you mean by that?¡± she asked. ¡°Has something happened to Her Highness?¡±


    The prince shook his head. ¡°No, not as far as I¡¯m aware. Rather, she was the one who did something. She has run away.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips formed a thin line. It was exactly like she thought.


    Did this line up with when the princess disappeared in the game? The timeline was a bit messed up because of her and the Cabal¡¯s actions, leaving her uncertain if events were unfolding according to what she knew. While she remembered that the princess could join the player¡¯s party roughly around level 10-30, she wasn¡¯t sure how long that time frame was in this world. It felt as though it should have passed by now.


    ¡°What compelled Her Highness to do so?¡± she asked seriously. ¡°Did she do so on her lonesome?¡±


    Scarlett had previously held some slight concerns that the princess might decide to run away and join her party, given the game¡¯s narrative. Obviously, that hadn¡¯t happened. Nevertheless, the fact remained that the princess had vanished. The question now was whether this meant the princess was always destined to run away, regardless if she had someone to join in her travels, or if there was someone she had run away with.


    ¡°My sister is one of the most dedicated and earnest people I know,¡± the crown prince said. ¡°She approaches her responsibilities seriously and possesses a deeper understanding of imperial administration than most ministers. The exact reason behind her absconding is a mystery to everyone, my father and myself included. According to Dame Leandra, Regina had been increasingly preoccupied with her research on the Zuver lately, so we suspect there may be a connection, but that¡¯s all we know. We don¡¯t know if she acted alone or with assistance. Dame Leandra was the last to speak with Regina, so it would be better to ask her.¡±


    Scarlett turned her attention to the knight in question. ¡°When did the princess disappear?¡±


    ¡°About three weeks ago,¡± Dame Leandra replied, her expression now revealing no thoughts. ¡°We had just visited one of Her Highness¡¯ acquaintances in Kilsfell when she disappeared during the night, leaving only a note not to worry about her whereabouts.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. That would have been right before the Tyndall Ball.


    Her eyes moved over to Dame Iyana, who maintained her stoic demeanor, gazing into the non-existent distance while clad in her white plate armor. If Scarlett remembered correctly, during the ball, the knight had mentioned that Dame Leandra couldn¡¯t attend due to ¡®prior commitments¡¯. Presumably, this mess was what she had been referring to.


    ¡°Someone resembling Her Highness was reportedly sighted in Bridgespell last week,¡± Duke Valentino added. ¡°Given her interest in Zuverian research, we suspect that she might have visited the city in pursuit of such matters. However, we are uncertain about the specifics. That is why I summoned you, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°If so, would it not have been better to consult the mage towers or the Ustrum Assembly?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°They possess extensive knowledge of the Zuver and their history in the empire.¡±


    The man scoffed. ¡°Like I said, this is a matter that demands discretion. It cannot be casually disclosed to the Assembly and their ilk without regard. Furthermore, Baroness, haven¡¯t your recent accomplishments in the field already exceeded those of both the Assembly and the mage towers for the last two decades? It would seem your expertise is at least on par with, if not superior to, theirs. Given that this concerns the Imperial Family, it is best entrusted to those who have pledged their service.¡±


    ¡°The Duke apprised me of your recent performances in the field,¡± the prince said, studying Scarlett. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to inquire whether you possessed any insights into my sister¡¯s activities in Bridgespell or her potential destination.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Scarlett replied. It seemed like the duke greatly overestimated her expertise on the Zuver and underestimated the mage towers and the Assembly¡¯s. ¡°Unfortunately, it is difficult to provide a definitive response with the information available.¡±


    What had happened and the princess¡¯ intentions hinged largely on how her actions aligned with the game¡¯s plot. There were plenty of implications here, but what exactly it all meant was something Scarlett herself dearly wanted the answer to.


    If the princess had run away just like in the game¡­ If she wasn¡¯t alone¡­ What did that hold for Scarlett? Was it good? Bad? Both? With her knowledge of the princess¡¯ motivations, should she assist her in eluding capture, or support the crown prince in his search? Or maybe avoiding getting involved was the best course of action.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough if you provide your thoughts or suggest possibilities,¡± the prince said. ¡°My sister is in possession of an artifact that renders even the most potent of divinations at our disposal useless. At this point, we can¡¯t afford to stand idle.¡±


    Their eyes met briefly, and Scarlett detected a hint of irritation in the prince¡¯s expression. It would be strange if he were happy with the current situation.


    ¡°¡­In that case, there are certain locations that come to mind. While I have yet to confirm their existence, my research suggests the possible presence of some undiscovered Zuverian ruins to the east of Bridgespell. While I do not know how Her Highness would have learned of them, these ruins would undoubtedly be of interest to someone like her. However, if she was spotted in the city a week ago, it is improbable that she remains here.¡±


    Those particular ruins were pretty low-level from what Scarlett remembered. Not to mention that they were probably a day or two¡¯s journey from Bridgespell. She hadn¡¯t deemed them worth exploring, given that she didn¡¯t need anything from them and that there was always the uncertainty of finding the entrance to begin with.


    ¡°We¡¯ll explore the possibility, even if it¡¯s unlikely.¡± The prince leaned forward in his seat. ¡°If you were in her place, where else would you go? Are there other locations within the empire that would be of special significance to her?¡±


    Scarlett considered his question.


    He seemed to be overlooking the gravity of what he was asking. He was essentially requesting her to hand over rare and valuable information, just like that. Perhaps he intended to compensate her later, but it was still a bit audacious of him. Even as the empire¡¯s future ruler, he lacked the authority to demand whatever he wished from nobles. There were laws and conventions that governed the obligations between sovereign and subject.


    Nevertheless, there was also a certain level of compliance expected from a minor noble like Scarlett in a situation like this. The prince¡¯s expectations weren¡¯t entirely unreasonable, especially considering the seriousness of the circumstances. Still, it didn¡¯t leave her with the most favorable impression of him. She preferred his sister.


    A fact that made it all the more annoying that she wanted to answer his question, just because of some idiosyncratic fixation the original Scarlett seemingly had for the imperial family.


    ¡°I would recommend that you begin by investigating other prominent ruins and sites associated with the Zuver,¡± she answered after a brief pause. ¡°Based on my limited interactions with Her Highness, I have gathered that she is an inquisitive and astute individual. It would not surprise me if she chose to investigate established sites in pursuit of her own research on the Zuver, if that is indeed what she is doing. Unfortunately, that is the extent of what advice I can provide.¡±


    For now, Scarlett wanted to remain as neutral as she could in this situation. It was unlikely that they would locate the princess through this approach at this point, so she didn¡¯t mind contributing this much. The princess may well have explored existing ruins if she had the chance, but if she had already located the ruins east of Bridgespell, the young woman was already ahead of that point in her research. Scarlett wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the princess turned out to be more adept at discovering new ruins than she was in the near future. In the game, one of the easiest ways to find new ruins was to have the princess in one¡¯s party.


    The crown prince seemed somewhat dissatisfied with her response, but after exchanging a glance with the duke, he shook his head as if indicating that it would suffice for now. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone compile a list of notable Zuverian sites to be investigated. As for the possible ruins you mentioned here near Bridgespell, you can discuss that in more detail with Dame Leandra. She has assumed responsibility for tracking my sister¡¯s whereabouts and ensuring her safety. Any assistance you provide in this matter will be duly rewarded later.¡± He stood from his seat, straightening his clothes. ¡°I would stay longer, but I¡¯m only passing through Bridgespell and have other pressing affairs to tend to. Duke Valentino, I appreciate your contribution to the issue, and I shall convey your insights regarding the other matter to my father. Farewell.¡±


    With those words, the prince left, and Dame Iyana followed. However, before her exit, the knight cast a final look at Scarlett and nodded slightly. Scarlett returned the nod, which earned her a slightly intrigued look from Dame Leandra, who stayed behind.


    A moment of silence enveloped the room after the two¡¯s departure. Eventually, Duke Valentino leveraged his cane to push himself up from his armchair, wincing as he supported his weight with a noticeable limp. ¡°I will return after tending to my own workload, Baroness. The servants will bring any implements and maps that you require while you provide Dame Leandra with any information you have. After that, I would like to ask that you meet with me again since I have another matter I wish to discuss with you.¡±


    With that, the duke also exited the room, leaving Scarlett alone in the company of Dame Leandra. The knight gave her a long, appraising gaze before raising an amused eyebrow. ¡°Well, Baroness. Let¡¯s get to it, then.¡±

 Chapter 186 - Ducal discussions

    Scarlett observed Dame Leandra as the knight circled the armchair behind which she had stood guard and settled into the seat where the crown prince had previously sat. She placed her sword¡¯s sheath against the chair with a casual yet unmistakably focused movement, and her brilliant white armor allowed for a surprising range of movement while producing barely any noise.


    The woman rested her helmet¡ªcrowned by a miniature golden dragon¡ªon the table between them. She briefly met Scarlett¡¯s gaze before glancing back at the door. ¡°You and Dame Iyana seemed to know each other. Are you acquainted from before?¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. They were starting with that? ¡°I crossed paths with her during the Tyndall Ball in Windgrove. We had the opportunity to become familiar with each other at that time, though I will not claim to be particularly close to her.¡±


    A flicker of surprise showed on the knight¡¯s expression. ¡°Dame Iyana tends to attract plenty of attention as a Royal Guard member. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen her bother extending much courtesy to others while on duty, though. You must have made an impression.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. In my opinion, she left a more lasting impression, but I suppose that is to be expected from one of the empire¡¯s most skilled swordswomen.¡±


    Dame Leandra returned her focus to Scarlett, studying her with keen eyes for a moment. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Shall we proceed to the matter at hand?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The knight¡¯s demeanor shifted slightly, growing more serious as she nodded. ¡°His Highness has already briefed you on the crucial details. Her Highness Princess Regina is missing, and I have been entrusted with overseeing the efforts to find her. I need the location of these nearby ruins you spoke of so that I can determine whether Her Highness has been there or not.¡±


    ¡°And if she has?¡± Scarlett folded her hands in her lap. ¡°What do you intend to do from there? As I mentioned, it is unlikely that Her Highness still remains in those ruins, so ascertaining traces of her presence will not necessarily aid your efforts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the best lead we have. Whether it¡¯s likely to yield results or not is secondary. From what I¡¯ve heard, Zuverian ruins often harbor undead and other dangers, so if the princess has been to that location, I at least have to make sure she wasn¡¯t injured.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you believe the princess could have overcome such obstacles alone?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If she tried and couldn¡¯t, that¡¯s even more reason for me to reach the ruins quickly.¡±


    ¡°And what if she was not alone?¡±


    The knight simply met her gaze, her expression calm.


    ¡°If the Princess was accompanied by someone else, you could presumably glean some information about their identity if they left traces,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    They eyed each other for a while.


    Scarlett really wanted to request being kept up to date with the woman¡¯s investigation, despite knowing she would likely be denied. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t simply let this situation slip from her grasp. The princess¡¯ disappearance marked the first player-related event from the game that she had observed which she herself wasn¡¯t immediately involved in.


    She had to know what that meant.


    ¡°You mentioned that Her Highness vanished after visiting an acquaintance in Kilsfell, correct?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Might I inquire as to who this acquaintance was?¡±


    ¡°You can, but I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°It would be pertinent information for me to be aware of if the person had ties to Zuverian research or could be connected to Her Highness¡¯ disappearance.¡±


    ¡°They were not.¡± Dame Leandra¡¯s response was firm.


    Scarlett drew her lips together. ¡°Very well. But could you at the very least enlighten me about the circumstances surrounding her escape? Since you regularly escort the princess, it stands to reason that you would be aware if she had contact with anyone who might aid her in such an endeavour, or why she chose this moment to act.¡±


    ¡°There were no signs of any of that,¡± the knight stated.


    ¡°None?¡±


    ¡°None at all.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brows.


    In the game, the player¡¯s first encounter with the princess could happen in various locations, but almost every instance involved the young woman assuming the role of a disguised merchant or wealthy commoner seeking assistance with some minor request or other. In her duties within the Imperial Family, she frequently traveled around the empire. Scarlett was familiar enough with the princess¡¯ backstory to know that the woman often seized any opportunity she could to engage in her own personal hobbies and interests during those outings.


    Yet, even in the game, Leandra had almost always been present in some capacity as an escort for the undercover princess. The knight should be aware if Princess Regina encountered any particularly notable individuals whom she formed connections with.


    So, was Leandra lying, or was there really nothing of the sort?


    The frustrating thing was that Scarlett couldn¡¯t exactly question the woman about these matters without risking arousing suspicion about her own source of information.


    ¡°How did she disappear?¡± she asked. ¡°You are renowned for your swiftness and remarkable perception, Dame Leandra. I find it hard to believe that you would not notice if someone entered Her Highness¡¯ chambers or if she herself left them.¡±


    A hint of irritation crossed the knight¡¯s features as her forehead subtly creased. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Truly? Then could she have employed an artifact of some sort?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, but she did not have any such artifact that I¡¯m aware of.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brows furrowed even further. The game had never delved into the specifics of how the princess managed to escape, so she lacked many of the details there. If Regina had possessed an ability or artifact that would let her elude Leandra¡¯s watchful gaze so effortlessly, one would think it would have come up at some point.


    Many aspects of this whole situation were strange, but what was the underlying reason behind it all?


    A knock sounded from the door, and a pair of servants entered, carrying an assortment of maps and papers in their arms that they placed on the table between Scarlett and Dame Leandra before exiting. The knight shot a brief, assessing glance at Scarlett, then selected several maps and spread them out. ¡°Let¡¯s not squander time. You seem busy enough, and I have to find the princess. Show me where I might find those ruins you mentioned.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Scarlett watched the woman for a moment longer before leaning forward in her seat, picking up one of the writing implements that had been provided, and examining the map. It seemed she wouldn¡¯t be getting an answer to this mystery anytime soon, but she would have to keep her ears peeled.


    Scarlett spent some time with Dame Leandra, discussing the locations to search for the Zuverian ruins and the steps the knight might have to take to unlock the entrances. Scarlett had to sprinkle in some lies and half-truths related to her ¡®research¡¯ to appear credible, but Dame Leandra didn¡¯t question her beyond a comment showing her surprise at the level of knowledge Scarlett held. She even mentioned that Princess Regina had expressed interest in Scarlett¡¯s exploits more than once recently and that the young woman seemed to respect her expertise.


    Internally, Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but cringe slightly at that, even though it was gratifying to know that a member of the imperial family held her in such regard. She just wished it could have been anyone else.


    Once their discussions were finished, Leandra left to start preparing for the search, leaving Scarlett waiting in the parlour as one of the servants brought some refreshments for her.


    Eventually, Duke Valentino returned from whatever business he¡¯d been on and sat down in the armchair opposite her. ¡°It appears your conversation with Dame Leandra has concluded. I presume it went well.¡±


    ¡°About as well as one might expect, considering the circumstances,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I regret my limited ability to aid in the search for Her Highness, but I hope the information I did provide will prove helpful.¡±


    ¡°Time will tell.¡± The duke shifted his rather large frame in his seat, resting one hand on his cane. A small scowl appeared on his face as he moved his injured leg. ¡°I have done my part to assist His Highness in the matter, and that is that. What I want to discuss with you, however, is entirely unrelated.¡±


    ¡°I suspected as much,¡± Scarlett said, eyeing him. ¡°Although I have yet to surmise what it could be about.¡±


    The man finally settled into his seat, his gaze fixed on Scarlett. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste either of our time, Baroness. So I will be frank. Your name has been circulating in many contexts lately, far more than any other minor noble in the empire, and much of it has not been favorable. However, a recent event in which you were involved has caught my attention, since it holds relevance to what I wished to discuss today.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°News has spread of a deceased dragon appearing at your estate in Freybrook.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Scarlett observed him closely. ¡°I was not the one who defeated it, in case you are under that impression.¡±


    ¡°I did not even entertain that notion for a minute,¡± the man replied with a huff. ¡°But from your response, I gather the rumors are true, though presumably heavily embellished as all tales related to dragons tend to be. Could you provide a detailed account of what transpired?¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason I should, Your Grace? While I do not mean to be disrespectful, these matters concern my household alone. I fail to see their relevance to you or your lands.¡±


    His slightly plump forehead knitted together in a frown. ¡°You forget your place, Baroness Hartford. Then again, such behaviour is hardly surprising from you.¡± While he seemed irritated by her reluctance to elaborate, he said nothing beyond that for a while, maintaining the silence as he ran his thumb over the top of his cane. Eventually, he spoke again. ¡°I ask because I have been facing troubles with a dragon in my domain in recent months.¡±


    ¡°I was not aware of this.¡±


    Scarlett felt like she would have heard if there were any major dragon issues occurring in the empire right now. The Empyreal Chronicle had covered some minor dragon run-ins in the Steepmond area a couple of months back¡ªwhich had been an event in the game as well¡ªand Leon had supposedly dealt with a dragon near Chillburg last year, but that was all.


    That said, it wasn¡¯t as if she wasn¡¯t aware of some dragon-related quests in this region from the game. If he was referring to what she suspected¡­


    ¡°That is because I have not publicized the matter,¡± the duke said. ¡°The dragon rarely shows itself, remaining hidden like the foul lizard it is. Neither the Shields Guild nor any of the knight''s orders can act without information about its whereabouts. One of the few instances where it was sighted was when it ambushed me and my son, causing me this injury and confining my son to bed.¡± Venom laced his words as he gestured to his leg with his cane and shook his head. ¡°My son is still not fully recovered, and Ittar knows when he will be. You may have heard rumors of his absence, but I¡¯ve chosen to keep the news under wraps, and I expect you to do the same.¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to do otherwise,¡± Scarlett replied. She recalled Evelyne mentioning once that Duke Valentino¡¯s son hadn¡¯t been seen for some time and was believed to be ill, but she had never paid much attention to it herself. That the father and son had been attacked by a dragon, though, was a surprise. ¡°So, the reason you wished to speak with me is that you suspect a link between the dragon at my estate and the one that attacked you and your son? Or because you believe I might possess knowledge about dragons that could be of value to you?¡±


    ¡°The latter,¡± the duke spoke in a grim voice. ¡°That dragon is a blight upon my lands. Each day that it still draws breath is another day for it to potentially wreak more havoc, just as it did to Devyn and me. I intend to end its wretched existence before it can do so.¡±


    ¡°As I mentioned, I did not slay the dragon in Freybrook. I will not be able to assist in dispatching this dragon, either.¡±


    ¡°I am not expecting you to do so personally. I have my own people for that task. What I seek from you is simply to know how you located and captured that dragon and brought it to your estate, and whether the method can be replicated. If it can, I am prepared to offer substantial compensation.¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet for a while as she regarded the man.


    When she received his invitation earlier this morning, various possibilities had crossed her mind regarding his intentions. She had also considered what she might gain from him if an opportunity arose to request something. One scenario she had considered was seeking his help to remove one of the threats currently endangering Rosa¡¯s current endeavour. If Scarlett shared the right information with the duke, telling him what she knew about Crowcairn, he was almost certain to take action.


    However, ultimately, she had decided against that course of action. Not only was the outcome not guaranteed to end up as she wanted, it would be needlessly cruel in more ways than one. While Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure if she would truly regret the consequences that choice would have brought, she was confident Rosa wouldn¡¯t thank her for it if the bard ever learned of her involvement.


    Yet, the duke¡¯s request just now opened up a new avenue for her, one she hadn¡¯t even considered as an option before. It wouldn¡¯t eliminate the same threat in Rosa¡¯s path, but it would remove another equally¡ªif not more¡ªdangerous obstacle for her.


    It was the perfect way for Scarlett to intervene without necessarily violating her pact with Anguish. She had already been aware of the ¡®dragon¡¯ in this area, but she would never have tried going after it herself. It was simply too dangerous, and without an unrelated motive for pursuing it, she was pretty sure it would have been a challenge to do so while under the pact.


    ¡°I might possess a means to locate the dragon for you,¡± she eventually said.


    The duke looked at her. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°While I cannot divulge the exact method, I can offer you the assistance you require. In exchange, I want the dragon¡¯s remains.¡±


    His eyes narrowed, and he let out a scoff. ¡°You already possess the body of one dragon, do you not? You know how valuable it is, yet you are asking for that much simply in return for helping me locate it?¡±


    ¡°I am, yes.¡± It was precisely because she was aware of the value of a dragon¡¯s body that she was making this request. From the estimations Warley Godwin had given her, the Ashenwraith Dragon that Empress had slain and left at her doorstep would have been worth several million solars if all of its parts¡ªcore included¡ªwere harvested and sold off.


    Scarlett had chosen to keep some of those materials for herself, and it would take time to sell the rest, but her barony was still poised to have over one million solars entering its coffers in the coming months. This was a sum that almost rivaled what she had earned from all her other activities since arriving in this world, and a truly obscene amount to nobles at her level.


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous,¡± the duke said.


    ¡°You wish to rid yourself of this dragon, do you not? At the moment, it would seem you are incapable of accomplishing that without my assistance. If you are so dedicated to this endeavour, what does the cost matter?¡±


    ¡°I acknowledge the value of the ¡®assistance¡¯ you claim you can provide, and that I am the one requesting your help. Nonetheless, your demand, Baroness, is excessive. I am not so blinded by my desire for revenge that I have lost all my acumen. While I am prepared to compensate you generously if you can reliably locate the dragon, that requires your demand to be reasonable.¡±


    Scarlett suppressed the smile that threatened to surface on her lips. It would have been great if he had been that blinded by vengeance, but she supposed she couldn¡¯t always be that lucky. Her asking for that much had been more of a shot in the dark than anything, while also serving the purpose of facilitating negotiations for what she truly wanted.


    ¡°In that case, I will only ask for one part of the dragon. However, the specific part must be of my choosing.¡±


    The duke¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°Then you will simply ask for the most prized part.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± she said. ¡°To be precise, I will request the part that holds the most value for me in my current circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Which are?¡±


    ¡°None of your concern.¡±


    That made the man¡¯s scowl even worse, but he remained silent for several moments before finally nodding slowly. ¡°Very well.¡±


    This time, Scarlett allowed the small smile to grace her lips. ¡°I am pleased that you see reason, Your Grace. Then, shall we discuss the strategy for how we will eliminate this dragon?¡±

 Chapter 187 - Expeditionary forces

    The scenery outside the carriage slowly slid by as the vehicle rocked across the countryside outside Bridgespell, though Scarlett paid it little mind. Her attention was fixed on the two items resting in her lap.


    [Old dagger (Common)]


    {An old dagger once belonging to a young noble lady, a gift from her master. It appears utterly mundane}


    [Old Journal (Common)]


    {An old journal once belonging to a noble young lady, but long since abandoned by its owner}


    These two items comprised essentially everything of notable worth gained from her excursion to the Sunfire Shrine. Not that they appeared to hold much value. The dagger looked about as ordinary as any other one could find, and the journal only held significance if one considered Arlene and her siblings¡¯ past interesting, which Scarlett supposed that she did.


    But even then, appearances could also be deceiving.


    She traced the tip of her finger along the dagger¡¯s cold blade, contemplating its hidden potential.


    A horse¡¯s neigh from outside drew her gaze to the window. A tall man in black plate rode past the carriage at a sedate trot, his hand patting the animal¡¯s neck as he approached another rider up ahead. Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on the knight for a moment before returning to the items on her lap.


    The duke¡¯s men were accompanying them to their current destination as part of the deal Scarlett had struck with the man. Still, it would be some time before they would reach their goal.


    Once again, she examined the dagger before her, intrigued by the concealed power beneath its unassuming exterior. Despite herself, Scarlett felt a twinge of envy towards Arlene, knowing that it technically belonged to the woman and that she would have to part with it upon her return to Freymeadow. She hadn¡¯t been expecting to keep it to begin with, but knowing its true nature and having it in her hands made it hard not to feel this way.


    Maybe it was a tad juvenile of her, but she liked to blame that particular aspect of her on the original Scarlett rather than taking responsibility for it herself. Arlene had done a lot for her, after all.


    Her focus turned to the weathered journal beside the dagger. Its plain cover was closed, but she had already examined part of its contents. As she had initially assumed, much of the journal was filled with notes on magic theory, training sessions, and other topics that a young mage might jot down. In a sense, it was fascinating, although many of its entries were beyond what Scarlett could follow, given her general lack of education as a mage. Perhaps she could find those notes useful if she ever had a year or two to devote to studying magic, but she didn¡¯t. Besides, she was already receiving instruction from Arlene on the stuff that she could learn.


    The journal had confirmed one thing for Scarlett, however: her suspicion that Arlene and her fellow disciples had held noble status of some sort. Although never explicitly stated, the notes contained enough implications to infer as much. The specific house they would have belonged to was unclear, but given that over three centuries had passed, Scarlett doubted she would recognize it even if it were mentioned.


    What role Arlene¡¯s status as a noblewoman played in her life remained somewhat of a mystery to Scarlett, though. Arlene herself didn¡¯t appear particularly fond of the aristocracy, and she hardly acted like a member of it. While Scarlett didn¡¯t quite want to admit it, she found herself relating somewhat with the author of the journal¡ªArlene¡¯s older sister¡ªwho had penned numerous complaints about Arlene¡¯s behaviour. The notes suggested that their master, Deacon Emberwood, might have played favorites among his disciples, at least to a certain extent. While the author herself seemed talented enough at magic, as did the deacon¡¯s third disciple¡ªostensibly the younger brother among the three siblings¡ªthe spotlight unquestionably shone on Arlene, much to the author¡¯s chagrin. Especially considering Arlene¡¯s less than ¡®dignified¡¯ demeanor.


    Scarlett imagined that the original Scarlett might have harbored similar sentiments towards Evelyne. Reading the journal entries detailing that subject had even stirred up echoes of those emotions.


    That aside, the journal offered her a different perspective of Arlene than the one she was used to, which was interesting. The Arlene she knew always carried an air of seriousness and melancholy that was hard to ignore. The journal, however, depicted a considerably more cheerful Arlene overall. While some traits remained consistent, such as the woman¡¯s laid-back disposition, it still painted a rather different picture of Arlene than the one Scarlett was familiar with.


    Part of this contrast could probably be attributed to Arlene¡¯s younger age at the time¡ªthe journal seemed to have been penned during the siblings¡¯ teenage years¡ªbut that likely wasn¡¯t all. Considering the unfortunate set of circumstances that led to Arlene being in Freymeadow, Scarlett didn¡¯t think it unreasonable for the woman to have changed as she did.


    Most would have been affected in some way.


    Scarlett returned the journal and dagger to her [Pouch of Holding] for now as she reclined against the cushioned cabin seat. Her attention turned to the passing scenery outside, trying not to think about anything specific. She¡¯d had her fill of somber thoughts lately, and a break seemed overdue.


    However, said break didn¡¯t last long. Before she knew it, she found her thoughts preoccupied with her current objective and the Rosa situation, all the while mentally scolding herself for worrying needlessly.


    There really wasn¡¯t any point to it.


    The carriage continued its journey on the dirt roads, with Duke Valentino¡¯s men occasionally riding by outside the window. Eventually, the vehicle pulled to a halt at a crossroads, surrounded by expansive, bare fields. Scarlett watched as a robustly built man in grey plate armor, his hair touched by silver and a scar cutting across his chin, dismounted from his horse further down the road. He started making his way back towards Scarlett¡¯s carriage.


    She opened the glass window, inviting the cool breeze inside.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford,¡± the man spoke in a deep voice as he stopped just outside, his head level with Scarlett¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re still half a day¡¯s march away from Liverline Marsh, but if we continue east from here, we¡¯ll get there eventually. Are you confident this is the correct route?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered on him briefly before sweeping over the rest of the procession behind and ahead of the carriage. It was a sizeable group, consisting of knights and uniformed individuals on horseback, all alert and scanning their surroundings as if expecting a band of bandits to appear at any moment.


    The duke had hastily assembled this group following their discussion earlier that day. Comprising a few dozen or so of the most capable people he¡¯d had available, it was clear that most of them had experience from similar expeditions. Duke Valentino himself had thought it best to wait another day before departing, but Scarlett had been the one to insist on setting out immediately. If she wanted to assist Rosa in any meaningful manner, she couldn¡¯t afford to wait around doing nothing.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Drawing from her in-game knowledge, she knew exactly where their quarry was. For once, it hadn¡¯t even been necessary for her to waste time trying to interpret maps and compare them with what she recognized. One single look at a map of the region had been enough to pinpoint their destination. There were only so many swamps in the area near Crowcairn, after all.


    She returned her attention to the silver-haired man looking up at her through the carriage window. His name was Franke Home, and he was one of the duke¡¯s most experienced retainers. He had apparently served as a Solar Knight during his youth and currently held the position of captain for the Sable Knights, working directly under Duke Valentino¡¯s command. Many of the knights that had joined them were members of that order.


    Scarlett had no doubt about his strength. All the people selected by the duke for this expedition were bound to be capable in their own right. The question, however, was whether their collective might would be enough to confront a threat on par with a dragon. Though she had been the one advocating swift action¡ªand considered it impressive that the duke had been able to muster a dragon-slaying force this quickly¡ªshe did have her reservations about their chances as they were. There was a certain threshold in a monster¡¯s power where sheer numbers ceased to matter against them, and the individual combatant¡¯s strength played a much more crucial part.


    She herself couldn¡¯t tell what level this group was at. She had asked Fynn, who¡¯d said they were impressive enough, but ¡®impressive¡¯ wasn¡¯t always enough to fell a dragon.


    She supposed she would simply have to wait and see how things unfolded. Worst came to worst, she and her party might help out a bit if she deemed it safe and that it would balance the odds.


    ¡°While I entrust the necessary precautions and preparations to you, Sir Home,¡± she addressed the knight captain, ¡°I ask that you leave the task of locating our quarry to me. If you lead our procession towards the Liverline marsh, I can assure you that we will find what we seek. The duke has already seen fit to entrust me with this task, so I suggest you trust his judgement.¡±


    The man regarded her thoughtfully for a few seconds before offering a measured nod. ¡°Then we will continue from here. We¡¯ll press on without breaks until the marsh comes into view. Keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Duly noted.¡±


    With that, he turned around and retraced his steps towards his horse, signaling the resumption of their journey shortly thereafter.


    Scarlett closed the window to prevent more of the cold air from seeping into the carriage, using her pyrokinesis to warm things up slightly as she gazed at the darkening sky. Evening hadn¡¯t fully descended yet, but nightfall came rather suddenly at this time of year. At their current pace, they would reach their destination under the cover of darkness. Not the most ideal conditions when preparing for a confrontation with a dragon, but there wasn¡¯t much to be done about it.


    At least she had her enchanted glasses, which allowed her to see no matter how dark it was. She assumed the duke¡¯s men had their own means of addressing the issue. She didn¡¯t feel like serving as a living lantern if they didn¡¯t.


    Their destination lay southeast of Bridgespell, situated on the edges of where the Faywild Basin started. Although Crowcairn was only an hour or two away, they weren¡¯t headed directly to the village itself.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re really going to fight a dragon?¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice broke the silence in the cabin. Scarlett turned her gaze towards the young Shielder, who sat across from her and next to Shin.


    ¡°Our objective is to assist in locating one, at the very least,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°We will not be engaging in battle with it unless it is safe and absolutely necessary.¡±


    Calling it a dragon was also a bit of a lie, but she couldn¡¯t very well share that right now.


    Allyssa pressed her lips together. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really fill me with confidence, honestly. Dragons aren¡¯t exactly the type of monster to let you stroll by unbothered. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m worried about coming across one, although I kinda am, but I feel like there are so many things that could go wrong here. There are very few members of the Shields Guild who have experience dealing with dragons.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve encountered one dragon before,¡± Fynn said. ¡°That should calm you a bit. They¡¯re similar in many ways. Aside from their color, size, intelligence, and unique abilities, they¡¯re all basically the same. Not much to worry over.¡±


    The girl looked at him with a skeptical expression, then turned to Shin. ¡°Okay, next time, you¡¯re in charge of pep talks, because that didn¡¯t help at all.¡±


    Shin offered Fynn an apologetic smile, and Scarlett watched as the white-haired young man shrugged his shoulders, as if to say he had done his best.


    She wasn¡¯t sure whether to be proud or disappointed that he had failed so miserably in delivering such a blatant lie.


    Allyssa shook her head. ¡°For starters, I happen to think there¡¯s a pretty big difference between a dead dragon and an alive one. Any reasonable person would be worried in my shoes.¡± She turned to Scarlett. ¡°I do trust your judgement, though. It just has my nerves in a bundle, thinking that we might encounter a real, breathing dragon soon. Doesn¡¯t help that Rosa isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°That is understandable.¡± Scarlett imagined that a lot of Shielders would simply have declined to join her on a venture that sounded this dangerous. ¡°As for Rosa, I am sure she would have accompanied us if she could. As it is, we will have to wait until she has concluded her personal matters before she returns.¡±


    Though she had informed the group that Rosa was away to deal with some private affairs in the area, she had omitted the details. While she personally thought Rosa would fare better by being more open about these things, Scarlett had no intention of disclosing anything herself.


    ¡°The timing might not be ideal, but we understand that she has sensitive matters to deal with on her own,¡± Shin said.


    Allyssa nodded beside him. ¡°Yeah, of course. It just feels a bit quiet without her, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Scarlett glanced to her left, to the space between her and Fynn, where Rosa typically sat. It was true that the bard¡¯s absence left a noticeable void in the group. In a way, that brought with it a calm that made things more relaxing. Scarlett might even have savored it if not for the other pressing matters weighing on her mind.


    Yet, she couldn¡¯t deny that she preferred having Rosa around, despite the woman¡¯s quirks.


    She kept those thoughts to herself, however, as she turned her attention back out the window, watching the fields pass by in the dimming light. The cabin descended into a dull silence. Both Allyssa and Shin brought out some books to read¡ªthe former focusing on some texts related to alchemy, while the latter immersed himself in some treatise between the Rising Isle and the empire¡ªwhile Fynn simply went into one of his meditative trances.


    They traveled for several more hours, the scenery gradually shifting from fields and small hills to occasional woods and wetlands. Eventually, Scarlett brought out her enchanted glasses as the sun disappeared completely.


    As they approached their destination, the landscape transformed even further. Oaks and birch trees gave way to willows, gums, and bald cypresses. The terrain grew marshier, and Scarlett observed the duke¡¯s men occasionally swatting at insects as they rode alongside the carriage.


    It was a pretty distinct transition between biomes, and probably not something often witnessed even in this fantasy world. The Faywild Basin didn¡¯t get its name without reason, and even on its periphery, the otherworldly influence of the Wandering Realm could be seen.


    As they reached the border of what appeared to be a swamp, the wetlands had overtaken the area, and the dirt road had devolved into little more than a muddy trail along the swamp¡¯s edge. The procession finally came to a halt, with the carriage at its center. Scarlett watched as the other members of the troupe dismounted, producing magical lanterns and setting up a makeshift camp on the side of the trail.


    Her gaze shifted towards the nearby swamp, where the thick vegetation seemed to sag under its own weight.


    Not many ventured into the wilds unless they were experienced in doing so or aboard one of the ships that traveled its numerous rivers from deeper within the empire. Admittedly, she wasn¡¯t particularly enthusiastic about plunging into those murky depths either. Sadly, progressing any further by carriage wasn¡¯t an option.


    But complaining at this juncture served little purpose. What needed to be done simply had to be done. With a mental command, she swapped her insulated dress into her usual expedition attire, then opened the carriage door and stepped out onto the soggy ground.


    It was time to get to work.

 Chapter 188 - Staring into the abyss

    Scarlett wrinkled her nose in disgust as a disturbingly large mosquito burst into flames a mere few centimeters from her face, the acrid scent of burning reaching her moments later. At the same time, her left foot plunged into the waterlogged soil, forcing her to brace herself against a nearby tree as she extricated her soaked leg.


    This had been far less revolting in the game.


    Whatever dislike she might have had for trekking through damp and wet forests, it paled in comparison to her disdain for walking through a literal swamp, all while surrounded by an army of insects.


    Using her hydrokinesis to expel some of the water that had infiltrated her shoe, Scarlett shook off the dirt and muck with a scowl. She then continued forging ahead with the other members of her party, alongside the procession of Duke Valentino¡¯s men, their path forward intermittently illuminated by the covered lamp carried by some of the knights.


    Another insect, the size of Scarlett¡¯s pinky, ventured too close, only to be reduced to ashes by her pyrokinesis.


    She didn¡¯t care if they were supposedly ¡®harmless¡¯ or if it was a waste of her mana. She wasn¡¯t letting any of those creatures touch her.


    A twinge of envy sprang up as she watched Fynn effortlessly weave through the swamp¡¯s underbrush a few meters ahead. He seemed entirely unnoticed by the insects that swarmed around amidst the trees, almost blending in with his surroundings.


    If she ever returned here, she wouldn¡¯t take a step into this damn swamp before she got her hands on an artifact or item that repelled bugs or something like that. Preferably something that helped keep her clean and dry as well. At least she didn¡¯t seem to be alone in her aversion to the current environment; Allyssa and several of the duke¡¯s men who weren¡¯t wearing heavy plate armor¡ªshe presumed they were mages and the like¡ªwore grimaces as they moved forward through the swamp, swatting their hands left and right.


    The only silver lining was the temperature. Despite being in the middle of the night during December, it wasn¡¯t too cold. The Liverline Marsh might only be at the edge of the Faywild Basin, but it still retained some of the more supernatural features that the Basin did, including a conspicuous lack of winter weather.


    As they continued their journey through the swamp, Scarlett narrowed her eyes when she began to make something out ahead. Her enchanted glasses allowed her gaze to peer through the darkness and see a dark body of water peeking through the trees.


    After a few more minutes of insect-incineration and swamp-trudging, Scarlett halted as the procession reached the bank of a small lake.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    ¡°By Ittar¡­¡±


    Muffled exclamations rippled through the group as they all gazed out over the water.


    Encircled by mostly swamp, the lake resembled a blot on the land. Its water sported a gloomy, purplish hue, thick as honey, with black vegetation encroaching from it, gradually creeping onto the shores and into the trees. A putrid odor hung in the air, assaulting Scarlett¡¯s senses. On the opposite bank, a tall cliffside overlooked the lake, featuring a lone cave entrance in its face.


    ¡°Baroness, do you know what¡¯s happened here?¡± a deep voice resonated as Sir Home approached her, wearing a severe expression while scrutinizing the strange lake. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how far he could see without an enchanted item like hers. The knights carrying lamps were directing the light primarily towards the bank, highlighting the black seaweeds and other flora emerging from the water, being careful not to let the light spill too far.


    ¡°I presume this is not normal?¡± she said, turning to the man.


    He shook his head. ¡°It has been some time since I last entered the Basin, but I have never seen anything like this.¡±


    ¡°Then it appears we are dealing with something beyond our initial expectations. I know of no dragon that leaves this sort of mark on its surroundings, after all.¡±


    Scarlett was fully aware of the reason behind the lake¡¯s unnatural appearance, but it wasn¡¯t something she was going to share at this moment. Besides, the man would piece things together quickly enough once they encountered their target.


    She pointed towards the other end of the lake. ¡°I do not know if you can see it, but there is a cave on the opposite bank. It is likely that our quarry resides there.¡±


    Sir Home¡¯s forehead creased together as he seemed to consider her statement before turning towards a nearby knight. He ordered them to take some samples of the water for examination, then looked back at Scarlett. ¡°We¡¯ll continue our approach once we¡¯ve confirmed this doesn¡¯t pose an immediate threat. Meanwhile, I recommend that you stay back, Baroness.¡±


    For now, she followed his advice, retreating to stand among the trees¡ªand the accursed insects¡ªwith her party. She observed the captain and his people, who were maintaining a quiet air now. They supposedly used spells to mask their presence, so that the dragon wouldn¡¯t notice them unless they ventured too close, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be careful. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how effective those spells were. The Hallowed Cabal¡¯s Adepts used something similar in their missions, but their method wasn¡¯t flawless.


    Eventually, Sir Home seemed satisfied and signaled to Scarlett that they were continuing. She and the rest of her party readied themselves as the duke¡¯s men cautiously circled the edge of the lake¡ªeach member prepared for a fight¡ªand approached the cave situated on the other side.


    Despite knowing how unlikely it was at this point, Scarlett couldn¡¯t stop herself from scanning the swamp around them, wondering if she might spot Rosa somewhere nearby. If things unfolded as they had in the game, the bard would come to this place with Malachi sometime soon. Malachi was a master of concealment, though, so even Fynn would have difficulty detecting them at a distance, much less Scarlett.


    She was hoping they hadn¡¯t arrived yet, at least, if they were indeed coming here. Malachi was relatively powerful, but even with Rosa¡¯s assistance, it remained uncertain whether they could confront a foe this strong by themselves. Scarlett also wasn¡¯t quite sure how she would even interact with them in a believable manner right now.


    As the procession approached the cave entrance, Sir Home and his people stopped outside it, with Scarlett and her group trailing slightly behind. The captain¡¯s attention was fixed on a set of stones positioned next to the entrance, their surfaces carved almost like altars, bearing traces of blood and deep claw marks.


    Feeling that it was safe enough for now, Scarlett walked up to the man, along with her party. He turned to her, his gaze grave. ¡°These were made by people.¡±


    Scarlett glanced over at the stone altars. ¡°It would appear so.¡±


    ¡°Someone or something has been collaborating with the dragon in some capacity. This suggests that the attack against His Grace might have been premeditated.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°While I have not heard of many dragons that cooperate with humans, it seems what we are facing is a situation that is far outside the norm.¡±


    The man frowned as he shifted his attention back to the cave. The passage seemed to extend deeply into the cliffside in a gradual curve, obscuring Scarlett¡¯s view of what lay beyond. ¡°Is the dragon inside?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That I do not know the answer to,¡± Scarlett replied. She glanced over at Fynn, whose brows were furrowed in a scowl. ¡°What do you sense, Fynn?¡±


    The white-haired young man shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell. There are too many scents, and the lake is overpowering everything else.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett turned her attention back to Sir Home. ¡°Then it would seem you will have to determine the answer for yourself.¡±


    The knight captain gave Fynn a brief but attentive look, then headed over to his men, issuing sharp orders as they changed their formation to prepare for entering the cave.


    Scarlett¡¯s focus returned to Fynn as he stepped closer to her, speaking in a quieter voice. ¡°I can sense a presence here, similar to Rosa and that Mistress lady. The lake and this cave are filled with it.¡±


    ¡°While I commend you for remembering to inform me of this first, this time, that is not a problem. It is to be expected, considering what we are dealing with.¡±


    Fynn looked at her. ¡°¡­If you say so,¡± he eventually said, his scowl easing as he went back to keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.


    Scarlett considered him for a few seconds. ¡°You cannot sense any trace of Rosa, can you?¡±


    He paused, turning back to meet her gaze, eyebrows lifting slightly. ¡°No. Why would she be here by herself?¡±


    ¡°Because she can be a thoughtless and self-sacrificing fool.¡±


    Shin and the others got a bit too close to continue that conversation for much longer, so Scarlett simply asked Fynn to keep an eye out for Rosa just in case, then they retreated a bit as Sir Home and his dragon-slaying contingent started entering the cave in front of them. Scarlett opted to stay about thirty meters behind, a distance that allowed her to observe events without being too close if something happened.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    It could be problematic if the ¡®dragon¡¯ was away and returned now specifically, but she had enough trust in Fynn that he would at least be able to tell if a new presence like that suddenly appeared behind them.


    The thought crossed her mind that such assumptions were akin to tempting fate, but she didn¡¯t place much weight in those kinds of superstitions.


    That said, she couldn¡¯t resist the occasional glance over her shoulder, just in case the universe had it out for her today.


    Thankfully, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case, as when they ventured deeper into the cave, a guttural growl eventually reverberated throughout the place, its echoes resonating against the damp walls.


    Shin tightened his grip on his sword and shield, Allyssa reached for the vials in her bandolier, and Fynn adopted a combat stance. Scarlett paid close attention to Sir Home and his men as they looked around, cautiously advancing with weapons raised.


    Now there was no doubt left whether their quarry was home or not.


    Scarlett kept her eye locked on the group ahead as they disappeared around a corner, and a roar that seemed to shake the entire cave sounded out, penetrating into her very bones. Sir Home¡¯s authoritative voice cut through the noise as spells erupted and knights ran into battle.


    Scarlett and her party remained where they were, listening to the sounds of the ensuing combat, gauging the situation. Their foe certainly sounded formidable, with occasional cries of pain piercing the air, but the duke¡¯s men had healers with them. For now, it didn¡¯t seem like they were being absolutely slaughtered, at least.


    An agonized scream reached them, accompanied by a tremor that shook through the cavern, as if something massive had crushed the stone. Several pieces of loose rock fell down to the ground near Scarlett.


    Alright, scratch that.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we¡­help them?¡± Allyssa asked, a conflicted expression on her face.


    Scarlett studied the girl. Earlier, Allyssa had seemed concerned about facing a dragon, but now she appeared more worried about not doing so.


    ¡°Would you prefer if that scream had come from you?¡± Scarlett asked, meeting Allyssa¡¯s eyes with a raised brow. ¡°They were well aware of the peril associated with this mission, and that it is their duty to face this adversary. Our role was completed the moment we led them to this place.¡±


    The young Shielder fell silent, and silence descended on their party as they stayed where they were, the sounds of fierce combat reaching them from around the corner. More screams, some a tad too similar to death throes, reached their ears as the minutes ticked by. Yet, judging by the accompanying roars of pain, it seemed that the duke¡¯s men weren¡¯t the only ones suffering.


    Eventually, as the screams waned and both sides appeared to be tiring, Scarlett deemed it time to assess the situation herself. She carefully moved forward, the others following her with slight surprise, and turned the corner that led into their quarry¡¯s den.


    Before her sprawled a vast cavern, its jagged walls glistening with moisture. Twisted, luminescent fungi adorned the walls, casting an eerie, ever-shifting glow and painting the chamber in unsettling shades of sickly blue and ominous purple.


    Engaged in a brutal battle, Sir Home and several other armored figures stood defiantly with swords and shields in hand before a monstrous creature, towering nearly to the cavern¡¯s ceiling.


    It easily dwarfed the dragon that Empress had left in Scarlett¡¯s courtyard, standing at almost double the size. Its imposing serpentine form was covered in purplish scales and uneven spines that cast menacing shadows as it moved, with one massive wing that was half-folded, veined with strange patterns that seemed to pulse with a sinister energy. On the ground lay another such wing, severed and battered from relentless attacks. Its elongated skull boasted wicked, forward-curving horns framing a pair of piercing crimson eyes that seemed to bore into the depths of one¡¯s soul, and its maw was filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.


    At first and second glance, most would probably mistake this presence for that of a unique breed of dragon. That illusion was shattered, however, by its open mouth. It revealed a void of nothing, as if peering into an abyss of living darkness. Scarlett¡¯s skin prickled as a billowing, viscous dark light coalesced into a deadly breath before that void, which the creature prepared to unleash upon its foes.


    This was an Abyssal Vilewyrm. A demon birthed from the depths of Malevolence, the Blaze of consuming shadows.


    Sir Home barked a terse command as three of the mages at the back of the cavern cast a spectrum of spells, erecting an intricate web of barriers to shield their comrades. The man himself summoned forth golden light from his sword that formed a protective bubble around him for a brief moment.


    Scarlett instinctively stepped back behind the stone wall as the Vilewyrm released its attack, an undulating sea of shadows that crashed through the cavern.


    After a tense pause, she peeked around the corner once more.


    Over half of the duke¡¯s men were strewn across the floor in various states, some motionless, others writhing in pain or simply unable to move. Scarlett estimated that maybe a third of them were likely beyond saving, while the fate of the others hinged on the outcome of this battle.


    The Vilewyrm, in comparison, had obviously lost one of its wings, and its massive form bore grievous wounds that oozed a dark, ichorous substance, spreading around the cavern in black spots.


    A couple of explosions erupted as more spells struck its scales, accompanied by javelins of stone launched by the mages¡¯ spells. Simultaneously, the knights surged forward, focusing their aura into their swords and aiming their strikes at the creature¡¯s lower body. The Vilewyrm responded by slamming one knight into the cavern wall with a powerful foreleg while also lunging towards Sir Home with its gaping maw.


    The seasoned captain deflected the assault with his large shield ¡ª an impressive feat of strength, given his adversary¡¯s size. Nonetheless, the sheer force from the behemoth¡¯s size still sent him tumbling several meters back.


    The confrontation continued, each side slowly whittling away at the other. Scarlett and her party remained a safe distance away, watching the spectacle unfold. She could tell that Allyssa wanted to help out, but Scarlett was unwilling to jeopardize her team¡¯s safety against something like this, especially when Rosa wasn¡¯t present.


    Cold-hearted, perhaps, but Scarlett never claimed to be a saint. She had her priorities.


    That said, it wasn¡¯t as if she intended to abandon all of the duke¡¯s men to their fate. That would be foolish, considering the Vilewyrm could turn its attention to her group next. She kept a close watch over the battle, studying the demon¡¯s condition and capabilities.


    As more of the knights succumbed to its relentless onslaught, they managed to sever the Vilewyrm¡¯s remaining wing, heavily damage one of its eyes, and grievously wound its left foreleg. However, the duke¡¯s mages appeared to be running out of mana, their spells becoming sporadic as some of them drank mana potions. At this point, Sir Home was bearing the brunt of the demon¡¯s attacks to protect his men.


    Both sides were nearing their limits.


    Finally, as Sir Home took cover behind his shield and the Vilewyrm flung the man into the cavern wall with one of its blows¡ªpreparing to finish him off once and for all¡ªScarlett saw her opportunity to act.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± she uttered the word.


    The young man sprang to action.


    ¡°You may assist those who require it,¡± she instructed Allyssa, gesturing for Shin to do the same. ¡°Simply be mindful of how many potions you use.¡±


    While she wasn¡¯t short on money, for some reason the thought of presenting the duke an invoice when she got back made her smile inside.


    Perhaps this world was starting to twist her even more than she thought.


    Leaving that thought aside, she stepped forward and raised her hand. The [Tiara of Benediction] appeared on her forehead along with the [Fireguard Knife] and the rest of her equipment.


    Just as Sir Home managed to force himself off the ground and weakly raised his sword and shield to confront the approaching Vilewyrm, a blazing sea of flames erupted between them like a barrier.


    The Vilewyrm roared in agony as its already wounded head was engulfed by the sudden inferno, forcing its large body to a halt as it pulled back. Its maw opened and a short burst of shadowy flames clashed with Scarlett¡¯s red blaze, creating an otherworldly spectacle as the two devoured each other until nothing remained.


    That was when Fynn reached the beast. Like a person-sized cannonball, propelled by invisible winds, he launched into the Vilewyrm¡¯s flank with his ethereal claws out. Despite his comparatively small size, the demon staggered momentarily from the blow, and Fynn tore open an existing wound on its scales.


    This assault was immediately followed by an onslaught of Scarlett¡¯s making. Aqua Mines, fire arrows, spheres of fire, and a barrage of attacks converged on the Vilewyrm all at once. Scarlett didn¡¯t hold anything back, running through her mana supplies as her magic illuminated the entire cavern.


    This wasn¡¯t about conserving mana. It was about dealing maximum damage as quickly as possible.


    For a brief period, Scarlett alone assailed the demon with a flurry of attacks that outnumbered even the combined efforts of the mages. It was clear the Vilewyrm was caught off guard by it all. While not as intelligent as many other demons, it clearly recognized the danger, even though Scarlett¡¯s individual attacks didn¡¯t have much power behind them. It knew that its already precarious situation had worsened.


    It responded with a series of guttural roars and growls, shifting its massive frame to address these new threats. Tendrils of ichor emerged from the cavern¡¯s stony surface where its equivalent of blood had dripped, reaching for the bodies of those who had fallen. Scarlett recognized this as a late-stage mechanic from the game and countered the tendrils with her pyrokinesis, burning them to a crisp as Shin and Allyssa aided in rescuing the fallen.


    The Vilewyrm fixed its remaining eye on Fynn, lunging at him with its gaping maw. In its weakened state, however, it proved too sluggish to catch him immediately. The white-haired young man evaded as it also swiped a colossal foreleg towards him, tearing off several chest-sized scales in the process.


    Sir Home reentered the fray, joined by a pair of mages who had recovered some of their mana. They unleashed a fresh wave of spells, adding to Scarlett¡¯s barrage against the demon.


    With its health gradually dwindling down and its capacity to retaliate diminishing, the Vilewyrm seemed to realize how this would end.


    It opened its maw once more, gathering a colossal wave of dark energy within the abyss inside its throat. The energy this time was so potent that it seemed to drain the life from the surroundings, including the Vilewyrm itself, forming a concentrated mass of darkness that continued to build up.


    An idea ignited within Scarlett.


    She ceased all of her attacks, casting the cavern into relative darkness. Then she conjured a small, fiery sun within the Vilewyrm¡¯s open maw. She pushed it through the encroaching shadows and into the abyss that resided within the creature. It was a surprise when the abyss seemed to push back. Along with the gathering dark mass that ate away at her fire, the abyss almost threatened to swallow her attack then and there.


    But the Vilewyrm was exhausted from a grueling battle.


    She wasn¡¯t.


    Pouring every ounce of concentration and strength into the miniature star she had conjured, she intensified its brilliance. The flame¡¯s hue transformed into a searing crimson, challenging the Vilewyrm¡¯s power with the intensity of a raging forest fire condensed into a single point.


    Then something budged.


    Her fiery inroad pierced the Vilewyrm¡¯s defenses, tearing into the abyss within. And the demon screamed. It was a heart-rending noise, as if its very core had been ripped apart. The shrieks resounded throughout the chamber, forcing Scarlett to cover her ears even as she maintained her magical assault.


    The Vilewyrm shut its maw, its entire form trembling, a brilliant light radiating from beneath its battered scales. In one final, cataclysmic convulsion, it collapsed onto the stone floor, smoldering from within.


    Silence descended upon the cavern. Those of the duke¡¯s men who were still standing turned their gazes towards Scarlett, Sir Home included.


    She kept her eyes on the fallen Vilewyrm for a moment longer before shifting her attention to the knight captain.


    ¡°Well,¡± she spoke in a voice that carried across most of the cavern. ¡°It appears as if we have successfully carried out our goal. Congratulations might not be in order, considering the injuries your men have sustained, but I believe the duke will be quite satisfied. No?¡±

 Chapter 189 - It flinched

    [Quest completed: Slay the Abyssal Vilewyrm]


    {Skill points awarded: 7}


    The Vilewyrm¡¯s cavern was a chaotic hive of activity as the duke¡¯s men scurried back and forth, tending to their wounded comrades and carrying the fallen. Allyssa, Shin, and Fynn were all helping, with Allyssa distributing healing potions to those in need.


    Considering it took the young Shielder a day or two to concoct even the smaller batches of healing potions, Scarlett intended to make sure the duke compensated her handsomely for those.


    Of the few dozen who had ventured on this expedition under the duke¡¯s banner, roughly half were still in a conscious state. Of those, roughly half were well enough to move around freely after some healing.


    Scarlett stood alongside Sir Home, gazing at the lifeless, teeth-filled maw of the vanquished Vilewyrm. Strangely, the demon¡¯s carcass still emitted a smoldering light from beneath its scales, even though Scarlett had dismissed her magic a while back. Peculiar, but as long as it posed no threat, she didn¡¯t care much.


    Sir Home¡¯s expression bore an air of grim seriousness as he examined the Vilewyrm. The sweat and grime from the battle still clung to his face. ¡°It seems you were correct in that we were dealing with something far beyond our expectations, Baroness,¡± he said. ¡°This was no mere dragon.¡±


    ¡°The lake outside was a rather telling sign, I would say.¡±


    The man knelt down beside a pool of dark, ichorous blood that had begun to congeal. Drawing a dagger from his belt, he collected some of the viscous liquid and inspected it. A faint, golden light danced along the blade, and wisps of smoke rose from the blood.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I last encountered one, but I suspect that what we just faced was a demon of the Blazes.¡±


    Scarlett observed the blood. ¡°I believe you are correct.¡± Her eyes swept the surroundings. ¡°It would explain the unusual state of the lake, and why the creature chose this specific location as its lair. Due to its connection to the Wandering Realm, the Faywild Basin is a realm diametrically opposed to most demons, which would have deterred it from venturing further in. At the same time, the Faywild offers abundant prey for a demon seeking to accumulate power in the Material Realm.¡±


    The knight captain regarded her as he rose. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. You seem well-versed in these matters.¡±


    ¡°It often proves beneficial to be familiar and informed in many subjects,¡± she replied. ¡°The question now is how the demon came to manifest in this realm in the first place.¡±


    This was a question Scarlett already knew the answer to, of course.


    Her gaze returned to linger on the Vilewyrm¡¯s lifeless form, moving from its horned skull down to its wingless body and scarred scales. Even though its physical form was now dead, its essence would have returned to Malevolence, where it might be plotting its revenge. Though given its limited intelligence, that might not amount to more than a desire to rend her apart when it returned to the Material Realm.


    Not that it would have any such chance anytime soon. On the list of things she had to be concerned about, it ranked pretty low. The real headache would be grappling with the logistics of extracting this body from the cavern and getting it back to Bridgespell, where it could be displayed and harvested for materials. Despite not being a true dragon, an Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s body still held some valuable resources.


    Fortunately, handling all of that wasn¡¯t her responsibility. She only needed one specific part of the demon, and the rest was the duke¡¯s concern.


    She turned her attention to Sir Home. ¡°When do you anticipate your men will be prepared to commence the journey back to Bridgespell?¡±


    The man¡¯s head turned to look over his people around the cavern. ¡°Our current condition, combined with the lack of light, would make it a challenge to return immediately. We will have to establish a camp here and start moving at first light with those who are in direst need of treatment in the city. The rest will remain here to start dealing with the corpse.¡± His forehead creased together. ¡°We also need to thoroughly investigate the lake outside to assess any potential future threats it might pose. It¡¯s worrying that a demon this formidable appeared in this region without anyone¡¯s knowledge.¡±


    ¡°An understandable concern,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t offer more than an apology for the predicament this places you in, Baroness,¡± he continued. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine a noble lady such as yourself would relish spending the night in this swamp. But we can¡¯t afford to escort you back for the time being.¡±


    ¡°That is quite all right. I believe I will manage.¡±


    With the Vilewyrm dead, she wasn¡¯t in much of a hurry. She had informed the coachman of this possibility, and he would travel to one of the nearby settlements before returning in the morning. Technically, she could depart without the duke¡¯s retinue¡ªher own party was enough of an escort¡ªbut that didn¡¯t fit her purposes.


    ¡°Seeing what you did to the demon earlier, I¡¯m inclined to agree.¡± Sir Home studied her for a moment, a contemplative expression gracing his aged features. ¡°When I was informed you would be joining the expedition, I was under the impression that you hadn¡¯t seen combat before.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I have proved that assumption incorrect.¡±


    ¡°Abundantly so,¡± the man remarked. ¡°I doubt any commander wouldn¡¯t welcome a mage of your calibre in their ranks.¡±


    Scarlett met his eyes, discerning the unspoken question hidden in his words. He was questioning why she hadn¡¯t participated as a combatant from the start, only intervening towards the end.


    Looking at how much damage his men had sustained, she felt the answer was self-evident.


    He probably understood as much as well.


    She turned her attention back to the Vilewyrm. ¡°I will be waiting patiently until we are ready to resume our journey in the morning, then. Until that time, I can handle myself, so you need not concern yourself or your men with my welfare and can focus on your own matters. There is much to be done, I suspect.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure if they intended to transport the entire Vilewyrm back in one piece or if they were cutting it into portions. Nonetheless, it would be a considerable undertaking without an archmage available to do the job for you. She assumed the captain and his people had access to some spatial bags and similar tools, but those were unlikely to be enough on their own.


    Still, as long as she got her share, it didn¡¯t really matter much.


    Sir Home kept his eyes on her for a few moments longer before turning away. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. If any issues arise, please bring them to my attention first.¡±


    With that, he left her to her own devices and headed over to where some knights were clearing a space to set up a tent for the wounded near the cavern¡¯s edge.


    Scarlett continued observing the Vilewyrm, contemplating how best to proceed from here to ensure she didn¡¯t get in Rosa¡¯s way. She had removed one obstacle from the bard¡¯s path, but now the question remained of how she could get Rosa what the woman needed from the Vilewyrm without outright handing it to her. She had considered a couple of alternatives, but which was the most realistic couldn¡¯t be decided yet.


    After some time, Fynn approached her. She frowned upon noticing the vigilant expression on his face. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    His eyes were fixed on the cavern¡¯s entrance, leading out into the swamp. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said in a cautious tone. ¡°But something feels¡­strange.¡±


    Strange?


    Scarlett shifted her gaze to the entrance, but despite her enchanted glasses, she couldn¡¯t see anything of note.


    An alert cry suddenly pierced the air, originating from a knight to her left.


    She spun around, witnessing a man draw his sword as a four-legged creature with dark purple and crimson scales and sharp features emerged from the shadows before him, its mouth agape to reveal rows of menacing teeth.


    A demon.


    Throughout the cavern, the duke¡¯s men braced for another fight, positioning themselves to protect their wounded comrades as a dozen more demons materialized in their midst.


    Scarlett regarded the new arrivals with a deeper frown. The Vilewyrm didn¡¯t have any mobs accompanying it in the game, as far as she could recall. They should have already taken care of everything in the area, so where did these come from?


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After a moment, a possible explanation dawned on her.


    A faint smile curved her lips. This might be exactly what she needed.


    Rosa trailed Malachi through the shadowy swamp, her mood unsettled, casting furtive glances at the shapes moving in the murky darkness around them.


    Demons.


    She still wasn¡¯t entirely convinced this was a good idea. In fact, she knew it was a terrible one. Malachi handled creatures that were just short of the Viles themselves with alarming ease, and now Rosa was entangled in a situation that felt so far outside her reach that she didn¡¯t even know. It didn¡¯t help that Malachi didn¡¯t stop at merely handling the demons. The woman used them. Kept them captive. Commanded them.


    Fed off them.


    If Rosa wasn¡¯t so desperate to learn more about the being inside her¡ªthe demon inside her¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t have touched any of this with a barge pole. While Malachi seemed to have control over the demons under her, they were still demons. One wrong move and you were done for, your soul devoured by a denizen of the six Blazes. It was a terrifying thought in more ways than one.


    But in Rosa¡¯s circumstances, someone like Malachi might be just what she needed.


    The woman had seemed dubious when Rosa first met her, but it hadn¡¯t taken more than a single glance for Malachi to deduce Rosa¡¯s problem. A single glance for her to recognize that Rosa needed help. Help she appeared willing to provide.


    To Rosa, that meant providing a chance. An opportunity to finally obtain a freedom that she had given up on years ago, and which she hadn¡¯t even thought possible before she met Scarlett.


    Maybe it was naive of her, but Rosa was ready to overlook certain things because of that.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t sent her here without reason.


    After their rather unsettling meeting the night before, Rosa had admittedly been apprehensive about what Malachi might demand. To her surprise, however, the woman had left her alone, suggesting Rosa get some rest. There were more than a couple of wary suspicions that had been rolling around her head at that point¡ªthe concern about waking up in the morning with one leg too few being one of them¡ªand after being offered a bare room with nothing but an old bed in one of the houses, she¡¯d leaned towards skipping out on the sleep. With everything that was going on, both with encountering demons and with the entity inside her, she could have stayed awake for a whole week.


    That¡¯s why it had been a shock when she woke up at noon the following day, feeling more rested than she had in ages. It was also when she had realized that not only was the owner of this secluded farmstead far from ordinary, but the same seemed to go for the place itself. Somehow, it appeared to shield Rosa from the usual torment her passenger would inflict in her dreams.


    From there, she had found Malachi outside, engaged in bizarre rituals involving critters and other small creatures in the light of day. It had been a disconcerting sight, but far from the worst Rosa had witnessed.


    When she inquired about what they would be doing from here, and how she could earn the information she needed, the woman had simply advised her to be patient. There were preparations that had to be made.


    Rosa¡¯s presence apparently presented a unique opportunity for Malachi.


    As night fell, the woman had revealed even more of the demons serving her. Using some strange magic, Malachi compelled them to obey her before revealing to Rosa that they were going to retrieve some special item. An item that would benefit Rosa, and which Malachi had temporarily lent away.


    Rosa had said she didn¡¯t mind coming with to wherever they were going.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that to involve them trudging through a swamp in the middle of the night.


    Klert in hand, she wiped the sweat from her brow, following Malachi until they finally reached a small lake at the heart of the swamp ¡ª or what was perhaps supposed to be a lake. Right now, it resembled nothing more than a cesspool of dark, revolting goo. Rosa could practically feel the malevolence emanating from it.


    Malachi pointed across the lake, her eerie green eyes gleaming under the night¡¯s shroud. ¡°That is where we will find our objective.¡±


    Despite the lack of light, Rosa spotted the large opening on the cliffside, reaching deep into the stone. Before departing, she had been given a potion of some sort that granted her vision in the dark, similar to Scarlett¡¯s fancy glasses.


    ¡°What¡¯s waiting for us over there?¡± Rosa asked, taking a cautious step away from one of the demons that ventured a bit too close for comfort.


    ¡°An Abyssal Vilewyrm,¡± Malachi said, her hand shooting out to grab the demon¡¯s head, pressing her long nails into its tough skin. It squirmed, but the woman didn¡¯t seem to care. Finally, she released it, allowing it to escape back among the trees, where it blended into the shadows.


    Rosa watched, torn whether to feel disturbed or encouraged by the display. ¡°That name certainly sounds¡­intimidating. That, and dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Very.¡± Malachi¡¯s lips curved into a chilling smile that sent shivers down Rosa¡¯s spine. ¡°It should have grown quite nicely.¡±


    Leaving it at that ominous statement, the woman began moving towards the cave, forcing Rosa to follow suit. Outside the entrance, her attention was drawn to a collection of odd stone altars. She didn¡¯t like the look of them. Nothing that was covered both in dried blood and claw marks the size of her arm signified anything good.


    Malachi halted as the demons that had formed up around them began to let out growls and other perturbing sounds.


    ¡°Humans.¡±


    ¡°Humans.¡±


    ¡°Humans.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± A thoughtful expression appeared on the woman¡¯s face, and she turned her gaze to Rosa. ¡°We have guests. Stay close to me unless you want to become prey.¡±


    She gestured towards the demons, who entered the cave first, disappearing into the shadows there. Shortly after, Malachi followed, and Rosa didn¡¯t have much choice but to do the same, her brows knitted in uneasiness. Her already-existing concerns had only increased upon hearing the demons mention other people. That meant there might be a fight of some kind coming up. No sane person would see a bunch of demons and think, ¡®oh, those look perfectly benign. Let¡¯s be friends!¡¯.


    As they ventured deeper into the cave, Rosa soon started hearing voices echoing off the walls. It sounded like a large group further in.


    Malachi stopped her as they reached a corner leading into a vast cavern. Within, a collection of knights and other people bustled about, helping people lying on the ground and setting up camp. Rosa¡¯s eyes widened at the colossal dead dragon at the far end of the cavern ¡ª or rather, something that looked like a dragon. The palpable presence it exuded, even in death, told a different story.


    This had to be the Abyssal Vilewyrm.


    Rosa¡¯s gaze froze as it moved across the space and fell upon familiar faces.


    Allyssa and Shin, standing among a cluster of wounded soldiers, tending to them with potions and bandages.


    Fynn, wearing a scowl as he scanned his surroundings.


    And Scarlett beside him, standing there like a queen surveying her domain.


    What were they all doing here?


    ¡°Serendipitous beyond measure, to a suspicious degree,¡± Malachi¡¯s raspy voice sounded out in a low tone next to Rosa. ¡°But there is no reason not to exploit it.¡±


    A scream erupted from one of the knights when a demon suddenly appeared before him, growling like a rabid dog. The reaction spread throughout the cavern as more demons revealed themselves.


    ¡°W-Wait.¡± Rosa stepped closer to Malachi, but the woman didn¡¯t even seem to notice or care. ¡°Don¡¯t. Some of those are¡ª¡±


    The first knight howled in agony as the demon sank its teeth into his arm. Despite managing to hurl the creature away and cradling his injured limb while he reached for a sword, the demon was up and moving immediately. Chaos descended upon the cavern as all the demons lunged at their opponents, marking a start to the fighting.


    Rosa, poised to step in and help the people, suddenly felt her left forearm be seized by a vice-like grip, nails digging into her skin, preventing her from moving. Looking up, she met Malachi¡¯s intense gaze.


    ¡°We¡¯ll remain here,¡± the woman stated, her tone brooking no argument.


    Rosa stared at her. She felt the brief surge of panic that had overtaken her at the thought of Scarlett and the others getting harmed fade. Strangely, locking eyes with this frankly terrifying woman, she found herself growing oddly composed.


    With Malachi¡¯s hand clasped around her arm, Rosa shifted her stance and awkwardly positioned her klert so that her left hand could reach the keys on the neck. Maintaining eye contact with Malachi, she cranked the instrument with her other hand, playing a melody. The soft notes rang throughout the cavern, healing the injuries inflicted by the demons, and more.


    Surprised exclamations left several of the knights, and from the corner of her eye, Rosa saw both Shin and Allyssa turning their heads at the music, yet no one seemed to recognize its origin or spot where she stood.


    Malachi remained silent. She simply kept her grip on Rosa and turned her head to gaze towards the opposite end of the cavern where the deceased Vilewyrm lay.


    Rosa¡¯s attention also shifted in that direction, landing on Scarlett as the red-haired woman observed the newly appeared demons. Fynn, Allyssa, and Shin had immediately sprung into action with the arrival of the new threat, helping fight back the demons, but Scarlett remained motionless for some reason.


    The woman finally raised a hand when a demon got too close, conjuring a blaze of fire to repel it before Fynn had to move from where the youth was fighting two other demons by himself. Scarlett¡¯s attention then seemed to turn to an older man in armor battling three demons near the Vilewyrm. Weariness was etched across his face as he slammed one demon into another with a tall shield.


    Rosa watched as Scarlett approached the man, summoning several of those ¡®Aqua Mines¡¯ of hers to assist him in keeping the demons at bay. Stopping beside him, she engaged in a brief conversation and gestured towards a group of injured and exhausted knights struggling against the assault of four demons.


    The man nodded in response before leaving the demons he had been fighting to Scarlett, heading over to aid his compatriots.


    Rosa¡¯s throat tightened as she witnessed all three demons fixate their gazes on Scarlett. Yet, the noblewoman simply studied them for a moment, then stepped aside, creating an opening to the Vilewyrm. At the same time, barriers of fire formed around her, as if to discourage any attacks.


    Rosa blinked when the demons opted to run past Scarlett instead of engaging the noblewoman.


    ¡°Curious,¡± Malachi commented, observing the scene.


    The three demons advanced to the midsection of the Vilewyrm and started tearing into it with claws and teeth. A gruesome spectacle unfolded as they ripped into their larger kin with a swiftness that defied imagination, scattering entrails and chunks of flesh in all directions and burrowing deep into its body.


    Scarlett did summon some fire arrows that launched at the demons from behind, along with some other minor attacks, but it all seemed lacklustre compared to what Rosa had witnessed the woman do before. Either Scarlett was nearly out of mana, or she had no intention of stopping the demons.


    In less than a minute, the trio of demons seemed to have found what they were looking for. Exiting from the Vilewyrm while drenched in thick, inklike blood, one of them carried something dark purple in its mouth. Moving in unison, they sprinted past Scarlett towards Rosa and Malachi. This seemed to serve as a signal for the remaining demons to retreat as well. One by one, they disengaged from their skirmishes with the knights and hurried towards the cavern¡¯s entrance, leaving behind a bewildered crowd of spectators.


    Malachi pulled at Rosa as she turned. ¡°It appears our task here was simple. That¡¯s all we need. Come.¡±


    Rosa lacked the strength to resist as the woman dragged her away. All she could manage was to cast one last perplexed look in Scarlett¡¯s direction, filled with questions.


    What exactly had just happened?

 Chapter 190 - Beneath the surface

    Too many questions flooded Rosa¡¯s mind as they made their way back from the swamp under the cover of night. The answers to most of them remained just out of reach, as though she could almost reach out and grasp some of those threads of understanding. Like she was this close to making sense of some things.


    But maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part.


    Silently trailing behind Malachi through the undergrowth, Rosa mentally counted down from eleven while keeping an eye out for the demons lurking in the surrounding shadows. What she truly wanted to do right now was return to Scarlett and the others, make sure they were safe, and then find out what the Blazes they had been doing in that cave. But, at least for the time being, Malachi wasn¡¯t allowing any of that. The unsettling woman had some goal in mind, and now Rosa was clearly a part of achieving that goal.


    Whether that was a good or bad thing was still up in the air.


    One thing that Rosa could say was that her initial wariness had grown tenfold, and her doubts about it all far outnumbered her certainties.


    The only thing that had stopped her from trying to resist Malachi earlier in the cavern and screaming out for help like a drunken banshee was Scarlett¡¯s behaviour. Rosa would wager a year¡¯s worth of fine-course meals back at the noblewoman¡¯s mansion that Scarlett had foreseen tonight¡¯s events. Knowing her, it was more likely that a dragon would offer its head on a platter to some random farmer¡¯s kid than Scarlett just ¡®coincidentally¡¯ appearing exactly at the same place as Rosa and Malachi like that.


    It also seemed far too convenient that a well-armed group of people decked out in armor just so happened to accompany Scarlett to kill that Abyssal Vilewyrm, the very thing that Malachi apparently wanted something from.


    Rosa¡¯s rational side told her it was both foolish and naive to think Scarlett had orchestrated all this solely for her, but another part of her couldn¡¯t help entertaining the possibility with a touch of delight. Even though, from Scarlett¡¯s perspective, it was entirely possible that it was all just the result of some pragmatic calculation.


    What that calculation would have been, however, was a mystery Rosa was still wracking her brain on.


    Her gaze fell upon the robed figure of Malachi in front of her as the enigmatic woman advanced through the swamp, not having uttered a word since they left the cave. Whatever the woman had extracted from the Vilewyrm had to be special, given the trial they¡¯d almost faced to obtain it. Although Malachi never explicitly stated as much, Rosa was convinced they would have had to battle that monstrous demon themselves had Scarlett¡¯s group not already dealt with it.


    Once more, she suppressed the feelings that stirred at the thought of anyone going to such lengths for her, regardless of the underlying motives.


    Finding happiness in thoughts like that was neither a luxury she could afford nor deserved, even if she wished it wasn¡¯t.


    The journey back to Malachi¡¯s farmstead took a while, but surprisingly, Rosa didn¡¯t even feel close to as tired or cold as expected. It was strange. In fact, she had been feeling better than ever for the entire day, ever since she actually got a full morning¡¯s sleep after the previous night.


    Her assumption had been that Malachi was somehow connected to that, since the entity inside Rosa had been quiet since meeting the woman. The how was a conundrum, but it was a welcome development.


    Darkness still cloaked the landscape when they first glimpsed the farmstead in the distance. As they neared their destination, a pack of ferocious demons flanking them, Rosa noticed a person standing at the center of the farmstead, between the old and worn-down buildings. The effects of Malachi¡¯s potions had started to wear off, so it was harder to make them out clearly in the dark, their figure silhouetted only by the weak moonlight.


    Malachi appeared unperturbed by the person¡¯s presence and continued forward with her demon entourage. Rosa cautiously followed suit, eyeing the stranger as she approached them.


    It was a middle-aged man, dressed plainly, with an unassuming appearance that would blend into any tavern crowd. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, as though he had just risen from bed without looking in a mirror, but he wore a grim expression as he looked towards them.


    The demons lingered in the shadows, just out of sight, as Malachi halted in front of the man. Rosa positioned herself slightly behind and to the side of the woman.


    ¡°There¡¯s an issue with the demon,¡± the man stated in a thick voice. ¡°I can¡¯t sense the pact struck between myself and it any longer.¡±


    Rosa only barely managed to hide her surprise at hearing the man¡¯s words. Sure, she wasn¡¯t expecting your ordinary Joe to visit a haunted farm in the middle of the night, but who starts a conversation by announcing they¡¯ve made a pact with a demon?


    It would take a certain type of crazy to even make one to begin with.


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Malachi replied in her own raspy voice. ¡°I have just returned from investigating the matter. The Abyssal Vilewyrm has been killed.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°¡­How?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°It appears the duke¡¯s men were responsible, with some assistance. Unfortunately, I arrived too late to intervene.¡±


    Rosa glanced at Malachi¡¯s back. Things were slowly becoming clearer. Given the woman¡¯s ties to demons in general, Rosa had been wondering about what connection she had to the Vilewyrm in particular. The fact that these two seemed to be more involved than simply knowing of its existence didn¡¯t spell good news in any language.


    Perhaps it was a bit late at this point, but Rosa was seriously questioning whether she had gotten herself in over her head.


    Her foremost concern right now, though, was the nature of the relationship between Malachi and the man before them. Judging by how Malachi had sent her demons to pull out something from the still-warm cadaver of the Vilewyrm, the woman probably didn¡¯t actually think there was anything ¡®unfortunate¡¯ about their late arrival.


    The man¡¯s gaze shifted to Rosa, narrowing as though he had spotted something offensive. His eyes lingered on her for several seconds, and she was beginning to wonder if she had something on her face when he finally redirected his attention to Malachi.


    ¡°You assured me they wouldn¡¯t be able to locate it while it stayed near the Basin,¡± he said.


    ¡°I said it was unlikely,¡± Malachi replied, seemingly unfazed by his abrasive tone. ¡°The possibility always existed. The crucial aspect was that it was the optimal location for the Vilewyrm to establish a foothold in this realm.¡±


    The man scrutinized her, clearly dissatisfied with that response. ¡°¡­Its death means we are left without its strength against the duke, but that isn¡¯t our only concern. A priest of Ittar arrived in the village yesterday. He¡¯s been asking questions.¡±


    ¡°That does sound problematic.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s eyes widened just slightly, though she quickly forced herself to regain control of her expression.


    She only knew of one priest who fit the description.


    The man didn¡¯t seem to notice her reaction. ¡°We need your help. Removing him would cause suspicion. I need you to ensure he leaves and forgets about this place.¡±


    Rosa looked at Malachi, apprehension growing within her.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The woman crossed her arms. ¡°And why should I do that?¡±


    The man stared at her. ¡°We have an agreement.¡±


    ¡°Not one that concerns errant priests strolling into Crowcairn. If the sun god¡¯s faithful want to nose around, it¡¯s none of my concern. I¡¯ve already provided the aid I promised with the Abyssal Vilewyrm.¡±


    ¡°And now it is dead.¡±


    ¡°A regrettable turn of events, but irrelevant.¡±


    He took a step closer to Malachi, but as he did, a trio of snarling demons emerged from the shadows, eying him like a piece of fine meat. He paused momentarily, his attention shifting to the creatures, before looking back at Malachi, who appeared unbothered.


    ¡°You will also be affected if the duke or the Followers come,¡± he said.


    ¡°Perhaps, but I will not be staying here for much longer,¡± Malachi replied. ¡°I have found other pursuits to occupy my time with now that the Vilewyrm is gone.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± The man stopped as a chorus of growls from the shadows joined those of the three demons in front of him. He stayed quiet for a few beats before turning around. ¡°Do not expect further hospitality from us, witch. The Truthful and Aspirants have persevered in these lands for generations, and we do not forget as the imperials do.¡±


    With that, he departed the farmstead, ignoring the snarls of demons that followed him.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± Malachi said nonchalantly as he left. She then turned her gaze to Rosa, studying her intently for several seconds. Rosa felt, not for the first time, as if those emerald-green eyes gleaming in the dark were peering into her.


    ¡°¡­Got something you wanna say, or are you just admiring the view?¡± Rosa asked after a while.


    She doubted Malachi cared much about her overhearing the conversation; otherwise, the woman wouldn¡¯t have started it in the first place. While Rosa didn¡¯t feel entirely at ease knowing that whatever she had just heard was likely tied to some very questionable business, she was already aware that Malachi dealt with demons.


    That didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t leverage what the woman knew, did it?


    ¡°You seem to be growing rather impatient,¡± Malachi said.


    Rosa blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t even said anything. The woman couldn¡¯t read thoughts, could she? That¡¯d just be Rosa¡¯s usual luck of the dice ¡ª some crazy lady overhearing everything she¡¯d been thinking this past day.


    ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that the suppression wards couldn¡¯t keep you away forever, but I didn¡¯t expect you to worm your way past them this quickly. I only just noticed.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rosa turned her head, scanning their surroundings, even though she didn¡¯t actually expect to find anything. It didn¡¯t feel like the woman was addressing her, which only left one possibility.


    ¡°You even managed to evade her attention. Quite impressive.¡± Malachi reached into her dark robes, retrieving a peculiar hand mirror set in a small circular frame of silver, where it could rotate at its center. She held it out in front of her, and Rosa observed her own reflection.


    A face adorned with a sprinkling of freckles and framed by disheveled brown locks revealed a pair of violet eyes looking back at her.


    Nothing else.


    Malachi maintained her silence for a few moments, then spun the mirror in its frame, unveiling a different reflection. ¡°It¡¯s time to stop hiding.¡±


    In this altered image, Rosa¡¯s visage underwent a transformation. Her eyes were replaced by two inky orbs of darkness, resembling a void that threatened to engulf everything in its depths. Her features sharpened, taking on a more menacing appearance, and her lips curved into a sneer-like smile, a sight that had sent shivers down her spine on countless occasions.


    ¡°You¡¯re more perceptive than I anticipated. That¡¯s too bad, considering you forced me to come out prematurely,¡± a voice, both amused and sinister, spoke. Rosa instinctively brought her hands to her mouth as it moved of its own accord, uttering words that sent a bone-chilling sensation coursing through her very being.


    It was at that moment she felt it ¡ª how close the entity was. How close it had been all day. She had mistakenly thought it was calm after the day before, just waiting. That it couldn¡¯t touch her.


    She¡¯d been wrong.


    A gasp escaped her as Malachi¡¯s hand shot out and clamped onto her jaw, the woman¡¯s slender fingers grazing her cheeks as their eyes locked. Now, it was not only Rosa¡¯s distorted reflection that bore a deranged smile; Malachi¡¯s face mirrored the sinister expression. ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Anguish.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you fret.¡± Rosa¡¯s lips formed the unnerving words against her will. ¡°It won¡¯t be for long.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure.¡± A sickly green glow emanated from Malachi¡¯s fingers, and suddenly Rosa felt as if a bucket of water doused her entire body from within.


    Malachi released her grip on Rosa, who collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Her knuckles dug into the earth beneath her, but she felt relief as her control seemed to have been restored.


    ¡°It seems we don¡¯t have much time, so we will have to get to work,¡± Malachi declared, standing before her. Rosa looked up at her. The woman¡¯s countenance seemed almost unhinged as she gazed up at the descending moon, with a pack of demons gathered around her. ¡°We have a Vile to supplant.¡±

 Chapter 191 - Harbored revelations

    Scarlett and her party once again found themselves seated in their carriage, steadily traversing a worn dirt road, accompanied by a small contingent of knights under the command of Sir Franke Home. Scarlett¡¯s gaze was fixed outside the window, where the morning sun had recently pierced through a somber sea of clouds, casting a warm glow across the horizon.


    Following the skirmish between the duke¡¯s men and the demons that had appeared during the night, the original company had been split in two. Sir Home had opted to keep those recovering from injuries and in need of more time to recover in the cavern, along with roughly half of those still fit for battle. That group would both keep watch over things in the swamp while also commencing the arduous work of dealing with the deceased Vilewyrm. The rest, under Sir Home¡¯s leadership, were entrusted with escorting Scarlett back to Bridgespell, where they would report the situation to Duke Valentino and decide on a course of action.


    Neither Sir Home nor the duke had likely foreseen the confrontation with a demon when embarking on this mission. Now, having weathered a battle with not only the Vilewyrm but also other demons, the knight captain was understandably on edge regarding the unfolding events. Though he seemed to have his reservations about leaving some of his men behind in the swamp¡ªwhere another attack could easily occur¡ªhe believed that decisive action was necessary, given the circumstances.


    Scarlett understood that sentiment, even though she knew the particular threat he was concerned about wasn¡¯t as ¡®looming¡¯ as he might think. At least not in the fashion he was expecting. While Malachi¡¯s demons could be dangerous, yes, Scarlett doubted that the woman would be responsible for any direct attacks from here on. She would be busy with other things.


    Somewhere along their journey, two scouts clad in light armor joined their entourage. They approached Sir Home, their conversation audible enough for Scarlett to overhear.


    ¡°Captain, we tracked the demons¡¯ path, just as you ordered. It led us to a village called Crowcairn,¡± one of the riders reported.


    ¡°Crowcairn?¡± Sir Home¡¯s brow furrowed in thought.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a village roughly an hour and a half''s march to the west,¡± the rider explained.


    Scarlett¡¯s own brows knitted into a frown. That was strange.


    ¡°Did you find any signs of the village being attacked?¡± Sir Home asked.


    The rider shook his head. ¡°No, Captain. We did not enter the village itself in case the demons were hiding there, but we observed people moving around and they appeared unharmed.¡±


    Sir Home¡¯s gauntleted fists tightened on his horse¡¯s reins. ¡°Could that mean that whoever unleashed the demons is hiding within that village?¡± he seemed to ponder aloud.


    Scarlett watched the man mull over this new information, her own thoughts also wondering what to make of it all. It was undeniably suspicious. Neither Malachi nor her demons would have carelessly left behind traces. She was very experienced at concealing her presence. Even if the woman had been careless, the tracks wouldn¡¯t have led to Crowcairn itself.


    This had to have been deliberate.


    ¡°We must return to Bridgespell without delay and apprise His Grace of these developments,¡± Sir Home eventually said, his expression grim. ¡°This could have grave implications for the entire empire.¡±


    He signaled for another knight and a fresh horse, ordering them to ride swiftly to Bridgespell and relay this information. He also instructed them to seek the duke¡¯s permission to assemble another force for an immediate investigation of Crowcairn upon his return. Time was of the essence.


    The knight saluted and sped away on horseback. As Sir Home watched the retreating messenger along the road, Scarlett kept her eyes on the knight captain, considering what these developments entailed for her.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly bad, per se. In fact, it aligned quite well with what she had contemplated doing herself on several occasions. If she wanted to, she could exploit this situation to her advantage, and she¡¯d had several plans related to doing so. The difference was that she had eventually chosen not to go through with any of them, while Malachi clearly had.


    Strangely, the thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    ¡°What are your thoughts on this?¡± she asked, having opened the carriage window as Sir Home¡¯s horse rode past them.


    The knight turned his head, his creased forehead reflecting the complex contemplations brought about by the recent revelations. ¡°I wish I had a clear answer, Baroness. The presence of individuals in the duke¡¯s territory involved in dealings with demons is beyond reprehensible, yet it appears to be a harsh reality. We can only count ourselves fortunate that you assisted us in locating and defeating one of the demons this early, preventing it from further contaminating these lands. I can only pray to Ittar that we can root out the source of this menace before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze remained on him for a few seconds. ¡°¡­And what, exactly, do you believe it is that you might need to ¡®root out¡¯?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Whoever these people are who have made unholy pacts with these demons, and whose actions and very existences pose a threat to the empire and its citizens,¡± the man replied with unwavering determination in his tone.


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, then she turned her attention back to the passing landscape. ¡°A very imperial response, indeed.¡±


    Raimond indulged in the crispy crust of his morning loaf, perched on a low stone wall by the roadside near the outskirts of Crowcairn. His gaze meandered over the inhabitants of the village as they bustled through their daily routines with an air of resolve and purpose. Despite the brisk morning chill, the villagers seemed untroubled as they moved among the wooden houses, dusting off worn garments, and engaging in animated conversations, the resonating clang of a blacksmith¡¯s hammer echoing between the homes.


    While Raimond wouldn¡¯t exactly label Crowcairn as quaint, there was an undeniable sense of community enveloping the settlement that warmed his heart.


    A pair of young children, bundled in thicker clothing than the adults, ambled by with their mother, burdened by a heavy basket. Raimond offered them a warm smile as they passed.


    Both of the children jumped at the sight, their eyes widening as if they hadn¡¯t noticed him before, quickly seeking refuge behind their mother¡¯s skirts. The woman scolded them gently, her gaze shifting to Raimond as she offered an apology, though her smile and sorry expression seemed somewhat forced.


    Raimond didn¡¯t mind it in the least, maintaining his benevolent smile as he wished her a good day and bestowed a blessing from Ittar.


    They were far from the only ones in the village who appeared less than thrilled by his presence here.


    It was, of course, most apparent in the children, but many of the adults failed to conceal their discomfort as well. It manifested in subtle ways ¡ª lingering gazes, hushed tones when he drew near, and their¡ªsometimes¡ªpolite but evasive responses to his inquiries.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    It wasn¡¯t the typical reception a priest would receive in rural settlements like Crowcairn.


    Taking another delectable bite of his savory piece of loaf, Raimond brushed away the fallen crumbs from his pristine white robes. At least the bread was good.


    His attention shifted upward as he noticed the village head strolling down the road, having just left the blacksmith¡¯s home. The man¡¯s hair was slightly more disheveled compared to when Raimond had last seen him, and there was a heaviness to his steps that hadn¡¯t been there before. Nevertheless, he greeted Raimond with a warm smile as he passed on his way out of the village, stopping for a moment to exchange some words.


    ¡°Father Abraham. A pleasure seeing you out this fine morning,¡± the man¡¯s deep voice resonated. ¡°I see you¡¯ve acquired some of Benita¡¯s bread. It may be a simple fare, but I hope it suits your tastes.¡±


    ¡°The same to you, Mister Clifton.¡± Raimond affectionately shook the loaf in his hand. ¡°Indeed, I did, and it was delightful. Perhaps one of the finest loaves I¡¯ve tasted in quite some time. I must remember to visit Madame Benita later and convey my compliments.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will appreciate that,¡± the man said, though his attention seemed to momentarily drift as his gaze followed the road leading out of the village.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Raimond replied, although he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Madame Benita hadn¡¯t been particularly enthusiastic about providing him with the bread when he¡¯d requested it. Nevertheless, he was never one to give up on good food.


    The village head, apparently not finding anything of particular note in the distance, turned his attention back to Raimond. ¡°In any case, I hope your stay here has been enjoyable thus far, Father. If I might ask, how long do you intend to remain?¡±


    Raimond brushed a wayward lock of golden hair from his eyes, meeting the man¡¯s query with a radiant smile. ¡°Ah, who can say? I find Crowcairn rather charming, and predicting the whims of a wandering priest, guided only by his own two feet and the will of Ittar, is always a challenge. So, I suppose I¡¯ll depart when I can no longer partake of the kindness you offer without feeling shame for my freeloading ways.¡±


    Just as Raimond uttered those words, a burly, bald-headed man passed by with a log carried over his shoulder, shooting a brief glare at him while continuing down the road out of the village.


    The village head chuckled lightly, seemingly unruffled by that statement. ¡°I think I understand what you mean, Father. Life on the road for much of the year must be exhausting, especially in the colder seasons. Many of this village¡¯s residents aren¡¯t accustomed to having priests among us, so please excuse their unease. To them, the clergy is a distant concept, spoken of only by word of mouth. For the majority, it¡¯s their first time interacting with one of you, and they don¡¯t quite know what to expect.¡±


    Raimond nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely surprising for a place like this. I don¡¯t fault them for their discomfort with my presence. I¡¯m confident that our relationship will improve with time, and for now, I¡¯m rather content as things stand.¡± He playfully waved his bread once more.


    ¡°I take it that means you¡¯ll be gracing us with your presence for at least a few more days?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Raimond stroked his chin with his free hand. ¡°Well, as I mentioned, we shall see. But perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I, for one, would welcome that,¡± the village head said. ¡°But I hope you don¡¯t feel obligated to stay longer than necessary. We understand if you have other duties.¡±


    ¡°Oh, indeed, I have those,¡± Raimond replied with a wry smile. ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯ve honed the art of postponement and delegation to a fine skill, ensuring that my responsibilities no longer weigh upon me. Rest assured, I won¡¯t be departing today, at the very least.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression remained amused as he chuckled. ¡°While I don¡¯t envy your superiors, Father, I¡¯m pleased to hear it. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I must attend to my own duties, ones that I unfortunately can¡¯t delay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me hinder your diligence. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have many more opportunities to speak.¡±


    With that, the village head bid his goodbyes and continued down the dirt road, leaving the village and heading towards a collection of smaller homesteads in that direction. Raimond¡¯s eyes followed him as he departed.


    That man, at least, was a much more accomplished actor than the others. None of his true thoughts regarding Raimond¡¯s words had shown on his face.


    After a while, Raimond redirected his attention back to the village, savoring the last morsel of his bread as he observed the residents.


    He imagined that Ava wasn¡¯t too pleased with his prolonged absence, especially considering he had promised to return to his duties immediately after wrapping up matters in Bridgespell. However, developments had taken an unexpected turn. None of them could have foreseen that a sudden divine revelation would be given by the Augur.


    Her revelations were typically vague and elusive, but this time, it had been both cryptic and unusually detailed. During Raimond¡¯s time as a deacon, the Augur had never unveiled a revelation that included such a precise location of where the event at the focus of that revelation would occur while simultaneously offering scant insight into what that event actually was.


    Did it signify an impending threat, a golden opportunity, or something entirely different? The entire Quorum was in the dark, but they had little choice but to investigate the matter.


    The news had undoubtedly caught the other deacons off guard as well, especially given the Augur¡¯s reclusive nature since the incident at the Sanctuary of Ittar. Her reticence about the events of that night had puzzled many, and some of the others saw it as a sign of the woman¡¯s deteriorating condition. While it might have been premature considering her age, historical records documented instances of previous Augurs succumbing to the burdens of their position at a young age, so it was not outside the realm of possibility.


    It was the unfortunate reality that came with the role.


    However, from what Raimond had been told, the Augur had displayed remarkable clarity during the conclave where she had received the revelation. Although it had been some time since he himself had last seen her, he was heartened to hear that she was not too far gone yet.


    Nonetheless, he couldn¡¯t help but question the seeming convenience of it all ¡ª the revelation just happened to concern a location so close to his current whereabouts. Perhaps Ittar was at work with him specifically in mind, but Raimond was cautious about jumping to hasty conclusions.


    It remained to be seen whether this was a blessing or a curse, though he unfortunately harbored suspicions towards the latter.


    His gaze lingered on two middle-aged women as they crossed the road a short distance from him, conversing in hushed tones. Although he couldn¡¯t catch most of their words, they seemed to be discussing recent events in the area.


    Presumably, that meant it was mostly about him. But he wasn¡¯t the only visitor to this village that had come in the past couple of days. While the circumstances surrounding his visit to this nondescript village on the far outskirts of the Bridgespell area left him with numerous unanswered questions, that wasn¡¯t the extent of his curiosity.


    He wondered what Rosa was up to at the moment.


    Though he had spent much of his time in Crowcairn familiarising himself with the villagers and investigating what role the village might play in the Augur¡¯s latest revelation, that wasn¡¯t all he had been doing. It would take a man with far greater restraint than him to resist the urge to learn more about what had brought a companion of Baroness Scarlett Harford to this place, and at such an unusual time. As such, he had already delved deeper into learning about who this ¡®Malachi¡¯ person that Rosa apparently came here to meet was.


    From what he had gathered, Malachi was a reclusive individual who lived just beyond Crowcairn and rarely interacted with the villagers themselves. The locals didn¡¯t have much more information to offer, either because they chose not to share or simply because they didn¡¯t know more.


    It certainly left him in thought.


    His attention was caught by the pair of children he had seen earlier, now racing through the village while laughing, soon stopping to chase each other around a tree.


    He smiled. The innocence of children was a blessed existence, no matter the circumstances or location. He watched them play for a while until their mother arrived, putting a stop to it for now and guiding them on their way.


    Even as the small family disappeared around a corner, Raimond¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the spot where they had last been.


    His smile faded.


    ¡­While his inquiries among the villagers had yielded little substantial information, either related to this Malachi individual or his investigation, that did not mean he couldn¡¯t draw his own conclusions from the observations he made. In many ways, he was the perfect candidate for this assignment, and it was fortunate that the Followers could send him to assess the situation before acting themselves.


    Perhaps it was the providence of Ittar at work after all. If so, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of guilt for thinking that it might have been best if he wasn¡¯t the one chosen for this task.


    The teachings of Ittar painted the world as a harsh place, where it was the responsibility of those treading upon its lands with empathy and reason in their heart to shine their light and rescue those trapped in suffering. Even Ittar himself didn¡¯t possess the power to save everyone, and history had witnessed acts of cruelty committed by even the most well-intentioned individuals. Far too often, the light of day revealed the nuanced complexities that plagued humans as a people.


    Raimond rose from his perch, smoothing his robes as he surveyed the dwellings before him. He didn¡¯t know what fate held for this place, and he could not speak for those who lived here, but within him lingered a hopeful wish that the events forewarned by the Augur¡¯s divine revelation wouldn¡¯t unfold in the manner he feared.


    He started walking.


    However, if his apprehensions proved justified, he had a priestly duty to fulfill, and that duty took precedence over all else.


    For that was the solemn oath that he had sworn.

 Chapter 192 - Get with the program

    ¡°Was the dragon truly a demon?¡± Duke Valentino asked.


    Scarlett stood at the entrance of the man¡¯s opulent office, observing the portly man seated behind an arched wooden desk. His brows were furrowed deeply as he looked at Sir Home beside her.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. It was the largest demon I have ever encountered, and while it bore an uncanny resemblance to a dragon, there was no mistaking its true nature,¡± Sir Home answered. The captain of the Sable knight order wore the same grim expression that had been etched upon his face all morning as he presented his report. ¡°I understand why you might have mistaken it for a dragon when it attacked you and the young Lord, but no living creature in this world exudes such a malevolent aura, nor could any emit a breath as cursed as the one it unleashed. It could only have originated from the Blazes.¡±


    ¡°I received your scout¡¯s report, but I never anticipated such a foul creature to be responsible for my injuries and my son¡¯s current state,¡± the duke muttered, his expression laced with barely restrained anger. He rested one arm on the desk, which was meticulously organized with neatly arranged papers and documents.


    Scarlett and the rest of the group that had returned from their mission to slay the Vilewyrm had arrived in Bridgespell again not long ago. Upon their return, she and the knight captain had immediately been summoned to Duke Valentino¡¯s office to discuss the details of the ¡®harrowing¡¯ encounter.


    ¡°I had hoped it would not be as dire as it sounded, but this is far worse than I feared. This situation is reminiscent of that incident in Quickmallow.¡± The duke fixed his gaze on Sir Home, his eyes sharp and probing. ¡°And you are certain that the demons which attacked your men after the fight retreated towards Crowcairn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Do we know why that village in particular?¡±


    ¡°No. However, there were no signs of an attack, and my men reported seeing the villagers going about their routines. It is likely that the demons are in hiding.¡±


    The duke¡¯s frown deepened as he assumed a contemplative expression. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve assembled those who arrived too late to join your expedition yesterday, as well as several guardsmen. They are prepared to depart at a moment¡¯s notice. I am entrusting you with this matter, Captain Home, and granting you the authority to take any necessary action to resolve this issue swiftly and prevent further harm. I have faith in your judgment and ability to handle this situation.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Grace,¡± Sir Home responded in a deep, unwavering voice. ¡°I am fully prepared to execute your orders to the best of my ability.¡±


    Scarlett studied the man for a moment, her eyes scrutinizing his expression, before shifting her attention to the duke. ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± she asked.


    The duke looked at her. ¡°Is it not obvious? This corruption has been festering within my domain for Ittar knows how long, but we have only just now uncovered its presence. It is my duty to eradicate this evil by whatever means necessary, and that includes bringing any individuals responsible for this situation to justice. If there exists a network of demon-cooperators and their sympathizers within that village, I will ensure that each one faces the consequences of their actions.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze remained on him for several seconds before she lowered her head slightly in a nod. ¡°I suppose you are right,¡± she said. ¡°In that case, I would like to make a request.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°Allow me to join Sir Home and his men on their mission to Crowcairn.¡±


    The duke¡¯s eyebrows shot up as he regarded her. ¡°¡­Why?¡± he asked, his tone laced with a hint of skepticism.


    ¡°I possess prior experience dealing with demons and their kind,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°As a member of the empire¡¯s nobility, I cannot simply ignore a matter of this magnitude. My duty compels me to offer my assistance in dealing with this threat.¡±


    ¡°This matter is far too delicate and fraught with danger. I cannot permit outsiders to interfere simply because they wish to. While I will extend my gratitude for your role in bringing this situation to my attention, this is the extent of your involvement.¡±


    ¡°I assure you that I will in no way hinder your people¡¯s efforts,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°In fact, I suspect my expertise and abilities could prove invaluable. There will also be no risk of my sustaining any injuries and the blame falling upon you, if that was one of your concerns. I am more than capable of protecting myself, as Sir Home might be able to attest.¡±


    Duke Valentino turned to Sir Home, who offered a single nod.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford is a highly skilled mage, Your Grace,¡± the knight captain acknowledged. ¡°She was the one who slew the demon during our battle.¡±


    The duke¡¯s eyes widened slightly, the surprise clear on his face.


    ¡°To be precise,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I merely delivered the final blow. By that point, the demon had already been severely weakened by the valiant efforts of Sir Home and his men. It was only a matter of time until it succumbed to its injuries. While I am indeed proficient in magic, please do not misconstrue that as me single-handedly neutralizing a threat on the scale of a dragon.¡±


    ¡°That may be true,¡± Sir Home interjected, ¡°but from what I observed, she is likely more skilled than any of the mages under my command. Without her and her companions¡¯ timely assistance during the final moments of the battle, many more of my people would have suffered grave injuries or died. If we are to face more demons, I believe her aid could be a great boon, Your Grace.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the aging knight, noticing that he kept his gaze fixed ahead, refraining from looking at her directly as he spoke. Still, that was some pretty glowing praise, considering she had avoided helping them for most of the fight. Was he just keeping business separate from private matters?


    Well, not that what he thought of her mattered that much. As long as he didn¡¯t outright protest against her joining them.


    She returned her attention to Duke Valentino, who was scrutinizing her closely. Finally, the man spoke. ¡°Perhaps some of those rumors circulating about you aren¡¯t that exaggerated after all, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze, wondering specifically which rumors he was referring to. Lately, it seemed like her name was gaining more and more traction within noble circles, but she was always left in the dark regarding the nature of these whispered speculations. Maybe she could check with Evelyne when she returned to Freybrook to see if the younger woman knew anything. Or perhaps she could send a letter to Lady Withersworth. The older lady was well-versed in these matters, and she might even appreciate Scarlett¡¯s correspondence.


    After a brief pause, the duke continued. ¡°I will permit you to accompany Captain Home and his men,¡± he declared. ¡°¡­If your claims are indeed accurate, then I welcome your assistance. However, I must ask, where have you encountered demons before?¡±


    Scarlett allowed herself to show him a polite smile. ¡°The specifics of my past encounters with demons are a topic better suited for another time. Let us simply say that my recent endeavours, including those related to my Zuverian research, have exposed me to a multitude of challenges and valuable information.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The duke let out a soft huff, as if he had expected a more in-depth answer than that. Soon, however, he turned to Sir Home, as if just having realised something. ¡°I regret the necessity of burdening you with this responsibility immediately after the ordeal you just returned from, Captain. For that, and bringing you away from new grandchildren, you have my apologies. However, you understand the severity of the situation just as well as I do, so ensure that you handle it swiftly so that you may return and enjoy your well-deserved rest.¡±


    Scarlett also shifted her gaze towards Sir Home, noting the traces of exhaustion lingering on his features. Nevertheless, she was impressed by his resilience and rapid recovery compared to his state immediately after the battle. If she had been in his shoes, she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if she had needed a week and a half of bed rest, even with access to healing magic.


    ¡°That I will,¡± the knight declared.


    The duke nodded in acknowledgment before addressing them both. ¡°Is there anything else we need to discuss before your departure?¡±


    Sir Home¡¯s forehead creased together as something seemed to cross his mind. ¡°While I fully intend to carry out your orders as instructed, Your Grace, I feel I must ask: shouldn¡¯t we also seek help from the Followers of Ittar? Considering the circumstances, the Dawnbringers would prove invaluable if the situation escalates beyond our control.¡±


    ¡°I will forward a request to them,¡± the duke said. ¡°But I am reluctant to risk the demons evading capture or escaping while we wait for the Followers to act. Assembling a substantial force would take too long. That is why I want you to deal with it to the best of your abilities. If it becomes insurmountable, however, we will have to rely on them as reinforcements. In such a scenario, you should at least assess the situation so that we know what we are dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Sir Home replied.


    The duke turned his attention to Scarlett, his eyes studying her once more. ¡°¡­We shall discuss the details regarding compensation for your assistance in vanquishing the demon and addressing this other issue once all of this is resolved. I heard that the demons made off with the heart of our alleged ¡®dragon¡¯, after all, which I suppose means you¡¯ll have other requests in exchange.¡±


    The faint smile that graced Scarlett¡¯s lips now was much more genuine than the previous one. ¡°I eagerly await that discussion, Your Grace.¡±


    The man simply grumbled, offering no further response.


    After that, Scarlett and Sir Home left the duke¡¯s office, with the knight captain stating that he would find and gather the men the duke had mentioned. Meanwhile, Scarlett went in search of her own party.


    Allyssa and the others awaited her in a reception room within the duke¡¯s manor, a space with minimal decorations but suitable for hosting less distinguished guests for shorter durations. Her companions were gathered on a couch, a modest spread of refreshments and drinks laid out on the table before them, courtesy of the duke¡¯s servants.


    Scarlett took her place in an armchair across from them and recounted her conversation with the duke.


    ¡°So we¡¯re leaving immediately?¡± Allyssa asked once she had finished.


    ¡°As soon as Sir Home and his men are ready, yes,¡± Scarlett answered, taking a moment to pour herself a cup of tea. It seemed she wouldn¡¯t have time for a proper meal until this situation was resolved.


    ¡°And where is this Crowcairn?¡± Shin asked, the young man eating an apple.


    Scarlett tested the tea¡¯s temperature, adjusting it to her liking with her pyrokinesis. ¡°It lies near the swamp where we fought the demon.¡±


    Allyssa fiddled with a strand of her golden hair, cradling her brown leather goggles in her lap. Her expression carried a hint of concern. ¡°And they¡¯re really certain that those demons are hiding there?¡±


    ¡°Certain? No.¡± Scarlett sipped her tea. ¡°However, it is the only lead they have to follow. I concur with their assessment; it seems a plausible scenario that the demons would be hiding there. I trust that I do not have to explain to you the dire consequences if demons are allowed to run rampant across the countryside.¡±


    Allyssa shook her head. ¡°No, I get it. It¡¯s not like we can ignore something like this. In fact, I¡¯m surprised the duke isn¡¯t involving the Shields Guild, given how serious all of this is. I get that all the branches are stretched thin right now, but this is an emergency.¡±


    Scarlett continued drinking her tea, glancing up at the girl. ¡°I believe I have a decent grasp of the duke¡¯s reasoning.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion, though judging from Shin¡¯s serious expression, he understood what Scarlett meant.


    ¡°The duke is considering the possibility that the entire village may be in league with the demons,¡± he said. ¡°¡­And like Scarlett said, it¡¯s his duty to ¡®deal¡¯ with the situation, regardless of the methods. The Guild might not agree with what that might mean.¡±


    Allyssa froze, one finger curled around her hair. She stared at Shin, then turned to Scarlett. ¡°That can¡¯t be true, can it?¡±


    Scarlett remained silent, steadily meeting her gaze.


    The girls¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°We¡¯re talking about an entire village of people. Surely he can¡¯t seriously be considering killing them all? There¡¯s no way that¡¯s legal!¡±


    ¡°If they have all willingly engaged in summoning and making pacts with demons, it would be considered the lawful execution of dangerous criminals,¡± Scarlett said, maintaining a dispassionate tone. ¡°I do not know what else you would expect.¡±


    For a moment, Allyssa seemed genuinely shocked by her words. ¡°¡­Anything else but that. That¡¯s what a tyrant would do.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But in such a scenario, the duke would be well within his rights to do so. Of course, there is no guarantee that all the villagers are involved, so this is all mere conjecture.¡±


    Scarlett knew for a fact that the village itself wasn¡¯t really ¡®involved¡¯ with Malachi¡¯s demons, but she supposed that distinction didn¡¯t really matter much. The truth wasn¡¯t much better, at least from the perspective of an imperial noble.


    Allyssa looked at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re talking as if it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet for a few seconds, continuing to drink her tea with an air of indifference. ¡°If you would prefer to stay in Bridgespell for this expedition, you are more than welcome to do so. With Sir Home and his men present, it is unlikely that I will require your specific services this time. The same goes for you, Shin.¡±


    While she wouldn¡¯t stop them from going if they really wanted to, it might be best for both of them if they didn¡¯t. Scarlett herself might not be affected by such things, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for everyone.


    Both Shielders looked at her. Allyssa wore her emotions openly on her face, her expression a mix of horror and anger, while Shin appeared to be trying to gauge Scarlett¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Can I also decide not to go?¡± Fynn suddenly asked.


    Scarlett blinked, turning her head to the white-haired young man. ¡°You wish to remain behind?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, but clearly you don¡¯t want to go,¡± he stated, his yellow eyes meeting hers.


    She frowned. ¡°I do not understand what you mean by that. As I have already informed you, I have every intention of accompanying the duke¡¯s men when they depart.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re angry.¡±


    ¡°Angry?¡± She set her teacup on the table before her, leveling a sharp gaze at Fynn. ¡°I am not angry.¡±


    Surprisingly, she found herself slightly annoyed by his claim.


    ¡°You are,¡± Fynn said. ¡°You¡¯ve been angry ever since this morning when we first heard about the demons near Crowcairn.¡±


    ¡°I have not¡ª¡± Scarlett paused, staring at him. Her brows furrowed even deeper as she actually considered his words. He wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. She wasn¡¯t angry, but¡­there had been something gnawing at her ever since she realized that Malachi had deliberately framed the villagers. She initially thought it was irritation at the woman doing exactly what Scarlett herself had chosen not to, rendering her restraint pointless, but now that she truly thought about it, that wasn¡¯t the case. This was something else.


    If she were to put it into words, it was distaste.


    Strange, considering things. Even stranger that she hadn¡¯t even realized what it was until now. And here she was, thinking she had finally started getting a hang of her own emotions as Scarlett.


    She shook her head slowly, returning her focus to Fynn. ¡°You are not entirely mistaken, but no, I am not angry. As for whether I wish to go or not, that matter is not up for debate. I must go, and that is that.¡±


    Fynn studied her silently for several seconds before nodding. ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯m going as well.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett turned to Allyssa and Shin. ¡°And you two?¡±


    ¡°¡­If the duke¡¯s men decide that all the villagers are guilty, will they really try to kill them?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°That is not a question I can provide a definitive answer to, but it would not surprise me.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you stop them?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Scarlett pressed her lips together. Her intention had been to answer with a simple ¡®no¡¯, but for some reason, the word hadn¡¯t left her mouth. Instead, that strange distaste reared its head, clamoring for her attention like a persistent bug. ¡°¡­I do not see how I could,¡± she eventually said.


    ¡°I see.¡± Allyssa wore a complicated expression as her gaze dropped downwards. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll think about it. Just until we leave. Sorry, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°That is perfectly fine,¡± Scarlett said. She then looked at Shin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go if she goes,¡± he stated.


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I suspected as much. Simply ensure that you reach your decisions soon, and that you understand the gravity of the situation before doing so. I trust that you will be able to choose what is best for you.¡±


    Meanwhile, Scarlett would make the choice that was best for her. And in this context, that meant what was best for Rosa.


    That said, she might have to reconsider a bit exactly what that meant.

 Chapter 193 - Sanctum

    A palpable weight hung over Crowcairn today, a tension Raimond had observed as he interacted with the villagers and pursued his investigations. It hadn¡¯t been immediately apparent in the morning, but like an ominous wave spreading through the settlement, it had steadily become more pronounced as the day progressed.


    Currently, he stood on the outskirts of the village, seeking momentary shelter from the watchful gazes of its residents as he contemplated the implications of it all. Perched on a low stone wall that encircled a small plot of land, likely used for livestock during the warmer seasons, he gazed across the rolling hills surrounding Crowcairn.


    Despite his observations of their odd behaviour, his other interactions with the people here today had been as unproductive as those of the previous day. Perhaps even more so, as he would dare say they were more distrustful of him now than they had been earlier. That, or they had simply become less adept at concealing their suspicion under the prevailing atmosphere.


    Regardless of the reason, with the way things were unfolding, it seemed only a matter of time before events escalated in one direction or another. Where that direction might lead and whether he would be involved in it remained uncertain, but the signs of something brewing beneath the surface were unmistakable.


    Though he wasn¡¯t fond of the methods themselves and considered them somewhat louche, he had considered employing alternative means to advance his investigations from this point forward. If his concerns were valid¡ªwhich they often were¡ªcontinuing his current approach was unlikely to yield results in time.


    His attention was drawn to a figure appearing on the horizon, passing over one of the hills and approaching the village at a speed that would have been impressive for a normal person. Raimond also noted that the figure wasn¡¯t following the road; instead, they were running across the open terrain as if their very life depended on it. Not that there was anything visibly pursuing them.


    Raimond¡¯s brows furrowed as he observed the individual, and after a moment¡¯s thought, he motioned with his hands in the air in front of him.


    Luminous Gaze.


    A faint pulse of light followed the path traced by his hand, invisible to all but those positioned directly behind it. A second later, that light sharpened, becoming more defined and revealing a magnified image of the figure.


    It was a man in his twenties, his bearded face hard-set and his clothes drenched in sweat. He wasn¡¯t someone Raimond recognized, but he certainly seemed in a hurry.


    For a fleeting moment, Raimond contemplated signaling to the man to inquire about the cause of his distress. However, he decided against it, opting instead to continue observing from a distance. He watched as the man reached Crowcairn, coming to an exhausted halt and leaning against a house while catching his breath.


    A middle-aged woman with her hair bundled behind her approached the man, saying something. Raimond lamented that he had no aeromancy spell to decipher their conversation from his vantage point, but there was not much to be done about that. The bearded man shook his head, his demeanor clearly laced with urgency, his words causing the woman¡¯s eyes to widen. She pointed deeper into the village, and with a nod of acknowledgment, the man resumed his journey, entering Crowcairn and soon disappearing from Raimon¡¯s view.


    A frown creasing his brow, Raimond abandoned his resting spot. It would appear something significant had occurred, and given the circumstances, he couldn¡¯t simply ignore it. As he moved, he silently cast another invocation, weaving the light around him into an intricate pattern that enveloped him in an inconspicuous layer that blended into the surroundings, rendering him invisible to the eyes of the villagers.


    Veil of the Unseen.


    It was not an invocation he often employed, lest he find himself developing unsavory habits¡ªor worse, an unpalatable reputation¡ªbut sometimes the situation demanded what it did. He was aware of various countermeasures to this technique, but he suspected none were available to these villagers.


    Unseen and unheard, Raimond navigated deeper into the village, guided by the trail of reactions left by the bearded man¡¯s arrival. Raimond eventually spotted the man in question standing in front of the village head near the smithy. As he drew closer to them, the village head¡¯s brusque tone cut through the air, devoid of the hospitality he had displayed towards Raimond.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    The bearded man, speaking between breaths, nodded vigorously. ¡°Y-Yes, absolutely. They were the duke¡¯s men, no doubt.¡± He wiped away the sweat that covered his forehead. ¡°They passed through our land with little regard, and they didn¡¯t take kindly to my brother¡¯s attempt to ask their purpose.¡±


    ¡°Foolish. He should never have approached them.¡±


    Keeping a watchful eye on the village head, Raimond positioned himself a few meters away from the men. Neither of them displayed any signs of noticing his presence, nor did they seem concerned about discussing their matter openly.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I told him, but he wouldn¡¯t listen,¡± the bearded man said. ¡°We¡¯re lucky that he didn¡¯t, though, because I hid nearby and overheard their response.¡±


    ¡°Which was?¡±


    ¡°They claimed they were searching for demons.¡±


    The village head¡¯s expression twisted into one of pure indignation. ¡°¡­Blazes and their spawns take that witch.¡±


    Raimond narrowed his eyes, studying the man. The man¡¯s reaction to the news of the duke¡¯s men was certainly hostile, but during Raimond¡¯s time in this village, he had not detected any demonic presences. However, if Duke Valentino¡¯s men were conducting a search for demons, it was unlikely to be without reason.


    This was undoubtedly unwelcome news.


    For a few seconds, the village head stood in silence, a grim expression on his face. Eventually, he sighed heavily and looked at the other man. ¡°How long until they arrive? And what of your brother?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they suspected him of anything, but they didn¡¯t let him go immediately,¡± the bearded man replied. ¡°I think they wanted to interrogate him while continuing towards the village. Don¡¯t know much more than that. Ran here to inform you. Their group had horses and carriages, which means they¡¯re stuck taking the east-bound trails before turning south here, but this was perhaps three or fours hours ago. They¡¯ll probably be here within the hour.¡±


    The village head¡¯s mood appeared to darken even further.


    ¡°¡­What should we do? Can¡¯t we simply let them come here? There are no demons in the village, so we should be safe.¡±


    The village head seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to take that risk. It¡¯s possible that the soldiers were lying, and they already know something. These ¡®demons¡¯ could simply be used for pretext. But even if they weren¡¯t lying, if it concerns demons, the duke¡¯s men will turn over every corner of the village without question, no matter what we say. If they find anything they consider ¡®suspicious¡¯, it could very well spell disaster for all of us. By then, it would be too late for us to do anything.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The man¡¯s words did little to alleviate the suspicions that Raimond himself had nurtured during his stay in the village, nor did they cast the villagers¡¯ motives in a particularly favorable light.


    The village head waved over a woman who had been watching their conversation from the entrance to a nearby home. He gestured towards the smithy when she approached. ¡°Help Delmar gather some of the boys and prepare the Shrine in the commons.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face scrunched together in what was perhaps a mix of shock and apprehension. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°The duke¡¯s men are advancing towards our village. We have little choice but to act now before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Both concern and anger flashed across the woman¡¯s expression, and she immediately scurried off without another word. The village head turned back to the bearded man. ¡°The duke and the empire¡¯s folly continue to blind them to the truth, but we can¡¯t do much about it right now. We¡¯ll see what we can do for your brother, but otherwise, he knows what to do. I trust that the same applies to you.¡±


    The man gave a meaningful nod. ¡°Yes, Chief.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then help spread the word and get our other preparations in order.¡±


    With that, the two men went their separate ways. Raimond¡¯s mood remained glum as he followed the village head, observing the outwardly quaint village spring into action with an unexpected intensity. It was as if every person knew their role upon hearing the news, from the youngest child trailing behind their mother to the adults bringing out bags of belongings onto the streets en masse.


    Confirming Raimond¡¯s decision to remain concealed as the right one, the village head and some other villagers eventually shifted their focus to him and his current whereabouts, clearly deciding that his was a presence they no longer had to pretend to tolerate. Several people searched various hiding spots and asked around, attempting to determine when and where he had last been seen.


    Perhaps he should have considered himself fortunate that he had spotted the man who had come to warn the village. Even more so that the villagers lacked someone who could spot him. Raimond had already been aware that not all the villagers were as ordinary as they appeared, but it would have put him in a rather awkward position if they had a proficient tracker among them.


    When no one succeeded in locating him for the first half-hour, it seemed the villagers concluded that he had left while they weren¡¯t looking, perhaps thinking he was a spy for the duke¡¯s men. They returned their focus to whatever preparations they were performing. What exactly those were, Raimond wasn¡¯t entirely certain. However, it was evident that they were getting ready to depart.


    Or, at least, that was what it seemed like. They didn¡¯t start leaving the village, however, even though the women and men held their belongings as if before a mass exodus. Instead, they gathered in one of the village¡¯s larger open spaces. Carefully navigating through the dozens of people in the crowd, ensuring not to let his robes touch anyone and masking his presence, Raimond observed the villager¡¯s expressions while making his way to the edge of the space. Then he shifted his attention to the center, where he saw the blacksmith and four other men carrying a heavy object onto a simple wooden platform that had been raised there.


    Raimond¡¯s heart sank as he recognized the object, even though it only confirmed what he had already held to be but a fraction from the truth.


    The men set the object down on the platform, each of them straining under its weight even when distributed among themselves. Forged of a deep, black stone-like material, the object was a simple rectangular pedestal. Its surface, however, seemed to shimmer in a manner that defied the senses when hit by the afternoon light. Even from a distance, Raimond could feel the waves of energy emanating from the relic, weighty and demanding, as if it sought to assert its dominance over the world. It sent shivers down his spine, even as it offered but a glimpse of whatever power the relic had been carved out of.


    A Sanctumbrum, the Followers called it, though the exact terminology mattered little. There were only two groups with access to such a relic: the Hallowed Cabal and the Tribe of Sin.


    Not far from Raimond, a boy excitedly tugged at his mother¡¯s clothes, gesticulating at the object with wide eyes. The mother¡¯s expression aligned more with the serious atmosphere in the village as she hushed her son and spoke to him in soft whispers that Raimond couldn¡¯t discern. He simply observed the familiar exchange with complicated emotions within.


    It had been decades since the last confirmed Tribe enclave had been ousted from the empire¡¯s lands, to his knowledge. He had considered it improbable that any remnants remained after the numerous purges¡ªfor that was what they were¡ªcarried out by the empire¡¯s elite. Yet before him was an entire commune; seemingly each and every member was part of it. He wondered how long they had lived here and how they had managed to evade detection. It should have been impossible on the scale he was witnessing.


    Soon, the village head reappeared, standing before the villagers on the platform next to the Sanctumbrum, dressed in the black robes of the Tribe, white lines drawn across his face. His demeanor was grave as he addressed the crowd.


    ¡°By now, you should all be aware of the situation,¡± he spoke loudly, his voice carrying over the area. ¡°It¡¯s sudden, and I know that it¡¯s much to ask of you, but fate has forced our hand, and we have yet the strength to push back. Today, many of us will have to return to the Foundlands.¡±


    Heads nodded, almost as if on cue, an almost tangible resolve seemed to sweep over the villagers, catching even Raimond slightly off guard.


    The village head turned his attention northwest, where one of the roads led out of the village and into the distance. The villagers¡¯ gazes followed. Now, Raimond could make out some movement there on the horizon¡ªhorsemen and a small contingent of wagons. He didn¡¯t need Luminous Gaze to confirm that it was likely the duke¡¯s men the bearded man had mentioned.


    Supposedly, they had come here in search of demons, but to the law and the people of the empire, those of the Tribe were scarcely different.


    Raimond¡¯s eyes swept over the villagers, stopping on the determined faces of those adults who were likely aware of that harsh reality. He did not know how they would fare against a contingent of soldiers and knights, but it seemed their chances mattered little to them if it came to that.


    Though with a Sanctumbrum in their possession, there was no guarantee that it would come to that, if what he knew about the relics was true.


    Suddenly, it felt like Raimond¡¯s entire being trembled as something passed through him, and he turned his gaze towards the relic that stood beside the village head. Its black form seemed to quiver along with the world around it, as if it absorbed and drew upon the very essence of its surroundings, spitting in the face of the natural order. The village head touched a hand against its surface, and his arms seemed to warp slightly like in a mirage the closer they were to it.


    ¡°We are all prepared to give our lives for the truth that we aspire to,¡± the man declared. ¡°I suspect some of us will have to do just that today. But a meaningless sacrifice is a sin greater than even our ignorance, for only those who continue to aspire can become Truthful. We have had little time to prepare, so the Shrine won¡¯t be able to open our passage yet.¡±


    As if an imperceptible fragment of reality itself had shattered, a resonance emanated from the Sanctumbrum, expanding outward like an invisible ripple that coursed through Raimond with a sensation that defied logic and contradicted itself. Though he couldn¡¯t see the phenomenon, he could somehow tell that it extended beyond the crowd and the village itself, enshrouding the settlement like an impenetrable veil. Then, as if decrying Ittar¡¯s very existence and invoking a chilling void, a grey dome materialized around Crowcairn. It distorted the image of the sun in the sky and cast a desolate, cold light over everything beneath it.


    Although he had read about this occurrence, he had never witnessed it himself until now. Even so, the Phantom Sanctum was a well-documented¡ªif poorly understood¡ªphenomenon that had frequently proven a difficult obstacle for those facing the Tribe in the past. While it was every bit as unsettling as Raimond had heard, he did not think this barrier matched some of the more extreme examples that had been described. Some records spoke of Sanctums that blanketed entire cities, blocking all external light.


    ¡°Aspirants of the truth, brothers and sisters,¡± the village head called out. ¡°Our moment of reckoning has arrived, and the benighted agents of the empire have come to our doorstep to impose their willfully ignorant ¡®justice¡¯ upon us. While our goal is not to perish here today, let us demonstrate precisely what we strive for. Let us offer them a glimpse of the truth.¡±


    Swelling into a chorus of resounding agreement, the villagers¡¯ voices were raised in a fervent unity that Raimond could only watch in somber silence, feeling the pervasive mood of it all wash over him. He couldn¡¯t predict the outcome or which side would prevail in the coming conflict, but even in the face of all this, that was not where his primary concern lay.


    One consuming thought dominated his mind, fueled by suspicion and misgivings, the mere possibility of which unsettled him more profoundly than even the unnatural reality birthed by the Sanctumbrum¡¯s power. For the Augur¡¯s revelations were not to be underestimated, and while the woman¡¯s warning might have pertained to the events unfolding before his eyes, Raimond couldn¡¯t shake his doubts.


    Suppose, just suppose, that there existed another reason for her augury ¡ª a future occurrence whose consequences potentially eclipsed even those of the current situation. What could conceivably warrant such a description?


    Raimond pondered this disconcerting notion, and the conclusion he arrived at was far from reassuring.


    He offered a prayer to Ittar above, seeking guidance and protection for what lay ahead.

 Chapter 194 - Apparitions

    The vast dome encompassing Crowcairn loomed before Scarlett as she peered through the carriage window, murmurs of bewilderment rippling through the contingent of the duke¡¯s men gathered outside. It was a sight that was far from ordinary, even in this world of dragons and magic. The greyish hue of the dome possessed an eerie luster, as though it repelled the very sunlight that tried to pierce its veil, offering only a distorted and colorless glimpse of what lay within.


    The villagers of Crowcairn had activated the Sanctumbrum. They were no longer bothering to keep their existence a secret.


    A few meters from the carriage, Scarlett saw Sir Home, clad in armor atop his horse. His gaze was fixed upon the barrier, his countenance grim. His lips moved, forming words inaudible to Scarlett, but eventually, he grabbed the reins of his horse and turned it around, sweeping his eyes over his troops.


    ¡°Our foe has revealed their hand!¡± he declared, his voice carrying over the large group before him. While Scarlett couldn¡¯t be certain if all of them were as elite as the force assembled to confront the Vilewyrm, there were more people now than there had been then, including a significantly larger number of mages. ¡°I do not have to be the one to tell you that this is no natural occurrence, but nor is it the work of demons! Its origin, however, is something almost equally sinister, for this is the doing of our empire¡¯s most ancestral enemy, the Tribe of Sin!¡±


    A wave of surprise swept through the ranks of soldiers and mages, flashes of anger and realization flickering across their faces. Everyone in the empire knew of the recent attacks by the Tribe, and there were few who considered them anything less than a scourge upon these lands.


    Scarlett supposed she couldn¡¯t fault their reactions, given the Tribe¡¯s track record.


    ¡°Mages, prepare yourselves. This barrier is formidable, but that does not mean it has to be impenetrable. We shall commence our assault forthwith. The rest of you will begin fortifying our position.¡±


    Sir Home guided his horse up alongside Scarlett¡¯s carriage as they approached the village. Their heads were at the same level as Scarlett opened the window, letting the cool air inside and allowing the man to address her. ¡°Baroness Hartford, it appears we finally have an answer as to the identity of our perpetrators. I must admit, I didn¡¯t even consider the possibility of the Tribe¡¯s involvement. Now that I see the truth laid bare before me, though, it feels painfully evident.¡±


    Scarlett regarded the man. ¡°I presume you have previous experience with the Tribe, Captain?¡±


    He nodded gravely. ¡°That I do. I fought against them in my youth and during my time as a Solar Knight. It¡¯s been many years, but this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve seen one of their accursed ¡®Sanctums¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Are you confident that your current forces will be capable of breaching it?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say for certain, but we have no choice but to try. I¡¯ve seen them be brought down before, so there is hope. Leave this to us, Baroness, and conserve your energy for now. We will strive to forge a path forward.¡±


    With those words, the man steered his horse away and began issuing more commands to his people, directing their efforts as they reached the outskirts of the Sanctum¡¯s barrier and began setting up their defences a short distance away from its edge.


    ¡°Is it really the Tribe of Sin who¡¯s responsible for this?¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice sounded out, and Scarlett turned to look at the young Shielder sitting across from her in the carriage cabin.


    ¡°It would appear so, yes,¡± she replied.


    Allyssa gazed out of the window towards Crowcairn, her face reflecting a mixture of emotions. The girl still seemed to struggle with coming to terms with what Scarlett had discussed with her before. ¡°So, does this mean they¡¯re holding the villagers hostage?¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. ¡°That is unlikely.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    She studied her, considering how to best present the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably one of their enclaves,¡± Shin said from beside Allyssa, looking at Scarlett. ¡°Am I right?¡±


    Scarlett briefly glanced at him, then nodded. ¡°That does seem to be the case.¡±


    Allyssa turned to him. ¡°Enclaves?¡±


    ¡°One of the Tribe of Sin¡¯s communes. In the past, they have often established covert settlements across the empire and other nations to gather information. Sometimes, they even built or assimilated entire villages like this one.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s absurd. How could people miss an entire village belonging to the Tribe?¡±


    Shin shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The reasons probably vary. Sometimes, the Tribe¡¯s been there for a long time. Other times, no one thinks to look. For some reason, their existence isn¡¯t common knowledge. Every recent source I¡¯ve seen mention enclaves said they were a thing of the past.¡±


    Allyssa stared at him for a few seconds, then shifted her attention back to the grey barrier veiling Crowcairn. ¡°Are you seriously telling me that every single villager there might be a member of the Tribe?¡±


    ¡°It is a plausible conclusion, given the circumstances,¡± Scarlett said.


    Allyssa looked to her. ¡°What about any children? The elderly?¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes. ¡°Were you under the impression that Tribe members materialized out of thin air and faded into nothingness when their purpose was complete?¡±


    The girl remained silent for a moment, her lips pressed into a thin line. Then, her gaze returned to the Sanctum¡¯s barrier. ¡°¡­So, what¡¯s our next step?¡± she eventually asked.


    ¡°Precisely as Sir Home said,¡± Scarlett answered, following her line of sight. ¡°We will be conserving our energy while he and his men prepare to breach the village.¡±


    In the game, the Phantom Sanctums weren¡¯t always penetrable by the player, but there were instances where they could be pierced. Considering the size of Sir Home¡¯s forces and the barrier¡¯s relatively small size, Scarlett believed they had a fair chance of success, albeit perhaps not without a struggle.


    Her attention drifted to the distorted and obscured image of Crowcairn within the Sanctum.


    The rapid progression of events compared to the game had forced the villagers to expose their trump card prematurely. Conveniently, this meant that they lacked the resources or freedom to interfere with Rosa and Malachi, as they would have in the game once they discovered what was happening on that front.


    In that regard, the current circumstances were almost ideal for Scarlett. Malachi had unwittingly played into her hands. She couldn¡¯t have planned it much better herself.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    She really wouldn¡¯t have had much reason to complain if it hadn¡¯t been for that nagging voice at the back of her head. The one that told her this situation was anything but perfect, leaving her with a sense of annoyed distaste for how things had unfolded. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether this was yet another twisted manifestation of the original¡¯s personality and strange obsessions, angered at the seeming loss of agency or some other nonsense, or if it was something that originated from her.


    At this point, it was hard to tell.


    Time passed as they remained in the carriage, watching as Sir Home and his men busied themselves. Some of the guardsmen from Bridgespell were erecting a rudimentary camp and basic fortifications facing Crowcairn, positioning wagons as a primary line of defence and digging shallow trenches. Scarlett and her carriage were positioned closer to the rear, away from the worst of the noise and potential danger.


    On a slight hill overlooking the area, mages, under the command of one of the officers, began casting spells in a methodical, coordinated manner. It was a deliberate barrage¡ªfire, water, earth, and other magical schools and affinities¡ªassaulting the Sanctum¡¯s barrier, gradually aiming at weakening it. No doubt, the mages would exhaust themselves of mana before the barrier gave in, but with over a dozen mages working in unison, they might be able to wear it down if they had the rest of the day.


    Eventually, Sir Home approached the carriage once more, his focus locked on Scarlett. ¡°Baroness Hartford,¡± he greeted her with a hint of awkwardness in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve dispatched men to request further supplies and heavier ordnance from Bridgespell. With a bit of luck, we¡¯ll have more mages and possibly even siege weaponry at our disposal before nightfall. That said¡­it just occurred to me that in our earlier conversation, I neglected to consider whether you might possess some knowledge or information that could aid our efforts.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid that I do not,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°While I have studied the Tribe¡¯s capabilities and their Sanctums, this is my first encounter with one in person. I am unaware of any specific weakness that could expedite its collapse in this instance.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± A flicker of disappointment crossed the knight captain¡¯s face, but he quickly regained his composure. He turned his head, surveying the soldiers milling about. ¡°I suppose it was too much to hope for. No matter. We¡¯ll press on, may Ittar mark my words. The Tribe will not escape the consequences of their treachery, their heinous deeds, and their unholy alliance with demons.¡±


    Scarlett observed the man silently for a few seconds.


    The situation was now a race against time for both sides in this conflict. If the Tribe members were given enough time, they could escape relatively unscathed, leaving Sir Home¡ªand the duke, by extension¡ªwith little to show for their efforts and limited insight into the Tribe¡¯s activities in the area. However, if Sir Home could bring down the Sanctum¡¯s barrier before that, the Tribe were the ones who would be at a disadvantage.


    As for the exact timeframe of things, Scarlett couldn¡¯t say. The Sanctum was a temporary measure the villagers had erected while preparing their escape. That much probably stayed true from the game. But how long those preparations would take and their exact costs weren¡¯t details she possessed. Even had she known it from the game, she wasn¡¯t sure such precise time durations translated well into this world.


    ¡°If anything, I commend your dedication, Captain,¡± she finally said. ¡°I regret not being of greater assistance in this endeavor. However, if any further questions or concerns arise, please do not hesitate to seek my counsel. I will be here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that,¡± the man replied, bidding her farewell with a curt nod before returning his attention to his duties.


    As the steady assault on Crowcairn¡¯s barrier continued, Scarlett and her party remained in the carriage, listening to the sounds of occasional spellcasting outside. Fynn utilized this period of calm to meditate, while Shin delved into the pages of one of his books. Allyssa, in comparison, sought refuge from the scenery outside by closing her eyes, drifting off to sleep.


    Despite the scant amount of sleep that Scarlett herself had gotten over the past two days, she felt surprisingly alert. It was a welcome surprise, though, since she had neither the time nor the opportunity to relax for the time being. Attempting to rest only led to her mind being flooded with distracting thoughts that served no purpose.


    As Scarlett watched the efforts of Sir Home¡¯s people through the carriage window, a sudden jolt from Fynn beside her caught her off guard. The young man lunged out of his seat from nowhere, shattering the relative peace in the cabin as he moved for the door and flung it open and leapt out. Almost immediately following that, cries of alarm echoed across the camp, piercing the air like discordant notes.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze darted towards the source of the commotion, her eyes widening slightly as she spotted several black-clad figures emerging from the grey barrier surrounding Crowcairn like spectral apparitions. Their figures grew more defined as they exited it completely, and as a single group with a menacing air surrounding them, they converged towards Sir Home¡¯s forces.


    Soldiers standing amidst the hastily constructed fortifications braced themselves for the inevitable clash, their swords and shields raised in defense. But the Tribe members, numbering over two dozen, moved quickly and with force, several of them nimbly managing to press through before all the men around the camp had time to reinforce their compatriots. Their attack seemed to target the mages who were recovering their mana near a row of tents.


    Sir Home and some of his knights immediately seemed to recognise this, moving to intercept the interlopers. The knight captain managed to block off three Tribe members by himself, but not all defenders could respond as quickly as needed.


    Inside the carriage, Allyssa had woken up as she and Shin started moving, while Fynn had transformed into a steadfast guardian, positioning himself protectively in front of the vehicle in case any assailants chose them as a target. Scarlett scanned the area, relaxing only slightly after confirming that the Tribe members seemed to be ignoring them.


    She wondered whether the villagers of Crowcairn were aware of her association with the Cabal, or if she would be a complete unknown to them. The latter seemed more likely. That meant that, since she was the one skirting the line of what the agreement allowed, these Tribe members would be well within their right to target her. Because of that, she did actually need to show some caution.


    She couldn¡¯t just stand idly by doing nothing, though. That would be far too suspicious. To avoid drawing attention, she started using her magic to subtly destabilize those of the Tribe members who were within her range and aid those of her allies who appeared in need.


    Not that she needed to do much in the end. The skirmish ended up being a brief one. Even before Allyssa and Shin had the chance to fully join in, the Tribe members began picking up their own and retreated to the Sanctum. In their wake, they left behind a few injured¡ªpossibly killed¡ªmages. However, Sir Home and his people had also cut down six or seven assailants, leaving it unclear which side suffered the heaviest loss.


    Scarlett watched as the Tribe members soon disappeared inside the Sanctum, the grey barrier allowing their passage where it would deny any outsiders. She then shifted her attention to the camp, now in a state of mild disarray. Nonetheless, Sir Home swiftly regained control of the situation. As Allyssa and Shin busied themselves helping out where they could, the knight captain briefly approached Scarlett to assess her condition, urging her to exercise caution in case of potential future raids. From there, he began barking orders to his men as they got to treating the wounded and resuming activities.


    A while later, as Scarlett sat in the carriage on her own, with Fynn playing watchdog outside, something else happened.


    An intangible wave of pure violence slammed into her, the sensation penetrating her very core, compelling every fiber of her being to cry out as if violated. It lasted for but a heartbeat, but its source was unmistakable for someone like her who had encountered something similar. Echoed cries of distress and fear from the camp confirmed she wasn¡¯t the only one to have experienced the unsettling feeling.


    Looking out the window, Fynn was already there, serious-faced.


    ¡°I am aware,¡± she told him, turning her gaze to the distance. Not to Crowcairn, but north. To the horizon.


    There, rising like a nightmarish apparition against the grey sky, stood a citadel crafted from pure obsidian. Its colossal spires pierced through the clouds, their jagged edges seemingly torn from the very fabric of reality itself. Even a mere glance at them provoked something within Scarlett to coil in displeasure. Bathed in an unholy crimson aura, the citadel exuded an otherworldly agony that felt nearly tangible. Its walls pulsated with a sinister energy, casting grotesque shadows that appeared to writhe and whisper in hushed, blasphemous tongues that carried across the considerable distance separating it from the camp.


    However, even as it loomed there, blanketing the landscape with its oppressive presence, the dread fortress felt only partially real, as if it straddled the boundary between the infernal abyss whence it came and the land it now tainted.


    Shackles that had been wrapped around Scarlett for far too long suddenly relinquished their grasp of her. She glanced down at her left hand, where a fading purple crest slowly disappeared. Returning her gaze to the harrowing spectacle on the horizon, a mixture of anticipation and apprehension churned within her.


    Anguish¡¯s citadel had finally clawed its way into the Material Realm, and the stage was set for an overdue encounter with its mistress.

 Chapter 195 - Looming horizons

    Amidst the assemblage of confused and, in some instances, fearful cries echoing through the camp, Scarlett¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the ominous silhouette of Anguish¡¯s citadel dominating the horizon. While not overwhelming for her, the sheer dread that seemed to emanate from it, like a miasma of despair, felt truly otherworldly.


    Finally, she pulled her attention away from the citadel and swung open the carriage door, stepping out next to Fynn. The young man shot her a quizzical look as she signaled for him to follow, and together, they navigated the now-chaotic encampment. The faces of those they passed by were etched with a spectrum of emotions, ranging from bewilderment to outright alarm as the crimson aura radiating from the citadel lent a morbid pallor to their countenances. Even Shin and Allyssa, standing alongside a cluster of wounded guardsmen, seemed caught up in the sudden phenomenon.


    Spotting Sir Home amid a small assembly of knights, Scarlett guided her walk towards the knight captain, with Fynn shadowing her footsteps.


    ¡°Captain Home,¡± she addressed the man, her voice cutting through the silence surrounding the knight captain.


    Sir Home, his furrowed brow betraying his dark thoughts, turned towards her. ¡°¡­Baroness,¡± he began, ¡°do you know what¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± she interrupted him, ¡°but the demonic miasma enveloping that structure is unmistakable. It is undoubtedly connected to the demonic presence we came here to investigate.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression hardened, his eyes flickering towards the citadel. For a moment, he seemed uncertain how to respond, but eventually, he gave a curt nod. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s as though merely looking at it for too long threatens to make my skin crawl off. Such a monstrosity has no place in our realm. It¡¯s an affront to His Majesty and Ittar himself.¡±


    ¡°That it is.¡± Scarlett followed his gaze, her attention lingering on the obsidian spires, which did seem to mock the heavens.


    Despite the overwhelming dread the citadel was exuding, however, what she found annoyed her most was the fact that it was attempting to manipulate her emotions.


    ¡­She had issues.


    But if she had any say in it, Anguish would be the one paying for at least some of them.


    She swept her eyes across Sir Home¡¯s assembled men. Five of them were knights who had accompanied them in their battle with the Vilewyrm, while the rest appeared to be officers in charge of the guardsmen and mages who had joined from Bridgespell. Though these people were probably seasoned soldiers, even they seemed to struggle against the citadel¡¯s oppressive aura. Sir Home would need to exert his authority soon if he wanted to maintain morale around the camp.


    Shifting her attention to Crowcairn, the village shrouded by the Sanctum¡¯s grey barrier, Scarlett spoke once again. ¡°This development could prove to be a significant disruption to our plans.¡±


    Sir Home nodded in agreement, turning to study the settlement as well. ¡°I agree,¡± he replied in a somber tone.


    ¡°That is why I have a proposition,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°A proposition?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Given my experience in dealing with demonic entities, I propose that I investigate this new structure. We cannot afford to abandon the siege entirely as long as the Tribe of Sin remains entrenched within the village. Furthermore, we have no way of knowing when reinforcements will arrive to assist us. Therefore, it is only logical for me to take the initiative.¡±


    Sir Home pointed towards Anguish¡¯s citadel. ¡°You want to approach that thing?¡±


    ¡°I do not want to, no, but circumstances demand it. Ignoring its presence would be unwise.¡±


    The knight wore a pensive expression, seemingly wrestling with her proposal. ¡°In truth, I think something of this magnitude should be left to groups like the Dawnbreakers and Solar Knights. But you¡¯re correct in that we don¡¯t know when or if they¡¯ll arrive to address this.¡± His eyes stayed on the citadel for a few seconds. ¡°And there¡¯s something about that¡­that abomination that weighs upon my very soul, even from this distance. I shudder to think what impending catastrophe its presence could herald. Entrusting this matter to an outsider, however¡­ I hope you understand, Baroness, but that leaves me uneasy as well.¡±


    ¡°Do you consider yourself better suited for the task?¡± Scarlett asked.


    A pause hung in the air, Sir Home¡¯s mouth forming a tight line. His gaze fell upon his men, then he released a resigned sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not confident in saying so, no.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Blazes swallow the Tribe and its members. Their disregard for all that is virtuous truly knows no bounds.¡± Meeting Scarlett¡¯s eyes, he continued in a heavy tone. ¡°By the authority bestowed upon me by His Grace Duke Valentino, I grant you permission to investigate what is happening here. I¡¯ll dispatch some of my men with you, but I ask that you exercise caution. If there¡¯s no other recourse, simply retreat and we¡¯ll wait for reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Your men will not be necessary, Captain. I have faith in the capabilities of my own people.¡±


    ¡°While I may no longer hold any doubts about your competence, Baroness, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accept that. Please take a few of these knights with you, at least.¡± He gestured to the knights who had joined them in slaying the Vilewyrm.


    Scarlett considered them briefly. ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    Ideally, she would have preferred to handle this matter alone, but under the current circumstances, this was probably as good as things would get. At least these knights could prove useful in their own way.


    ¡°We shall depart without delay,¡± she declared, turning around and scanning their surroundings. Her eyes landed on a cluster of horses tethered to a couple of wagons. ¡°I presume your men will not be requiring their steeds for the time being, Captain. May we borrow them?¡±


    The carriage could transport them part of the way, but the terrain might not be as accommodating the whole way. While she lacked experience riding a horse herself, and it was unclear if the original Scarlett had any, this seemed like the most practical solution. In the worst-case scenario, she could ride with one of the knights.


    ¡°Take as many as you need. If you require anything else, simply say the word. In fact, it might be wise to bring along some of the mages as well.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°No, that will not be necessary. They are already exhausted and stretched thin as it is. The knights will suffice.¡±


    Her gaze drifted back towards Crowcairn, her brows knitting in thought. The way things were developing from here still gnawed at her, but what happened to a bunch of Tribe members really shouldn¡¯t be her primary concern right now. For the time being, things were moving in her favor. The ultimate outcome of the village and its inhabitants would have to be left to fate, or perhaps its inverse, given how things worked in this world.


    Either way, her role and involvement here were over for now. Whether they would become relevant again later she couldn¡¯t tell.


    With a resolute stride, she began moving towards the carriage, sending off Fynn to retrieve Allyssa and Shin while the knights assigned to her moved to get their horses. Meanwhile, Sir Home issued orders to his men and seemed to brace himself for whatever this new development would bring.


    From this point onward, things would begin in earnest.


    ¡°Ah, well, this is certainly an interesting turn of events,¡± Raimond remarked with a casual air of brevity that maybe, possibly, ever-so-slightly, did not quite fit the gravity of the situation. ¡°The duke¡¯s men appear to have resumed their assault against the barrier, but the situation is starting to look rather dire. I do believe the citadel is growing closer to manifesting as we speak. I am beginning to reconsider my being here.¡±


    His gaze was fixed on the behemoth of a structure that spanned the horizon. Its impossibly black walls and spires, ensconced in an ever-consuming crimson aura, were clearly visible even through the grey barrier of the Phantom Sanctum that severed the fabric of reality before him.


    ¡°Can you identify which Vile it might belong to?¡± Deacon Solnate¡¯s steely voice emerged from the golden sphere in Raimond¡¯s right hand as a silvery glow emanated from its core.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot,¡± Raimond replied. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I am far from the right person to answer that question. If that was what you sought, perhaps it would have been better to send Deacon Townsend on this task instead.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone can shirk their responsibilities as you do, Deacon Abram,¡± the deacon in question¡¯s voice echoed from the artifact.


    Raimond smiled to himself. ¡°Nonsense! You simply need to be more resourceful. Heed my word; spend a week in my company, and I¡¯ll have you bothering with but half your duties while doubling your results! It¡¯s all about delegation!¡±


    ¡°Stay focused, Deacon Abram,¡± Deacon Solnate interjected. ¡°How fares the situation with Duke Valentino¡¯s forces? Do you have any specifics regarding their reaction to the citadel¡¯s appearance?¡±


    Raimond averted his gaze from the looming structure in the distance and traced the edge of the Sanctum¡¯s barrier. To the west, a few hundred or so meters away, he could see signs of an encampment through the grey and hazy boundary.


    ¡°From this side of the barrier, it¡¯s difficult to discern details with any accuracy,¡± he said, observing the small group of villagers that stood near the outskirts of Crowcairn, keeping a vigilant eye on the soldiers outside through the barrier. While Raimond could keep himself hidden, he did not like his chances of doing so while the people were actively searching for any threats. ¡°It appears the duke¡¯s men are persistent in their attempts to breach the Sanctum. Earlier, I witnessed the villagers launching a raid against the camp, presumably because they felt threatened by the mages, but its outcome remains unclear.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°So the duke¡¯s forces aren¡¯t pushing for the citadel, at least?¡± Deacon Solnate asked.


    ¡°For now, it would seem the majority are holding their ground.¡±


    Truthfully, Raimond¡¯s assessment of the barrier¡¯s effectiveness in obstructing his view might have been a tad exaggerated. Luminous Gaze and his other surveillance invocations had revealed more than he let on, including a lone carriage with a few riders that had left the encampment in the direction of the citadel a few minutes prior. The barrier did obscure some details, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he recognized this carriage in particular.


    Of course, it was possible his mind was playing tricks on him. Mirages were a phenomenon that even the most discerning and perceptive of minds could fall prey to. He was certain that there was some adage about the perils of relying solely on one¡¯s senses, and since he was nothing if not a perfectionist, he felt compelled to first verify his information before sharing it with his fellows. His hands were tied.


    It wouldn¡¯t do to give possibly incorrect information to members of the Quorum, after all.


    He cleared his throat, coughing into his fist for absolutely no reason whatsoever.


    ¡°That¡¯s reassuring,¡± Deacon Solnate replied, though the inflection in her voice suggested she might not be as pleased as her words made it appear. ¡°Our forces have mobilized in Bridgespell, and the Dawnbreakers have been readying themselves since we received the Augur¡¯s revelation. Those available are en route as we speak and should arrive within a few hours. We can only hope it¡¯s enough time to intervene before matters escalate.¡±


    ¡°Hope alone may not suffice in this situation,¡± a grumpy voice cut in. Deacon Gresham was seldom one to bother concealing his displeasure during Quorum meetings. ¡°We could very well be witnessing the partial manifestation of one of the Blazes in the Material Realm. An event on this scale hasn¡¯t occurred since the Desolation Calamity. I said we should have acted swiftly as soon as we received the revelation.¡±


    ¡°We lacked sufficient information to make such a decision,¡± the calm, if weathered, voice of Deacon Davenport countered. ¡°If we had acted too soon, we could instead have invited a repeat of the Quickwallow incident.¡±


    As ever, Deacon Gresham sounded unconvinced. ¡°And that would have been preferable to this.¡±


    ¡°You would not have spoken such reckless words if you had been there to witness the aftermath.¡±


    Raimond maintained the most stoic of silences as the two deacons engaged in their argument. During his tenure as a deacon of the Quorum, he had learned the wisdom of remaining silent when Deacon Gresham¡¯s temper flared. Admittedly, he didn¡¯t always adhere to that lesson, especially in situations like this where Raimond had been one of the most vocal advocates against premature action, but there were times when even he knew to keep his lips closed.


    Brief as they were.


    ¡°Then the next time we face such a situation,¡± Deacon Gresham said with a few hints of annoyance, ¡°I suggest leaving it to me instead of allowing some pompous idler to handle it.¡±


    Deacon Solnate, voice firm and authoritative, spoke up. ¡°Enough of this bickering. We can revisit these discussions at a more appropriate time. For now, focus on the pressing matters at hand. Deacon Abram, provide us an update on the Tribe of Sin.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, yes, I suppose we must address that as well,¡± Deacon Gresham muttered.


    ¡°To think that there would be a Tribe enclave there,¡± another voice emerged from the artifact in Raimond¡¯s hand. Deacon Alston was not one to easily get caught up in the moods of others.


    ¡°Do you think that the Sanctum they erected will withstand the assault from Duke Valentino¡¯s forces, Deacon Abram?¡± Deacon Solnate asked.


    ¡°Hmm, you are throwing quite a few challenging questions my way today.¡± Raimond crossed his arms thoughtfully. ¡°I will say that the barrier doesn¡¯t appear particularly sturdy compared to the tales of Sanctums past. However, the duke¡¯s men only boast a handful of mages. While they may ultimately breach the barrier, I cannot speak for whether they¡¯ll do so in time. The villagers are already preparing to flee. Although their Sanctumbrum does not seem to be especially powerful, it should eventually gather sufficient energy to open a gate.¡±


    At the moment, it felt like it was entirely up to chance to determine which side would succeed in their goal first.


    ¡°Are you aware of what involvement the Tribe members in that village had in the citadel¡¯s appearance?¡± Deacon Alston asked.


    ¡°Not much, it would seem,¡± Raimond replied. ¡°That is, if I were to judge by the shocked and horrified expressions on the faces of the villagers and children when it first manifested. But who knows what dark teachings they¡¯ve instilled in their offspring? Perhaps it is all a part of a dastardly plot orchestrated by the toddlers. It is suspicious how impervious they were to my superlative wit and charm.¡±


    ¡°Enough theatrics,¡± Deacon Gresham grumbled. ¡°I am already all too familiar with your opinion on this topic, but we aren¡¯t asking what your bleeding heart thinks of those who¡¯ve supposedly been ¡®living¡¯ in that village. We are asking what you know of their involvement in what is happening now, Abram. You don¡¯t truly expect us to believe it¡¯s merely a coincidence that this event occurred so close to one of the Tribe¡¯s enclaves?¡±


    ¡°No, but it doesn¡¯t seem they are directly involved, either. I have overheard some villagers make mentions of a third party who could be, however. An individual they¡¯ve had dealings with and have reason to suspect. The village head appears to be of the opinion she is the reason Duke Valentino¡¯s forces are currently besieging them. A form of diversion, if you will.¡±


    ¡°And who is this person?¡±


    ¡°They referred to her as ¡®Malachi¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Malachi?¡± Deacon Townsend¡¯s voice suddenly rang out, sharp and serious.


    ¡°You recognize the name?¡± Raimond asked.


    ¡°¡­I do, unfortunately.¡± From the other end of the communication artifact, the man appeared to issue an order to one of his subordinates before returning his attention to the channel. ¡°The woman known as ¡®Malachi¡¯ used to be a member of our order, and someone I knew personally. However, her history turned out to contain problematic elements, and she displayed an excessive interest in demons and the Blazes, conducting research far outside what was allowed by the scriptures. There isn¡¯t time for details now, but she was excommunicated and continued her research independently, and she has been a persistent thorn in my side for years. Not only is she exceedingly dangerous, she is also highly skilled at concealing her presence. To hear she¡¯s involved in this¡­ It doesn¡¯t surprise me.¡±


    ¡°Well, she sounds like a delightful individual, judging by the way the villagers described her,¡± Raimond said.


    His eyes wandered to the imposing structure in the distance, indicating that a Vile was forcing its existence into the Material Realm and was more successful in doing so than any other such attempts for several generations. The specifics of how this happened remained scarce, but many questions burned in Raimond¡¯s mind. Particularly regarding the connection between this Malachi person and a certain bard he had arrived together with in this village just a couple of days prior.


    ¡°If that is who we¡¯re dealing with, then it should be of no surprise she would collaborate with the Tribe of Sin,¡± Deacon Whiteley¡¯s bright voice entered the conversation, speaking for the first time since the communication channel had been established.


    ¡°If the Tribe members cooperated with this woman, then they may still possess valuable information,¡± Deacon Gresham said. ¡°If they manage to escape without us gleaning anything, it could exacerbate an already dire situation.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest we do?¡± Deacon Alston asked. ¡°As Deacon Solnate mentioned, our forces won¡¯t arrive for a few more hours.¡±


    ¡°But we have our own Deacon Abram there, at this very moment. It would seem he is in the ideal position to take action. The Tribe members have yet to detect his presence, if I am to understand things correctly. If he gains unobstructed access to their Sanctumbrum, he could potentially dismantle the Phantom Sanctum and cooperate with Duke Valentino¡¯s men to address those hiding in the village.¡±


    Raimond furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Your proposal is unreasonable at best,¡± Deacon Solnate said, leaving Raimond with a lingering regret for missing the opportunity to witness the scowl that no doubt must have creased Old Gresham¡¯s wrinkled face.


    Her words sometimes told a different tale, but Raimond always felt he could trust Ava to offer him support when he was in need.


    Sometimes.


    ¡°Sanctumbrums are Zuver make,¡± his dear colleague continued, ¡°and they have consistently proven resistant to interference. Furthermore, they remain a mystery to operate for anyone outside of the Cabal and Tribe. Deacon Abram would not be able to bring down the Sanctum by himself, even if he is within its barrier."


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Gresham let out a dissatisfied noise. ¡°Then what else is he good for?¡±


    ¡°Why, am I not affording you a vividly detailed account of the unfolding events?¡± Raimond declared. ¡°I daresay none can rival me in that regard, albeit because I am undoubtedly one of very few in possession of a limitless communication artifact within the citadel¡¯s vicinity.¡±


    ¡°Ray,¡± Deacon Solnate said, her tone laced with exasperation. ¡°This is not the time for your antics.¡±


    ¡°There is no point in telling him. He never knows when the proper time for anything is.¡±


    ¡°Your complaint, Deacon Gresham, has been duly noted,¡± Raimond responded with newfound solemnity. ¡°Henceforth, I shall endeavour to always carry with me a watch, as to ensure I do not repeat such an offense.¡±


    More than a couple of sighs escaped his communication artifact as his colleagues chose not to offer their opinions on his pledge.


    Rude, indubitably, but perhaps not entirely unwarranted.


    ¡°To steer the discussion back to the matter at hand,¡± Deacon Whiteley began, ¡°only half of the Dawnbreakers could answer the call to Bridgespell on such short notice, but I believe that, along with¡ª¡±


    Raimond allowed the ensuing conversation to fade into the recesses of his mind, stashing the words away in a mental drawer as he contemplated the infernal citadel on the horizon.


    Fortune¡¯s favor and Ittar¡¯s light had certainly shined down upon them that the Augur¡¯s revelation arrived when it did. The prospect of such a cataclysmic event occurring without the slightest preparation left him uneasy. Even armed with the information they had, what was to come remained uncertain. The others believed¡ªor hoped, as Ava had said¡ªthat the Dawnbreakers would be able to arrive in time to prevent whatever might transpire.


    Raimond wasn¡¯t quite as confident in that view.


    He extended his hand, brushing against the peculiar surface of the Phantom¡¯s Sanctum. As his fingers touched the half-translucent barrier, an unsettling sensation coursed through his skin, as if the world itself was denying his passage. It told him that there was no space there for him to pass through, and as such, he was trapped.


    Maintaining a firm grasp on the invaluable communication artifact in his right hand, his left hand reached into his white robes, retrieving an unassuming seashell. Its mundane, serrated surface would likely elude notice from most, possibly only fated to be tossed into the nearest lake by any casual passerby.


    As he ran his thumb over it, he gazed into the distance.


    A once-in-a-decade treasure in exchange for the slim chance of averting a once-in-a-century catastrophe. That was a reasonable enough exchange, he supposed.


    Turning his head, he glanced over his shoulder back towards Crowcairn, where he observed villagers moving about the outskirts of the village, unaware of his presence. Departing under the current circumstances did little to kindle his enthusiasm, yet occasions did arise when prioritization was necessary.


    Though the admission of that left him feeling more a failure than anything else these last few months.


    ¡°Deacon Abram.¡±


    Ava¡¯s voice caught his attention, snapping him back to the ongoing conversation among his fellow Quorum members.


    ¡°Can you continue to monitor the situation while we await our forces?¡±


    Raimond smiled despite himself. ¡°Alas, dear Ava, that won¡¯t be possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course that is what he says,¡± Gresham complained, perhaps¡ªbut probably not¡ªechoing the sentiments of some other deacons.


    ¡°¡­And why is that?¡± Deacon Solnate asked, with a tone that suggested she wouldn¡¯t like what she was about to hear.


    She knew him all too well.


    Raimond tossed the seashell into the air, catching it casually. ¡°Deacon Solnate, do you perhaps recall that time when the Sirens of the Deep and the Charybdis Heralds conflicts washed up on the isles of Fayrun, and you dispatched yours truly to parley with one of the Sirens¡¯ high priests?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± the woman replied, though her voice was now suspicious.


    ¡°And do you recall how I was supposed to turn in any artifacts and relics I might have managed to receive after successfully convincing the high priest to accept our aid in handling the Heralds¡¯ tides?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I might have forgotten to return one artifact in particular on that day. It was left in my other robes, you see.¡±


    ¡°Deacon Abram, what are you intending to do?¡±


    Raimond held up the seashell in front of him. ¡°Well, I believe the answer to that is rather obvious, is it not? An abode of malevolence and anarchy has materialized from the very heart of the Blazes themselves, poised to unleash untold havoc upon this idyllic realm we call home. As a dutiful citizen of the empire, a faithful servant of Ittar, and a devoted deacon of our estimable Quorum, I cannot, in good conscience, stand idly by, can I?¡±


    ¡°Raimond, don¡¯t do anything foolis¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that, I¡¯m afraid,¡± he said. ¡°I eagerly anticipate enduring your stern reprimands and punishments in the future. But until then, I bid you all adieu.¡±


    Pressing his thumb against the seashell¡¯s rough surface, he aimed it directly at the Sanctum¡¯s barrier blocking his path, towards the ominous structure beyond. A strand of his mana was channeled into the artifact.


    In response, a blinding cascade of light engulfed him, accompanied by what he was certain were nothing but joyous proclamations of admiration from his colleagues, wishing him the best of luck.


    Surely.

 Chapter 196 - Imposing presences

    A silent tension hung over the air as Scarlett and the others occupied the carriage cabin, traversing the countryside towards Anguish¡¯s citadel. Not many words had been exchanged since leaving the encampment. Across from Scarlett, Allyssa would occasionally lean forward in her seat to peer out the window, gazing at the behemoth of a structure in the distance.


    The closer they got to Anguish¡¯s citadel, the more imposing its presence became, bearing down on them like a suffocating shadow. At the same time, the citadel¡¯s unnaturalness grew increasingly pronounced. The eerie aura that enveloped it only served to emphasize how discordant its presence was among the surrounding area, and how it didn¡¯t belong. A clear sign of the citadel¡¯s premature manifestation.


    As the journey continued, their carriage flanked by a small group of knights riding alongside the vehicle, Allyssa was the one to finally break the silence. ¡°When we arrive, what will we do?¡± the girl asked, her tone tinged with slight apprehension.


    Scarlett considered her for a few seconds.


    ¡°¡­I have asked this before, but I feel I should pose the question one last time,¡± she began, trying not to sound too cold. This was one of those times when she disliked the distant quality that always crept into her voice. ¡°I understand that you have always turned down similar offers in the past, but are you truly certain you want to embark on this venture with me? This is one instance where I would genuinely not fault you for not doing so. The situation lies beyond the scope of your contract, and our destination may not be a place suitable for those who harbor any doubts.¡±


    For just a moment, Allyssa¡¯s expression betrayed a hint of those very doubts, yet the look she gave Scarlett was one more of slight surprise mixed with appreciation, as if those words were far from what she had expected but also were what she wanted to hear.


    The girl looked at Shin beside her, and the two exchanged a brief glance before directing their attention back to Scarlett.


    ¡°To be honest,¡± Allyssa said, ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid going. Just looking at that massive fortress terrifies me, and I¡¯m so confused about everything that¡¯s going on. It feels like things have escalated so quickly, and everything¡¯s flying over my head.¡± She paused for a bit, meeting Scarlett¡¯s eyes. ¡°But the reason Shin and I joined the Shields Guild to begin with was because we were inspired by the actions of people like my dad and other Shielders ¡ª those who protected those unable to protect themselves. Even if I might not be as smart as Shin, it doesn¡¯t take a genius to tell that whatever is happening right now is majorly dangerous, with a capital M. How many people¡¯s lives might be at risk right now?¡±


    The anxiety in her words was clear as she gripped the straps of the bandolier on her chest, but even then, her expression was determined.


    ¡°Our Guild contract might say that we don¡¯t have to do everything you command, and yeah, sure, I think there¡¯s something in there about not having to follow you into certain death, but our Guild pledge was always about aiding those in need when we could and shielding them from harm. That includes both you and strangers that might be affected by our actions. So, if there¡¯s any chance that where we¡¯re going right now might be connected to dealing with all of this¡ª¡± Allyssa raised her arms and motioned outside. ¡°¡ªthen I won¡¯t regret standing by your side. Not for one second.¡±


    Scarlett regarded her silently for a bit before offering a simple ¡°I see¡± in response. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what she had expected, but it was welcome news to see that Allyssa had that much confidence in her.


    The girl offered a somewhat awkward laugh, accompanied by a small smile. ¡°I say that, but I¡¯m not sure I would have been as optimistic if I didn¡¯t know you as well as I do.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°And what do you mean by that?¡±


    Allyssa looked half-amused by the question. ¡°You¡¯ve known what to do about this situation all along, haven¡¯t you? Even before that thing appeared.¡±


    A faint furrow creased Scarlett¡¯s brow, but before she could respond, Allyssa continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a secret that you never do things without a plan, and I¡¯ve yet to see a single occasion where you genuinely seemed at a loss. It¡¯s to the point where Shin and I¡¯ve had more than one talk about whether Ittar or some such is guiding your hand, and we¡¯ve only been half-joking then. I¡¯ll also say that, while I can¡¯t claim to always like the way you do things, it would be a lie to say that I don¡¯t trust you. More than nearly anyone I know, even this doofus here.¡±


    The girl jabbed a fist into Shin¡¯s arm, though the young man simply ignored it.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to get at here,¡± Allyssa said, ¡°is that if you were to say that whatever we¡¯re about to do might somehow help stop whatever¡¯s happening from happening, even if I don¡¯t fully understand what that is, you¡¯ll have my support. Because I know you don¡¯t lie about things like that.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s smile turned a little lopsided, and it was clear she was feeling a bit embarrassed, but Scarlett didn¡¯t mind that as she considered her for a while.


    It wasn¡¯t like she had been doing her utmost to conceal her foreknowledge of the current events, but it did surprise her slightly that Allyssa placed such implicit trust in Scarlett¡¯s knowledge, particularly in a situation like this one. Or rather, that the girl trusted Scarlett so implicitly.


    Scarlett shifted her gaze to Shin. ¡°Do you share Miss Astrey¡¯s sentiments?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have any dramatic declarations to make, but essentially, yes.¡±


    His response earned him another¡ªnoticeably louder¡ªpunch on the arm from Allyssa, though it didn¡¯t seem to faze him.


    Scarlett remained silent for a brief period before speaking again. ¡°In that case, both of you have my thanks. I will also give you my word that I will do what is within my power to resolve this situation.¡±


    She turned her attention to Fynn, seated beside her. ¡°Do you have anything to add?¡±


    The white-haired young man shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°Very well. In that case, you have my thanks as well.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The cabin descended into another brief bout of silence as that was concluded.


    ¡°So, with that out of the way¡­¡± Allyssa said after a moment, and Scarlett turned back to the girl. ¡°I know you prefer to keep things close to your chest and all, but could you enlighten us a bit more about what¡¯s actually going on now?¡±


    Considering her for a bit, Scarlett soon moved her attention out the window, where one of Sir Home¡¯s knights rode just a couple of meters from the carriage, his attention fixed forward as he held the reins of his horse. There was a pane of glass separating them, and Scarlett didn¡¯t actually think he could overhear them from outside, but given the lack of soundproofing in the cabin, she didn¡¯t want to take any chances.


    She should probably arrange something to solve that in the future. There were definitely enchantments that dealt with soundproofing. Maybe Evelyne had even taken that into consideration when the woman commissioned their new carriages.


    Scarlett turned her attention back to Allyssa and the others. ¡°I apologize, but I believe it is best not to speak of certain details until later. However, I can share some of my suspicions with you, mainly concerning the nature of where we are going. It is possible that the citadel we are approaching is an indication that a fragment of the Blazes is in the process of manifesting itself within the Material Realm, presumably through an anchor of some kind. As for the citadel itself, there is only one existence that I can think of with the power to sustain such a structure. We are likely dealing with one of the Viles.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the revelation, while both Shin and Fynn¡¯s foreheads creased in thought.


    ¡°A Vile?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Scarlett answered.


    The girl¡¯s lips tightened. ¡°I¡­I guess that explains why I practically can¡¯t stop myself from looking at the citadel even when it sends shivers down my spine. Dad always said demons are crafty. Still, a Vile¡­ I can barely wrap my head around how that¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°As I mentioned, it likely managed to manifest itself here through a connection to an anchor that solidifies its presence in this realm and bypasses most of the limitations otherwise placed upon it. This would not be the first time an incident like this has occurred, though it is certainly rare.¡± Scarlett crossed her arms. ¡°Fortunately, it would appear that the manifestation itself is only partial, suggesting that the Vile¡¯s connection to the anchor is incomplete. Nevertheless, its presence poses a substantial threat to the empire and its inhabitants.¡±


    If Rosa had been a fully realized incarnate, Anguish would have been able to perfectly manifest her citadel and everything within it. However, preparing an incarnate took time. There was a reason Anguish had been residing within Rosa for so long, gradually wearing down the bard while tormenting her. What Malachi had done was force Rosa¡¯s incarnation prematurely, rendering Anguish weaker than she could have been.


    Such an act demanded considerable power, though, and carried certain risks. Power-wise, Scarlett knew Malachi had a certain artifact that did most of the job for her. But since Malachi had essentially hot-wired Anguish¡¯s manifestation, it also meant that it afforded the Vile a chance to establish herself within the Material Realm much faster than she otherwise would.


    By no means was this method a surefire strategy for dealing with the Vile, and that was a fact that both Scarlett and Malachi were well aware of. But they each had their reasons for setting things up as they did.


    ¡°We will need to enter the citadel and make our way to its heart, where we are likely to find the cause of all this,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°Only by reaching that place can we hope to address the situation.¡±


    ¡°Will it be dangerous?¡± Allyssa asked, before frowning. ¡°Never mind, scratch that. Of course it will be. My real question, I guess, is how dangerous it¡¯ll be?¡±


    ¡°Though it is but a partial manifestation, a Vile¡¯s citadel is intrinsically linked to their being and contains the essences of many of those who serve the Vile,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Even if they may be weakened in their current state, there is no doubt that we will encounter demons within that structure who will pose a genuine threat to us.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to handle it?¡± Shin asked, his gaze fixed on her.


    Scarlett eyed him, considering his question.


    In the game, this questline wouldn¡¯t typically be undertaken until reaching the late sixties in terms of levels. She doubted they were there yet. Allyssa and Shin would probably be considered somewhere in their forties by the game¡¯s standards, which was typically too low for an instance like this. However, the duo had demonstrated remarkable teamwork both between themselves and the rest of the group, proving that they could be useful even in places that should be too dangerous for them. With Scarlett in the mix as well, their party punched a lot harder than one would expect.


    Not to mention that Fynn was a beast who had traded blows with foes far above his level ever since Scarlett first met him.


    Together with Rosa, their group had confronted more than one foe in the sixty-range before, and while they¡¯d often had some outside help, Scarlett did believe it was possible to achieve similar results with their current lineup. Moreover, since the manifestation had happened even earlier than it did in the game, that meant there was a possibility that the demons inside were weaker than she expected as well.


    To add on to that, Scarlett possessed knowledge both regarding their enemies¡¯ weaknesses and rough numbers as well as strategies that would help minimize the number of fights needed to get through the citadel.


    She wouldn¡¯t have pursued this course if she hadn¡¯t thought it was within her capabilities, after all. While helping Rosa was important, she wasn¡¯t so reckless as to jeopardize the entire empire on one massive gamble.


    Well, perhaps she was, technically, but at least it was a calculated gamble. And she had been running out of time.


    ¡°Suffice it to say, I have confidence in our chances.¡± She gestured out the window and at the knights riding there. ¡°We also have these fine men and women to lend us their aid.¡±


    If she had to guess, these knights were probably of a similar strength to Allyssa and Shin, possibly slightly weaker. They weren¡¯t Solar Knights, but they would be useful in their own right.


    ¡°If you¡¯re confident, then so am I,¡± Allyssa said, with Fynn offering an agreeing grunt. Shin, though perhaps not as openly trusting as Allyssa, voiced no objections either.


    The conversation came to a close there, and the cabin settled into another period of silence¡ªthis time much less looming¡ªas the carriage carried on. The silence persisted until they reached a point where the road diverged westward, away from their citadel. There, Scarlett and her companions disembarked.


    Six knights altogether had accompanied them ¡ª five mounted on their horses and the sixth serving as the coachman throughout. Scarlett¡¯s original coachman had no experience of fighting and had understandably been unwilling to approach the citadel.


    With the structure looming only a few kilometers away, Scarlett and the others mounted up behind the knights for the final leg of the journey.


    Compared to the relative comfort of the carriage, horseback riding proved decidedly less enjoyable. Scarlett particularly disliked the need to cling to the person in front of her like some kind of baby throughout the trip. The fact that the knight was a woman only marginally mitigated the discomfort of the arrangement. To distract herself, she fixed her attention on the citadel, whose dangerous and overbearing presence grew increasingly palpable with each passing moment. It wasn¡¯t something she couldn¡¯t endure, but it did serve to fuel her irritation at Anguish even further.


    She had been accumulating a store of scorn for the demon for some time.


    Her gaze focused on the citadel¡¯s center, where a colossal obsidian tower stood as the bastion¡¯s focal point. That would be where Rosa and Malachi were right now ¡ª their final destination. Once they reached it, they could put an end to this chapter of events.


    As they drew closer to the citadel, Scarlett directed the knights towards a section at its base, where the inky black obsidian walls yielded to a massive gate. Its mouth hung wide open, extending a foreboding invitation to venture into its depths.


    Then, something unexpected caught her eye. A solitary figure dressed in white, blond hair billowing in the wind, gazing toward Scarlett and the others.


    She blinked, doubting her eyes for a moment. But even at this distance, with his form dwarfed by the megalithic structure beside him, Scarlett recognized that person. But that only served to confound her even more.


    What the hell was Raimond doing here?

 Chapter 197 - Into the depths

    Scarlett narrowed her eyes at the sight of Raimond in front of them. The smiling priest was waving cheerfully at their approaching group. A deacon of the Quorum, standing alone in the front of the entrance to a bastion housing the manifested avatar of one of the most powerful demons in existence was already odd enough, but the fact that he seemed so unfazed by their presence was even stranger.


    What on earth was Raimond doing here?


    Scarlett was certain he hadn¡¯t been part of this questline in the game. None of the Followers had been involved, at least not during this part. So what was it that had brought him here now, of all times?


    ¡°Is that¡­Father Abraham?¡± Allyssa asked from her perch on a horse behind one of the other knights, leaning over the man¡¯s back to get a better look at Raimond.


    ¡°Contain your excitement, for it is indeed I, Ray Abraham!¡± the priest shouted enthusiastically in response, his voice carrying over the distance. ¡°Welcome and salutations, my erstwhile shrine-venturing companions!¡±


    Their group drew closer. Where he stood, a short distance away from the citadel¡¯s entrance, the surroundings had taken on a pale, crimson hue. The citadel¡¯s entrance consisted of a thirty-meter tall gate gaping ominously, its depths shrouded in a veil of darkness that seemed to beckon them in.


    Scarlett eyed it for a few moments before returning her attention to Raimond as they stopped not far from him. The priest¡¯s eyes were scanning over her and the rest of the group.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford, Allyssa, Shin, and Fynn,¡± he said. ¡°Allow me to express my deepest admiration and delight at our fortuitous reunion, though the circumstances themselves are less than ideal. It seems fate is rather insistent on orchestrating our rendezvous.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does indeed appear to be true,¡± Scarlett replied, scrutinizing him closely as the knight who she¡¯d been riding behind helped her dismount. The knight gave Raimond a brief, surprised look, evidently taken aback by the sight of a follower of Ittar here. While Raimond¡¯s white robes deviated from the typical attire of the Followers, the intricate patterns on his sleeves hinted at his affiliation.


    How could he be here, just as they arrived? How long had he been waiting? Why, of all places, would he be standing outside of Anguish¡¯s citadel? A multitude of questions swirled through Scarlett¡¯s mind, but perhaps the most pressing of them all was this: how much did he know?


    Raimond¡¯s smile only seemed to grow wider as he observed her expression. ¡°I shall pose you the same query I suspect you have for me, Baroness. What brings you and your retinue to this most foreboding of places?¡± He gestured dramatically towards the colossal citadel, its imposing presence casting a long shadow over them.


    Scarlett remained silent for a moment, weighing her answer. ¡°¡­I was working alongside Duke Valentino on an investigation of a nearby village when this structure materialized out of thin air. Given the circumstances, we could not simply ignore its presence. Thus, I was chosen to assess the situation.¡± She motioned towards the six knights who accompanied them, all of whom had now dismounted along with the rest of her party. ¡°These are members of the Sable Knight order, under the command of Sir Franke Home.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Ray Abraham, a humble priest in the service of Ittar.¡± Raimond nodded in greeting to the knights. Then, his gaze turned towards Scarlett. ¡°Coincidentally, I too was in the midst of conducting an inquiry on the behalf of my superiors in a nearby settlement when, as you can see, events took an abrupt and unexpected turn. The fearsome aura of this fortress was unmistakable even leagues away, and like you, I couldn¡¯t simply turn a blind eye.¡±


    Scarlett concealed her surprise.


    If he had been investigating a nearby settlement, there was only one realistic candidate.


    ¡°Perhaps, was this settlement you were investigating Crowcairn?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That it was,¡± Raimond replied. ¡°I assume the same holds true for your and the duke¡¯s investigation?¡±


    ¡°It does.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t recall any mentions of the Followers investigating Crowcairn in the game prior to this questline. Clearly, this was another instance of the events in this world deviating from her expectations.


    She shifted her gaze to the horizon, where only the top of the barrier enveloping Crowcairn was visible. ¡°I imagine it must have been shocking for you when that barrier was erected. You were fortunate not to be trapped inside along with its inhabitants.¡±


    Raimond chuckled. ¡°Indubitably. Ittar knows what onerous challenges and arduous demands I would have faced had I been confined there.¡±


    Scarlett returned her attention to him, studying him. She had a nagging feeling that there was a hidden meaning behind those words, though she couldn¡¯t quite decipher it.


    Raimond, as if sensing her apprehension, turned his focus to her companions, his gaze lingering on their faces. ¡°I was speaking the truth when I said that I feel this encounter to be a fateful one. That a mere two days have elapsed since our last meeting, and already, here we find ourselves, drawn together by some unseen gossamer thread of providential fortuity. And was it not but a day ago that I arrived in Crowcairn with Rosa herself as my travel comrade as well? I presume you gave her temporary leave from her duties in your employ, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett frowned as the other members of her party displayed varying degrees of surprise at the man¡¯s statement.


    ¡°Rosa¡¯s here?¡± Allyssa asked, a concerned expression appearing on her face as she looked in the direction of Crowcairn.


    Raimond shook his head. ¡°It appears she had a prior engagement with an acquaintance in the region, which is what led her here. However, I am quite certain that she is not currently within Crowcairn¡¯s confines.¡±


    His eyes met Scarlett¡¯s as he spoke.


    He knew. Or at the very least, he suspected that Rosa might somehow be involved in all of this.


    ¡°What could Rosa possibly be doing that brought her all the way out here?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Fynn remained silent, but the brief glance he sent Scarlett made it clear he was wondering the same.


    ¡°No matter the answer to that, I don¡¯t think that should be our immediate concern,¡± Shin said.


    The others turned to study the citadel.


    Scarlett, though, kept her attention on Raimond. ¡°If I may ask, Father Abraham, what was your intention in coming here?¡± She scanned their surroundings. ¡°¡­And did you come alone?¡±


    No one else was in sight, and there was no sign of any form of transport that could have brought him here from Crowcairn. Surely he couldn¡¯t have run, could he? Unless he knew beforehand where the citadel would appear¡ªwhich was unlikely¡ªit felt odd that he would have arrived here before her.


    The priest raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ah, yes, that is a good question. Although I am certain there are plenty of brethren in my order who would have been more than elated at the opportunity to accompany me on this endeavour, ultimately, it was a task I was assigned to undertake on my own. As for my intentions¡­ While I do like to pride myself on being a man of both action and great foresight, if I am to be frank, I hadn¡¯t quite planned that far ahead yet.¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    He paused, a hint of a wry smile curving his lips. ¡°Perhaps I held the hope that, once I arrived, the right path would reveal itself.¡± Now he wriggled his brows at her. ¡°And it appears that it has. Ittar must be smiling down on me today.¡±


    ¡°How did you arrive here before us?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°We left not long after the structure appeared.¡±


    ¡°That, my dear noble friend, is a trade secret.¡±


    Scarlett fought to suppress her growing frown. She found none of those answers reassuring. Not knowing his motives and the true purpose of his presence here left her feeling both uncertain and unsettled. What if he knew everything, and this was just him toying with her?


    However unlikely that felt, the Followers did have access to the Augur, and Scarlett couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility that the seer could see more than anticipated. Raimond¡¯s previous appearance when they cleared the Sunfire Shrine had been suspicious enough, and now, here he was again.


    ¡°Now,¡± the man in question said. ¡°I believe a more pertinent question in this situation might pertain to what your intentions are from here, Baroness. We are facing what appears to be an incursion from the very Blazes themselves, and judging by your attire and timely arrival, you¡¯re prepared to explore more than just the exterior. Am I too hasty in assuming you are planning to enter inside?¡±


    ¡°You are not,¡± Scarlett replied.


    One of the knights turned to her with widened eyes. ¡°We¡¯re entering that thing?¡± Then, realizing himself, he cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°What I meant to say, my Lady, is that we don¡¯t know what might be awaiting us inside. Assessing the threat is important, entering poses risks we don¡¯t understand. There is no guarantee of a safe exit¡­¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, we are proceeding,¡± Scarlett stated firmly. ¡°As Father Abraham also observed, the existence of this place cannot be ignored. While Captain Home might have called for reinforcements from Bridgespell, we do not yet know the purpose of this structure or if waiting for help is a viable option.¡±


    With Raimond¡¯s presence here, though, she did have to consider the possibility that the Followers were prepared to deal with the situation and had the Dawnbringers at the ready. If that were the case, the situation could be more precarious than she thought.


    For one thing, she wasn¡¯t sure if the Dawnbringers could resolve this situation without her insights. While they boasted some of the most powerful members of their order, this wasn¡¯t solely a matter of strength. Moreover, their involvement might endanger Rosa.


    That wasn¡¯t something Scarlett could allow.


    Glancing at Raimond, his enigmatic smile only deepening her uneasiness, she fought to suppress the annoyance in her. It mainly arose because she didn¡¯t know what that smile meant in this situation. Was he an adversary, an ally, or something in between?


    ¡°If you are ready to delve into the depths of this place, then I would be more than willing to offer my assistance, Baroness,¡± he offered.


    ¡°That would be most welcome,¡± she replied, even despite her reservations. Given the circumstances, she lacked a justifiable reason to reject his offer.


    At least his assistance might prove helpful in navigating their way through the citadel, especially now that they couldn¡¯t rely on Rosa¡¯s charms for healing. While Allyssa¡¯s healing potions were available, magic remained the superior alternative.


    ¡°Mister Thornthon, Fynn, the two of you will take the lead,¡± Scarlett said, motioning towards the entrance ahead. She then turned her attention to the knights. ¡°For those who do not feel confident entering, you may remain here. Otherwise, I ask that you cooperate with my people to protect those in the rear.¡±


    A couple of the knights appeared less than enthusiastic, but none voiced any objections as they began to advance towards the gate.


    Scarlett and the others followed, walking towards the dark veil that covered the entrance and concealed the citadel¡¯s interior. As they crossed the threshold of the veil, they found themselves in a wide entrance hall ¡ª or at least what might have been supposed to be one. Somewhere along the way, the design had been twisted into madness.


    The walls were a disconcerting blend of blood-red and pitch-black stone, their colors intermingling in erratic patterns. Human faces seemed to emerge from the stone, trapped in expressions of eternal agony, as if forever captured in the throes of their final moments. Chandeliers, fashioned from bones and magma, hung from the ceiling, dripping molten rock onto a floor covered in countless markings and claw-like indentations.


    The oppressive atmosphere that had enveloped the citadel¡¯s exterior now weighed even heavier upon them. Though Scarlett could still bear it, she imagined that most ordinary citizens would crumble under this pressure.


    ¡°By Ittar¡­¡± one of the knights gasped, and Scarlett saw some of them, along with Allyssa, grimace at the unsettling sight before them.


    They would have to get used to it quickly, though.


    Shin and Fynn led the way into the room, followed by the knights, while Scarlett, Allyssa, and Raimond stayed near the back. As they ventured further in, the knights cast wary glances at the walls and surroundings.


    Fynn was the first to stop. Translucent claws formed above his knuckles, the wind surging as he assumed a combat stance.


    A piercing howl reverberated through the chamber, and something began to materialize at its center. Its form was a grotesque amalgamation of nightmares, a spectral head suspended in the air, with translucent skin that revealed veins pulsating with a perverse energy. Malice burned in its eyes, and jagged onyx teeth filled its gaping maw. Sinister, smoky tendrils drifted from it, leaving a trail of dread in their wake.


    A [Whispering Specter], if Scarlett¡¯s memory served her right. She could feel its unearthly wails and incantations probing at her very soul, washing over her with a profound sense of revulsion.


    Allyssa brought one hand to her mouth, and one of the knights averted his gaze.


    ¡°Well,¡± Raimond remarked beside Scarlett. ¡°That¡¯s certainly a¡­unique gatekeeper.¡±


    Scarlett turned to him. ¡°One which you might be particularly well-equipped to handle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tempted to ask if that was meant as an insult or not, but I will choose to believe the latter. I suppose it¡¯s not entirely inaccurate. However, for some reason, it almost makes me lament the commonly hallowed nature of lumomancers as the natural bane of the Blazes¡¯ denizens.¡± He glanced back at her. ¡°From what I have seen, though, I am not the only one with suitable means for this type of foe.¡±


    She arched a brow. He really was more perceptive than one might expect from a priest, even when it came to more subtle things like magic. It seemed he had discerned the nature of her magic and was aware that it was true pyrokinesis. While it might not match lumomancy in how powerful it was against demons, she had learned from Arlene that it was better than ordinary pyrokinesis against them at least.


    Considering how effective it had proved against ghosts and similar creatures, perhaps that wasn¡¯t too surprising.


    The [Whispering Specter] emitted another piercing howl as Fynn engaged it. From there, the battle began.


    The Specter was undeniably formidable. The numerous tendrils that escaped from its mouth had the power to send two knights flying across the room with a single blow, leaving smoldering marks on their armor and skin that threatened to corrode through their bodies. Without Raimond¡¯s swift reactions, those knights might have died on the spot.


    The fact that the first foe they encountered¡ªeven if it was essentially a mini-boss¡ªposed such a threat suggested that Anguish and her demons weren¡¯t as weakened as Scarlett had hoped. They might be weaker than in the game, but not to the extent that this would be a walk in the park.


    A pleasant surprise, however, was that Scarlett had evidently underestimated her party¡¯s ability to handle the threat.


    From their previous encounters, she thought she had a pretty decent grasp of everybody¡¯s capabilities. But now that they had the knights helping in drawing the enemy¡¯s attention and protecting the rear, both Shin and Fynn could concentrate more on the fight than usual. Fynn, in particular, flaunted his ridiculous strength by effortlessly tearing off the Specter¡¯s tendrils and repeatedly pushing the demon back.


    Additionally, when facing a single opponent like this who focused on melee combat, Allyssa and Scarlett were given free reins to time their attacks for maximum efficiency and damage. With Raimond assisting them¡ªproviding healing and occasionally casting offensive lumomancy invocations that seared through demon¡¯s skin¡ªtheir combined efforts proved a significant threat to the Specter.


    In the end, the demon lay battered and defeated on the floor within a few minutes, dissipating into nothingness as its essence returned to the Blaze of Anguish, where its true body resided.


    Scarlett glanced at her mana.


    [11497/12063]


    From the beginning, climbing this citadel was a question of endurance. She possessed the firepower, but did she have enough mana to make it to the top?


    Initially, her plan had been to rely on [Ittar¡¯s Genesis]¡¯s supply if necessary. The divine tier artifact would have been incredibly useful in that regard, but with Raimond and the knights in tow, that option was locked away for now. While concealing it under a cloth might work with ordinary people, knights and a priest of Ittar would undoubtedly detect its aura.


    Nevertheless, Raimond¡¯s presence brought its own advantages. Perhaps she wouldn¡¯t deplete her mana reserves if they continued like this. Since she didn¡¯t know how big this place was compared to the game, nor how many foes lay ahead, accurately gauging the situation was hard.


    Walking past the knights, who still appeared somewhat shaken from the battle, Scarlett made her way to the far end of the hall. There, a pair of massive stone doors adorned with disturbing images led to the next chamber. Fynn moved up beside her. While waiting for the rest of the group to gather themselves and catch up, she signaled for Fynn to open the doors.


    The white-haired young man complied, pressing his shoulder against the heavy stone and pushing. It took a few moments, even for him, but eventually, the doors creaked open. When Scarlett caught sight of what lay beyond, however, her expression darkened.


    Before them stretched a long hallway, teeming with dozens upon dozens of smaller demons. It seemed as if her dreams of conserving mana were in ruins.


    She did not look forward to how this would smell once she was done.

 Chapter 198 - Unwanted companions

    The world around Rosa was nothing but an impenetrable void of darkness, an infinite expanse closing in on her from all directions, suffocating her. It felt as if she were a phantom of herself, with only vague memories of her past lingering in her mind like a haunting dream. The last thing she remembered was¡­


    Her eyes snapped open, revealing a sprawling chamber bathed in an eerie light.


    Towering black walls reached into an empty abyss above, where the ceiling lost to an endless twilight of shadows. Glistening crimson veins of molten stone ran through the floor, casting a disturbing dark-red luminescence over the room, thick with the acrid scent of brimstone. In the heart of it all, Malachi, hood down, bent over a grotesque sigil etched in blood on the floor. Strange items surrounded a small circle at its center, and Malachi was in the process of meticulously tracing the final sections of the sigil.


    Rosa tried to move, but an invisible force bound her to a raised throne of pitch-black stone and white bone, pulsating with a sinister energy, as if possessing a life of its own. At its base, just before Rosa, stood a short pedestal that held the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s heart, an obsidian mess of muscle and crag that pulsated in rhythm with the throne. Strange black tendrils extended from the heart, connecting to the crimson veins in the floor and the throne itself.


    The scene was alien yet oddly familiar, and an ominous fear fed the fear and disquiet inside Rosa. Gradually, as recollection dawned, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and counted down from eleven.


    With a whispered prayer to the gods even if they had never listened before, she opened her eyes again, focusing on Malachi.


    She didn¡¯t know exactly how she had ended up here, but she understood the general gist of it. This was part of whatever ritual Malachi had promised to perform to free Rosa from her passenger. Part of the deal they¡¯d made back at the woman¡¯s farmstead.


    The current situation deviated quite a bit from Rosa¡¯s expectations, though. She couldn¡¯t remember how she ended up in these exact circumstances.


    Clearing her throat, the action sent echoes through the chamber. ¡°You never told me that ridding me of this thing involved strapping me to a throne in a chamber that could make even the most bloodthirsty of tyrants coo in awe.¡±


    Malachi paused, one hand stained red, and looked up at her. Rosa chose to avoid dwelling on why there was so much blood here for now. First, she needed to get her bearings.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re awake,¡± Malachi spoke slowly, returning her attention to her work. ¡°I had assumed you would remain asleep until the ritual was finished. And no, I did not tell you about this. It seemed unlikely you would have agreed if I had.¡±


    Once more, Rosa tried moving her arms, but it was as if they were part of the throne itself, attached to the winding pale bones comprising its armrests. ¡°¡­Golly, I wonder why,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°When pursuing aspirations like ours, there is no room for senseless scruples,¡± Malachi said. ¡°Rest assured, our endeavours will prove mutually beneficial. I intend to honor my commitment to rid you of the demon residing within you.¡±


    ¡°And what about everybody else?¡± Rosa asked.


    Even as disoriented and lost as she felt, the imposing aura pervading this chamber was impossible to ignore. Whatever this ritual entailed, they weren¡¯t talking about just her and Malachi getting hurt if something went wrong. Whatever repercussions this might have, it would extend far beyond the woman¡¯s old farmstead. Maybe even the whole region. Rosa shuddered at the thought.


    Had she made another mistake by seeking Malachi¡¯s help? Should she have left when demons became involved? Was this destined to be an even worse reprise of past events?


    ¡°The fate of strangers scarcely matters to me,¡± Malachi answered, wiping blood onto her dark robes after having completed the sigil. ¡°But if it troubles you, so be it. No outsiders will be harmed by our actions unless they interfere or you allow yourself to be overtaken completely. And if you were perhaps having doubts, the blood hails from swines.¡±


    ¡°Oh, have you no shame about lying to the dear girl like that?¡± a dangerously alluring tone carried across the chamber.


    Rosa¡¯s eyes widened as she realized it came from her. From deep within, the distress she had been suppressing surged forth as chills coursed through her body, which didn¡¯t feel entirely her own.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even flinch at your deceit,¡± her own voice persisted, sinister amusement lacing her words. Rosa was helpless to do anything about it.


    Malachi turned to eye her for a few seconds before walking into the center of the sigil. She bent down and picked up a strange black orb marked by hints of red that appeared to writhe within. ¡°While I would not expect any less from a Vile, are you not ashamed at sinking as low as trying to sow unfounded doubts in her?¡± the woman remarked without looking back at Rosa.


    Rosa wanted to respond, to break free from the suffocating sea of futility that enveloped her. The being inside her reveled in her helplessness, exuding an aura that embodied dread, a force so palpable that Rosa could feel it. The grip of terror and despair tightened around her, pulling down as a peal of cruel laughter echoed through her being.


    Now, more than ever, she understood why the demon was called Anguish.


    ¡°I feel sorry for dear Rosalina,¡± her puppeted self spoke, mimicking Rosa¡¯s tone with unsettling accuracy, yet interwoven with a perverse twist. ¡°To have no one here for her except a deranged, fiendling ex-priest. It¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s in tears~¡±


    Only then did Rosa notice the wetness on her cheeks, but she was unable to wipe it away. Anguish held absolute sway.


    Malachi¡¯s head turned, and her piercing green eyes underneath the hood locked onto Rosa.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anguish asked with scornful glee. ¡°Did you truly think I wouldn¡¯t recognize who you are? What you are? Your tainted blood makes me want to pinch my nose, even from here.¡±


    Malachi remained silent for a few seconds before returning her attention to the mysterious orb in her hand. Green magic flowed from her hands, flowing into the orb, soon leaving it and suffusing into the floor. ¡°There are few existences as conceited as a Vile, but you are as aware as I that you are powerless within that vessel, Anguish. All that remains at your disposal are your words. A pitiful state to see one of the great demons in.¡±


    A soft, involuntary laugh escaped Rosa¡¯s lips, which formed into a distorted smile. ¡°My words are quite enough for me,¡± Anguish said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are.¡± Malachi waved her free hand, sending a wave of green magic pulsing across the chamber and into the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s heart.


    A gasp left Rosa, and the world seemed clearer as Anguish¡¯s looming presence retreated slightly. She took several deep breaths, savoring the satisfaction that came from such a simple action, even though she had never actually stopped breathing.


    ¡°T-Thank you,¡± she managed to press out slowly between her breaths, head slightly slumping as she soon focused her attention on Malachi.


    ¡°I prefer not to waste my time on pointless arguments,¡± the woman said, paying Rosa little attention.


    ¡°Yeah, well, still. Although¡­I¡¯m not sure how long this peace is going to hold.¡± Rosa grimaced, already sensing Anguish returning.


    A few moments of silence passed as Rosa observed what Malachi was doing, trying to ignore what was coming. ¡°¡­What exactly are you doing?¡±


    Malachi extended a single index finger, running a long, sharp nail over the surface of the orb in her grasp, leaving behind colorful sparks. ¡°I am attuning the Astral Soulstone, fitting it so that it can regulate the energies of a vessel capable of binding a Vile¡¯s essence. It¡¯s a delicate process.¡±


    ¡°And the ¡®Astral Soulstone¡¯ is¡­?¡±


    ¡°A Zuverian artifact. It was gifted to me by an associate of sorts, and it serves many purposes. In this case, it will primarily serve as a power source and an anchor for Anguish¡¯s Authority. It is also the very object that allowed this citadel to take form in this realm.¡±


    Rosa surveyed the dismal chamber they were in. She would have preferred if it didn¡¯t take form in this realm. ¡°This citadel¡­ It¡¯s hers¡ªAnguish¡¯s¡ªhome, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°A facsimile, to be precise. A reflection that connects to the heart of Anguish, manifested through the link to the Blaze that is seared into your soul. You¡¯re currently acting as the conduit for all of this.¡±


    Malachi snapped her fingers, and a four-legged demon materialized from the shadows within the room. It approached her, carrying a peculiar metal tool in its jaws, resembling a mix between a hammer and a sextant. Presenting the tool to Malachi, the demon then vanished back into the shadows, purposefully not looking in Rosa¡¯s direction.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Before, it would have salivated at the mere sight of her. Now, it seemed even the most feared of beings were wary of her.


    She couldn¡¯t quite appreciate the humor in that as much as she usually would.


    ¡°Is this all related to that incarnation stuff you told me about earlier?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It is,¡± Malachi replied, using the new tool as if it were a measuring device, pressing its flat head against the Astral Soulstone while adjusting its odd handles.


    ¡°Then, correct me if I¡¯m wrong,¡± Rosa began, ¡°but the way I¡¯ve understood it all, right now, it¡¯s only a matter of time before I¡¯m entirely consumed by one of the cruelest and most dangerous demons in possibly all of existence, bringing destruction to¡­what? The whole empire?¡±


    ¡°Essentially.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s comforting to finally have a grasp on the situation.¡±


    Rosa couldn¡¯t fathom why she continued maintaining the bravado at this point, but perhaps it was her last act of defiance against the entity that had tormented her for so long.


    ¡°Though if Anguish¡¯s incarnation into the Material Realm is fully realized,¡± Malachi added, ¡°it¡¯s unlikely to be limited to just the empire.¡±


    Rosa did not need to hear that. She was already grappling with the thoughts of what her losing control would mean ¡ª the thousands upon thousands of lives that would pay for her mistakes. Her years of cowardice and looking away from the truth.


    Screams echoed through her mind as Anguish seemed to taunt her from within.


    ¡°Then,¡± Rosa said, her voice drained of emotion. ¡°Is there any way I can convince you to simply end it all?¡±


    Malachi didn¡¯t turn to look at her as she replied. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Your goal is to harness Anguish¡¯s power for yourself, right?¡±


    ¡°My goal is to supersede Anguish.¡±


    ¡°Even if that puts the entire continent at risk?¡±


    ¡°I fail to see how its fate concerns me.¡±


    Rosa stared at the woman. Eventually, a tired sigh escaped her. ¡°¡­So, how do we stop Anguish? Where will that leave us? And what does you superseding her actually mean?¡±


    ¡°The first step entails confining Anguish¡¯s existence within you permanently, severing her connection to the Blaze from which most of her power stems. With that connection severed, she would be no more formidable than an arch demon, albeit a very old one. While she is trapped within you, she is vulnerable, and so is her citadel. From there, we will strip her of her Authority and graft it to this reflection.¡± Malachi gestured to the chamber around them. ¡°This will allow it to surpass its original in the Blaze of Anguish, eventually supplanting it entirely and accepting a new master. The Astral Soulstone will allow me to take that Authority, and when I hold it, Anguish will cease to be a threat. I will be free to wield what was once hers as I see fit.¡±


    Several seconds of silence lingered as Rosa studied the woman. For all she knew, Malachi was literally insane, but there was an undeniable conviction in her words.


    ¡°I harbor no ambition for dominion or the destruction of the Material Realm, unlike the other Viles,¡± the woman continued. ¡°Our goals align nicely in that regard, Rosa. As for you, we cannot destroy Anguish entirely. That would merely return her essence to her Blaze, even with her connection severed. However, the process of stripping her Authority and supplanting her will render her a mere husk with no hold over you. Her presence may linger, but she will no longer wield the power to control or torment you as she has before.¡±


    Rosa let that information sink in, unsure of what to make of it. This was what she had come for, but was this the path she desired to tread in order to get it? How could she be sure this was the right thing to do? Nothing about her current situation felt good. But if Malachi spoke the truth, that discomfort might only be temporary.


    And most importantly, it was Scarlett who set her on this path.


    ¡°¡­That might be better than the alternative, but I¡¯m not sure I like the idea of having the husk of a Vile inside me for the rest of my life,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fear not, dearest Rosalina, for that won¡¯t happen,¡± her own voice responded, causing Rosa to freeze again. ¡°That woman¡¯s words are nothing but the delusions of one so deranged that they can¡¯t distinguish between folly and mania. But I do so enjoy watching ants scuttle about in futility, willing to offer their souls for even a taste of power. It¡¯s especially satisfying when it all ultimately benefits me.¡±


    ¡°Your words carry little weight when you¡¯re trapped within that girl,¡± Malachi stated, attention still fixed on the dark orb.


    Rosa struggled against the force controlling her body, but despite that, she erupted into a high-pitched peal of laughter that echoed through the chamber, reinforced by the menacing atmosphere. Literally. It sounded as if there were dozens of voices laughing all at once.


    ¡°You genuinely believe everything is going as you planned, the reins firmly in your grasp, don¡¯t you?¡± Anguish asked. ¡°I could not have asked for better entertainment before my descent to the Material Realm. I¡¯m oh-so anticipating how long that composure of yours will last and the expression you¡¯ll wear when I pluck those eyes from your skull to add to my collection.¡± The demon¡¯s words dripped with an enchanting cruelty and a disturbing certainty, as though she had already witnessed the future she was describing and was merely waiting for its unfolding.


    ¡°Please tell me you can get her to leave again,¡± Rosa managed to press out, her voice trembling.


    Malachi shook her head, not looking away from the rapidly shifting colors that were now moving around inside the orb as she manipulated it with both hands. ¡°That will have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, my pet.¡± Anguish effortlessly wrested back control, as if she had simply granted Rosa that moment to speak. ¡°There¡¯s no need to fear little old me. After all, we¡¯ve been together for so long, haven¡¯t we? We¡¯re practically family by now. So many adventures we¡¯ve shared. So many engaging experiences. I still recall the first time I got to go out and play, all those years ago. What was the name of that village? Mapleshear, was it? Its residents were ever so friendly. I wonder if they would still remember you? Those that remain, I mean.¡±


    Rosa clenched her jaws, unbidden memories surfacing from the depths of her mind that she never wanted to remember. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°You wound me, Rosalina darling. And after I have waited for so long to have a proper chat. I feel like we should have introduced ourselves sooner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d sooner duel ten dragons blindfolded with a spoon than engage in any conversation with you.¡±


    Another of Anguish¡¯s laughters left Rosa¡¯s mouth. ¡°Your efforts to put up a front are futile against me, my dear. I can taste all those deliciously panicked emotions coursing through you. There¡¯s no hiding from me.¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s afraid here, Anguish,¡± Malachi spoke up. ¡°Spare us the wailing and be quiet.¡±


    ¡°You think I am afraid?¡± Anguish asked, forcing a treacherous smile onto Rosa¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re adorably naive. Still ignorant of the true circumstances behind the situation you believe yourself to have orchestrated. Still under the illusion that you are the one in control.¡±


    For a brief moment, Malachi shifted her gaze from her work and to Rosa. ¡°¡­And you are still trying to sow doubt and hesitation, I see. Pointless.¡±


    ¡°Is it? Then why don¡¯t you ask our lovely Rosa here who she thinks is truly in control?¡±


    With those words, Rosa felt a new awareness expand within her, reaching beyond the chamber¡¯s confines to encompass the entire structure they were inside in less than a heartbeat. It was vast, overwhelming her at first. Then, guided and driven by an external force, this newfound awareness honed in on one specific area of the ¡®citadel¡¯, near its base. There, a red-haired woman and her entourage navigated a corridor filled with nightmarish demons.


    Scarlett.


    Elation, relief, anxiety, and dread swirled within Rosa all at once as she saw the noblewoman advancing even when confronted with those dangers.


    There was no doubt about Scarlett¡¯s purpose here.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite delightful to witness your reactions around that woman,¡± Anguish spoke through Rosa, earning a puzzled frown from Malachi. ¡°It¡¯s been eons since a mere mortal has been able to contend with me as she has, and even longer since one has stirred actual frustration within me.¡± There was a subtle change in the demon¡¯s tone, where her blithely sardonic demeanor momentarily vanished, only to swiftly return. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re so drawn to her, Rosalina dear. It¡¯s made even more entertaining when your half-blooded associate here isn¡¯t even aware of the existence of the true mastermind responsible for our meeting today. I can hardly contain the excitement I feel from thinking about how fun it¡¯ll be to turn that baroness into my obedient and malleable servant.¡±


    Suddenly, Rosa¡¯s perception shifted, and her view of Scarlett and the others was replaced by gruesome visions of the noblewoman writhing in agony, subjected to endless bouts of torture and punishments, all to the tune of Rosa¡¯s own twisted laughter.


    ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± Malachi¡¯s voice cut through the disturbing images.


    ¡°Hmm, now you choose to listen to my words? I suppose I can enlighten you, seeing as it¡¯s almost pitiable to see you so ignorant,¡± Anguish said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it peculiar? How perfectly everything aligned for your quaint little coup d¡¯¨¦tat? How my incarnate conveniently found you at precisely the right moment, and how that pathetic excuse for a demon that clawed its way out of Malevolence¡¯s pits just happened to meet its demise in a manner so fitting to your schemes?¡±


    ¡°The convenience of certain events does not alter my plans,¡± Malachi replied. As the disquieting visions Rosa had been subjected to slowly faded, she could see a scowl creasing the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°Certainly not. Why, convenience played right into your plans. Or rather, your plans aligned rather well with convenience. You exude such confidence in your plans, and you¡¯re perceptive enough to detect even my concealed presence, yet you¡¯re utterly blind to how you¡¯re unwittingly dancing to someone else¡¯s tune.¡± Anguish smiled savagely. ¡°One must wonder whether your grand design will unfold as you anticipate.¡±


    Malachi¡¯s expression darkened. She turned her attention back to the Astral Soulstone one last time, making some final adjustments before placing it at the center of the sigil and rising to her feet. She started walking towards the throne, her glowing eyes locked onto Rosa.


    ¡°Did I strike a nerve?¡± Anguish asked in a mocking tone.


    Malachi ascended the steps leading to the throne, stopping in front of it. Then she reached out and grabbed Rosa¡¯s face with force, her sharp nails scraping against skin, and causing blood to trickle. Rosa wanted to cry out in pain, but Anguish simply chuckled in ridicule.


    ¡°Enjoy your laughter while you can, Anguish,¡± Malachi warned, leaning closer and looking into Rosa¡¯s eyes. ¡°It will be your last opportunity to do so.¡±


    Something flashed from the woman¡¯s hand, streaming into Rosa. Much like the first time Malachi had expelled Anguish, Rosa felt as if she was drenched by water from within, causing the Vile¡¯s presence to recede. This time, it withdrew much further, though a fragment of the demon still lingered.


    Left gasping, Rosa could only sit there, sweat running down her brow as traces of blood trailed her cheeks. Malachi studied her with a dangerous expression.


    ¡°Were there any truth to her words?¡± the woman asked.


    Rosa blinked, still trying to collect herself and organize her thoughts. Eventually, she managed a weak shake of her head. ¡°Can¡¯t tell you when I ain¡¯t got much clue myself what she was talking about.¡±


    Nothing good would come from revealing Scarlett¡¯s involvement.


    Malachi did not entirely seem to believe her, though. ¡°¡­Who told you to come find me originally?¡±


    ¡°Some lady from the Talonborn Circle,¡± Rosa said.


    The woman¡¯s gaze narrowed at her, but eventually, Malachi withdrew and returned to the sigil at the center of the chamber. ¡°There is still work to be done before everything is ready. Do your best to stave off her return as long as possible. I would rather not endure any more of her nonsensical prattle.¡±


    In Rosa¡¯s mind, Anguish¡¯s laughter continued ringing, even as she felt the Vile backing off for the time being.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see what I can do¡­¡± she mumbled, more to herself than anything.


    As her eyes lingered on Malachi¡¯s back, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder who was actually in control here. Malachi, Scarlett, or Anguish? Knowing what she did about each of them, it appeared that all three were convinced they held the reins to some degree.


    All she could do was hope that Scarlett was the one who actually did.

 Chapter 199 - Behind the reflection

    If there was one aspect of fighting demons that made them a particular pain, even more so than most other enemies, it was the fact that they often simply refused to give up. Scarlett had been prepared to fight through hordes of demons while navigating Anguish¡¯s citadel, yes, but did they really have to be so tenacious?


    Maybe it was because they knew that their demise merely meant a return trip to the hellish Blaze they hailed from. That, and having a master likely conjuring unspeakable forms of torture for those who failed, probably served as a decent motivator.


    All Scarlett knew for sure was that each and every demon that had obstructed her path until now refused to yield. As long as a single mobile appendage remained on their fiendish frames, they fought on, even if all they had left was a freaking femur.


    She had known demons could be resilient, but there had to be limits. She had witnessed a demon resembling a cross between a troll and a wretched, disease-ridden dog drag itself across the floor, desperately¡ªor perhaps maniacally¡ªtrying to strike Fynn with the remains of its charred leg. And yet, even such a pathetic attempt posed a threat if ignored, as a demon¡¯s touch could carry a corrosive element.


    Scarlett had already lost count of the number of demons she¡¯d had to reduce to literal ashes to finally silence them. Her sense of smell had already succumbed to the acrid fumes left behind by all their bodies, and that was even without counting the effect of the suffocating miasma that hung in the air in some of the citadel¡¯s chambers. Without Fynn¡¯s wind magic to blow away the worst of it, she could scarcely imagine how she would have managed.


    These were the realities of combat that never came across when you ran a dungeon while only looking at your characters through a computer screen in the game.


    Needless to say, she was not enjoying their journey through Anguish¡¯s citadel. Most of the demons they encountered were manageable in terms of individual strength, and even when they appeared in swarms of dozens, Scarlett¡¯s party of eleven proved a very efficient counter to most threats thrown against them. However, it did drain their resources more than she had anticipated.


    Allyssa¡¯s stock of potions and alchemical mixtures was rapidly dwindling, as the Shielder was making good use of her various concoctions to keep the demons in check where possible. Meanwhile, Scarlett, Raimond, and Fynn had been the main damage dealers, finding themselves expending mana in high quantities to sustain their spells and magic. Scarlett¡¯s hope of conserving her supply had been quashed early on.


    She had to admit that having Raimond and the knights by her side made things considerably easier. That said, she still believed she could have managed on her own if necessary, both because she could have made use of [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] and could have bypassed more encounters with smaller numbers. The demons, while numerous, were mostly at a level where her pyrokinesis could effectively neutralize them.


    Nevertheless, she appreciated the assistance that she was given under these circumstances. If she could ensure that neither Raimond nor the knights got in her way later, this might even be the ideal approach. Although this was assuming Raimond wasn¡¯t plotting something with his presence here, and that the Dawnbringers or some other Followers of Ittar faction weren¡¯t waiting to rush in to make a mess of things.


    After nearly two hours of exploring the citadel, Scarlett and her party reached a wide, seemingly empty chamber. They had just emerged from a corridor that could best be described as a twisted fusion of Doom and Castlevania, filled with enough demons to make most holy men shake.


    Taking this opportunity to take a brief rest, the group gathered at the center of the chamber as Scarlett considered the paths open to them from here.


    As with any dungeon that was larger in this world than in the game, navigating Anguish¡¯s citadel with her foreknowledge proved a bit of a challenge. She knew some general guidelines that appeared to stay true. Up was good, while down was bad. Narrow passages and hidden staircases, often disguised or hidden behind grotesque imitations of paintings, offered alternatives to the main, demon-infested routes.


    Still, the citadel was an architectural mess, devoid of any real rhyme or reason in its construction. It seemed content to mimic the general form of human structures, but didn¡¯t care much beyond that.


    Nevertheless, Scarlett knew of ways to expedite their progress even further, and she had been on the lookout for them all this time. And it appeared she had finally found a promising opportunity.


    Her gaze focused on an opening at the far end of the chamber, shrouded in inky darkness similar to the citadel¡¯s main gate. The opening was encircled by more of those eerie human wall sculptures that dotted the citadel¡¯s inside. Other, less foreboding paths were next to it, marked by simple¡ªif large¡ªdoors. In comparison, this one practically screamed ¡®trap¡¯.


    Which was exactly what Scarlett was looking for. Anguish was a Vile, after all. While the demon took a perverse delight in tormenting just about anyone, the arrogance that came with being such a powerful existence also meant that Anguish occasionally played ¡®fair¡¯, offering rewards of a sort to those who took risks and lived to tell the tale.


    At least that was how it worked in the game, and Scarlett suspected the same held true here.


    After having rested for a few minutes, Scarlett gathered the others and approached the shadow-veiled opening. The knights regarded it with caution, while Scarlett¡¯s party members looked at her with expectation.


    She met their gazes. ¡°For now, all of you will remain in this chamber while I venture through this veil.¡±


    Surprise appeared on all their faces, and a couple of the knights stared at her as though she had lost her mind.


    ¡°Is that wise?¡± Shin asked, studying her closely. He was familiar enough with her to know she had a reason for giving that order and was probably asking what that reason might be.


    ¡°It is a safer alternative than all of us entering together,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°From your words, one could be led to believe you know precisely what lies beyond that veil,¡± Raimond observed, a strange glint in his eyes.


    ¡°I have some notion of it, yes.¡± Scarlett nodded. ¡°I will not go into details now, however. Simply know that none of you should cross through until I return. Understood?¡±


    The man placed a hand on his chin, carrying a thoughtful expression. ¡°Clear as the waters of Rellaria.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Allyssa seemed uncomfortable with the prospect, but that was expected. Fynn and Shin remained silent, and though the knights appeared the most apprehensive, none of them had challenged Scarlett¡¯s commands since they entered this place.


    ¡°Good,¡± Scarlett said with confidence. ¡°Then we will reunite soon.¡±


    With that, she stepped through the dark veil. The sensation was a bit like walking into a physical shadow, though how that felt she couldn¡¯t really say. A moment later, she found herself in a narrow corridor.


    Compared to the other spaces in the citadel, this place was almost tame in its decor. The left wall and the ceiling seemed crafted from literal obsidian, illuminated by crimson lights hanging from sconces. As for the right wall, it was just a single polished silver surface, functioning as a mirror reflecting the corridor with a ghostly, otherworldly glow.


    It was precisely the place Scarlett had been looking for.


    She paused to examine her own reflection in the mirror. Her long, dark-red hair was slightly disheveled, she realized. And her expedition attire, while practical, didn¡¯t exactly fit the air of a noblewoman. If it weren¡¯t for the steely, imperious gaze present on the reflection¡¯s face, she might have actually mistaken herself for an adventurer or a Shielder.


    Reaching into her [Pouch of Holding], she retrieved a comb and began tidying up her hair as she moved deeper into the corridor. There was another opening on the other end, concealed by yet another veil of darkness.


    Suddenly, a noise from behind her made her stop and spin on the spot. There, at the mouth of the corridor, she found Raimond stepping through the veil she¡¯d come from. The blond priest adjusted his white robes with both hands as he looked around, surveying his surroundings and examining the mirror to his right.


    ¡°I distinctly recall instructing you to remain behind,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Raimond cleared his throat and shifted his attention to her, offering a somewhat wry smile. ¡°Yes, and I happen to recall responding to that instruction in the rather positive affirmative. I had no intention of ignoring your request in that regard, had it not been for that dreadful scream we heard immediately after you disappeared.¡± He gestured at her with one hand. ¡°Fortunately, it seems we were mistaken about its source.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°So you followed me out of concern for my safety?¡± This was just what she had come to expect from Anguish. The Vile liked to play her tricks. ¡°And what of the others?¡±


    Raimond extended his arms in an almost apologetic gesture. ¡°I could hardly restrain them after that blood-curdling scream. You have some devoted retainers in your employ, Baroness.¡± The man¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Of course, it would appear that despite my swift entrance after Fynn and Allyssa, I am still the sole person to have joined you on this side. This does raise the questions about the others¡¯ whereabouts.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered on the priest for a moment before she turned around and resumed her course down the corridor. ¡°They are indeed loyal, yes. There is no need to fret about their safety. I have faith that they trust in my judgement.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She could hear Raimond¡¯s footsteps behind her as he began catching up.


    ¡°Well, I may not fully understand the basis for your confidence,¡± Raimond began, ¡°but who am I to doubt your word? For now, however, it appears as if we must navigate this situation on our own. Although it might seem slightly inappropriate given the circumstances, I must admit to feeling some satisfaction about that. There is a certain matter that I have been eager to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Of course there is,¡± Scarlett said, stealing a quick glance at their reflections in the mirrored wall to her right. Raimond¡¯s robes flowed gracefully around his feet as he walked in an exaggerated gait that was far from suitable for their hostile environment.


    ¡°I imagine you might already have an idea of the topic I want to address.¡± The priest¡¯s voice held a hint of amusement.


    ¡°I do.¡± Scarlett nodded, reaching out with one hand towards the [Pouch of Holding] at her waist.


    Raimond¡¯s reflection in the mirror seemed to appreciate his own image for a moment, waving cheerfully. That was definitely inappropriate given where they were, but Scarlett supposed that was something Raimond could have done.


    ¡°Then, let me begin by saying¡ª¡±


    With a mental command, Scarlett activated the ability of her [Garments of Form]. A mist formed around her and teleported her behind Raimond. Unlike what the man¡¯s reflection had shown, Raimond himself held a long blade in his hand and was in the middle of thrusting it at the spot where Scarlett¡¯s neck had been. She recognized the brief moment of surprise in his movements at her disappearance.


    Feeling the warmth of [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] as she held it in her left hand, Scarlett channeled its power, conjuring an array of Aqua Mines around Raimond. They exploded in a burst of steam, knocking the priest to the ground.


    But she wasn¡¯t finished.


    Unrelenting, she drew upon the mana stored inside [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] and summoned a blazing bonfire that consumed Raimond entirely. The flames burned with the ferocity of a live forge as Scarlett watched, her expression void of emotion while the man¡¯s features transformed within the inferno. They turned sharper, more jagged, as his true form was revealed.


    The demon howled and tried to stand in order to lunge at her, even while enduring her fiery onslaught, but Scarlett conjured more Aqua Mines, detonating them to keep the demon at bay.


    A short while later, the demon¡¯s physical form was reduced to a crisp, and its essence was banished to the infernal realm it called home.


    Had that been the real Raimond, Scarlett suspected he would have lasted a lot longer.


    She allowed her flames to dissipate as the scent of burnt flesh filled the air, a dark silence settling around her. She turned her attention back to the mirror, which still showed Raimond¡¯s uninjured and innocent appearance, standing beside Scarlett¡¯s own reflection as it gazed back at her.


    It was smiling.


    Meeting its eyes, Scarlett raised her hand once more, pulling even more mana from the artifact she was carrying. A swarm of Aqua Mines appeared all across the corridor, aimed at the silver mirror. As they detonated, hundreds of cracks formed in the metal, warping it. Then the mirror shattered, disappearing into countless glimmering fragments that faded into nothingness.


    Where the mirror stood now was an identical copy of the corridor Scarlett currently occupied. Her reflection remained, now alone, its smile having grown even wider.


    ¡°You certainly are a tricky one to catch off guard,¡± her replica spoke, mimicking Scarlett¡¯s voice and mannerisms with uncanny precision, though the unsettling smile didn¡¯t quite match. ¡°What if he had been the real one? Poor priest, he would have been slain in cold blood by the ally he thought he could trust, without any inkling as to why.¡±


    ¡°Did you truly believe that would be enough to fool me, Anguish?¡± Scarlett asked, her voice glacial.


    Anguish, wearing Scarlett¡¯s appearance, shrugged, smile fading and replaced with the same unemotional expression Scarlett often wore. ¡°I thought it convincing enough, yes.¡±


    ¡°As I have already explained, my people are loyal, and they know when to trust my judgement. Even had they heard my scream, they would not have come.¡±


    Fynn, in particular, would probably have stopped anyone who tried.


    Anguish clicked her tongue in a manner that felt all too familiar to Scarlett. ¡°I suppose that is something I should have considered. I¡¯ve always been diligent in keeping my pets on a tight leash, and from what I have seen, you are much my kindred spirit in that. One does not have to look any further than Rosa for an example.¡±


    ¡°Miss Hale is not a ¡®pet¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but she very much is. Do you not have her at your beck and call, believing everything you tell her and ready to carry out your every command? You have trained her well. Even better than I managed, despite all the years I spent with the girl.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you consider your next words carefully.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Anguish asked, giving her a knowing look. ¡°That is how you secretly regard her, isn¡¯t it? A convenient tool, obediently carrying out your bidding while serving as a decent replacement for lugging around too many healing potions. I can tell as much.¡±


    A frown found its way onto Scarlett¡¯s face. ¡°Your attempts at provoking me are serving to do nothing but strengthen my resolve to ensure your end is as pathetic as it can be.¡±


    At that, Anguish burst into a sudden, echoing laughter that felt utterly incongruous with Scarlett¡¯s appearance. Then the demon¡¯s expression changed, taking on an alluring yet dangerous air. ¡°I¡¯m merely calling it as I see it, dear,¡± she said, her tone markedly different. ¡°I have been watching you and darling Rosalina since you first met, witnessing every exchange, every stolen glance, and all those intriguing little interactions of yours. I understand the nature of your relationship better than Rosa herself. While it may outwardly appear as a relationship of mutual respect between an aloof noble and her whimsical bard, we both know that¡¯s far from the truth. Oh, sweet Rosa may think she knows you, but the poor girl is blissfully unaware of how much she¡¯s being led by the nose by you, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed deeper with her frown. ¡°That is enough of that.¡±


    Anguish stared at her for a moment, seemingly surprised. Then she let out another warped laugh. ¡°Could it be? Are you genuinely ignorant of what I¡¯m talking about, or are you continuing the charade even in front of me? Considering you are the one who orchestrated this entire situation without telling Rosalina even the teensiest bit, it would be truly rich if it were the former.¡±


    ¡°There was little choice in the matter,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Arranging Miss Hale¡¯s meeting with Malachi would not have been possible had I made her aware of the circumstances. Have you perhaps already forgotten the pact between us? You seemed to care little for it when you sent your toy count to pester me in Windgrove, so it would not surprise me if your memory is failing you after all this time. Unfortunate for you, I would say. I have heard rumors circulating of investigations surrounding his involvement with certain groups in Ambercrest. It would seem you are at risk of losing another pawn.¡±


    A few days ago, Scarlett had received an update from Beldon, informing her that his men had found suspicious activity related to Count Soames in the city. They had also long since begun planting suggestions in the right ears to deal with what the man was up to.


    ¡°¡®Miss Hale¡¯, you say, even after all this time.¡± Anguish remarked, showing no concern about Scarlett¡¯s words regarding the count. ¡°So formal. I feel sorry for our dear Rosa. But I digress. You should know that what I am referring to isn¡¯t just how you manipulated her like your puppet here in Bridgespell. From the moment you met her, you¡¯ve subtly ¡®guided¡¯ her, influencing her with vague words and unspoken promises of a help you knew Rosalina dearest wouldn¡¯t even dare hope for, exploiting the vulnerabilities left in her broken, pitiable heart. Even I had to marvel at the precision with which you molded her to suit your purposes. It was truly something to behold, and yet another reminder why humans should never be underestimated when it comes to their capability for exploiting one another.¡±


    Scarlett fell silent, absorbing Anguish¡¯s words as she gazed upon the demon who wore her face.


    It was¡­disconcerting that she couldn¡¯t entirely dismiss the Vile¡¯s statement. In many ways, she had manipulated Rosa based on her knowledge of the woman from the game. While she didn¡¯t personally think she had done a particularly good job most of the time, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, it might be a different story.


    What gave her pause was contemplating whether she should feel remorse for her actions or not. She might not have acted ethically, but she had a justifiable enough reason, didn¡¯t she? If anything, she had done the only thing she could. The alternative would have been to leave Rosa to her fate, potentially damning the woman and unleashing a Vile into the world without resistance.


    Still¡­ She should feel at least a twinge of guilt, shouldn¡¯t she?


    The question was, did she?


    It was genuinely hard to tell, as with most relationships she¡¯d formed as Scarlett in this world. The line between where she cared for something and where she was merely protective because it was useful to her felt blurry. Rosa should be in the former category, but why were things still complicated?


    ¡°You know,¡± Anguish continued. ¡°When I originally agreed to that awfully cute pact of non-interference of yours, I thought you were just a mildly interesting mortal who might amuse me for a while. Watching you through Rosalina¡¯s eyes, though, I have grown impressed by your depth of knowledge and your ruthlessness. I¡¯ll even admit to some disappointment that I couldn¡¯t see things through your eyes so that I could witness everything you¡¯ve done, even the sinister little secrets you hide away from Rosa.¡± A dark, menacing smirk crept across her face. ¡°But perhaps what intrigued me the most was the source of all your knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Having you stuck in my head does not sound like an appealing prospect, so I am glad that was not the case,¡± Scarlett said, raising her hand. ¡°Not that it matters any longer. I tire of this conversation. I had intended to ask about the Blazes¡¯ current happenings, but I believe I will save that for later, after I have reached the top and you are at my full mercy.¡±


    Just as she was about to conjure forth her fire to deal with the copy standing before her, Anguish uttered a single sentence.


    ¡°You are an Anomalous One, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Scarlett stopped, fixing her gaze on the demon. ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡±


    Anguish¡¯s smirk grew. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re asking me? But you¡¯re the omniscient one, aren¡¯t you? Always traipsing around, flaunting your superiority over other mortals. It is only a matter of course that you should know what I mean.¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. ¡°You are testing my patience.¡±


    ¡°I do so try.¡± The Vile chuckled. A few seconds of silence passed as Anguish regarded Scarlett. ¡°¡­It is impressive, truly, how subtle it is. Even I, after months of observation, have only begun to discern hints of the Fate that swirls around you, rewriting itself according to your whims. It¡¯s as if the very laws of reality have chosen to work differently for you. Only once before have I witnessed an example of the same that has been so profound, and even then it was quite different.¡±


    ¡°You are referring to the fate-defiance of the Hallowed Cabal,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°No, I am speaking of something beyond what mere mortals like them could achieve. I am speaking about that which the Cabal¡¯s devouts cling to in their desperate dream of ¡®a perfect world¡¯.¡± Anguish seemed to find what she said amusing. ¡°That entity is an entirely different breed, and like you, it adheres to rules distinct from the rest of us. An anomaly that even those high-handed gods had to fear. In comparison, its followers are insignificant ants, and their attempts to imitate its abilities are laughable at best. That is why it makes one wonder how you are accomplishing a similar feat.¡± Her gaze bore into Scarlett. ¡°Perhaps I was wrong in my assessment. Perhaps you¡¯re not just a mere mortal.¡±


    Those words felt more like a threat than anything else the Vile had said during this conversation. Scarlett almost instinctively prepared for a confrontation even though Anguish was in no condition to attack her.


    ¡°It makes me even more eager to make you serve me,¡± the demon continued, her features twisting as her smile grew. It was unsettling to see the face that Scarlett had become accustomed to as her own in this world looking back at her in such a way.


    ¡°Your threats hold little weight coming from one currently trapped within a ¡®mere mortal¡¯,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll see for how long I remain trapped. I¡¯m certainly not lacking for entertainment while I am, though. My precious Rosalina and I are finally enjoying this opportunity to chat. We¡¯re having a splendid time, I assure you. I¡¯ll be sure to convey your greetings~¡±


    With that, the skin of the clone before Scarlett began to melt away, and Anguish¡¯s cursed laughter resounded through the space.


    ¡°I trust that we¡¯ll meet again soon,¡± were the Vile¡¯s parting words, and Scarlett clenched her teeth, fighting to contain the anger that had built up inside her.


    Her gaze shifted to the far end of the replica corridor, where a single spiral staircase beckoned ¡ª a shortcut leading upward.


    She was so going to give that demon hell.

 Chapter 200 - Lead-ups

    When Scarlett returned to the previous chamber, she found the whole group still waiting there for her, their expectant gazes fixed on her. That included Raimond, who showed no signs of harm.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Allyssa asked, her eyes scanning Scarlett¡¯s appearance. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°It went smoothly,¡± Scarlett replied, directing her attention to the young Shielder. ¡°And I found nothing worth recounting. The master of this place tried to deceive me with tricks, but I dispelled and dealt with those promptly. Our path forward is clear.¡±


    Raimond regarded her closely, eyebrows raised. ¡°Consider my interest thoroughly piqued. What manner of trickery might we be talking about? Though perhaps questionable in judgement, it is rather impressive to hear that you chose to confront a Vile¡¯s machinations alone and prevailed.¡±


    Scarlett briefly locked eyes with him. ¡°¡­She attempted to mislead me by employing your likeness to ambush me.¡±


    That caused the priest¡¯s brow to furrow into a frown. ¡°That is a dastardly tactic indeed. One can scarcely imagine the inner turmoil anyone would face upon being confronted by my own disarming visage as an adversary.¡±


    ¡°The concern is unnecessary, Father,¡± Scarlett said bluntly. ¡°I dispatched the imitation, ensuring its swift demise.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°Surely you felt at least some hesitation.¡±


    ¡°None whatsoever.¡±


    Raimond brought a hand to his chest, as if visibly wounded, while Allyssa wore a sympathetic expression beside him.


    Scarlett then shifted her attention to the rest of the group. ¡°This trap could have proven perilous had we confronted it as one unit. Now that it has been dealt with, we can proceed unhindered. Follow me.¡±


    Turning around, she stepped through the veiled doorway, returning to the corridor where she had confronted Anguish. The mirror covering the right wall was still missing, revealing the duplicate corridor with the spiral staircase at the end. The others joined her soon enough, with Fynn taking the lead, and they started making their way towards the stairs.


    As they advanced through the corridor, the knights maintained a watchful vigil of their surroundings, as though anticipating even graver threats than those they¡¯d faced so far to appear. Perhaps Scarlett shouldn¡¯t have mentioned the trap.


    One of the knights, the same woman Scarlett had been riding behind on their way to the citadel, pointed towards the end of the original corridor where, instead of a staircase, a curtain of darkness still obscured the way. ¡°My Lady, where does that lead?¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her, and the woman seemed to realize herself. ¡°Forgive me, I simply assumed¡­¡±


    ¡°That is quite all right.¡± Scarlett supposed it wasn¡¯t strange for them to think she knew more than she did about this place, considering how she had been leading them up till now. If anything, that had probably been on the mind of everybody here for a while.


    ¡°I presume our destination lies with that staircase,¡± Raimond remarked. ¡°However, it might be prudent to first explore the alternate path. With preparation, I am confident we can contend with any deceptions our inhospitable host may have in store, much like you have already done, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett looked at him. ¡°¡­I believe that is the opposite of ¡®prudent¡¯, Father. We already have a clear path before us.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if another fight awaited them down the other route, and she didn¡¯t want to bother finding out.


    ¡°Ah, but how can we be certain that is not yet another ploy to lull us into complacency? The staircase is suspiciously convenient, after all.¡± The priest¡¯s smile seemed sincere, but that only annoyed Scarlett since she couldn¡¯t see through his intentions.


    ¡°Convenient, yes, but that does not exclude it being the correct route,¡± she said. ¡°As you yourself pointed out, I believe we can contend with any deceptions that may await us if it is, in fact, the incorrect route.¡±


    He almost certainly suspected she wanted to climb the stairs because she knew it was the right way, but he was pushing her like this to fish for information. At least she hoped that was his reasoning. The alternative would be that he was toying with her and already knew everything, but that seemed increasingly unlikely as time passed.


    Raimond raised both hands in a placating gesture. ¡°I suppose you are correct. Consider me convinced.¡±


    Scarlett eyed him for another moment, then turned her attention forward as their group began ascending the stairs. Fynn and two of the knights led the way.


    Even if Raimond was testing her, she could appreciate that he wasn¡¯t pushing her too hard. Scarlett¡¯s mere presence here was suspicious, and that wasn¡¯t to mention her apparent familiarity with this place. She hoped his restraint in questioning her signified that he wasn¡¯t an enemy.


    The staircase proved a long one, and the minutes stretched on as they climbed. By the time they reached the top, Scarlett¡¯s legs were protesting loudly, and she called for a short break. Between the physical strain and all the mana she had expended dealing with all the demons here, she was starting to feel the onset of exhaustion. Without Rosa¡¯s stamina-boosting charms, the limitations her body placed on her became all the more evident, even with the buffs her equipment gave her.


    Drinking a potion Allyssa had made for rejuvenating one¡¯s energy¡ªit wasn¡¯t quite a stamina potion, but it was better than nothing¡ªScarlett eventually called for them to resume their journey.


    The shortcut had deposited them in a large chamber devoid of enemies, but without windows, it was impossible to gauge how high up they were. Although Scarlett suspected they were starting to get closer to their goal, she couldn¡¯t rely solely on her game knowledge to estimate how much was left. All they could do was continue pushing on.


    Proceeding in the same manner as before, they traversed the various chambers and corridors of Anguish¡¯s citadel, encountering an increasing number of demons on their way, ranging from basic mobs to mini-bosses like the guardian at the start. Gradually ascending with each battle, they also made use of any other shortcuts they found.


    Eventually, they reached a square room with a single ominous door at its center, adorned with two sizeable crimson gems and two open paths to its right and left.


    Scarlett ordered the group to stop as she studied the door for a few seconds, then gestured towards it. ¡°Fynn, see if you can open that.¡±


    If she recalled correctly, that door would be locked, and the only way to unlock it was by destroying a set of relics at the end of the two other paths. She¡¯d been uncertain if this feature would translate to this world¡¯s version of the citadel, but she had been hoping it would. It was a time-honored tradition in certain RPG dungeons to bar important paths behind mechanisms like this one, forcing the player to clear every route before progressing. While it was questionable game design in her opinion, this was one instance where she wasn¡¯t going to complain.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    She also wasn¡¯t even going to try and unravel why someone would design their base like this in real life. Most of the dungeons in this world were strange in one way or another if one pondered it for too long. Unlike the trap from earlier, this didn¡¯t feel like it could be blamed solely on Anguish¡¯s arrogance.


    What mattered was that this provided her with an excuse to temporarily split the party.


    At her request, Fynn stepped up to the door and tried to pull it open, but it didn¡¯t budge. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he looked back at her and shook his head.


    Scarlett walked over to the rightmost path, which led to a wide staircase down into a shadowy corridor. From her vantage point, no demons were visible, but she knew they lay ahead.


    She turned back to the rest of the group. ¡°From here, we will be dividing into two groups,¡± she declared.


    This announcement earned her a few puzzled looks.


    She motioned towards the locked door. ¡°To proceed, I suspect we must find a means of getting past that door. Since it will not open, there should be a way to unlock it available to us. That generally appears to be how this place functions.¡±


    Briefly, she wondered if Anguish¡¯s actual citadel in the Blazes was also laid out in this very game-like manner, or if there might be an in-lore explanation for it, such as the Vile wanting someone to reach the top. Scarlett could envision a few reasons for that, but it still felt like a dubious explanation. If true, the demon could just have created a single path leading straight to the top.


    That said, even if this layout was a relic from the game, there should still be some justification for it, right?


    Before she started going into a mental rabbit hole she¡¯d already decided to shelve for the time being, she returned her focus to the task at hand.


    Allyssa raised a hand. ¡°Not going to say you¡¯re wrong about the door, but is it really necessary to split up for this?¡±


    ¡°Necessary? No. However, it would be the most efficient way to proceed,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°We do not know if we are pressed for time, but assuming we are is the wise choice. The breaks we have taken and the time we have spent to come this far may already be too much. Therefore, saving time where we can is important.¡± She gestured towards Fynn. ¡°That is why Fynn and I will explore one of these paths, while the rest of you delve into the other.¡±


    That statement prompted more than just puzzled looks as everyone stared at her.


    ¡°Just you and Fynn?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even when there are like a dozen of us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The girl seemed like she wanted to say more but refrained, probably because she knew Scarlett always had a reason for these things.


    That did not, however, stop Raimond.


    ¡°I must admit to harboring some doubts regarding this proposal,¡± the man said, and the knights nodded in agreement. ¡°While your abilities have certainly proved impressive, Baroness, and the same can be said for Fynn here, I think it would still prove a touch too precarious for you to venture off on your own in the dwelling-place of a Vile. If we truly are to divide ourselves as you suggest, we should consider a more strategic distribution of our forces.¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Scarlett replied, crossing her arms and aiming her gaze at the six knights lent to her by Sir Home. ¡°I will be blunt. Fynn, on his own, can handle you six without my support. With Mister Thornthorn and Miss Astrey¡¯s help, you may stand a chance, and perhaps even hold the advantage, but Fynn is more than capable of acting independently when needed.¡± She turned her attention back to Raimond. ¡°If we are dividing our numbers, it would prove far too dangerous to leave any of the knights by themselves. Therefore, the only viable option is for Fynn to serve as the sole vanguard in a unit. As for why I should join him, I believe I have already demonstrated my ability to handle the weaker demons we encounter here on my own.¡±


    The priest frowned ever-so-slightly, but he didn¡¯t actually challenge her words. Neither did any of the others. The knights had all witnessed Fynn¡¯s strength, and Scarlett¡¯s assertion that he could take them on wasn¡¯t baseless.


    She proposed this split because it suited her needs, but she also genuinely believed it was the most effective approach. Raimond and she were the most useful damage dealers against these demons in large numbers, so the two of them shouldn¡¯t be in the same group, and considering that the knights would suffer worse injuries than Fynn, it made sense for Raimond to stay with them to provide healing.


    ¡°If I may ask, Baroness,¡± he eventually said, studying her. ¡°How much of your mana reserves remain?¡±


    She met his gaze. Of course he had to ask that.


    While her proposal might be sound in theory, it didn¡¯t take into account how much mana she had left.


    [Mana: 1624/12063]


    Even after having downed as many mana potions as she dared without suffering side effects, she was running low. Raimond, on the other hand, showed no sign of depleting his mana, even after both managing the healing and part of the damage-dealing.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know the extent of the man¡¯s mana pool, but it definitely wasn¡¯t anything to scoff at.


    It annoyed her that she was envious of that.


    Still, that didn¡¯t matter much.


    ¡°I have more than enough for the time being,¡± she said.


    As long as she was by herself, her remaining mana didn¡¯t pose a significant issue. That was what [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] was for.


    Raimond observed her quietly for a few seconds before conceding with a somewhat resigned expression. ¡°I suppose you would know best. If you believe this is our best approach from here, then who am I to argue with you as a mere tagalong? However¡ª¡± He raised a finger, lowered it, and pointed it in Allyssa¡¯s direction. ¡°I would still like to ask that you at the very least take Allyssa here with you. I will do my best to compensate for her absence in our group, and I believe having one more member with you would give us all some peace of mind.¡±


    Scarlett turned her gaze towards Allyssa, considering her for a moment. ¡°Very well.¡±


    The girl''s eyes widened at that, but Scarlett didn¡¯t dwell on the matter. She took the lead to start immediately. ¡°Our goal is to uncover a means through which to open this door or, if possible, find an alternate path forward. If you discover such a path or encounter a foe you cannot defeat on your own, return to this room and we will regroup here. Until then, I wish you luck.¡±


    Without saying anything more, she moved towards the right staircase, with Fynn joining her. Allyssa soon caught up, a bewildered expression on her face. Scarlett only glanced over her shoulder just to make sure that Raimond and the others followed the opposite path.


    She had been worried about facing more resistance from Raimond, but it really did seem like he was accommodating her on these things. While that was good, it was also somewhat strange. What was his game here?


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you let me join you,¡± Allyssa spoke next to her as they began descending the stairs into the dark corridor, hand crossbow in hand. ¡°You had that determined look that you get when you¡¯re planning to get something done on your own.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her attention to the Shielder. ¡°¡­It appears you have come to understand me rather well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to with how obvious you make it sometimes.¡±


    ¡°The circumstances do not always allow for subtlety.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not.¡± Allyssa shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the circumstances enough to know if that¡¯s true or false in this case.¡±


    ¡°An unfortunate consequence of those very same circumstances,¡± Scarlett said.


    At the bottom of the staircase, Scarlett signaled for them to stop, conjuring a couple of small flames to illuminate the path ahead. It was a corridor that extended for a few dozen meters before ending at a small door.


    Allyssa looked both determined and expectant, while Fynn turned to Scarlett.


    She considered the young man for a moment. ¡°From here on, you will continue on your own, Fynn.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what¡ª?¡± Allyssa began, but Fynn just nodded.


    ¡°You do not need to engage in combat from now on. Simply reach the end of where this path leads and destroy the relic that awaits there. Do it with haste and do not get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Fynn responded, his white hair rustling as a gust of wind enveloped him, and he disappeared down the corridor.


    Allyssa stayed beside Scarlett, staring at her.


    Scarlett turned around and began climbing back up the stairs.


    ¡°W-Wait, why are we just leaving Fynn on his own?¡± the girl called out behind her.


    ¡°Because he can accomplish this task without our aid,¡± Scarlett answered.


    There would probably be a good deal of demons in his way, sure, but there was no requirement for him to bother fighting them. Even if they were too much for him to take on, she was confident that he could get past them as long as he didn¡¯t have to focus on protecting others.


    Returning to the room with the locked door, Scarlett walked up in front of it and waited, her eyes fixed on the gems set into its face. Allyssa eventually joined her, still seemingly trying to decipher Scarlett¡¯s plan.


    As for Scarlett, she was preparing for what would come next. Although this door didn¡¯t mark the end of the dungeon, it should be close enough that she could cover the remaining distance by herself if she made generous use of the mana inside [Ittar¡¯s Genesis]. That meant that, soon, she would be able to reach Rosa and confront Anguish.


    She had been waiting for some time.

 Chapter 201 - Intermissions

    The minutes passed in silent anticipation as Scarlett and Allyssa stood before the sealed door. Its frame was mostly a dark pitch black, with the only color coming from the two crimson gems embedded in its face, seeming to pulsate with a subtle internal energy. They were still waiting for their companions to complete their respective tasks, and over twenty minutes had already gone by.


    It seemed that the distance they had to cover was a lot longer here than Scarlett had been anticipating. Still, she trusted they would be successful.


    Finally, the right gem burst into life as a vivid blaze within its depths. Allyssa¡¯s voice broke the silence beside Scarlett. ¡°Oh? Does that mean Fynn¡¯s finished his part?¡±


    ¡°That it does,¡± Scarlett said, her gaze shifting to the other gem. ¡°Now, all that remains is for Father Abraham and the others to conclude things on their end before we can proceed.¡±


    She¡¯d been expecting Fynn to finish first, but she didn¡¯t know how far behind Raimond¡¯s group would be. It depended on how hard it had been for Fynn to navigate past the enemies on his path.


    ¡°So we really aren¡¯t waiting for them?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°We are not.¡±


    The point behind this was to create a window of opportunity for Scarlett to act independently of Raimond and the knights. Even then, she didn¡¯t know how much time they¡¯d buy.


    ¡°I¡¯d already figured as much, but¡­¡± Allyssa murmured, drawing Scarlett¡¯s attention. The Shielder fidgeted with the goggles stuck to her forehead as she looked at the door, then turned to Scarlett. ¡°¡­Can I ask why?¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes for a few seconds. ¡°Because I am concerned that they will prove a hindrance.¡±


    ¡°Even Shin?¡±


    ¡°No, he is an exception, but it proved logistically sound to have him remain and continue assisting the others.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t mind me staying here with you?¡±


    Scarlett weighed the blonde girl¡¯s inquiring gaze for a moment, then shifted her attention back to the sealed door. ¡°¡­Initially, I had planned to proceed alone for what comes next. In truth, that is still what I would have preferred. It is my genuine belief that would simplify matters for both of us. However¡­your presence will not necessarily be a detriment, unlike Father Abraham¡¯s. The words you spoke to me during our journey here also came to mind, where you expressed a desire to aid in resolving this situation and demonstrated your trust in me and my abilities. As such, it felt only right that I provide you with the same trust in return.¡±


    A brief silence lingered before Allyssa responded. ¡°It¡¯s probably not the right time to say this, but it feels so weird hearing that from you. I¡¯m definitely being silly, but I mean, I¡¯ve always had this image of you as this epitome of aloofness, someone who would rather die before being open about things. Are you sure you won¡¯t light on fire or something doing this?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips twitched and pulled into a line. ¡°¡­You have spent far too much time around Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± The young Shielder chuckled. ¡°¡­So, what¡¯s the plan from here? After that door opens up, I mean.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression hardened, focusing ahead. ¡°If all goes well, we will ascend to the top of this citadel and resolve this entire situation before the others reach us.¡±


    It would be fine if Fynn caught up, but they wouldn¡¯t be waiting for him. He should be on his way back by now, but it would take him some time.


    ¡°And at the top, what¡¯s waiting for us is¡­?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Scarlett turned to meet the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°Rosa.¡±


    Allyssa blinked. ¡°¡­Rosa?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why would she be here?¡±


    Scarlett crossed her arms, considering the girl for a few seconds. ¡°I suppose I did make a promise to provide you with more details on the situation.¡±


    She fell silent for a moment, sweeping her gaze across the door blocking their path. It felt like Rosa should be the one to share this, but that wasn¡¯t an option with the circumstances as they were. Besides, at this point, any pretense about Scarlett not knowing what was going on was pointless.


    ¡°The master of this place is the Vile known as Anguish,¡± she began, her voice grave. ¡°I am not certain precisely how much you know about the six Blazes and the entities who reign over them, but Anguish is a demon who revels in the suffering and misery of others. She has long sought to establish a stronger foothold in our realm, as have all the Viles. What has always prevented them from doing so is an interspatial barrier known as the ¡®Veil of Convergence¡¯.¡±


    Allyssa wore a serious but confused expression as she listened intently.


    ¡°The Veil is not absolute, however,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°There are ways for a Vile to influence the Material Realm despite its existence. The primary method is through an ¡®incarnate¡¯.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°An incarnate?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°It is an exceedingly rare phenomenon,¡± she explained, ¡°where a person has the unfortunate fate of being born with a connection to the Blazes. This connection is one that circumvents even the Veil itself, leaving the individual vulnerable to the beings who call those infernal realms their home. Through an incarnate, a Vile can channel their authority and embody themselves here, wreaking havoc and suffusing themselves in our realm¡¯s energies. This citadel is the manifestation of that process, with Anguish bringing a fragment of her Blaze along with her.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, hold on,¡± Allyssa interrupted, a hint of disbelief in her voice. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to tell me what I think you are, are you?¡±


    ¡°And what do you think I am attempting to tell you?¡± Scarlett asked, maintaining a cool expression.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That Rosa is somehow this¡­¡®incarnate¡¯ thing.¡±


    ¡°Then you are correct. That is precisely what I am saying.¡±


    Allyssa simply stared at her.


    ¡°Rosa has been caught within the clutches of Anguish for many years,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°She has always preferred to keep her condition hidden from others, and I suspect we cannot even begin to fathom some of the suffering she has endured in silence. Until now, no matter her efforts, she has been unable to escape her role as the Vile¡¯s potential vessel. My purpose here, however, is to help her sever those chains.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes seemed to land on the door before them. ¡°¡­And the only thing standing in your way is a Vile.¡±


    ¡°That, and another horde of demons, I suspect.¡±


    ¡°Do people ever tell you that you''re insane?¡±


    ¡°I believe Miss Breeden may have suggested as much on occasion when we worked together.¡±


    ¡°Kat is also crazy, so I can¡¯t blame you for ignoring her¡­¡± Allyssa paused again, frowning for a moment before turning her attention back to Scarlett. ¡°¡­I just had the absurdest of thoughts, but I have to ask. It can¡¯t be that¡­you were somehow pulling the strings behind making all of this¡ª¡± The girl gestured around them with her arms. ¡°¡ªhappen, right?¡±


    Scarlett studied her. ¡°And what leads you to pose that question?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to be paranoid when things always seem to unfold according to your plans. Add to that the fact that you know basically everything and anything about most things to a degree where I often find myself wondering if I¡¯m working for the Augur in disguise¡ªor the continent¡¯s biggest secret crime boss¡ªand, yeah¡­¡±


    Allyssa herself seemed uncertain about her words, her tone casual even as her expression carried weight. ¡°¡­Sure, I¡¯ve had this feeling that Rosa was hiding things from us for a while, and that, no matter what we did, she wouldn¡¯t let us get involved or help with whatever it was. But if it¡¯s you, I can see her going along with whatever you say, and if all of this was a way of freeing her of this Vile¡­ Well, you get where I¡¯m going. How exactly are you involved in this whole ¡®incarnate¡¯ situation?¡±


    Scarlett considered the girl for a few seconds. It seemed it was obvious even to Allyssa that, despite Rosa¡¯s typical flippant attitude around Scarlett, the bard heeded most of her words. That in itself shouldn¡¯t be surprising, but it made Scarlett once again consider Anguish¡¯s words about her manipulating Rosa.


    She lightly shook her head to dispel those thoughts. This still wasn¡¯t the time to delve into any of that. She refocused on Allyssa. ¡°To answer your question, I can assure you that I am not the architect of this ¡®incarnate situation¡¯.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Allyssa sighed in relief. ¡°Oh, thank Ittar¡ª¡±


    ¡°However, I did get involved to ensure that it unfolded now, rather than at its originally intended time.¡±


    The girl stared at her. ¡°¡­I was mostly joking earlier, but you really are insane.¡±


    ¡°Given that you have been kept mostly ignorant concerning the full scope of the underlying circumstances, I will not fault you for that remark,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°While the finer details will need to wait for another time, I can oblige you somewhat and reveal that, no matter what role I may have played in the events that brought this situation about, Anguish would have eventually attempted to manifest in this realm through her connection to Rosa. I simply guaranteed that it began at a time where Anguish was less prepared to do so. There were only two other alternatives, neither of which was ideal.¡±


    ¡°What were they?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°The first was to allow Anguish complete dominion over Rosa without any interference, meaning that when she incarnated, she would possess far more power, to the extent that it would be uncertain whether anyone on this continent could thwart her. The second option was simply to ensure there was no vessel for her to incarnate in.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean¡ª¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Killing Rosa, yes.¡±


    Allyssa fell silent, and Scarlett observed her for a moment. Although she had indeed promised to reveal more about the situation when she could, she was still surprised that she was doing it. It was as if she wanted to hear Allyssa¡¯s perspective on these matters.


    ¡°The most prudent course of action would have arguably been the latter,¡± she continued. ¡°Gambling with the lives of countless thousands merely to preserve the life of a single bard is an audacious and irresponsible decision, regardless of the motivation behind it.¡±


    Allyssa wore a complex expression. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡±


    ¡°If Rosa herself had been aware of the stakes, she would likely have concurred. In fact, she has expressed similar sentiments to me before, suggesting that I finish her off if she ever posed a threat to those around,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Yet I opted not to do so, nor did I ever reveal to her the extent of the danger she might pose were things to go awry. Why do you believe that is? Do you believe it was out of sentimentality?¡±


    Allyssa met her eyes, taking her time before responding. ¡°If I were in your shoes, it probably would have been,¡± she answered, her tone unexpectedly measured.


    ¡°But we are rather different, are we not?¡±


    The girl nodded.


    ¡°And it may not surprise you to know that I was aware of all this even before our first encounter with Rosa,¡± Scarlett added.


    ¡°Frankly, that¡¯s about what I have come to expect.¡±


    A faint smile tugged at the corner of Scarlett¡¯s lips. ¡°Then why do you think I did all of this? Why do you think I acted as I have?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Allyssa ran a hand through her hair and turned away. ¡°You know, the first thing Kat told us about you before we met was that you were a noble who did whatever she wants. Wanna guess what the second thing?¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°That you were arrogant.¡±


    A frown crept onto Scarlett¡¯s face.


    ¡°And the third thing she said was that you didn¡¯t know how to be wrong.¡±


    ¡°I am beginning to think that Miss Breeden and I will need to have a conversation when we next meet.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like she was entirely wrong, just that it had a different shade of truth than she probably meant it.¡± Allyssa twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, considering the last unlit gem on the door. ¡°But I bet that¡¯s the answer, anyway. You do as you please, define ¡®arrogant¡¯ better than any dusty dictionary Shin might cough up, and have a knack for dodging being ¡®wrong¡¯ in about any situation. In other words¡­¡± She turned back to Scarlett. ¡°You chose to help Rosa because you never saw it as a gamble. You were sure you could do it.¡±


    Now, a sharp smile fully materialized on Scarlett¡¯s lips. ¡°You are correct.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to sack me if I call you insane once more?¡±


    ¡°No, I will permit it this one last time.¡± Scarlett also looked to the door, watching for the last gem to light up. ¡°The prospect of finally confronting Anguish after having to endure her as a thorn in my side for this long has put me in a rather generous mood.¡±


    ¡°Being able to save Rosa doesn¡¯t factor into that equation?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that plays its part as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling good about things,¡± Allyssa said, sounding almost a bit pouty. ¡°I am now reconsidering every life choice I¡¯ve ever made and questioning my sanity. Shin¡¯s going to freak when he hears about this.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her. ¡°While I will allow you to share your newfound knowledge with him, I trust that you understand that I will have to insist that you otherwise keep it a secret.¡±


    The young Shielder actually pouted slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t already know I¡¯d keep quiet from the moment you started sharing all this with me¡­¡± she muttered.


    Scarlett let out a soft chuckle. Though she wasn¡¯t sure how anxious she¡¯d really been before this, she at least found that any anxiety that might have been there had mostly faded by now. It was replaced by nothing but the typical confidence that she had grown so used to during her time as Scarlett Hartford.


    As they waited for the door to unlock, more minutes slipped by before, eventually, something happened. Crimson light flickered to life inside the last gem, and the door began to move, sliding open.


    Scarlett reached for her waist, withdrawing a rectangular kerchief along with [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] from her [Pouch of Holding]. She kept the divine artifact concealed beneath the fabric, clasping the crystal ball¡¯s warm surface in her left hand. It was probably for the best if Allyssa remained unaware of its existence, and the girl likely couldn¡¯t sense its presence as Raimond and others might.


    [Mana: 21876/32063]


    ¡°I suggest you prepare yourself,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°From this point onward, we will not have much time for rest.¡±


    Allyssa adjusted the bandolier across her chest, lowered her goggles, and readied her hand crossbow with a determined face.


    This would be the final stretch.

 Chapter 202 - Expectations

    Shadows seemed to dance over the walls as the door opened before Scarlett and Allyssa, the air suddenly thickening with subtle tension as what lay beyond was revealed. A dark set of stairs led to a long corridor with a tall ceiling, with a macabre tapestry of demons looming at the top.


    As one, dozens of eyes fixed to glare on Scarlett. Some of the demons appeared as little more than grotesque amalgamations of charred flesh and jagged obsidian armor, their eyes glowing like smoldering coal. Others scuttled around like impish little minions, while molten hulks, towering three times Scarlett¡¯s size, stood like grim sentinels. Spectral tormentors of shifting shadows emitted eerie, unsettling flicking noises, creating a menacing assembly that could send shivers down even some of the most seasoned adventurers¡¯ spines.


    To most, the varied sizes and capabilities of the demons demanded a flexible and careful approach, signifying a threat that wasn¡¯t to be underestimated.


    Scarlett found that they all burned the same beneath her flames, though.


    As she mentally tallied their foes, the [Tiara of Lost Benediction] and her other equipment appeared. A cacophony of screams reverberated from the demonic throng, and as the quickest and nimblest of the demons rushed down the stairs, a swarm of Aqua Mines and fire arrows materialized in the air to face them head-on.


    The weaker demons stumbled or collapsed under the barrage, trampled by their larger kin. The shadowy demons clinging to the walls and moving like wraiths met barriers of fire that pierced their forms, halting their advance. Allyssa, at Scarlett¡¯s side, fired her crossbow and tossed out a flask that released a layer of grey muck that had proven efficient at slowing these demons before.


    It also made excellent kindling.


    Scarlett nodded in appreciation as she deftly forced the demons at the front to retreat a few steps with a couple of well-placed fires, corralling them back towards their slower counterparts. Though a few managed to bypass her barricades, demanding some of her attention to deal with them, the majority moved according to her directions. The door opening was too narrow for all of them, and the stairs tapered off towards the bottom, creating a nice bottleneck for Scarlett to use.


    Among humans, demons were notorious for their cunning and deceptiveness, but that was only because the cunning demons were the only ones who made it to the Material Realm. The ones Scarlett was facing now could best be described as the expendable trash Anguish kept around to throw into the proverbial meat grinder when necessary.


    For once, that was a role Scarlett didn¡¯t mind filling for the Vile.


    Once the majority of the demons reached the bottom of the stairs, they were amassed as a tight mob pushing ahead with snarls and growls, slowed by their fallen comrades and Allyssa¡¯s concoction.


    Scarlett¡¯s forehead knitted in concentration. Now it was time to change the strategy.


    Foregoing her Aqua Mines and other techniques, a blazing torrent of destruction burst forth, with searing red flames consuming everything on the other side of the door. The heat didn¡¯t bother Scarlett too much, thanks to her fire-resistance items, but she imagined it would be uncomfortable for Allyssa.


    The smell was also far from pleasant.


    Through the inferno, the demons¡¯ cries reached them. A few shapes attempted to push through the roaring fire, but a handful of larger fire arrows took shape above Scarlett¡¯s head and shot forward, driving them back into the brilliant maelstrom.


    She maintained this approach for a while¡ªsome of these demons were resistant even to her flames¡ªbut eventually, she let her flames subside, revealing a grisly pile of charred and smoldering corpses. Some still clung to life, their lower halves scorched to nearly nothing, and Scarlett made sure to finish them off.


    As the remaining flames died down and the pungent odor really hit them, Scarlett cast a glance at her mana with a scowl.


    [Mana: 16468/32063]


    That consumed a good portion of mana, but she still had a substantial amount left, and [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] had a decent recharge rate.


    She turned to Allyssa, finding the girl staring at her in amazement.


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s gaze shifted towards the still-warm pile of corpses. ¡°Have you been holding back until now?¡±


    Scarlett allowed a small smile to grace her lips. She had been conservative with her mana up till now, sticking mostly to her typical approach, with only the occasional total incineration of a demon here and there. Her display just now did indeed look a lot more impressive than usual. ¡°In a sense, I suppose. But this should not be a surprise to you. You have seen what I am capable of before, no?¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Yes, but I thought you were running low on mana. And I had no idea your flames could be this effective. You literally turned them all into ashes in less than a minute.¡±


    Well, the demons weren¡¯t actually all ashes. There was a good deal of scorched limbs and torsos remaining, making for a disgusting sight on its own.


    Allyssa narrowed her eyes. ¡°Some of them were practically made of stone and already on fire, yet they still burned. How does that even work?¡±


    Scarlett offered a slight shrug. ¡°Sometimes I deem it best not to ask.¡±


    Her fire seemed to outstrip theirs. She could also see all their vulnerabilities with her [Charms of Apperception], so all she had to do was poke at them for long enough, and then her true pyrokinesis did the rest. It worked wonders on anything that relied more on their sheer mass and numbers than their wits. Send any real boss up against her though, like Deacon Emberwood¡¯s remnant, and they were considerably more resistant to her attacks. Not to mention that they actually knew how to fight back at range.


    She didn¡¯t doubt that Raimond could accomplish something similar against this level of enemies. These particular demons¡¯ strength lay in their numbers. The dungeon¡¯s true threat was what was supposed to be the last boss.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Allyssa asked, pointing at the covered [Ittar¡¯s Genesis].


    Scarlett glanced down at it, then back at the girl. ¡°An artifact that I rarely get the opportunity to use,¡± she replied, turning towards the door.


    Walking forward, she paused for a moment in front of the charred demon remains, scrunching her nose at both the sight and the smell. Smothering the last flames with her pyrokinesis, she stepped forward and began to cross the corpses. The sensation was far from pleasant, and once she reached the stairs, she immediately conjured some water to clean the ash and filth off her feet, extending the same courtesy to Allyssa once the girl caught up with her wearing a grimace.


    They then ascended the stairs, ready to confront what awaited them.


    From there, their journey through the citadel mirrored their larger group¡¯s experience. They maneuvered through halls and chambers of varying size and fiendishness, housing different-sized groups of enemies in them. While some demon breeds had acute senses, that wasn¡¯t true for all of them. Moving on their own, Scarlett and Allyssa had a much easier time avoiding fights where they could. Scarlett made sure they didn¡¯t fight against anything too bothersome, and when combat was inevitable, she acted swiftly and decisively to minimize the risk of injury. Like that, it wasn''t long before they closed in on their destination.


    Finally, they arrived at a vast hallway leading to a solitary door made entirely of pitch-black darkness, appearing as though it was a void into nothingness. Scarlett anticipated that Raimond¡¯s group would have returned to where she ditched them by now, while Fynn probably wasn¡¯t far behind her and Allyssa. In fact, she had almost expected the young man to have already caught up, but there was no telling if something had delayed him.


    Regardless, Scarlett had no intention of waiting.


    Allyssa and she crossed the hallway in silence, their footsteps echoing against the walls uncannily. The latter sections had been conspicuously empty of demons, but that didn¡¯t surprise Scarlett, nor did she mind being able to conserve her mana.


    [Mana: 9341/32063]


    She had used up most of what she¡¯d had left getting to this point, but [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] was still recharging. Its rate seemed to be even faster than what she had previously noted for the artifact, which made her wonder if it had an easier time because of the abundant demonic energy in their surroundings. It made a certain kind of sense that a holy relic would have some purification aspect to it.


    ¡°Is that where Rosa is?¡± Allyssa asked as their steps ground to a halt before the looming barrier of darkness before them. From this close, one could see that the door was made of stone, yet looking at it felt like staring into emptiness itself.


    Scarlett nodded, contemplating the door and what lay beyond. ¡°Yes.¡±


    As often happened when she faced the climax of one of her grander plans, a sense of excitement welled up within her, mixing with thoughts of anger towards Anguish and the Vile¡¯s manipulative role, a sprinkle of apprehension about what might unfold from hereon and the elements outside her control, and an unshakable self-assuredness that might be too confident for the circumstances.


    Allyssa took a deep breath beside her, adopting a resolute expression. ¡°And there¡¯s really a Vile inside as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, although Anguish is currently weakened and trapped within a human vessel. She has yet to fully incarnate into Rosa, so she should be bound and mostly incapable of acting directly against us.¡±


    ¡°Is Rosa responsible for that?¡±


    ¡°No, Malachi is.¡±


    ¡°Malachi?¡± A tinge of surprise entered Allyssa¡¯s voice. ¡°Wait, who¡¯s that? Are there more people involved in this?¡±


    Scarlett shot her a brief look. ¡°There are, yes. As for who Malachi is, that is a matter best left for another time.¡± Her attention shifted forward. ¡°It should suffice for you to know that she is neither our foe nor ally, but she could very well become either.¡±


    ¡°Right, great¡­ And we¡¯re really going to tackle this alone? I realize it might be a bit late to ask that now, and I¡¯ve kinda just been riding along until now because of what I am starting to think is my own lunacy, but I wouldn¡¯t mind one last confirmation that you¡¯ve got all of this under control.¡±


    Scarlett remained silent for a few seconds. ¡°¡­It will likely be fine, but I will not lie. Some of the confidence you have witnessed may stem from my own arrogance. Nevertheless, you can trust me to navigate the situation. I will inform you if there is any action required on your part.¡±


    If they were lucky, they wouldn¡¯t even have to fight the boss. If they were unlucky, things would get complicated.


    ¡°Now, let us not waste any more time.¡± Scarlett extended her arm, preparing to place her palm on the dark surface of the door, when it suddenly began to move on its own accord. It swung open gradually, like a waking giant, revealing the chamber beyond. A voice, familiar yet discordant, accompanied the unveiling.


    ¡°And look who has decided to grace us with her presence. If it isn¡¯t the star of the show. Welcome, Baroness. We¡¯ve been expecting you so~¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s blood simmered at those words. Her gaze landed on the figure seated on a throne at the far end of the chamber, wearing Rosa¡¯s guise.


    Anguish.

 Chapter 203 - The citadels heart

    Scarlett¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the elevated platform across the chamber, where Rosa sat upon a hideous throne. Before the non-regal seat, perched on a short pedestal, was the heart of the Abyssal Vilewyrm, pulsating with a sinister energy.


    Even at this distance, Anguish¡¯s vicious grin was unmistakable, the Vile clearly enjoying the situation. Rosa¡¯s eyes bore a profound darkness within them, seeming to peer into one¡¯s very being.


    Among the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions within Scarlett, a chilling rage surged to the forefront.


    That was just the expression she had expected from the demon upon their reunion. There had been some flicker of hope that Rosa would be the one in control once they arrived, but Scarlett knew there had been no guarantee.


    ¡°Oh, spare me the glare, Red~¡± the Vile taunted, her voice somehow resonating across the chamber like a haunting melody. The words and cadence mimicked those that Rosa often used, yet Anguish managed to twist and turn them in a way that made Scarlett¡¯s hair stand. ¡°Our earlier heart-to-heart notwithstanding, this is the first time we meet face-to-face for some time. What do you think about my soon-to-be vessel? Rather fetching, isn¡¯t it? And it comes with such an endearing little persona. I know you certainly didn¡¯t keep her around for nothing.¡±


    Anguish seemed anchored to the throne she was on, but that didn¡¯t stop her from moving her shoulders and head as if showing off Rosa, the bard¡¯s wavy brown hair falling to partially cover her face.


    A sardonic giggle escaped Anguish, this time feeling as if it truly could have come from Rosa, as the demon nonchalantly blew away the stray locks. ¡°It¡¯s always a delight to assume corporeal form like this. I¡¯ll have to remember to express my gratitude to Rosa dear for lending it to me.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­is that it?¡± Allyssa whispered beside Scarlett. ¡°The Vile?¡± She wore a disconcerted expression as she stared at Rosa.


    ¡°It is,¡± Scarlett replied, stepping deeper into the expansive boss room while striving to maintain her calm and surveying the surroundings. The oppressive aura here was tenfold more suffocating than outside, and the dark walls and seemingly non-existent ceiling cast an ominous ambiance over the space.


    At the chamber¡¯s epicenter, drawn onto the floor that had veins of molten rock crisscrossing through it, lay a sigil that occupied at least half of the room. Within it stood a woman with disorderly silvery hair, draped in dark robes, her uncannily green eyes fixated on Scarlett and exuding an intensity that would make most anyone feel uneasy.


    Malachi.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze dropped to the floor beside the woman, where various objects were scattered around key points on the sigil. Most conspicuous among them was a black orb, its core pulsating with swirling colors, intermittently channeling energy into the ground and the crimson veins threading throughout the room.


    The [Astral Soulstone] was on the verge of being completed. It seemed as if the ritual had progressed significantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are being rather rude, Red?¡± Anguish¡¯s voice sounded out. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce yourself, or shall I do the honors?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention snapped back to the Vile. ¡°Cease with the farce, Anguish. And do not address me so casually.¡±


    The demon simply laughed, leaning forward with Rosa¡¯s body as far as her movement allowed her. ¡°I¡¯m hurt. Is Rosalina the only one permitted to address you thus? And after we had been in a partnership for so long. Ah, but who am I to question you? You are the one who calls the shots, after all.¡±


    ¡°There has never been a partnership between us, and I suggest you stop testing my patience. You are swiftly dispelling any doubts I may have harbored about ridding this realm of your presence.¡± Scarlett stopped just shy of the sigil¡¯s edge, redirecting her focus back to Malachi, who continued scrutinizing her closely without speaking.


    ¡°Always so grave and serious. I suppose that¡¯s one of the qualities I like about you,¡± Anguish said, reclining against the throne, its back crafted from the deformed bone of some demonic creature encased within black stone. ¡°But I believe we are digressing. Our inquisitive fiendling acquaintance here seems quite intrigued by you and your companion, Baroness. I¡¯ve already informed her about you, but for some reason, she seemed to doubt my sincerity. I do so wonder why.¡±


    Scarlett locked eyes with Malachi for a moment, peering into the woman¡¯s harsh, unwavering gaze.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce¡ª¡± she began.


    ¡°You¡¯re that girl¡¯s accomplice,¡± Malachi interrupted, her words laced with a venomous threat. ¡°You were the one who sent her to find me.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I do believe she has seen you through, Baroness,¡± Anguish remarked. ¡°But ¡®accomplice¡¯ feels too tame a descriptor. I would say ¡®puppet master¡¯ is a much better fit.¡±


    Ignoring the Vile, Scarlett maintained her focus on Malachi. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly what fabrications or manipulations Anguish might have attempted, but it was clear that the demon¡¯s intent would be to pit them against each other.


    ¡°It is true that I played a part in Miss Hale¡¯s quest to locate you,¡± she began. ¡°However, I trust that you are shrewd enough not to trust a Vile¡¯s words regarding my character.¡±


    She stole a glance over her shoulder at Allyssa, who stood a short distance behind her, crossbow in one hand and a vial of a gleaming silver liquid clasped in her other. The girl wore an anxious expression but seemed ready to act, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. That was good.


    ¡°Rosa claimed she was sent here by a member of the Talonborn Circle,¡± Malachi said, distrust unmistakable in her raspy voice. ¡°It appears I was lied to.¡±


    Scarlett turned back to her. ¡°Miss Hale¡¯s statement was no lie. The circumstances surrounding my involvement were rather convoluted, forcing me to act in a very circumlocutory manner due to constraints imposed by a pact of non-interference with Anguish. However, rest assured that my objective and yours do not clash directly.¡±


    Malachi¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d only asked, I could have revealed that ages ago,¡± Anguish announced.


    Malachi¡¯s head snapped towards the demon, and with a quick gesture, a wave of viridescent energy streaked across the room and struck Anguish. ¡°Silence.¡±


    The Vile¡¯s head momentarily slumped, yet her laughter persisted resonating through the room. ¡°Someone¡¯s growing tense. I wonder how long that little trick of yours will continue working.¡±


    As those words rang out, the air around Anguish seemed to shift, somehow lessening. Moments later, she raised her head slowly, her expression suddenly weary and spent. ¡°Cripes and buggerations, that feels dreadful,¡± she spoke sluggishly. ¡°You¡¯d think one¡¯d get used to having your mind pinioned into a jar and your body played with like a marionette, but apparently not.¡±


    Rosa.


    ¡°Rosa!¡± Allyssa exclaimed from behind Scarlett.


    The bard managed a feeble smile as she sat limply on Anguish¡¯s throne. ¡°Great seeing you as well, Allyssa. Wished the circumstances could have been a bit better, but I didn¡¯t have much time to prepare for guests.¡±


    ¡°Rosa,¡± Scarlett said evenly, focusing on the woman.


    Rosa directed her smile at Scarlett. ¡°Hiya, Red. Aren¡¯t you a sight for sore eyes, always looking stylish with that tiara of yours? Guess that means there¡¯s an army of toasted demons trailing the halls here. Call me peckish, though, but I¡¯m not quite sure I like the ¡®gift¡¯ you arranged for me this time. I¡¯ll be lodging a complaint to the higher-ups.¡±


    ¡°I am your sole superior.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you have it. Consider my complaint lodged.¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet for a few seconds, observing the worn-out woman. When Anguish had been in control, the demon had exuded menace and power, but now, Rosa looked like she hadn¡¯t slept for days. Scarlett had no doubt the woman had endured considerable suffering under Anguish¡¯s influence. ¡°¡­I will take it into consideration.¡±


    ¡°You have been deceiving me, Rosa,¡± Malachi stated. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    Rosa slowly shifted her gaze to the intense-looking woman. ¡°In my defense, you weren¡¯t much better. I still can¡¯t recall ever signing up for being bound to a cursed throne while we summon a demon to raze half the continent. Besides, technically, I never lied. I just danced around the truth a little. A truth I wasn¡¯t entirely sure of myself, by the way.¡±


    Malachi did not seem convinced or amused by the bard¡¯s response, redirecting her attention to Scarlett. ¡°You are a noble of the empire and the girl¡¯s benefactor, I presume. I have banished Anguish for the time being, so speak. What is your purpose here? Why have you interfered with my plans?¡±


    ¡°I suppose I shall properly introduce myself this time,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, and for the past six months, I have been Miss Hale¡¯s employer. As for ¡®interfering with your plans¡¯, I would say that is not an entirely accurate description of my actions. I merely moved to expedite your plans somewhat and to alleviate the burden placed on my retainer.¡±


    ¡°Expedite¡­¡± Malachi studied her closely, a hint of recognition showing on her face. ¡°You were the one who slew the Vilewyrm.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°¡­So not only is your grasp of demons and their lore impressive, having even struck a pact with a Vile, but you also boast an acute awareness of me and my plans, it seems. Yet, your name has never reached my ears. And that relic concealed within your grasp¡­¡± The woman¡¯s eyes traced down to Scarlett¡¯s hand, where [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] was hidden beneath a piece of fabric. She then shifted her gaze to the sigil at her feet, contemplating the Astral Soulstone at its center. Finally, she returned her attention to Scarlett. ¡°You are no mere baroness. Are you affiliated with the Followers of Ittar? Or¡­with her?¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. She suspected she knew who Malachi was referring to. From the woman¡¯s perspective, only one person should be aware of her plans, and thus, it was reasonable to come to the conclusion that Scarlett was connected to her in some fashion.


    ¡°I assume you are referring to Mistress?¡±


    At that, Malachi¡¯s eyes seemed to glow in an even more intense shade of green.


    ¡°I do have some involvement with her, yes,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°It is not surprising that you are unaware of who I am, however. I have only recently become active since, as you well know, it can be advantageous to remain beneath the notice of influential individuals.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, what is your purpose here?¡± Malachi asked bluntly.


    Scarlett¡¯s mouth drew into a line, suppressing the slight wave of irritation that sprang forth at the woman¡¯s disrespect. It was made slightly harder than usual due to her lingering anger directed towards Anguish.


    ¡°¡­It is quite simple,¡± she replied after a moment. ¡°I am here to ensure that Miss Hale emerges from these events largely unscathed and liberated from the clutches of a Vile. As I mentioned, my goal does not directly oppose yours.¡±


    Malachi frowned. ¡°All of this, just for that?¡±


    ¡°That would depend. What do you mean by ¡®all of this¡¯?¡±


    Suspicion lingered in the woman¡¯s gaze for several seconds before she motioned towards Rosa, seemingly choosing not to answer the question. ¡°As you can see, the girl is fine. Anguish is trapped within her, and everything is proceeding as planned.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at Rosa¡¯s worn appearance, questioning Malachi¡¯s definition of ¡®fine¡¯.


    ¡°I take issue with that statement,¡± Rosa interjected, lifting a single finger from the armrest her hands were stuck to. ¡°Though I doubt anyone¡¯ll bother doing something about it.¡±


    Scarlett considered the bard briefly before turning back to Malachi. She wasn¡¯t going to argue the point with Malachi. She had known from the outset the predicament this plan would place Rosa in, but it was a necessary sacrifice.


    Malachi studied Scarlett. ¡°¡­If that¡¯s all you came to do, then I suggest you take your leave. Your presence is not needed, and the girl can come find you once we¡¯ve finished.¡±


    She clearly doubted Scarlett¡¯s words, and perhaps with good reason. It was strange that Scarlett was here, holy relic in hand, after ostensibly having fought her way through the entire citadel. Not to mention how suspicious Scarlett¡¯s apparent knowledge and motives were.


    If only it had been so simple that Scarlett could leave things at that.


    ¡°Before you ask that I leave, there is something I must say,¡± she said.


    Malachi remained silent, watching her closely.


    ¡°I am aware of your purpose here, and I do not care if you displace Anguish from her seat. She is my enemy, so that would only work in my favor and simplify matters greatly for me in the future. However, with that said, I feel compelled to issue a warning.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    Scarlett considered Malachi for a bit, then gestured towards the sigil drawn on the floor and the orb that served as its centerpiece. ¡°The Astral Soulstone cannot be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Rosa¡¯s cry pierced the air, and from the corner of Scarlett¡¯s eye, something emerged from the shadows. She barely had enough time to react as a four-legged demon leaped at her, drool dripping from its maw. A sharp pain sprang up from her right arm where its fangs tore through her clothes and the magical defense provided by [Sidhe¡¯s Flowing Garbs].


    Just in time, she activated the teleportation ability of her [Garments of Form], dissipating into a thin mist and reappearing a short distance behind where she had been.


    Without hesitation, she unleashed a barrage of attacks, assaulting the demon as it landed a bit to the left of her original position. Dozens of tiny Aqua Mines and fires slammed into it, and only a moment later she summoned forth even more of her magic to target another demon that appeared and set its sights on Allyssa.


    Both demons emitted pained howls as Scarlett¡¯s attacks pierced their defences, their growls silenced as they recoiled and retreated momentarily. Allyssa stumbled back to stand next to Scarlett, having hurled the vial she¡¯d held and coated one of the demons with the silvery liquid inside which clung to its body and seared its skin.


    ¡°Malachi, stop!¡± Rosa shouted from her perch on the throne.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes darted around the chamber for any other lurking demons poised for an attack, but it was almost impossible to make out any movement against the pitch-black walls.


    ¡°Stop this, Malachi,¡± she demanded, narrowing her eyes again at the two demons that seemed ready for another assault despite their injuries. ¡°Heed my words before you make a mistake you cannot afford. There is a crucial aspect about the Soulstone that you must know about.¡±


    Malachi raised a bony finger, thrusting it menacingly towards Scarlett. More growls echoed from the shadows around the chamber. ¡°There is no reason for me to heed anything you have to say. I don¡¯t care about any connection you might have to Mistress. She is not my master, and your presence only appears as a threat to my aims.¡±


    ¡°Malachi, if you don¡¯t stop, I won¡¯t help with the ritual!¡± Rosa¡¯s voice held a hint of urgency now.


    ¡°At this juncture, your willing assistance is no longer necessary, girl.¡±


    ¡°It is! You¡¯re underestimating Anguish¡¯s influence! Trust me, she still has more power here than you think!¡±


    ¡°She is not wrong,¡± Scarlett said, maintaining an unwavering gaze on both Malachi and her demons. ¡°Anguish may still pose a threat to your plans, something neither of us desires. Furthermore, there is another danger that you remain oblivious to and that may prove an obstacle to your goals.¡± Her tone hardened. ¡°At this stage, surely you do not presume to be in complete control of the situation. My presence here attests to the contrary. You should be aware enough of the current circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Listen to her, Malachi,¡± Rosa implored, though she was clearly straining herself to keep yelling.


    Scarlett raised a hand, gesturing to the bard. ¡°Allow me to handle this.¡±


    A flicker of anger flashed in Malachi¡¯s eyes, but the woman actually paused, as though genuinely weighing the significance of Scarlett¡¯s words. The demonic growls throughout the room subsided, and the two injured demons in front of Scarlett refrained from attacking.


    After several seconds of contemplation, Malachi waved her hand and ordered the demons back. They seemed unwilling to obey at first, but then the woman must have worked her magic in some way as both suddenly whimpered and slowly began retreating to the corners of the chamber, vanishing into the shadows. Malachi then fixed her gaze on Scarlett. ¡°Speak.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t let her guard down, retrieving a healing potion to tend to the wound she¡¯d sustained. It wasn¡¯t severe, but it still hurt. She didn¡¯t let the pain show on her face, though. ¡°You are every bit as cautious as I had heard, Malachi. I see you will not make this easy for either of us.¡± Once she¡¯d addressed her injury, she continued. ¡°What I was about to say, before your interruption, concerns something you are ignorant of regarding the Astral Soulstone¡¯s role in this ritual.¡±


    She pointed to the artifact that served as the power source for all of this. The [Astral Soulstone], alongside Rosa herself and the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s heart, formed the components required to manifest a part of the Blazes within the Material Realm. The artifact wielded enough power to bring about this phenomenon as well as suppress Anguish¡¯s presence inside Rosa, which placed it on a comparable level to the core of an ancient dragon. You were unlikely to find any more potent power sources in this world.


    The fact that Malachi just so happened to possess it wasn¡¯t a mere coincidence.


    ¡°There is nothing about this ritual that I do not know,¡± Malachi said. ¡°I have dedicated years to studying the Soulstone for this precise purpose. It will work according to my will.¡±


    ¡°I am not saying you are not familiar with its workings, but consider who bestowed it upon you.¡±


    The woman¡¯s brow furrowed, as if trying to decipher what Scarlett was getting at.


    ¡°If you are as well acquainted with that person as I am,¡± Scarlett continued, ¡°you would know that she does not act without reason. Few individuals are as calculating as Mistress.¡±


    ¡°You think me a fool?¡± Malachi asked. ¡°I have inspected the Soulstone thoroughly for that very reason. As I said, it will obey my will.¡±


    ¡°And your desire is to seize the authority of a Vile,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I do not dispute that the Soulstone can help achieve this. However, I am here to caution you that there is more to it. While I am certain there are few as knowledgeable in matters of demonology as you, the Soulstone is a Zuverian artifact. Even if you had spent a decade studying it, I can assure you that your understanding of the artifact would not come close to Mistress¡¯s comprehension of it. And while she may have a motive to aid you in our endeavour, I believe it is more likely her true interest lies in what happens after you have deposed Anguish.¡±


    Malachi stared at her. ¡°¡­Explain.¡±


    Good. She was listening, at least. Of the various scenarios this encounter could play out in, the simplest one definitely included Malachi cooperating.


    ¡°When Mistress originally handed you the Soulstone, what did she claim as a reason?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°That is none of your concern,¡± Malachi replied, features tense.


    ¡°I disagree, but very well. I can speculate. Perhaps she insinuated something similar to finding it rather entertaining to see if your efforts would succeed or not, no? How convenient it would be if one of the Viles were to disappear? After all, it is no secret that Mistress is no friend of the Blazes¡¯ rulers.¡±


    Even if the woman frequently dealt with demons and their kind, including Viles on occasion, Mistress was far from being their ally. Malachi harbored a cold disdain for demons in her own way, but it couldn¡¯t be compared to the deep-seated grudge Mistress held, even if it was hidden well. Malachi¡¯s fixation on replacing a Vile couldn¡¯t hold a candle to what Mistress would do to achieve her goals.


    ¡°¡­Mistress would not have revealed that to you,¡± Malachi said, though her expression betrayed signs of uncertainty.


    ¡°She would not, no.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°But my familiarity with her allows me to infer as much. That is also why, much as I suspect you do, I know to question her words. Unlike you, however, I do not need to spend years scrutinizing the Soulstone for potential traps to convince myself of their absence. I already understand precisely what her intentions were in this situation.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be out of character for Mistress to assist Malachi merely for the chance to mess with one of the Viles. In fact, had that been the woman¡¯s only option, she probably would have done exactly that. But that¡¯s not how the events played out in the game.


    ¡°You are beating around the point,¡± Malachi said.


    Scarlett gave a slight nod. ¡°True. I wanted to provide enough context for you to grasp the gravity of my words.¡±


    ¡°And you have succeeded in wearing down my patience. Speak your piece.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall.¡± Scarlett once more gestured towards the Astral Soulstone. ¡°In short, Mistress has tampered with the Soulstone. It will still help you accomplish your goal to supplant Anguish and usurp her Authority, as well as free Miss Hale from Anguish¡¯s influence. However, once you have assumed that Authority, it will overwhelm you. The Soulstone will drive you into insanity and cause the power to run rampant. With a new Vile at the helm but lacking control, the Blaze of Anguish will become unstable and may very well collapse, with what remains of it subsumed into the other Blazes. When Mistress learned of your goals, she recognized the opportunity to eradicate one of the Blazes from this world, and she did not hesitate to seize it.¡±


    In the game, the last boss of Anguish¡¯s citadel hadn¡¯t been Anguish or even Rosa. It had been Malachi after she completed the ritual and began absorbing the powers of a Vile, losing herself and going berserk.


    Malachi''s intense gaze was locked on Scarlett, the threat in her eyes unmistakable. Scarlett braced herself for another fight, prepared for any demonic assaults, but the woman didn¡¯t move, remaining eerily still for several tense seconds.


    While Malachi was likely familiar with Mistress and had collaborated with her on multiple occasions, Scarlett doubted she truly grasped Mistress¡¯s genuine motivations. Few people did. To Malachi, Mistress held a grudge against the Viles and that might have been reason enough to participate in a scheme like this. But Scarlett didn¡¯t think Malachi could easily dismiss her words.


    There was one issue, though. After all, if the [Astral Soulstone] wouldn¡¯t work as Malachi wanted, Scarlett was basically saying that Malachi¡¯s goal was unattainable.


    When the woman did not respond for a while, Scarlett spoke again.


    ¡°I understand why my words might be unpleasant to you. However, fortunately for you, I am willing to offer an alternative.¡±

 Chapter 204 - Heart to heart

    ¡°An alternative?¡± Malachi said slowly, sounding skeptical.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°An alternative. A trade of sorts, you might say.¡±


    The woman¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°For the Astral Soulstone, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How convenient. For you.¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, in fact.¡±


    There were various conclusions for this questline, depending on the player¡¯s choices in the game, and Scarlett had invested substantial time trying to figure out the optimal outcome ¡ª one that would benefit Rosa the most.


    Considering that Anguish could never truly be killed, a part of the Vile would persist within the bard regardless of how things ended up. But that wasn¡¯t necessarily bad. Rather, it presented an opportunity, if handled correctly. The best way Scarlett knew of ensuring it did was by using the Astral Soulstone, which the player could obtain from Malachi after defeating her final boss form. However, that would present a challenge for Scarlett¡¯s party, which is why she had been exploring alternatives.


    The one she had come up with and chosen to pursue wasn¡¯t an option in the game, but she was reasonably confident it could work. It demanded some sacrifice on her part, but she believed it would be worth it in the end.


    Lifting her left hand, Scarlett presented the still-concealed [Ittar¡¯s Genesis]. ¡°You may not recognize what this is, but no doubt you can sense the power it contains. If you integrate this relic into the ritual, having it serve as the core instead, it is possible to circumvent the undesirable side effects that the Soulstone would bring. It might not be the optimal solution, but it is preferable to losing control of your faculties, no?¡±


    [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] was undeniably a powerful item. But even then, it could only hold a charge of 20000 mana, which, while impressive, was nowhere near enough for a task of this magnitude. It paled in comparison to what the Astral Soulstone or an ancient dragon¡¯s core could provide as a font of pure energy.


    That said, [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] was a divine artifact, touched by the power of a literal god, and it seemed to even have the power to convert demonic energy. Even if it wasn¡¯t on the same level as the Soulstone as a power source, the potential of such a high-grade artifact was a quality unto itself. While Scarlett doubted it was the best solution, she still thought it could work. When Warley Godwin had been working on the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] at her mansion, she¡¯d taken the opportunity to learn more about this type of magic, preparing for a situation like this.


    Naturally, she wasn¡¯t thrilled at the notion of giving up one of her most powerful assets, but the trade-off wasn¡¯t what mattered. Ensuring Rosa had access to the Soulstone took precedence, and Scarlett had other ways of dealing with her mana issues in the future, some involving Arlene.


    Besides, [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] had been a double-edged sword since it originally belonged to the Followers.


    Malachi seemed to consider her words for a while, glancing down at the concealed crystal sphere in Scarlett¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­That is assuming your claims are correct.¡±


    ¡°True. There is a possibility that I am lying, but have I stated anything thus far that has been unreasonable? Were you to ignore my words, you would be gambling on your ability to detect a trap set by Mistress, and the odds are not in your favor in such an equation. I would also like to note that, while only Miss Astrey and I are present now, our group extends beyond the two of us. If my sole objective goal was to obtain the Soulstone, I would have sought to simply take it from you by force.¡±


    Taking on Malachi¡¯s boss form with Raimond and the others present might actually be possible, but that situation was a powder keg waiting to explode. This current solution presented fewer risks in terms of outside involvement. Not to mention that Scarlett was curious about the outcome if Malachi succeeded in carrying out her plan. Establishing a relationship with the potential new ruler of one of the Blazes without resorting to unspeakable acts of evil could prove beneficial in the future.


    ¡°So, what do you say?¡± Scarlett asked, watching Malachi.


    After a prolonged silence, the woman finally answered. ¡°Fine.¡±


    With a snap of her fingers, another demon trudged forth from the shadows, crossing the chamber. Scarlett noted Allyssa¡¯s subtle movements next to her as the Shielder reached for the flasks on her bandolier, but the demon didn¡¯t look poised to attack.


    That wasn¡¯t to say it didn¡¯t look threatening. The four-legged creature stopped in front of Scarlett, salivating as its hungry, expectant gaze fixed on her.


    Scarlett raised a brow, but then she tied the handkerchief in her left hand around [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] and placed it on the ground. The demon started dragging it towards Malachi, crossing the crimson sigil lines drawn on the floor in what looked like blood.


    [Mana: 5157/12063]


    Scarlett had made sure to transfer some of the mana from the artifact to her [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] so that she wasn¡¯t entirely defenseless if Malachi tried something.


    A slight gust of wind brushed against her legs, and suddenly the demon paused, spinning around to glare towards the entrance behind Scarlett. It growled ¡ª a noise which was soon joined by all the other demons hiding in the shadows around the chamber.


    A slight smile touched Scarlett¡¯s lips. A moment later, a powerful wind blew through the chamber as Fynn came to a stop beside her, ready to fight.


    Scarlett raised her hand before things came to a blow.


    ¡°Hold, Fynn. These are not our enemies.¡±


    The white-haired young man held an intense gaze as he surveyed the place, his eyes darting towards the corners of the room.


    ¡°I expected you to arrive earlier,¡± Scarlett said, throwing him a brief glance. ¡°Did something slow you down?¡±


    He stayed silent for a few moments before turning to her, nodding. ¡°I encountered several strong demons that tried to block my way while going back. They were annoying to get past.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved to Rosa, sitting on the throne at the far end of the chamber. Was that Anguish trying to screw her over? If so, the Vile had underestimated Fynn¡¯s abilities. She turned her attention back to Fynn. ¡°And what of the others?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see them, but I think they circled back to the intersection where we split up before me. They might have taken have lost their way after that, though.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. Fynn was both faster and would have had an easier time tracking her and Allyssa down than the others. It seemed odd that Raimond¡¯s group might have outpaced Fynn in reaching the first chamber, but that could also have been because of Anguish¡¯s influence.


    At least this suggested there was still some time until the others would catch up.


    Malachi, seemingly reassured that Fynn¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t herald an immediate confrontation, ordered her demons to quiet and had [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] delivered to her.


    ¡°It might be wise to continue masking its appearance,¡± Scarlett suggested, keeping Allyssa¡¯s presence in mind. Some things were best left a secret to the end.


    Malachi gave her a brief look, holding the artifact before kneeling at the sigil¡¯s center. She placed [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] next to the Astral Soulstone, using her nail to tear holes in its fabric. Green light radiated from her hands, seeping through the holes and into the divine artifact.


    There was not an ounce of hesitation about what she needed to do, it seemed.


    ¡°How long will the preparations take?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°The Soulstone will still serve as the catalyst for the ritual, and that is nearly ready,¡± the silver-haired woman answered, her attention locked on her work. ¡°I merely need to ensure that this¡­new artifact acts as the new locus. It should not take long.¡±


    ¡°I see. I imagine working with such an artifact is not a challenge for you, given your previous occupation.¡±


    At that, Malachi paused, her piercing eyes moved towards Scarlett for a fleeting moment before returning to her work.


    While waiting, Scarlett¡¯s attention shifted to Rosa, who seemed to grow more and more tired while stuck on the throne. She wanted to exchange a few words with the woman, but that could wait until this situation had been dealt with.


    The silence in the chamber was thick and tense as the minutes passed, broken only by the faint hum emanating from Malachi¡¯s work. Scarlett began to wonder how much more time they would have had left to reach this chamber before it was too late. It was probably good that they had split up with Raimond like they did.


    Next to her, Allyssa was fidgeting nervously with her bandolier and the goggles on her forehead, while Fynn maintained his usual stoic demeanor, keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings. No demons would be catching them by surprise.


    At one point, Scarlett asked the young man to attempt closing the chamber door, in case Raimond and the others did catch up, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t budge.


    That was when Scarlett noticed a subtle shift in the presence near the throne, turning her head in that direction. The atmosphere around Rosa changed, and a chilling grin appeared on Rosa¡¯s face.


    Malachi had regained control.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves,¡± she warned the others.


    ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Anguish¡¯s voice carried across the chamber, dripping with scorn. ¡°I had hoped you would tear each other apart while I was away, providing me with a nice view upon my return. But I suppose that was too much to ask, especially when our dear Baroness is involved. I did anticipate more resistance from the half-blood, however. She was far too easily persuaded. This is why diplomacy is always so droll.¡±


    An almost overwhelming pressure descended upon all of them, compressing the very air they breathed. For a moment, it seemed as if Anguish herself had truly descended on the throne, her presence filling the chamber.


    Scarlett gritted her teeth as she braced against the pressure, glancing over at Malachi, who glared at Anguish with a mixture of disbelief and rage. For all the woman¡¯s experience with demons, she clearly had underestimated how much power Anguish still held within the citadel.


    Although Malachi had been the final boss in the game version of this dungeon, that didn¡¯t mean Anguish just sat idly by and did nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to teach the two of you a lesson in humility,¡± Anguish said. ¡°We can¡¯t have you misbehaving; proper decorum is expected from guests, after all. I am quite certain you will become more cooperative once those fleshy vessels you call bodies have been softened up some. Especially you, Baroness.¡±


    A pitch-black portal materialized before the Vile¡¯s throne as the space there trembled, and the air in the chamber crackled as two towering figures stepped through the darkness.


    One was a monstrosity that stood several meters tall, draped in tattered, smoldering robes that concealed its true form. Its eye socket blazed with pernicious crimson flames, casting an eerie glow over its concealed visage, and bones protruded from beneath its robes, revealing hints of charred, decaying flesh.


    The other figure was a serpentine behemoth with scales as dark as the abyss, blending in seamlessly with the chamber¡¯s tenebrous backdrop. Its eyes, however, gleamed with a sinister intelligence, emanating an almost palpable sense of the torment it sought to inflict upon everyone before it.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce two of my oldest playthings,¡± Anguish declared. ¡°Do be careful not to rile them up too much. They tend to be oh so testy.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the two new arrivals. The [Infernal Marrowgeist] and [Serpent of Shadows]. They were the partial manifestations of archdemons and they served as Anguish¡¯s personal guards.


    Scarlett had been anticipating their arrival. In fact, she had counted on their and Anguish¡¯s assistance to handle Malachi in case the woman proved uncooperative and too much to handle. While Anguish may have claimed to seek a fight to the death between Scarlett and Malachi, the Vile would probably have prioritized getting rid of Malachi to protect herself.


    All at once, Malachi¡¯s demons emerged from the shadows, over a dozen of the savage creatures howling as they charged towards the two archdemons. The Infernal Marrowgeist extended long, wicked bone claws from beneath its robes, wicked weapons that seemed to scorch the very air as it slashed out. Meanwhile, the Serpent of Shadows melded into the darkness, vanishing from sight.


    Suddenly, Fynn moved away from Scarlett and dashed for the rightmost wall of the chamber. Ethereal claws formed above his hands as he leaped into the air, swinging the claws at seemingly empty space, revealing the Serpent¡¯s form. The archdemon¡¯s inky scales proved impervious to his attack, however. With a flick of its tail, Fynn was sent hurtling across the room, only narrowly catching himself as his claws gouged into the floor.


    Some of Malachi¡¯s demons seized the opportunity to attack the serpent, sinking their teeth into its shadowy body, but they also struggled to pierce its defense.


    ¡°Exercise caution and stay towards the rear,¡± Scarlett told Allyssa, who had already begun checking through her bandolier to find suitable concoctions to aid in the situation. The Shielder was probably using up the last of her reserves at this point.


    Scarlett turned her attention to Malachi, kneeling at the center of the chamber. ¡°How much longer do you need?¡±


    The woman scowled, glaring at the archdemons. Perhaps she was trying to figure out how Anguish summoned two archdemons while her powers were restricted. For once, Scarlett lacked the answer herself. All she knew was that Anguish had done the same in the game.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± she said after not receiving a reply.


    Finally, the woman tore her gaze away from the archdemons and focused on Scarlett. ¡°¡­Not long, but I must reach the girl and the Vilewyrm heart.¡±


    ¡°I will handle that,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Have you completed the work with the Soulstone? I need it.¡±


    Malachi¡¯s emerald green eyes narrowed for a moment, shifting between Scarlett and Rosa. ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    She ran a nail over the Soulstone¡¯s surface, causing the black orb to shimmer with colors, and a pulse of energy surged from it into the crimson veins spread throughout the chamber floor. Malachi then cut her wrist with the same nail, completely unfazed, and allowed the dark red blood to drip onto the Soulstone, where it was instantly absorbed.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she declared, voice devoid of emotions.


    With a thought, a mist enveloped Scarlett, transporting her next to Malachi. She picked up the Soulstone, its weight surprising her slightly, and she paused for a moment as distant whispers brushed against her mind.


    Dismissing those for now, she turned her attention back to the two archdemons. The Infernal Marrowgeist was now engaged with half a dozen of Malachi¡¯s demons, its bone claws tearing through their ranks. The Serpent of Shadows, meanwhile, clearly wanted to reach Scarlett, but it was repeatedly assaulted by Fynn, who was relying heavily on his wind magic to close the distance whenever it disappeared and reappeared among the shadows.


    Not that he was beating the archdemon. Fynn¡¯s wounds were becoming more severe with each passing moment, his white hair and clothes stained with blood. Without Rosa or Raimond¡¯s healing, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for much longer, but at least he was keeping the Serpent occupied along with some of Malachi¡¯s demons. Allyssa had also begun tossing flasks that erupted into small bursts of light, leaving glowing pools of liquid in their wake that reduced the shadows the archdemon could use.


    Scarlett began advancing towards Rosa, employing her own magic strategically to aid in the battle where she could. Her hydrokinesis worked to suppress some of the flames that the Infernal Marrowgeist was invoking, though tackling it with her pyrokinesis proved more challenging.


    After realising that, she shifted more of her attention to the Serpent of Shadows in order to lessen Fynn¡¯s burden. Malachi¡¯s demons weren¡¯t anywhere as powerful as the Marrowgeist, but they were tenacious and numerous, and their fate didn¡¯t concern Scarlett. The same didn¡¯t apply to Fynn.


    As several of her fire arrows and Aqua Mines struck the Serpent, its attention briefly turned to her. Rearing back, it revealed a maw blistering with surging power, reminiscent of the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s breath attack. Instead of unleashing a billowing abyss of darkness, however, it released dozens of tiny shadowy slithers that darted across the chamber and crawled around like mini-serpents.


    There were too many for Fynn and Malachi¡¯s demons to handle, so Scarlett had to pick up where they couldn¡¯t. Aiming to eliminate the smaller serpents, she found pretty quickly that they were agile, trying to avoid her attacks as they targeted the sigil drawn on the floor.


    She frowned. Were they trying to disrupt it?


    Drawing deeper from her mana reserves, Scarlett conjured a new barrage of Aqua Mines, which produced tiny explosions that resonated throughout the chamber.


    The serpents were quick and many, but they could not outpace the full brunt of her assault. She managed to eliminate them without entirely depleting her remaining mana, but unfortunately, that had left Fynn bearing the brunt of the Serpent of Shadow¡¯s assault in the meantime, causing his body to be riddled with injuries. Scarlett was amazed he could still even grapple with an opponent of that size at this point.


    ¡°It¡¯s finished,¡± Malachi¡¯s raspy voice called from behind Scarlett.


    She looked back at the woman, whose wrist was now bandaged, as Malachi leaned over [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], one hand placed on the artifact.


    ¡°Excellent. I leave the archdemons to you, then,¡± Scarlett said.


    Malachi rose unsteadily, her eyes glowing an even stronger shade of green as she uttered a chain of unintelligible incantations that left an unsettling feeling. Around the chamber, all the woman¡¯s demons suddenly grew larger, letting out ferocious roars as they intensified their attacks.


    Scarlett spared another quick glance at Fynn, observing that the Serpent of Shadow now became forced to focus more of its attention on the demons rather than dealing with Fynn.


    Good.


    Scarlett refocused her attention on Rosa, then she moved. Once more, a veil of mist enveloped her as she activated the short-range teleportation ability of her [Garments of Form]. In the blink of an eye, she materialized at the base of the raised dais below Anguish¡¯s throne.


    Rosa¡¯s figure, seated above her, exuded an aura of unwavering dominance, surveying the chamber with a tyrant¡¯s confidence.


    The Vile inhabiting the bard¡¯s body turned her gaze downwards, her eyes pools of jet-black darkness which locked onto Scarlett with a twisted grin. ¡°Here for the next round of our private chat, I take it? I¡¯ve been eagerly anticipating it.¡±


    Scarlett glanced over her shoulder, confirming that neither archdemon was encroaching on the space near them. Her eyes followed the veins that snaked across the floor, connecting the sigil at the chamber¡¯s center with the pedestal holding the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s heart in front of Anguish.


    As long as the sigil operated properly, no demons should be able to approach the throne. Anguish seemed to have found a way to partially bypass that restriction, but Scarlett doubted the same applied to the archdemons; otherwise, they already would have.


    ¡°Ignoring me? I¡¯m hurt, Baroness. I was sure you were anticipating this moment as eagerly as I was,¡± Anguish said.


    Scarlett lifted her gaze to meet the Vile¡¯s. ¡°Only to finally silence that insolent mouth of yours.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. You¡¯ll make me blush.¡± Anguish¡¯s grin widened. ¡°The more I see of you, the harder it is to contain my desire. I¡¯m practically exuberant at the mere thought of molding you into the perfect servant once we¡¯ve tamed that haughty personality of yours.¡±


    Scarlett stepped onto the dais, approaching the throne, her eyes fixed on the demon. ¡°Had I not found your existence so repulsive, I might have commended your confidence, Anguish. Nevertheless, I expected nothing less than unyielding arrogance from you until the end.¡±


    ¡°Coming from you, that¡¯s almost a compliment.¡±


    ¡°It was not intended as one.¡±


    With the Astral Soulstone in one hand, Scarlett reached out for the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s heart with the other. It felt repugnant to the touch ¡ª a fusion of obsidian stone and muscle, oozing black slime and pulsating with a malevolent energy. The tendrils connecting it to the floor yielded easily as she removed it from its pedestal, holding both the Soulstone and the heart before her.


    Suddenly, both of their presences seemed to respond to each other, the heart drawing towards the Soulstone, sensing and craving its power. Scarlett granted it what it sought.


    As the Soulstone touched the heart, a burst of colors erupted on its surface as a spectacle of tiny fireworks battling for supremacy. Amidst this display, a faint ember of dark violet emerged, gradually growing until it enveloped the entire orb. Thin black tendrils emerged from the Vilewyrm¡¯s heart, snaking across the Soulstone and drawing it within itself. The heart began to crystallize, adopting the same violet hue as the Soulstone as slime dissolved alongside sinew and muscle.


    [Astralbane¡¯s Nexus Heartstone (Unique)]


    {An astral-bound relic of profound power, wrought and pulsating with the whispered secrets of the Astral Soulstone and the malevolence of the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s core. These opposing forces unite in an intricate dance of temporal equilibrium}


    ¡°You intend to implant that into poor Rosalina? You truly are heartless,¡± Anguish remarked, an inappropriate glee in her voice.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. The demon definitely had something up her sleeve. If so, she would deal with it as it came.


    There was a moment of hesitation as she considered Rosa¡¯s appearance¡ªfreckles, wavy brown hair, and all¡ªbut the dark eyes and mocking smile left little room for doubt regarding what Scarlett was about to do. She could apologize to the bard once this was over.


    With determination, Scarlett thrust the newly created Heartstone straight into Rosa¡¯s chest. It pierced both fabric and flesh, finding its place like a key in a lock. The darkness immediately faded from Rosa¡¯s eyes as she let out an excruciating scream, but Scarlett could only step back and observe.


    The Heartstone pulsed with intense light, in sync with Rosa¡¯s agonized cries as it adapted to its new host. Gradually, it settled into a rhythm resembling a heartbeat.


    When she was finished screaming, Rosa¡¯s head drooped. When she finally raised it again, her eyes were back to their normal violet hue, meeting Scarlett¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I hate you, Red¡­¡± she muttered without much strength.


    ¡°I will take that into consideration the next time we are negotiating your wage,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Bold of you to assume there will be a next time,¡± Anguish suddenly replied in Rosa¡¯s voice, a hint of darkness seeping back into the woman¡¯s eyes.


    Rosa¡¯s expression froze, fear tingeing her face.


    ¡°Stay calm, Rosa,¡± Scarlett urged. ¡°Stretch out your senses and feel. You are the one in control now. You simply need to learn how to wield that control.¡±


    She glanced back at the two archdemons, who had gradually gained the upper hand in their battles. Fynn¡¯s arm hung limp at his side, and Allyssa, along with several of Malachi¡¯s demons, grappled with more of the mini-serpents that were crawling across the chamber.


    ¡°You can start by attempting to banish those,¡± Scarlett said, turning back to Rosa.


    The woman blinked, looking past Scarlett. She tentatively raised her arm, now free to move the throne¡¯s grip, and motioned towards both archdemons. The air surrounding them shifted, and in an instant, they vanished. The demons clinging to them fell to the floor, disoriented.


    Wide-eyed, Rosa stared at her own hand, while Scarlett watched.


    On its own, the Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s heart would have been enough to suppress a weakened Anguish and offer Rosa the chance at a more ordinary life. However, it wouldn¡¯t have completely freed her. The Vile¡¯s presence would linger, haunting her, and control might still slip at times.


    With the Astral Soulstone¡¯s power added into the mix, Rosa could now command the demon within her, achieving a freedom she hadn¡¯t known for years. And since they were still inside the citadel, where Anguish¡¯s power was most potent, Rosa could harness some of that power as well.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± Scarlett called out, not diverting her gaze from Rosa. ¡°You may proceed with the ritual.¡±


    Rosa looked away from her hand, meeting Scarlett¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is it¡­over?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Once Anguish has been stripped of her authority, she will no longer be able to reverse this, regardless of the time given.¡±


    Some of the darkness returned to Rosa¡¯s eyes, and the woman¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smirk. ¡°Always so confident. I believe there¡¯s a saying about pride and the fall, pet.¡±


    The smirk faded soon after, replaced by a grimace and worry as Rosa regained control.


    ¡°It may take time to acclimate to your new powers, but trust in yourself,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°As for you, Anguish, I have questions that I still expect you to answer.¡±


    She wanted to know more about this ¡®Anomalous One¡¯ business that the Vile had mentioned, as well as the movements of the other Viles.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m more than willing to provide answers,¡± Anguish replied. It was only a matter of time before Rosa could suppress the demon if she so chose. For the time being, however, it seemed Anguish could still worm her way to the surface when she wanted. ¡°But I wonder if our darling Rosalina might prefer we focus on more immediate concerns rather than waste our time on that. Although perhaps you don¡¯t want her to know about those.¡±


    Scarlett frowned as a hint of confusion crossed Rosa¡¯s features.


    ¡°Ignore her, Rosa. She is trying to sow further discord.¡±


    ¡°True, I do so love to sow discord where I can, but that does not make my words any less accurate,¡± Anguish said, voice insidiously melodious. ¡°I am merely concerned about how our beloved Rosa will react when she learns of all the innocent blood that is about to be spilled by the schemes concocted to bring her here. She¡¯s not as unfeeling and callous as a certain baroness, so who knows how much it will affect her?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Slight bewilderment took over Rosa¡¯s face as she looked at Scarlett. ¡°What does she mean by that?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°As I said, pay her no mind. You should be more aware than anyone that she thrives on lies and manipulation.¡±


    ¡°A fine one to talk,¡± Anguish retorted. ¡°I wonder, how many lies have I told her compared to you? How much have I manipulated? To me, it appears I¡¯m not the one Rosalina should be wary of. But if she finds my words hard to believe, then perhaps I should simply show her.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s eyes changed again, this time filling up with darkness completely, though a lighter shade than before. Soon, though, they returned to their normal state, and Rosa sucked in a deep breath, staring into empty space for a few seconds before turning to look at Scarlett. ¡°What¡¯s happening in Crowcairn right now?¡±


    Scarlett paused, and she could have sworn that a slight flicker of black remained in Rosa¡¯s eyes, as if mocking her. Anguish thought she was gaining the upper hand. Ridiculous, considering how far things had already progressed. But that didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t pose a problem.


    ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s happening there?¡± Rosa asked again.


    ¡°I can provide an explanation for you, dearest,¡± Anguish spoke up. At this point, Scarlett was starting to suspect that Rosa was letting the demon speak, despite the obvious discomfort it caused. ¡°You see, those villagers had a rather unique arrangement and partnership with Malachi. However, her betrayal and the actions of our Baroness here would have inevitably terminated that partnership. Ordinarily, one might expect the inhabitants of Crowcairn to seek revenge for that, but since that could have proven inconvenient for the Baroness¡¯s grand design, it was more expedient to allow the duke¡¯s men to handle the matter of the unfortunate villagers. Dead men can do little to prove a nuisance, after all. And why should she care when you¡¯ve already done such a good job of numbing her to the sight, dozens upon dozens of times?¡±


    ¡°Anguish, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Rosa interrupted Scarlett, fixing her with a long, earnest gaze.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know what to say to that look. The situation in Crowcairn was unfortunate, but there was nothing Scarlett could do at this point. If the duke¡¯s men hadn¡¯t breached the Sanctum¡¯s protective barrier around the village yet, they probably would soon. Rosa¡¯s expression suggested as much. If so, it was highly unlikely the villagers could make it out in time.


    ¡°I did not send the duke¡¯s men to Crowcairn,¡± Scarlett eventually said.


    ¡°But it¡¯s true that they¡¯re going to kill the villagers?¡± Rosa pressed. ¡°And that it wouldn¡¯t have happened if I wasn¡¯t here?¡±


    ¡°¡­They belong to the Tribe of Sin. By imperial law, they are criminals.¡±


    ¡°Not every crime deserves a death sentence, especially for an entire village. And the Tribe is not entirely evil. You know that even better than me.¡±


    ¡°That is not how the empire sees it.¡±


    Rosa stared at Scarlett, and the seconds passed in silence. Then, a surge of power behind Scarlett signaled the onset of Malachi¡¯s ritual.


    ¡°They¡¯re really going to kill all the villagers?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett locked eyes with her, remaining silent for a moment longer.


    The Tribe of Sin was uncompromising in their creed. Even if the duke¡¯s forces chose to show mercy, the Tribe would not allow themselves to be captured. They would either flee if they could or fight to the last able person.


    ¡°¡­The children will likely be spared,¡± she eventually replied.


    Rosa¡¯s expression fell. Despite not knowing the people involved, and despite their affiliations with a group that directly opposed the empire, it seemed the woman couldn¡¯t help but feel compassion. Perhaps Scarlett was partly at fault for that.


    Suddenly, Rosa convulsed, a renewed expression of pain etched across her face, and a torrent of crimson and ebony energy emanated from her, surging towards the chamber¡¯s center. Scarlett turned to witness Malachi standing at the heart of the sigil, acting as the epicenter of this occurrence.


    ¡°You know, we could save those people,¡± Scarlett heard Rosa speak behind her, but she could tell immediately that Rosa hadn¡¯t been the one to utter those words. ¡°It would be easy, with my help. And who knows, perhaps we could even save those she told you were beyond saving?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s head turned back to the bard, who, teeth gritted, slumped back against the throne. ¡°Rosa, do not listen to her.¡±


    She had the situation in control as it stood. If things just proceeded as they were, there would be no need to worry about any uncertainties or risky contingencies. Any deviations from this point, however, could lead to a divergence from the game¡¯s path, rendering Scarlett¡¯s predictions mostly irrelevant.


    ¡°Are you comfortable letting even more blood stain your hands, knowing you had the power to prevent it, Rosa?¡± Anguish asked. ¡°Are you comfortable adding the name of yet another village to the list? Will you let your cherished Baroness bear that responsibility for you?¡±


    ¡°Silence, Anguish,¡± Scarlett snapped. Closing the distance to Rosa, she leaned over and peered into the woman¡¯s eyes, attempting to see beyond the dark specks present there. ¡°Rosa, they are not your responsibility, nor would it be your burden to bear. Even their deaths are not a certainty. You cannot trust her, so do not do anything stupid.¡±


    For a brief moment, Rosa¡¯s irises cleared, and she stared at Scarlett in surprise. Then, another anguished cry escaped her as Malachi¡¯s ritual persisted. Rosa leaned forward, clutching the Heartstone embedded in her chest, her face now obscured from Scarlett¡¯s view.


    ¡°¡®Stupid¡¯, of course, means anything that would inconvenience her,¡± Anguish continued, evidently not giving up.


    A few seconds passed, and a faint voice murmured. ¡°¡­Would you shut up?¡±


    Scarlett blinked. That was definitely Rosa.


    A small laughter escaped the woman. It was not the eerie, twisted laughter of Anguish, but a soft, melancholy one.


    ¡°¡­You know, Red, you¡¯re probably the most extraordinary yet bewildering person I¡¯ve ever encountered. Since our first meeting, I¡¯ve been consistently amazed and awed at the ease and confidence you deal with situations, always ready with a plan and a dozen for anything that might pop up. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever really understand what knowing you has meant to me, truly.¡± Rosa raised her head, a hollow smile on her face as her violet eyes met Scarlett¡¯s. ¡°I know I¡¯m not necessarily the brightest light in your shed, but I know better than to take a demon at her word. I¡¯ll take yours over hers a million times a day.¡±


    ¡°Good, then you know to¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to see something like that happen again, even if it is just for the sake of those kids¡­ No, even if it¡¯s just the sake of my own selfish needs. Besides, I¡¯d be more shocked if you didn¡¯t find a way to tilt the odds in your favor, no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°Rosa, wait¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ask you to trust me like I trust you, because I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything to deserve that, but I won¡¯t let her hurt you. I¡¯ll also try not to do anything too stupid, even if I am going to have to disappoint you. I¡¯m sorry, Scarlett.¡±


    Then, Rosa¡¯s eyes flashed black, and the chamber became saturated with the overpowering and all-encompassing presence of a Vile and the ruler of the sixth Blaze: Anguish.

 Chapter 205 - Settlements

    Rosa was long since used to not feeling in control. Used to feeling adrift ¡ª a castaway clinging to the flimsy raft that was her life, tossed about by the turbulent waves of circumstances she didn¡¯t even completely understand. She had grown used to this feeling, sure, but she had never been comfortable with it. Instead, she had always been fleeing in some way. From people, from her past, and whatever uncertain future lay ahead for her.


    Surrounded by an endless, suffocating void of darkness, Rosa was confronted by yet another embodiment of this seemingly uncontrollable destiny of hers. This was how it looked when Anguish held the reins, and Rosa couldn¡¯t deny that it terrified her to the core.


    Yet, for once, her fear seemed almost inconsequential. Because, for once, while she wasn¡¯t the one in control, she was the one in charge.


    Slowly, she tapped into this mysterious newfound power that was now a part of her. The dark void responded, and its oppressive emptiness started to recede, morphing under her order. Whispers floated across the expanse, carrying unheard voices and incomprehensible sounds as the space shifted and bent like a maelstrom around her.


    The darkness tried to evade her, to slip through her grasp, but it couldn¡¯t. It was bound, inescapably shackled by unseen threads running through everything, all responsive to Rosa¡¯s intent. Despite seeing nothing, she commanded an almost paradoxical awareness.


    The world sharpened around her as she gradually regained control of her body, pushing Anguish¡¯s influence back to whatever nook of her soul that the demon dwelled in. She found herself in the heart of a village shrouded by the veil of night.


    Crowcairn.


    She had only visited the settlement briefly in her search for Malachi, but she still recognized it. There was a wide open area before her, lit up by torches, with a wooden platform at its center. Atop it sat a menacing, black stone artifact, its presence practically screaming at Rosa¡¯s senses.


    It was a scene that felt all too familiar after the times she had accompanied Scarlett to Freymeadow.


    The village square was populated with various groups of people¡ªelders, adults, and a few children¡ªall seemingly prepared for departure. Many wore anxious expressions as their belongings lay on the ground beside them, their attention split between the platform and the sky above the village. Among the people, individuals in black, armed and faces painted, moved with purpose.


    Rosa hadn¡¯t thought Scarlett was lying about the village being connected to the Tribe of Sin, but seeing it in person like this stirred conflicting emotions inside her.


    But what did that matter? In the end, she could barely say she was doing this for others.


    Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being rather stingy with that newfound power of yours, Rosalina darling?


    A mocking and eerie voice sounded out in Rosa¡¯s mind, sending shivers down her spine and reigniting some of her hidden fears.


    And after I agreed to help you keep those stained hands of yours somewhat clean.


    Briefly closing her eyes, Rosa steeled herself and forced those emotions down, dismissing the demon¡¯s provocations.


    When she reopened her eyes, her gaze fell on a nearby couple who both wore grim countenances as they observed the dark sky, neither seeming to notice her presence. The woman clutched a bag with various items in it, while the man held a large hammer, his fists clenched.


    Above the village, the grey dome that encompassed Crowcairn shone with a pale light beneath against the distant stars, as though struggling to hold on.


    Anguish had used her power as a Vile to transport Rosa here. How wasn¡¯t entirely clear. Even if the demon was bound to her commands for now, Rosa herself didn¡¯t fully comprehend the full extent of the Vile¡¯s capabilities. She instinctually understood some of it, but even then it was all she could do to simply ensure that Scarlett and the others weren¡¯t harmed when she briefly let Anguish loose.


    Just a short while ago, though, even that much would have been unthinkable to her. Yet, strangely, Rosa was entirely confident in what she could do, if not so much in what she couldn¡¯t do. Whatever Scarlett had done to her, it felt like it had opened dozens of new eyes within her, each perceiving something different, none of which she could truly explain.


    Her attention drifted down to her blouse, torn near the neckline, revealing a violet, crystalline heart pulsating gently with an enigmatic power. She felt those pulses resonate through her body, like gentle ripples. When Scarlett had implanted the darn thing, it had hurt like the high seas, but now, it was calm.


    A soft chuckle escaped Rosa. Its color matched her eyes, almost as if it had been color-coordinated just for her. A pretty piece of jewellery ¡®gifted¡¯ by her boss. Wasn¡¯t that a funny thought? Though she doubted Scarlett had any aesthetic intentions in mind when she made the thing.


    Rosa¡¯s amusement soon faded as she observed the villagers, catching sight of a man she recognized stepping onto the platform at the center. Dressed in black, with an unassuming appearance and a mop of disheveled hair, two sickle-like weapons hung at his side as he crossed his arms, studying the black artifact next to him.


    It was the same man Rosa had seen meeting with Malachi after the Abyssal Vilewyrm had been killed by Scarlett. His presence on the platform suggested he held a significant role in the village.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Anguish¡¯s voice intruded her thoughts again.


    These innocent, defenseless, and untainted souls sure are fortunate that they have you here to ¡®rescue¡¯ them. They¡¯ve placed their hopes on their little artifact, but it¡¯s going to fail them before it can do anything. How sad. Perhaps you should cast off that veil I wove for you and reveal yourself. I¡¯m sure they would be overjoyed at receiving your help.


    Rosa winced at hearing those words. Knowing that she could finally shut the demon up now when she wanted to didn¡¯t make Anguish¡¯s voice any less unpleasant.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to pretending you don¡¯t exist like before and spare me the sarcasm,¡± Rosa muttered back. ¡°And unless you want me to find Scarlett and Malachi so they can resume turning you into nothing more than a third-rate fantasm in my head, maybe don¡¯t push me, ¡®kay? You¡¯ve already made the past decade enough of a living nightmare for me as is.¡±


    A sanguine laugh echoed within her head.


    Oh, I don¡¯t believe I need to be concerned about that. You¡¯re far too soft-hearted for your own good, dear.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Rosa countered, her eyes briefly resting on a young girl who tugged at her mother¡¯s clothing and pointed at the grey dome above. ¡°I¡¯m just selfish.¡±


    Of that, I am well aware.


    ¡°¡­So, what can we do here?¡± Rosa asked, changing the subject and redirecting her attention to the platform at the center. Her gaze focused on the black artifact. Somehow, she felt an odd connection to it, though she didn¡¯t understand what it was. ¡°The duke¡¯s men will breach the village¡¯s defenses soon, won¡¯t they? How can we help these people?¡±


    Well, the most straightforward method is to eliminate those who threaten them. With my assistance, that would be easy. Simply let me out for another minute or two, and I¡¯ll have it handled for you. You won¡¯t even need to lift a finger.


    ¡°Not happening.¡±


    Spoilsport.


    ¡°The ones in black may have made their choice, but the others are clearly hoping to leave. That means they must know a way out, doesn¡¯t it? And you know it too.¡±


    I do.


    ¡°Then tell me.¡±


    What¡¯s the rush? Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to get more acquainted while your precious baroness is missing? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious about your new powers, and who best to help with that than little old me?


    ¡°You¡¯re stalling.¡±


    Even now, Anguish was working to loosen the constraints that Scarlett had imposed on her. The chains were incredibly powerful, Rosa could tell that much. But she also sensed that those restrictions wouldn¡¯t hold indefinitely against a Vile¡¯s might. Rosa was still a mere conduit for Anguish.


    But she was okay with that. She didn¡¯t need all the time in the world; she just needed enough of it. After that, she already knew of a way to stop Anguish from causing any damage. As far as Rosa was concerned, the Vile had lost the moment she went up against Scarlett. This was just a scramble for Anguish to salvage whatever power she could.


    Inevitably, Rosa¡¯s thoughts circled back to Scarlett, and the guilt filled her up. It really had stung, disappointing the woman like that. Scarlett had done a lot to get her this far. But it had been an eternity since Rosa had enjoyed the freedom to make any major decisions beyond just ¡®run away¡¯, and she felt that if she was finally going to be rid of this thing inside her, she should be the one who chose how it was done. And if she messed up¡ªand when hadn¡¯t she?¡ªthe responsibility would be hers, not Scarlett¡¯s.


    ¡°Now,¡± Rosa said, trying to conjure some of that steely resolve Scarlett commanded. ¡°Tell me what we can do.¡±


    Scarlett stared at the dimming grey barrier before her. Beyond its faintly visible boundary lay Crowcairn, obscured and blurred, but still discernible. The Phantom Sanctum that encompassed the village remained intact, but it was growing thinner. Captain Home and the duke¡¯s forces¡¯ continued assaults had clearly taken their toll.


    She surveyed her surroundings. After Anguish broke free, Scarlett had suddenly found herself here, with Crowcairn in front of her and rolling hills stretching out behind her.


    Why she had arrived here in particular remained unclear, but she had her suspicions. Rosa had likely leveraged Anguish¡¯s power to try to help the village in some way, and teleporting Scarlett and the others out of the citadel was just a consequence of that. Presumably, the bard was responsible for Scarlett appearing outside the barrier, while Rosa herself was probably inside.


    If Scarlett were to hazard a guess, Malachi and the others were likely nearby.


    A scowl crept onto her face. Understanding Rosa¡¯s motives didn¡¯t mean it hadn¡¯t thrown any less of a wrench into her plans. The whole reason she had embarked on this quest was to rid Rosa of Anguish, and now that goal seemed only halfway complete.


    What could she even do from here?


    A flicker of movement in the dark drew her attention, and she turned her head to the left to see Fynn racing towards her from around the Sanctum¡¯s barrier.


    A powerful gust followed in his wake as he halted in front of her.


    ¡°Have you spotted any of the others?¡± Scarlett asked immediately. Now wasn¡¯t the time for lengthy explanations.


    ¡°Some of the knights are in that direction,¡± Fynn replied, pointing back over his shoulder.


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened as she turned her head, fixing her gaze on Anguish¡¯s citadel looming on the horizon. Its black walls and towers almost seemed to melt into the night sky.


    This meant those inside the boss room hadn¡¯t been the only ones transported. Did Rosa not want anyone to get trapped in the citadel?


    Suddenly, the barrier around Crowcairn shuddered. Glancing back at it, Scarlett saw it momentarily turn more transparent as a ripple coursed through the dome.


    She looked at Fynn. ¡°Can you sense Malachi nearby?¡±


    He scrunched his nose, concentrating for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Malachi was likely trying to dismantle the barrier, then. Scarlett wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the woman could achieve that, but she knew better than to underestimate the woman¡¯s capabilities in this regard. Had Malachi also concluded that Rosa was inside? It would make sense for her to be furious at the bard, if anything.


    That could be bad, depending on what Malachi would do.


    Scarlett contemplated her options as she watched the barrier tremble once more, its stability visibly decreasing as it grew more transparent. Even without Malachi¡¯s interference, it seemed like it wouldn¡¯t have lasted much longer. Scarlett thought the villagers had a chance of escaping, but perhaps their fate had been sealed from the start.


    If Rosa planned to intervene in that fate, it would undoubtedly be tied to the Sanctumbrum in some way. Anguish wouldn¡¯t have the power to teleport an entire village as she was now. While Rosa might temporarily serve as a conduit to the Blazes, the incarnation wasn¡¯t complete.


    The question was what Scarlett should do from here. Now that they were no longer inside the citadel, would Malachi even be able to perform the ritual again? Was returning an option, or was there an alternative course of action? She had contingencies, but they weren¡¯t things she wanted to bet everything on.


    Deep in thought, she observed as the barrier flickered.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± she finally said, and the young man looked at her. ¡°I need to ask something important of you.¡±

 Chapter 206 - The village jester

    Raimond gazed at Crowcairn before him, shrouded as it was by an unnatural grey barrier that shielded it from the outside world.


    The past day had been a relentless series of unexpected and illuminating events, but he had certainly not anticipated finding himself back here, and under these circumstances. Just moments ago, he had been locked in battle with creatures hailing from the Blazes, alongside his temporary allies, within a manifestation of one of the six Vile¡¯s strongholds. Yet, now, here he was, back where he had started, puzzled over what had caused this abrupt return.


    The baleful area that had enveloped him and his companions prior to his transportation left little doubt about the perpetrator¡¯s identity, but it offered no explanation. If the Vile¡¯s manifestation had already reached a level where it could perform such feats within its citadel, he doubted it would have stopped at merely removing its intruders. There was indubitably more at play, and Raimond supposed he would have to work his head to deduce what that might be.


    His first task was to uncover what had transpired on Baroness Hartford¡¯s end of things. Her absence upon their return to the chamber where they had parted ways was not entirely surprising, but Raimond had hoped they would catch up to her still. Regrettably, progressing through the citadel without the woman¡¯s aid had proved somewhat tedious, even when he had begun using some of his more potent incantations.


    Perhaps Raimond had been a tad too lax in the approach he had chosen to employ with the noblewoman. Although he was now convinced her involvement in these events was far from simple, he had opted to observe while circumstances still allowed him to do so. The details about what was happening remained something he could only speculate on, as did the Baroness¡¯ motivations, and he preferred not to decisively act under such uncertainty. He did not believe that she held malicious desires.


    However, in hindsight, a more proactive approach may have been best.


    Turning his gaze, he contemplated the massive structure that towered over the overcast horizon. The Vile¡¯s citadel stood intact, and presumably, the threat it represented remained undiminished. In normal circumstances, Raimond would interpret his forcible expulsion from it as a sign of impending danger, warranting an immediate return to oppose whatever the citadel¡¯s master was planning. But in this case, he was not quite so confident that was the best course of action on his part.


    Looking back at the village of Crowcairn and the faltering Sanctum barrier protecting it, Raimond furrowed his brows. He couldn¡¯t speak entirely as to why, but he had a feeling that something significant was about to unfold. The Phantom Sanctum obscured some of his senses, yet he detected an odd, unfamiliar presence within, which held a noticeable weight to it.


    As he pondered, the barrier shook, becoming increasingly transparent. It wouldn¡¯t be long before it collapsed entirely, granting Duke Valentino¡¯s people unrestricted access to the village ¡ª a fact that boded poorly for Crowcairn¡¯s inhabitants.


    For a brief moment, Raimond considered whether this was an opportunity for him to intervene and prevent unnecessary bloodshed, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He was all too familiar with the deep-seated animosity between the Tribe of Sin and the empire, fueled by centuries of fighting and ideological differences. Even if he were to make use of his authority as a deacon, he could, at best, stay the hand of some of the duke¡¯s men, while the villagers were unlikely to heed the counsel of someone they deemed an irredeemable sinner.


    And he supposed they were right to, in a manner.


    Though it pained him, he acknowledged that his focus should remain on the Vile and the mysterious presence within the village, rather than on the villagers themselves. That matter had to be resolved before he had the luxury to worry about anything else.


    A rift appeared in the grey barrier before him, signaling its imminent collapse. Moments later, the entire Sanctum began to dissolve, as if a scar upon the world was being healed.


    With it gone and Crowcairn¡¯s silhouette emerging against the backdrop of the night sky, Raimond cast Candlelight Insight, allowing him to peer through the darkness. He followed this with several casts of Luminous Gaze and Luminal Projection, conjuring magnified images that revealed diverse scenes from multiple perspectives.


    Adjusting and configuring the magic for a few seconds, he took stock of the unfolding situation.


    One of the images shifted to reveal two of the knights who had accompanied Raimond in the citadel, their expressions etched with confusion as they looked around, standing beside a collection of small sheds and byres a few hundred meters from Crowcairn. Allyssa also showed up on another image, not far away, and after a brief search, Raimond located Shin as well. It appeared he wasn¡¯t the only one brought here.


    Another image revealed a woman with silver-grey hair, accompanied by three four-legged demons, approaching the village. Malachi, Raimond presumed. He had been working under the assumption that she was one of the prime instigators of the recent turmoil, so her presence in Crowcairn not only raised a multitude of questions, but it also reinforced his suspicion of a connection between what was unfolding before him and the broader crisis.


    Further supporting his theory, Raimond observed Baroness Scarlett herself, standing almost at the opposite end of the village. Magnifying the floating image before him, he noted her stern expression, which did not seem to showcase any sort of confusion as she moved at a quick pace towards the village.


    Crowcairn, when viewed from above, presented an unsettling picture of lifelessness. Its homes and streets were devoid of any visible activity. The village¡¯s epicenter, previously the site where the Sanctumbrum had been unveiled, and the location where that mysterious presence seemed to reside, now appeared as an inscrutable void in Raimond¡¯s magical scrying. He frowned in contemplation. Was this an effect of the Sanctumbrum then, or was that presence somehow responsible?


    Even as he considered that, he shifted his attention to another image, showing him the encampment outside the village¡¯s reaches where Duke Valentino¡¯s forces had been stationed during their siege. They were now advancing, weapons drawn, towards a smaller group of black-clad villagers preparing to defend their fellows. The two sides soon clashed violently.


    In most circumstances, the outcome of such a battle might have been uncertain, or at the very least protracted, but this situation was different. Over the hills, behind the duke¡¯s men in the distance, Raimond noticed another group advancing towards Crowcairn. Though their numbers were modest, the distinctive glimmer of gold from their armor marked their identity.


    The Dawnbringers.


    With their arrival, the fate of the Tribe members seemed sealed. For Raimond, this development might offer an opportunity to steer events towards a less tragic conclusion ¡ª or it could complicate matters even further, depending on what commands the other deacons had given the Dawnbringers regarding his presence.


    For now, a brief window remained before the duke¡¯s forces could claim victory and the Dawnbringers arrived. It would be wise for Raimond to use that time wisely.


    Dispelling his incantations, he started towards Crowcairn in a light sprint. Shortly, however, he noticed a figure he had seemingly overlooked, approaching him at considerable speed. Casting Luminous Gaze again for a closer examination, Raimond recognized the individual as the Baroness¡¯ ever-steadfast retainer, Fynn.


    It was not long before the white-haired young man reached Raimond, coming to a halt in front of him. A strong gust of wind swept over Raimond, tossing his hair out of order.


    ¡°Why, I had been wondering where you disappeared to,¡± Raimond remarked, smoothing his hair back into place while eyeing the youth. Fynn looked as stoic as ever. ¡°Is there a particular reason you sought me out amidst these circumstances?¡±


    Fynn gave a firm nod. ¡°Scarlett has a request.¡±


    Scarlett generally avoided running when she could afford to. It simply felt too undignified. However, her usual concerns about appearance felt like a faint echo in her mind as she hastened towards Crowcairn. Earlier, she had seen Malachi, flanked by a few of the woman¡¯s demons, heading towards the village, and there was no telling what could come from that. Despite many of Malachi¡¯s demons having been incapacitated or killed back in the citadel, the woman remained dangerous. Dangerous and angry.


    Even Scarlett, who was usually not attuned to such matters, could sense the presence within the village. Most likely, it was Rosa and the Heartstone now residing within the bard, keeping Anguish in check.


    Upon reaching the village, Scarlett was surprised by how empty its streets were. While she assumed some villagers would be engaged with the duke¡¯s forces, the complete absence of activity was unexpected.


    Making her way through the village and towards the presence she could sense, she kept a watchful eye on her surroundings. Although she liked to believe she could defend herself well enough at this point, an ambush could still prove dangerous. Unlike Malachi, she didn¡¯t have any demons to protect her, and Fynn hadn¡¯t returned from delivering her message to Raimond.


    Passing empty homes and drawing nearer to the village¡¯s center, Scarlett stopped abruptly when rounding what looked like a small smithy. Before her, a half-spherical, stark white dome similar to the Sanctum¡¯s barrier obscured the area ahead. Unlike the Sanctum¡¯s barrier, which only felt subtly out of place when you looked at it, this dome felt glaringly alien, like a wound upon the very fabric of reality.


    A scowl creased on her brow. What was that? It shouldn¡¯t be Anguish¡¯s doing. Demons, while unnatural relative to this realm, didn¡¯t do things like this.


    Then, was it caused by the Sanctumbrum? Anguish could have been involved in activating that, at least, and Scarlett knew the artifacts possessed a type of teleportation feature to the Tribe¡¯s homeland. But if this was that, it differed vastly from her expectations and bore no resemblance to how the Kilnstones operated, another Zuver technology with a similar purpose.


    Hesitating before the strange dome, Scarlett felt an instinctual aversion to entering. It was as if an inner voice screamed that she shouldn¡¯t approach it.


    But both Rosa and Malachi should be on the other side.


    She looked around, but neither Fynn nor Raimond could be seen, and she doubted that Allyssa and the others would know to head here. That meant she was on her own for now.


    Resolved to face what lay ahead by herself, Scarlett steeled herself and stepped forward.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The sensation was every bit as jarring as she had anticipated. It felt like immersing in a tub of ice-cold water, except the water seemed intent on distorting and assaulting her very being. As though she was momentarily detached from her physical self, at the mercy of this bizarre anomaly.


    And then, after she didn¡¯t know how long, she found herself in a vast grey and white void, stretching endlessly before her. Like the white dome she had stepped through, this space felt fundamentally wrong, an affront to the natural order, and it seemed to target her specifically. Although there was no perceivable end to this place, in the distance, something loomed, its focus squarely on her.


    An indescribable, overwhelmingly crushing pressure pressed down on her, stifling her breath, and grinding her thoughts to a halt.


    Suddenly, windows of text materialized before her.


    [Name: S????????c?????????????????????????????t???????????t???????? ?????H??????????a?????????????????????????????????????????¦Ò????????????????????]


    [Skills:


    [??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilio??????u???????????s???????]


    [Cavali?§Ô]


    [Call???????????????????????????????????u???????????s??????]


    [Overbeari??]


    [Conceited?????????]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????]


    [Points: ??]


    [Main questline ¡°Rising action¡± has been dismissed]


    [All current questlines have been dismissed]


    [¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª]


    Her eyes widened. What¡ª


    [Main questline has begun: Rising action]


    {Conflicts are brewing as powerful factions have started moving on the continent of Tanrelia. The Tribute of Dominion stands as th???????????e??????? ???????f????????o?????c????????????a??????l?????? ????????p??????????o????????i????????n????????t??????? ???????o???????f???? ???????????t???????h?????????e????????????s???????e?????????? ????????????c?????l?????????a??????s????????h?i???????n???????g?????????? ????????d????????e???????????s???????i????????g????????n???????????s????????,?????????? ??????????r????????e???????????s???????t?????i????????n?????????g?????????¡ª


    [Main questline ¡°Rising action¡± has been dismissed]


    [¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª]


    [Main questline has begun: Rising action]


    {Conflicts are brewing as powe??????r???????????f????????u?????????????l?????? ????????????f??????a???????????c???????????t???????????i??????????o??????????n?????s???????????????????????????????????????


    [Main questline ¡°Rising action¡± has been dismissed]


    [¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª]


    [Main questlineh??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????:????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


    [Main questline ¡°Rising action¡± has been dismissed]


    [¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª]


    The pressure bearing down on Scarlett intensified as the text before her became increasingly distorted, growing more oppressive, as if dissecting her essence. It felt like her head was going to burst, and the part of her that was clinging to clarity feared that this was it.


    Then, everything went black.


    When she reopened her eyes, she found herself standing in the village, but her mind struggled to grasp her surroundings, reeling from the experience she had just endured.


    [Main questline has begun: Rising action]


    {Conflicts are brewing as powerful factions have started moving on the continent of Tanrelia. The Tribute of Dominion stands as the focal point of these clashing designs, resting in the heart of the ruins of Beld Thylelion}


    [Objective: Enter the ruins of Beld Thylelion before all others]


    [Reward: Additional Skills Menu privileges]


    [Failure: Demise]


    [All existing questlines have been resumed]


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]


    [?????????????????????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 2041/12063]


    [Points: 36]


    Almost as if to reaffirm their existence, system windows popped up in front of her, bringing her back to a semblance of reality. She stared at them, blinking.


    What had just happened? Why had it happened? How?


    Had the system literally bugged out? And that thing that had seemed to observe her¡­


    Her breath caught when she noticed something different about her status window.


    There was a new skill there. A skill that she couldn¡¯t read.


    ¡­What did that mean?


    Her focus was suddenly shattered by several screams. Turning, she saw a few black-clad Tribe members clashing with three four-legged demons at the other end of the area she found herself in, with Malachi standing behind them.


    Looking around, Scarlett presumed she was at Crowcairn¡¯s heart, inside a space enclosed by the white dome she had traversed. Villagers, including adults and children, were hastily entering a white portal suspended in the air on a platform at the center, vanishing into it. Beside the portal stood the Sanctumbrum, a black altar pulsating with streaks of dark, crimson energy, seemingly powering all of this.


    The air here had an odd, unnatural ambience, though not as intense as whatever void Scarlett had just experienced. It reminded her of her visit to Temisbrook Glade near Elystead, the fairy forest that bridged the Wandering Realm and the Material Realm. In this case, it seemed as if the Sanctumbrum had brought forth a similar phenomenon, creating its own interstitial space in its immediate vicinity.


    Scanning the area, Scarlett realized Rosa was nowhere in sight. Most of the villagers had already retreated through the portal, but those who had yet to do so shouted and pointed towards her and Malachi, visibly worried while clutching makeshift weapons. The ones fighting Malachi¡¯s demons, the actual Tribe warriors, were too busy getting mauled to notice Scarlett. Malachi only sent a fleeting glance in Scarlett¡¯s direction before redirecting her focus to their surroundings, as if searching for something.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. Rosa wouldn¡¯t have had any reason to go through the portal, so was the bard somehow concealed? If so, Scarlett would have little more chance of finding her than Malachi.


    Her attention returned to the portal, watching as the last of the villagers hurried to push through it, soon leaving the area around the platform deserted. At around the same time, Malachi¡¯s demons dispatched their remaining opponents, rendering Scarlett and Malachi the sole breathing individuals remaining.


    A few seconds of relative silence passed, interrupted only by the demons tearing into their fallen foes¡¯ bodies. Then, a figure emerged from the portal. A tall woman with braided dark hair, clad in clothes reminiscent of a pirate and with a variety of weapons hanging off her belt, including a small axe in her right hand, stepped onto the platform.


    Riya, the Tribe¡¯s mad dog.


    A small surge of anger rose up inside Scarlett as she recalled how the woman had attacked her estate and injured Garside.


    Riya surveyed the scene before her, the woman¡¯s gaze momentarily resting on Malachi and the dead Tribe members being devoured by the demons. When her eyes landed on Scarlett, a smirk played on her lips as she nonchalantly juggled her axe. She then shifted focus to the Sanctumbrum, and with a swift strike, drove her axe straight into it, somehow cleaving it nearly in half. A blinding white light erupted from the artifact, and Riya waved towards Scarlett with her axe before retreating through the portal, which closed behind her.


    The ground trembled beneath Scarlett. As she braced herself, preparing to leave if necessary, the light from the Sanctumbrum turned a dark red as the crimson veins on it seemed to widen. The temperature soared, and cracks formed on the ground, lava seeping up from beneath as the white dome above adopted progressively darker shades.


    Scarlett glanced over at Malachi, who appeared equally startled by this sudden change, but continued scanning the area like a hawk.


    ¡°Sorry about this one, Red,¡± a voice suddenly rang out to Scarlett¡¯s right. ¡°This was kinda part of the deal to get her help in activating that damn thing.¡±


    Scarlett whirled around, stopping her reflex to conjure a bunch of Aqua Mines as she found Rosa standing next to her. The [Astralbane¡¯s Nexus Heartstone] glowed a soft violet in the woman¡¯s chest as she regarded Scarlett.


    The space around them continued deteriorating, growing increasingly hellish as flames erupted from the ground in booming pillars. Scarlett stepped back to dodge one such eruption, noticing Malachi doing the same at the other end of the area.


    A scowl formed on Scarlett¡¯s face as she realized what was happening. She looked at Rosa. ¡°Are you aware of what you have done?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I have a fairly good idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­You fool.¡±


    The bard chuckled. ¡°Not arguing with that.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze returned to the center, where the platform had taken fire and the Sanctumbrum was starting to look like a molten piece of obsidian. By now, the artifact should have broken entirely, but Anguish had taken control of it, using its power to open an interstitial space that linked the Blaze of Anguish to this location through Rosa.


    The air shifted, and a dark red rift began to form where the portal had previously been.


    ¡°You should probably book it while you still can,¡± Rosa said, observing the rift. ¡°I doubt anything good¡¯s going to come out of that. Certainly not anything you gentle, noble-lady types should have to see.¡±


    ¡°I came here to bring you back,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll probably have to disappoint.¡± A faint smile curved the bard¡¯s lips. ¡°Seems like I¡¯m starting to make a habit of that, doesn¡¯t it? Anyway, what¡¯s keeping this place up and going is me, so if I tried to leave, I¡¯d bet you two stones to one that it¡¯d collapse in on itself before you can say ¡®pulchritudinous brunettes¡¯. Pretty sure Anguish feared I¡¯d join you right after settling things here and have her exorcised to the Six Blazes and back, and I haven¡¯t exactly been the host of a comprehension-defying demon for long enough to know the ins and outs of the gig that would let me stop all tricks she can come up with.¡±


    Scarlett scowled. Rosa was saying that only Scarlett could leave. ¡°¡­Was all of this truly necessary?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, no,¡± the bard said.


    ¡°Then why¡ª¡±


    ¡°But it was my choice, don¡¯t you think?¡± Rosa turned, her violet eyes locking with Scarlett¡¯s. ¡°I mean it when I say that words can¡¯t describe how much I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me. I don¡¯t fault you for the path taken to get here, either. I doubt I could even understand half of it, and I was genuinely content to let things play out according to whatever plan you had cooking, but¡­well.¡±


    She gestured to the fiery chaos unfolding around them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve both seen a scene similar to what was about to happen to this village, haven¡¯t we? I just didn¡¯t want to see it play out again, with you and me being part of the cause this time. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Scarlett watched her in silence, then shook her head. ¡°You believe this was a better alternative?¡±


    She pointed towards the lifeless bodies of the villagers Malachi¡¯s demons had killed, or what remained of them. Malachi herself seemed unfazed by it all, simply staring in Scarlett¡¯s direction, brow furrowed.


    ¡°No,¡± Rosa admitted, her face carrying a solemn expression as she deliberately avoided looking at the bodies and the demons that had been tearing into them. ¡°But I also wasn¡¯t doing it solely for their sake. I wasn¡¯t even just for the kids or the other villagers who managed to escape. Claiming I did it for you would at most be a half-truth. Maybe, probably, I did it for myself.¡± The woman shrugged. ¡°Perhaps I wanted to experience what it was like to save people for once, to genuinely sacrifice. Plenty of people have called me kind over the years, but I can¡¯t rightly say I¡¯ve ever done something that meant me giving something up. Always been too scared to. In a funny way, I could blame this on you, since you¡¯re the reason I¡¯ve got this newfound courage to act differently from once.¡±


    ¡°¡­And are you truly at peace with the idea of yourself possibly being that sacrifice?¡± Scarlett asked, her tone grave.


    ¡°Nope. Tell you the truth, I¡¯m scared stiff right now. Can¡¯t feel an ounce of bravery left in any of my bones. Probably used it all up back in the citadel. I can¡¯t deny that there¡¯s a part of me holding onto a sliver of hope that you¡¯ll find a way out for me in this situation as well, but if you can¡¯t¡­that¡¯s the hand I¡¯ve dealt myself.¡± Rosa raised her arm and tapped the Heartstone embedded in her chest. ¡°You did a right ol¡¯ number on me with this, and it¡¯s mighty impressive, but it won¡¯t last forever if Anguish stays as she is. I can tell that much. Although she won¡¯t make it much further than this if I ain¡¯t around no more, so at least we won¡¯t have to be worrying about any countries being toppled over and razed anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°This is why you are a fool,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The sole reason I carried this plan out was to ensure your survival, Rosa.¡±


    The bard let out another chuckle at that. ¡°I did say I wasn¡¯t going to argue with you about being a fool.¡±


    Her expression suddenly turned serious as she glanced in Malachi¡¯s direction. The silver-grey-haired woman, flanked by her four-legged demons, had started moving towards them, radiating a sharp fury as she navigated the increasingly hazardous terrain.


    ¡°Whoops, seems like I couldn¡¯t quite keep that veil up against her forever. Still a novice in that respect, unfortunately. I was hoping to avoid facing a pissed-off half-demon, but what can you do?¡±


    Meanwhile, the rift forming above the burning platform had expanded, revealing a dark void of shadows filled with vague, shifting shapes. A large, clawed hand emerged, gripping at the portal¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Aaaand that¡¯s the cue that we¡¯re out of time,¡± Rosa said. ¡°It really is high time that you made your exit, Red.¡±


    Scarlett simply looked at her, then turned her attention to Malachi and whatever demon was exiting out of that portal. ¡°I will decide when it is time.¡±

 Chapter 207 - Names

    Malachi didn¡¯t even so much as glance at Scarlett as the woman approached, her demons slowing to trail a few meters behind. Scarlett moved to stand in front of Rosa, but the bard stopped her with a raised arm, shooting her a meaningful look.


    Frowning, Scarlett stepped aside, carefully observing Malachi while also keeping an eye on the larger demon that was slowly emerging from the rift at the center of the square.


    Rosa greeted Malachi with a smile that could have put any seasoned salesman to shame. ¡°Judging by that expression of yours, I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re not happ¡ª¡±


    Malachi¡¯s hand shot out, gripping Rosa¡¯s throat. Her gleaming green eyes pierced the woman. ¡°Return us to the citadel.¡±


    Malachi¡¯s demons growled as Scarlett began to move, but Rosa motioned for her to stay back, even as Malachi¡¯s nails dug into the bard¡¯s skin.


    Rosa held Malachi¡¯s intense gaze. ¡°Believe me, I would if I could, genuinely. Unfortunately, I think the ship¡¯s already sailed on that front.¡±


    A small grunt of pain escaped her as Malachi¡¯s grip tightened and blood trickled from her neck.


    Scarlett stepped closer to the two. ¡°Malachi.¡±


    The woman turned her head slowly, locking eyes with her.


    ¡°Release her,¡± Scarlett warned.


    Malachi remained silent for a few moments. ¡°¡­This¡­ Was this part of your schemes? You intended to work with the Vile from the start, and you used this girl as your pawn.¡±


    ¡°If that were the case, I would not have aided you against Anguish¡¯s archdemons. The current situation is as unfavorable for me as it is for you, Malachi. It will not be improved by hostility between us.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed, then shifted back to Rosa. ¡°You will return us to the citadel. The ritual is not yet complete.¡±


    ¡°Sure, just give me a moment,¡± the bard replied. ¡°I¡¯ll just mosey on up to the demon living inside my head and ask her to bring us all back to the place where she was about to be robbed of all her power. I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll work out just fine and dandy, with a pretty bow on top.¡±


    Malachi¡¯s expression darkened, and for a moment, it seemed as if she might lash out at Rosa then and there.


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Rosa added quickly, before Scarlett could intervene. ¡°If you bring Scarlett out of here, I¡¯ll see what I can do to weaken Anguish before she completely returns to her domain. You managed to siphon off at least some of her Authority, right?¡±


    Scarlett blinked. Malachi had succeeded in stealing some of Anguish¡¯s power, after all? So the ritual wasn¡¯t completely disrupted?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know all that much about demons,¡± Rosa continued, ¡°but I bet you¡¯d prefer going up against an enraged Vile with a limp than one without. I¡¯m still just getting the hang of the intricacies that come with having this stone lodged in my chest, but Anguish has infused enough of herself in me that it would definitely impact her if an inexperienced greenhorn started mucking about with things and accidentally tore a soul muscle or three.¡±


    Malachi paused, her expression growing contemplative.


    Scarlett, however, did not like what she was hearing. ¡°Rosa, I am warning you only this once. Do not even dare attempt anything of the sort, understood? And you, Malachi.¡± She faced the other woman. ¡°This is your final warning as well. Release her.¡±


    Malachi showed no intention of complying at first, and Scarlett mentally prepared herself to fight Malachi for real this time. The woman¡¯s watchdog demons growled at her.


    ¡°I think this is the kind of situation where you salvage what you can,¡± Rosa told Malachi, awkwardly nodding while caught in the woman¡¯s grasp. ¡°Besides, seems our guests are starting to arrive. Clock¡¯s ticking.¡±


    While it had taken some time, the demon that had been making its way out of the rift had now fully emerged. Its grotesque, horned visage was shrouded in a swirling maelstrom of crimson and obsidian, with molten, lava-like veins running through its onyx skin. Its eyes, ablaze with malice, seemed to further ignite the fiery landscape around as its gaze focused on the trio, another claw in the rift behind it signifying more of its kind arriving soon.


    Scarlett was pretty sure this wasn¡¯t even an archdemon, yet its presence was far more formidable than the ones they¡¯d faced in the citadel. Since the interstitial space they were in was close enough to the Blaze it called home, the demon¡¯s power wasn¡¯t suppressed.


    Presumably, the same went for Malachi¡¯s three demons, all of whom spun on the spot and charged at the newcomer without needing a command. The demon was over twice their size, however, and let out a thunderous roar that slowed their advance.


    ¡°How about it, Malachi?¡± Rosa asked, disregarding Scarlett¡¯s previous words.


    Malachi scowled, looking between Rosa and Scarlett for a moment before reluctantly releasing the bard.


    Rosa gingerly massaged her neck with a sore smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±


    ¡°You will not,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Sorry, Red, but we are running out of time, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much else you can do at this point. I would love if it weren¡¯t like that, but you¡¯re not in charge right now.¡±


    A miserable wail escaped one of Malachi¡¯s demons as the larger demon tore off its front leg, the others desperately biting into its shoulder and leg. Another demon emerged from the rift behind it, resembling the first but boasting a pair of massive limbs reminiscent of charred bat wings that folded over its shoulders.


    ¡°Then I will be assuming command,¡± Scarlett declared, shifting her focus to Malachi. ¡°You were able to drain some of Anguish¡¯s Authority? Do you still possess the artifact I entrusted you with, or was it left behind?¡±


    The woman seemed indifferent to her minion¡¯s plight, simply studying Scarlett with a cold stare. ¡°I have it,¡± she eventually responded, gesturing through the air, summoning forth a green energy that slowly coalesced into [Ittar¡¯s Genesis]. The crystal sphere¡¯s surface had morphed into a deep black, streaked with slimmers of ominous red, exuding a drastically different aura from before.


    ¡°In that case, you will be disregarding Miss Hale¡¯s words just now,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s fine, I brought this on myse¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is far from ¡®fine¡¯,¡± Scarlett cut Rosa off before the bard could finish. The anger she had been suppressing bubbled to the surface. ¡°I will not allow Anguish to deprive me of one of my most valuable assets, nor will I allow you to do so either. Not after the considerable time and resources I have invested in bringing you to this point. I do not care for your opinions on the matter, be they reasonable or not. I, for one, do not feel like a reasonable woman at the moment.¡±


    Malachi continued scrutinizing Scarlett before facing Rosa. ¡°We will form a pact.¡±


    Scarlett raised her hand, a threatening flame flickering into existence above it as a dangerous air entered her voice. ¡°Malachi.¡±


    ¡°I see no reason to heed the words of someone who is powerless to do anything herself,¡± the woman said, not looking at her.


    ¡°I know Anguish¡¯s name.¡±


    Malachi froze. She turned to Scarlett, her earlier rage seeming to resurface. ¡°You dare lie¡ª¡±


    ¡°Machrelzi.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression went blank, and she stood completely motionless.


    Scarlett studied her.


    Even in this world of fantasy, Malachi was probably a unique case. A half-demon, half-human, accepted by neither. While her human features were outwardly prominent, that didn¡¯t mean her demonic traits were limited to just her peculiar eyes. Like all demons, she possessed a true name bound to her demonic half. Its influence over her probably wasn¡¯t as strong as on a true demon, but it wasn¡¯t something the woman could ignore, either.


    ¡°Wait, what did you do?¡± Rosa asked, staring at Malachi¡¯s unmoving form.


    ¡°I uttered her true name,¡± Scarlett answered, briefly glancing over at the ongoing battle near the rift. Another of Malachi¡¯s minions lost a limb, vainly fighting the larger demons, even as more silhouettes lurked on the other side of the rift. ¡°You might not be aware, but a demon¡¯s name holds a certain power over them.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°¡­And you know Anguish¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°I do, yes.¡± Scarlett regarded Rosa. ¡°¡­I believe you know better than most that I keep contingencies wherever I can.¡±


    The bard¡¯s eyes widened, her hand reaching for the violet Heartstone on her chest. ¡°S-She knows you¡¯re not lying, and she¡¯s¡­troubled.¡±


    A vicious smile appeared on Scarlett¡¯s lips. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean? I was prepared to¡­you know. But, now¡­?¡±


    ¡°It means that I have reserved my most uncertain yet potent option for last.¡± Scarlett returned her attention to Malachi, hoping the woman would soon snap out of it. She hadn¡¯t actually been sure if it would work against the half-demon. ¡°I do not know how to properly wield it against a Vile, aside from temporary restraining it, and I had hoped to avoid relying on such uncertainties entirely. With Malachi¡¯s expertise, however, and a fragment of Anguish¡¯s own Authority, it should provide us with a new means.¡±


    Another cry from one of Malachi¡¯s demons pierced the air as it was torn in two, its remnants flung and discarded through the rift.


    Soon, there would be nothing left to distract the arriving demons from Scarlett and the others. She doubted either she or Malachi could put up a significant fight at this point. Her mana was nearly depleted, even after having consumed an inadvisable amount of mana potions, and it wouldn¡¯t take much to bring her to the brink of mana exhaustion. And Malachi wasn¡¯t really a melee combatant.


    Scarlett glanced at [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], still held firmly in Malachi¡¯s grasp.


    Would its mana-storing function remain after being corrupted? Probably not. Even if it did, Malachi would be needing it. Scarlett also wasn¡¯t convinced that these fully manifested demons would succumb to her magic as easily as the weakened ones in the citadel had. Not to mention that she had no idea how many demons were lurking on the other side, ready to pass through that rift.


    Suddenly, Rosa jerked forward, doubling over with arms wrapped around her chest. The air around her darkened, and Scarlett stepped closer to the woman.


    ¡°S-She¡¯s fighting back now,¡± Rosa gasped, grimacing. ¡°Gods above, that hurts. It¡¯s a lot harder keeping her down now that the rift is open. I¡¯m not sure how long I can keep this up, and ¡ª oh.¡±


    Another demon had climbed out from the rift, making three of them in total, all of which turned their focus to Scarlett and the others, as if on command. Malachi¡¯s two remaining demons, who were still clinging to their opponents, had been completely forgotten.


    At that moment, Malachi finally seemed to regain her senses. The woman blinked, then fixed a lethal glare on Scarlett. ¡°How do you¡ª¡±


    ¡°How is irrelevant,¡± Scarlett interrupted, bracing herself as the demons began to move. ¡°What matters now is that we take action. We can use Anguish¡¯s name. Simply guide us in how.¡±


    While speaking, she conjured a series of fire barriers aimed at the demons, aiming to stall their movements. Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the periphery of the dome that surrounded the space around them, wondering what was taking Fynn so long.


    ¡°You truly know her name?¡± Malachi asked.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I will reveal it when necessary.¡±


    A demon¡¯s name was their weakness, but its potency waned with each utterance in close succession. Scarlett also couldn¡¯t ignore the risk that Malachi would pull some sort of betrayal if she shared too much prematurely.


    The woman did not look happy with that answer, but she would have to deal. ¡°¡­With her name, we can forcibly summon Anguish entirely and fetter her to Rosa more completely. Without any preparations, I cannot guarantee the outcome, but the Authority I¡¯ve obtained may be enough to siphon more of it, enough that Anguish cannot resist in the future. I¡¯m unsure if the girl can handle it, however.¡±


    ¡°Simply do it,¡± Scarlett spoke through gritted teeth, her mana rapidly dwindling as she controlled a small sea of flames to defend against the demons¡¯ advance, also taking advantage of the fires erupting from the cracks in the ground.


    A fourth demon appeared, and despite the inferno that was burning away at their forms, the demons pressed forward relentlessly. Scarlett interspersed her flames with more precise strikes, targeting the weaknesses revealed by the [Charms of Apperception] to breach their defences.


    Beside her, Rosa clutched Scarlett¡¯s clothes, still bent over in agony. ¡°What she said. I¡¯m willing to give it one last shot. It can¡¯t get much worse than this.¡±


    ¡°It can,¡± Malachi stated, stepping closer to the bard with [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] in one hand, the other grabbing Rosa¡¯s curled hair to lift her face. That irked Scarlett, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do at the moment.


    ¡°Keep the demons at bay,¡± Malachi told her, as though the impending demonic horde wasn¡¯t her problem. Then, locking eyes with Rosa for a moment, the woman pressed [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] to the [Astralbane¡¯s Nexus Heartstone] embedded in the bard¡¯s chest.


    Scarlett would have liked to claim she could follow what the woman was doing, but she couldn¡¯t. Nor could she spare the attention. She was doing all that she could to hold these demons back as it were.


    And of course, as if on cue, another demon climbed out of the rift, releasing a cracking bellow that shook through the area and rattled Scarlett¡¯s bones. Larger than its predecessors, it exuded a sinister air. It still wasn¡¯t on the level of an archdemon, but Scarlett¡¯s [Charms of Apperception] didn¡¯t work against it, indicating its strength surpassed a level 65 monster from the game.


    Malachi¡¯s eyes shone with an intensified green as a viscous, viridescent energy enveloped her. Within [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], a dark ember of red flickered, briefly mingling Anguish¡¯s baleful essence with Malachi¡¯s aura, even as the Vile¡¯s presence also surged forth from Rosa.


    A wicked smile crept across Malachi¡¯s lips. ¡°She is trying to weasel her way free.¡±


    Scarlett felt Rosa¡¯s grip tighten on her clothes.


    ¡°Now, speak her name,¡± Malachi commanded.


    ¡°Astarothos,¡± Scarlett pronounced the word, tone dark. ¡°Get back here. We have unfinished business.¡±


    The name seemed to echo through the air with its own haunting weight, reminiscent of a nightmare¡¯s whispers. From within Rosa, Anguish¡¯s aura intensified more than threefold, and Scarlett felt how her declaration bore unspoken intent. Despite the chill that ran down her spine from the ominous presence beside her, she saw how Malachi harnessed that intent, guiding and shaping it in ways that were outside Scarlett¡¯s understanding.


    A groan left Rosa, and the bard looked to be in even more agony than when Scarlett had implanted the Heartstone in her chest, yet she didn¡¯t scream. Malachi¡¯s brow furrowed in deep concentration, and Scarlett observed them for the brief moment her situation allowed.


    This was going to take longer than she had hoped.


    Her vision had already turned more blurry as her mana was running dry, and she could only muster her remaining strength to keep the demons occupied for a little longer. Two of the demons looked like little more than walking heaps of burnt flesh at this point, but they still advanced with slow steps. Malachi¡¯s demons had long succumbed to Scarlett¡¯s magic.


    The fourth demon folded out a pair of wide wings, awkwardly taking flight while enduring her flames.


    Would she be able to stop it from reaching them?


    That was when she noticed a figure she was certain hadn¡¯t been there before, standing a few meters to her left. Clad in resplendent red robes with golden lacework and a glowing gold mask, their brilliant blond hair cascaded over their shoulders as if enchanted. They seemed to regard Scarlett for a moment, before shifting their focus to the demons.


    Behind them, several spinning nimbuses of light formed, like tiny galaxies, from which beams shot out at the demons. Caught off-guard, the demons, whose defences had already been weakened by Scarlett, were assaulted by this barrage of light.


    Two died instantly, their heads and shoulders reduced to ashes. The remaining demons suffered severe injuries as the beams tore through their bodies, and the stronger demon in the air tumbled to the ground as its wings were torn apart, releasing inflamed cries in an infernal tongue. It was far from dead, however, glaring in the direction of its attacker.


    ¡°An exemplary job, as ever, in standing your ground alone, Baroness,¡± the masked figure said. Despite their commendatory words, however, their tone sounded strangely detached. More nimbuses appeared, firing at the demons, along with other spells that took shape. ¡°Unfortunately, I suspect that my presence alone will be insufficient to turn this tide.¡±


    Two more demons emerged from the rift, at the same level as the large one. Almost as if emboldened, the demons resumed their advance, fixated on reaching their goal.


    The masked figure, Raimond, paused momentarily, surveying a spot on the dome that separated this space from the rest of Crowcairn, then turned to Scarlett. Under his mask, he seemed to be assessing them ¡ª her, Malachi, and Rosa.


    Finally, he motioned with his hand, and the air shimmered around Scarlett as if a veil of some kind fell over her.


    Glancing down, she noticed that her hands looked slightly different. Turning her head, she saw that both Malachi and Rosa¡¯s appearances had completely changed, the former resembling an older woman with black hair, and the latter a wounded teenager leaning on her elder.


    Suddenly, a bright light burst from the spot on the dome that Raimond had been considering, and three radiant figures emerged. Adorned in masterfully crafted armor of whites and golds, emblazoned with a symbol of the sun on the breastplates, each of them wore expressionless white masks resembling stoic visages with closed golden eyes.


    Dawnbringers.


    Their appearance here actually caught Scarlett off-guard.


    The trio sprang into action instantly, confronting the demons with a speed that rivaled a Solar Knight like Leon. One Dawnbringer, wielding a long sword twice their length, cut off the arm of a demon and pushed it back before turning to look at Raimond. The person¡¯s attention lingered on the priest for a moment before focusing on Malachi and Rosa.


    Despite the illusion that hid the two¡¯s appearance, the palpable presence of a powerful demon was undeniable.


    ¡°Allow me to handle it, Cadence,¡± Raimond spoke. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll have to ask for your assistance in stemming the breach that we have before us.¡±


    The name sparked a flicker of recognition in Scarlett¡¯s memories.


    The Dawnbringer seemed to study Raimond for another moment, then quickly resumed battling the demons, their sword emitting an intense light that cleaved into the bodies of two demons at once. The other Dawnbringers fought with equal fervor, repelling their foes.


    Scarlett briefly turned to meet Raimond¡¯s gaze, then shifted her attention to assess Malachi''s and Rosa¡¯s conditions. Shrouded in the illusion that concealed the woman¡¯s appearance, it was hard trying to make out Rosa¡¯s expression, but her presence felt like a chaotic amalgamation of Anguish¡¯s, Malachi¡¯s, and the bard¡¯s own, like a tumultuous tempest of conflicting energies.


    Then, as if some switch had been flipped, those energies suddenly dissipated. Rosa¡¯s grip on Scarlett slackened, and Scarlett had to catch the bard to stop her from collapsing to the ground.


    Next to them, Malachi slumped over, clearly exhausted.


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Did it work? If so, was that all? She still had business with Anguish, so she had been hoping to interrogate the Vile in a controlled environment if possible.


    ¡°It is¡­complicated,¡± Malachi replied slowly, her disguised face concealing her expression. She held up [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], its center ablaze with a brilliant dark red. ¡°I have obtained more of Anguish¡¯s Authority, but there were limitations. I suspect you will personally want to deal with the rest.¡±


    ¡°Baroness,¡± Raimond¡¯s voice echoed from behind them. ¡°I believe we should have a discussion.¡±


    Scarlett turned to face the masked man as he approached, sensing the weight behind those words. She glanced over at Malachi, then focused her attention on the man and nodded. ¡°I believe you are correct, Deacon Abram.¡±

 Chapter 208 - All thats missing is a confessional

    Raimond regarded Scarlett silently for a while, the man¡¯s expression concealed beneath his mask. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure if it was the [The Deacon¡¯s Sunfire Visage] left by Deacon Emberwood or if it simply looked similar, but that didn¡¯t matter much. What did was that Raimond was clad in his full deacon attire, making no attempt to hide his identity any longer.


    ¡°So you knew who I was, after all,¡± he said, his voice devoid of its usual levity. ¡°I suppose I did have my suspicions, but I did not find them warranted, given some of your actions. Perhaps my judgement is not as sharp as it once was.¡±


    ¡°Your identity is not as well-kept a secret as you may think, Deacon,¡± Scarlett responded.


    During her collaboration with Beldon Tyndall, the man had once hinted at recognizing who Raimond actually was. Sure, Beldon was virtually a living repository of the empire¡¯s secrets, but Scarlett doubted he was the only one outside the Followers aware of Raimond¡¯s penchant for ¡®wandering¡¯ under a guise.


    ¡°It would appear so,¡± Raimond mused.


    A thunderous roar erupted as another demon emerged from the rift at the center of the area, shaking the ground under its feet while the surrounding flames intensified.


    The three Dawnbringer members were exhibiting impressive teamwork in handling the threat that the demons posed, though, having already dispatched two of their opponents and pushed the demons closer to the rift while releasing bursts of radiant light from their weapons.


    Raimond seemed to briefly turn his attention in that direction, observing the demons, then refocused on Scarlett, his gaze moving past her. ¡°Malachi, I presume?¡±


    Scarlett glanced back at the woman standing there. Though Malachi¡¯s actual expression was masked by an illusion, her entire demeanor screamed alertness as she met Raimond¡¯s stare.


    ¡°And Rosa as well,¡± the priest added, observing the bard leaning on Scarlett. ¡°I did have my wonderings on what her role in this whole debacle was.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of Townsend¡¯s new associates, then,¡± Malachi said. ¡°The old hypocrite should learn when to step back.¡±


    ¡°I gather the two of you aren¡¯t on friendly terms. He was not particularly complimentary about you either, if you¡¯re interested. I won¡¯t claim to be familiar with your history or what led you to this point, but it hardly matters now. More pressing matters call for our attention, like whatever I just witnessed you doing to Miss Hale there.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you discover the answer to that yourself, or consult that god of yours if he¡¯s willing to share his insights.¡± Malachi eyed their surroundings, her eyes moving over the Dawnbringers and demons before eventually settling on the barely conscious Rosa.


    Raising [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], its dark core aflame with a sinister red, the woman then looked to the rift from where the demons were coming. A moment later, Anguish¡¯s Authority flowed out from her, and a new rift ruptured the air, enveloping her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll cross paths again,¡± she declared in a gravelly, severe tone, directed at Scarlett.


    ¡°Wait¡ª¡±


    Before Scarlett could even finish, Malachi disappeared, the rift closing behind her. Scarlett was left staring at only empty space.


    Maybe that shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise. Her collaboration with Malachi was barely an ¡®alliance¡¯, and their acquaintance was too brief for any substantial trust to exist between them. But Scarlett hadn¡¯t been aware Malachi could conjure a new rift like that. Presumably, it was because of the power the woman had drawn from Anguish. Had she fled to the Blazes, then?


    Scarlett wondered exactly how much of Anguish¡¯s Authority Malachi had managed to take if she felt secure in going there.


    ¡°I did not expect her to escape from an unstable interstitial space so effortlessly.¡± Raimond sighed, and Scarlett turned to face him again. ¡°Nor did I ever anticipate sensing the presence of a Vile emanating from a mortal. But today has been a day of many firsts.¡±


    He made no comment about [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], suggesting that he might not even have recognized the artifact after it had absorbed a portion of Anguish¡¯s power.


    ¡°Baroness,¡± the man continued after a moment, emphasizing her title. ¡°I hope you do not take offense when I say that I am being generous in hearing you out. An explanation is in order.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but these are hardly ideal circumstances for a lengthy discussion,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Be that as it may, they are the circumstances we have. With Malachi¡¯s departure, you and Miss Hale are the only sources I have for answers. I am sure you must understand the implications of that.¡±


    She studied him intently.


    There wasn¡¯t a doubt in her mind that he was prepared for a confrontation if necessary. Associating with demons was a grave offense that led to entire households being persecuted, and worse. Her status as a baroness might add some complexity to that, but the Followers wielded enough authority to address such issues in some way or other. And with the Dawnbringers present, simply making her escape was hardly a feasible option for Scarlett.


    Despite this, Raimond had employed his magic to conceal Scarlett and the others¡¯ appearances. Even now, he approached closely and spoke in hushed tones, ensuring that the Dawnbringers didn¡¯t overhear their conversation. He was extending an olive branch, and it was up to Scarlett whether to reciprocate.


    And she would, provided she could be certain he wasn¡¯t a threat.


    ¡°First,¡± she began, ¡°I need to understand your true purpose for being in Crowcairn at this precise time.¡±


    The presence of the Dawnbringers tipped the scales in Raimond¡¯s favor in any direct confrontation. Scarlett still didn¡¯t quite get why Raimond was here when he hadn¡¯t been involved in this questline in the game. Was his presence due to her, as she had begun to suspect? His decision to join her party and explore the Sunfire Shrine seemed to hint at that. But it also felt unlikely that he would let events escalate to this point if he¡¯d been suspicious of her from the start.


    The man fell silent for a moment, regarding her, before slowly shaking his head. ¡°I believe I was the one seeking an explanation, but very well. It¡¯s as I told you when we met outside the citadel. There were no falsehoods there. My mission was to gather information on behalf of my superiors, though, admittedly, I did leave out that I am one of those superiors on occasion.¡±


    ¡°So you were aware that the Tribe of Sin might have an enclave here in Crowcairn.¡±


    ¡°No. That came as a surprise to all of us. However, it seems as if you were aware of as much, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°I had my suspicions.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why that is.¡±


    Scarlett ignored that comment, eyeing the man. ¡°If the Quorum was oblivious to the Tribe¡¯s presence, what prompted your investigation of the village?¡±


    ¡°It was the Augur¡¯s revelation,¡± the man said. ¡°It predicted that an event of untold significance could take place here.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    The Augur had predicted this?


    That definitely didn¡¯t happen in the game. Scarlett had almost assumed that the Augur¡¯s foresight was limited to in-game events, given the woman¡¯s lack of intervention during the heist on the Sanctuary of Ittar and apparent ignorance of Scarlett¡¯s involvement. That would even have made sense, given what Scarlett had learned about the fate of this world being somewhat fixed.


    If that wasn¡¯t true, though, and the Augur¡¯s visions extended beyond the game¡¯s plot, it raised questions about the scope and accuracy of her prophecies. How much did the woman know, and what had she hoped to prevent in sending Raimond here? Anguish¡¯s manifestation? Malachi¡¯s usurpation of a Vile? Or Scarlett pursuing her own agenda?


    ¡°In case you are doubting my motivations, I was unaware that both you and Miss Hale would be present when I first departed for Crowcairn,¡± Raimond added. ¡°Our encounter here was as unexpected for me as it was for you. Now, I have been rather forthcoming about my initial reasons for being here. I believe it is your turn. We can set aside the reason behind the request you made of me, since I think it¡¯s more than clear why you needed my help. What you offered in return can also be discussed later. What¡¯s imperative now is the situation at hand, so let us begin with that. Malachi may have left, but at least one individual directly responsible for a Vile¡¯s incursion into our realm appears to be cradled in your arms.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Scarlett glanced down at the motionless Rosa that she was supporting, taking a moment to shift the bard¡¯s body to rest more comfortably against her shoulder. She then returned her gaze to Raimond. ¡°Miss Hale was not responsible for the manifestation of the Vile¡¯s citadel.¡±


    ¡°From what I just witnessed, the evidence seems to suggest otherwise.¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. She didn¡¯t know when he arrived or how much he saw.


    Raimond¡¯s attention remained on Rosa. ¡°While I suspect I already know the answer, I still must ask. What is she?¡±


    ¡°¡­An incarnate,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Behind his mask, Raimond¡¯s reaction was unreadable, but his tone did not sound cheerful. ¡°Then did she collaborate with Malachi to summon the Vile?¡±


    ¡°No. She was unaware of her true nature and Malachi¡¯s intentions.¡±


    ¡°But you were not,¡± Raimond stated. ¡°You were familiar with the inside of the citadel because you had anticipated this. Did you strike a bargain with the Vile to bring them here?¡±


    ¡°Only a fool would engage in such a pact with a Vile.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± The man nodded slightly. ¡°And if there is anything I have learned from our interactions, Baroness, it is that you are anything but foolish. So, what exactly did you do?¡±


    ¡°I devised a trap.¡±


    ¡°A trap?¡±f


    ¡°Yes. Due to Miss Hale¡¯s unique condition, she has always been vulnerable to being recognized and exposed for what she is. Anguish, the Vile who first discovered her, has been tormenting her for some time,¡± Scarlett let some of the anger in her voice seep out. ¡°Since Anguish¡¯s existence posed a threat to one of my people, I decided that action was necessary. Thus, I devised a method of using Malachi¡¯s expertise to temporarily imprison the Vile within our realm, siphoning enough of her Authority to the point where Anguish could no longer harm Miss Hale.¡±


    Raimond regarded her intently for several seconds. ¡°So your objective was truly to trap one of the six Viles?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°To protect Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what of the risks associated with such an endeavour?¡± the man asked. ¡°Can they all be disregarded for the sake of one individual?¡±


    ¡°There were no risks.¡±


    ¡°I can think of several¡ª¡±


    ¡°There were none of note,¡± Scarlett said, holding Raimond¡¯s gaze. ¡°I will not engage in a debate to convince you of this. Simply know that I am not the type to recklessly gamble with other people¡¯s lives for nothing, much less my own. I knew what was necessary to save Miss Hale, and I had a method that eliminated the risk of Anguish causing widespread havoc. It was either this or allow one of my own to die needlessly, which I will never accept.¡±


    ¡°¡­You remain as self-assured as ever, Baroness,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°Because I have reason to be.¡±


    The deacon raised an arm, the sleeve of his red robe fluttering with the movement. He pointed towards the Dawnbringers, still locked in combat with the demons emerging from the rift. ¡°Pardon my skepticism, but this hardly seems like a situation that justifies such confidence.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°¡­There were unforeseen complications.¡±


    ¡°I surmised as much from your request for assistance. I assume our abrupt arrival here in Crowcairn was not part of the plan? What caused such a development? It appeared to be the Vile¡¯s doing, but unlike what one might assume, it was not the mere expulsion of intruders from the citadel performed by its master.¡±


    ¡°No, such an action was beyond Anguish¡¯s ability at that point. It was Miss Hale who was responsible for this.¡±


    That seemed to genuinely surprise Raimond, with him falling silent for a moment. ¡°¡­To me, it sounds as if you are implying that Miss Hale possesses some control over the power of a Vile.¡±


    ¡°To some degree, yes,¡± Scarlett confirmed. ¡°As I mentioned, I had valid reasons for my confidence. Anguish was, in a sense, subdued by Miss Hale. It was part of the process intended to deal with Anguish permanently. Depending on how much of the encounter between Malachi and Miss Hale just now you witnessed, you would realize that these are not empty words.¡±


    ¡°¡­I confess, I was left mostly perplexed by what I saw there,¡± Raimond said. His gaze rested on Rosa, now partially leaning against Scarlett¡¯s shoulder. Several seconds passed in silence. ¡°While it sounds preposterous, I might indeed believe you. Yet, I am puzzled why she would have transported us all here. She did not seem to have a connection to the villagers of Crowcairn when I first accompanied her here, and you, Baroness, don¡¯t strike me as a sympathizer of the Tribe.¡±


    ¡°I am not, and Miss Hale has no affiliation with the Tribe whatsoever. It would seem she simply did not find the idea of a pogrom agreeable, and as such, chose to use her newfound power to prevent the massacre that was about to occur here. Even when knowing it would obstruct my plans. She is not one to weigh the consequences of aiding members of the Tribe of Sin and how it might look to the empire.¡±


    Not that Scarlett was one to talk, given she¡¯d had ample opportunity to end things and make her exit if necessary. Even if everything had spiraled out of control completely and Anguish had been on the verge of fully manifesting through Rosa, Scarlett could have invoked the Vile¡¯s name to buy the time necessary to eliminate Rosa. This would have prevented Anguish from lingering in the Material Realm and posing any threat.


    Scarlett simply hadn¡¯t been willing to take that route. Even as a last resort, she found it disagreeable. Preferably, any solution that she did find would have involved both Rosa¡¯s survival and Anguish enduring perpetual suffering.


    ¡°¡­If so, it would seem Rosa is much the same as she appears,¡± Raimond eventually spoke in a somber tone, then shifted to a more serious demeanor. ¡°And what of the villagers, then? Did they succeed in their attempt to retreat? I presume they used the Sanctumbrum.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. That was not what she had anticipated him to ask next. ¡°Most did leave, yes. Only their warriors remained, to my knowledge.¡±


    In most circumstances, admitting to aiding what was essentially the empire¡¯s sworn enemies to a member of the church¡ªa deacon, no less¡ªwas more than simply ¡®unwise¡¯. Still, in this situation, Scarlett had limited options. There were two avenues available to her that could bring a resolution she wanted, and she preferred this alternative. Besides, of everything she¡¯d shared with Raimond, this was comparatively minor.


    ¡°Assuming you have spoken no falsehoods, Baroness, I believe I have a general idea of the situation. For divulging this much, you have my thanks, irrespective of your motivations for doing so.¡± His voice lowered. ¡°However, many, many questions remain. Chief among them is Miss Hale there.¡± He gestured towards Rosa. ¡°Her identity as an incarnate aside, if she still harbors one of the Viles within her, she presents a danger to all. Once she stirs, what will prevent Anguish from wreaking havoc in this realm?¡±


    Scarlett glanced down at the bard, studying her current illusionary appearance. Rosa looked almost Allyssa¡¯s age right now, with short auburn hair and a thick blouse that covered the Heartstone in her chest. For now, any sign of Anguish had also vanished, along with that new, unfamiliar presence Scarlett had sensed.


    Raimond¡¯s concern was valid.


    What would happen once Rosa woke up? Had their plan worked? Malachi said this was complicated, but that didn¡¯t tell Scarlett much. The woman¡¯s sudden departure implied that there wasn¡¯t much more that the half-demon could extract from Rosa, which was promising. The interstitial space around them was still standing, but the dome enclosing the space had gradually turned greyer as time passed, with small fissures on its surface. It probably wouldn¡¯t last forever.


    Rosa had warned that her leaving this place might be bad, but Scarlett was pretty sure that concern was no longer valid. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint the source of that confidence, but it was there, accompanied by a firm certainty that, regardless of Rosa¡¯s condition, it could be dealt with.


    Scarlett looked back at Raimond. ¡°If necessary, I will handle it,¡± she stated firmly.


    The man remained silent, contemplative. He cast a brief glance towards the Dawnbringers, who were valiantly combating an increasing number of stronger and stronger demons escaping out of the rift.


    ¡°The other ones will probably arrive soon,¡± Raimond said after a moment. ¡°Including your companion, Fynn, I suspect. I had him relay the message for me, but Cadence is the only member of the Dawnbringers with an artifact that allows such rapid travel. One could say we are fortunate she was the one to arrive first, as anyone else would likely not have heeded my commands, even as a deacon.¡±


    He faced Scarlett again, his hand moving to his face. As he removed his mask, revealing his handsome features beneath, he wore a somber expression. ¡°I did not take your request lightly, Baroness, but you should know that offering any further assistance than I already have will be challenging.¡±


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Scarlett said. That¡¯s why she would have preferred to keep him out of all of this. Even if Raimond himself could be reasoned with, the same couldn¡¯t necessarily be said for the Followers as a whole. ¡°But you would not have concealed our appearances without reason.¡±


    ¡°Consider that a final gesture of goodwill between acquaintances.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I take that to mean this is as far as you are willing to go?¡±


    Raimond¡¯s gaze sharpened, and Scarlett tensed.


    She was exhausted, nearly out of mana, and burdened by an unmoving Rosa. She wasn¡¯t in a position to face off against both Raimond and the Dawnbringers. Even if, by some miracle, she made it out from a fight like that, her involvement in all of this would become known, and she would be hunted across the empire.


    Honestly, she was probably more of a fool than Rosa for letting things get this far.


    Yet, despite acknowledging this, she found herself surprised by how unfazed she felt in the face of that. Paradoxically, ever since entering this interstitial space to find Rosa, she had gradually felt more and more confident. That confidence stemmed from the very same conviction that told her she could safely bring Rosa from here. It was telling her that, even if she should be completely outclassed in a fight, she did stand a chance.


    Moreover, her identity would remain secure as long as there were no witnesses.


    The ruthlessness behind that thought was somewhat startling, but she¡¯d be lying if she claimed she hadn¡¯t entertained similar thoughts since she first laid eyes on Raimond outside Anguish¡¯s citadel. The man was a potential ally, but he was also a potential threat. She¡¯d always known that.


    As for the origin of this strange conviction¡­ She had a sneaking suspicion, but it wasn¡¯t something she could confirm right now.


    Preparing herself for a fight if necessary, Scarlett moved in front of Rosa while keeping her attention on Raimond and the serious expression on his face.


    Contrary to her expectations, however, the man unexpectedly sighed and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Let me pose this hypothetical to you, Baroness,¡± he said, locking eyes with her. ¡°Say you were to successfully overwhelm a certain debonair deacon after he had assured his frighteningly competent colleagues that he will handle you, and then you make your daring escape. How likely do you think it is that he could retain his rather cushy, but highly esteemed, position?¡±


    Scarlett blinked, caught off guard by the question, then a slight smile curled the corner of her mouth.

 Chapter 209 - Subterfuge

    Scarlett couldn¡¯t speak for how the Followers of Ittar and their Quorum dealt with deacons who neglected their duties, but she did know that having Raimond¡¯s assistance helped her avoid a nasty confrontation.


    She hadn¡¯t been aware of his proficiency in illusion, but his ability to conceal her and Rosa¡¯s appearance proved a great help. A spell from him was all it took to mask their escape, and the Dawnbringers were too occupied fighting the demons flooding out of the rift to notice anything.


    Supporting the unconscious Rosa, Scarlett exited the increasingly unstable interstitial space. Contrary to Scarlett¡¯s fears, leaving the space was far less disturbing than entering it, without any sign of that eerie grey-and-white void that had pulled her in before, nor did Rosa¡¯s departure cause any unusual reactions.


    Scarlett¡¯s primary concern now was finding safety. Raimond would maintain their cover for a while longer before making it seem as though they had made their escape, like Malachi. He had also promised to take care of Fynn when he arrived. While Scarlett was uncertain about the specifics of how he¡¯d do that, she trusted Raimond¡¯s ability to deliver on his promises.


    As for if she trusted Raimond himself, the jury was still out on that. She always had a hard time deciphering what went through that man¡¯s head.


    At least it seemed he believed enough of her story and felt it compelling enough to collaborate with her, despite the risk it put him in. Given what Scarlett had asked Fynn to tell Raimond in order to gain the man¡¯s help, that outcome wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected, but she¡¯d had some doubts. She knew Raimond was supposed to be a good person, but ¡®goodness¡¯ could manifest in various ways. She hadn¡¯t been certain if he would approve of Rosa¡¯s efforts to aid villagers, considering what the Tribe of Sin¡¯s views on those serving Ittar.


    There was still the possibility that Raimond was deceiving Scarlett in some fashion, but she doubted that. Nevertheless, just in case, it might be best to develop some measures for dealing with such a situation in the future.


    Right now, however, she was too exhausted to think about that, and other concerns took precedence.


    Concealed under a veil of invisibility that Raimond had cast on them, Scarlett and Rosa made their way through the empty streets of Crowcairn. Relying on her enchanted glasses to navigate the darkness, Scarlett struggled to move Rosa to the nearest house. Briefly leaning the bard against it, she then pulled out and consumed one of the last of Allyssa¡¯s stamina potions.


    The potion¡¯s effect was minor, but at this point, everything helped.


    Glancing down to the spot where the invisible Rosa was lying, a frown appeared on Scarlett¡¯s brow.


    In addition to everything else she needed to discuss with the woman, she intended to make sure Rosa paid her back for these inconveniences. Beyond just the physical strain and the symptoms of mana exhaustion she was experiencing, dragging the bard around like this just felt so undignified.


    It was absurd that things like that were still on her mind in a situation like this, but the original¡¯s personality traits still ran deep in certain ways.


    While catching her breath, her gaze wandered over the village. In the dark, with its barren streets, open doors, and occasional abandoned family heirlooms, it looked more than simply deserted. It felt forsaken. Tracks in the dirt, tools leaning against the houses, and baskets lying toppled over in front of doors. A wooden horse doll in a window caught Scarlett¡¯s eye, its painted gaze seeming to stare out into the night.


    Her attention lingered on it for a moment.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how long the villagers had been living here¡ªyears, decades, or maybe even generations¡ªbut the evidence of their presence probably wouldn¡¯t last even a fraction of that time. The empire would be turning this village upside down for anything related to the Tribe of Sin, and there probably wouldn¡¯t be much left after that.


    Although she knew why the Tribe established their Enclaves around the continent, she would never understand why anyone would willingly be part of them. Living as an ordinary person in enemy territory, where discovery meant death for themselves, their families, and their entire community, sounded insane. It was insane. While the empire might not be as ruthless as it had once been, it remained the Tribe and Cabal¡¯s sworn enemy. The Tribe was aware of this, yet many of its members still embraced this risk.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure whether to pity or scoff at their dogmatism.


    Her attention returned to the spot in front of her where Rosa was.


    How familiar was the bard with the beliefs of the people she had risked so much to save? As an imperial citizen, the woman¡¯s knowledge of the Tribe was likely an overly simplistic one. To most imperials, they were nothing but remorseless terrorists. Although Scarlett supposed that if anyone might hold a more nuanced perspective, it would be Rosa.


    Shaking her head, Scarlett knelt down to lift the woman up again, settling Rosa over her shoulder.


    Dwelling on the question didn¡¯t serve much purpose at the moment.


    Shaking her head, Scarlett bent down to lift the woman once more, settling her with an arm over her shoulder. Dwelling on the matter served little purpose now. True, Scarlett had felt a persistent distaste since learning of the duke¡¯s men¡¯s impending assault on the village. However, the Tribe weren¡¯t any friends of hers. Much of their suffering resulted from their own actions. The members of an Enclave would understand the inherent risks that came with it.


    Lugging Rosa along with her, she made her way out of the village. As they neared the village¡¯s edge, she paused, her gaze drawn towards the horizon. There, standing as an imposing structure of black stretching skyward, was Anguish¡¯s citadel.


    That was strange. She would have expected it to disappear by now. Even if Anguish wasn¡¯t completely vanquished, the Vile should have lost a significant amount of her Authority and power. Scarlett doubted Malachi would have left if Anguish¡¯s manifestation was still active, so why did the citadel linger here in the Material Realm?


    ¡­At least its presence no longer felt as ominous as it had before. The dread it once seemed to inspire had largely subsided. What exactly this meant would have to be investigated further at a later time.


    Resuming their escape from Crowcairn, Scarlett soon noticed something else. To the west, where Sir Home¡¯s encampment had been, several figures were approaching the village. Some might have been the duke¡¯s men, but most notable was a group of mounted individuals in golden armor ¡ª more Dawnbringers. By their side ran a single figure, keeping pace with the horses on foot.


    Fynn.


    The group advanced towards Crowcairn, heading for the opposite side of the village. Fynn, although he shouldn¡¯t be able to see Scarlett and Rosa due to Raimond¡¯s invisibility spell, briefly halted, seeming to gaze in their direction.


    Scarlett¡¯s pulse quickened, but after a few seconds, the young man resumed running to catch up with the Dawnbringers, disappearing into the village.


    Scarlett watched the spot where they vanished among the buildings. While Fynn sensing them wasn¡¯t maybe that surprising, it was unexpected that he¡¯d figure out that it was best to feign ignorance of that. Sometimes he could be more astute than one would give him credit for ¡ª a fact that Scarlett appreciated.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    His presence with the Dawnbringers¡ªlikely guiding them on Raimond¡¯s behalf¡ªwas also fortunate. Scarlett¡¯s overall involvement in recent events couldn¡¯t be kept under wraps, but if her retainers aided in addressing the apparent demon incursion it would help bolster her credibility.


    Eventually turning away from the village, Scarlett continued on, breathing heavily under Rosa¡¯s weight. The landscape around Crowcairn was hilly, the village itself nestled in a flatter area by a minor river to the south. Scarlett headed north, aiming to put distance between them and Crowcairn before changing direction towards Sir Home¡¯s encampment.


    After a while, she felt Rosa stir.


    ¡°Wha¡­?¡± the woman¡¯s voice, close to Scarlett¡¯s ear, was groggy.


    Scarlett paused, turning slightly. Although she couldn¡¯t see Rosa, she felt the bard¡¯s head press against her shoulder.


    ¡°Rosa?¡± she asked, bracing herself. Even assuming what Malachi did earlier had failed, now that they were outside the interstitial space linked to the Blazes, Anguish should have diminished influence over Rosa. The Vile shouldn¡¯t be able to speak through the woman. However, if she could, Scarlett was prepared to use Anguish¡¯s name again. It might not be as effective the second time, but it would still have an effect.


    ¡°¡­Scarlett?¡± Rosa almost seemed to slur as she spoke, as if waking from a long sleep.


    Scarlett¡¯s shoulders relaxed slightly. ¡°Yes, it is me.¡±


    There was a moment of silence.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± Rosa eventually asked.


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°You are not.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A hand reached out, touching Scarlett¡¯s arm, moving up to the shoulder, then softly poked at her chin as if to confirm her words.


    ¡°¡­You are not dreaming, Rosa,¡± Scarlett repeated, letting a tinge of irritation bleed through her voice.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the bard replied in a quiet voice. ¡°Not being able to see you threw me for a ride.¡±


    ¡°Deacon Abram cast an invisibility spell on us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Deacon who-now?¡±


    ¡°Father Abraham.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you said.¡±


    ¡°I will explain later,¡± Scarlett replied briskly. ¡°For now, we should continue on our way. Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think so.¡± Rosa¡¯s weight shifted, followed by faint sounds of movement and then a yelp. ¡°¡­Okay, I might be a teensy bit dizzy. Legs feel like they forgot they¡¯re supposed to have bones in them, as well.¡±


    Scarlett gave a small sigh. ¡°Lean on me if necessary.¡±


    Despite feeling near collapse herself, at least her legs hadn¡¯t given up on her yet.


    A hand touched her shoulder as Rosa leaned on her for support, and after Scarlett had ensured that the woman wouldn¡¯t stumble over immediately, they resumed their journey under the darkened sky. Scarlett¡¯s mind was awash with thoughts that swirled around like a storm, and there were many things she wanted to say, but she held back, letting the silence stretch between them.


    ¡°By the by,¡± Rosa finally spoke, her voice ladened with fatigue. ¡°Were you carrying me earlier?¡±


    ¡°No, I was not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure felt like it. I certainly don¡¯t remember walking all the way out here myself.¡±


    ¡°That is because I dragged you here,¡± Scarlett stated bluntly. ¡°As one would baggage, or a particularly recalcitrant child.¡±


    ¡°That stings.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°This is why people call you heartless¡­¡± Rosa¡¯s voice murmured.


    Scarlett shifted her head slightly, glancing towards where Rosa should be.


    She wasn¡¯t sure why she was suddenly participating in light banter with the bard, as if avoiding what they should be discussing, however, it didn¡¯t feel quite right to press Rosa on it now. The matter with Anguish needed attention, though, but that could wait until they were somewhere safer.


    They continued in silence as they trudged onward, climbing one of the hills near Crowcairn. The frigid night air had begun to penetrate Scarlett¡¯s clothes, and unfortunately she couldn¡¯t spare the mana to warm herself with pyrokinesis, so she endured the chill. Rosa had it even worse, with her torn clothing exposing the Heartstone on her chest.


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s talking in my head right now,¡± the woman suddenly said after a while. ¡°Anguish, I mean.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow, stealing a look in the bard¡¯s direction. She hadn¡¯t expected Rosa to broach the subject first. After considering the woman¡¯s words, though, Scarlett¡¯s expression turned to a frown. If Anguish continued to be a nuisance, she might need to invoke the Vile¡¯s name after all and make her hurt a b¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rosa continued. ¡°She can¡¯t do much of anything right now.¡±


    Scarlett paused. ¡°¡­You mean to say you are in full control once more?¡±


    ¡°Well, half-and-half.¡± Rosa chuckled dryly. ¡°I think I can shut her up for a bit if I want to, but I¡¯m too tired. We¡¯re kinda in a reverse situation from how it was back in the citadel. Pretty sure Malachi didn¡¯t manage to snatch all of ol¡¯ Anguish¡¯s power, ¡®Authority¡¯, or whatever it¡¯s called, but she did somehow block Anguish from the Blaze where most of it is. You might say Anguish¡¯s body is still raring to go, but her mind¡¯s stuck here with me, under lock and key.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened. This explained why Malachi didn¡¯t seem to have minded escaping into the rift. The woman knew this was her time to act, while Anguish was unable to exert her influence over her domain.


    That any fragment of Anguish still strong enough to talk remained in Rosa was perhaps not ideal, but¡­maybe, just maybe, it wasn¡¯t terrible either. It depended on how permanent of a thing this was and Rosa¡¯s control over the Vile.


    Scarlett also couldn¡¯t deny that there was a part of her that felt a twisted sense of satisfaction in imagining Anguish, a prideful demon, being imprisoned within a mortal, powerless yet conscious.


    But what would Anguish¡¯s diminished in her domain imply in the long run? Malachi likely lacked the power and Authority to rule the entire Blaze of Anguish. The other Viles had also been encroaching on Anguish¡¯s territory, and there was no way they hadn¡¯t noticed this whole manifestation ordeal. All six Blazes were probably in some state of turmoil at the moment.


    But it wasn¡¯t as if that was a bad thing. Scarlett preferred it that way. It meant there was less risk of the other Viles causing her any future headaches.


    ¡°¡­Got nothing to say to that?¡± Rosa asked, her voice pulling Scarlett back to the present.


    Scarlett gave a slight nod. ¡°I have plenty, but my thoughts are rather mired at the moment. Much has happened.¡±


    ¡°I get that.¡±


    For a moment, Scarlett stayed quiet, contemplating whether to probe for more. ¡°¡­What is Anguish saying at the moment?¡± she finally asked.


    There were a few seconds of silence from Rosa before she answered. ¡°You¡¯re better off not knowing.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. If Anguish could still torment Rosa like before, her absence from the Blazes wouldn¡¯t matter much. That didn¡¯t seem to be the case, but she didn¡¯t know for sure. ¡°Do you believe there is any risk of her regaining control soon?¡±


    ¡°No, probably not. Not unless I let her. And just so we¡¯re clear, I don¡¯t have any plans of doing that ever again. Besides, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s in a position where she could do much now even if I did.¡±


    ¡°That is reassuring.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all you got to say?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze now remained fixed ahead. ¡°No, but I will leave it at that for now,¡± she said, choosing to end the conversation there.


    As long as it was safe for the time being, the rest could be dealt with later. First, they had to make it back to the camp, regroup with Allyssa and the others, and recover from everything that happened. Scarlett likely wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid another meeting with Raimond, where she supposed she would learn the details of whatever fabricated excuse he¡¯d conjured up to explain events to his fellows.


    Beyond that, a real, actual conversation with Rosa about a lot of things was long overdue. If possible, Scarlett also hoped to confront directly, to extract as much information as possible from the Vile.


    Another lingering concern was the absence of any sort of system notification indicating the conclusion of this questline. If Rosa¡¯s words were to be believed, Anguish was subdued and wouldn¡¯t resurface in any dangerous fashion for now. The lack of a notification appearing to confirm that worried Scarlett, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was necessarily a bad sign. Since visiting that grey void, the system had seemed a bit off-kilter.


    She glanced down slightly as the system window appeared before her.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]


    [??????? ????????? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 413/12063]


    [Points: 36]


    That strange new skill was still there, though its appearance had changed slightly. It seemed to do that with each inspection.


    She was still clueless about what it was. All she knew was that it was there and that it was different from the other skills. In a way, it felt like it was trying to communicate with her, though not in words. It was just a weird sensation that she couldn¡¯t quite describe. If her suspicions were correct, though, that wasn¡¯t the only thing it had done recently.


    She couldn¡¯t help the frown on her face deepening as she studied the new entry on her skill list, eventually dismissing the system window.


    It was another concern among many, adding to the ever-growing pile of mysteries this world had presented her with. This one was probably one of the most perplexing and nebulous ones yet, but at the same time, it also offered her hints of deeper insights into the system and this world than she had gleaned in the nearly half a year she¡¯d been here. Perhaps if she could follow where that trail led in the future, she could unveil the system¡¯s origins and this world¡¯s secrets.


    That is, assuming it didn¡¯t bring about some far more ominous outcome before then. She¡¯d be foolish not to be wary of what it represented.


    For now, the path ahead was uncertain, but at least she knew it meant something. And that alone was enough to make her think.

 Chapter 210 - Unpleasant necessities

    Witnessing the Dawnbringers in action always presented a humbling spectacle. This was something Raimond was certain wouldn¡¯t change, regardless of how long his tenure as a deacon of the Quorum continued.


    Before him, holy knights, serving as the radiant sword of Ittar, moved in seamless harmony, collaborating to repel the monsters threatening their home. Their auras and invocations bathed the artificial space that connected realms in the golden brilliance of a pristine dawn, pushing back the ominous reds from the fires and lava erupting from various breaches in the ground.


    Raimond¡¯s focus shifted to a wounded Dawnbringer, retreating after a grievous blow from a demon three times their size, their left arm and shield hanging limp. Another Dawnbringer swiftly covered their ally, and Raimond redirected the invocation he was maintaining.


    Radiant Resurgence.


    Light surged from beneath Raimond, reaching across the distance between them and enveloping the injured Dawnbringer. Within moments, their arm regained function, and the knight wasted no time in leaping back into the fray.


    As for Raimond, he wished his mask didn¡¯t obstruct him from wiping away the sweat that covered his brow. The mask was a powerful relic, to be sure, and it certainly looked regal enough, but he had never been one for concealing his face. In this case, however, borrowing the power from Deacon Emberwood¡¯s mask was preferable to the alternative, considering he was the sole healer present.


    Typically, the Dawnbringers had dedicated members for this task, but while the order had hastily assembled as many Dawnbringers as possible for this, almost half had been preoccupied with other crises or events across the empire that involved the Hallowed Cabal and Tribe of Sin. Only nine Dawnbringers stood before him, six having recently arrived along with Fynn. If not for Raimond, they would¡¯ve had to rely solely on the healing properties of their masterwork armors and artifacts.


    This thankless task he¡¯d assumed reminded him of the days when he had been a prospective member of the Dawnbringers himself, and Cadence had been the one overseeing him. She had worked him to the bone for his invocations and his¡ªif he were to be frank¡ªrather impressive mana reserves.


    The memory sent a small shiver down his back.


    He much preferred his current station. Even his time in the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments had been preferable to those arduous months.


    As Raimond cast another invocation to aid his comrades, his attention paused briefly on a white-haired figure leaping into the air, snarling and swiping a pair of ethereal green claws at a behemoth of a demon. Fynn¡¯s claws tore into the demon¡¯s shoulder, while a Dawnbringer swung a glowing greatsword at its knees, forcing it down.


    Fynn seemed to integrate well with the Dawnbringers. The youth exhibited an almost impeccable sense of combat and cooperation, making Raimond wonder if it was self-taught or learned during his time with Baroness Hartford. Perhaps a blend of both.


    A roar echoed as another demon emerged from the dark rift at the center of the space, even more formidable looking than the rest. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they had an archdemon on their hands, a challenge even for the Dawnbringers to handle while also dealing with other demons.


    Frowning underneath his mask, Raimond turned his gaze to the remnants of the Sanctumbrum. The wooden platform it once stood on had long since turned to cinders, and the artifact was now a molten lump of crimson-black stone, its power having waned considerably.


    He glanced to the side, where the once-black dome encompassing the area had turned a pale grey, marred with numerous cracks. It seemed as if the Baroness had been correct; this space would not last for much longer. Mayhap fighting these demons after her departure had even been entirely unnecessary.


    Still, a rift to one of the six Blazes was not a threat left unattended, no matter the circumstances. The Sanctumbrum¡¯s ability to open such a gate to begin with was alarming, though Raimond hoped it was a unique occurrence. Otherwise, the Tribe surely would have exploited such a feature before.


    What surprised Raimond the most was his acceptance of the current situation, however. Particularly his decision to aid the Baroness and Miss Hale in their escape.


    Certainly, the act itself had not been difficult, with Cadence and the other Dawnbringers too engrossed in battling the demons to see through the illusions he had used to disguise the Baroness¡¯ disappearance. But while Raimond often acted somewhat lax in his Quorum duties, never before had he committed an act that could so plainly be considered treason.


    It would take an extraordinary situation indeed to prompt him to act in such a manner.


    Silently, he offered a prayer to Ittar, hoping his lord would show understanding, all while casting another healing invocation.


    Truly, the Baroness had placed him in a rather difficult predicament. When Fynn had sought Raimond out to convey the woman¡¯s words, she presented him with a choice. Unfortunately for him, neither the request nor the information Fynn had offered in return from the Baroness was something Raimond could disregard.


    Perhaps that might have been another calculated maneuver by the Baroness. It had become clear to Raimond that, wary as he had originally been of the woman, he had grossly underestimated the extent of her machinations and cunning, not to mention the depth of the knowledge at her disposal. And none of that could compare to how far her involvement in current events went.


    It was disconcerting. In truth, there were far too many indications pointing to the Baroness being a potential threat to both the Followers and the empire at large. For once, Raimond questioned whether his initial accommodating approach in investigating the woman had been the correct one, or if another deacon should have handled the issue.


    If they had, perhaps the near manifestation of a Vile in their realm could have been averted.


    Though such a scenario likely would also have spelled an unfortunate end for Miss Hale, given the truth of her identity as an incarnate. To Raimond¡¯s knowledge, there were no methods of saving an incarnate from their fate as vessels for the Viles. Historically, such cases had all ended in death, with one exception that led to the event known as the Desolation Calamity, supposedly causing the collapse of an entire island chain the size of the Luicean Belt.


    It would be the height of arrogance and folly to endanger the entire continent and its people for the safety of a single person destined to succumb to the demon inside them. Yet, that was precisely what Baroness Scarlett Hartford had done. And were Raimond to believe the woman herself, she had been justified in doing so. She had accomplished what he had not known possible and ¡®saved¡¯ Rosa.


    He still harbored his doubts regarding that, as well as the Baroness¡¯ assertion of having brought the Vile within Rosa to heel and contained the threat posed by the ancient demon.


    There had even been a fleeting moment where Raimond had considered that the woman herself might be a demon in disguise, unlikely as that was. What he first witnessed upon arriving in this space did lend some credence to the Baroness¡¯ words, however. Though he hadn¡¯t seen the entire process, he had witnessed Malachi and Rosa perform some indescribable feat that had subdued the Vile¡¯s presence within the bard.


    It was impressive, but not what convinced him. No, that happened when the Baroness spoke the Vile¡¯s name.


    Raimond was no expert on demons, but he knew as much as any deacon of the Quorum was expected to know. He was familiar with the fundamentals of what defined their existence, and the significance names held to a demon. However, he would not claim to be able to distinguish between a false name and a true one.


    Yet, when the Baroness had spoken that name, he knew. As if the name was woven into the very fabric of the world, in a way that felt almost irreverent in its inviolability, he had understood that was a true name.


    Baroness Scarlett Hartford held the name of Anguish, one of the six Viles. She knew the name of a being that stood above even the most powerful of archdemons, who had reigned over one of the Blazes for millennia, and who had been the malefactor responsible for countless conflicts and miseries. A being infamous for its deceptiveness and malice, whose name transcended even the level of myths. Some even believed the Viles were nameless, as there were never any mentions of them, even in legends.


    To most members of the Quorum, the notion of the Baroness somehow knowing such a name would seem preposterous. Of this, Raimond was certain. However, her possession of such hidden knowledge spoke to the depth of her understanding, and it showed why Raimond could not simply ignore her warning. In fact, it added more weight to all of her claims.


    It was also partly why Raimond had believed her explanation for their group¡¯s sudden departure from the Vile¡¯s citadel and the presence of a rift linking to the Blazes at the heart of Crowcairn. He also did not doubt that Rosa might indeed have tried to save the villagers, even knowing their true identities. It aligned with the impression he had gotten of the bard. While his estimation of the Baroness herself had proven incorrect or lacking in several respects, he at least liked to think that he made a decent judgement of Rosa¡¯s character, despite their relatively brief interactions.


    Although that might be his own bias speaking. After all, foolish as it might seem to most imperial citizens, the needless bloodshed on the Tribe¡¯s side in their endless fight against the empire had always left Raimond despondent. Ironically, such thoughts still lingered in his mind even after he had embraced Ittar¡¯s teachings ¡ª a path that any member of the Tribe would deride. They did not seek his sympathy, nor did the empire wish for him to give it.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    But he supposed there were unturned pages of one¡¯s past that one truly never closed.


    As one of the demons unleashed a torrent of dark flames from its wings towards the Dawnbringers, Raimond conjured a great barrier of light that snaked across the battlefield, blocking the flames and shielding his allies from the inferno. Two of the Dawnbringers soon seized the opportunity to sever the demon¡¯s wings.


    Drawing a deep breath, Raimond held his barrier a moment longer before dispersing it, again wishing he could remove the mask and the accumulating sweat beneath it. The fact that his mana was beginning to dwindle, after casting numerous invocations both in the citadel and during this battle, was a testament to the enormity of recent events. It was rare for someone renowned among the Followers for his vast mana reserves to reach such a point of exhaustion.


    Now he was beginning to understand why some others were so envious of him.


    A chuckle escaped him as his thoughts wandered back to the Baroness. From what he had seen, she relied on that necklace artifact of hers for her own mana reserves. During their time in the citadel, he had caught more than one disgruntled look from her, seemingly puzzled by his ostensibly inexhaustible supply of mana. At least there were some areas where the woman didn¡¯t stupefy the imagination.


    The recent events had been enlightening, both offering Raimond deeper insight into the Baroness, yet rendering her ever more ineffably enigmatic all the same.


    He believed there was meaning behind the woman¡¯s role and the knowledge she possessed.


    Or rather, he was certain of it, for there were far too many things about her that stood out. He couldn¡¯t precisely define what that meaning might be or why he was convinced of its presence, but his intuition, shaped by his numerous observations of the woman, suggested there was something about her that transcended far beyond the natural. Perhaps she was even a presence similar to that of the Augur¡¯s.


    That possibility left him concerned in more ways than he wanted to acknowledge, yet it also provided some solace. One of his major questions about the Baroness had finally found an answer. He had long pondered what motivated the woman¡¯s actions and what that implied for her position towards the Followers. Contrary to most of the complexities surrounding her, the answer to that question proved to be, at least in part, rather straightforward.


    The Baroness was driven by a desire to protect those close to her. The effort she had gone to in order to help Rosa, someone whose fate seemed locked in place, highlighted the lengths she would go to achieve this. That, at least, was a sentiment Raimond could understand and admire. In this world, few things were as beautiful as the bonds that tied individuals together, and the urge to protect one¡¯s own was among the purest of desires, in his opinion.


    However, he recognized that such a desire could potentially lead to ends most dire for the wider world at large, as might nearly have happened here. Like many aspects of life, even the noblest of intentions had a darker side.


    While lamenting this, Raimond watched Fynn as the young man assisted another Dawnbringer in defeating a smaller, four-legged demon.


    He had observed this in all members of the Baroness¡¯ entourage, but none of them showed any hesitation in their loyalty to her. Raimond was uncertain whether Shin, Allyssa, and Fynn comprehended the full magnitude of the woman¡¯s actions, but he believed they wouldn¡¯t place their trust in her without good reason. Allyssa and Shin, he felt, were inherently kind souls, and Fynn, while possessing a certain naivety and innocence that might seem alluringly exploitable by some, was not as susceptible to manipulation as one might think.


    Raimond¡¯s thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the ground trembled violently. A colossal, clawed hand began to emerge from the rift, causing both the rift itself and the dome enclosing the space to shudder.


    He narrowed his eyes, his focus sharpening.


    The instability of the space and the threat this emerging demon posed did not escape the Dawnbringers¡¯ attention. Three of them, led by Cadence¡¯s domineering figure, began to cut a path through the demons at the front. Their armors, bathed in brilliant light, offered them temporary protection as they approached the rift at the center, fiercely striving to repel the demon attempting to break free from the weakening portal between realms.


    Raimond sighed wearily as he cast more of his invocations, tapping into his rapidly diminishing store of mana¡ªsomething Cadence no doubt expected him to do¡ªto form protective barriers that prevented the other demons from encircling the trio entirely.


    The rift itself remained unaffected by the Dawnbringers¡¯ attacks, but their weapons, infused with power, managed to momentarily push back the bulbous, monstrous form of the demon pushing through it. One glance was enough for Raimond to recognize that it was an archdemon.


    Meanwhile, the dome shook with increasing intensity, mirroring the rift¡¯s gradual reduction in size.


    The remaining Dawnbringers redoubled their efforts, unleashing their full auras in a concerted offensive against their adversaries ¡ª an effort Raimond contributed to, but wasn¡¯t entirely convinced about its necessity. He suspected that the demons couldn¡¯t escape this space without suffering severe repercussions. Since this place resembled the Blazes more than the Material Realm, travel between them should still be restricted for most demons.


    As if to confirm his suspicions, a demon did attempt an escape, only to collide with the dome and be violently repelled. There, Fynn pounced on it with ferocious strength, delivering a crushing blow that shattered the earth beneath and collapsed part of its chest.


    As the space continued to destabilize amid the battle, Cadence and her fellow Dawnbringers successfully delayed the archdemon¡¯s entry until the rift had shrunk to the point where it was too small for any further passage. By the time it had nearly vanished, the dome surrounding them bore a deep grey color, webbed with countless cracks.


    Though some of the strongest demons were still standing, the ground was strewn with the bodies of their dead or dying kin, while none of the Dawnbringers had fallen.


    ¡°Cadence,¡± Raimond called out. ¡°If you¡¯ll pardon me suggesting so, I think it best if we take our leave posthaste.¡±


    At the site of the former rift, Cadence, the Second Light of the Dawnbringers, spun around after parrying a strike from a demon resembling a hybrid of a bat and a bipedal wolf. She glanced towards Raimond, seeming to give a single nod before signaling their retreat.


    Without delay, the other Dawnbringers disengaged and started to withdraw, leaving behind several enraged demons. Raimond lingered for just a moment to ensure that young Fynn followed suit before making his own hurried way towards the dome separating them from the outside world. The demons¡¯ frustrated shouts, some of them resembling coherent words, echoed behind him as he crossed the grey barrier, experiencing a brief, numbing sensation of discomfort throughout his body, before emerging onto the dark streets of Crowcairn.


    He surveyed the deserted village, then snapped his fingers. A good quarter of the area around him was bathed in daylight.


    There was still some mana left in him.


    Turning his head, he took some steps forward while scanning for the others. The Dawnbringers had exited at different locations, and he spotted some both to his right and left, positioned with weapons drawn to fight any demons that might follow. Presumably, they already had the whole dome surrounded.


    A tense silence ensued as the cracks in the grey dome widened, resembling streaks of white lightning, yet no demons appeared. Then, abruptly and almost imperceptibly, the dome shattered silently, collapsing into itself and vanishing into a singularity.


    The space once occupied by it was now completely empty, devoid of demons, the Sanctumbrum, or the Blaze-tainted landscape that had been there. What remained was a smooth, expansive crater in front of Raimond.


    The Dawnbringers, positioned around the perimeter of the crater, soon began to converge on Raimond¡¯s illuminated position.


    One of them, a fellow named Westcott if Raimond was correct¡ªidentifying them could sometimes be challenging with the armor and all¡ªstepped up to Fynn as the youth approached.


    ¡°What was your name again, young man?¡± he asked, nodding approvingly. ¡°Your efforts were commendable. You clearly have significant potential!¡±


    Fynn simply stared at the man, as though considering if a response was required or not. Raimond decided he would step in to help.


    ¡°This spirited exemplar of stoicism is Fynn, a devoted retainer of a certain acquaintance of mine who proved instrumental in navigating our recent ordeal.¡± Raimond¡¯s instinct was to offer one of his well-established smiles, but then he remembered his own mask. Instead, he placed a hand on Fynn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Quite dependable, is he not?¡±


    Westcott eyed Raimond briefly before nodding once more. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Fynn, turning his attention to Raimond, met his gaze with a composed look.


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± Raimond asked.


    ¡°Your clothes are different. And wasn¡¯t that mask supposed to be given to the Congregation you¡¯re part of?¡±


    Raimond blinked. Well, at least he now had an answer to whether Fynn knew of his true identity as a deacon.


    Removing his mask, he offered the previously-withheld smile. ¡°The circumstances necessitated for me to adopt a temporary change in role, but fret not, for I remain the same dashing and affable priest you¡¯ve undoubtedly grown accustomed to.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°No, no, there is no need for the false bravado in my presence. I assure you, I have a will and resolve forged of steel, so you can speak freely.¡±


    Before Fynn could respond, a woman¡¯s voice interjected. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for your jokes, Deacon Abram.¡±


    Raimond turned to see Cadence approaching, flanked by three other Dawnbringers. With their arrival, all nine of the present Dawnbringers were now gathered, each still donning their masks.


    Raimond¡¯s demeanor shifted to one of determined solemnity. She wasn¡¯t wrong, of course. The gravity of the situation was unprecedented, and his subsequent actions would decide a great deal of things.


    As Cadence halted in front of him, her eyes briefly met Fynn¡¯s before surveying the distant citadel on the horizon. ¡°Your directives led us away from our original target, Abram. While I won¡¯t question the necessity, I hope this diversion hasn¡¯t further complicated our mission. Botho, Diandre.¡± She raised a fist, motioning towards the village edge. ¡°Secure the mounts and inform the duke¡¯s people. Ask them to postpone any investigations for now. The citadel seems quieter than earlier, but we¡¯ll approach it without delay.¡±


    Two of the Dawnbringers promptly left to execute her orders. Cadence turned back to Raimond with her voice adopting an even sterner tone. ¡°On our arrival, I sensed an especially menacing presence from those individuals you were conversing with. I relied on your words that you were dealing with it while we engaged the demons, but it appears as they¡¯ve all managed to escape. Were they responsible for what transpired here?¡±


    Raimond locked eyes with her golden mask, resisting the urge to flash a disarming smile.


    Fynn stood nearby, quietly observing the exchange.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid explaining the situation in its entirety will take time,¡± Raimond said, ¡°but I do believe the immediate threat has subsided.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still seeing a Vile¡¯s citadel,¡± Cadence pointed out.


    ¡°Yes, well, that part is¡­rather perplexing, I will admit.¡±


    Raimond could tell that there was something different with the citadel from before, but he would need to confirm that for himself.


    Cadence remained silent, studying him. Finally, she let out a slight sigh and turned to leave, joined by the other Dawnbringers. ¡°I¡¯ll be requesting Deacon Solnate to allow my presence when you provide that explanation, Abram. Knowing you, I do expect it to be thorough.¡±


    Raimond did flash his smile to the woman¡¯s back, though his internal sentiment was less buoyant.


    Perhaps his understanding of the Baroness warranted reassessment after all. For while he had none but himself to blame in the end for his actions, surely it would take a demon most conniving and cunning to lure him into a predicament such as this.


    Once Cadence and the others had departed, only Raimond and Fynn remained.


    ¡°You¡¯re weird,¡± the young man said.


    ¡°¡­Yes, thank you for that astute observation.¡±

 Chapter 211 - Napping dialogues

    Having slipped away from Crowcairn unnoticed under Raimond¡¯s invisibility spell, Scarlett and Rosa managed to make their way to the encampment. Upon arrival, they discovered that most of Sir Home¡¯s forces had left to search the village after defeating the Tribe members who¡¯d fought them back. Only the injured, a few officers, and their exhausted mages remained.


    While searching for a place to rest, Scarlett realized that her carriage was still at Anguish¡¯s citadel. Fortunately, Sir Home and his men soon returned, apparently having been asked by the Dawnbringers to postpone their investigation of Crowcairn. It hadn¡¯t taken too much work to convince the man to lend her a couple of able-bodied soldiers to retrieve the carriage and the horses her group had originally used to reach the citadel.


    From there, even though Scarlett had wanted nothing more than to collapse on the nearest empty spot, she left Rosa in one of the tents and spoke with Sir Home about what had happened in the citadel, deliberately omitting certain details for the time being. She would wait to explain things a bit further until after her talks with Raimond were finished.


    Allyssa and Shin, accompanied by the knights who had ventured into the citadel with them, also joined Scarlett in the camp. Fynn arrived eventually as well, after apparently having wrapped up things with Raimond. The interstitial space had closed as Scarlett expected, and the deacon himself had instructed Fynn to rejoin her while he attended to other matters.


    As for Rosa, the woman instantly fell asleep the moment Scarlett had found an unoccupied resting place for her. Exhausted herself, Scarlett seized the chance to rest after her discussion with Sir Home. Once the carriage was returned, she relocated to its cabin with the others for privacy and shelter against the cold. Fynn carried the sleeping Rosa and placed her in the cabin¡¯s corner, while the rest made themselves comfortable with some blankets and pillows retrieved from the trunk.


    Sir Home¡¯s people were still moving about the camp as Scarlett¡¯s group did this, busy preparing for potential attacks and being concerned about the citadel still covering the horizon. Scarlett understood their worries, but she wasn¡¯t going to let that affect her at this point. She had assured Sir Home that the major threat had likely passed, but she doubted that would get him to let down his guard. As was his prerogative. Scarlett¡¯s, however, was to finally get some rest.


    Settled into the carriage, she had drifted in and out of sleep as what remained of the night passed. It wasn¡¯t the best sleep she¡¯d had, both because a carriage was far from her preferred sleeping accommodations and because there was too much on her mind. But some rest was better than none.


    It was after the first light of dawn had begun to break, with the sun rising slowly in the east, that Scarlett stirred, still tired but at least in marginally better condition than before. Across from her, she met Allyssa¡¯s doe-eyed gaze. Glancing to the side, she found Shin wide awake as well, absorbed in a book. Why he would choose reading over resting right now was a mystery. At least Allyssa looked like she had been sleeping until recently.


    Beside Scarlett, Fynn sat with closed eyes¡ªpresumably immersed in his meditation¡ªwhile Rosa was the only individual in the cabin who remained fully asleep.


    ¡°Fynn,¡± Scarlett spoke quietly. ¡°Is there anyone within hearing distance?¡±


    The white-haired youth¡¯s eyes shot open, and he furrowed his brows. After a brief pause, he replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett peered out the carriage window. She had intentionally positioned the carriage at the back of the encampment, facing away from Crowcairn and the citadel. No one would have reason to come here. ¡°I suppose we should have a conversation,¡± she said, returning her attention to Allyssa and nodding towards Shin. ¡°Have you shared anything with him yet?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± Allyssa shook her head, her blonde hair swaying. ¡°We did have a short talk that touched on some of it, but I held back on the crucial stuff. Don¡¯t worry, Shin¡¯s given his word to keep quiet even after you tell him.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Scarlett asked, turning her focus to the person in question.


    Shin looked up from his book, meeting her gaze before giving a deliberate nod. ¡°I¡¯m convinced it¡¯s not something I should keep quiet about, but if Allyssa already agreed to it, so will I.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at Fynn, who remained silent, indicating the young man¡¯s words weren¡¯t a lie.


    ¡°I assume whatever we¡¯re going to discuss is related to Rosa¡¯s sudden return and the Vile responsible for all of this,¡± Shin said, casting a slightly critical look at Allyssa.


    The girl¡¯s expression tensed, and she averted her eyes.


    Scarlett moved the blanket covering her lap to the space between her and Fynn, retrieving a flask of water from her [Pouch of Holding]. ¡°You are correct. I will be frank. Miss Hale was being possessed by that Vile.¡±


    Shin paused, his eyebrows rising in surprise as he shifted his focus to Scarlett, then to Rosa in the corner, half-hidden by blankets.


    ¡°Miss Hale¡¯s momentary absence was to rid herself of the Vile¡¯s influence,¡± Scarlett continued, taking a sip from the flask. ¡°In the process of doing so, the Vile attempted to use her to manifest within the Material Realm, leading to the citadel¡¯s emergence. I have been aware of the Vile¡¯s presence inside Miss Hale since I first employed her and had prepared for such eventualities, ensuring several precautions so that no harm befell those uninvolved. Many of our recent activities here in Bridgespell have been connected to that.¡±


    Shin stared at Scarlett, several seconds passing in silence. ¡°You¡¯re saying you had plans for dealing with a Vile?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­And that citadel appearing was part of those plans?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He turned to Allyssa. ¡°And you agreed to stay silent about this?¡±


    ¡°I might have,¡± the girl replied, gaze evasive.


    ¡°Allyssa,¡± Shin sighed, closing his book and massaging the bridge of his nose. ¡°We¡¯re Shielders. It goes against Guild code to endanger civilians. Anything that involves a Vile appearing is guaranteed to fall into that category. If your dad or anyone at the Guild learns of this, you know what¡¯ll happen, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s dad I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of an issue.¡± Allyssa shrugged. ¡°Leandro¡¯s another thing, but we just have to make sure no one else hears about it. You¡¯ll stay quiet, and so will I, so that shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    ¡°Allyssa¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to help those in need.¡± She finally turned to meet Shin¡¯s gaze. ¡°And Rosa was clearly in need. I know that you know that Scarlett knows what she¡¯s doing, and I trust her. I was there when she confronted that Anguish thing, and yeah, sure, it was terrifying, chaotic, and I¡¯m still confused about what happened there towards the end, but we¡¯re alive and everything isn¡¯t on fire. I don¡¯t think Scarlett would risk innocent lives without a way to stop it.¡±


    Shin¡¯s eyes stayed on Allyssa for a bit longer, the disapproving expression remaining on his face, though Scarlett got the feeling that he was doing it more for show than anything else. Eventually, he shifted his attention back to Scarlett, scrutinizing her for a few seconds. ¡°¡­The ridiculousness of what you did aside, this isn¡¯t too different from what I would expect from you.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Allyssa protested. ¡°What¡¯s with the difference in treatment? Aren¡¯t you going to question her more as well?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still our employer, Allyssa, and I know that you don¡¯t actually want me to question her,¡± Shin replied, maintaining his focus on Scarlett. ¡°So, the citadel appearing and our ascent were part of your plan. I assume you had some method of expelling the Vile from Rosa, but you didn¡¯t want your involvement in it to get out, which is why you stopped Father Abraham and the others from joining you at the end. How does that connect to our abrupt exit from the citadel and reappearing outside Crowcairn?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯d like to know as well,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°What exactly happened with you and Rosa on that throne?¡±


    Scarlett considered the pair for a few moments before responding. ¡°As you both are aware, Crowcairn was an enclave of the Tribe of Sin, meaning its residents were in reality covert agents who had infiltrated the empire.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s face reflected some discomfort, while Shin¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°They also played a role in summoning the Abyssal Vilewyrm, the demon we vanquished alongside Sir Home and his troops,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°It, in turn, was the perpetrator behind an assassination attempt on Duke Valentino and his son, which is why he sought my assistance in tracking it down. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that Crowcairn¡¯s inhabitants would be viewed as nothing short of reprehensible criminals by him. However, despite their allegiances and their involvement in plotting against a high noble, many in the village were non-combatants, children included. Therefore, when faced with the revelation from the Vile that Crowcairn and its people were fated for doom by the duke¡¯s forces, Miss Hale opted to harness the Vile¡¯s power to facilitate their escape. Until that point, events had proceeded within my expectations, but her intervention here marked a deviation. I believe our abrupt departure from the citadel was Miss Hale¡¯s way of ensuring no one was left behind while she helped the villagers¡¯ flight, though I cannot say for certain.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± Allyssa glanced over at Rosa, her expression conflicted.


    ¡°¡­What happened in the village, then?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°The details are perhaps best left for when Miss Hale is awake to share them herself. In summary, aside from those who confronted the duke¡¯s forces, most of the villagers managed to escape to their homeland with Miss Hale¡¯s assistance,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°And while it proved far more complicated than I had wished for, the Vile¡¯s manifestation was halted, and the situation has since stabilised.¡±


    She studied both of the Shielders. ¡°Any further questions?¡±


    A brief silence followed before Allyssa spoke up. ¡°How long has she had that¡­thing inside her?¡±


    ¡°For quite some time.¡±


    The girl¡¯s lips formed a tight line. ¡°So the reason it¡¯s always felt like Rosa was hiding something, the reason she sometimes had that sad look in her eyes¡­ It was because of this?¡±


    ¡°It was, yes. Do you blame her for that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened, then she shook her head. ¡°No. If I had something like that inside me, I¡¯m not sure I would have told anyone either.¡±


    ¡°And what of her use of the Vile¡¯s power to save members of the Tribe of Sin?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The girl hesitated. ¡°¡­Honestly, as long as things still worked out in the end, then that doesn¡¯t really matter to me. I felt uneasy about the whole village thing to begin with, and I can¡¯t see Rosa just letting people die because of who they¡¯re affiliated with. Especially not if some of those villagers were kids, and, you know, not actual Tribe members.¡±


    ¡°What if her actions were not solely driven by altruism?¡±


    Allyssa blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± Scarlett waved the question off, dismissing a thought that had crossed her mind regarding something Rosa had said. ¡°As for whether the villagers were truly ¡®members¡¯ of the Tribe of Sin, that may not be up to us to decide. Disregarding that, however, can I presume that your silence, Thornthon, implies there are no objections on your part?¡±


    She turned to Shin, who seemed lost in thought.


    ¡°¡­Given my limited insight into the full situation, I can¡¯t say much, but I suppose that is a yes,¡± he answered after a moment.


    Scarlett nodded at that, content with his response. As she contemplated whether there was anything else she needed to disclose immediately, Allyssa spoke up once more.


    ¡°What would it have been like?¡± the girl asked, her gaze fixed on Rosa. ¡°Having a Vile inside you, I mean. I can¡¯t even imagine it.¡±


    ¡°I am certain it would have been a harrowing experience,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°However, if you seek specifics, you will need to persuade Miss Hale to share her experiences herself.¡±


    Allyssa observed Rosa for a moment longer before eventually turning away, looking outside. ¡°You mentioned the situation has calmed down. I assume that means the danger has passed. You¡¯re not asking us to go back there, after all.¡±


    Scarlett followed the Shielder¡¯s gaze, her eyes settling on Anguish¡¯s citadel in the distance. ¡°¡­Indeed, it seems matters have been resolved on that front. Miss Hale¡¯s condition, while not ideal, also appears stable.¡±


    At least if she were to trust the bard¡¯s words and believe that Malachi wouldn¡¯t have left before finishing things. Scarlett was hopeful in that regard, though she couldn¡¯t shake a sense of disappointment as well. She had yet to receive any system notification from the system¡ªwhen were those things going to show up?¡ªnor any loot since they were transported away from the boss room where it might have been. She¡¯d even had to give up [Ittar¡¯s Genesis], which stung.


    In the grand scheme of things, though, she had likely gained considerably more than she lost. The primary objective behind all of this has been achieved, after all ¡ª Rosa was still alive, and the woman now possessed the [Astralbane¡¯s Nexus Heartstone]. If Rosa could master its power, any sacrifices on Scarlett¡¯s part would be well worth it.


    Still, though¡­


    Her gaze lingered on the imposing obsidian structure on the horizon, stretching towards the sky.


    It was strange that the citadel remained. She could think of several possible explanations for it, some with bad implications and some good, but she had no way of discerning the truth at the moment. It would certainly be intriguing if the citadel somehow became a permanent fixture here from now on. That would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention from certain factions within the empire.


    Perhaps Scarlett could get her hands on whatever information the Followers of Ittar and other groups gleaned upon investigating the citadel. It could prove useful to see what perspective they would have on this.


    With the conversation between Scarlett and the two Shielders tapering off, they all more or less returned to their own matters. Shin delved back into his reading while Allyssa studied Rosa for a while longer before snuggling up under a blanket and drifting back to sleep. Scarlett intended to get more rest later, but for the time being, she simply sat there and pondered all that had happened and all that lay ahead.


    Given the current circumstances and the arrival of the Dawnbringers¡ªSir Home had confirmed that the duke was sending reinforcements as well¡ªshe had no intention of leaving until all parties were convinced that the situation had stabilised. Departing too soon might look suspicious in these circumstances, and there would likely be more people curious about what she had encountered in the citadel.


    Time passed until a sudden knock interrupted the quiet in the cabin. Peering through the window, Scarlett saw no one, but the carriage door opened by itself. A spectral veil of shifting colors came into view, fading to reveal Raimond as he nimbly climbed inside.


    ¡°Greetings, my good friends. I am heartened to see that you all seem relatively hale, considering things.¡± Dressed in his resplendent deacon robes, he offered a warm smile to them all before looking at Allyssa. ¡°Mind if I take a seat?¡±


    The girl blinked the sleep out of her eyes, staring at him and briefly glancing down at his clothes before eventually shifting closer to Shin.


    ¡°My thanks,¡± Raimond said as he settled opposite Scarlett. Despite his light and composed demeanor, weariness etched his features. He offered a smile to Scarlett. ¡°Please excuse my somewhat haggard appearance. The situation has become rather involved, and I¡¯ve had to brief some of my colleagues on the latest developments to avoid them contemplating sending someone to commit clericide¡ªa word I just came up with and whose meaning I suspect is self-evident¡ªagainst my humble self. It was not the most pleasant of experiences.¡±


    ¡°Your colleagues¡­?¡± Allyssa eyed him closely. ¡°Are you talking about those people we saw earlier in golden armor?¡±


    Raimond chuckled. ¡°No, unfortunately not. Or perhaps fortunately. Time will tell.¡± Scarlett noticed his gaze briefly flicker to the still-slumbering Rosa before he cleared his throat and adjusted his sleeves. ¡°Now, you¡¯ll have to pardon my forwardness, but there is a matter I must discuss with Baroness Hartford that involves topics of utmost secrecy among the Followers. Would you mind if I ensured some privacy between the good lady and myself?¡±


    That afforded him a quizzical look from Allyssa, while Shin simply nodded, and Fynn remained in his own world.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Raimond reached into his robes, producing a diminutive object. It resembled a triangular pyramid, with inscriptions running along its grey surface. A faint golden glow traveled from the man¡¯s hand into the object, and suddenly, all ambient noise around Scarlett disappeared. ¡°There we go, that should do it,¡± he declared.


    Scarlett arched a brow. She made a mental note to inquire about obtaining a similar trinket for herself. Beldon probably had an idea where she could acquire one.


    Though the warmth of Raimond¡¯s earlier smile still lingered as he met her gaze, it now carried a subtle undercurrent of something else. ¡°Well then, Baroness. Shall we resume our conversation from where we left off?¡±

 Chapter 212 - Confessionals

    Scarlett observed Raimond, considering him for a moment. ¡°I must confess, I did not anticipate this conversation happening so soon, but very well. It would seem you are more yourself than at our last meeting,¡± she said. ¡°Unless, of course, this is an act. With you, it is always difficult to be certain.¡±


    Raimond chuckled lightly, breaking some of the tension as he placed the artifact that had been muffling the noise around them on the windowsill. ¡°Coming from you, Baroness, that almost feels like an indictment. I have had difficulty fathoming what goes through your mind since we first met.¡±


    ¡°I take that as a compliment. It would not bode well for me if I were so easily seen through.¡±


    ¡°That I do not doubt,¡± Raimond replied, his gaze lingering on her, an inscrutable smile on his face. ¡°This last day¡¯s revelations have peeled back enough layers of that noble guise of yours to tell me that there remains much, much more hidden beneath it. Ah, but you¡¯ll have to excuse my forwardness. Who am I to speak of concealing oneself under a guise? As it would appear you¡¯ve been aware of for some time, I am oft-guilty of the same charge.¡±


    ¡°I do believe our circumstances differ,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°but I personally find no fault in your tactics.¡±


    ¡°How magnanimous of you, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Rather, I see little value in dwelling on what does not concern me.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps I should count myself fortunate that you¡¯ve deemed it worthwhile to allow my company on several occasions.¡± Raimond shook his head, a hint of melancholy in the gesture. ¡°If only my peers and colleagues would share that sentiment, but alas.¡±


    Scarlett studied the man¡¯s exaggeratedly forlorn expression, but opted to bypass his dramatics. ¡°You mentioned briefing your colleagues on recent events. With that, I presume you were referring to the Quorum. How much have you disclosed to them?¡±


    ¡°As much as I suspect you expected me to,¡± Raimond answered. ¡°The situation left me little room to maneuver in that aspect, unfortunately. Caught between the Scylla of one danger and the Charybdis of another, as they say.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s mind caught on the man¡¯s choice of words. Those were some curious names she¡¯d just heard. Were there monsters with the same names in this world as well? She wasn¡¯t familiar with them, if so, but it wouldn¡¯t be the first instance of a linguistic artifact from her world finding its way into this one in such a fashion.


    ¡°I conveyed about as much as I managed to glean on my own,¡± Raimond continued. ¡°That included some observations related to the citadel and you and your companions ¡ª details that couldn¡¯t be omitted. Regrettably, however, I somehow forgot to inform them of your presence in Crowcairn or Miss Hale¡¯s particular condition. Quite careless of me, but what can a man do when the ails of his age start wearing at his mind? Fortunately, there¡¯s always time to remedy such slip-ups in the future, if necessary.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer if there was not,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly take that into consideration.¡± The man gave a noncommittal shrug. ¡°This will indubitably be of no shock to you, but your presence during a Vile¡¯s manifestation attempt is bound to draw more of the Quorum¡¯s scrutiny eventually, not to mention others¡¯. If you¡¯re seeking a plausible explanation for your involvement, and Miss Hale¡¯s presence, it is likely something you¡¯ll have to devise yourself.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for concern. Your actions thus far will be more than enough. I have already considered how to handle the matter.¡±


    Scarlett could leverage her connection with Duke Valentino and Sir Home¡¯s men to explain most of it. As for Rosa¡¯s presence, only a few people were even aware the bard was here. Some of the soldiers had seen her when she and Scarlett arrived at the camp, but it probably wouldn¡¯t be too hard to ensure minimal attention was placed on that.


    That was assuming Raimond would keep to his word.


    Scarlett studied the man as he, in turn, considered her. Once again, she found herself mulling over his potential thoughts and motives, wondering if she was still over-analyzing things in regard to him.


    ¡°While it did align with my expectations, your willingness to collaborate, despite the potential ethical quandaries and the risk to your standing, surprises me, Deacon Abram,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Although I do not consider my actions unethical, I am aware that there are many who would, and I do not think that our relationship is at a point where it would justify your faith in me. What convinced you to take such a gamble on our fledgling alliance?¡±


    Raimond¡¯s expression softened, revealing a moment of introspection as his voice carried a mix of humor and seriousness. ¡°Oh, the reasons are myriad, Baroness. Indeed, undeniably, invariably, there have been many occasions this morning where I¡¯ve pondered my own sanity, contemplating if it was truly in my best interest and my order¡¯s to believe in you as I have. As you say, undoubtedly, I¡¯ve risked both my position and my favor in the eyes of my god. Few, if any, other members of the Quorum would even consider such a prospect.¡± He paused, folding his hands in his lap as a more resolute expression settled over his features. ¡°However, ultimately, at the heart of it, my reasoning can be reduced to a rather simple understanding: my interactions with you have convinced me of the importance of not dismissing your warnings outright.¡±


    Their gazes locked, as though an unspoken understanding passed between them.


    ¡°So, is that where you would like to begin, then?¡± Scarlett eventually asked.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Scarlett adjusted her posture, preparing herself for the coming discussion. ¡°I believe Fynn¡¯s message to you carried a dual purpose, yes?¡±


    Raimond nodded. ¡°It did, though I¡¯ll admit that the full implications of the latter part eluded me, even if I gleaned the significance behind it.¡±


    ¡°Only the first part of the message I asked him to convey was meant as a warning. The second served more as an advisory notice, if you will. I had thought you would recognize its meaning, but perhaps I was overestimating the information at the Followers¡¯ disposal.¡± A brief frown crossed Scarlett¡¯s features before she lightly shook her head. ¡°No matter. Let us begin by addressing the first topic ¡ª let us discuss the traitors within the Quorum.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s demeanor soured ever so slightly as a hint of tension entered his expression.


    ¡°Am I correct in assuming that you already harbored your suspicions of a traitor within the Followers¡¯ leadership?¡± Scarlett asked, observing his reaction closely.


    ¡°¡­It is true that I and my fellow Deacon Ava Solnate have had our misgivings lately, yes,¡± Raimond replied. ¡°But unless my grasp of our Imperial tongue is lacking, your warning used the word ¡®traitors¡¯, suggesting there is more than one malefactor.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°And, pray tell, who might these individuals be?¡±


    ¡°Deacon Davenport and Deacon Townsend.¡±


    Though the man tried to hide it, Scarlett caught the fleeting surprise crossing his features, quickly masked by a return to his composed exterior.


    ¡°¡­Both men are highly regarded members not only within the Quorum but also within our order as a whole. They have served diligently in their positions for longer than most others. Davenport has been a deacon for decades, and there are few in the current generation who boast an impact rivaling his. As for Deacon Townsend, his devotion to the order is nigh legendary, and he is one of the foremost experts on demons and the threat they pose. I struggle to think of any acts he has done that have not contributed to ensuring the safety of the empire¡¯s citizens. What traitorous plots are you suggesting that men of their standing might be involved in, Baroness?¡±


    ¡°I am not suggesting anything, Deacon,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am merely apprising you of what I know. Deacon Davenport has been colluding with one of the Viles for some time, while Deacon Townsend has had dealings with an foreign actor to amass much of the expertise he boasts, offering up crucial information and resources from the Followers in return.¡±


    Neither of the two deacons were major characters in the game, but their actions were central to certain questlines. Deacon Davenport¡¯s entanglement was with Malevolence, the only other Vile Scarlett knew decently well after Anguish. Despite Malevolence not playing as pivotal a role as Anguish, as a vile, Malevolence was no less loathsome. Deacon Davenport¡¯s alliance with the demon was far from justifiable.


    In contrast, Deacon Townsend¡¯s betrayal seemed less egregious at first glance. As far as Scarlett was aware, he genuinely believed his actions served the Followers of Ittar and the empire¡¯s best interests, and he was probably mostly correct. The individual he was working with also only counted as a ¡®foreign actor¡¯ by technicality.


    It was Mistress, after all.


    The woman wasn¡¯t inherently evil, nor were her plans. Given Scarlett¡¯s own collaboration with her, she couldn¡¯t exactly fault Deacon Townsend for doing the same. The difference lay in Scarlett being aware of the full implications of Mistress¡¯ ultimate objective, an understanding Townsend lacked.


    ¡°¡­These are grave allegations,¡± Raimond said.


    ¡°I would not be making them if I were not certain of their validity,¡± she responded. ¡°Moreover, I believe we are well past the stage where my accusations against members of the Quorum can be deemed my worst offense.¡±


    Raimond considered her for several seconds. ¡°¡­No, right you are, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°So, did one of the two happen to be the person you and Deacon Solnate had misgivings about?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Yes, sadly,¡± the man admitted with a sigh. ¡°Certain actions by Deacon Davenport have been notably peculiar. When it first came to my attention, I investigated some of his involvement in past events, before my own tenure as a deacon, finding several instances that were conspicuous. This included an incident in Quickwallow where a revelation by the former Augur caused a rather unfortunate series of events to unfold.¡±


    He fell silent for a moment. ¡°Then there was a recent episode where intruders penetrated the very heart of the Sanctuary of Ittar. How the perpetrators managed to do so without any opposition remains a mystery. The Quorum decided against public disclosure, but I suspect you are aware of it, nonetheless. Am I correct?¡±


    ¡°I have heard of it, yes. Do you suspect a deacon¡¯s involvement in that incident?¡± Scarlett asked.


    All this time, she¡¯d been worrying that Raimond somehow knew about her role in that, so the possibility of his suspicion falling elsewhere was a relief.


    ¡°It is a distinct risk,¡± Raimond replied. ¡°Few are the people who could devise a way into the Sanctuary and bypass the Knights of the Eternal Oath guarding its halls.¡± Some of his previous seriousness faded as his expression softened into a slight smirk. ¡°Though you, Baroness, might be one of those exceptions.¡±


    Scarlett maintained an unaffected mask on her face. ¡°I would ask that you keep the jests to yourself, Deacon.¡±


    While she was pretty sure he meant it as a joke, it didn¡¯t make her any less uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he had shown no sign of recognizing [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] in Crowcairn after the relic had been altered from Malachi¡¯s ritual, so it wasn¡¯t as if he should have any additional reason to suspect Scarlett at this point.


    Actually, considering Malachi¡¯s connection to Mistress, who was working with Deacon Townsend, if it ever came to that, maybe Scarlett could spin some tale that those three were behind the Sanctuary heist. However, she¡¯d need to ensure there weren¡¯t any holes in that kind of lie.


    Raimond cleared his throat. ¡°Surely, I will strive to do so. I will also, of course, make every effort to avail myself of whatever information you can provide about our two ¡®estimable¡¯ deacons. Dark clouds loom over the empire, and unscrupulous actors acting within the Followers could lead to tragedies unlike any other if left unaddressed. Naturally, this is all assuming your words are entirely accurate, Baroness. That being so, may I inquire how you went about acquiring this information? Any evidence you could provide would be more than helpful.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I cannot divulge the how, nor can I offer you any tangible evidence useful in your current situation,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Then, may I venture a speculative guess as to the how, at least?¡± The man regarded her thoughtfully, hand on his chin. ¡°Hmm. As ever, anything relating to you becomes a complex puzzle indeed. In this instance, I would say¡­providence, perhaps?¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°Providence?¡±


    Raimond nodded. ¡°The confidence with which you proceed and the certainty in your own knowledge brings to mind tales of the first Augur in the times of the Renascence. Though the thought hadn¡¯t even occurred to me till just now, it seemed remiss not to at least consider the parallels, however improbable it may seem.¡±


    He motioned with one arm towards Allyssa and Shin where they sat beside him. ¡°In my conversations with your ever-charming companions, they have regaled me with numerous accounts of your exploits and the apparent prescience you so often display. To others, their laudable praises might be dismissed as the excessive admirations of retainers for their¡ªpresumably handsomely generous¡ªlady. But my own experiences with you have taught me not to underestimate the claims I hear that relate to you, however anecdotal they may appear. I still remain rather intrigued to hear more about that dragon story of yours.¡±


    Shin, absorbed in his reading, seemed unaware of Raimond¡¯s gesture in their direction. Allyssa, on the other hand, blinked in surprise and gave them curious looks, seemingly eager to ask them some questions once their discussion was finished.


    Scarlett eyed Raimond with a prolonged frown. ¡°Let us say it was indeed providence. Which god would you suggest I am conferring with?¡±


    The man¡¯s expression became contemplative, his brows knitting as he crossed his arms. Eventually, he offered a shrug. ¡°Perhaps the Mistress of the Perennial Scowl?¡±


    She stared at him, then shook her head. ¡°Your initial demeanour led me to expect a serious dialogue, yet it seems you are increasingly struggling to maintain the pretense.¡±


    Raimond just offered another smile. ¡°Pardon me immensely, Baroness. It is most challenging to dispense with one¡¯s old habits, and I often find myself forgetting myself in your group¡¯s company.¡±


    ¡°You mean to say that this is not how you act around others in your order?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fair point. Perhaps it is best if we abandon this particular topic, posthaste, and pivot back to the matter previously discussed.¡±


    As usual, Scarlett¡¯s interactions with this man reminded her of dealing with Rosa at times. She was rather thankful that the times when she had to deal with both simultaneously were rare.


    ¡°As I already explained,¡± she began, ¡°I will not be able to furnish you with an exact answer regarding how I obtained my information¡­ However, I will confirm that, while some of the details were gathered through conventional means and connections, others also hail from avenues not readily accessible to most. If you doubt their credibility, I will simply provide you with the means to verify them independently.¡±


    Raimond seemed to pause for a moment, a look of actual¡ªif slight¡ªsurprise appearing on his face. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure whether he was taken aback by what she said or the fact that she admitted as much as she did.


    There was a brief silence before he spoke. ¡°I understand that this is not something I have the ability to press you on, but there is one thing I must ask, even had I no reason to expect an honest answer. These¡­enigmatic sources of yours, Baroness ¡ª might a humble priest inquire whether he should consider them an ally of the empire and its citizens, or diametrically opposed?¡±


    ¡°Neither,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°If they were the latter, however, I would hardly be here engaging in this conversation with you, Deacon.¡±


    The man nodded politely. ¡°No, you would not, would you?¡± he murmured, lapsing into thoughtful silence once more.


    ¡°Now, to return to the matter at hand,¡± Scarlett continued, her tone firm. ¡°The information regarding your fellow deacons¡¯ treachery was only the first piece I promised to share with you. While it apparently proved to be a more compelling persuasion on its own than I had anticipated, I will not renege on my word. You shall receive exactly what I promised in return for your assistance in Crowcairn.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s attention returned to her. ¡°Ah, yes. Regarding that other matter Fynn informed me of. Please enlighten me, Baroness, precisely what is this ¡®Tribute of Dominion¡¯?¡±


    Scarlett paused, considering him for a moment. ¡°Are you truly not familiar with the term?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    That surprised Scarlett, honestly. Other than warning Raimond about the traitorous deacon¡ªwhich she knew was something he couldn¡¯t ignore¡ªshe¡¯d also instructed Fynn to warn the man about the impending return of the Tribute of Dominion. She had assumed him to know what that meant.


    As far as she was aware, the Tribute of Dominion had a near-legendary status, and it played a pivotal role in the game, coveted by all factions towards the game¡¯s midpoint. Its procurement was paramount for the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s goals, so its return was a matter of great significance. Especially considering the chaos it could unleash upon the empire and the continent as a whole.


    Scarlett continued studying the man closely, searching his expression for any hint of deception or feigned ignorance. ¡°Deacon Abram,¡± she began, ¡°have you ever encountered the name ¡®Beld Thylelion¡¯?¡±


    The Followers of Ittar¡¯s motivation in trying to enter Beld Thylelion in the game, the site housing the Tribute of Dominion, was to thwart the Cabal¡¯s ambitions. So why would Raimond be oblivious to what it was?


    ¡°I believe I have come across the term before,¡± the man said. ¡°Perhaps in some of the old archives on the Zuver? However, I must confess that I am far from an expert on the subject, and my understanding of it is rather limited.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. When she had spoken with Dean Warley Godwin, he had been familiar with both Beld Thylelion and the Tribute of Dominion. Although, now that she thought back to it, she realized the old wizard had never explicitly confirmed that he knew what the Tribute of Dominion was.


    Did people in this world somehow possess less information about the Tribute than she was expecting? She doubted the Cabal held any misconceptions about it, though, since¡ª


    Her eyes widened slightly as a possibility dawned on her.


    The Cabal had been around for a long time, and they were the only faction besides Scarlett herself with the confirmed ability to transcend the boundaries set by the game¡¯s plot, defying the fate of this world. If so, it was conceivable that they had taken deliberate measures over the centuries to suppress any knowledge related to the Tribute of Dominion from spreading.


    But something about that theory felt off. Even though Scarlett had verified that the Cabal could challenge this world¡¯s fate, most of her information on them remained surprisingly accurate. If they¡¯d had literal centuries at their disposal to change things, it was unlikely that her knowledge would align so closely with reality. This suggested that they were still slaves to fate, at least to a certain degree.


    Perhaps they could only induce minor changes? Scarlett remained unclear about how their fate-altering abilities worked. She still didn¡¯t understand how it worked for her. Her talks with Godwin indicated that only a select few Cabal members could defy fate, but the exact mechanics were murky. She knew their power stemmed from the being locked behind the Seal of Thainnith, but not much more. Did they perform some kind of ritual to get it? The Angler Man would likely possess the ability, at least, considering he was both their leader and the oldest member.


    Regardless, it seemed like the Followers of Ittar had less information about Beld Thylelion and what lay inside than they had in the game. Scarlett suspected they would still act when the ruins themselves opened, but if they were less aware of the stakes, it could pose an issue.


    Or at least it might, had she not been involved.


    ¡°I feel rather left out,¡± Raimond¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Care to share what has you so engrossed in your ruminations?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was merely taken aback by your apparent lack of knowledge,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°You certainly don¡¯t mince words. Fortunately for you, I am no stranger to disappointing people,¡± Raimond replied.


    ¡°I am sure.¡± Scarlett eyed the man for a moment. ¡°Regarding the Tribute of Dominion, to put it simply, it is the ¡®artifact¡¯ which Beld Thylelion was built to protect, and it was created by the Zuverian divinarch known as Thainnith. Suffice to say, the power latent within the Tribute of Dominion is near boundless, a beacon of potential that has drawn the gaze of both the Hallowed Cabal, the Undead Council, and various other factions. Beld Thylelion¡¯s imminent awakening will ignite a fierce competition among those who vying for its prize.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s expression became more severe. ¡°You say this ruin will open soon? When and where will this transpire?¡±


    ¡°The exact date is unknown, but I anticipate its emergence within the coming months. As for its location, that question is best answered by the mage towers.¡±


    Scarlett would have to check with Adalicia Mendenhall to see whether the towers were actually capable of pinpointing its position in time. The woman was an expert on Zuverian lore, so she ought to at least have heard about the Tribute of Dominion. However, Scarlett was now slightly concerned that Adalicia wouldn¡¯t fully grasp the urgency and importance of finding Beld Thylelion before its unveiling.


    ¡°That offers little to go on for something of such purported significance, Baroness,¡± Raimond said.


    ¡°True, but it should be enough.¡±


    While Scarlett herself knew where Beld Thylelion was, that wasn¡¯t information she wanted to disclose prematurely. Not before she had reached the place first.


    ¡°We can explore the details related to this and the other topic soon,¡± she added. ¡°But there is another issue I would like to discuss first: the nature of our relationship hereon.¡±


    Raimond responded with a wry smile. ¡°An important topic to discuss, indeed. I must say, I had entertained the possibility that you would simply impart this knowledge and then wash your hands of me as if I were a mere nuisance. While such a course would have undoubtedly simplified matters for me, I fear leaving things at that would constitute a dereliction of duty and a transgression that even I could not overlook.¡±


    ¡°My intentions are quite the opposite,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I believe our continued collaborations would be mutually beneficial, both for myself, you, and the Followers at large.¡±


    Although she still had some reservations, she felt relatively assured in trusting him after their experiences. While she preferred working with individuals like Beldon Tyndall, whose motives were relatively transparent, there were plenty of things that Raimond¡¯s skill set and position could offer Scarlett.


    Raimond scrutinized her, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. ¡°Why do I get the distinct impression that you possess ample experience in forging these types of clandestine covenants?¡±


    ¡°My conjecture is as good as yours regarding your peculiar delusions,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Au contraire, my dear Baroness. I believe you are the sole authority on such matters. However, I have never been one to pry into a lady¡¯s secrets, especially when she¡¯s aware of my curiosity. Hence, I have no choice but to concede the point,¡± Raimond replied, his smile disarming yet full of implied intrigue.


    ¡°Let us not veer from the topic at hand, Deacon. As I have mentioned, I am willing to maintain a partnership between us that serves both parties. Given our current situation, this seems to be our optimal course. Do you concur?¡±


    ¡°It would be unwise of me to refuse at this juncture,¡± Raimond said, and as he did, the atmosphere grew even more relaxed between them.


    [Sid?????e-Q?????????uest co????????????mp???????l???????????eted: U???????????nd????????????erhand¡ª]


    [??????????????????????????????????????????????????]


    [¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª]


    [Side-Quest completed: Underhanded dealings with the honorable unscrupulous priest]


    {Skill points awarded: 8}


    Scarlett¡¯s attention shifted to the window of text that appeared before her, glitching for a moment before settling into its usual form.


    Somewhat concerning, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile nonetheless played at the corner of her mouth.


    Finally.


    She had been waiting for some sort of response like this for a while now. It seemed that whatever had happened within that void had left a lingering impact on the system, but at least it was now providing her with some form of feedback.


    ¡°Oh, what is this I see? Have I finally managed to coax a smile from the Baroness¡¯s icy visage?¡±


    Scarlett dismissed the windows and returned her focus to Raimond.


    ¡°During our journey to Crowcairn, Rosa claimed she had achieved a similar feat on occasion, but I was unsure whether her tales were mere braggadocio or truth,¡± the man continued.


    Removing any trace of the smile from her expression, Scarlett replied, ¡°Miss Hale¡¯s accounts should always be taken with several handfuls of salt, if not dismissed entirely. Disregard whatever you believe you just saw. Now, I have a further inquiry for you. What are your intentions from here on out? Both in regards to the Quorum and the events that transpired here.¡± She motioned towards the window, where the silhouette of Anguish¡¯s citadel stood in the distance. ¡°The Vile¡¯s stronghold remains, presumably as a result of the method which neutralized and contained her influence. This development will undoubtedly provoke numerous questions throughout the empire.¡±


    Raimond showed a smirk that set off warning bells in Scarlett¡¯s mind. ¡°It seems Rosa does indeed know you quite well, Baroness. She also mentioned your tendency to deflect when embarrassed or when you wish to maintain an aura of mystery. Which can I assume is the case now?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze sharpened, and if Rosa had been awake, the bard would have received a similar look.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Raimond cleared his throat, his expression turning ever-so-slightly more awkward. ¡°Neither, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°If you would kindly address my question, Deacon Abram,¡± Scarlett said, her tone laced with a hint of impatience.


    Why did it feel like everybody she knew enjoyed going around spreading tales about her? Rosa was by far the worst, but she was hardly the only one.


    ¡°Certainly!¡± Raimond quickly regained his composure. ¡°Firstly, assuming once again that your assessment of the situation with the Vile inside Miss Hale is accurate, the Dawnbringers should be able to explore the citadel without much resistance. If I were to postulate, the Imperial Crown and the Quorum will probably reach an agreement regarding the handling of the matter beyond that point. It will presumably require some time, perhaps days or even weeks, considering its size, but as long as the citadel remains, it will likely unsettle the empire¡¯s factions until every demon within has been thoroughly vanquished. I also imagine that the Shields Guild, Ustrum Assembly, and other mage groups will show interest, though traditionally, matters pertaining to threats from the Blazes and demons fall under my order¡¯s jurisdiction first and foremost within the empire.¡±


    ¡°Should I expect to be questioned about our time in the citadel?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Most assuredly. Inquisitorial Auditors will seek you out, to be precise. I would suggest that you cooperate with them, but that is ultimately your decision. Matters always become rather complicated once my order has to interfere with nobles.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of attracting further suspicion than is necessary.¡±


    Raimond nodded in his approval. ¡°A sensible mindset. Now, as for how I will manage the remainder of my estimable Quorum peers, I am afraid that I have yet to devise a suitable approach. Ittar knows why, but they were less than thrilled with my previous updates, and I foresee the most arduous of times ahead, compared to which mayhap not even the drudgery of endless paperwork could compare. This is especially true as I will also be devoting more time to investigating the actions of my fellows Davenport and Townsend, where possible.¡± He glanced over at Rosa. ¡°When the opportunity presents itself, I would also like to have a talk with Rosa. There is much to be said between us.¡± Turning back to Scarlett, he added, ¡°But I suspect that will have to wait, either until after your return to Bridgespell or my next visit to Freybrook.¡±


    ¡°I do not envy your position,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Were I not aware of your off-time confrontations with Viles, Baroness, I might have requested a role reversal between us.¡±


    ¡°And I would have declined such a request.¡±


    ¡°I see that any semblance of mercy and compassion possessed within your heart has now been thoroughly exhausted.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head, sighing inwardly. This man¡¯s talent for steering conversations off course was difficult to match. ¡°Let us move on to the specifics. There are many aspects we need to carefully consider moving forward.¡±

 Chaper 213 - Back to the city

    After Scarlett¡¯s talk with Raimond, things progressed smoothly. Scarlett and her entourage lingered near the outskirts of Sir Home¡¯s camp while a steady stream of people arrived from Bridgespell. Among them were more of the duke¡¯s men, the Followers, a handful of Solar Knights, and crown officials. None Scarlett recognized personally, but she kept an eye out where possible.


    At one point, she found herself sought out by individuals clad in white robes and featureless gold masks, who were investigating the ongoing situation. Those were the Inquisitorial Auditors Raimond had warned her about.


    Surprisingly, they weren¡¯t as intimidating as one might have thought, though perhaps her noble status might have played a part in that. Still, she managed to evade much of their scrutiny, providing answers that adhered to the narrative she had agreed upon with Raimond. Mostly, that meant leaning on her cooperative relationship with Duke Valentino and her ¡®expertise¡¯ on demons to justify her actions and presence following the citadel¡¯s emergence.


    The Auditors did try to probe into her past encounters with demons, but she¡¯d deflected by recounting that time she¡¯d run into one with Kat outside Ambercrest, which seemed to satisfy their inquiries for the time being.


    Once they ceased bothering her, Scarlett and her companions returned to simply waiting while recuperating their energy. It was somewhat fascinating to sit on the sidelines and witness the gradual expansion of the camp around them throughout the day as more people arrived to address the perceived crisis.


    Which, in a sense, she supposed it was. But the crisis itself had already mostly passed.


    Scarlett did note the absence of the Dawnbringers¡¯ return to the camp. In fact, most of the people who remained in the camp were either the duke¡¯s men and similar factions, while the Followers of Ittar appeared to proceed past the temporary camp, heading directly in the direction of Anguish¡¯s citadel. Presumably, they had set up their own base there.


    Raimond¡¯s prediction that investigating the citadel would take a while seemed to be correct. The man in question had vanished after their conversation, likely joining his order in their ventures. Whether he was doing that under the guise of ¡®Father Abraham¡¯ or ¡®Deacon Abram¡¯ was uncertain.


    While waiting for things to calm down, Scarlett immersed herself in the journal she had found in the Sunfire Shrine ¡ª the one penned by Arlene¡¯s sister. It proved a decent enough distraction, sparing her from having to engage in pointless chatter. Although she didn¡¯t mind the company of Allyssa and the others, it got somewhat tiring being cooped up inside a cabin with them for a prolonged duration, especially with some of the quirks she had acquired since arriving in this world.


    At least it was noticeably quieter than usual, with Rosa spending most of the time asleep. The woman did wake up now and then, engaging in some light conversation with the group, but that was about it. Scarlett suspected that the others, particularly Allyssa, were intentionally avoiding heavy topics with the bard for now, which was understandable given the current circumstances.


    Finally, after about a day¡¯s wait and the second began, Scarlett judged that things had stabilized enough around the camp that their presence no longer mattered. New arrivals continued to flock in, now ranging from soldiers and priests to mages and wizards, but a semblance of order had emerged among it all. While Sir Home and his people acted as the local security, it was clear that the Followers and the officials serving the crown were the ones in charge.


    Before departing, Scarlett sought out Sir Home to inform him of her intentions to leave. He wished her well, though she wasn¡¯t sure how sincere he truly was, given their past interactions and what happened with the Abyssal Vilewyrm.


    Having addressed any outstanding issues, Scarlett and her party set off, heading for Bridgespell. The trip itself was a slow but uneventful one, marked by a silence that was only broken by the occasional trivial conversation. Scarlett did spot Rosa giving her the odd, contemplative look when the bard wasn¡¯t sleeping, but that was about it. She understood that the woman wanted to have a talk¡ªso did she¡ªbut it would have to wait.


    They reached Bridgespell in the late afternoon, greeted by its bustling streets, which were even busier than usual now. Scarlett imagined that it was likely a repercussion from Anguish¡¯s citadel and the mess surrounding that. The immense structure was even visible here in the city from certain vantage points, and it would no doubt have caused a commotion when it first manifested.


    Their first stop was the Golden Griffin Inn, where their lodgings were. There, Scarlett left the others behind while she headed off alone to Duke Valentino¡¯s manor. Upon arrival, she was immediately ushered by a servant to the duke¡¯s office. There, the portly nobleman awaited her, seated behind the large desk that dominated the room. His cane leaned against the wall behind him.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford,¡± the duke greeted as Scarlett entered. ¡°Much has happened since we last spoke. I am beginning to question whether your presence itself is a portent of ominous things to come. It feels as if nothing but troubles have assaulted my city since you arrived.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, it is good to see you are still in good health,¡± Scarlett replied, crossing the room and settling into an armchair across from him. ¡°And I would think my presence should be considered a good omen, if anything, given my involvement in resolving several of those issues for you.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°And see how much good that has brought me.¡± The man motioned to his desk, which was covered in paperwork and opened letters. He narrowed his eyes at Scarlett. ¡°You, on the other hand, appear remarkably composed and unaffected by the events I heard you took part in.¡±


    Scarlett detected a hint of reproach and annoyance in his voice, but she couldn¡¯t exactly deny the accuracy of his observation. Despite her own exhaustion, that wasn¡¯t any excuse for her to ignore her appearance when visiting a high noble.


    In contrast, Duke Valentino looked as if he had been the one battling his way through hordes of demons just a couple of days prior, with a tired expression and a noticeable weight to his shoulders.


    ¡°I have been receiving constant reports from Captain Home and my men, but I still find it difficult to accept what I¡¯ve read,¡± the duke continued, his gaze fixed on Scarlett. ¡°Tell me, you who witnessed it with your own eyes. Is it true? Did legions of demons truly descend into this realm along with a structure hailing from the heart of the Blazes themselves? And was there truly an enclave of the Tribe of Sin involved? Here, in my domain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace, it would appear that is the case.¡±


    He frowned at her reply. ¡°The emergence of that blasted thing¡ªthe ¡®citadel¡¯ or whatever it¡¯s called¡ªis most likely common knowledge among every noble in the empire by now. It¡¯s a futile endeavour to try to conceal its existence,¡± he admitted after a pause, his expression grim. ¡°So, tell me, Baroness. What are your terms for keeping silent regarding the enclave discovered in Crowcairn?¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°You intend to keep its existence a secret?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he responded bluntly. ¡°For as long as I can. I have enough to deal with as it is.¡± His frown deepened into a scowl, his voice laced with frustration. ¡°You cannot tell me you would act any differently had an enclave been found within your own lands. Especially if it was confirmed most of its members were successful in escaping after somehow conjuring one of the Six Viles¡¯ strongholds into your domain.¡±


    Scarlett considered him for a moment.


    While people had recognized that the citadel had to belong to one of the Viles, it seemed no one was sure of which Vile yet, nor did they seem to understand the why behind it all. When she¡¯d spoken with Raimond, the man had seemed to think even the Followers would have trouble unraveling the mystery entirely. Even if the involvement of an incarnate was suspected, without witnesses, discerning the truth would be difficult.


    Crowcairn¡¯s true identity as an enclave of the Tribe of Sin, however, would hardly stay a secret.


    ¡°His Majesty and the Followers of Ittar will no doubt be aware of the truth,¡± she said.


    ¡°Better them and those who know best to keep quiet and not attempt to use this against me than half the damned empire accosting while I¡¯m extinguishing half a dozen other fires.¡± The duke glared at his cluttered desk, as if offended by its very existence.


    Scarlett offered the man a polite, but restrained, smile. ¡°I am of the belief that I only did my duty by assisting Your Grace. Had I known my silence on certain topics would have helped you even further, I would not have been averse to providing it without remuneration. However, if you are offering, it would be rude of me not to accept.¡±


    The duke scoffed. ¡°What is it you want? Gold?¡±


    ¡°Wealth is not something I lack. Instead, I would like to request a favor, to be traded in at a future time.¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡± His expression turned wary.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°That should suffice.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± he eventually conceded. ¡°I think I might have shared a similar sentiment with you before, but the perception you have currently cultivated among noble circles truly could not be more misleading. There have been so many rumors about you going around these last few months that it¡¯s nearly impossible sorting what is based in truth and what is simply some upstart baroness acting out of place.¡± Despite his stern tone, Scarlett detected a hint of grudging respect in his words. ¡°From what I have personally seen, not even the most generous of those rumors paint an accurate picture of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your honesty,¡± Scarlett responded evenly.


    ¡°That was not meant as a compliment,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am aware.¡±


    The duke stared at her for a second, then simply shook his head dismissively. ¡°What reasons you have for allowing those rumors to fester is beyond me, but it is hardly the strangest occurrence of late. I¡¯ve been informed you also ventured into that citadel and did battle with the demons calling it home. Is this accurate?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°So you are insane to top it off.¡±


    ¡°I prefer to frame it as a delicate balance of risks and potential rewards.¡±


    ¡°Delicate, you say? Baroness, I have it on good account that there is nothing ¡®delicate¡¯ about the manner in which you¡¯ve dealt with things.¡± The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door, which momentarily diverted the duke¡¯s attention. Regaining his focus, he turned back to Scarlett. ¡°I intended to speak with you for longer, but it seems we will have to conclude matters here for now. There are urgent affairs that demand my attention. Perhaps a more extensive talk can be arranged at a later date.¡±


    The man rose from his seat, grabbing his cane for support.


    ¡°While you remain in Bridgespell, you¡¯re welcome to reside in this manor,¡± he offered as he moved past the desk and headed towards the door at a steady gait. ¡°The staff have been instructed to cater to any needs you and your companions may have. This household does not easily forget those who lend us their aid, even though I sometimes wish otherwise.¡±


    Scarlett got up and followed him to the door, stepping into the hallway where two attendants were waiting. She turned to look at the duke. ¡°Before we part ways, Your Grace, there is a lingering curiosity of mine. Have you received any updates from Dame Leandra regarding her mission to locate the First Princess?¡±


    The man¡¯s brows furrowed ever so slightly. ¡°I lack the specifics, but it appears traces of Her Highness were discovered within the ruins you mentioned to Dame Leandra.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t been certain what to expect in that regard. That the princess had ventured into those ruins did align with some of her suspicions, but it was still surprising.


    ¡°I must take my leave now, Baroness. We shall meet again,¡± the man declared, staring down the hall with the support of his cane and accompanied by one of the attendants.


    ¡°Until then, Your Grace,¡± Scarlett said, watching him depart. ¡°Oh, and you can expect an invoice concerning the demon¡¯s part that was owed,¡± she added. ¡°And rest assured, in case you harbored any concerns, I have meticulously recorded the potions that were distributed to your men as well.¡±


    The man¡¯s walk halted momentarily at her words, a faint grumble audible down the hallway, then he continued on his way without looking back.

 Chapter 214 - Commissions

    It was during Scarlett¡¯s journey back from Duke Valentino¡¯s residence that another system window appeared before her.


    [Side-Quest completed: Ducal favors and manipulations]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}


    As the carriage gently navigated Bridgespell¡¯s cobblestone streets, she sat in the cabin, considering the floating message. She was relieved that the system seemed to have regained most of its functionality, but she hadn¡¯t expected her dealings with the duke to be classified as a side-quest. Nonetheless, she wasn¡¯t about to object.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]


    [??????? ???????? ????? ?????????? ????? ???? ?????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 10346/12084]


    [Points: 49]


    Looking over her character window, her eyes briefly paused on the bugged skill before dismissing it for now and summoning yet another window.


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)


    [Argent Pyrokinesis] (100 points) (LOCKED)


    [Superior Hydromancy] (25 points)


    [Major Hydrokinesis] (50 points)


    [Superior Mana Control] (25 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    This left her tantalizingly close to being able to upgrade her hydrokinesis, if that was what she wanted. [Superior Mana Control] was also quite tempting, and she had considered simply selecting it on more than one occasion. However, impulsively spending skill points after saving them up for all this time would be somewhat of a waste.


    Perhaps she wouldn¡¯t even have to make that decision in the end, though. The system seemed to be dispensing these quest rewards more actively now, and she strongly suspected this wouldn¡¯t be the last notification she got. Before making any final decisions regarding her upgrades, she could at least wait and see how many points she had by the end of all this.


    That train of thought brought back some other memories. She had been so caught up in events around Crowcairn and Anguish that she¡¯d nearly forgotten about one of the first things she¡¯d done when she arrived in Bridgespell initially. Maybe it was time to see how things were progressing on that front before rejoining the others at the inn.


    After considering it for a moment, Scarlett leaned forward and tapped the wooden latch on the cabin¡¯s front wall, which soon opened to where the coachman sat. She gave him new directions, then settled back into her seat, watching the city life unfold through the window. A brief change of pace would be nice after the recent tumultuous days.


    The sun had already set by the time Scarlett returned to the Golden Griffin Inn, enveloping Bridgespell¡¯s streets in a glum darkness. Although it wasn¡¯t particularly late, the approach of winter made the days increasingly shorter. In some regions of the empire, winter had probably already arrived, considering December was well underway, but Bridgespell at the very least still clung to the vestiges of autumn¡¯s warmth.


    Most of the establishments Scarlett had visited just now were in the process of closing their doors, but her status as a noble afforded her some leeway in that regard. Several of the shopkeepers she¡¯d spoken to had even offered to have her orders delivered rather than forcing her to pick them up, but Scarlett had declined. The [Bag of Juham] was kept in the carriage, so it hadn¡¯t been particularly inconvenient for her to just use that for transportation.


    Arriving at the Golden Griffin Inn, she was welcomed by the staff who showed her to her accommodations, and offered further assistance, which she declined.


    Inside the foyer of their lodgings, Scarlett was greeted by the sight of all her companions, excluding Rosa, lounging in the room. Shin was nestled in a secluded corner, his attention fully captured by the pages of a thick tome. Meanwhile, Allyssa and Fynn were huddled around a compact table, deeply immersed in a board game. Fynn¡¯s face was a mask of concentration as he contemplated his strategy, contrasted by Allyssa¡¯s mild look of exasperation awaiting his decision.


    Scarlett briefly observed them. They had all cleaned up while she was gone, now dressed in plain clothes.


    ¡°I see that you all appear to have seamlessly transitioned back into a semblance of normalcy,¡± her voice echoed lightly across the room as she headed towards a larger table at the center.


    Shin lifted his gaze from his book, offering a short nod in acknowledgment, while Allyssa momentarily diverted her attention from the game to meet Scarlett¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Not much else to do here,¡± the girl explained with a sigh. ¡°Restocking with my alchemy¡¯s out of the question until we¡¯re back in Freybrook, and there¡¯s no point in trying to coax Shin into doing anything other than read at times like these.¡±


    Across from her, Fynn finally made his move on the board.


    Scarlett eyed the game with slight curiosity. She wasn¡¯t familiar with the rules, but she knew that it bore similarities to chess.


    Allyssa blinked, staring at Fynn¡¯s play. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°It prevents you from sacrificing your pikeman,¡± he calmly explained.


    ¡°But you just forfeited your Shielder for barely any benefit. Am I supposed to be offended?¡±


    ¡°You intended to trick me into compromising my fort, didn¡¯t you? This counters that.¡±


    Allyssa remained silent for a few seconds, then threw her hands up in the air, her voice a mix of shock and frustration. ¡°Aagghh! This is impossible. Why are you good at this?! It¡¯s supposed to be your first time!¡± Her head swiveled towards Shin, shooting him an accusatory glare. ¡°Confess. You¡¯ve been coaching him behind my back just to mess with me, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Shin, unfazed, shook his head. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Allyssa¡¯s glare shifted back to Fynn. ¡°He did, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Fynn nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± he reminded the girl.


    ¡°I know! Don¡¯t rush me!¡± Allyssa¡¯s expression transformed into one of intense concentration as she peered over the board, carefully analysing her options.


    ¡°Where is Rosa?¡± Scarlett asked, turning her attention away from the unfolding drama. She placed the [Bag of Juham] on the central table. She caught Shin¡¯s prolonged look and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Something on your mind?¡±


    His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before shifting to the bag. ¡°No, it was nothing. And Rosa has been recuperating in her room since you left. She mentioned still being tired, but she¡¯s likely awake now. We heard music from her quarters earlier.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes drifted towards the hallway leading to each of their chambers. ¡°Then I will see to her after sharing what I have brought for the rest of you.¡±


    Now Fynn turned away from the board game and to her. ¡°Share what?¡±


    ¡°Do you recall that, upon our arrival in Bridgespell, I arranged for each of us to be measured by the local craftsman in order to commission tailored equipment?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It is time to present some of those.¡± Scarlett dipped her hand into the [Bag of Juham] and retrieved a pair of steel bracers. Their silvery steel surface was finely polished and had intricate patterns carved into it, shimmering with a mesmerising glow under the room¡¯s light, with ash-colored scales seamlessly embedded in the metal through some unknown technique.


    [Draconic Embrace (Epic)]


    {Forged from high-quality steel and the shadowed scales of an ashenwraith dragon, these bracers bestow upon their wearer the elusive strength and agility of one who hunts dragons, weaving their protection through the scales that are part of it}


    Fynn¡¯s gaze narrowed as he saw the items, and Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened as she turned to look.


    ¡°Are those for me?¡± Fynn asked as he rose to approach Scarlett.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°I understand that you prefer to be unburdened in combat, but these were designed with your fighting style in mind. They offer protection without hindering your mobility.¡±


    The bracers covered the top of the hand, but there were tiny slits near the knuckles to allow for Fynn to summon his claws.


    The white-haired youth, intrigued, inspected the craftsmanship. Then he lifted the bracers up and put them on, before finally nodding with an expression of approval. ¡°I like them.¡±


    ¡°Then they serve their purpose,¡± Scarlett said.


    She would have been disappointed if he didn¡¯t like them. Just those bracers alone were exorbitantly expensive. She had intentionally splurged on all this, so they were talking about sums she was pretty sure exceeded the entire yearly financial output of some baronies for just one item.


    If she wasn¡¯t anticipating significant profits from the ashenwraith dragon that Empress had killed, she wasn¡¯t sure she would have afforded to spend this much.


    ¡°Now then, shall I present the rest?¡± She turned her attention to Shin and Allyssa.


    ¡°Erm¡­¡± Allyssa suddenly looked hesitant, but Shin approached with a composed demeanor.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the young man said.


    Scarlett pulled out the next article.


    [Ashenforged Battlemail (Epic)]


    {Born of ashenwraith dragon scales and enchanted iceweaver silk, this mail embraces the wearer in a dance of ash and steel, spinning protection that blurs the lines between armor and elemental force}


    It was a folded piece of banded armor, composed of steel bands hidden beneath layers of blue-ish grey fabric and dark, ash-colored scales that blended perfectly into the design. Scarlett offered the item to Shin, who received it with slight surprise.


    Scarlett then revealed the next piece for Allyssa.


    [Umbral Veil (Epic)]


    {Woven from shadowspider silk and nightwind moth threads, this veil intertwines its wearer with the silent dance of shadows, granting the power to merge into obscurity. The ashen scales concealed within also provide protection from those who would do harm}


    Outwardly, it looked like a simple grey cloak, but on closer inspection, it seemed to glow slightly with a disguised energy. Scarlett placed it on the table. ¡°This is for you, Miss Astrey. As I am aware that you are somewhat uncomfortable with the price of these items, you can consider it a loan, for now, to ease your mind.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Scarlett pulled out the next item.


    [Ashenwraith Elegance (Epic)]


    {Born of the hides of elusive dragons, this piece of clothing serves as a silent ally to its wearer, protecting its master and harnessing the inherent magic of its draconic heritage to amplify their power}


    It was a refined ensemble tailored specifically for Scarlett, blending both the practical essence of a seasoned adventurer¡¯s clothes with the imposed dignity of a noblewoman¡¯s attire. Crafted from the resilient hide of the ashenwraith dragon, it also incorporated materials harvested from various other creatures they had encountered, all complemented by fine materials provided by the artisan. The outfit featured a lightweight design that wouldn¡¯t restrict Scarlett¡¯s movements, boasting a rich ebony color accentuated by discreetly woven dragon scale, creating an interplay of shadows and light when viewed from certain angles.


    Following the [Ashenwraith Elegance] were a pair of delicate white gloves.


    [Emberflow Gloves (Rare)]


    {Woven from fireflowers and graced by enchanted river pearls, these gloves fit for a noble lady¡¯s hands cradle within them a touch of elemental finesse, each gesture unveiling a hint of the mystical synergy of two opposing forces}


    Scarlett considered both of the items for a moment. The gloves had been more of an afterthought when she originally placed her orders, with her asking the workshop if they could create something useful for a mage who employed both pyromancy and hydromancy. They¡¯d expressed some hesitance at first and warned her not to expect any particularly powerful enchantments, but what they had produced was still impressive in her opinion. She was curious about how practical they would prove to be.


    The same went for the [Ashenwraith Elegance], of course. She had commissioned it solely to have another layer of defense beyond her [Garments of Form (Epic)], not expecting anything else. However, it seemed the draconic aspect of the material had more of an effect on the end product than expected.


    Picking up both items in her hands, she activated the effect of her [Charm of Expeditious Change]. They vanished into whatever spatial storage the artifact utilized, then reappeared moments later on her body.


    She immediately noticed the difference. The connection she had to her magic, the slight supernatural sense which she¡¯d never quite able to fully describe with simple words, suddenly felt slightly more potent, and there was a latent power now enveloping her, as if waiting for her to unleash her magic, wishing to join it.


    After spending a short time acclimating to the sensation, she eventually dismissed the items and donned her original attire.


    ¡°The more I see you do that, the more jealous I get,¡± Allyssa said, the young Shielder holding her new cloak in her hands. ¡°I¡¯d trade Shin in a heartbeat if it meant I didn¡¯t have to bother with changing my clothes manually ever again. Just ¡®poof¡¯, and it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an object,¡± Shin replied, not looking up from his inspection of his new armor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t hear you over the agony of betrayal I¡¯m feeling from my closest friend stabbing me in the back.¡±


    ¡°The magic at work is indeed quite convenient,¡± Scarlett said, lifting the [Bag of Juham] once more. ¡°Perhaps were we to decipher the nature of the enchantment responsible, I might inquire into obtaining more items of its type.¡± She cast a glance at Fynn, who was experimenting with his new bracers, the air around him swirling as he conjured his spectral claws.


    ¡°Some of the commisions remain unfinished,¡± she added. ¡°Most likely, we will not see those until after our return to Freybrook.¡±


    She had placed orders for some minor enchanted tools that she thought might be useful as well, along with some other pieces of equipment that were taking longer to craft. Fynn certainly deserved more than just a pair of bracers, for example.


    Admittedly, she was impressed by the efficiency already showcased by the workshops; less than two weeks had elapsed since they arrived in Bridgespell, yet this much had already been accomplished. She had paid for them to prioritise her orders, but the craftsmanship and speed still exceeded her expectations.


    ¡°Now, take this time to acquaint yourself with your new gear,¡± Scarlett instructed, moving towards the edge of the foyer. ¡°Meanwhile, I will seek out Miss Hale to present her with these items as well.¡±


    And have certain other discussions.

 Chapter 215 - Girl talks

    Scarlett found Rosa in the woman¡¯s quarters, seated in a dim corner beside a round table, head lowered and klert cradled in her arms. Soft halcyon notes floated from the instrument, enveloping the room in a glum melody. Scarlett paused at the entrance, observing the bard, who seemed absorbed in her music.


    Through haunted walls where echoes weep,


    A melody of secrets, the troubadour does keep~


    A visage cloaked in heartache¡¯s guise,


    Yet, a plea for joy in wanting cries~


    Smile for me, ¡®neath the silver veil,


    In the spectral dance, let joy prevail~


    Ghosts of laughter, shadow¡¯s glee,


    In the haunted night, smile for me~


    Rosa¡¯s voice, a quiet murmur blending with the music, carried layers of unspoken emotions. The lyrics¡­ Scarlett faintly recognized them from the game, though she suspected they were slightly different.


    She lingered near the doorway for a while, allowing the song¡¯s final note to dissolve into silence. Rosa¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the empty floorboards for several seconds, before eventually, Scarlett approached.


    Rosa¡¯s head lifted at the sound of footsteps, and a wry smile appeared on her face. ¡°¡­Fancy meeting you here. Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d catch you sneaking around like this, but who could blame you?¡± The smile transformed into a smirk. ¡°If you wanted a show, you could¡¯ve just asked.¡±


    ¡°And I would have if that is what I desired,¡± Scarlett replied, moving to sit opposite the bard, placing the [Bag of Juham] on the table between them.


    Rosa glanced at the bag, then back at Scarlett. ¡°So, how¡¯d your little city excursion go? Heard you went to rub elbows with some big-shot duke or other. Climbing up the social ladder, are we? Soon you¡¯ll be beguiling princes and princesses.¡±


    ¡°I most assuredly hope not.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°And the meeting with the duke went well. He expressed interest in further discussions with me before we return to Freybrook.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s good, I bet,¡± Rosa said, the woman¡¯s gaze drifting to a painting of a ship on the wall, her fingers absentmindedly plucking at the strings and keys of her instrument.


    Watching her from the side, Scarlett wondered what was going through the bard¡¯s mind.


    Eventually, she reached towards the [Bag of Juham]. ¡°I have something for you.¡±


    Rosa blinked, turning to look at Scarlett. ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett pulled out an item from the bag. ¡°If you recall, upon our arrival in Bridgespell, we visited several artisans to commission equipment for the group. I have already distributed the items to everyone else; yours is the last remaining.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Rosa said, her voice fading. ¡°I¡¯d completely forgotten about that, honestly, with everything else happening¡­¡±


    She paused, her attention caught by the object Scarlett revealed.


    Crafted from rich, polished wood and embellished with intricate detailing and imagery, it was an item Rosa was plenty familiar with. It featured multiple strings stretched across an exquisitely constructed bridge, with deliberately placed keys fashioned from bone-white marble adorning its face and a wheel of sorts set into the wood at the center. At the instrument¡¯s base, a single handle beckoned to be cranked.


    [Melodyscript Klert (rare)]


    {Born from the hands of an expert artisan working with a seasoned enchanter and made from the rare Lyradra Wood, this instrument seems imbued with a sense of life and artistry, eagerly waiting to express its unique sound}


    ¡°You once jestingly suggested we ask Dean Warley Godwin to enchant your instrument while he was staying at our mansion,¡± Scarlett said, observing Rosa¡¯s reaction. ¡°Obviously, the notion of having one of the most powerful mages in the empire attend to such a trivial task was ludicrous. I am also certain that whatever enchantment you would have requested would have been pointless, at best. However, that conversation did prompt me to consider if there might be more practical alternatives.¡±


    She gestured towards the klert on the table. ¡°That is why I had this commissioned for you. It was before we left for Bridgespell, and thus technically separate from the other commissions, but through my connections, I found an eminent craftsman and a capable mage for the task. The body was fashioned by Sir Elowen Dalton, if you know of him, with the enchantment later added by a Master Docent Harding of Bridgespell Tower, upon Miss Mendenhall¡¯s recommendation.¡±


    Rosa remained silent, her gaze intently fixed on the instrument.


    Scarlett observed her closely, her brows creasing slightly. Did Rosa perhaps not like it and was considering how to bring that up? Maybe the woman felt a sentimental attachment to her old klert? But this enchanted one would objectively be superior during their excursions. Rosa could always keep the old klert for other occasions if she wished to.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with it?¡± Scarlett eventually asked, breaking the silence that had stretched for nearly thirty seconds.


    Hopefully Rosa wasn¡¯t disappointed with the quality. Scarlett would have preferred getting an Epic-tier instrument for the bard, but that hadn¡¯t been an option due to resource and time constraints. Creating a klert from scratch was a slow process, and unlike the other workshops Scarlett had commissioned the rest of the equipment from, Sir Elowen had informed her that he couldn¡¯t custom-make a klert for Rosa in under a month.


    This klert had been the makeshift solution, repurposed from existing materials he had lying around. Scarlett supposed it was impressive that he managed to get it done and enchanted by a mage in the time that he did have. It was apparently the first time Sir Elowen actually created an item to be enchanted.


    The enchantments themselves were somewhat limited due to the lower quality of the item itself, but this was still better than nothing.


    Finally, Rosa¡¯s response came as the woman turned to look at Scarlett with both eyebrows raised. ¡°What, you think this face of mine is one of disappointment?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s concerns eased slightly, though she didn¡¯t show any of it on her expression. ¡°It is challenging to discern such things with you.¡±


    The bard chuckled, briefly looking down at the klert in her lap, running her fingers over its surface, before returning her gaze to the new one on the table. ¡°Mind if I give it a whirl?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It is yours,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°You hardly need my permission to use it.¡±


    With a smile, Rosa set aside her old klert and picked up the new instrument, inspecting it from various angles. She then placed it on her lap, testing the keys and strings, adjusting the tuning pegs at the top, and performing other small checks unfamiliar to Scarlett.


    After her adjustments, Rosa seemed content and cranked the handle at the bottom. A fleecy, melodic tune filled the room, its sound rich and seeming to infuse the very air with vigour. She began to sing in a low, folksy voice.


    And oh she lived, that she did~


    She bilked, she duped,


    and she kept her way~


    Tilde, never once did she keep her say~


    She was a scamp, a cheat,


    but she kept you astray~


    Scarlett recognized the song, both from the game and their first encounter.


    When the bard finished, she looked back at Scarlett with a steady gaze. ¡°This might be the best gift I¡¯ve ever gotten. In my whole life. Period.¡±


    ¡°¡­Surely you are exaggerating.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Scarlett studied her, a moment of uncertainty passing as she wondered how she was even expected to respond to that, then she shifted her focus back to the [Bag of Juham]. ¡°If that is the case, then I am curious to hear your thoughts on these next articles.¡± She pulled out two more items from the bag.


    [Harmony¡¯s Veil (Epic)]


    {A symbol of the harmony that a minstrel¡¯s songs can bring, this veil¡¯s purpose of protecting its wearer and spreading its melody far and wide will sing true}


    The first was a flowing purple mantle, its fabric almost seeming to dance and flicker in the ambient light. It was made from a mixture of the ashenwraith dragon¡¯s hide and a particular kind of silk called amethystine silk, which Scarlett and the others had collected on one of their dungeon runs.


    Though primarily a mantle, it was large enough to fold over the front and shield the entire body if necessary. A small spatial enchantment had also been woven into it, allowing Rosa to stow away her klert inside whenever she wanted. That particular feature had been expensive due to the rarity of most spatial enchantments and the materials, but the convenience it offered was undeniable.


    Following the mantle, Scarlett revealed a pair of leather boots.


    [Harmony¡¯s Echostriders (Rare)]


    {Made from the finest silver silk, the luminescent threads within these boots sing the song of travels, aiding its wearer in their journeys}


    Rosa stared at the two items as Scarlett laid them out.


    ¡°What, I¡¯m really getting these two as well?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You are, yes.¡±


    Balancing her new klert on her lap, Rosa leaned forward to inspect the mantle and the boots more closely. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have thought you were trying to win my heart with all these extravagances. If only I hadn¡¯t been there during that Tuesday store-run of yours to witness the casualness with which you spent enough solars to buy a castle. Nothing¡¯s scarier than seeing nobles throw around money like it grows on trees.¡±


    Choosing to ignore Rosa¡¯s jest about her spending habits, Scarlett placed the [Bag of Juham] on the floor. ¡°This is hardly the first instance of my ensuring you are supplied with valuable equipment. You are a key member of my party, and thus, investing in your capabilities is only logical. Building up one¡¯s available assets is a natural course of action.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the quintessential Scarlett response,¡± Rosa said with a hint of amusement.


    ¡°It is the truth.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The bard waved a hand dismissively as she continued to explore the mantle and boots. ¡°The klert I think I can figure out on my own, but what about these? What do they do?¡±


    ¡°The mantle and boots both carry basic enchantments for increased durability. The mantle also offers additional protection through a warding enchantment and includes a small dimensional fold for storing your klert. As for the boots, they are meant to improve your stamina and agility, and should theoretically enhance your charms as well.¡±


    Rosa whistled appreciatively. ¡°Now that is fancy. With everything else you¡¯ve given me, I¡¯m starting to feel like a treasure trove on legs. Any day now I half expect a dragon to come swooping in and claim me as the crown jewel of its hoard. A mere ¡®thanks¡¯ feels lacking for all this.¡±


    ¡°As I have already stated, you are a valuable asset to me. There is no need for thanks when my actions are solely for my own benefit.¡±


    ¡°And the klert? Was that also purely for your benefit, then?¡± Rosa asked, lightly tapping the instrument.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved to rest on it for a moment before she nodded. ¡°Primarily, yes.¡±


    Rosa flashed a knowing smile, but didn¡¯t say anything. A brief silence ensued, where the bard continued looking over her new possessions with smug curiosity.


    Eventually, Scarlett spoke once more. ¡°With that dealt with, perhaps it is time for us to have a talk. We have not had much time or opportunity for a proper conversation since you left for Crowcairn.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Rosa answered with a casual air, her attention caught by the spatial pouch inside the mantle. She placed her klert inside, then pulled it out, repeating the action several times. ¡°Where do you want to start?¡±


    Scarlett regarded her. ¡°¡­How about we begin with how you are?¡±


    The woman paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her features before she regained her composure and met Scarlett¡¯s gaze. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s where you want to start?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, sure?¡±


    ¡°I would not have asked if I were not.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was kinda expecting the first thing you¡¯d do once we got back here was give me a piece of your mind, considering everything. Was afraid they¡¯d need Fynn to sniff out what¡¯s left of my body from the city¡¯s alleys afterward,¡± Rosa half-joked.


    ¡°¡­I would not have had you killed, regardless of what you may have done to anger me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The woman wiped an imaginary sweat drop from her brow. ¡°Whew, that¡¯s a weight off my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Let me ask again,¡± Scarlett pressed. ¡°How are you, Rosa?¡±


    The bard squinted her eyes at her. ¡°You¡¯re really sure that¡¯s where you want to start?¡±


    A hint of impatience entered Scarlett¡¯s voice. ¡°Do not start this again.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Rosa conceded with a light grin, then leaned back in her chair, looking across the room. ¡°To actually answer your question, I¡¯m fine. Much thanks to you, really.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°You are reverting to old habits, asserting that you are fine while wearing a smile that you have every right to forgo.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s smile cracked, then gradually vanished. ¡°¡­Guess you¡¯re right on that one as well.¡±


    ¡°I have been informed that I tend to be correct about a great deal of things,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°And humble too¡­¡± Rosa muttered under her breath, then sighed and fiddled with her new klert. ¡°¡­You know, I used to go by this old adage. Not sure where I picked it up, but it always stuck with me. ¡®Don¡¯t tell your friends about your indigestion. ¡°How are you¡± is a greeting, not a question¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That is a rather bleak outlook on relationships.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Not arguing with you on that, but it¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°In some cases, perhaps. But I have never asked you that question without genuine intentions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I think that makes you weirder than it does me.¡± Rosa shook her head, a slight hint of amusement showing on her face, though it soon faded. ¡°¡­But I¡¯m not lying to you this time. I really am fine. Mostly. Better than I have any right to be, at least. Better than I¡¯ve been for years. That part isn¡¯t a lie.¡±


    ¡°Yet you can still hear Anguish,¡± Scarlett pointed out.


    ¡°There is that,¡± the woman admitted. ¡°Turns out she¡¯s a pretty sore loser. I¡¯ve spent the last day listening to her attempt about a hundred schemes to convince me to set her free and embrace the old mass-homicide routine. I¡¯ve also considered shutting her up a dozen times, but there¡¯s something comforting in hearing the thing that ruined your entire life desperately beg and plead for your attention, you know?¡± She pouted slightly. ¡°Or, well, I say ¡®desperately¡¯, but it¡¯s mostly just a bunch of her laughing at my supposed naivety, but I take what I can get. Don¡¯t know what that says about me, but at this point, do I really care?¡±


    A frown appeared on Scarlett¡¯s brow. It was somewhat worrying that Anguish was still up to that kind of stuff, yet, at the same time¡­ She had to admit that she also found some grim satisfaction in imagining the demon¡¯s futile attempts to sway Rosa, all the while Anguish was incapable of doing anything to stop the chaos that was no doubt currently spreading in her domain.


    ¡°She¡¯s also told me all kinds of stories about you that would make Drakon the Despoiler sound virtuous,¡± Rosa added, ¡°but it¡¯s pretty clear most of it¡¯s made up.¡±


    Scarlett paused, looking at the woman.


    The thought had crossed her mind that Anguish might tell Rosa things that Scarlett didn¡¯t necessarily want her to know.


    The bard met her gaze, her clear violet eyes searching.


    ¡°Most of it,¡± Rosa continued, ¡°but I wager even a demon like her might have sprinkled some truth in there, even if by accident.¡±


    Scarlett remained silent at first, considering her words, before finally responding. ¡°It should perhaps not come as a surprise that I have indeed been harboring many secrets from you, although I hope you understand that I had good reason to do so. I cannot address allegations I am unaware of, so if I may ask¡­ What exactly has she been saying?¡±


    Rosa hesitated. ¡°¡­First, I want to ask¡­¡± She glanced down at the area above her chest, where the [Astralbane¡¯s Nexus Heartstone] lay concealed beneath the fabric of her blouse. ¡°You knew about Anguish¡¯s presence inside me from the start, didn¡¯t you? Even before we officially met?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Scarlett had no reason to deny it at this point.


    ¡°So when you claimed you knew me when we first met in that inn, it wasn¡¯t that you had heard of me as a bard, but that you were aware of my whole ¡®incarnate¡¯ situation, even though I didn¡¯t even know about it myself?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    A mix of emotions played across Rosa¡¯s face as she looked at Scarlett. ¡°Is it also true that you struck a deal with Anguish, agreeing to steer clear of each other¡¯s affairs?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett answered, ¡°However¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Rosa interrupted, holding up a hand. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m accusing you. It¡¯s just that I finally have an explanation for why the visions stopped around you. Besides.¡± She offered a small smile and rapped her fist against her chest, producing a faint, crystalline sound. ¡°You clearly found ways around that pact of yours.¡±


    Her smile then faded into a more somber expression, and she moved her gaze, letting it drift around the room. ¡°¡­¡¯Course, then we had the other things Anguish shared. Truth or lies, they led me to some realizations about our relationship that I¡¯d been blind to. About how some of my assumptions were wrong. Looking back, it¡¯s clear that I was always dancing along to your tune far more than I ever suspected.¡±


    ¡°Rosa, allow me to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not blaming you, you know?¡± the woman cut in. ¡°I¡¯m the last person who has any right to do that, after everything you¡¯ve done for me. It¡¯s just that, realizing that there was so much that I missed in our interactions, so much context and meaning that I was completely oblivious to each time I talked with someone I thought I knew¡­ It feels weird, you know? Disheartening, almost. Makes me wonder if I was the only one taking all those times seriously. At face value.¡±


    Scarlett took a moment before replying. ¡°There was never an instance where I did not take you seriously.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The corner of Rosa¡¯s lips lifted as she shot her a wry look. ¡°You willing to stand by that claim?¡±


    ¡°Discounting all of the times that you were being a Rosa,¡± Scarlett corrected herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s encouraging I¡¯ve made enough of an imprint for my name to have become a noun,¡± the bard laughed, then her gaze shifted away again. ¡°¡­Anguish¡¯s been trying to make out as this master manipulator and schemer, even around me, but I never fully bought into that. She seems to think she¡¯s got you pegged, but honestly, I don¡¯t think she has any idea what you¡¯re truly like. Even if you had been manipulating me like she said, even if I had been nothing but a pawn in your games and everything had been a lie, I think I would have been fine with it. Though, once again, that probably speaks more about how much of a mess I am than you.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe you are a mess, Rosa,¡± Scarlett said.


    A humorless laugh escaped Rosa. ¡°That¡¯s mighty kind of you, Red, but this is one time where you¡¯re definitely wrong. I¡¯d wager a dragon¡¯s bottom that you can¡¯t find another pulchritudinous lass in the empire that¡¯s as selfish and contradictory as this one.¡±


    ¡°¡­You expressed a similar sentiment in Crowcairn, but I struggle to understand the reasoning behind you labeling yourself as selfish. I have seen too many instances where you have prioritised the well-being of others above your own, to the point where it has been exasperating.¡±


    There were several occasions when Scarlett had wished the woman wasn¡¯t as softhearted as she was.


    Rosa shook her head. ¡°If you knew anything about my past, you wouldn¡¯t be saying that.¡±


    ¡°I do know your past,¡± Scarlett interjected.


    The bard froze.


    ¡°My awareness of you from before we met was not limited to your identity as an incarnate, Rosa. While I do not claim to know everything, I am familiar with many of your struggles.¡±


    Slowly, Rosa turned back to face Scarlett, eyeing her. ¡°¡­Then you should know that people have died because of me in the past. Because of this thing inside me. Because I didn¡¯t have enough sense to just head into the forest and live alone with my demons. Because I¡­I couldn¡¯t even envision a life where I was entirely isolated.¡± Her voice carried a heavy sincerity. ¡°I have been nothing but selfish for most of my life, Scarlett. That¡¯s a fact.¡±


    Scarlett observed her in silence. ¡°¡­I am aware. Yet, it is also a fact that I have seen your compassion numerous times ¡ª caring for and healing children who cross your path, assisting strangers who have nothing to offer you, and trying to protect us despite your own pain. You even chose to risk your own life for a village belonging to the Tribe of Sin.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that highlight my problems, if anything?¡± Rosa asked. ¡°Anyone can help out a kid or two if it doesn¡¯t cost them much, but that doesn¡¯t speak to whether they¡¯re genuinely good. You¡¯d think that someone with an actual sense of decency wouldn¡¯t hesitate to distance themselves from their friends if it meant saving them from herself. Yet I did hesitate. So many times. And this was before I knew you could help me. What I should have done back then was leave after the first time I got paid, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.¡±


    The woman let out another laugh, this one bitter and tinged with self-derisiveness as her gaze dropped to the mantle and boots on the table.


    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Rosa halted before continuing. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one saying my aid in Crowcairn was misguided? I never disagreed with that. Like I¡¯ve already told you, my actions weren¡¯t borne out of some saintly compassion or me being unable to see people die in front of me. People have already died around me. Because of me, even. The truth is that I just¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure I could live with myself if all my actions¡ªthe culmination of everything stupid and cowardly I¡¯d done in my life¡ªmeant me getting away scot-free while an entire village of unrelated families died. Even if they belonged to the Tribe.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Or maybe it was the opposite¡­ Maybe I did think I could live with myself after that. I¡¯ve never wanted to be that kind of person, but in a way, I probably always have been.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not aware you felt so conflicted on the matter,¡± Scarlett said after a moment.


    This was somewhat different from how any of the storylines Scarlett had encountered in the game with Rosa. Surprisingly, Scarlett found herself actually sympathising with some of the woman¡¯s sentiments.


    ¡°Some of these thoughts were new to me as well.¡± Rosa gave a weak shrug. She touched the Heartstone embedded in her chest. ¡°But when you put this thing in me¡­ When, for once, I gained full control¡ªif only for a moment¡ªover both myself and the demon that¡¯s plagued me for so long, it was the first time I actually felt that I had the chance to change. Or to try to, at least. And so I took that opportunity. I took it, even if it meant betraying your expectations and potentially risking half the continent by inviting a megalomaniac demon intent on laying waste to all of civilization into my body. Sure, I felt fairly certain I could have stopped Anguish at any moment by simply stopping myself, but it was still a risk no sane person would take. So how does that possibly render me deserving of being called ¡®kind¡¯?¡±


    The bard met Scarlett¡¯s gaze, letting the silence stretch between them for a few tense moments. The heavy air gradually lifted as though Rosa seemed to realize herself, shifting in her seat and returning to fiddling with the klert in her lap.


    ¡°¡­Then do you regret it?¡± Scarlett asked after some time.


    ¡°No,¡± came Rosa¡¯s reply, without a trace of doubt. ¡°Not even for a second. Even if I¡¯d lost my life at the end of it all, I would have made the same choice again. Even knowing it would have made you waste all that effort you put into helping me. Like I said, I¡¯m selfish like that.¡±


    Scarlett watched the woman, her gaze thoughtful as she listened to the faint notes produced by the klert¡¯s strings. ¡°¡­I am beginning to think that we are more alike than I had previously thought. However, there also remain many respects in which we are distinctly different.¡±


    Rosa looked up from her instrument, a hint of confusion in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna pull the ¡®noble¡¯ card on me, are you?¡±


    ¡°I am not,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But I will say that, between the two of us, I am unequivocally the more selfish one. Do not forget that I was the one who orchestrated the events that transpired at the citadel and with Anguish, including the circumstances that ultimately led to Malachi exposing the Tribe¡¯s enclave in Crowcairn to Duke Valentino¡¯s men. You may question your own goodness, Rosa, but at the very least, it is clear that you harbor a desire to be good. That is more than many others can say.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s expression hardened slightly. ¡°Maybe, but you can¡¯t deny the hypocrisy of me asking for that much understanding at this point.¡±


    ¡°And what does it matter if it is hypocritical?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°Who is there to pass judgement but yourself? I refuse to condemn you for your past, and the only judgement that should truly influence your actions is your own. You see yourself as a mess, but I assure you, my own failings are much more substantial, and there is no reality where I am not a hypocrite. Yet I refuse to let this govern who I am.¡±


    ¡°Ehm, we¡¯re not talking about who¡¯s got the best social skills here, Red.¡± Rosa gave her a puzzled look.


    Scarlett returned her a pointed glare. ¡°That is not what I meant.¡±


    She paused briefly, steeling herself.


    ¡°I will only be saying this once, so do not expect me to reiterate this ever again; however, I am aware that I can have a problematic personality. I am, as already stated, hypocritical, overbearing, conceited, callous, vain, petty, prone to irrational anger, and I struggle with maintaining even the simplest of healthy relationships with those around. I have numerous quirks and prejudices that likely skew my perception and judgement on matters far more than I realize. It was only a few months ago that I could not even hold a proper conversation with my sister without entertaining at least one thought related to strangling her with my own hands. And even now, as we discuss matters of importance which deserve my full attention, a part of me is still indulging in the thought of seeing Anguish pleading for mercy simply because you described her as desperate.¡±


    Scarlett had to stop as she grimaced, both annoyed and proud of herself for managing to say all of that. Discussing some of her less favorable traits was never a pleasant experience, but sometimes it was necessary.


    With a faint scowl lingering on her brow, she refocused on Rosa. ¡°Despite my best efforts, I still struggle to empathise with the plights and feelings of others to a degree that, in most cultures, would undoubtedly be considered abnormal. In our visits to Freymeadow, your distress at repeatedly witnessing the village and its residents¡¯ fate remains palpable, while I, unfortunately, remain more concerned with the odors and maintaining the cleanliness of my appearance.¡±


    Holding Rosa¡¯s gaze, she continued as earnestly as she could. ¡°If we are discussing kindness, Rosa, then know that you would be deemed a saint in comparison to the company to keep. You may worry that your secrets could change how I perceive you, but know that there are far more truths that I keep from you, many of which would cast me as nothing but a ruthless villainess in the eyes of most. You can, at the very least, find solace in that you are aware of your faults and can work to correct them where possible.¡±


    Rosa blinked, eyes wide as she stared at her like she was some mythological beast. ¡°¡­Ehm¡­it certainly sounds like you¡¯re pretty familiar with your own faults as well.¡±


    ¡°It may seem that way, yes, but in reality, I question my own character on a daily basis. There have been many instances where I have doubted whether it is even possible for me to change. Much can be concealed beneath a guise of conceitedness and indifference.¡±


    Rosa continued staring at her for a while longer, before suddenly bursting into laughter. Soon, she was doubled over, gasping for breath, while Scarlett watched with a scowl.


    ¡°That was not intended to amuse you,¡± Scarlett said flatly.


    Rosa, still laughing, raised a hand as if asking her to wait. ¡°Never thought it was,¡± she spoke between breaths. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­this whole conversation is absurd!¡±


    ¡°And what, exactly, do you mean by that?¡±


    It took a while for Rosa to compose herself, breaking into renewed laughter more than once as Scarlett waited with slight annoyance, but eventually she looked back at Scarlett with teary eyes.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± the woman said, wiping her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­how did we get to the point where you of all people were trying to console me by explaining how much more of a mess you are? And making a case for hypocrisy? Really? I can tell you¡¯re a real aficionado at this whole ¡®comforting¡¯ business.¡±


    Scarlett was about to give a rather sharp response, but then she stopped, her brows knitting together.


    Actually, why had she veered off into this line of conversation? It was far from her original intention. ¡°¡­As always, you prove to be a poor influence on me, Miss Hale.¡±


    The amused and quizzical expression on Rosa¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Hey, hang on a second. Did I just get demoted from ¡®Rosa¡¯ to ¡®Miss Hale¡¯ simply because I laughed at you?¡±


    ¡°You have always been ¡®Miss Hale¡¯ to me,¡± Scarlett replied with just a bit of ice in her voice. ¡°Occasionally, I have slips in judgement that lead me to temporarily forget this, that is all. Fortunately, you never fail to do something to remind me, Miss Hale.¡±


    Rosa frowned. ¡°This is unfair.¡±


    ¡°Fairness is irrelevant here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an abuse of authority.¡±


    ¡°Not in the least. And even should it be, I believe I have already made it abundantly clear that I do not care.¡±


    ¡°You really are a villainess.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two of them exchanged looks, then a wide smile appeared on Rosa¡¯s face. Even Scarlett allowed the corner of her mouth to rise ever-so-slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to lay all the responsibility for sidetracking this serious talk of ours on me, aren¡¯t you?¡± the bard said.


    ¡°That was not my original intent,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°However, now that you mention it, the idea does carry a certain appeal.¡±


    ¡°Suppose I¡¯ve earned that much.¡± Rosa relaxed in her seat, gaze wandering up to inspect the ceiling. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not really sure what to make of all this, though. Does this mean you forgive me for my less-than-wise actions?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes remained on her for a moment longer before shifting away. ¡°Are you referring to how you sabotaged my plans in the citadel?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that.¡±


    ¡°In part, I already forgave you back in Crowcairn.¡±


    ¡°Buuuut¡­¡± Rosa¡¯s voice drew out the word.


    ¡°But I am also a very petty person,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Yeah, figured as much.¡±


    Scarlett''s attention drifted to one of the paintings in the room as her thoughts strayed slightly, and a mellow melody echoed out from her left.


    ¡°So.¡± Rosa broke the quiet as her soft tune filled the room. ¡°Was it just me, or did you admit to having thoughts about murdering your sister earlier? Among a bunch of other things.¡±


    A frown crept back onto Scarlett¡¯s face. ¡°¡­I did, yes.¡±


    ¡°That is pretty messed up.¡±


    ¡°I am aware.¡±


    ¡°¡­Want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    There was another bout of silence, filled only by the melody of Rosa¡¯s music. After a time, Scarlett faced Rosa once more.


    ¡°And what of you?¡± she asked. ¡°I do not expect you to become a new person in a day, but with the Anguish situation largely addressed for now, do you believe yourself capable of being more honest with me moving forward?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Rosa replied. ¡°Probably. Think I would live to regret it if I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That is a fair assumption.¡±


    ¡°Then there you have it. Does that mean I can also expect you to be more open with me?¡±


    At that, Scarlett didn¡¯t immediately respond.


    ¡°¡­Yeah, almost figured as much,¡± Rosa said.


    Scarlett studied the woman¡¯s expression as she played away on her klert, showing neither disappointment nor joy on her face.


    Perhaps she could offer a compromise.


    ¡°¡­I will endeavour to be more forthcoming where possible. That is the best I can commit to at present. I hope it will suffice.¡±


    The bard shrugged, smoothly cranking the wheel of her instrument. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can ask for more. After all, you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m out of the shadows, free to not look into every dark corner afraid that something¡¯ll stare right back at me. Have I mentioned how nice that is, by the way? I don¡¯t think I have. There¡¯s not really a word to describe how great that is. I suppose ¡®sublime¡¯ is as close as it gets.¡± A small smile did find its way onto her face at that. ¡°Dealing with the occasional inner demon failing to convince me into doing an unspeakable thing or two and being kept out of the loop on whatever gods-defying secrets my boss has got tucked away in her closet doesn¡¯t seem like such a bad deal in return.¡±


    Scarlett wondered whether the woman was being entirely honest there.


    Technically, Scarlett could probably share more with Rosa, but did she want that? Was there any point in doing so? Sure, she could reveal only certain things ¡ª maybe let her in on some of the dealings she had across the empire with figures like Beldon Tyndall, Warley Godwin, and perhaps even the Cabal.


    However, sharing that would inevitably lead to more questions from Rosa, questions that Scarlett didn¡¯t feel ready to answer. Questions like where she actually got her information from, or even questions surrounding her real identity.


    Telling Arlene was one thing, but Rosa as well¡­?


    Did her reluctance to do so mean that she trusted Rosa less than Arlene? That shouldn¡¯t be true. But then, where did her hesitance come from?


    Scarlett shook her head. That didn¡¯t matter. Those thoughts could be left for another time. She would tell Rosa more eventually, but everything would have its time. For now, she needed to shift this conversation back to one of the main concerns she¡¯d wanted to address since departing Crowcairn.


    ¡°Rosa,¡± she said, bringing the bard¡¯s attention back to her. ¡°Would it be possible for me to speak with Anguish?¡±

 Chapter 216 - Vindictiveness

    ¡°Had a hunch you were gearing up to ask for the chance to rub things in Anguish¡¯s face,¡± Rosa said, casting a knowing glance Scarlett¡¯s way.


    ¡°Then you know me well in that regard,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The bard smirked. ¡°I¡¯d never have the guts to call you petty myself¡ªtoo attached to my purse and life for that¡ªbut that doesn¡¯t mean the notion hasn¡¯t danced across my mind once or twice.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression soured slightly at that.


    Seeing that, Rosa blinked. ¡°Hey, it should be fair game for me to say it now that you¡¯ve already owned up to as much.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is reasonable,¡± Scarlett spoke slowly. ¡°¡­However, keep in mind that I also confessed to having no qualms about acting hypocritically. With that in mind, do you truly expect me not to be bothered when you label me ¡®petty¡¯ directly?¡±


    The woman stared at her, then a sly grin lit up on her face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you view it as the perfect chance to patch up those character flaws you told me about, then? Let me be your ever-so-fetching and charming sparring partner¡ªfiguratively, mind you¡ªand together we¡¯ll have you in tip-top non-villainess shape in no time. I¡¯ll even do it for free, because, as you wisely pointed out, I¡¯m a veritable saint!¡±


    ¡°I do not recall using the term ¡®veritable¡¯,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°And that was purely only in comparison to myself. By that measure, half of the empire¡¯s populace might qualify.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks,¡± Rosa replied dryly. ¡°Really lends to everything you told me earlier. It feels reassuring knowing you think so highly of me.¡±


    Scarlett fell silent, realizing that her words just now did somewhat go against the sentiment she¡¯d been trying to share with the woman earlier.


    After a moment, Rosa let out a soft chuckle, her focus returning to her klert as a few more notes resonated from the instrument. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve long since passed the point where I expected you to be a master of motivational speeches,¡± she said with a wry smile.


    ¡°¡­Returning to the previous discussion.¡± Scarlett thought it might just be better to change the topic. ¡°Do you think it is possible for me to have a conversation with Anguish or not?¡±


    A contemplative expression settled on Rosa¡¯s features. Eventually, she gave a slow nod. ¡°It should be, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Would it pose any risk to you?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, as long as it¡¯s just talking. I feel like I¡¯ve got a pretty tight leash on her at the moment, strange as that may sound.¡±


    ¡°Talking is all that I want for now.¡±


    There were questions Scarlett wanted to ask Anguish, and answers she needed to pry from the demon.


    ¡­Part of her also wanted to indulge in some gloating.


    ¡°Then sure,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Want to do it now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Alright. Give me a second. First, I need to figure out how this works. It¡¯s new territory, and I¡¯ve only done it the other way around before now.¡± The bard ceased her playing and set her klert aside, then touched a hand to her chest and closed her eyes.


    The silence in the room grew heavy. Scarlett watched as the Heartstone in Rosa¡¯s chest emitted a muted violet glow, seeping through the fabric of the woman¡¯s clothes.


    For a brief moment, Scarlett felt as though she was perceiving not just Rosa, but something more. A delicate, melodious presence emanated from the bard, reminiscent of what Scarlett had felt from her in Crowcairn. It was flitting and almost ethereal in how it brushed against Scarlett¡¯s senses, before disappearing abruptly.


    In its stead, a darker, distinctly sinister aura surfaced, one Scarlett recognized all too well.


    When Rosa¡¯s eyes flicked open once more, gone was her usual violet stare, replaced by deep, abyssal darkness.


    ¡°Anguish,¡± Scarlett said, her voice tinged with a cold, deliberate edge.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t our esteemed Baroness,¡± Anguish responded in Rosa¡¯s voice, making no effort to mask the scornful tone. ¡°You must be overjoyed at my current predicament, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Miss Hale seems to think that you do not know me quite as well as you believe, Anguish, but at the very least, you are not mistaken this time.¡± Scarlett studied the demon wearing Rosa¡¯s appearance. ¡°To think I would live to witness one of the six reduced to such a state. All the while, your domain descends into chaos without a true master, destined to be besieged on all fronts by those who you would call peers. I will not deny that this is a particularly enjoyable moment for me.¡±


    A mocking expression appeared on Anguish¡¯s face. ¡°I suggest you savor it while you can.¡±


    Scarlett allowed the corner of her lips to rise in a slight, mocking smile. ¡°Have faith that I most certainly am.¡±


    The two of them sized each other up.


    Anguish¡¯s inky gaze seemed to draw one into a deep, consuming void, her visage still carrying an air of assurance and arrogance, a stark contrast to Rosa¡¯s usually pleasant and carefree features. No matter the circumstances, the Vile would always act as if she was in complete control.


    Scarlett expected nothing less. Anguish would probably clasp at her pride as one of the oldest demons and sovereign of one of the six Blazes. Even so, both of them knew who held the upper hand. This time, there were no doubts or uncertainties.


    ¡°You should not expect much from hereon, Anguish,¡± Scarlett said, her voice returning to its usual detached tone. ¡°Though I would have personally preferred your existence to have been reduced to a pitiless, lifeless husk devoid of Authority and awareness, your current plight aligns sufficiently with my purposes as well. Your fate now lies in Miss Hale¡¯s hands. Considering your past transgressions against her, I would not cling to any hope of escaping your current confinement within her lifetime.¡±


    Anguish sneered. ¡°Ever so confident, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I have cause to be.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Just as you did when you believed yourself to have me cornered in the citadel? When your precious little Rosalina chose my side over yours? Your confidence certainly has me quavering in this fleshy vessel.¡±


    Scarlett clicked her tongue. ¡°I suppose it would be too much to expect you to ever shed your spiteful nature. No matter. As our previous clashes have proven, your words rarely hold any worth. Rosa¡¯s actions in the citadel might have momentarily benefited you, but the end result still left you in this state, as anticipated from the beginning. I always account for unexpected variables to arise, and take the necessary precautions to prepare accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, your ¡®precautions¡¯. Such as invoking my name.¡± Anguish¡¯s calm demeanor suddenly vanished, replaced by an almost palpable fury that rushed like a flood. ¡°Tell me, how did you uncover it? I eradicated the last pitiful wretch who knew my name millennia ago, along with all the pitiable realms associated with them. And yet, it somehow fell into your hands.¡±


    The room seemed to thicken with the Vile¡¯s anger, her malicious energy pouring out from Rosa¡¯s form and pressuring Scarlett for answers.


    But before Scarlett even needed to attempt resisting this assault, the force abruptly stopped, then was pulled back inside Rosa. The Heartstone¡¯s glow became more pronounced, leaving Anguish with nothing but a glare as a weapon.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Judging from the demon¡¯s expression, she was more than just vexed at her inability to act out.


    Scarlett felt no shame in admitting that the sight brought her a lot of joy. She offered Anguish yet another provoking smile. ¡°I am sure you would like to know.¡±


    The Vile¡¯s eyes narrowed further, meeting Scarlett¡¯s unwavering stare.


    Eventually, Scarlett broke the tension without giving a real answer. ¡°I have a question of my own,¡± she stated.


    The Vile, initially silent and observing, shifted demeanor swiftly, her previous veneer of nonchalance and self-assuredness returning. ¡°I¡¯m sure you do.¡±


    Scarlett studied her carefully.


    She wondered whether Rosa could hear them right now. Presumably so, given what happened earlier. That meant the bard would inadvertently overhear any secrets Scarlett was about to reveal, but there was little to be done about it. Scarlett would simply have to be mindful of her words and proceed from there.


    ¡°We did not have time to discuss this further in our last exchange, and you were less than forthcoming the time before that,¡± Scarlett began. ¡°I want to understand more about this ¡®Anomalous One¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Still fixated on that, are we?¡± Anguish replied with a jeer. ¡°Is our Baroness troubled by the notion that she isn¡¯t the supreme authority on all matters? If you wish to learn more, perhaps you should seek out those Hallowed Cabal lackeys.¡±


    Scarlett responded with a prolonged, icy stare. ¡°I intend to have you enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°I would like to see you try.¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow. ¡°Very well. Astarothos.¡± She uttered the demon¡¯s name sharply, the word resonating like the whispers of a dreadful dream.


    Rosa¡¯s face contorted into a grimace, and Anguish grunted as if struck by a sudden wave of pain.


    ¡°It is said that a demon¡¯s name can be invoked thrice to command, losing strength with each utterance. Yet, merely hearing their name will always cause them great discomfort.¡± Scarlett leaned an arm on the table in front of her, tapping a finger against the surface, her gaze fixed on Anguish. ¡°Through Miss Hale, I now have unrestricted access to you, and all the time I need to extract the information I desire. If memory serves me right, this was only the second time I spoke your name.¡±


    Anguish seemed to momentarily attempt to withdraw into Rosa, the black in her eyes fading and giving way to white, but this was stopped as the Heartstone glowed brighter, forcing the darkness back.


    ¡°There is no use in attempting to escape,¡± Scarlett declared firmly. ¡°Now, I asked a question, Anguish. Answer it.¡±


    Before her, the demon struggled visibly against the command as if it were a physical order. Sweat formed on her brow, and with clenched hands, Anguish forced a defiant smile, speaking through gritted teeth. ¡°As merciless as ever, Baroness. To think you would be willing to subject your precious Rosa to such misery simply to get at little old me. With all that knowledge you''re hiding, I¡¯m sure you understand that she feels all my pain while we are linked like this.¡±


    Scarlett furrowed her brows. She hadn¡¯t actually considered that. How painful was this for Rosa?


    As if to reassure her, one of Rosa¡¯s hands shakily lifted and gave a thumbs-up.


    Seeing that, Anguish let out a disdainful laugh and shook her head, even as the pain seemed to persistently torment the demon. ¡°You¡¯ve trained her well, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett relaxed slightly at Rosa¡¯s apparent signal. Either Rosa was fine, or the bard was indicating for her to continue despite the discomfort doing so might cause her. Scarlett didn¡¯t relish causing Rosa pain, but she wouldn¡¯t squander the woman¡¯s resolve.


    She returned her attention to the Vile before her. ¡°I will not repeat myself, Anguish. Speak.¡±


    Though clearly still fighting back, Anguish finally spoke, her voice restrained. ¡°What exactly do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Start by explaining what an Anomalous One is.¡±


    Anguish gave her a look that could have killed, then closed her eyes briefly. Upon reopening them, her expression was slightly more composed. ¡°Let us dispense with the superficial pretenses. You¡¯re already aware of what an Anomalous One is, Baroness. You yourself are one. One of the only two such existences.¡±


    ¡°You are referring to me and the being sealed by the Seal of Thainnith.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Cabal¡¯s very own ¡®god slayer¡¯,¡± Anguish said derisively.


    ¡°I was surprised to learn that you knew of its ability to defy fate.¡±


    Anguish shook her head. ¡°You use the word ¡®defy¡¯ as if that entity has any concern for the laws of this world. It simply exists beyond them ¡ª an anomaly in every sense.¡±


    ¡°How does it do that?¡± Scarlett asked.


    She wanted to understand why this element was different from the game. The sealed entity had been present in the story there as well, sure, and the Hallowed Cabal was formed around its existence, but there had never been any mention of it defying some kind of fate or being an anomaly.


    ¡°You are asking me a question that not even those imperious gods could answer, little Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°You recognized my nature as an Anomalous One just by observation. There is even a term for it. Evidently, you are familiar with this being to some extent.¡±


    Anguish chuckled, as if amused by her apparent ignorance. ¡°Anyone who glimpsed that thing when it first appeared recognized that it didn¡¯t belong. ¡®Anomalous One¡¯ wasn¡¯t a term but a title.¡± The Vile smiled dangerously at Scarlett. ¡°At least until I discovered you. It¡¯s been more than a millennium since it was sealed during the Severance, and I was never foolish enough to approach it myself. Even so, it¡¯s impossible to mistake what you are as anything but another anomaly. You may be different, and it is far, far more subtle with you, yet it is unmistakable all the same. Were any of the gods ever to learn of what you are, they might attempt to do battle against Fate itself to remove you from this world.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened into a scowl. Would the gods really perceive her as a threat? Or was Anguish exaggerating?


    If true, how could she avoid them discovering her? She had no idea how much they could actually see. The most prominent god in the empire was Ittar, but she didn¡¯t think he knew of her. However, she did have reason to believe the gods could somewhat sense the fate of this world. If so, they should be able to tell when an outside presence like her is meddling with it.


    But then, with the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s own manipulations, perhaps it would be hard to distinguish her actions from theirs.


    Even so, the thought of gods targeting her was an unsettling one. Especially given her future collaboration with one of the deacons of the Followers of Ittar.


    After contemplating the implications of that for a moment, she addressed Anguish again. ¡°I assume you do not know where this other Anomalous One hailed from?¡±


    ¡°That is a riddle I had expected you to have a higher likelihood of answering, but perhaps I have been overestimating you all this time,¡± Anguish replied. ¡°Its origins lie beyond any of the realms I am familiar with, shrouded in as much mystery as its existence. Doesn¡¯t that remind you of someone?¡±


    ¡°For once, your estimation of me may indeed have been too generous. That being and I are far from the same.¡±


    At least, she assumed so. Yet, it was true that, in this world, both it and she occupied roles that had been present in the game but diverged here. There had to be some kind of connection there. Was it related to the system in some way?


    ¡°¡­The Hallowed Cabal and Tribe of Sin employ various artifacts that borrow this Anomalous One¡¯s powers, including the Tribe¡¯s Sanctumbrums,¡± she said, locking eyes with Anguish. ¡°You seized control of one of those in Crowcairn to forge a gateway to your domain. Were you not afraid of incurring its wrath by doing so?¡±


    A shrill laugh escaped the demon at that. ¡°It would indeed be unwise to provoke that thing, even for me. Especially considering recent events unfolding here in the Material Realm. However, those artifacts contain so little of its power that it likely remains oblivious when they activate. I am far from the first Vile who has made use of them over the centuries.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are certain that it would remain unaware?¡±


    ¡°No, but you might call it an educated guess.¡±


    Scarlett scrutinized Anguish¡¯s expression. She doubted the Vile could lie outright at the moment, so there was probably some basis for that confidence.


    However, considering what Scarlett had experienced when she had entered the interstitial space created by the Sanctumbrum in Crowcairn, being pulled into that perturbing void¡­


    Though not entirely sure, she did believe it had been this ¡®Anomalous One¡¯ that had brought her there. If that was the case, it had recognized what she was simply from her entering its barrier and acted immediately. It had even attempted to interfere with the system ¡ª or rather, it had successfully interfered with the system.


    Describing it as an anomaly was probably fitting if it could even do something like that.


    ¡°What more do you know about it?¡± she asked Anguish.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Anguish smirked. ¡°Doubting my word again? I¡¯m hurt.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you know,¡± Scarlett commanded, attempting to leverage more of the temporary authority she had over the demon.


    Anguish¡¯s expression contorted, offering a resentful glare while frowning. ¡°¡­Believe it or not, darling, but that is the extent of what I know regarding the Anomalous One. If you wish to learn more, you would either have to speak with that pathetic raggle that worships it or unravel whatever wisdom those who succeeded in sealing it away possessed.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s forehead knitted together in thought.


    So Anguish was telling her to either confront The Angler Man and ask him what he knew or delve into what the ancient Zuver knew about the Anomalous One. Specifically, what Thainnith, the divinarch and half demigod who sealed it away, knew.


    The first option was a terrible idea, considering The Angler Man¡¯s ability to literally probe others¡¯ minds. A meeting with him was never on Scarlett¡¯s agenda. As for the second option¡­


    In a sense, she was already pursuing that path. Scarlett had been exploring Zuverian ruins, collaborating with Adalicia Mendenhall and the mage towers to research the subject for a while now. While none of her findings had revealed anything beyond her expectations yet¡ªmost notably, she had never seen a mention of the Anomalous One in any of the texts she¡¯d read¡ªperhaps that was to be expected.


    Should there be information linked to it, it would most likely have been left behind by Thainnith himself. The most probable repository for that was either the Rising Isle, which had once been a Zuver city. The other option, however, was one Scarlett was already planning to visit, and a location that had been constructed by Thainnith himself.


    Beld Thylelion.

 Chapter 217 - Findings

    Scarlett wondered if reaching Beld Thylelion would help her learn more about the system, this whole ¡®Anomalous One¡¯ business, and what her role in this world actually signified. Were there things waiting in that place that differed from in the game?


    It was a distinct possibility now, it seemed. She was hoping so, at the very least, but she also needed to be ready to be disappointed.


    Regardless, she had been set on going there for a while. Even if the main quest hadn¡¯t told her to do so at the threat of death, she didn¡¯t want factions like the Hallowed Cabal getting there first.


    Returning her focus to Anguish, Scarlett studied the Vile briefly. Anguish met her gaze.


    ¡°¡­I suppose if that is the extent of what you know, then it will have to suffice,¡± she eventually said, not hiding the mockery in her voice. ¡°I will simply have to seek out the remaining information myself.¡±


    Anguish sneered at her. ¡°Always the proud one, are we? Though I will admit I¡¯m intrigued by what you¡¯ll do. It would be a shame if your plans were to fail, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You are overly optimistic if you believe you will be allowed to observe my movements as you have before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no need to fret.¡± The demon replied with a cold grin. ¡°Even if Rosalina tries to keep me in the dark, I¡¯ll find out someday. Unlike these fragile mortals, my existence won¡¯t wither away in just a mere few generations. Rosa will draw her last breath eventually, so it¡¯s only a matter of time before I am free to return to my domain once more.¡±


    ¡°That assumes your domain will remain yours for that long.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°But we both know that there is no such guarantee, is there?¡±


    Anguish¡¯s expression darkened slightly.


    ¡°On that note,¡± Scarlett continued, ¡°now that Malachi possesses part of your Authority, how much control will she have over the Blaze of Anguish? Will that be enough to face the other Viles? From what I know, they have been making moves to encroach on your domain after discovering that you harbored an incarnate.¡±


    Anguish looked at Scarlett for a few seconds with Rosa¡¯s face, then shrugged. ¡°Who knows? That half-blooded thief may have stolen some of my Authority, but even I cannot be certain how much. You shackling me inside this vessel restricts me in more ways than one. But regardless of whether she had taken it all or none of it, she would not have been able to wield it as I can, nor would the denizens of my domain listen as they do to me.¡± The demon¡¯s smile turned sinister. ¡°I¡¯ve trained my pets well.¡±


    ¡°That does not surprise me, but nor does it answer my question.¡±


    ¡°Then you should have posed a better question.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a pointed stare.


    Anguish raised her hands. ¡°Very well. Then what if I tell you that it doesn¡¯t matter? Even if my fellow Viles united against me¡ªwhich they won¡¯t; they¡¯re likelier to ignite another Chaosforge War¡ªthey couldn¡¯t seize my entire domain. Being a Vile means watching your back for the other Viles more than anything else, and I haven¡¯t spent the last millennium twiddling my thumbs.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scarlett considered the demon for a moment.


    Anguish seemed to be telling the truth, which meant the demon¡¯s Blaze was less at risk than Scarlett had thought. Nevertheless, it would probably still be a significant blow to Anguish¡¯s power base if the other Viles did lay siege to her domain.


    Scarlett was fine with either outcome. If the Blaze of Anguish succumbed entirely to the other Blazes, Scarlett would be rid of yet another enemy. If it survived, she had a potential ally in Malachi.


    ¡°And what about the reactions of the other Viles to your attempt at manifesting within the Material Realm?¡± she asked. ¡°How much would they know about the events?¡±


    ¡°Worried that they¡¯ll go after your precious bard?¡± Anguish replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°If they were to do so, they would face the repercussions of their actions. I am not concerned that any of you will harm Miss Hale again.¡± In the game, it had been made clear that once Rosa obtained the Heartstone, the Viles couldn¡¯t touch her as an incarnate anymore. ¡°However, it would be bothersome to deal with yet another conceited Vile, so I will act preemptively where necessary.¡±


    The demon laughed at that. ¡°Now you¡¯re making me excited. I do hope one of my peers tries something now, if only so that I can see the outcome.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression turned icy. ¡°I am not interested in your perverse hopes. I am asking what the other Viles know about Rosa. Now, answer.¡±


    A moment of pain flickered across Anguish¡¯s face, but she recovered quickly enough. ¡°¡­I pity that Rosalina had to get involved with such a spoilsport. Fine. To answer your question, they should be unaware beyond her mere existence, and even that wouldn¡¯t have been a certainty if not for the meddling of a rigid old prig.¡±


    ¡°You are referring to The Gentleman,¡± Scarlett stated.


    Anguish narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­I am not surprised you know of him, but it seems there¡¯s more to it.¡±


    ¡°My connection to him is irrelevant to our current discussion. I will say that you were far from the only one angered by his decision to expose Rosa¡¯s existence to the Blazes. However, since that episode is largely resolved, there is little point in wasting more time worrying about it. Now, am I correct in understanding that, according to you, none of the Viles should have learned more about Rosa¡¯s identity despite the events in the citadel?¡±


    The Vile remained silent for several seconds, staring at Scarlett, before finally shaking her head. ¡°They would only sense that I breached the Veil into this realm, but that¡¯s the extent of it. Oh, certainly, their spies and pawns will be all over this to investigate the incident, but somehow I doubt you have made their task easy.¡±


    Scarlett tapped her finger on the table thoughtfully.


    The demon wasn¡¯t wrong there, at least. The fact that Rosa had been involved was still unknown to most, especially since Scarlett had worked with Raimond to keep the Followers ignorant. It would have been bad if Deacon Davenport of the Quorum had learned anything, since he was collaborating with Malevolence, another of the Viles.


    That said, Scarlett¡¯s own involvement wasn¡¯t exactly a secret, so she could probably expect a lot more people to look into her activities in the future. But as long as their attention wasn¡¯t directly aimed at Rosa, that was fine. Scarlett might even be able to get Beldon Tyndall¡¯s help to deal with some of this newfound interest.


    ¡°There is another matter that still leaves me puzzled,¡± she began, locking eyes with Anguish. ¡°Despite your manifestation attempt having ceased, your citadel still remains in this realm. Why is this?¡±


    The demon seemed amused by that question. ¡°What led you to think my manifestation has stopped? I am still speaking with you, aren¡¯t I, pet?¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°What are you implying? You have lost your power and your grip over Rosa, and your incarnation was never fully realized. The Astral Soulstone would not have been able to sustain your citadel¡¯s partial manifestation for this long.¡±


    Anguish had technically still lingered inside Rosa after this questline concluded in the game as well, but she hadn¡¯t been able to speak then. There, it was stated that the manifestation and the ritual surrounding it ended the moment you left the citadel.


    ¡°Perhaps that would have been the case if you hadn¡¯t bound me to Rosa and filched part of my Authority,¡± Anguish said. ¡°Thanks to yours and that half-blood¡¯s actions, my manifestation will persist as long as Rosalina draws breath.¡±


    A flash of anger entered Scarlett¡¯s eyes as she glared at the demon, but then she paused, actually considering those words.


    After a while, a slight smile appeared on her lips. ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    While it was somewhat disconcerting that Anguish¡¯s manifestation was still technically ongoing, Rosa had already proven that the Vile was powerless right now. Meanwhile, this meant that Rosa would continue serving as an anchor that connected to the Blaze of Anguish, but now the bard was the one in control.


    Not only did that have several implications for what Rosa might be able to do, but Scarlett also suspected that there were ways that she could utilize this in the future.


    ¡°I do so love it when you make that expression,¡± Anguish remarked with a smile. ¡°What wicked schemes are going through your mind, I wonder? How do you intend to use Rosalina now?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s look turned stern. She regarded the demon silently for several seconds.


    ¡°¡­I tire of seeing Miss Hale¡¯s appearance debased by you. I have already learned what I need for the time being. Now, remove yourself.¡±


    ¡°And I thought we were having a rather pleasant convers¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not asking this time. Begone, Anguish.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s body recoiled as Anguish¡¯s features contorted in discomfort, and the dark influence quickly faded from her eyes as the Vile¡¯s presence vanished.


    [Side-Quest completed: Altercations with a devil]


    {Skill points awarded: 6}


    [Side-Quest completed: Fettered and Bound ¡ª Anguish¡¯s Fate]


    {Skill points awarded: 8}


    [Companion Quest completed: The Smiling Bard]


    {Skill points awarded: 15}


    [Quest completed: The Blazing Citadel]


    {Skill points awarded: 12}


    Scarlett stared at all the system windows that suddenly appeared before her, somewhat surprised by the amount.


    She had been expecting more quest completion notifications to pop up sooner or later, but not this many. Just this conversation counted as four different quest completions?


    She reviewed the quest titles. Two seemed related to Anguish, which was perhaps understandable, and the final one was the one Scarlett had been waiting for ever since leaving Crowcairn. The companion quest, though¡­


    Her brow furrowed in thought.


    She hadn¡¯t even been aware that the game recognized Rosa as a literal companion. While she had completed companion-related quests, such as helping Fynn with his trial, those hadn¡¯t been explicitly labeled as ¡®companion quests¡¯ by the system.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Was it because this marked the end of Rosa¡¯s main questline in the game? That would make sense, but Scarlett had skipped much of what would typically have constituted that questline. Although she supposed this wouldn¡¯t be the first time the system only cared about the end results rather than everything that led up to it.


    Regardless, this represented a considerable influx of skill points for her. Even more than she had been hoping for.


    With a thought, she summoned her status window.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Greater Mana Control]


    [Greater Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Superior Hydrokinesis]


    [??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ?????????????????????????? ?????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 12084/12084]


    [Points: 90]


    90 skill points.


    More than she¡¯d ever had before. It would almost have been enough to upgrade her pyrokinesis skill once more if that skill hadn¡¯t been locked at the moment. In her current situation, it was enough to upgrade both her hydrokinesis and one more skill.


    Elevating her hydrokinesis to match her pyrokinesis¡ªand spending the time to master it¡ªmight finally unlock new possibilities for what she could do with the skill other than simply applying it through her Aqua Mines and the occasional waterworks.


    The idea excited her, and it made her look forward to returning to Freymeadow, where she could freely practice under Arlene¡¯s guidance. Maybe if she could also¡ª


    ¡°Ehm, I know I am ravishingly captivating and terrifyingly enchanting, but it¡¯s a bit much to be struck literally wordless just by looking at me, don¡¯t you think?¡± a voice interrupted her thoughts.


    Scarlett blinked, dismissing the system windows to return her attention to Rosa. The bard was giving her a funny look, studying her with a teasing smirk.


    ¡°¡­Apologies. My mind was elsewhere.¡± Scarlett mentally chided herself for allowing herself to be distracted. ¡°Do not misunderstand. My brief lapse in attention was unrelated to you.¡±


    ¡°Sure it didn¡¯t.¡±


    She shot the woman a narrowed-eyed glare. ¡°It did not.¡±


    Rosa raised her hands theatrically. ¡°I¡¯m not arguing with you.¡±


    ¡°Your grin suggests otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be held accountable for my mouth,¡± Rosa said. ¡°That thing¡¯s got a mind of its own, and not once has it bothered consulting me about its life choices.¡±


    Scarlett set aside her thoughts and musings about the system and her skills for now, releasing a single sigh at the bard¡¯s carefree attitude. Then she relaxed her expression, taking a moment to really look at Rosa. ¡°Setting aside your mouth¡¯s ¡®rebellious nature¡¯¡­ How are you?¡±


    Both of the woman¡¯s eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. ¡°We¡¯re revisiting that again?¡±


    ¡°Given you just hosted one of the Six Viles at my behest,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°I believe the question is warranted.¡±


    The bard eyed her for a moment. Her playful demeanor dimmed as she averted her gaze, idly scratching the back of her head. ¡°It felt weird. I¡¯ll give you that. Always does. It was¡­uncomfortable. Claustrophobic, even. But this time I was the one in control, so¡­it wasn¡¯t that bad. It did hurt when you spoke her name, and I¡¯d rather not have to endure that again, but I could if I had to.¡± She shrugged slightly. ¡°All in all, I¡¯m managing. Not much worse for wear than before.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°That is reassuring to hear.¡±


    She¡¯d had some slight concerns that it would have been a grueling experience for Rosa. Since all of this was new, Scarlett still wasn¡¯t familiar with what it all meant.


    A moment of silence passed between them before Rosa turned back to Scarlett.


    ¡°So¡­,¡± the woman began. ¡°That was some heavy stuff you talked about with Anguish.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it was.¡±


    ¡°I think I might even have overheard some of the things you didn¡¯t want me knowing about.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her thoughtfully for a couple of seconds. ¡°¡­Perhaps it is best if you do not dwell on it too much.¡±


    A lighthearted smile graced Rosa¡¯s lips once again, even as her eyes held a hint of unease. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll just pretend that I didn¡¯t hear talk of literal gods possibly hunting you down, or whatever this ¡®god-slayer anomaly¡¯ thing is, or that Anguish somehow considered you and it peers. Why would I waste any time thinking about all that? No sense in inducing any unnecessary stress, right?¡±


    ¡°That is precisely why I suggest not dwelling on it for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Might be just a tad late for that, unfortunately,¡± Rosa said, her tone becoming more serious. ¡°¡­Look, I get it, okay? Whatever those secrets of yours are, it¡¯s clear they go far beyond even what I had imagined. I understand why you might hesitate to trust and involve someone like me in¡­well, I don¡¯t know. But if things are bad, you know I¡¯d help, right?¡±


    ¡°It is not a matter of trust, Rosa¡ª¡± Scarlett started, then paused, taking a breath before continuing. ¡°¡­I am aware that I can rely on you. I had already planned to properly utilize your abilities irrespective of what you said here, but knowing that I have your support is reassuring.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m starting to have second thoughts when you say it like that, but I suppose it¡¯s too late to go back now.¡± Rosa let out a light chuckle, then looked away, seeming to get lost in thought briefly. ¡°Still¡­You¡¯re not going to tell me what all that was about, are you?¡±


    Scarlett watched her for a few seconds. ¡°Will you blame me if I do not?¡±


    For some reason, there really was a reluctance to share those secrets with Rosa, a reluctance that hadn¡¯t been as present with Arlene. Was it a fear of revealing her true identity to someone who could actually remember it, or was it something else?


    Rosa took her time before responding. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Scarlett studied her, trying to gauge the sincerity of her words. Rosa sounded earnest, and she had pledged to be more transparent with Scarlett, but such promises held no guarantees when it came to things like this ¡ª especially considering Scarlett herself was still blatantly keeping secrets.


    After a while, Scarlett shifted her focus from Rosa and looked around the room, deciding to let the subject drop for now. Rosa and her relationship had always been built on a certain level of deception, but that didn¡¯t diminish the trust Scarlett placed in the woman.


    ¡°It seems you have become more proficient in controlling Anguish with the Heartstone,¡± she remarked, steering the conversation to a new topic.


    ¡°The ¡®Heartstone¡¯?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice echoed beside her.


    Scarlett glanced back at the bard. ¡°Yes. That is the name of the artifact now embedded within you ¡ª the Astralbane¡¯s Nexus Heartstone.¡±


    ¡°¡­That name¡¯s a bit excessive, don¡¯t you think? Couldn¡¯t you have gone for something lighter and more charming, like ¡®Rosa¡¯s Rollicking Crescendo Crest¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not choose the name,¡± Scarlett said.


    Even if she had, that was a terrible name.


    Rosa¡¯s expression knit in confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t you literally create it on the spot before thrusting it into my chest¡ªthanks for that, by the way¡ªlike some kind of drunken tavern-ruffian? You¡¯re telling me it came pre-named?¡±


    Only now did Scarlett realize how odd that must sound. She had grown so used to all items having names provided by the system that she hadn¡¯t even stopped to consider how it would look from Rosa¡¯s perspective.


    ¡°¡­That is how it was referred to in the texts describing its creation,¡± she explained. ¡°I did not come up with the concept on my own.¡±


    Rosa eyed her, giving her a look that definitely held more than just a hint of suspicion in it. Eventually, though, she seemed to settle with the explanation, leaning back and letting her gaze drift off. ¡°Alright, sure. I suppose I can live with that name, even if it¡¯s a mouthful.¡±


    ¡°So was yours.¡±


    ¡°No, my name had alliteration. It rolls off the tongue. Yours is all serious and boring.¡±


    ¡°Once again, I did not choose the name.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta be held accountable.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us drop this subject before I start contemplating reclaiming the Heartstone from you.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I am curious about your experience. How does it feel to have an artifact embedded in you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to pretend like you didn¡¯t just casually threaten my life. And as for the artifact¡­ Well, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s not strange having a rock stuck in my chest.¡± Rosa gently touched a hand to where the crystal was situated under the fabric of her blouse. ¡°I can feel it pulsating where my heart should be beating. It¡¯s supposed to do that, right? Actually, don¡¯t answer that. I¡¯m just gonna go with ¡®yes¡¯. Not sure I¡¯m mentally prepared to know whether my real heart is still there or not.¡± A wince crossed her face. ¡°And I definitely won¡¯t forget the pain from when you inserted the blasted thing.¡±


    ¡°I am starting to suspect that you are holding a grudge.¡±


    The bard tilted her head to the side for a moment, wearing a thoughtful expression. ¡°Maybe a teensy weensy one?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is understandable.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t beat yourself up too much. You¡¯ve still got your share of grudges against me, and I¡¯m pretty sure those outweigh this one by a pretty wide margin,¡± Rosa said. Then she fell silent for a moment, her tone shifting as a somber expression took over. ¡°I just realized something. In a way, this could be considered a gift from you to me.¡±


    Scarlett watched the woman warily, sensing this wouldn¡¯t go anywhere good. ¡°¡­And?¡±


    Rosa looked at her. ¡°And have you seen this thing?¡± She pulled down the top of her blouse, revealing the upper half of the Heartstone and the skin around it. ¡°It¡¯s huge! Gargantuan, even. You could ransom princesses with this.¡±


    Scarlett felt another sigh building but resisted, instead pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°If that bothers you, then simply do not think of it as a gift. There is no need to overcomplicate matters.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m morally obligated to you now. It¡¯s going to be impossible to hold even the smallest grudge without feeling guilty.¡±


    ¡°At the risk of sounding blunt, is that not already the case?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°I would have thought me removing Anguish¡¯s hold over you would have already established a significant debt.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that was a serious thing,¡± Rosa replied in an aggrieved voice.


    Scarlett stared at the woman. ¡°¡­I do not believe I will ever fully comprehend what goes on in that mind of yours.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, just forget it.¡± Rosa slumped back in her seat. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to live with not teasing you about that anymore.¡± She exhaled deeply. ¡°At least I got a gem big enough to buy a few castles out of it. If anyone ever asks what you¡¯ve done for me, that¡¯ll be my answer.¡±


    ¡°Please do not flaunt that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking the impossible.¡±


    Scarlett closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to make certain comments within her heart heard.


    Was it too late to reconsider the whole Anguish thing? Maybe a literal demon would have been a preferable companion on certain occasions.


    After having taken a few moments to compose herself, she opened her eyes again and looked at Rosa. ¡°Returning to more serious matters. The Heartstone is designed to help you manage Anguish, but its capabilities should extend beyond that. Have you noticed anything else? Any other changes?¡±


    Rosa seemed to ponder the question for a moment. ¡°Kinda? Fairly sure it did something funny to my mana, for one. But there are still things I haven¡¯t figured out. It¡¯s like it¡¯s intuitive and straightforward, yet perplexing all at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Unraveling its intricacies is unfortunately beyond my ability to assist you with,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I only knew that it would be a means of freeing you from Anguish¡¯s clutches, but the artifact¡¯s inner workings remain a mystery.¡±


    In the game, Rosa just received all the Heartstone¡¯s effects and buffs instantly. But that was usually how skills and items worked in games. This world often proved more complex in that regard.


    Rosa¡¯s laughter echoed out. ¡°We¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m your resident genius bard extraordinaire, then. I¡¯ll have this thing figured out in a jiffy.¡±


    ¡°I am sure. One avenue you might explore is harnessing the Heartstone¡¯s power with your charms. I suspect that might yield results.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Rosa glanced down at the table, where her klert was lying. ¡°Hmm¡­ Suppose I might as well give it a whirl.¡±


    She picked the instrument up and placed it in her lap. When she began playing, the room was filled with a soft melody that seemed to weave through the air, carrying an almost expectant hum to it. The space in front of them soon shimmered with a gentle blue light, as if riding on the coattails of an invisible ghost.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t recognize this particular charm, but even as she continued watching it, it didn¡¯t appear to serve any tangible purpose. It was just a not-so-fancy light show, from the looks of it. Maybe it was something Rosa had come up with during a moment of boredom.


    Glancing at the bard, Scarlett noted Rosa¡¯s intense concentration as the woman played the klert. Minutes ticked by without any notable change, the mystical display hanging motionless as it was in the air. Then, finally, something happened.


    It began with Rosa, the atmosphere around shifting, and the charm¡¯s benign blue glow deepened, turning darker and thickening. It coiled into a dense cloud of dark violet, resembling ethereal spirits in turmoil.


    Rosa blinked, stopping her music, and the spectral lights dissipated.


    ¡°Okay¡­ That was strange,¡± the bard said.


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Quite.¡±


    It was much what she had been expecting, though. The Heartstone had unlocked various new abilities for Rosa in the game as well. Scarlett was curious to see how those would manifest here.


    Rosa resumed her tune, and a candle at the opposite end of the room beside the bed suddenly flared to life. A few seconds later, its flame morphed into a deep violet with dark undertones, almost doubling in size.


    ¡°This is¡­nifty,¡± Rosa mused out loud, her music weaving the charm¡¯s shape. ¡°Nifty and creepy. Feels like if I continue with this, we¡¯ll have the door knocked down by priests ready to haul me off for being a witch practicing the darkest of arts.¡±


    ¡°While I believe that concern may be overstated, it is true that certain groups could respond negatively if they learned of this magic¡¯s origins. The prudent choice might be to exercise caution when using this ability.¡±


    In the game, that hadn¡¯t really been a concern, but this world was far more complicated. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be careful.


    ¡°That does remind me,¡± Scarlett said, shifting her attention fully to Rosa. ¡°Deacon Abram expressed his desire to speak with you when the opportunity arises. I am not certain about the precise nature of the discussion, but ensure that you act with caution when the time comes for that as well.¡±


    Rosa ceased her music once more, giving Scarlett a puzzled look. ¡°Deacon Abram?¡±


    ¡°Also known as Father Abraham.¡±


    The bard blinked. ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Scarlett stared at her.


    Right. Rosa hadn¡¯t actually personally met with Raimond at any time during their time in the citadel; moreover, she was unconscious when he arrived in Crowcairn. Scarlett also hadn¡¯t filled Rosa in on any of the details about those events yet, so to her, the priest was still just ¡®Ray Abraham¡¯.


    ¡°There is much that you missed during your absence,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Perhaps it is time for me to brief you on the specifics.¡±

 Chapter 218 - Home once more

    Scarlett and her group¡¯s final days in Bridgespell quickly came and went. They were comfortable enough in the Golden Griffin Inn¡¯s lodgings, so Scarlett ended up politely declining Duke Valentino¡¯s offer to his estate. She had, however, taken him up on his proposal to meet up again, discussing the recent events around Crowcairn and other matters concerning the nobility. She¡¯d even had dinner with the duke and his wife.


    While not exactly enjoyable encounters, Scarlett had to acknowledge their value, if only for the potential worth of having a connection with the Duke of Bridgespell. Even if the man himself didn¡¯t seem overly fond of her specifically.


    Before their departure to Freybrook, Scarlett had considered exploring additional nearby dungeons, but ultimately decided against it. Her team had already checked out the most accessible ones, and they deserved some real rest after everything that had happened.


    She had expected Raimond to visit at some point and provide updates on how things were going on the Followers¡¯ end, but that hadn¡¯t happened. Presumably, he was too preoccupied with his responsibilities to find the time, which was understandable. From what Scarlett had heard from the duke, the investigation into the citadel was still underway, and no official statement had been released to the empire at large beyond some vague assurances.


    On their last morning in Bridgespell, Scarlett and the others quickly finished their preparations and left the inn early, boarding their carriage bound for the city¡¯s Kilnstone.


    When they arrived in Freybrook, the morning sun had just started casting its golden glow over the city. In stark contrast to the swarming chaos of activity that was Bridgespell most of the time, Freybrook¡¯s streets were much quieter, lending a peaceful atmosphere as their carriage moved through the city. To Scarlett¡¯s surprise, a thin layer of snow had fallen upon the city while they were away, adding a foreign touch to the otherwise familiar scene.


    Rosa, peering out the carriage window at the wintry tableau and the people walking about on the streets, sighed dramatically. ¡°Ah, good ol¡¯ Freybrook. It¡¯s been ages, but it¡¯s still as thrillingly dull as ever. I love it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been two weeks,¡± Fynn said, a subtle frown on his face.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Rosa nodded sagely. ¡°Ages.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s lips parted in a light laugh as she shook her head, the girl¡¯s gaze also fixed outside. ¡°I agree that it certainly feels like more than two weeks have passed. So much happened. I¡¯m still having trouble processing it all.¡±


    ¡°That might have more to do with your poor perception of time,¡± Shin remarked beside her, though his comment was promptly ignored by its intended target.


    ¡°So, boss.¡± Rosa turned her attention to Scarlett. ¡°What¡¯s next for us? What devious schemes that¡¯ll rattle our minds and blow away our common sense can we expect?¡±


    Scarlett spared a brief glance at the bard before shifting her attention out the window. ¡°It will depend,¡± she answered.


    The looming threat of the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s assault against the empire was still on the horizon. At this point, it was probably only a few weeks away. She needed to continue preparing for that while also dealing with other matters.


    ¡°For the time being, our activities will mostly be centered around the mansion,¡± she continued. ¡°Although we may venture out to other cities on occasion, those trips will likely be short. This will give everyone ample opportunity to pursue whatever personal endeavours you may wish. Miss Astrey, I assume you will be using this time to deepen your alchemical studies.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if Shin helped with that. Fynn, meanwhile, would likely continue communing with his ancestors, seeking further insights so he could reach the next level of The Howling Gale¡¯s Haunt. Rosa, on the other hand, would need to become more attuned to the Heartstone and its capabilities.


    As for Scarlett, her focus would be on refining her own magic, among other things.


    The group¡¯s conversation shifted to lighter topics as the carriage continued through Freybrook, drawing nearer to the Hartford mansion in the city¡¯s northern district. The closer they got to the estate itself, the more prominent a certain awareness at the back of Scarlett¡¯s mind grew, as if making its existence known.


    The [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] recognized her return.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t tell for sure, but she felt like its presence had grown a bit more pronounced during her absence.


    As they approached the gates, passing through the boundary of the Loci¡¯s domain which stretched just beyond the estate¡¯s walls, she only grew more convinced of this.


    She would have to visit it in order to assess its progress later.


    The two guardsmen stationed at the entrance were bundled in thick gambesons to ward against the cold, greeting them with brisk salutes before opening the gates. As the carriage rolled in, Scarlett caught snippets of conversation between the coachman and the guards, the carriage¡¯s wheels crunching over the snow-laden path toward the mansion.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    After the vehicle had come to a stop and Scarlett¡¯s party had disembarked, she spotted Garside and three other servants emerging from the mansion, moving across the courtyard to welcome them.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± Garside greeted her, the old butler¡¯s mustache twitching slightly as he spoke. He and the other servants bowed and curtsied. ¡°Welcome back to Freybrook. It warms me greatly to see you and your companions in good health.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Garside,¡± Scarlett responded, giving him a thoughtful look. ¡°Did anything unusual occur while I was away?¡±


    ¡°Not anything that demands your immediate attention, my Lady. A report detailing the minor details awaits on your desk for you to peruse at your leisure.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett gave a nod of approval. It would have been just her luck if the whole place had burned down while she was gone. ¡°Is there anything else I should be aware of?¡±


    Garside seemed to hesitate for a moment, his brows furrowing as his weathered features formed a contemplative expression. ¡°Not within Freybrook, no. But there has been talk among the staff about the happenings in Bridgespell, and there were those who expressed their concerns for yours and the others¡¯ safety while you were there, my Lady. Lady Evelyne, in particular, was anxious upon receiving the news. Especially when she learned that you were in talks with Duke Valentino.¡±


    Scarlett could understand Evelyne¡¯s worry. She didn¡¯t exactly have the best track record when it came to interacting with high nobles. With Count Knottley, Marquis Delmon, Duke Tyndall, and now possibly Duke Valentino joining the list of powerful people she had annoyed in some way, it seemed she had a knack for getting on those types of people¡¯s nerves.


    Well, at least her relations with Count Knottley and Duke Valentino could technically be considered cordial.


    ¡°The concern is noted, but unnecessary,¡± she told Garside. ¡°While the events in Bridgespell are troubling in their implications, I am more than capable of handling myself. Furthermore, my reception at the duke¡¯s estate was that of an honored, hardly a cause for alarm. Now, where is Evelyne currently?¡±


    ¡°Lady Evelyne is dealing with business in the city and will not return until evening.¡±


    Then it seemed as if Scarlett would have to wait to catch up with the younger woman. There was a fair amount to cover. She was still a bit uncertain about exactly how much she should share, considering that oversharing about what happened in Bridgespell was almost guaranteed to burden Evelyne with unnecessary worries and anxieties.


    As they crossed the courtyard¡ªwhich had been thoroughly cleaned after the dragon incident¡ªGarside briefed Scarlett on some of the news about what was going on in the region until they entered the mansion.


    From there, Scarlett dismissed her party, suggesting they enjoy the remainder of the day as they pleased. Lingering in the foyer for a while longer, she continued her conversation with Garside, informing him of some of the things they¡¯d been up to in Bridgespell which she had left out of her letters. She omitted all the details surrounding the Anguish ordeal, though.


    Garside also shared news of his discussions with a mason about reconstructing the back garden, where the Loci resided. The mason had apparently already drawn up several proposals and was now only waiting for Scarlett¡¯s approval before starting any of the work.


    She would need to schedule a meeting with the mason when she had the time. He must have been rather shocked when he first saw that the hedge garden was still blooming in the middle of December.


    Wrapping up her conversation with Garside, Scarlett made her way to the east wing. Ascending the stairs to the second floor, where her office was located, she couldn¡¯t shake a strange sense of nostalgia while walking through the carpeted halls. Returning home after a long trip always felt oddly strange, no matter the time or place.


    Arriving at her office, she paused for a moment to study the aged mahogany door leading inside.


    Only now did she realize that she had started thinking of this place as home.


    While the Scarlett part of her had probably always considered it as such, mentally, this place had only functioned as her temporary residence. Her base of operations as she acclimated to this world ¡ª a pragmatic necessity rather than a genuine home.


    So when did the shift in perception happen for the other part of her as well?


    She wasn¡¯t sure. It didn¡¯t seem like a sudden transition, at least. She had been in this world for almost half a year now, and a lot of things had changed during that time. Beyond the sudden forced transformation of her personality when she first arrived here, most of her adjustments had been gradual.


    Still, it was a curious realization to make only now, after all this time.


    It made her wonder what her broader sentiments about being here, in this world, truly were.


    Reaching out to turn the door handle, she stepped into the office. The room was exactly as she had left it, with two bookshelves adorning each wall and the commanding painting of an ancient battlefield sitting behind her desk.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes briefly rested on the artwork before she moved to her desk, settling into the comfortable seat before it. Her gaze turned to the documents stacked in the desk¡¯s corner, prepared by Evelyne for Scarlett to review upon her return. The younger woman was always diligent in her work to manage the barony and support Scarlett¡¯s current endeavours.


    That was funny, given the nature of their relationship. While their interactions had evolved beyond the point of constantly arguing and snapping at each other whenever they were in the same room, their dynamic remained a far distance away from the typical ¡®sibling¡¯ bond.


    She wondered what the original Scarlett might have thought if she witnessed the current state of her life. Despite sharing many traits and emotions with the original, she still found the woman herself to be a bit of a riddle.


    A riddle she wasn¡¯t sure she would ever completely solve.


    Pushing those thoughts aside for now, she reached for the first set of papers Evelyne had organized, intending to quickly go through them before dealing with other matters. Her hand stopped only a moment later, however, as her eyes met a pair of brilliant amethyst orbs, staring at her inquisitively.


    ¡°¡­Greetings, Empress,¡± Scarlett voiced after a pause.


    The black-furred cat that had suddenly appeared on the desk¡ªor had she always been there?¡ªresponded with a subtle nod, as if deigning to accept the greeting. Empress then shifted her attention away from Scarlett, leisurely licking her paw.


    Scarlett quietly observed the cat for several seconds.


    Was this just another of Empress¡¯ impromptu visits, or did it carry a specific purpose?


    ¡°¡­If I may ask, is there something The Gentleman wants to tell me?¡± she asked.


    Empress glanced up at her, considering her, then turned around. In one graceful movement, the cat leaped down onto the floorboards and strode up towards the door, which opened of its own accord.


    Watching Empress pause and glance back, Scarlett understood the implied summons. With a muted sigh, she rose from her seat, accepting that the paperwork would have to wait.

 Chapter 219 - Visit in paradise

    Scarlett drew looks from the mansion¡¯s servants as she trailed behind Empress through the halls, especially when the cat paused for some pats and attention along the way. Most appeared bewildered by Scarlett¡¯s presence as Empress insisted on their grooming, but none seemed able to resist the cat.


    One girl¡ªpresumably a new hire since Scarlett didn¡¯t recognize her¡ªseemed particularly uneasy under her gaze, but Empress was nothing if not relentless in her demand for others to attend to her.


    Navigating through the mansion took longer than necessary, but Scarlett refrained from voicing any complaints as they finally made their way out through the rear of the estate. Using her pyrokinesis to stave off the chill, she followed Empress towards the hedge garden where the Loci was kept.


    A blanket of thin white covered most of the estate, extending towards the training grounds and ending at the stone walls. The garden, at first glance, seemed no different, with snow-laden paths and bare hedges outlining its perimeter.


    However, as Scarlett followed Empress deeper into the garden, signs of life began to emerge. The hedges sprouted green leaves, and the snow yielded to well-tended gravel paths. Colorful, peculiar flowers blossomed along the paths as the air warmed, allowing Scarlett to ease off her pyrokinesis.


    Empress proudly led the way to the garden¡¯s center, which revealed a spacious area with a quaint gazebo at one end and a stone pedestal at its core. Resting atop that pedestal was the Loci, a sizeable, uncut emerald encircled by vegetation.


    A man of unassuming appearance sat on a bench. He wore a top hat, his shoulders covered by a dark cape, and a stylish cane rested next to him. The Gentleman surveyed the garden with a contented smile, seemingly undisturbed by Scarlett and Empress¡¯ entrance.


    Scarlett paused briefly as Empress continued forward, hopping onto the bench beside the man and settling down to lick her paw.


    ¡°It has been some time since I last saw another house spirit in this realm,¡± The Gentleman remarked, his gaze lingering on the Loci and the array of flowers that grew at the base. ¡°They often require very particular conditions to thrive. Although I probably should not be, I am pleased to see that you have made good use of the gift my dear companion left for you.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the Loci. From it, she could feel a subtle sense of recognition aimed at The Gentleman. Or perhaps not recognition, but acknowledgment. While the artifact lacked true consciousness, it undeniably responded to the man¡¯s presence.


    ¡°With the assistance of Dean Warley Godwin from Elystead Tower, we utilized the ashenwraith dragon¡¯s heart to provide a power source,¡± Scarlett said as she moved closer to the man.


    ¡°The craftsmanship did seem familiar. Dean Godwin is indeed a masterful wizard.¡±


    ¡°That he is.¡±


    The Gentleman finally shifted his attention to Scarlett, his smile widening slightly with a touch of formality. ¡°It would seem your recent days have been quite eventful, Baroness.¡±


    Locking eyes with him, Scarlett gave a small nod. ¡°They have.¡±


    ¡°A most exceptional and unforeseen sequence of events, if I may say so myself.¡±


    ¡°I will not dispute that assessment.¡± She considered him for a moment. ¡°¡­I recall seeking your help when Miss Hale set off for Crowcairn by herself.¡±


    ¡°You did, yes.¡± The Gentleman placed his hand on the top of the cane next to him. ¡°And I had contemplated offering my assistance, given that some of my previous actions had inconvenienced you and your retainer. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed the path forward had already been chosen, rendering my interference unnecessary and wholly unwelcome.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°Chosen? By whom?¡±


    She had sought his help out of concern that something would happen to Rosa before they could manifest the citadel and deal with Anguish. Until now, though, she hadn¡¯t actually been certain if he had done anything.


    The Gentleman seemed to ponder her question for a moment before redirecting his attention to the blooming garden, once again appreciating the colorful flora that had sprung up because of the Loci¡¯s influence. ¡°All who walk this land are victims of the strands of fate that govern this world, but that does not render our choices insignificant. There is meaning in the smallest of actions and the most momentous of decisions. Who ¡®chooses¡¯ what is one of many never-ending questions that permeates all that we are, but I personally find it to be the least important one.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened. He was avoiding giving a straightforward answer, then. She followed his gaze, observing their surroundings for a short while. Eventually, she returned her focus to him. ¡°What is the purpose of your visit today?¡±


    ¡°To extend my apologies,¡± The Gentleman said, offering yet another, fainter smile. ¡°While I may not have made any explicit promises of aid, I feel that I still let your expectations down to some extent.¡±


    Beside him, Empress emitted a long meow.


    The man glanced at her. ¡°My esteemed companion here felt compelled to reprimand me for what she deemed a slight against one of her temporary attendants. She has grown rather fond of you, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett looked at the cat, who returned her gaze with bright, amethyst eyes. ¡°¡­Thank you, Empress.¡±


    Empress meowed in response, then stood and stretched her body, paws extended in front of her, before leaping off the bench. She looked at Scarlett, then back at the bench, issuing another meow.


    ¡°I believe she is offering you her spot,¡± The Gentleman said.


    Raising an eyebrow, Scarlett observed the cat for a few seconds before taking the offered seat.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Seemingly content, Empress turned and strode towards the pedestal at the garden¡¯s center. Scarlett watched as the cat positioned herself in front of the pedestal, sitting and peering up at the Loci as if in anticipation.


    Scarlett felt a subtle shift through her bond with the Loci, as if it were responding to some unseen force. In an instant, the cat was perched atop the pedestal, her sleek, black fur brushing against the Loci.


    Scarlett blinked. The transition had been imperceptible. She¡¯d sensed the Loci drawing substantial power from the dragon¡¯s heart embedded in its pedestal, but that was all. One moment, Empress had been on the ground; the next, she was on the pedestal, as though the spaces had momentarily merged.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t realized the Loci had reached a stage where it could manipulate space to this extent. Giving it the dragon¡¯s heart had accelerated its growth, but she had expected it would take far longer for it to acclimate to the new power source and perform feats like this. Admittedly, the action seemed to have taken a lot out of the Loci, but it was impressive nonetheless.


    As for how Empress knew how to utilize this ability, somehow that didn¡¯t surprise Scarlett. After becoming acquainted with the cat, that only felt fitting.


    ¡°The interactions and adaptations between the Wandering Realm¡¯s denizens and this realm are always quite fascinating,¡± The Gentleman mused next to Scarlett. ¡°I look forward to seeing how it will further develop. The core of an adolescent dragon is undeniably powerful and could prove beneficial in many ways. However, even such a potent element has its inherent limits, though I suspect you won¡¯t let that hinder your future efforts.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Scarlett replied, watching Empress, who seemed comfortably at ease beside the Loci. The Loci, in turn, exuded a sense of what was perhaps best described as ¡®tense anxiousness¡¯ through the bond.


    The sight itself was absurd ¡ª a cat treating a large gemstone as a pillow was odd enough, not to mention the idea of such a cat being capable of slaying dragons.


    A brief pause fell between them, with Scarlett expecting The Gentleman to add more. But when he stayed silent, she took the initiative herself.


    ¡°Earlier,¡± she began, eyes remaining on Empress. ¡°you sounded as though you were privy to my experiences in Crowcairn. Can I assume that you are informed about everything that transpired?¡±


    She didn¡¯t actually know how The Gentleman gathered his intelligence, as it was never addressed in the game. It simply was a given that he knew things. Scarlett didn¡¯t think he was omniscient, but she also doubted he got all of his info from spying on people.


    ¡°I wouldn''t presume to claim to know everything about anything, Baroness,¡± the man said. ¡°But I do have a general grasp of the events and their leading circumstances. This marks the first instance of a Vile being barred from their own Blaze and stripped of such a substantial share of their Authority ¡ª and by a ¡®mortal¡¯, no less. The Blazes are destined to be in a state of disarray for some time, it would appear.¡±


    ¡°And what are your thoughts on what is to come?¡± Scarlett asked, turning towards him.


    ¡°I can venture some calculated conjecture.¡±


    ¡°Which are?¡±


    The Gentleman offered only a modest, courteous smile. ¡°Likely not far from the suppositions you might entertain, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed. He definitely had some clue about what she was, and what she knew.


    Once again, she diverted her eyes from him to take in the garden¡¯s vibrant colors. Beyond the hedges, the bare treetops outside the estate were just visible, yet within the garden, it felt like the height of summer.


    ¡°During the events in Bridgespell, I had the opportunity to converse with Anguish herself on multiple occasions,¡± she said after a time.


    A light chuckle escaped the man beside her. ¡°Rare are the times a mortal could make that claim in the past few centuries, I dare say.¡±


    ¡°She told me about an entity called the ¡®Anomalous One¡¯.¡±


    A moment of silence passed.


    ¡°¡­The ¡®Anomalous One¡¯, you say? A curious subject for a Vile to broach.¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with it?¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlett observed The Gentleman¡¯s profile as he took a few seconds to respond. ¡°I am, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then are you aware that I am also an Anomalous One?¡±


    At that, the man turned towards her, his eyebrows slightly raised. Scarlett met his gaze squarely.


    Admitting this was a gamble when she still didn¡¯t fully understand his motivations, but it seemed unlikely that he wouldn¡¯t already be aware. If Anguish could tell that Scarlett was an Anomalous One, then so could he. She was more likely to get a direct answer by not beating around the bush.


    The Gentleman regarded her for a while before replying. ¡°That does indeed align with some of my observations.¡±


    ¡°And which observations might those be, specifically?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can assure you that the list is rather extensive.¡±


    ¡°But of course, you have no intention of sharing it,¡± Scarlett stated.


    Another courteous smile was all he offered in return.


    She resisted the urge to click her tongue. It felt like she could understand what it must have been like for Rosa when they had their talk. She wouldn¡¯t be getting any detailed answers from this man, but perhaps she could at least do some more probing.


    ¡°Then do you at least have an inkling about what the Anomalous One is?¡± she pressed.


    ¡°That has been a subject of speculation for many across history,¡± the man answered. ¡°Yet, it remains much a mystery to most all.¡±


    Scarlett gave him a measured look. ¡°Have you encountered it yourself?¡±


    ¡°As you are well aware, Baroness, it is sealed away. Direct contact with it is impossible.¡±


    ¡°The Hallowed Cabal and Tribe of Sin routinely harness its powers.¡±


    ¡°Granted, but it is not the same as a direct encounter. There are devouts who channel divine magics of gods long gone, yet those gods remain just as departed. What the Cabal and Tribe harness is the lingering imprint of the Anomalous One¡¯s existence in this world, not the entity itself. Thainnith¡¯s seal is quite effective still.¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    He regarded her thoughtfully in return for a few moments. ¡°Do you have any reason to believe otherwise?¡±


    She stayed silent as she mulled over his question. Somehow, she got the sense that his visit here today wasn¡¯t only for the sake of apology.


    After a pause, she finally responded. ¡°I do not.¡±


    It was probably best to stay quiet about her suspected run-in with the Anomalous One and its apparent interference with the system.


    The Gentleman continued scrutinizing her for a bit longer. ¡°I suppose I have no choice but to take your word for it,¡± he eventually said. He then collected his cane and stood from the bench. ¡°Now, I believe I have allayed enough of my companion¡¯s concerns regarding my conduct; hence, I¡¯ll take my leave. Should you choose, convey my most sincere felicitations to Miss Hale on her newfound freedom and peace of mind. A woman such as her deserves that much.¡±


    He beckoned for Empress, who glanced at him from her perch on the pedestal before leisurely leaping down and joining him. They both cast a final look back at Scarlett.


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely our paths with intersect again anytime soon, Baroness,¡± The Gentleman said as he tipped his hat. ¡°I will be quite occupied from hereon, and I suspect much the same will hold true for you in the near future. Nevertheless, I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming endeavours, and in Beld Thylelion.¡±


    Empress uttered a soft meow.


    ¡°Ah, yes, and Empress wanted me to inform you of her appreciation for the warm spots for relaxing during this time of year that you have here,¡± he added. ¡°While you will see little of me, you can expect her on occasion. I would normally try to dissuade her from intruding upon your hospitality too much, but this time, I am afraid it is a lost cause.¡±


    ¡°You are always most welcome in my home, Empress,¡± Scarlett said, turning her focus to the cat.


    Empress seemed particularly pleased with that reply, turning around and strutting off with her tail held high.


    The Gentleman tapped his cane against the ground as he made to follow. ¡°Till next we meet, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Until then,¡± Scarlett echoed.


    She watched as the pair soon disappeared among the hedges, leaving her alone. At the back of her mind, the Loci almost felt relieved.


    She supposed it was understandable.

 Chapter 220 - Sibling reunions

    Later in the evening, following Scarlett¡¯s meeting with The Gentleman and Empress and some time spent familiarising herself with the Loci¡¯s development, she had returned to her office. The interrupted reports were spread out in front of her, with the completed ones to her left and the remaining few to her right.


    As the clock approached ten, Scarlett was wrapping up her tasks for the day. Her typical routine often involved staying up later than this, and it had become somewhat of a challenge for her to fall asleep before midnight, but recent events had taken their toll, leaving her body more tired than usual.


    A knock on the door interrupted her focus.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Evelyne¡¯s voice filtered through the wood. ¡°Are you there?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Scarlett replied, setting aside the document she was reviewing. ¡°You may enter.¡±


    The door opened, and Evelyne stepped inside. The younger Hartford sister was dressed in a rich burgundy velvet blouse with subtle embroidery on the sleeves, her mostly auburn hair falling just above her shoulders.


    ¡°Garside told me you were back,¡± Evelyne said as she crossed the room. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t sure if you would still be awake.¡±


    ¡°You will seldom find me asleep at this hour,¡± Scarlett noted, observing the faint shadows under the woman¡¯s eyes, a blend of tension and relief visible in her expression. It seemed she had headed here straight after returning to the mansion.


    ¡°Really?¡± Evelyne stopped by Scarlett¡¯s desk, pulling out the chair set for guests. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. Feels like I can barely ever find any time to sleep myself, but I didn¡¯t realize you were the same. Mind if I sit down?¡±


    Scarlett gestured that it was fine, and Evelyne settled into the chair, leaning forward with her elbows on her lap, seeming to collect her thoughts.


    ¡°I suppose most of our interactions have been confined to the dining hall and the occasional discussion regarding fief matters,¡± Scarlett mused. ¡°Regardless, I presume you are here to talk about recent happenings?¡±


    A solemn nod from Evelyne confirmed Scarlett¡¯s words. ¡°I am, yes.¡±


    Scarlett considered her for a moment. ¡°Considering that you only returned just now, this could have waited till morning.¡±


    The younger woman grimaced. ¡°Do you think I could sleep knowing you¡¯re back? Even when I¡¯ve had the time to rest, I¡¯ve struggled to keep my eyes closed lately because of this impending ¡®catastrophe¡¯ or whatever that you have me preparing for. My mind keeps concocting the wildest scenarios about the empire collapsing in on itself, and that mess over in Bridgespell didn¡¯t really help me relax.¡±


    ¡°I understand your concerns, but rest assured, there was no imminent danger.¡± Scarlett glanced down at the reports on her desk. ¡°That said, it seems as if you have been rather busy during my absence. Care to tell me more about it? I have been reading through the reports, but I would like to hear the overarching details from you, if possible.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure if Evelyne had composed these reports herself or received help, but honestly, they were a bit overly detailed for her taste. Having a lot of information was good, but she wouldn¡¯t mind less focused reports on her end. It wasn¡¯t like she personally involved herself in most of these matters.


    Evelyne stared at Scarlett, a short, disbelieving laugh escaping her. ¡°Is that really what we should be starting on?¡±


    ¡°I believe addressing the less critical matters first will pave the way for more serious discussions,¡± Scarlett said.


    The woman fell silent for a moment, then sighed. ¡°Fine. For now, I¡¯ve delegated most of the fief¡¯s management to Kinsley while I¡¯ve been dealing with everything else, so there¡¯s not much to report on that front. I have made some trips to the surrounding region and met with other nobles to solidify my connections from the Tyndall Ball, but I doubt you care much about that. Although I did meet with a few individuals who might be able to help us in the future, and who were interested in you, including Baron Tattersall in Dimwall and Lady Smythe from the Luicean Spice Guild. Master Arthur Windermere as well, if you remember him.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I do recall meeting Master Windermere during the ball, and the name Tattersall seems familiar. I do not recognize Lady Smythe, however.¡±


    Though she had studied the empire¡¯s aristocracy enough to recognize most noble families, she remained far from an expert.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m the one handling negotiations with them, so it doesn¡¯t matter much. Lady Smythe was one of the people we helped during the Tribe attack at the ball, and she wanted to show her gratitude in a tangible way,¡± Evelyne explained. ¡°Beyond that, I¡¯ve also been running all over the place while trying to spearhead those ¡®relief initiatives¡¯ of ours. I hired more hands to help out with it all, but I severely underestimated how complex the logistics involved in something like this are.¡±


    She shook her head with a tired expression. ¡°If the empire¡¯s grain supply is affected, the amount we can source from Stagmond and the surrounding villages won¡¯t even make a dent in the demand, so I¡¯ve had to explore additional avenues for food sources and other necessities. Master Windermere and the Western Merchant¡¯s Alliance actually proved extremely helpful in getting into contact with some Voneian and Luicean traders who were willing to make deals. The current market conditions mean higher costs, but it¡¯s better that it goes to us than outside the empire. You also said that costs were inconsequential here, so¡­¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s expression held a hint of uncertainty as she looked at Scarlett.


    ¡°You still do not have to worry about the expenses,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°As long as we can sustain it, use whatever resources you deem necessary.¡±


    She had already set aside the funds she needed for herself, and she didn¡¯t foresee any issues with accumulating more in the future, given how many dungeons there were in the empire. Judging from the reports, Evelyne¡¯s efforts were already expected to surpass 1,000,000 solars, but that was still within the amount that just the ashenwraith dragon¡¯s remains were worth.


    Evelyne seemed to relax a bit hearing that, and she continued. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly keep all the produce and materials we¡¯re getting here or in the fief, so I¡¯ve also rented storage space in the harbor. But if we¡¯re to make a real impact, we¡¯ll need more. That¡¯s why I¡¯m considering reaching out to larger merchant groups in the city to borrow their facilities, or maybe seek assistance from Count Knottley, though that would likely require you to convince him.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°That might prove¡­challenging.¡±


    ¡°I suspected as much, but it could save us a lot of money better spent on securing more resources.¡±


    After a moment of consideration, she nodded. ¡°I will see what I can do.¡±


    While Count Knottley wasn¡¯t exactly her biggest fan, his loyalty to the empire was pretty steadfast. If she framed the request in the right way, he might agree to help them out a bit. Maybe she could also contact Livvi and enlist the woman¡¯s help in persuading her father.


    ¡°Besides securing food and storage,¡± Evelyne said, ¡°we need to tackle the issues of workforce and distribution. Like I said, I¡¯ve already started hiring people to help out where possible, but their experience is limited. Mostly, they¡¯re just additional city-dwellers left without work for the season. I¡¯m still looking into where I can find more qualified personnel. As for distribution, our position is somewhat stronger, thanks to our access to the Kilnstone network and the shipping lanes here in Freybrook. I¡¯ve already initiated talks with some crews that were willing to collaborate. The challenge lies in moving supplies and people from other cities to affected areas, but I was hoping that the local lords and factions could manage that.¡±


    Scarlett considered the prospect for a short while. ¡°¡­In some cases, that may be the case. However, we should also consider alternative methods for land-based distribution when necessary.¡±


    When the Cabal and Tribe commenced their full assault on the empire, there were no assurances that all nobles could effectively protect their domains and people. Some regions would be more vulnerable than others, and the typical land routes connecting smaller settlements might prove unreliable.


    Evelyne seemed to share Scarlett¡¯s concern, her brow furrowing. ¡°I was worried you were going to say that. It would require a considerable number of wagons and skilled personnel to carry out something like that on a large scale, though. Even if we were just focusing on the Freybrook region, I¡¯m not sure we can manage that.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°In that case, perhaps it would be prudent to cooperate with the Shields Guild and Followers of Ittar. They possess both the manpower and expertise needed for such ventures, and would likely carry them out even without our involvement. If we leave that aspect to them, we can concentrate our efforts elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually already begun exploring that option,¡± Evelyne revealed. ¡°Or, at least, I¡¯ve started making inquiries. I reached out to my contact in the Guild to see what preparations they already had given their ongoing conflict with the Tribe. Unfortunately, they¡¯re already stretched thin, so it¡¯s unclear if they¡¯ll be able to fill that role as we would want. I visited the local temple to see how things looked on that front as well, but there wasn¡¯t much to learn.¡±


    ¡°If need be, I have a connection to a member of the Quorum whom I can approach for further insights,¡± Scarlett said.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Evelyne¡¯s eyes widened slightly, mild surprise showing on her face. ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°Recently.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks, that answers a lot.¡± Evelyne let out another sigh. ¡°Never mind. That would be helpful, so please do that. On a similar note, I was also intending to look into if I can find some liaison within the imperial army or one of the knight orders to see if we could work with them somehow. If I approach them under the guise of being worried because of current affairs, it won¡¯t even look that suspicious.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a sound strategy.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s expression grew thoughtful, and the room settled into silence for a short time. Eventually, she noticed Scarlett¡¯s contemplative gaze. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Scarlett said, her voice neutral. ¡°I was merely thinking.¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    A faint frown creased Scarlett¡¯s brow. ¡°You have been exceptionally active and committed to furthering this endeavour. It is¡­commendable, the strides you are making.¡±


    Though the words felt wrong leaving Scarlett¡¯s mouth, she believed they were appropriate at this point.


    Evelyne looked flustered for a moment, blinking slowly. Then a somewhat awkward smile crossed her features as she shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much of a choice, is there? Not with a sister who places all the responsibility on me and runs off to do Ittar-knows-what all across the empire.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a mildly annoyed look, prompting the woman to backtrack slightly. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­ But it is true that things have been hectic and I¡¯ve been swamped with work. Feels like I¡¯ve spent more time out of the mansion than in it. I doubt that there are many people who bother paying attention to my movements, but there¡¯s definitely going to be some rumors eventually. Not much we can do about that since we¡¯re pressed for time.¡±


    ¡°Rumors can be managed. Your work is important, so simply continue as you have without giving them undue concern.¡±


    Scarlett thought she saw another smile on the woman¡¯s lips, but it might have been a figment of her imagination. Soon, a more serious expression returned to Evelyne¡¯s face.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve told you what I¡¯ve been up to, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Evelyne locked eyes with her. ¡°What happened in Bridgespell?¡±


    Scarlett held her gaze for a few seconds before responding. ¡°There were several notable developments there. For one, there were my interactions with Duke Valentino, as you are already aware.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m still not sure how that came about. What did he want with you? Was he interested in the artifacts you¡¯ve been selling?¡±


    ¡°No. His concerns were unrelated to the artifacts. Instead, he sought my apparent expertise for a certain issue within his territory.¡±


    ¡°What issue was this?¡±


    ¡°A dragon.¡±


    Evelyne fell silent. ¡°¡­A dragon?¡±


    ¡°He believed it to be one, at least. In reality, it was not a true dragon, but I assisted him in locating and neutralizing it nonetheless.¡±


    Evelyne stared at Scarlett, then closed her eyes as if collecting herself. ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ve already exhausted my surprise for the day. This is fine.¡± She reopened her eyes. ¡°So, how did you help ¡®neutralize¡¯ this non-dragon? Please don¡¯t tell me a cat was involved.¡±


    ¡°It was not.¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t seri¡ª¡± Evelyne paused, then shook her head. ¡°Whatever. Right now, I don¡¯t even think I want to know. Let¡¯s just continue. I assume this happened before that colossal fortress appeared and sent half of the empire into a panic? Do you know what that was all about?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I do.¡±


    Evelyne gave her a long, penetrating look. ¡°You were involved in that too, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I was, yes.¡±


    ¡°Of course you were. I¡¯m not even sure why I entertained the hope that you weren¡¯t. Something that chaotic couldn¡¯t possibly not be related to you, apparently.¡± Evelyne¡¯s tone was resigned, but Scarlett thought she was taking it all rather well. ¡°So, what exactly happened? Everyone I¡¯ve spoken to seems to know about as much as the rest, and neither the Followers nor the Empyreal Chronicle have revealed more than the fortress being linked to some demonic ritual. They say it¡¯s been dealt with already, but I¡¯m not sure how much people believe that.¡±


    ¡°The precise sequence of events is¡­complex,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If I am being candid, I highly suspect that you would prefer to remain unaware of the details in this case as well. However, I will tell you what I can if you are interested.¡±


    Evelyne seemed to genuinely consider this for a moment, leaning back in her chair with arms crossed. ¡°Just lay it on me before I regain enough sense to say ¡®no¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Scarlett slowly tapped an index finger on her desk. ¡°The fortress near Bridgespell originated from the Blazes, and it was the citadel of one of the six Viles. The so-called ¡®dragon¡¯ that Duke Valentino was concerned about was, in fact, a powerful demon connected to the appearance of that citadel. The structure¡¯s emergence in our realm signified a Vile attempting to manifest here, and my role played a part in preventing such a calamity from occurring. When it appeared, I collaborated with Father Abraham, whom you might recall, to assess and tackle the situation without allowing a horde of demons to descend upon the empire¡¯s citizens.¡±


    From the expression on Evelyne¡¯s face, Scarlett could tell that the woman was already regretting her decision. ¡°¡­And with ¡®tackle the situation¡¯, you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°I confronted the Vile as it was manifesting and successfully halted the process,¡± Scarlett explained.


    ¡°¡­You confronted a Vile?¡±


    ¡°I did, yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you heard me jest?¡±


    Evelyne went silent.


    Scarlett waited as the seconds passed.


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Evelyne eventually said. ¡°When you say ¡®manifest¡¯, you mean a Vile was literally crossing from the Blazes into our realm?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying that you put a stop to that?¡± the woman asked, her tone a mix of skepticism and disbelief.


    ¡°I did,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Although I was not alone. I had support from other groups, such as the Followers of Ittar.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to mention that she was partly responsible for the citadel appearing in the first place.


    Evelyne brought both hands up to her face, turning to stare up at the ceiling while threading her fingers through her hair, seemingly trying to process it all. After a few seconds, she refocused her attention on Scarlett. ¡°So the situation really is resolved, then? That colossal fortress truly isn¡¯t a threat?¡±


    ¡°It is a citadel, but yes. At the very least, it currently poses no immediate threat. I imagine entering it may still hold risks for the ill-prepared, but the Vile inside has been dealt with. As far as I am aware, the Followers, crown officials, the mage towers, and several other factions are currently in the process of investigating the citadel and its environment to understand more.¡±


    Scarlett had thought about mentioning the Tribe¡¯s enclave in Crowcairn but decided against it. That information wasn¡¯t necessary for Evelyne to know, and she had promised Duke Valentino to keep quiet about that for now.


    ¡°Did you anticipate all this happening?¡± Evelyne asked. ¡°Was it part of those future memories you have? Is that why you went to Bridgespell now, of all times?¡±


    ¡°¡­To some extent,¡± Scarlett admitted.


    ¡°Which means?¡±


    ¡°There were unforeseen developments that I had not predicted, including unexpected individuals. The manifestation also was not tied to a specific date, so I did not know for certain when it would occur.¡±


    ¡°But you did go to Bridgespell specifically to address this?¡±


    ¡°Essentially, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Evelyne studied Scarlett for several seconds. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman repeated. ¡°I know there¡¯s more to all of this than you¡¯re letting on, and I doubt dealing with a Vile could ever be so straightforward¡ªI am definitely going to ask more about that later¡ªbut it sounds like your actions may have prevented a greater disaster. Given how no one else seems to be talking about this, I assume most people aren¡¯t aware of that. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll at least be one of those who express their gratitude.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her.


    Receiving Evelyne¡¯s thanks for this was more than just unexpected. It wasn¡¯t even something she particularly wanted. It just felt odd. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was good or bad. The fact that she was partly responsible for Anguish¡¯s manifestation made it all the more weird.


    ¡­But outright dismissing the woman¡¯s gratitude felt even more off.


    ¡°Your thanks are unnecessary, but the gesture is appreciated,¡± she eventually responded, though her voice lacked much emotion. Evelyne seemed to sense it but didn¡¯t comment, simply moving on to the next topic.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear more about the people involved and what consequences all of this might have, but I think I¡¯ve heard enough for one night,¡± Evelyne said, eyeing the clock on Scarlett¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯m going to regret asking, but before we finish, were there any other world-shattering events that happened while you were in Bridgespell?¡±


    ¡°Not world-shattering, no,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I did uncover some additional artifacts that we will need to auction off at a later time, though I believe I have already mentioned as much in my letters. The servants should have catalogued them for further assessment in the morning, so whenever you have the time, it would be good if you could arrange for someone to handle that.¡±


    ¡°Sure. That won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Also¡­¡± Scarlett paused. She wasn¡¯t sure this was something she should share with the woman.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Evelyne asked.


    Scarlett studied the woman for a bit. This was probably something she was expected to keep quiet about as well, but it might be in Evelyne¡¯s interest to know. ¡°When I first met with the duke, he was accompanied by His Imperial Highness, the First Prince.¡±


    That seemed to catch Evelyne by surprise. ¡°The duke invited you to a meeting with the prince?¡±


    ¡°He did.¡±


    ¡°¡­Was this related to that citadel, or was this before that?¡±


    ¡°Before. They sought my help in locating the First Princess.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Evelyne frowned. ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°She has gone missing,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Evelyne massaged her forehead. ¡°Is it just impossible for you to not get entangled in ludicrous situations all the time now? Did you perform some kind of ritual that made the whole world revolve around you?¡±


    ¡°I have wondered that myself on occasion.¡±


    Evelyne didn¡¯t seem to think it was quite that funny. ¡°Why would they ask you for help if the princess has disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Because they suspected that her disappearance was connected to the Zuverian research she had been carrying out. Given my knowledge in that area, they thought to seek my advice.¡±


    A small snort escaped Evelyne. ¡°Knowledge? One year ago, you barely knew who the Zuver were.¡±


    ¡°Evelyne.¡± A chill entered Scarlett¡¯s voice.


    ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± Evelyne quickly apologized.


    Choosing not to dwell on the momentary irritation, Scarlett went on. ¡°I provided them with the insights I had, and from what the duke later told me, it seems as if they found some leads on the princess¡¯ whereabouts. I was not privy to the details, however.¡±


    Evelyne looked concerned. ¡°I hope she¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°I believe she is.¡±


    The woman gave Scarlett a probing look. ¡°¡­Do you know something?¡±


    ¡°Not as much as I would like. But I have trust that the situation will be resolved eventually.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Evelyne paused for a moment before standing up. ¡°Anyway, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?¡±


    ¡°No, I think the rest can wait for now.¡±


    ¡°Thank Ittar. I¡¯m going to have enough trouble sleeping as it is.¡± Evelyne moved towards the door, and Scarlett returned her attention to the remaining documents on her desk, intending to finish them quickly before retiring to her quarters.


    But after a brief silence, she realized Evelyne hadn¡¯t left. Looking up, she saw the woman standing in front of the exit, back turned towards her.


    Eventually, she turned to face her.


    ¡°Was there something you forgot to say?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Evelyne hesitated. ¡°I, uh, know that it might not have sounded like it before, but I am genuinely amazed by all that you¡¯re doing, in a good way. Both your dedication to these relief efforts, what went down in Bridgespell, and everything else. It¡¯s¡­remarkable.¡± She turned around, as if embarrassed by her admission. With one hand on the door¡¯s handle, only her profile remained visible to Scarlett. ¡°One year ago, father would have been disappointed at the state of the barony and the things you were up to. But now? The things this new you are doing? I think he would have been proud.¡±


    With that, she left the office, leaving Scarlett gazing at the closed door amidst the quiet. Unexpectedly, a mix of conflicting emotions¡ªanger, pride, and even tiny, imperceptible traces of joy¡ªbegan to stir within her.


    She was at a loss for words in response to that.

 Interlude - Repose

    Rosa woke up to the serene sight of sunlight streaming through the window above her bed, the gentle chill of the winter air permeating the linens and stirring her awake.


    After blinking away the remnants of sleep¡ªand doing a decent job at it, if she might say so herself¡ªshe sat up and looked outside. The snow-draped expanse of the Hartford estate lay beneath an almost crystalline blue sky, offering a stunning vista that practically screamed ¡®good morning¡¯.


    Unfortunately, the sun¡¯s high position in the sky screamed ¡®noon¡¯ instead.


    Seems like she¡¯d overslept.


    A subtle smile played on Rosa¡¯s lips. Lately, she had slept like a baby on more than one occasion.


    Her smile waned as she realized she had missed the first morning meal with the others since returning to Freybrook. She had been looking forward to the chef¡¯s mutton stew and walnut scones.


    They were to die for.


    It was surprising that no one had come to wake her. Was this some sort of divine punishment, perhaps? If so, it seemed unduly harsh, even for divinity.


    She swung her legs over the side of the bed, her gaze momentarily dropping to the floorboards beneath her bare feet. For a fleeting moment, she half-expected shadows from under the bed clamoring at her ankles and muttering in a cacophony of tortured voices, but there was nothing of the sort.


    She glanced around the room. It was tranquil. Calm. Normal.


    Today promised to be a good day.


    Lifting her arm, she brushed her fingers against the strange violet gem pulsating steadily near where her heart should be, concealed beneath her nightshirt. While it still felt weird to have the ¡®Heartstone¡¯, as Scarlett called it, be a part of her, it had become a peculiar source of comfort. Even if she had the choice to throw it away now without any consequences, she wasn¡¯t sure she would.


    Rising from the bed, she made her way to the wardrobe and selected a velvet tunic and a simple set of grey trousers, casually moving over to the dressing table and laying them over the back of the chair here. She refreshed herself with a damp cloth, then dressed.


    With her preparations complete, she examined her reflection in the mirror. Her brown locks, disheveled from sleep, partially hid the faint freckles on her face. Picking up a comb, she quickly smoothed the tangles, restoring some semblance of order.


    After that, she offered a smile at her reflection, and it responded in kind. Just as a mirror was supposed to do. Nothing more.


    Would she ever get tired of that?


    With a light bounce in her step, Rosa fetched the purple mantle Scarlett had given her¡ªdubbed ¡®Harmony¡¯s Veil¡¯ by the deceptively dramatic noblewoman¡ªfrom a hook on the wall and wrapped it around her shoulders. It fit like a glove, seeming to encourage her to spark into song then and there.


    Sure, it might look a tad extravagant for a casual mansion stroll, but that was all the more a reason to flaunt its splendor.


    Turning on the spot, she headed to the door, pausing to look at the two wooden instruments leaning against the wall beside it. One, weathered and plain, had been her only constant companion for years. The other, fresh and adorned with intricate carvings along its sides, held an air of novelty. Each possessed its unique charm.


    After a moment of contemplation, she picked up the new klert, placing it within the folds of her snazzy new mantle, where it promptly disappeared to Scarlett-knows-where.


    Rosa then stepped outside, pace steady as she began moving through the mansion¡¯s hallways. Through the windows, she saw a group of men in warm clothing who seemed in the process of tearing up parts of the stonework in the courtyard.


    Right. She recalled Scarlett mentioning something a while back about courtyard renovations due to¡­well, various ¡®dragon¡¯ and ¡®cat¡¯-related incidents.


    Rosa couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.


    A sanguine echo of her own voice resounded in her mind. Take care not to let that mirth go to your head, Rosalina dearest, it warned. It would be a shame if this newfound ¡®calm¡¯ of yours were to abruptly end.


    The sinister remark didn¡¯t stop Rosa in her step as she continued her stroll. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about little old me,¡± she said in response, her smile growing slightly more pointed. ¡°Since I know you love it so when I smile, I¡¯ll make sure to do it lots and lots for you to see. Just stay tight and snug in that comfortable hoosegow Red¡¯s set up for you, and you¡¯ll be more than golden.¡±


    Before Anguish could reply, Rosa cut off the demon¡¯s connection to the outside world with but a smirk and a flicker of mental effort. It had become a satisfying routine, asserting her dominance over the Vile like that.


    She savored that feeling far too much, to be honest. It had even gotten to the point where she sometimes let Anguish come out, only so that she could rub this new power of hers in the demon¡¯s face.


    Was it bad? Perhaps. It sounded maybe a touch hubristic, reminiscent of the overconfident characters in the ballads she sang, those who eventually fell prey to the cunning wiles of some dark entity.


    Now she understood what that was all about.


    At this early stage, though, she could indulge in this small luxury, right? Probably. Most likely. What was the worst that could happen? Aside from another of her mistakes costing the lives of those around her, of course.


    Her smile dimmed as her mind unintentionally drifted towards those decidedly more somber moments of her past.


    Happy as she was with this new hierarchy between her and Anguish, the situation remained a bit of a mixed bag. In the end, she would have preferred if Anguish hadn¡¯t remained within her at all, or at the very least wasn¡¯t talking. But she couldn¡¯t exactly complain about that. The responsibility for this situation was hers alone, and she¡¯d already come to terms with much more than that back in the citadel.


    Her reflections were interrupted by nearby voices. Seconds later, Allyssa and Shin rounded the corner ahead, spotting her.


    ¡°Oh, Rosa, so it was you,¡± Allyssa greeted with a smile.


    Next to her, Shin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a bit late, but good morning.¡±


    ¡°Why, to think I would stumble upon my most favoritest Shielders during my daily jaunt ¡ª what a blessed day indeed,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Salutations, good mornings, and good days en masse to you as well.¡±


    Allyssa leaned to the side, peering past Rosa as if expecting someone else, then looked back at her with a querying look. ¡°Who were you speaking with earlier? I thought I heard your voice just now.¡±


    Almost by reflex, Rosa offered the girl a disarming smile. ¡°Oh, you know, just the odd ghost or two. Every old mansion has to meet its quota, and I¡¯ve noted this one does that several times over. The bright side is that you never get lonely.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s skepticism at her response showed, and after a brief exchange of glances with Shin, she nodded. ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    A touch of awkwardness found its way into Rosa¡¯s smile as she realized what she¡¯d done.


    She studied the pair for a moment. They already knew, yet here she was, still coming up with excuses.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, shaking her head with a soft sigh. ¡°Force of habit. Truth is, I was exchanging a few choice words with the passenger I¡¯ve got tucked away up here.¡± She tapped a finger to the side of her head.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Allyssa paused, sharing yet another look with Shin. ¡°Does it¡­ talk to you often?¡± she asked after a brief silence.


    Seeing that, it was all but impossible for Rosa not to reveal a genuine smile.


    She hadn¡¯t spoken much about Anguish and all that since leaving Crowcairn, and Scarlett likely hadn¡¯t filled the others in on all the details. They had to be curious¡ªand probably worried¡ªbut despite that, they hadn¡¯t badgered her about it.


    They were good kids ¡ª kind yet a tad naive. How could she not like them?


    Rosa shrugged, aiming to ease Allyssa¡¯s concerns. ¡°I like to bully it on occasion, but that¡¯s all.¡±


    The girl looked confused, a slight frown on her brow. ¡°Bully? Isn¡¯t it a¡­you know¡­¡± Her voice faded, her gaze moving around cautiously.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Rosa replied with a crafty smirk. ¡°That¡¯s what makes it so fun.¡±


    Allyssa appeared unsure how to respond to that.


    ¡°I think I get it,¡± Shin said.


    Allyssa shot him a look of disbelief like he was a madman, and a peal of laughter escaped Rosa.


    ¡°So, I assume everybody¡¯s already had their fill?¡± She asked, brushing away a nonexistent tear. ¡°Looks like I missed out on our first little get-together after returning to Freybrook. How come no one bothered to wake me?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett thought it was best to let you rest,¡± Allyssa explained, a hint of concern remaining in her tone as she turned back to Rosa.


    Both Rosa¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Oh, really? You sure it wasn¡¯t an impostor then? It sounds uncharacteristically considerate of her.¡±


    Or devilish, depending on one¡¯s viewpoint.


    ¡°She also mentioned regretting not appreciating the peace and quiet we had while you were away in Bridgespell.¡±


    Rosa snorted. ¡°Okay, that does sound like her.¡±


    ¡°I, for one, missed you while you were gone,¡± Allyssa said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t have a heart encased in ice and woven out of barbed thorns. You¡¯re all sweetness.¡± Rosa glanced down the hallway that the pair of Shielders had come from. ¡°So, where are you two lovebirds off to?¡±


    The shadow of concern immediately left Allyssa¡¯s face as Rosa was met instead by a small glare, but Shin answered her question with an unflappable expression. ¡°We¡¯re heading down to the cellar. I lost a bet with Allyssa, so she¡¯s going to use me as her test subject for a new potion she learned about while we were in Bridgespell.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Allyssa punched him on the arm. ¡°You¡¯re not my test subject. It¡¯s perfectly safe. I just have a hard time stomaching the taste, so I need you to confirm the effects.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what is colloquially referred to as a ¡®test subject¡¯,¡± Shin pointed out.


    ¡°Shut up, you.¡±


    Shin gave her a long look. ¡°I think it says something about your alchemy that you can¡¯t stomach the taste of your own brews while expecting others to do it for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all you¡¯re good for,¡± Allyssa said with a huff, arms crossed.


    ¡°Ah, young love~¡± Rosa mused, watching their interaction.


    ¡°Oi, stop that.¡± Allyssa shot her another glare, though there was definitely a noticeable flush to her cheeks.


    Rosa grinned, shifting her attention to Shin. ¡°My sympathies for your upcoming ordeal, but at least your sacrifice will be for a great cause. Maybe. A middling cause, at worst, and people have died for less. Now, spill the veritable beans to your big sis Rosa here ¡ª what was this bet of yours about?¡±


    Before he could answer, Allyssa quickly stepped in, clamping her hands over his mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± she warned.


    Sensing an air of intrigue develop, Rosa narrowed her eyes.


    Shin offered her a resigned look as Allyssa began pulling him away down the corridor. ¡°We¡¯re off. See you later. I think there should still be some leftover for you from earlier, so go check that out.¡±


    Rosa waved them off with a playful salute, chuckling to herself. Her eyes followed them until they were out of sight.


    Seemed like she might need to do a bit of digging later on. She couldn¡¯t have the young ones keeping secrets from her, could she? As their elder, it was only right that she ensured they weren¡¯t embroiled in anything too outlandish or getting caught in some duplicitous scheme. Obviously, her intentions were nothing but pure.


    Whistling a little tune, she sauntered her way down the decidedly non-haunted hall, steering her nose towards the kitchen. Soon enough, she arrived at her destination, and true to Allyssa¡¯s words, a more than delectable meal had been left for her.


    Ten minutes later, after having relished in the stew and in the middle of savoring a delightful scone, she wandered through the mansion once more, exchanging pleasantries with the staff she hadn¡¯t seen for a couple of weeks and pondering where to venture next.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t said anything about any plans for the day, so Rosa assumed she was free to indulge in whatever whim struck her fancy.


    Typically, that meant playing around with her klert and mingling with the mansion¡¯s residents. The prospect of spending her day thus was rather appealing. Lately, she had discovered that even the most humdrum of activities carried an extra dose of enjoyment that hadn¡¯t been there before, and she was more than excited to savor that fact.


    Before diving into any of that, however, perhaps she¡¯d make a quick detour to Scarlett¡¯s lair. Just to double-check that there really wasn¡¯t anything that the curmudgeonly old noblewoman wanted from her.


    In no time, Rosa found herself standing before the dark mahogany door guarding Scarlett¡¯s office. It looked utterly nondescript, normal, and yet special all the same.


    She raised her hand to rap on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± came the indifferent voice from within.


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt,¡± Rosa replied. ¡°Can¡¯t you recognize me by the distinct melody of my fingers against the wood?¡±


    There was a brief silence before an answer came. ¡°You may enter.¡±


    Pushing the door open, Rosa stepped into the most conventional office she would ever lay eyes upon, devoid of any haunting sights or blood-filled vistas. And at the end of the room, behind a desk strewn with documents, sat the most unconventional woman she would ever lay her eyes upon.


    Scarlett looked up from her papers, her expression slightly furrowed. ¡°Did you need something, Miss Hale?¡±


    Rosa smirked. ¡°Nope, just checking in to see if you missed me.¡±


    The woman leveled a flat look at her that would have impressed even the most stoic of boulders. ¡°Yes. Inconceivably so,¡± she said in a monotone voice.


    ¡°Of course you did! I can barely endure not catching my own reflection every waking moment myself. I can scarcely imagine the struggle for everyone else.¡± Rosa cleared her throat, taking on a more serious demeanour. ¡°But have no fear, my dolorous Lady, for now I am here.¡± She winked. ¡°I¡¯m sure my rhymes will add a splash of sunshine to your day.¡±


    Scarlett silently watched her for several seconds, then turned back to whatever documents she was reading. ¡°I often question my sanity when I find myself entertaining your persiflage, Miss Hale. I am sure it is only a matter of time before I lose my mind, if I have not already. Now, state your business.¡±


    ¡°Oh, breaking out the fancy words, are we?¡± Rosa remarked. ¡°My ¡®persiflage¡¯ is honored.¡±


    ¡°You are hardly one to speak,¡± Scarlett replied without looking up. ¡°¡®Dolorous¡¯? Truly? If there is one thing about you that I will never comprehend, it is where you found the time to learn such vocabulary while living as a common traveling minstrel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what you pick up when you hang around enough taverns, Red.¡±


    ¡°I am sure. Now, you still have not answered my question. Was there a particular reason for your visit?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I really just wanted to check if you missed me?¡± Rosa asked.


    Scarlett glanced up from her papers, taking a moment to appraise her before looking down again. ¡°If so, your concern was unnecessary. I did not miss you.¡±


    Rosa allowed herself a short laugh as she strolled over to the bookshelves along the walls, eyeing the titles with a touch of nostalgia. ¡°Good to know. Ah, by the by, did you have any plans for us today, or am I a free woman?¡±


    ¡°There are matters I must address this afternoon and evening, so no, there is nothing of importance,¡± Scarlett informed her. ¡°You are free to spend your time as you wish, provided it does not involve anything that might provoke me into throwing you out of a window. Tomorrow, however, we are likely heading to Freymeadow.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Rosa stopped, her finger touching the spine of a book, and she turned to look at Scarlett. ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    Returning to that place would probably feel¡­strange.


    She turned back to the shelf, searching for something intriguing that she hadn¡¯t already read. Since she didn¡¯t have anything better to do, she might as well start the day by losing herself in some light reading.


    ¡°Mind if I stay around for a while?¡± she asked Scarlett, glancing over at the woman.


    Scarlett gestured indifferently. ¡°Help yourself. It would not be the first time.¡±


    With a soft smile, Rosa soon found a book with a curious enough title and plucked it from the shelf, making her way to the corner of the room where a cozy chair and small table stood. She laid her new mantle over the armrest, settled down, and began reading.


    Like that, the minutes ticked by, with both Rosa and Scarlett focusing on their own pursuits. Occasionally, Rosa would lift her eyes to watch Scarlett, whose expression remained unwavering in its seriousness, no matter what.


    At times, she wondered if the woman¡¯s most guarded secret wasn¡¯t that she actually suffered from a serious case of facial paralysis. It would explain why she never laughed at Rosa¡¯s jokes.


    Eventually, at one of the moments when Rosa was studying her, Scarlett paused in her work and met Rosa¡¯s gaze with a slightly raised eyebrow. ¡°I am beginning to question if you are making any progress in that book, Miss Hale, given your frequent distractions.¡±


    ¡°Can you blame me?¡± Rosa asked, feeling no shame at all about being caught. ¡°You¡¯re simply too brooding and mysterious!¡±


    ¡°I can indeed blame you. In fact, that is precisely what I am doing at this very moment.¡±


    Rosa pouted. ¡°You grouch.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Scarlett conceded. The noblewoman fell silent for a brief moment, regarding Rosa thoughtfully. ¡°¡­Are you certain that there is nothing that you wish to discuss? To me, it would seem as if you expected more from this visit. If there is something on your mind, I can spare the time.¡±


    Meeting her eyes, Rosa let her book rest gently on her lap. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for you, but I¡¯m satisfied as is. Sometimes, it¡¯s nice to have a moment where nothing much happens. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of times where very little happens at this mansion,¡± Scarlett said.


    Rosa gave a slight click of her tongue. ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then you don¡¯t know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is what I said, yes.¡±


    Rosa chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m glad we can agree, then.¡±


    And with that, she picked up her book again and returned to reading it, taking comfort in having the final word.


    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Scarlett watching her for several more seconds before finally resuming her paperwork.


    ¡°I am pleased to see that the day has finally come where you have the peace to smile while being honest with yourself, Rosa,¡± the woman¡¯s voice echoed across the room.


    The smile that had found its way back to Rosa¡¯s face broadened slightly at the edges.


    So was she.

 Chapter 221 - False appearances

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last saw this scene,¡± Rosa said, standing beside Scarlett, both of them overlooking the expansive glade before them. A winding river traced the outer edge of the glade, disappearing into the forest to the north, while timber-roofed homes were nestled within a low stone wall on the far end.


    Bathed in the ever-present light of the summer sun, the glade was awash with warmth. Near the village, a flock of sheep munched on the grass inside their enclosure, with tiny figures moving about the animals.


    Freymeadow was the same as always.


    Rosa, stretching her arms beside Scarlett, had a subtle grin playing on her face. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and I think a short, dreamlike stint to a place just like this might be exactly what I need after everything that¡¯s happened.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the woman, then redirected her gaze towards Freymeadow. ¡°Our stay will hardly be a leisurely escape. Do not forget that you must still familiarise yourself with your new abilities, and that we only have two days before the current loop ends.¡±


    The brightness in Rosa¡¯s expression faded slightly. ¡°Yeah, I know¡­¡±


    The two of them set out, following the beaten dirt path that led to Freymeadow. As they reached the village, they found its residents immersed in their daily lives, working outside their homes and moving about between the buildings. While Scarlett and Rosa¡¯s arrival did attract some notice, no one seemed surprised.


    As they began navigating their way through the village, Scarlett noted a change in Rosa¡¯s demeanor. The bard¡¯s usual vivacity was replaced by a more pensive attitude, her gaze lingering on the villagers they passed. Perhaps her thoughts lingered on Crowcairn, and its parallels to Freymeadow. Despite Rosa¡¯s claims to the contrary, her concern for others was evident.


    Reaching the village square, they found the village children playing on the woode platform at the centre. They all looked excited upon spotting Rosa, and the smile finally returned to the woman¡¯s face as she greeted them with a wave, though she didn¡¯t immediately head over to say hello. Instead, she followed Scarlett to the opposite end of the square, where Arlene sat on a house porch, her striking raven hair highlighted by a streak of grey.


    ¡°Oh? Back so soon?¡± the woman remarked, looking up from the book on her lap.


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Indeed, we are.¡±


    ¡°I expected you to be gone for longer this time,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Or did I misunderstand in that your sights were set on Bridgespell? Don¡¯t tell me you gave up already. That would be rather disappointing given your earlier enthusiasm.¡±


    ¡°Not quite. I have already visited Bridgespell, in fact.¡±


    Arlene raised a brow, her pale green eyes scrutinizing Scarlett. ¡°In just a day?¡±


    ¡°I am very efficient in my endeavours.¡±


    Even though weeks had passed for Scarlett, to Arlene, it would have seemed as if they¡¯d been here only yesterday.


    The woman considered her for a moment longer, her eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°¡­Judging by your confidence, I assume your efforts were fruitful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were,¡± Scarlett confirmed. The quest she¡¯d managed to corral out of Arlene before heading to Bridgespell had been the reason behind her visiting the Sunfire Shrine with Raimond. It hadn¡¯t been her primary reason for going to the city, but it had been important nonetheless.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll confess that I¡¯m also somewhat surprised.¡± Arlene closed her book, giving Scarlett her undivided attention. ¡°Donovan was not one to make things easy for others. I can imagine the barriers you had to overcome. He was always reluctant to let things go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement if any,¡± Rosa chimed in, moving closer to the porch and leaning on the wooden railing. ¡°I¡¯m not one to grumble if the boss lady doesn¡¯t, but a heads-up about your friend being a deacon might have been helpful. He had some scary guardians protecting the place where we found that heirloom of yours.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s gaze briefly shifted to the bard, sizing her up for a moment. ¡°¡­Was he a deacon? Hmm¡­well, that might have slipped my mind. Nevertheless, I¡¯m glad to see that fact apparently didn¡¯t do much to significantly hinder your efforts. Though, perhaps I¡¯m better off not knowing the specifics of how you managed to retrieve it so quickly.¡±


    ¡°That might be for the best,¡± Scarlett said.


    A small smile appeared on Arlene¡¯s face. ¡°Indeed. Now, why don¡¯t you show me what you¡¯ve brought back?¡±


    Scarlett reached for the [Pouch of Holding] at her waist, pulling out three items.


    [Old Ring (Common)]


    {A timeworn silver ring once belonging to a noble youth. Unremarkable in every other way}


    [Old Journal (Common)]


    {An old journal once belonging to a young noble lady, but long since abandoned by its owner}


    [Old dagger (Common)]


    {An old dagger once belonging to a young noble lady, a gift from her master. It appears utterly mundane}


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    These were the three items she had taken from the Sunfire Shrine with Raimond¡¯s consent.


    Arlene¡¯s expression showed a hint of surprise. ¡°Those are¡­¡±


    ¡°Your fellow disciples¡¯ belongings, as I understand it.¡± Scarlett held the [Old Journal] in one hand with the [Old Ring] atop it, with the [Old Dagger] in the other, carefully wrapped in a cloth.


    The elderly Deacon Emberwood had safeguarded heirlooms of his three disciples in the shrine¡¯s underground chamber, each accompanied by passages expressing his regrets. Arlene only needed one of them, but Scarlett felt it appropriate to present them all.


    ¡°Disciples, huh¡­¡± Arlene¡¯s eyes lingered on the heirlooms. ¡°It seems like old Donovan did something unnecessary once again.¡± She redirected her attention to Scarlett. ¡°And it appears you have stumbled upon some aspects of my past.¡±


    ¡°The way the venerable deacon organized the chambers where we left the heirlooms left little ambiguity in certain respects,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It was not my intent to pry.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arlene motioned towards the journal in Scarlett¡¯s grip. ¡°So I can assume you resisted the temptation to peek inside that, then?¡±


    ¡°¡­I may have performed some slight prying.¡±


    A small laugh left the woman. ¡°It¡¯s Liana¡¯s handiwork, I presume? If so, I wouldn¡¯t expect her to paint me in a flattering light.¡±


    ¡°Liana? Was that your older sister¡¯s name?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t aware?¡±


    ¡°The journal did not reveal her name. I only learned that you were siblings, and that Deacon Emberwood was your master.¡±


    Scarlett had finished reading through the journal before returning from Bridgespell, but since it primarily detailed magical theories and instructions, personal details were scarce.


    ¡°She was always an uncompromising one,¡± Arlene said, as though it didn¡¯t matter much in the end. ¡°So, did Donovan leave any message for me? Knowing my master, he had a penchant for conveying his thoughts in the most roundabout ways.¡±


    Scarlett knitted her brows. ¡°There was an inscription expressing sympathy for your circumstances and apologizing for what happened to you, but I cannot recall the precise words.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s demeanor softened slightly. ¡°¡­I knew he would regret it eventually. He¡¯s fortunate he never allowed that sentimentality of his to cloud his judgement until after he made the hard choices.¡±


    ¡°If I may ask,¡± Scarlett began cautiously. ¡°Exactly what caused the conflict between the two of you?¡±


    In the game, she had never been particularly interested in the unexplored background behind this questline, but now, it was different. After all, Arlene was her teacher.


    The woman responded with a rueful smile. ¡°It¡¯s a long and complicated story, and not one I care to delve into now. Let¡¯s just say that my actions didn¡¯t align with his responsibilities as a priest.¡±


    Scarlett studied Arlene for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°I see.¡±


    She had a general idea of what had probably happened.


    ¡°So, was that all?¡± Arlene asked, her expression shifting back to a more neutral one.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Did the old man leave no other messages?¡±


    ¡°No, he did not,¡± Scarlett replied, before pausing. ¡°¡­Not directly, at least. However, there was something else. Deacon Emberwood left an infused Auranthial¡ªif that is the correct term¡ªto guard these heirlooms. It appeared to¡­recognize me. Whether that was genuinely the case, I cannot be certain, but it did express its approval and asked that I ensure these items were returned to their rightful place.¡± Holding up the [Old Dagger], she continued, ¡°Moreover, it offered its last farewells and thanked me for bringing closure to its story.¡±


    Arlene seemed amused by that. ¡°He had better approve, or I would have some words to exchange with him in the afterlife. The farewells were unnecessary, of course, but he already knew that.¡± She gestured invitingly. ¡°Now, pass those to me, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Stepping onto the porch, Scarlett approached and first handed over the [Old Journal] and [Old Ring] to Arlene. The woman paused to inspect them closely, her face betraying little emotion, before setting them behind her on a stool. The same stool also held the [Locked Jewellery Casket] that Arlene had been keeping since the first time Scarlett visited this place. The woman then took the [Old Dagger], and a system message appeared.


    [Side-Quest completed: The old teacher¡¯s last wish and approval]


    {Skill points awarded: 5}


    Scarlett glanced at the quest-completion notification, slightly surprised that this had counted as a side-quest, but quickly put those thoughts aside and refocused on Arlene, taking a step back.


    The woman, with the dagger in hand, carefully unwrapped the cloth around it, examining the item. She seemed neither surprised nor worried about the rusted blade and degraded hilt.


    To all appearances, it seemed like a completely ordinary¡ªif old and ineffective¡ªdagger. Even Raimond had seemingly judged it as such, and that man could be scarily perceptive.


    Arlene looked up at Scarlett, a smile forming as she noticed her slight retreat. ¡°You don¡¯t have any questions about what it is that I asked you to risk your life for?¡± Seeing Scarlett¡¯s silence, she continued, ¡°Very well. I am afraid you will have to step back just a bit more than that, though.¡±


    Without arguing, Scarlett moved further away, joining Rosa just off the porch.


    Arlene then seemed to concentrate intently on the dagger, and the air around them seemed to warm as she began to speak in a clear, measured voice.


    ¡°By flame¡¯s embrace, concealed and veiled,


    A dagger mundane, in fire¡¯s breath hailed.


    In whispered words, the goddess¡¯ plea,


    Awaken now, reveal to me.¡±


    Fiery runes swirled into existence around the woman, changing shape continuously.


    Rosa leaned closer to Scarlett, whispering, ¡°Uh, what is she doing?¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± was all Scarlett said, not looking away from Arlene.


    ¡°¡­Wow. And you call me a handful.¡±


    ¡°Ignite the truth, dormant in disguise,


    Unveil the power that within lies.


    Goddess of fire, who lies in languor,


    Let the blaze of revelation fall.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s chant continued.


    ¡°From embered depths, the secret springs,


    In sacred chant, the power sings.


    Once concealed, now blaze with might,


    Reveal your purpose in fiery light.¡±


    With each word, the runes grew brighter and the air hotter, as if the syllables themselves fed the flames.


    Suddenly, the dagger began to transform. The rust melted away like shadows, and with it, the steel blade beneath was forged anew, igniting with an internal flame as veins of red-hot energy threaded through it, rendering the metal akin to molten lava frozen in time. The hilt, previously decayed, was reborn under the pure soul of fire. Flames danced along its edges as sanguine scales like those of a dragon appeared, and intricate runes etched themselves along its length.


    [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame (Divine)]


    {Forged in the crucible of ancient fires and blessed by the forgotten mother of fire, this fabled blade once channeled the essence of flames, granting its bearer an intimate connection to the elemental force of destruction. Hidden for generations, it waits to burn once more}


    [Quest completed: A teacher¡¯s heirloom]


    {Skill points awarded: 7}


    Arlene, now holding the transformed dagger, looked at it with a mix of appreciation and nostalgia. ¡°I never thought I would have the opportunity to see this again in my life,¡± she mused, a trace of wistfulness in her voice. Her gaze turned to aim at Scarlett. ¡°Well then, pupil of mine. Let¡¯s see what you have learned while you were gone. I am feeling particularly generous today.¡±

 Chaper 222 - New advancements

    A diverse array of elemental effects unfolded before Scarlett in steady succession as she channeled her mana into her magic, her focus etched deeply into her furrowed brow. Fiery orbs and swirling globes of water sailed through the air, slamming into lifeless trees here and there. Aqua Mines, varying in size, appeared and detonated in mere moments. Arrows and blades of flame cut through half-charred branches, while slender streams of water lifted small rocks with ease.


    She spared no effort, demonstrating a level of force and precision that would¡¯ve left her past self in awe just a few months ago. The large clearing in the forest near Freymeadow witnessed the unbridled brunt of her power, with some of the trees at the edge catching fire, only to be quickly extinguished shortly thereafter.


    After a while, Scarlett dispelled some of her more intensive magics and directed her attention to a single tree trunk, its bark mostly stripped away. With a thought, several watery tendrils materialized before her, hovering like sinuous serpents.


    The air crackled as the tendrils lashed out at the trunk in a fierce, continuous assault, scattering wood chips everywhere. Each hit whittled away at the trunk, steadily deforming its shape.


    Soon, she paused to admire her work.


    Upgrading her hydrokinesis had evidently made a substantial impact on the skill¡¯s potency.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Superior Mana Control]


    [Superior Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Major Hydrokinesis]


    [??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 7314/12136]


    [Points: 2]


    [Skills Menu:


    Upgrades


    [Major Pyromancy] (50 points)


    [Argent Pyrokinesis] (100 points) (LOCKED)


    [Superior Hydromancy] (25 points)


    [Argent Hydrokinesis] (100 points) (LOCKED)


    [Major Mana Control] (50 points)


    New skills


    [LOCKED]]


    Ultimately, the skills she had chosen to upgrade with her accumulated skill points were her hydrokinesis, mana control, and pyromancy, totaling 100 skill points. The difference was definitely noticeable.


    [Superior Mana Control] made it even easier for her to precisely shape her magic, while [Superior Pyromancy] reduced the mana consumption of her fire-based abilities by a decent amount. Although she considered them as support skills in a way, they were still worthwhile upgrading.


    As for the advancement from [Superior Hydrokinesis] to [Major Hydrokinesis], it mirrored the surge that going from [Superior Pyrokinesis] to [Major Pyrokinesis] had given her. Comparing the Superior versions of the skills to the Major versions was like comparing night and day. Coupled with her other upgrades, it filled her with a thrilling sense of pure progress, even if it was something given by the system.


    Dismissing the water whips she¡¯d created, Scarlett eyed what remained of the tree trunk after her magical onslaught.


    Before the upgrades, if the trunk was a person, they wouldn¡¯t have sustained more than a few bruises. Now, there might not even have been much left of them.


    That said, hydrokinesis was more challenging to learn than pyrokinesis for her. She had a long way to go before achieving any semblance of mastery. The effectiveness of her ¡®water whips¡¯ only proved the raw power of her [Major Hydrokinesis], but she could tell it was a pretty inefficient use of her mana to brute force it like that.


    Still, this was miles better than before.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now,¡± Arlene¡¯s voice came from behind her, prompting Scarlett to turn and look at the woman standing there with folded arms. ¡°I¡¯ve got a sense of your current level. There are some areas of concern, but you have improved considerably since yesterday. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought you were hiding your skills before.¡±


    Scarlett regarded the woman silently. She was pretty sure Arlene had anticipated her ¡®sudden¡¯ improvement. After all, the woman was the one who asked Scarlett to demonstrate her abilities before starting today¡¯s session, as if she hadn¡¯t seen them just a day prior from her perspective.


    ¡°Much happened while I was in Bridgespell,¡± Scarlett explained, leaning on an excuse that had worked with Arlene in the past. ¡°You could say I experienced an enlightenment of sorts.¡±


    ¡°A very convenient and profound enlightenment, it would seem.¡±


    ¡°That is how it often tends to be with me.¡±


    Arlene considered her for a moment, then gestured to Scarlett¡¯s hands. ¡°What happened with that divine relic of yours?¡±


    A slight shadow crossed Scarlett¡¯s features. ¡°¡­I lost it.¡±


    Arlene raised an eyebrow. ¡°You lost it? In one day?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I would go into more detail, but the circumstances were rather convoluted,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Suffice to say that we are unlikely to see it ever again.¡±


    Losing [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] was regrettable. The artifact had proven invaluable for someone with her mana constraints. She would have preferred to keep it, but what she received in return from Malachi was arguably worthwhile. Not to mention that she didn¡¯t have to be as concerned about the Followers finding out about her involvement in the Sanctuary heist anymore.


    There was a pregnant pause where Arlene studied her, leaving Scarlett to ponder her thoughts. Other than the moment of candidness between them when Scarlett had revealed the truth of her past and her place in this world, deciphering Arlene¡¯s intentions was always a bit tricky. Despite being inside an infinitely repeating loop, she clearly wasn¡¯t completely clueless about her own circumstances.


    Eventually, the woman nodded, seemingly choosing not to delve further into Scarlett¡¯s explanation. She reached into her own robes, retrieving the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame]. The divine-tier dagger glowed an intense red, its lava-like blade pulsating with an almost palpable power. Holding it by its blade without issue, she stepped closer to Scarlett, offering the artifact. ¡°Take this.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the dagger, then looked up at Arlene. ¡°Are you giving it to me?¡±


    That did not happen in the game.


    A subtle smile played on the woman¡¯s lips. ¡°I am not, no. But since you are currently my pupil, I will lend it to you while you are receiving my teachings. It is no divine fountain of near-endless mana, but it should prove a valuable assistance to you nonetheless.¡±


    Scarlett hesitated only for a moment before accepting the dagger. The dragon-like scales on its hilt felt warm against her skin, almost as if they would brand her hand. Yet the sensation wasn¡¯t unpleasant.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to directly wield its power,¡± Arlene added, ¡°but merely having it by your side will enhance your connection to the elemental root of fire. It should help reduce your mana expenditure.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Scarlett replied, examining the artifact. Holding it, she felt a certain kinship, akin to how it felt when she used her pyrokinesis. She supposed that was the connection Arlene referred to.


    Securing the dagger at her waist beside her [Pouch of Holding], she refocused her attention on the clearing and raised a hand. A blazing ball of fire surged into existence, easily the size of three grown men and capable of reducing most things to cinders in seconds.


    It didn¡¯t feel stronger or easier to sustain than before, but it did drain less mana. Noticeably less so. She maintained it for roughly ten seconds before dismissing it, evaluating the mana cost.


    It barely reached the hundreds. A few months back, conjuring an even weaker fire of that size would have depleted upwards of two thousand mana. Now, without the dagger, the cost was maybe a quarter of that, and the dagger seemed to almost cut that down even further by a factor of five.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze settled back on the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame] at her side.


    This was the effect of just keeping it by her side? Without actually wielding it? Divine-tier artifacts were pretty impressive. While it might not necessarily rival [Ittar¡¯s Genesis] in addressing her mana issues, it marked a very substantial buff for her pyrokinesis.


    A wistful desire flickered inside her as her eyes rested on the artifact. It would have been really nice if Arlene actually gave it to her.


    But maybe this was the best she could hope for at the moment. Most items removed from Freymeadow simply vanished upon leaving the space, and there was no guarantee the same didn¡¯t apply to this dagger now that it had reverted to its true form.


    ¡°Seems like you grasp its benefits well enough,¡± Arlene remarked beside her. ¡°Now, let¡¯s focus on the actual learning. We¡¯ll be starting with your pyrokinesis, then move on to hydrokinesis. You¡¯re nearly ready for some of the more challenging lessons.¡±


    Following that, Scarlett redirected her focus to her practice, and under Arlene¡¯s guidance, she engaged in several exercises meant to test her skills and control.


    She did observe that the sudden increase in intuitive control that [Superior Mana Control] gave her might inadvertently have offset the effectiveness of her previous training efforts, leading to some sharp reprimands from Arlene, but the woman was quick at addressing any shortcomings she noticed.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    With the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame]¡¯s help, and Arlene periodically recharging the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] when necessary, Scarlett could go on using her pyrokinesis for a good while. If she only focused on fire, she might even be able to go on for longer than she could while relying on [Ittar¡¯s Genesis].


    During a short break, Scarlett decided to express her gratitude. ¡°This dagger is even more remarkable than I expected. Once again, I appreciate your generosity in lending it to me.¡±


    ¡°I might not be the most generous of teachers, but there are some things I can offer,¡± the woman answered noncommittally.


    ¡°I would be even more grateful if you would allow me to use it outside of our sessions.¡±


    Just because Scarlett suspected she couldn¡¯t bring the artifact outside of Freymeadow didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t want to test it.


    A light chuckle left Arlene. ¡°You¡¯re not quite at the level where you can use it properly yet. It has to accept you as much as you want to claim it.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly. Was that true? It had never been mentioned in the game, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean it was false.


    ¡°¡­I will have to defer to your knowledge, then,¡± she finally said. ¡°I imagine you must have faced some considerable trials to secure a divine artifact linked to the goddess of fire.¡±


    A curious glint appeared in Arlene¡¯s eyes. ¡°So you recognized what it was.¡±


    ¡°Your chant earlier was quite revealing, and even without it, the dagger¡¯s origin was plain to see.¡± Scarlett gave Arlene a thoughtful look. ¡°¡­Based on your remarks, I gather the dagger has accepted you. Are you perhaps a devotee of the fire goddess?¡±


    This detail had never been made totally clear in the game.


    The woman shook her head. ¡°I am not. I doubt there are many adherents of Itris remaining. In lieu of those, someone like me was apparently deemed an adequate substitute. But I can¡¯t claim that obtaining it was much of a trial. As I believe I have already mentioned, it was a gift from my master.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Scarlett had forgotten about that.


    In the early days of the empire, when the worship of Ittar had become the norm, there were probably lots of other faiths that were pushed to the wayside, their sacred relics and artifacts falling into the hands of the region¡¯s new non-secular power. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure exactly how aggressive the Followers of the time had been in that regard. It wasn¡¯t a given that they had persecuted other faiths. Nonetheless, Ittar¡¯s religion undeniably emerged dominant by a wide margin.


    ¡°While I understand the reasons for not lending me the dagger,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°I do recall you promising some form of reward for retrieving it. I trust you have not forgotten about that.¡±


    Arlene shot her an almost amused glance. ¡°Me offering you my teaching is not considered reward enough?¡±


    ¡°That is a different matter entirely.¡±


    ¡°What an ungrateful pupil I have found myself.¡± Arlene shook her head. She paused, then added, ¡°You will have your reward. I did promise you, after all. But for now, I think it is time to return to your training.¡±


    Scarlett offered no objections as they resumed the previous exercises. Arlene continued to instruct and provide tips, helping her to know what to do and when. As usual, the woman knew how to pace the training efficiently, accommodating Scarlett¡¯s mana, ordering more breaks, and refilling the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] when needed.


    The hours passed in this manner until Scarlett neared exhaustion. At one point, she was leaning against a tree at the clearing¡¯s edge during another brief rest, her movements somewhat sluggish, but still able to use her magic.


    It was fine if she continued until she could barely move at all. Rosa wasn¡¯t here at the moment but would join them later, allowing Scarlett to rely on the bard¡¯s charms for the strength to leave.


    The bard herself was still in the village, having asked to get just today to interact with the villagers and the children. Then, from tomorrow onward, she would fully dive into mastering the new abilities the Soulstone granted her.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t claim to fully know why Rosa wanted one day to herself like this, but she saw no point in denying the request. It likely had something to do with what Rosa had done in Crowcairn. In the end, that was Rosa¡¯s business to deal with as she wished, while Scarlett had her own affairs to handle.


    She glanced to the side, checking to see how much mana she had left.


    [Mana: 3435/12136]


    Even with Arlene recharging the necklace, she probably couldn¡¯t last that much longer. She was pleased with today¡¯s practice, but since she would wrap things up soon, perhaps it would be okay for her to use her remaining mana as she wished.


    Turning to Arlene, who stood nearby, gazing out at the clearing, she voiced her intentions. ¡°If you have no objections, there is something I would like to attempt.¡±


    Arlene glanced back at her, motioning lightly. ¡°Very well. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Though I doubt you would be, do not be alarmed,¡± Scarlett said. She then directed her focus to the center of the clearing, forgoing the customary gesture of raising a hand, as she mentally conjured her desired effect into reality.


    Starting at the clearing¡¯s heart, several sizable flames burst forth, swiftly spreading out like wildfire to envelop the space in a sea of roaring fire that stretched up to the lower branches of the surrounding trees. While these were not the most intense flames Scarlett could summon, they spanned an impressive area¡ªat least a few hundred square meters¡ªand the heat alone made breathing harder.


    Next to Scarlett, Arlene looked completely unfazed.


    Scarlett allowed the fire to recede after a brief moment, aware that the woman would have prevented it from spreading outside of the clearing.


    Her current state of fatigue did limit her abilities somewhat, but even then, she was pretty sure she could have pushed things further than she just did.


    It served as a decent benchmark, though.


    Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she took a deep breath to refocus. Upon reopening her eyes, she called upon her hydrokinesis instead.


    A considerable volume of water materialized at the clearing¡¯s center, expanding outward like a wave to cover roughly half of the area.


    That was where Scarlett felt her limit was.


    She tried pushing things further, but that proved too challenging, and eventually, she relinquished control over her water, allowing it to dissipate and return to wherever it originated.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Arlene remarked, arms crossed.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Scarlett responded. ¡°But it would seem my hydrokinesis still lags behind significantly.¡±


    Even taking into account the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame]¡¯s buff to her pyrokinesis, the comparison was valid. Just now, she hadn¡¯t tested how much mana she could put into each skill, but rather how much of each element she could concentrate on and maintain at once. It was something she¡¯d always found more difficult with hydrokinesis.


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected,¡± Arlene said. ¡°I would say you have a natural inclination towards pyrokinesis. It¡¯s a miracle that your hydrokinesis is as developed as it is. There is also the difference that lies in the elements themselves. Fire wants to spread and consume, whereas water has its own nature that cannot be forced so easily.¡±


    ¡°Indeed?¡± Scarlett considered it for a moment.


    Not the most surprising of revelations, perhaps. Besides, she wasn¡¯t sure she ever even needed to conjure forth a small lake¡¯s worth of water. The skill had other applications that fit well within her limitations.


    Staying quiet for a while, she pondered what some of those applications could be. That was when she remembered an idea she had experimented with before but had never found much success with. Now, though, maybe it was possible.


    Somewhat shakingly lifting her arm, she directed her attention to the space directly above her palm, her brows furrowing as she called on her hydrokinesis.


    Dozens of seconds passed without anything seeming to happen, and Arlene gave her a strange look.


    Undeterred, Scarlett simply continued concentrating. Unlike previous times when she had tried this, she felt like she was on to something now, elusive as that feeling was.


    More than a minute passed, seemingly without any results. Scarlett moved her hand closer to her face, squinting as she inspected it.


    She frowned.


    There was some slight moisture on a single patch of her skin, but that was all.


    She had been hoping for more.


    The source of this water wasn''t her hydrokinesis, but rather, she¡¯d tried to manipulate whatever water might be present in the air around her. She already knew that manipulating existing water was more efficient than conjuring her own, so she had thought pulling water from the air could be an effective approach to her hydrokinesis.


    She had never had any success when doing it with lesser versions of the skill, but this experiment suggested that it at the very least was possible. That said, the amount of water she¡¯d pulled out was paltry.


    Was it because of her inexperience, or was there simply just not enough water around? She knew that water should exist in the air¡ªor at least that you could extract water from air¡ªbut she didn¡¯t know the ratios, or if it existed as actual H2O.


    Shifting her attention to the ground, she considered the mounds of green grass that grew among the roots and rocks of the clearing¡¯s edge. Though her training session had left most of the clearing devoid of vegetation, the area immediately surrounding her was still safe.


    Moving her hand above the grass, she attempted to use the same technique once more, this time focusing on whatever liquid was stored within the grass.


    It took her another minute or so to find the particular sensation she was looking for, but eventually, a slender stream of water emerged from the blades of grass beneath her hand, floating up to circle above her palm while the grass itself wilted slightly.


    It wasn''t exactly the easiest technique she knew, but at least this showed that she could extract water from other sources beyond bodies of water. The reason she had never succeeded until now simply seemed to be because of the difficulty.


    She allowed the water above her hand to fall back to the ground. The amount itself was hardly anything to write home about, but perhaps she could improve this technique until it was useful. Even if she couldn''t extract enough water from the air, there existed plenty of water sources in the world.


    ¡°Where did you learn that?¡± Arlene¡¯s voice cut through the silence. Scarlett looked up to see the woman wear a serious expression as she fixed her with a steady gaze.


    ¡°¡­Nowhere,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I had theorized its potential previously, but this is my first successful attempt. The logic behind it seemed sound, however.¡±


    Arlene observed her for several seconds. ¡°¡­I would advise against exploring that technique any further in the future.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because plants are not the only things you can use it on.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are implying that it can be used on people.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arlene said. ¡°That is why it¡¯s best if you leave it be.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°Why not? Is it prohibited in some fashion?¡±


    Personally, she had never heard of this application of hydrokinesis in this world before.


    Arlene paused for a bit. ¡°No, it¡¯s not prohibited. But you are not the first to consider the broader possibilities of hydromancy. Oher mages have considered the same, but employing it on living beings is generally met with disapproval by those aware of its potential. Even if you mastered it, its applications are limited. Skilled and powerful opponents will be resistant to it for the same reason you cannot simply immolate all opponents at will. Its effectiveness would mostly be restricted to those unable to defend themselves. It¡¯s best to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°Even were it only effective against weaker opponents, it could be a valuable tool,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Keep in mind that my alternative is burning people. Having a subtler and potentially less lethal option could be advantageous.¡±


    One other approach was perhaps to craft restraints from water, which she was pretty sure she could do, but that didn¡¯t feel even remotely as effective.


    Arlene did not answer immediately.


    ¡°Perhaps you are right,¡± she eventually said. ¡°But others might not look favorably upon you employing such a method, Scarlett. Magic that meddles with the body against one¡¯s will has always carried a stigma among the magical society. Even healing spells and bardic charms were stigmatized in the past.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as if Scarlett didn¡¯t understand Arlene¡¯s concerns. She didn¡¯t know what she could actually do with this technique, but some of the potential applications definitely ventured into morally questionable or ambiguous territory.


    Yet, dismissing a potential addition to her arsenal solely due to potential ethical concerns regarding its use wasn¡¯t something she would do. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be using her pyrokinesis at all.


    Arlene¡¯s gaze lingered on Scarlett, her pale green eyes reflecting a touch of pensiveness. Eventually, she offered a light nod. ¡°See that you do. I can¡¯t dictate how you choose to use your abilities, but I know what happens when others view you as something to be feared. It is not a fate I would wish upon you.¡±


    Scarlett met her look. ¡°That, I do not doubt.¡±

 Chapter 223 - Teachers tasks

    Scarlett felt more than simply tired as she sat on her chair, perched on the porch at the center of Freymeadow, her eyes fixed on the quaint square before her. Next to her, Arlene was absorbed in her book, while Rosa, seated on the porch railing with her back to them, was lost playing on her klert.


    Eventually, Arlene lifted her gaze, looking towards the sky now tinged with hues of red as the sun started to set. ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡±


    Scarlett considered the woman for a brief moment, then nodded, understanding the unspoken suggestion.


    ¡°Miss Hale. If you would,¡± she said.


    Rosa¡¯s melody flowed without interruption, and Scarlett, feeling a wellspring of energy surge inside her, rose from her seat, albeit somewhat unsteadily. Stepping down from the porch, she watched as Rosa hopped down to join her, then both turned to Arlene.


    ¡°We will be taking our leave for now.¡±


    ¡°Until next time,¡± the older woman said.


    ¡°Until then,¡± Scarlett echoed, though her gaze lingered a tad longer.


    ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± Arlene asked.


    ¡°¡­I believe you promised me a reward for retrieving your heirloom. Something beyond your teachings.¡±


    Tomorrow marked the end of this current loop, which meant Arlene would forget the promise by their next meeting. Scarlett had been waiting for the woman to broach the subject herself, but that hadn¡¯t happened.


    ¡°You certainly seem fixated on this reward,¡± Arlene remarked.


    ¡°Promises are meant to be honored, are they not?¡±


    The woman gave her a long, thoughtful look. ¡°¡­Wait here,¡± she finally said, standing up and placing her book on the chair before she entered the building behind her, leaving Scarlett slightly surprised.


    She¡¯d never seen the woman actually go inside.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Scarlett exchanged a glance with Rosa, who appeared equally shocked.


    ¡°What do you suppose she¡¯s fetching for you?¡± the bard asked. She waggled her brows. ¡°Something to aid her dearest pupil? Perhaps a manual on how to avoid making enemies of everyone you meet?¡±


    ¡°I hardly make that many enemies,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°That¡¯s only because you lavish most people with copious amounts of money and scary information until they have no choice but to pretend you didn¡¯t just kick their favorite cats. I should know, considering I¡¯ve experienced it.¡±


    Scarlett simply shook her head. ¡°I believe I have an idea of what she is retrieving.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do.¡± Rosa sighed theatrically. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it get tiring always knowing everything? You¡¯re sucking the excitement out of everything!¡±


    ¡°There is already more than enough ¡®excitement¡¯ in my life as is. I would happily reduce it,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°A real grouch, you.¡±


    ¡°I am not preventing you from enjoying that excitement yourself, so spare me the complaining.¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± Rosa declared with determination. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this up till my deathbed ¡ª and mayhap even beyond.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her. ¡°I am afraid that I believe you.¡±


    Choosing not to get pulled into more of the bard¡¯s eccentricities, she turned her attention back to the house, waiting for Arlene¡¯s return. It wasn¡¯t too long before the woman emerged again, approaching Scarlett with a purposeful stride.


    ¡°Your hand,¡± she instructed.


    Obediently, Scarlett extended her hand, and Arlene placed an ornate key in her hand, crafted from polished brass with a light silver finish.


    Puzzled, Scarlett inspected it. What was this for¡ª?


    [Jewellery Casket Key]


    {A key seemingly intended to open a jewellery casket}


    Her eyes widened.


    ¡°If I recall correctly, you wanted what was inside that casket, didn¡¯t you?¡± Arlene asked.


    Scarlett looked up at her, then to a stool behind the woman. A red-tinted wooden casket with gold latticework rested on it.


    [Locked Jewellery Casket]


    {A woman¡¯s jewellery casket. There appears to be no way of opening it}


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that I am allowed to open it?¡± Scarlett asked eventually, the wheels in her mind turning.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    What she needed indeed lay within that casket.


    A faint smile played on Arlene¡¯s lips, and the woman shook her head. ¡°No. I am giving you the key, but I am not saying that I will let you use it.¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t fully contain the scowl forming on her face. Then what was the point of receiving the key? As long as Arlene insisted on stopping her, the key was basically useless. She doubted she could trick the woman in any way.


    ¡°In due time, you¡¯ll have my blessing to use it,¡± Arlene said, observing Scarlett with a penetrating gaze. ¡°But not yet. You haven¡¯t quite reached that point.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you believe I will, eventually?¡±


    If she could get her hands on the artifacts inside that casket, she would finally be able to enter Beld Thylelion. It¡¯s what all of her visits in Freymeadow and her deal with The Gentleman had been building up to.


    She had just never been expecting Arlene to willingly offer her the key. The woman¡¯s statements in previous loops had suggested that such a possibility was out of the question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to use that key, provided you fulfill one more request for me,¡± Arlene stated.


    Scarlett adopted a confident expression. ¡°Very well. Whatever the task, I will strive to carry it out with the same diligence as I have with your prior assignments.¡±


    There were a couple more quests in the game that Arlene could give, aside from the one in Bridgespell, but none posed much of a challenge. If completing them was all it took to reach Beld Thylelion, it would be easy.


    ¡°It is similar to what you did for me last,¡± Arlene explained. ¡°I want you to find another old keepsake of mine. A necklace.¡±


    Scarlett paused, frowning slightly. She studied the woman. ¡°¡­A necklace?¡±


    ¡°That is what I said, yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain this is truly the task you wish me to undertake?¡±


    A short, amused chuckle escaped Arlene. ¡°I am quite certain, yes.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened.


    That wasn¡¯t a quest from the game. She had never even heard of Arlene having any necklace keepsake, nor did she have any idea how to locate something like that. Why would Arlene suddenly make this particular demand? Was this a consequence of Scarlett¡¯s own actions having altered things to such an extent? Yet, if the necklace was of such importance to Arlene, it should have been present in the game, right?


    ¡°¡­Is there not another task I can perform for you?¡± she asked.


    Arlene seemed to be pondering it briefly before answering. ¡°Are you doubting your ability to fulfill this particular request of mine? That¡¯s quite surprising, considering your success with my dagger.


    Scarlett remained silent for a few moments.


    That was a no, then.


    ¡°¡­I will inquire into the matter and see what I can uncover,¡± she eventually said. No matter how difficult, she couldn¡¯t exactly decline this opportunity. ¡°Could you provide any details to aid my search? While knowing that I am searching for a necklace is helpful, the task seems daunting with such scant information.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure. Regrettably, the necklace itself isn¡¯t especially extraordinary. It is crafted from silver and has a sapphire pendant, but it¡¯s not something you wouldn¡¯t be able to find in a market if you looked for long enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what do you expect me to do?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Find it, I hope,¡± Arlene replied. ¡°Your resourcefulness has already surpassed my expectations more than once, so I have faith in you. If it helps, I can tell you that the last known holder was another disciple of my master, my younger brother, Delmont.¡±


    ¡°Delmont¡­? And which house does he belong to?¡±


    Arlene offered Scarlett a knowing smile. ¡°You¡¯re assuming he is a noble.¡±


    ¡°From what I gathered from your sister¡¯s journal, he is. The same would apply to you as well, would it not?¡±


    ¡°Once, perhaps. But for me, such connections are a thing of the past. As for Delmont¡­ I¡¯m not so sure. Regardless, you will have to manage without knowing his house. Even as my student, I would prefer my name not to leave this place and cause unnecessary complications.¡±


    ¡°It will be more than challenging to locate this necklace without even knowing the full name of its last holder,¡± Scarlett pointed out. ¡°I do not even know where to begin the search.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Arlene conceded. ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t have anything that can help you there since I don¡¯t know where he last was either. Perhaps you could begin your search with the Brook Tower. He was once associated with it in his youth. He also spent some time with Ustrum and that old man¡¯s new ¡®assembly¡¯, but I can¡¯t vouch for what you¡¯ll find there. Those two never got along.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to the Ustrum Assembly?¡±


    ¡°I doubt there are other assemblies with the same name.¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    That piece of information could actually be helpful to Scarlett. The Ustrum Assembly was established when the empire was still relatively young by the legendary arch mage Ustrum. If Arlene¡¯s brother had been someone close to the man, there was a decent chance records existed within the Assembly that referenced him.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know exactly how that would lead her to this necklace, but at least it was a lead.


    ¡°I will do what I can to locate your necklace as swiftly as possible,¡± she said.


    Looking for something like this without being able to rely on her game knowledge was unfamiliar territory for her. Contacting Beldon Tyndall and leveraging his information network would likely be her first step. Adalicia Mendenhall also had connections within the Ustrum Assembly, and if she remembered correctly, Lady Withersworth¡¯s daughter held a relatively high position there too. Maybe those were both possible avenues of approach as well.


    That said, she suspected it would be difficult to find any usable information, considering how many years had passed since Arlene¡¯s time. Over two centuries was more than enough time for most trails to have gone cold.


    The loop here in Freymeadow also presented another complication. Scarlett hoped she could keep the key since it was given to her as a reward, but even if she did, Arlene wouldn¡¯t remember giving it to her in future loops.


    Maybe presenting the key alongside the necklace would prompt Arlene to come up with her own explanation within the context of the loop?


    It was a possibility, given Arlene¡¯s reaction whenever Scarlett displayed her pyrokinesis at the start of the loops. Though far from a guarantee, it was at least a strategy worth attempting.


    ¡°If there is nothing else, we will take our leave,¡± Scarlett announced.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Arlene said. The woman reached into her robe. ¡°I am not so stingy a teacher as to offer you nothing but an ineffective piece of metal for your efforts.¡± She took out a charm shaped in the form of a fox¡¯s head, extending it towards Scarlett. ¡°It may not be much, but perhaps you will find some use for it. It serves little purpose gathering dust here with me.¡±


    [Foxfire Charm (Unique)]


    {This mystical amulet harbors within the elusive essence of a fiery spirit, its warmth radiating and aglow with a special flame}


    Scarlett observed the charm, slightly surprised. This was what she had been expecting when Arlene promised her a reward.


    She reached out to accept the item, examining it for a moment before stowing it in her [Pouch of Holding].


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, meeting Arlene¡¯s gaze.


    The woman nodded. ¡°Now, it is getting late. I suppose I can expect to see you tomorrow as well?¡±


    ¡°You will. Until then, farewell.¡± With that, Scarlett and Rosa departed Freymeadow.

 Chapter 224 - Back-office dealings

    ¡°¡ªyour investigations should primarily concentrate on Brook Tower and Ustrum¡¯s acquaintances, likely around 800 A.R. The exact time period, however, is somewhat uncertain,¡± Scarlett said aloud, sitting alone in her office.


    Before her, on her desk, was a small bluebird carving perched on a circular marble base, emitting a faint glow.


    ¡°Gathering reliable information from that far back could prove difficult, depending on the circumstances,¡± came Beldon¡¯s voice from the bird sculpture.


    ¡°I understand, but I still ask that you do what you can.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. That said, most of my people are currently preoccupied with other matters, especially given the recent upheaval around Bridgespell. It¡¯s been dominating the conversations of many important figures in the empire lately. Quite the coincidence that an event like that would happen during your visit to the city, wouldn¡¯t you say, Baroness? I have even heard tell of rumors suggesting your involvement in the citadel incident, alongside the Followers of Ittar and Duke Valentino¡¯s men. Such talk inevitably piques one¡¯s curiosity about the true events there.¡±


    ¡°I advise against delving too deeply, Tyndall.¡±


    ¡°You do tantalize me so, Baroness. You should know that your warnings only heighten my curiosity about what I¡¯m missing,¡± the man replied, his voice carrying an almost palpable sigh. ¡°Ah, but nevertheless, I shall respect your wishes on the topic. And regarding your investigation request, I will have my available people look into this Delmon character. It¡¯s hardly an uncommon name, but if he was indeed a noble of that era, as you suggest, identifying a list of potential matches should be manageable.¡±


    ¡°That will be a satisfactory starting point for now,¡± Scarlett said.


    Her progress in completing Arlene¡¯s latest quest hinged on finding out what had happened to the woman¡¯s brother. Locating Arlene¡¯s necklace came after that.


    ¡°I presume you¡¯re not inclined to divulge the reason for this sudden interest in a long-gone noble?¡± Beldon asked.


    ¡°I do not particularly mind, actually. It is simply that the matter is of little consequence to you. I am seeking an heirloom that I believe will aid me in gaining access to a set of ruins mentioned in my research, and Delmont was the last confirmed possessor of the heirloom.¡±


    A soft chuckle came from the communication artifact. ¡°That is hardly a satisfying answer, but perhaps I am to blame for hoping for more. As ever, you are nothing if not a masterful tease, my lady.¡±


    Scarlett lightly tapped her finger on the desk. ¡°Spare me the flattery. Simply ensure that you fulfill this request. That is my primary concern.¡±


    ¡°And fulfill it I shall. Have I ever let you down?¡±


    ¡°Not to date, no. But we are still in the early stages of our partnership. I am not so naive as to think you are infallible.¡±


    ¡°Ah, wounding my pride as well? Such blunt honesty is what I admire about you, but it does possess the charm of a thorny rose.¡± There was a brief pause from Beldon before he continued. ¡°On another note, have you kept abreast of recent developments in Ambercrest, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean the affairs involving Count Soames?¡±


    ¡°Yes, precisely. His name has surfaced in connection with recent¡­unsavory happenings over there. But, of course, it is nothing but rumors at this point, so who knows what can be trusted? Ah, but I forget that you¡¯ve previously expressed disinterest in that particular matter. My apologies for mentioning it.¡±


    Right, each time Beldon had brought up Count Soames before, Scarlett had feigned indifference due to her pact of non-interference with Anguish. Beldon would assume she was continuing that pretense. But with no pact binding her any longer, and with Anguish no longer a direct threat, Scarlett could see an opportunity to leverage the Vile¡¯s noble pawn for her own ends.


    ¡°The situation has changed,¡± she said. ¡°Initially, I intended to dismiss Count Soames¡¯ disrespect at your estate¡¯s ball; however, my stance has since shifted. Any news you might have about him would be more than welcome.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Beldon sounded genuinely surprised, and his words were followed by a few seconds of silence. ¡°¡­Funny how that works. It would seem those rumors I mentioned have just been¡­corroborated. As such, allow me to fill you in. Count Soames has been fraternizing with some questionable figures in Ambercrest¡¯s Silkspindle Ward. We¡¯ve had eyes on these individuals for some time, and while their precise affiliations long remained but conjecture, recent insights appear to suggest that they are of the demonic variety. Now, such matters aren¡¯t really any of my concern, but for some inexplicable reason, the news of these associations seems to have reached certain factions such as the Followers and the crown. I suspect Count Soames will soon find himself under close scrutiny from various inquisitive officials.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, you had no hand in the dissemination of this information,¡± Scarlett remarked.


    ¡°Well, I may have played a minor role,¡± Beldon¡¯s amused reply came. ¡°It is looking as if Ambercrest might find itself under new leadership in the near future. I¡¯m sure the ensuing struggle for succession promises will be fraught and complex. The perfect gameboard for someone like me to stack my deck with some extra cards.¡±


    ¡°I expected nothing less of you.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? It would be remiss not to utilize the intelligence painstakingly gathered by my dutiful agents, no? Count Soames has made multiple enemies across the empire, including yourself, it would seem, so who am I to deny them their retribution? My investigations have also unveiled a few high-profile individuals who¡¯ve maintained unusually close ties with him. Ties that are suspect given his more dubious undertakings.¡±


    ¡°It sounds as if you have secured some rather valuable leverage for your organization.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Based on her knowledge from the game, Scarlett knew that Count Soames¡¯ crimes included involvement in abductions and demonic sacrifices, all to curry favor and be given power from Anguish, who in turn used him as a pawn in her broader schemes in the Material Realm. Any other nobles and officials linked to the count were likely unaware of the full extent of his crimes but were entangled with him through Anguish¡¯s influence.


    ¡°Not just I, but we,¡± Beldon corrected. ¡°Some of the count¡¯s associates are more influential than you might expect, Baroness, making them potent assets in our future endeavours.¡±


    Scarlett regarded the communication artifact on her desk with slight surprise. ¡°¡­You are willing to share their identities and this information with me?¡±


    Though she might have indirectly hinted at Beldon to Count Soames in the first place, she hadn¡¯t really done anything to help the man¡¯s operation in Ambercrest. Any intelligence he had gathered was through his own initiative. Scarlett had expected needing to bargain with the man to get anything from this.


    ¡°But of course. I wouldn¡¯t withhold valuable information from a partner for my sole benefit,¡± Beldon said.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but scoff lightly. ¡°We both know that is not completely true.¡±


    ¡°True, I suppose,¡± the man conceded. Scarlett could picture the smirk on his face. ¡°But I see no need to monopolize what we can both exploit from the upcoming political turmoil in Ambercrest. I happen to value our partnership quite highly, Baroness. If you wish, you can consider this a gesture of goodwill ¡ª a token of my commitment to our mutual success.¡±


    Silence fell as Scarlett considered his words. She hadn¡¯t realized he was this dedicated to their alliance.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she eventually said. ¡°Forward me a list of these individuals and any pertinent details you have on them. I will assess how valuable this ¡®goodwill¡¯ of yours truly is.¡±


    Even though she didn¡¯t have an immediate use for that information, possessing blackmail material over key figures could be advantageous down the line. She already had some ideas in mind for what she could do with it, depending on the people involved.


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± Beldon assured her.


    ¡°Good. Now¡ª¡± Scarlett began, only to halt as her bond with the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] pulled at her attention.


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Beldon¡¯s voice sounded out from the artifact after a while. ¡°You were saying, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett refocused on the conversation at hand. ¡°¡­Disregard that. It was a trivial matter unrelated to our discussion.¡± From what she could tell, it could wait for a bit longer. ¡°Let us move on. Have you found the insights shared by me beneficial to your overall operations?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Beldon sounded tempted to press further, but seemed to give up on it. ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ve made more than excellent use of the information you shared. My people have already mapped most of the underground networks beneath Silverborough, Bridgespell, and now even Elystead, not to mention that we¡¯ve had much more success in avoiding and counteracting the threats to our agents from rival factions and the Cabal this last month than in the last few years combined. Per your recommendations, we are also making headway in preparing for the escalating tensions with the Tribe and Cabal, though even I question whether some of those measures aren¡¯t somewhat excessive.¡±


    ¡°You are more than welcome to disregard my advice if you see fit,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Hah, I would think not, no. If Count Soames¡¯ current predicament is any indication, underestimating you would be a grave error, one I have no intention of repeating.¡±


    ¡°I am not involved in his coming downfall, however.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Beldon cleared his throat before promptly changing the subject. ¡°Now, following the leads you¡¯ve provided, we have also identified several notable locations all across the empire. They remain unexplored as you instructed, but I think it would be a waste to neglect them entirely.¡±


    Over the past month, Scarlett had supplied Beldon¡¯s network with a mix of information, ranging from intel on competitors and corrupt nobles to the locations of old ruins and dungeons from the game. The latter were mostly the type of dungeons Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure she could locate on her own, where it was simpler to make use of Beldon¡¯s resources instead. As long as none of his people entered those dungeons, she could go in and clear them for the skill points when she found the time.


    Pulling out her journal from her [Pouch of Holding], she jotted down some notes with her pyrokinesis. ¡°I will take care of it. Simply send me their exact locations when possible.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure when she¡¯d have the time to explore all of these sites, but having them pinpointed in advance was better than nothing. ¡°Was there anything else you wished to discuss at the moment?¡±


    ¡°There is one thing,¡± Beldon said.


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± Scarlett asked, closing her journal down and returning it to the pouch.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t have complete confirmation yet, and have sent my people to verify it further, we might have found traces of the woman you asked me to find. This ¡®Countess¡¯.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention snapped to the artifact. ¡°When was this? Where?¡±


    ¡°Our sources reported a sighting in Farmire, a couple of weeks back,¡± Beldon explained. ¡°A woman matching her description was seen there. We can¡¯t be certain it was her yet, and it¡¯s likely she¡¯s since left the city, but it¡¯s our first lead.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed better than nothing,¡± Scarlett said, her expression serious. This was the first tangible evidence of the Countess still being alive since receiving only a vague confirmation about it from The Gentleman.


    ¡°Was she alone?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That detail is unclear. A local stallholder observed a hooded woman eyeing his merchandise, fearing she might attempt to steal something. Before he could confront her, however, she disappeared. From that description alone, it would seem she is not just any passerby.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. It felt weird that the Countess would have been able to remain undetected for this long on her own, especially if the woman was moving around populated areas like that. Was she receiving help? If so, from whom? And what were their motives?


    ¡°Keep me updated on any developments, no matter how trivial,¡± she instructed Beldon. ¡°I want to be informed of everything.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, oh esteemed partner of mine,¡± Beldon replied, his tone laced with an exaggerated flourish.


    ¡°I am starting to think your flattery is less about genuine respect and more a habitual part of that charade you always maintain, Tyndall,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°We are both aware that your interest primarily lies in the information I bring to the table, not me personally.¡±


    Not to mention that he was the son of a duke.


    A hint of irony was present in the man¡¯s voice as he responded. ¡°And isn¡¯t your approach towards me driven by similar motives?¡±


    ¡°I never claimed otherwise.¡± Scarlett shook her head slightly. ¡°If there is nothing more, I have other matters to attend to. We will continue our discussion another time.¡±


    ¡°By all means.¡± A more serious tone entered Beldon¡¯s voice. ¡°Until then, Baroness. Farewell.¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡±


    With a gentle touch, Scarlett deactivated the artifact and placed it back into her [Pouch of Holding], then stood and made her way out of her office towards the mansion¡¯s central wing. There, she exited out the back, employing her pyrokinesis to form a barrier against the gently falling snow.


    She walked towards the hedge garden, following its winding paths until she arrived at its heart, where perpetual summer seemed to reign.


    There, beside the pedestal holding the Loci, stood a figure with flowing silvery-grey hair and a meticulously groomed beard, cloaked in a black cape with scarlet-red silk lining.


    Warley Godwin, the dean of Elystead Tower.


    Scarlett had sensed his arrival during her earlier conversation. At first, the Loci had resisted the old wizard¡¯s attempt at teleportation, but Scarlett had allowed his entrance to avoid complications. She wasn¡¯t sure if the Loci could contend with an archmage¡¯s power, anyway.


    As she neared, Godwin turned to face her, his expression serious. ¡°Baroness Hartford. My apologies for the unsolicited visit, but there is a pressing issue that we must discuss.¡±


    Observing him quietly for a brief moment, Scarlett then nodded and gestured towards a nearby bench. She had been expecting this. ¡°Take a seat, Dean. I suspect I already know the reason you are here.¡±

 Chapter 225 - Catching up the elderly

    Scarlett sat beside Dean Godwin on the bench, her eyes fixed on the Loci at the garden¡¯s heart. ¡°I appreciate your patience, allowing me to conclude my affairs before greeting you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Interrupting a noble lady during her personal matters is something I endeavour to avoid when possible. The tales of my impropriety are often overstated, I¡¯ll have you know. Besides, I did not mind the chance to observe the progress of your protective spirit while I waited,¡± the man replied. His tone, though light, held a noticeable gravity.


    Scarlett turned to look at the old wizard. ¡°You are here concerning the incident in Bridgespell, I presume.¡±


    ¡°Quite right, Baroness.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been away from the empire on various ventures and only learned about the events upon my return. The emergence of one of the six Vile¡¯s citadels in our lands has stirred concern among many of the empire¡¯s influential circles. It seems, in my absence, the continent teetered on the edge of another Desolation Calamity.¡±


    Scarlett met his intense gaze, maintaining a calm expression. As always, she had to be careful about what she said around this man, since he could detect lies.


    ¡°The situation may have appeared grave, but I assure you, such fears are without merit.¡±


    The man observed her closely, forehead slightly creased, likely trying to determine the truth of her words. He absentmindedly stroked his neat white beard, then allowed his gaze to wander to the vibrant garden before them. ¡°One troubling characteristic of yours, Baroness, is your ability to make me question my ring¡¯s effectiveness. Your conviction, even when speaking such bold and far-fetched claims, is always remarkable.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention drifted to his gloved hand, beneath which the truth-telling artifact from Fynn¡¯s tribe was concealed.


    ¡°¡­ I would be a fool to deceive you, knowing what I do,¡± she said.


    ¡°A fool to lie, certainly, but I do not think you are incapable of finding ways to navigate the facts to your favor,¡± he replied. ¡°Truth has always been a fickle thing, even to someone like me who can discern it in others.¡±


    Scarlett chose to remain quiet on the matter.


    There was a brief period of silence as Godwin¡¯s expression turned contemplative. ¡°I¡¯ve already looked into Bridgespell. Elystead Tower, along with the other mage towers and the Ustrum Assembly, has worked to secure the citadel¡¯s vicinity, and we are lending our aid in exploring the situation. Our current findings indicate any immediate threat has subsided, thankfully. My contacts experienced with demons confirm that, while the Blazes are in turmoil, all the Viles appear confined to their respective domains.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. Anguish had left her domain though, and was now sealed inside Rosa.


    Perhaps news of this hadn¡¯t widely spread, given Malachi¡¯s usurpation of the Vile¡¯s authority and her link to the Blaze of Anguish. It was possible that the woman¡¯s presence there was being misinterpreted as Anguish¡¯s.


    Godwin continued, his voice steady. ¡°While it does appear as if no Vile has gained a foothold in our realm, it¡¯s evident that there was an attempt to. The lingering citadel speaks of as much, but there is much confusion as to why it persists when there is seemingly no connection to the Blazes to sustain its presence.


    ¡°Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are many questions that remain unanswered regarding this scenario. The emperor has decreed a comprehensive investigation, involving the Shields Guild, the Followers of Ittar, and other concerned parties.¡± The man turned to face Scarlett directly. ¡°Personally, I am aware of only one means through which a Vile might manifest here, and it happens to involve someone closely associated with you.¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze squarely. ¡°Speak plainly.¡±


    ¡°I have already heard of your involvement with the citadel¡¯s events, Baroness Hartford. If I may be so bold as to ask, was Miss Hale also implicated?¡± Godwin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett answered without hesitation.


    He seemed to consider her reply. ¡°¡­You assured me once that no Vile would touch your incarnate.¡±


    ¡°I promised that I would prevent the situation from escalating beyond my control. As you yourself have acknowledged, the immediate threat surrounding the citadel has passed, so it should be evident that I have kept my word.¡±


    ¡°Your notion of being in ¡®control¡¯ is peculiar, Baroness.¡± The man scrutinized her closely for several seconds. ¡°¡­Yet, considering that you remain both sane and alive, there may indeed be some validity in your claims. Still, I must ask: did you strike a deal with the Vile?¡±


    ¡°During the proceedings in Bridgespell, you mean?¡±


    Godwin¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly. ¡°I mean during or apart from those events.¡±


    Scarlett resisted the urge to click her tongue. No worming herself out of that question, then.


    ¡°I did not strike any sort of deal with the Vile in Bridgespell that would compromise my standing as a noble or a citizen of the empire, no. Prior to that, however¡­ I did enter into a pact of non-interference with the Vile to safeguard Miss Hale. That said, it is important to note that this pact became void once the citadel appeared.¡±


    Surprise briefly flickered in the wizard¡¯s eyes. ¡°A Vile agreed to such a pact with a mortal?¡±


    ¡°She had little choice in the matter,¡± Scarlett declared.


    ¡°And how did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°I threatened to otherwise expose one of her covert agents within the empire¡¯s nobility. She acquiesced to my demands at the time, underestimating the threat I posed. In hindsight, she likely came to regret that decision.¡±


    Godwin¡¯s expression grew contemplative once more. ¡°I tried to uncover more details about what transpired within the citadel after its appearance, but there was regrettably little to learn. Are you implying that your intervention is what thwarted the Vile¡¯s manifestation?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I was, yes.¡±


    There was no point in lying about that to this man.


    ¡°And the noble who served as the Vile¡¯s pawn? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°That information, I am afraid, is not something I can disclose. Rest assured, justice will be served in due time, through appropriate channels.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Godwin paused thoughtfully. ¡°Which Vile was it that attempted to manifest?¡± he eventually asked.


    ¡°Anguish,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Anguish, you say? I have heard that she is a devious one.¡±


    ¡°She is, but she is arrogant as well. That was her undoing.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you vanquished the Vile.¡±


    ¡°What I did was not far off from that.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± Interest gleamed in Godwin¡¯s eyes, replacing some of the earlier seriousness. ¡°Please, do enlighten me what you mean by that. How exactly did you confront a demon of such caliber?¡±


    Scarlett considered him for a bit. ¡°Before I share that, I need your assurance that our conversation remains strictly between us.¡±


    He raised both eyebrows. ¡°Let me remind you, Baroness, that the empire has mandated an inquest into the cause of the events in Bridgespell.¡±


    ¡°That may be, but I believe you will find my insights on upcoming events far more vital to the empire than the specifics of my past actions. Moreover, though a Vile sought to manifest through my retainer in an attempt to lay waste to our realm, I dealt with the issue in a way that ensured no civilians were harmed.¡±


    ¡°From what I have heard, an entire village¡¯s population vanished,¡± Godwin pointed out.


    ¡°Crowcairn, yes. That settlement served as an enclave for the Tribe of Sin, something you were probably already aware of, despite Duke Valentino¡¯s attempts at secrecy. Their involvement precipitated the citadel¡¯s emergence.¡±


    Judging from the wizard¡¯s expression, he was, in fact, aware of as much.


    ¡°If you can promise not to divulge our discussion,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°I will reveal how I subdued the Vile. In exchange, however, I may ask a favor of you in the future.¡±


    Godwin remained silent for a while, as if he was actually considering her proposal.


    Scarlett suspected he¡¯d already mostly made of his decision before arriving here. His spending time to investigate matters himself before coming here and his readiness to hear her out suggested he was still keen on collaborating with her. If she were to guess, he just needed to confirm she wasn¡¯t some demonic worshipper in disguise. He should already know that she wasn¡¯t a Cabal spy, at the very least.


    If he did try to make her involvement in the citadel¡¯s appearance public, she reckoned that she could leverage her noble status and the connections she¡¯d made to stall out the worst consequences for a while. The actual evidence against her was scarce, and she could get people like Raimond to vouch for her if necessary.


    ¡°I trust that you see the benefit in our continued partnership,¡± she said after the man hadn¡¯t replied for a while.


    Godwin gave her a small, knowing smile. ¡°It seems you have already seen me through, then. What I overlooked mentioning earlier was that Elystead Tower has not formally joined the citadel investigations. In essence, I personally am under no immediate obligation to report any related findings I might stumble upon.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, do I have your word that you will maintain your discretion?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°You do. And a gentleman¡¯s word is his bond.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Scarlett went on to give Godwin a summarized account of her dealings with Anguish and what had happened in Bridgespell, carefully filtering the details to reveal only what she deemed necessary.


    Godwin did interject with questions, particularly regarding Scarlett¡¯s strategy to liberate Rosa from Anguish¡¯s influence and her alliance with Malachi, but she was careful with her responses. It was likely Godwin sensed she wasn¡¯t disclosing everything, but it would be difficult for him to force any more out of her.


    When Scarlett neared the end of her explanation, detailing how she used Anguish¡¯s real name to weaken the Vile so that they could seal her properly, Godwin displayed a rare expression of pure astonishment.


    ¡°You discovered the true name of a Vile?!¡± he exclaimed, eyes slightly widened.


    Scarlett found his shock slightly amusing. ¡°I did, yes.¡±


    ¡°How? For centuries, scholars have contested whether Viles even possess true names, given the lack of historical evidence.¡± He studied her closely. ¡°Was this another revelation that your precognitive talents showed you?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it was.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Godwin stroked his beard, seeming to get lost in thought for a moment. ¡°If even such insights are revealed to you, it would certainly explain your confidence. I continue to be astounded by that ability of yours, Baroness. It is regrettable that I have yet to make any progress in understanding it since we last spoke. Pray tell, has your foresight revealed the names of any other Viles?¡±


    ¡°It has not,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°My visions typically relate to imminent significant events. Anguish¡¯s manifestation was among these, which is why I learned her true name. The same does not extend to the other Viles.¡±


    ¡°A shame, that, but I suppose it should also be considered a blessing. Our empire already faces ample challenges without adding another Vile¡¯s intrusion into the equation. But you¡¯ve mentioned that, with Anguish¡¯s name, you and this ¡®Malachi¡¯ could subdue the demon. Given that your foresight appears intertwined with the very same fate you have demonstrated the power to change, it seems unlikely that you can foresee a future that you yourself helped shape. Can you then be certain Malachi won¡¯t pose a threat comparable to Anguish, especially now that she holds a portion of the Vile¡¯s power?¡±


    ¡°Malachi¡¯s intentions were never to dominate our realm, unlike the Viles,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Even if she sought to emulate Anguish¡¯s actions, her comparative lack of power would almost certainly hinder any such ambitions for the foreseeable future. I do not see her becoming a significant danger.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you are right. Indeed, any successor to the Blazes might be preferable to a Vile,¡± Godwin replied. ¡°Now, regarding Anguish, I am eager to understand more about her current state.¡±


    ¡°What more is there to elaborate on?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Much, I dare say.¡± Godwin let out a disbelieving sigh. ¡°The very idea that a Vile¡ªbeings that predate several of the oldest civilizations¡ªcould be confined within a human remains quite astonishing.¡±


    ¡°Considering that a Vile can inhabit an incarnate to achieve physical form in the Material Realm, I do not see why it should surprise that they can also be confined within one.¡±


    The wizard lifted a finger. ¡°But therein lies the mistake of applying conventional logic to entities that transcend typical understanding. Never have I even heard the suggestion that such a containment should be possible.¡±


    ¡°Yet it proved successful.¡±


    ¡°So you claim.¡± The man fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°¡­I would like to see Miss Hale, if possible.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I am afraid that I cannot allow that.¡±


    ¡°I ask that you reconsider. The presence of a Vile¡¯s essence within a living individual, in a controlled state, is unprecedented. As a practitioner of the arcane arts, and to ensure she poses no danger to herself or others, I must witness this myself. I¡¯m particularly intrigued by this ¡®Heartstone¡¯ used in the sealing process.¡±


    ¡°What insights do you expect to gain?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°You yourself have admitted your limited expertise in matters related to demons, and I will not subject my people to be mere specimens for study.¡±


    ¡°A respectable stance,¡± he replied. ¡°However, I believe I could help Miss Hale understand and harness her new capabilities. It would be in both our interests to ensure Anguish cannot make a resurgence.¡±


    ¡°I am confident Miss Hale can master her abilities without outside help.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but can you be absolutely certain that it would not be better for her if she did have my assistance?¡± Godwin waved his hand, summoning forth a small, ornately carved amulet in it.


    [Whispering Amulet of Thainnith (Unique)]


    {An ancient power resonates within, whispering words of a realm untouched and sealed. When that which cowered trembles, these whispers relate its stirring with watchful eyes}


    It was the Zuverian artifact the man had shown Scarlett during their previous meeting.


    The man presented the amulet to her. ¡°You mentioned that the Heartstone was created from an Astral Soulstone, a nigh-legendary Zuverian artifact. Like this amulet here, such objects are inordinately complex. My knowledge in artifice and my familiarity with Zuverian relics might reveal aspects that would elude you or Miss Hale.¡±


    Scarlett frowned, pondering his offer.


    ¡°I assure you that I will approach the matter with the appropriate discretion and respect your wishes throughout,¡± he continued. ¡°I have already faced some stern reprimands from Adalicia, and, in extension, my own daughter, after they learned of our first encounter. Since I do not want to dwell on past misunderstandings, I will not hold sharing that with her against you, but I do ask that you consider my request now.¡±


    It was true that Scarlett occasionally exchanged letters with Adalicia Mendenhall, and in those, she had lightly touched on her somewhat rough first meeting with Godwin. But she hadn¡¯t expected Adalicia to confront him directly about it. And the woman had even shared it with the man¡¯s daughter, it seemed.


    That was an amusing thought.


    After thinking it over for a few seconds more, Scarlett eventually nodded her head. ¡°Very well. I will permit a meeting with Miss Hale, provided that she consents.¡±


    Godwin smiled. ¡°Splendid. Then, let us not tarry, as my time is somewhat constrained.¡±

 Chapter 226 - Outposts

    Scarlett and Dean Godwin strolled back from the hedge garden to the mansion, making their way to the front courtyard, which was still under renovation. Scarlett, through the Loci¡¯s senses, knew this was where Rosa was.


    Upon reaching the courtyard, they spotted Rosa perched on a simple stone bench, clad in a snug fur coat. With klert in hand, the bard was playing an upbeat tune as a fiery fox danced before her. Around them, unlit candles were arranged in a wide circle, the snow around their metal holders partially melted.


    Rosa chuckled heartily as she played away on her instrument, causing one of the candles to ignite with a dark red flame. The fox, standing at the center of the circle, darted towards the flickering light, which snuffed itself out only for another candle to light up, drawing the fox¡¯s attention in a new direction.


    ¡°Just you wait, my fiery little friend. In time, we¡¯ll be an unstoppable duo, feared by the purses of crowds all across the empire!¡± the woman exclaimed in a playfully sinister voice.


    Suppressing a sigh, Scarlett paused along with Godwin at the courtyard¡¯s edge. Lending Rosa the [Foxfire Charm] might have been a mistake.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fascinating creature,¡± Godwin remarked, watching the fox as it chased the elusive candlelights in vain. The critter, made of living flames, moved with an almost ethereal grace, but curiously, its presence didn¡¯t seem to affect the snow beneath it.


    Noticing their arrival, Rosa ceased her music, the brown-haired woman¡¯s face breaking into a smile. ¡°Oh? If it isn¡¯t the classy old magic man. It¡¯s been too long.¡±


    A soft laugh left Godwin as they began to approach the woman. To stay warm, Scarlett subtly used her pyrokinesis to maintain a comfortable temperature around them, which earned her an acknowledging glance from the wizened wizard.


    ¡°So, what brings you both to my modest performance?¡± Rosa asked, setting her klert aside. The fox had gone completely still as the last of the candles extinguished, its attention seeming not to focus on anything.


    ¡°The Dean wished to meet with you,¡± Scarlett answered.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, alright. Consider me at your disposal, then. Don¡¯t have much else going on for me right now.¡± Rosa nodded towards the fox. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to teach this little rascal some tricks, but it¡¯s slow going. I¡¯ve only just got him moving, and now I¡¯m working on more complex commands. ¡®Fetch¡¯ will be a tricky one.¡±


    ¡°It is not a pet, Miss Hale,¡± Scarlett said, motioning with her hand to conjure a fist-sized flame at eye level. The fox¡¯s attention snapped to the flame, and it eagerly bounded towards it. As it paused beneath the fire, looking up as if mesmerized, the flame itself swelled in size.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Rosa replied, an impish glint in her eye. ¡°It looks like a pet to me, and I¡¯m sticking with that. Besides, I refuse to accept any other type of logic from someone who keeps a stone for company.¡±


    Scarlett simply shook her head, directing the flame¡ªand by extension, the fox¡ªto her side.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t speak for Baroness Harford, training an Emberling of all things in specific tasks might present a challenge,¡± Godwin said, looking somewhat amused. ¡°That is assuming this is indeed what I believe it is. It is my first time seeing an Emberling for myself, though I have encountered Zephyrians before. They are both variations of the elemental Etherialias, if I am not mistaken.¡±


    Scarlett regarded him for a moment. ¡°My understanding of this subject is limited, so I will defer to your knowledge. What is evident, at least, is that the creature is no true spirit, nor does it possess any genuine intelligence.¡±


    The man nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully while examining the fox. ¡°That is consistent with the nature of the Etherialias. Pseudo-spirits, I have heard them referred to. Rare, undoubtedly, and more akin to facsimiles and half-representations of their elements than sentient beings. To encounter one today is quite intriguing. You seem to always stumble upon the most unusual of phenomena, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett observed the fox, which was transfixed by her flame.


    Godwin¡¯s description sounded about right.


    The creature was a temporary summon from the [Foxfire Charm] Arlene had given her. Although not the endearing pet that Rosa and Allyssa had hoped for when they first saw it, it was nonetheless a practical ally for someone like Scarlett. The fox was instinctively drawn to fire, and its presence enhanced any flames in its immediate vicinity.


    In the game, it had appeared as a small critter that followed the player around, making it a very good fit for any build that employed close-range pyromancy spells. In this world, it was slightly more flexible since it followed flames instead, and Scarlett already had several ideas for how she could use something like that.


    As did Rosa, apparently.


    ¡°Where did you come across it?¡± Godwin asked.


    ¡°It was a gift from my mentor,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Mentor?¡± a hint of surprise entered the man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yes, my mentor.¡± Scarlett glanced at him, then turned her attention back to Rosa. ¡°Miss Hale, Dean Godwin came concerning the events in Bridgespell. He is aware of the Anguish incident and believes he can assist you with adjusting to the Heartstone. However, he wants to examine you more closely first, and I have informed him that your opinion comes first.¡±


    Rosa blinked, her gaze shifting between Scarlett and Godwin for a couple of seconds before eventually settling on the wizard. ¡°You really think you could help me out?¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t even seem to mind that Scarlett might have shared some of her secrets with Godwin.


    ¡°I have extensive knowledge of Zuverian artifacts, such as the Astral Soulstone used to create your Heartstone, so it would not be an exaggeration to say that I am at the very least qualified to try,¡± Godwin explained. ¡°Apart from experts in demonology or a demon themselves, I may very well be your best option within the empire.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Alright, let¡¯s do it,¡± Rosa agreed readily.


    ¡°Rosa,¡± Scarlett interjected. ¡°Please do consider your decision with some caution. You are under no obligation to accept his offer.¡±


    The bard just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason to. Sure, I¡¯m getting the hang of this thing myself, but there¡¯s still a bunch about the Heartstone I don¡¯t understand. I wouldn¡¯t mind having someone more knowledgeable than me take a gander at it. Frankly, I feel like I should be grateful he doesn¡¯t see fit to fireball me all the way to the Everdust Barrier and back for having it stuck inside me.¡±


    Scarlett bit back the reprimand she wanted to give Rosa for her casual attitude towards this. She couldn¡¯t exactly say much when she was the one who brought Godwin here intending to use him.


    The wizard in question cleared his throat. ¡°By ¡®inside you¡¯, I presume I am to take that literally. Where exactly is this ¡®Heartstone¡¯ situated?¡±


    Rosa smiled slyly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s in the name, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Scarlett fixed him with a sharp gaze. ¡°I expect you to not forget your commitment to discretion in this matter, Dean.¡±


    Despite his age, he had the looks of someone who had been a real heartbreaker in his youth.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I assure you, I am quite capable of respecting a woman¡¯s decency when necessary,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°Hear that, Red? Sounds like my virtue is in safe hands.¡±


    Scarlett cast a disapproving look Rosa¡¯s way, only to be met with a feigned ¡®innocent¡¯ smile.


    ¡°¡­Very well. It is not my place to interfere any further than this.¡± Scarlett turned back to Godwin. ¡°You can inquire with my butler about a suitable room for your examination. Will you be needing anything else?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I am equipped with the necessary tools. If Miss Hale finds it agreeable, I¡¯d like to start immediately. I have other engagements in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Rosa stood, retrieving a fox-shaped charm from her coat, handing it over to Scarlett. Scarlett accepted it, mentally dismissing the fiery fox.


    ¡°I trust that you will manage on your own with the Dean, Miss Hale,¡± she said, storing the [Foxfire Charm] in her [Pouch of Holding]. ¡°Or, at least, I hope that you will refrain from causing any trouble that I will need to address. I will return to check on you later.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re not joining in on our little demon seance? It¡¯ll be fun,¡± Rosa teased.


    ¡°I highly doubt that. Besides, I have other matters to attend to, now that Dean Godwin is here.¡± Scarlett focused on the man. ¡°I would like to utilize your magic to teleport to a certain location. You can consider this part of our arrangement for granting you access to Miss Hale.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hold on,¡± Rosa cut in. ¡°I thought this was supposed to be my choice? When did I become a bargaining chip?¡±


    ¡°When it suited my needs,¡± Scarlett replied matter-of-factly, her gaze still on Godwin. ¡°Your thoughts, Dean?¡±


    Warley Godwin wasn¡¯t only a renowned archmage, but he was also very experienced in almost all teleportation magic. His abilities, while not on par with powerful artifacts like the Kilnstone that could transport hundreds of people every day, were more than sufficient to teleport a single person over large distances.


    Raising both eyebrows, the wizard considered her. ¡°Hmm. Not an unreasonable ask, I suppose, though it will consume a considerable portion of my mana. Where do you wish to go?¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with Thalindor Outpost?¡±


    ¡°On the Resting Eye?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I have been there before.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Then I would like for you to bring me there.¡±


    It was a location from the game that Scarlett had been considering visiting for a while now, and now was as good a time as any to do so. The visit itself wasn¡¯t a must for her, but with an archmage¡¯s help, she could bypass the tedious journey to Darkshore, avoiding the need to find transportation across a vast lake to an active volcano. Furthermore, there were no pressing crises looming over her head quite yet, and most of her ongoing projects required more time to bear fruit.


    ¡°That is a rather unusual destination for a noble, especially on such short notice,¡± Godwin remarked. ¡°Is it the Zuverian ruins or the Resting Eye itself that interests you?¡±


    ¡°Both and neither,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Can you bring me there or not?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Then please do so. I presume you can cast Aetheric Repatriate? It would be preferable if I could return without needing your assistance.¡±


    She¡¯d done her research and knew some of the powerful spells that were available to the more experienced mages. [Aetheric Repatriate] was an aeromancy spell that facilitated round-trip teleportation, allowing the user to return to their original location after a predetermined time or at will. It was exactly the type of magic Scarlett could only envy Godwin for.


    ¡°Wait, are you planning to leave now?¡± Rosa asked. ¡°You¡¯re not going by yourself, right?¡±


    Scarlett turned to the woman, regarding her quietly for a moment before answering. ¡°Yes, on this occasion, I will be going alone. There is no need to be worried, however. Nothing dangerous dwells on that isle, as the Dean here can affirm.¡±


    Rosa looked to Godwin, who nodded. ¡°The isle itself poses no threat, at least not to someone of Baroness Hartford¡¯s ability. I would be more concerned if she intended to explore the Resting Eye itself, but I trust she won¡¯t venture there rashly.¡±


    ¡°I will not,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Now, let us not delay any further. Dean Godwin, please proceed with the spell. I have no need to prepare anything beyond what I currently have.¡±


    Rosa tried to interject. ¡°But this still sounds a bit¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will be fine, Rosa,¡± Scarlett cut her off. ¡°You should concentrate on your own tasks.¡±


    The bard¡¯s initial joviality had faded as she looked at her with a slightly concerned face, but eventually, she seemed to resignedly accept Scarlett¡¯s decision. ¡°Fine. Not like I can change your mind. But you¡¯re gonna have to explain things to Fynn later. He won¡¯t be thrilled about being left behind.¡±


    ¡°I believe that he will understand.¡±


    While Scarlett could take Fynn along if she wanted, it would probably be easier if she didn¡¯t this time. Besides, she wasn¡¯t even sure Godwin had the mana to cast [Aetheric Repatriate] on an additional person.


    With no further objections, Godwin started casting the spell, his hands tracing intricate patterns in the air, summoning glowing arcane symbols.


    ¡°You may experience some brief disorientation following the teleportation, Baroness, but this is normal,¡± he said.


    Scarlett steeled herself. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Then I wish you a safe journey.¡±


    As he uttered those words, energy crackled from his fingertips. The world around Scarlett twisted and blurred, and suddenly she was plunged into darkness. When her vision cleared, she stood on a desolate, volcanic shoreline, feeling like she had just been flung through a twelve-hour intercontinental flight in less than a second.


    Regaining her bearings, she peered out at the vast, dark lake before her, with the distant city of Darkshore visible across the water, its buildings lightly dusted with snow.


    It had been months since her last visit to the place, but she doubted much had changed other than the weather. The lake did have fewer boats on it, making it appear cold and uninviting, but Darkshore had never really been a maritime city.


    Her eyes lingered on the icy fragments bobbing along the shore, wondering if the lake ever froze over entirely here. She assumed it didn¡¯t.


    She turned to examine her surroundings more closely, waiting for the nausea to subside. Ahead of her was the Resting Eye, a massive grey mountain whose peak, although not quite piercing the clouds, belched out thick, dark smoke that smeared the sky with shadow.


    The landscape was stark ¡ª a sea of dark, jagged rocks and uneven rock formations. The snow was conspicuously absent, apparently unable to find a foothold in this barren terrain. Despite the chill, it was warmer here than Scarlett had expected, though not to the point where it was comfortable.


    At least there weren¡¯t any strong odors.


    Her attention soon landed on what seemed to be the ruins of a settlement a few hundred meters away, nestled into the base of the volcano. Broken pillars of stone, familiar in design, protruded from the ground in abundance.


    That had to be Thalindor Outpost. An old Zuverian outpost that had long since been scoured by imperial scholars.


    Having located her first destination, Scarlett scanned her immediate area. Soon, she spotted a slender, translucent crystal on the ground, seeming to sparkle with contained energy.


    That should be her ticket back to Freybrook.


    After having picked it up, she set off towards the desolate outpost. Using the [Charms of Expeditious Exchange], she swapped the dress she¡¯d been wearing for her usual exploration gear, which included her new [Ashenwraith Elegance] attire and the [Emberwood Gloves].


    Upon reaching the outpost, she passed under a thick stone gateway adorned with ancient Zuverian symbols. She paused to study them briefly before moving forward, navigating her way through the ruins while keeping her eyes peeled.


    She¡¯d heard there was a lot of speculation among scholars regarding why the Zuver seemed to favor simple stone so much in their architecture despite their advanced technology. While white marble featured in some of their structures, stone remained the principal material in ruins like this one. The reason for this was largely a mystery, even to Scarlett.


    One possibility was that stone was the only material to have endured the downfall of the Zuverian during The Severance. Considering that the Rising Isle had also been a Zuverian outpost and the architecture there was vastly different, she doubted that was the correct explanation.


    Maybe the game designers had just decided to be lazy when creating their dungeons. It was a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg question as far as Scarlett was concerned.


    Amidst the ruins, her attention was caught by one particular section. Encircled by a ring of displaced stone rubble, a solitary obelisk hovered, its surface a polished grey with a metallic luster.


    This was the outpost¡¯s Kilnstone.


    Approaching the artifact, Scarlett gently touched her palm against its surface. A ripple of light traveled up the Kilnstone, and she felt an internal connection form.


    And that was it. Another point added to the personal network of Kilnstones she could reach.


    Not that she¡¯d had any use for that ¡®network¡¯ yet. It wasn¡¯t as though she had access to a Kilnstone that wasn¡¯t already in use by the empire. Direct use of the empire¡¯s Kilnstones was a privilege reserved for the Imperial Family and select institutions, not a mere baroness.


    Still, it didn¡¯t hurt to save up on these Kilnstones when she could. If she wanted, she could instantly travel to Fynn¡¯s ancestral home in the Whitdown Mountains from here, for example.


    Actually, she would have to do that in the future. That might be somewhat difficult. She¡¯d have to think of the easiest way of achieving it when the time came.


    Filing away that thought for later, she returned her attention to her surroundings, eyeing the volcano looming over the settlement for a couple of seconds.


    Eventually, she decided to get moving again.


    Just then, a noise from behind one of the nearby stones caught her attention.


    She frowned. This site had little left to offer most people, so there shouldn¡¯t be anyone here. Equipping the [Tiara of Benediction], she cautiously approached the stone.


    Suddenly, one of the shadows around the stone morphed, coalescing into a figure cloaked in a crimson robe.


    As Scarlett recognized them, she immediately retrieved a dagger and the [Essence of Enthas] from her [Pouch of Holding], positioning the blade¡¯s edge against The Angler Man¡¯s heart.


    The figure before her wore a white mask peeking from under a crimson hood, strands of pale blonde hair framing it. The mask bore an unusual design, with three lavender eyes ¡ª two with large, semi-transparent irises and small black pupils, and a third vertical eye on the forehead.


    Facing the girl, Scarlett¡¯s mind raced.


    What the hell was one of the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s agents doing here?

 Chapter 227 - Home visits

    ¡°So,¡± Rosa began, moments after Scarlett had vanished in a blinding flash of light, turning to face Dean Godwin. ¡°Frequent visitor around here?¡±


    The corners of the man¡¯s mouth lifted in a subdued smile as the honest-to-gods archmage flipped his cape back and clasped his hands behind him. ¡°More frequent than I had originally anticipated, it would appear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that. Once Scarlett¡¯s got her fangs in you, making your escape isn¡¯t easy. Last time I tried, she cut through a horde of demons just to tell me how stupid I am.¡±


    Godwin¡¯s eyebrow arched slightly. ¡°That must be quite the tale.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for sure. Deserves its own ballad and everything. I¡¯ll have to get to composing one as soon as it¡¯s not liable to get me burnt at the stake for housing one of those demons in my head.¡±


    Rosa gave a quick glance at their surroundings, just to make doubly sure Scarlett wasn¡¯t lurking around, ready to chastise her. After she was sufficiently convinced that wasn¡¯t the case¡ªshe was fairly certain the woman hadn¡¯t perfected invisibility yet¡ªshe refocused on the Dean, gesturing towards the mansion. ¡°Shall we? I¡¯m curious what you¡¯ll be able to find with that fancy magic of yours.¡±


    ¡°After you,¡± the man replied, stepping to the side.


    Rosa chuckled. She hadn¡¯t actually had too many chances to interact with the old wizard during his last visit, but she¡¯d gotten familiar enough with him to appreciate that he at least had a sense of humor. Scarlett said he could be ¡®eccentric¡¯, but that was just a plus in Rosa¡¯s books.


    If you asked her, all wizards should don pointy hats while waxing poetic at dragons. The world would be far more exciting if they did.


    With her klert in hand, Rosa led Godwin across the courtyard into the mansion. Once inside, she quickly shed her nice fur coat, draping it over the back of a nearby chair, confident it would find its way back to her room eventually. She then looked around.


    ¡°Are you looking for something, Miss Hale?¡± The Dean asked, adjusting the black gloves on his hands.


    ¡°Waiting, more like,¡± she replied, beginning a countdown with raised fingers. ¡°Three, two, one¡ª¡±


    A slightly awkward silence ensued.


    Clearing her throat, Rosa tried again. ¡°Aaand¡­one¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, a draft swirled through the foyer as Fynn burst in from one of the connecting doors, stopping in front of them with tousled hair.


    ¡°Fynn, a tad slow today,¡± Rosa observed, clicking her tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t in good conscience rate that higher than a seven. If we¡¯d had a dragon on our hands, our dear baroness would¡¯ve already been whisked away in its claws precisely six seconds ago. Looks like we¡¯ll need to go back to square one with your training. Prepare for many early mornings.¡±


    Ignoring her critique, the white-haired youth¡¯s expression remained focused as he peered out the window, studying the courtyard. ¡°Where¡¯s Scarlett?¡±


    Rosa pouted slightly. Building up some humor in his repertoire of social skills was still a work in progress. But she was confident they¡¯d get him there one day.


    ¡°Scarlett decided to go on a little jaunt to Darkshore,¡± she said.


    Fynn frowned. ¡°Alone?¡±


    Rosa nodded. ¡°Alone.¡±


    He didn¡¯t exactly look ecstatic about the news, but given that his facial expression typically ranged from the irritated perplexity of someone struck by a thrown rock to the innocent confusion of someone just introduced to the term ¡®swinger¡¯, it could be hard to fully gauge his feelings at times.


    Fynn turned to Dean Godwin. ¡°Did you help her leave?¡±


    ¡°Ah, a fine day to you as well, young Grehaldrael,¡± Godwin greeted, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. ¡°And indeed. At the Baroness¡¯ request, I facilitated her journey to Bridgespell. However, the spell I cast allows her to return at her leisure, so you don¡¯t need to worry overly about her safety.¡±


    Fynn held the wizard¡¯s gaze for a moment, then nodded and departed the way he came without any further words.


    ¡°It¡¯s always fascinating to witness how similar those of the Grehaldrael tribe are,¡± Godwin mused, watching as the young man left. ¡°Perhaps it is the natural result of their innate ability to detect deceit. Quite intriguing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. You¡¯d visited his tribe, hadn¡¯t you?¡± Rosa eyed him. ¡°So, they really were all like that, then?¡±


    ¡°To an extent. One of their elders once said to me, ¡®Words are like breezes ¡ª too powerful and plenty, and the message is scattered¡¯.¡±


    Rosa furrowed her brows. ¡°That¡¯s a bit too philosophical for our Fynn.¡±


    ¡°That elder was nearly a century his senior.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, I guess everybody gets a bit poetic when death comes knocking.¡± She had experienced that type of introspection herself more times than she could count. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, Fynn¡¯s siblings aren¡¯t too different from him, at least.¡±


    ¡°He has siblings?¡±


    Rosa caught a fleeting glimpse of surprise on Godwin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sure does,¡± she said. ¡°Four of them. They¡¯re like little mini-Fynns, hair color and all. It¡¯s been a while since I last saw them, though.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the man murmured, his expression turning thoughtful. ¡°It¡¯s heartening to hear that more of Grehalyr¡¯s lineage has endured.¡±


    For a moment, Rosa eyed him, wondering whether it was worth asking a bit more about Fynn¡¯s tribe before ultimately choosing not to. If she wanted to know, it¡¯d be more appropriate to ask Fynn directly. She¡¯d hesitated to broach the topic in the past, feeling she didn¡¯t have much right given her own reluctance to share much about herself, but she doubted he¡¯d mind answering.


    Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Rosa glanced back to see Harriet, the young servant woman, descending the second-floor stairs to the foyer with a broom in hand. The woman could be a bit inattentive, so she didn¡¯t seem to notice Rosa until reaching the bottom step.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Rosa!¡± she exclaimed, stopping short with slightly widened eyes as she noticed the wizened wizard beside Rosa. ¡°M-Master Godwin, what an honor to have you here again. Welcome back.¡± Her curtsy, performed clumsily along with the broom, was endearingly awkward.


    Rosa couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight. Apparently, Harriet had been an admirer of some of Godwin¡¯s reputed ¡®exploits¡¯ since childhood, and had been quite starstruck at his initial visit.


    ¡°Harriet, was it?¡± Godwin greeted warmly. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again. Your stain-removal remedy proved invaluable for cleaning my robes. My daughter found it exceptionally useful, and it even appears effective against some magical residues. I must extend my gratitude for it once more.¡±


    A blush appeared on Harriet¡¯s face. ¡°O-Oh, it was nothing, really. I¡¯m just surprised such a simple trick was of any use to your daughter.¡±


    The Dean chuckled. ¡°I am afraid I am at fault for that. Since her youth, she has been adamant about cleaning my robes herself, and they often get stained on my travels. I did once try enchanting a device to perform such chores for her, but she didn¡¯t quite take to it as I had hoped.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps she enjoys having the chance to personally care for you, Master Godwin.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so. With time, however, I have come to think she simply relishes the opportunity to chastise me for my carelessness,¡± Godwin said with a resigned grin. ¡°A father will always remain an easy target for his daughter¡¯s critiques.¡±


    Harriet nodded like a sage. ¡°Absolutely. My father wouldn¡¯t dream of challenging me, and I would definitely make him rue the day he does.¡±


    Rosa laughed, hearing that. ¡°I always had the impression you ran things at your house, Harriet, but to think you were such a little tyrant. Have you been taking lessons from our lady?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s cheeks turned even redder. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, Miss Rosa.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡± Rosa¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°By the way, have you seen Garside? Scarlett needs him to arrange a room for the Dean here.¡±


    ¡°Master Garside is likely in the storeroom. He¡¯s been organizing all those items Her Ladyship brought back this time.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Harriet. You¡¯re a dear, as always.¡±


    Harriet giggled. ¡°Always with the compliments.¡± Noticing Rosa¡¯s coat on the chair, she added, ¡°I see you¡¯ve ¡®misplaced¡¯ another of your coats, Miss Rosa. Shall I take it to your room for you?¡±


    ¡°If you insist.¡±


    ¡°Then consider it done!¡± Harriet declared cheerfully, walking over and scooping up the coat. With the broom in one hand and the coat in the other, she made her way out of the foyer. ¡°Enjoy your stay, Master Godwin. Should you need anything, just ask me or any of the staff. We¡¯re here to help.¡±


    Watching her leave, Godwin then turned to Rosa with some amusement visible on his face. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here often, but each visit seems more lively than the last. Is it always like this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, without a doubt,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Days like these are the norm. The time we found a dead dragon at our doorstep still tops the charts for excitement, but who knows what¡¯s next? It¡¯s only a matter of time before we outdo ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Do I sense a hint of anticipation in your voice?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Rosa cranked the wheel of her klert, producing a couple of sunny notes. ¡°I could compose hundreds of verses on just a week¡¯s happenings here. Give it a decade or two and I¡¯ll be the most renowned bard on this continent. It¡¯s inevitable, really.¡±


    ¡°I am eager to hear these tales of yours,¡± Godwin replied, looking around. ¡°Now, I believe Astrey¡¯s daughter also resides here, if I¡¯m not mistaken. Where might she be at the moment?¡±


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re talking about Allyssa. So, you¡¯re familiar with her father, then? It¡¯s starting to feel like I¡¯m the only one around whose family you¡¯re not already acquainted with.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ties to Baroness Hartford¡¯s family either, although I had heard of her father,¡± the man said. ¡°But I would not quite say that Arnaud Astrey and I are familiar with each other. Our paths have simply crossed on occasion.¡±


    Rosa shrugged. ¡°Well, to answer your question, the young¡¯uns are probably holed up in their little laboratory. Allyssa¡¯s been buried in her alchemy experiments these last couple of days, and Shin is bravely testing the bounds of friendship as her test subject. I doubt we¡¯ll see any sign of them before evening.¡±


    ¡°Alchemy, you say?¡± Godwin stroked his white beard deliberately. ¡°I recall noting that the girl showcased a particular aptitude in that field when I was here last.¡±


    ¡°That she does.¡± Rosa leaned in, lowering her voice. ¡°But, just between you and me, her potions leave a lot to be desired in terms of taste.¡±


    ¡°Consider my lips sealed,¡± he assured her. Then, turning more serious, he scanned the room. ¡°Now, shall we get back to the reason for my visit?¡±


    ¡°Take a seat, if you will,¡± the seasoned wizard told Rosa, motioning toward the armchair at the center of the room, his preparations complete.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± Rosa replied, making her way to the chair and taking a moment to survey the room as she sat down.


    It was impressive how fast the man worked.


    After finding him, Garside had led them to a seldom-used chamber in the east wing. There, Dean Godwin had wasted no time in arranging the space for their needs, while Rosa waited patiently in the hallway. Now that she was seeing the results of his work, she wondered if the fellow hadn¡¯t been a master painter in his previous life.


    The walls were lined with countless runes that glowed softly in the dim light, drawn with a precision that almost felt artistic. In each of the room¡¯s corners, triangular devices hovered, faint trails of light connecting them to each other in a curious display. At the same time, the room felt encapsulated in a translucent curtain of energy, dulling Rosa¡¯s perception of the outside world.


    ¡°You¡¯ve pulled out all the stops, I see,¡± she commented, her eyes still roaming.


    ¡°Hardly. This is but the basic necessity to attempt something of this nature. But I think it should be sufficient for now.¡±


    Rosa gave a casual shrug. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re the magic man.¡±


    ¡°One would certainly hope so.¡± Godwin produced a large, soft blanket from the inside of his cape, offering it to Rosa. ¡°For your modesty. I can step outside if you¡¯d prefer as well.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°I think I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    The man turned around while she discreetly shimmied out of her blouse, leaving her in only her undergarments for a second before she covered herself with the blanket. It took a moment to adjust it so that the Heartstone remained visible while not revealing too much, but the man didn¡¯t seem to mind waiting.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Rosa idly mused how Scarlett would have navigated this situation had she been in her shoes. Maybe the woman would have insisted Godwin keep his eyes closed throughout the entire procedure. It was an amusing thought.


    When he faced her again, his gaze briefly settled on the upper part of her chest, where a large, violet crystal was embedded in her skin, pulsating rhythmically like an actual heart.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s larger than I anticipated,¡± he noted, almost to himself.


    ¡°Oi, my eyes are up here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but this is far more intriguing, Miss Hale.¡±


    Godwin reached into his cape once more, retrieving a set of white crystals and casting them into the air around Rosa. They began to orbit her, accompanied by the emergence of several gleaming runes.


    She wondered whether the light show was really necessary.


    Finally, Godwin turned his gaze up and met her eyes. ¡°Shall we begin?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±


    He pulled over a chair and took a seat across from her, and with a wave of his hand, two of the crystals descended to float in front of the Heartstone. Their light cycled through a rainbow of colors, before eventually settling on a hue that matched the artifact.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford referred to this as the ¡®Astralbane¡¯s Nexus Heartstone¡¯, a fusion between an Abyssal Vilewyrm¡¯s heart and an Astral Soulstone,¡± he began, now consulting a peculiar metal tablet that he¡¯d just pulled out. ¡°Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Probably, yeah,¡± Rosa replied. ¡°She¡¯d know more about it than me. I just had it wedged into me without much say in the matter. For the better, probably.¡±


    ¡°It is a peculiar combination,¡± the man said. ¡°It begs the question of why it was even attempted. Yet, from what I can observe here, it does indeed seem to exhibit characteristics typical of both demonic entities and Zuver artifice.¡±


    ¡°Is that good or bad?¡±


    ¡°Neither, I would say. It¡¯s merely distinctly unique. Hmm¡­¡± A thoughtful look crossed the man¡¯s face. ¡°If I were to posit a guess, the Vilewyrm¡¯s heart appears to have initially tried parasitizing the Soulstone and its power, though their actual relationship looks to have settled into one that is more symbiotic in nature. Perhaps it is an adaptation of sorts. The heart simply cannot fully overpower the Soulstone. Quite remarkable. I¡¯m curious, can you tell me where the Baroness mention came upon this technique?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I think you¡¯ll find that I¡¯m not much more than a pretty face when it comes to these things,¡± Rosa said with a light chuckle.


    ¡°The Baroness did imply that you might not have many answers for me¡­¡± Godwin¡¯s brow crinkled as he seemed to grow further absorbed in his thought. Meanwhile, Rosa felt a slight tingling sensation in her chest, as if the Heartstone was reacting to the man¡¯s scrutiny.


    ¡°Oh? Did she say anything else about me?¡± Rosa asked, ignoring that. ¡°Knowing her, it must have been nearly impossible for her to resist singing my praises.¡±


    ¡°I think we are both well aware of how unlikely that is, so I¡¯ll simply disregard commenting on it,¡± the man replied, his focus remaining on the metallic tablet in his hands.


    ¡°Of course, but a girl can dream, can¡¯t she? Who knows, you might have even believed me if you couldn¡¯t sniff out lies like Fynn.¡±


    Scarlett had shared that the wizard had that particular trick up his sleeve when he first visited. If he ever asked questions they weren¡¯t supposed to answer, she¡¯d told them to just keep quiet.


    Godwin allowed a brief chuckle. ¡°No enchantment is needed for me to simply remember any of the conversations I have had with the Baroness. Now, please stay silent for a few minutes as I concentrate.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The man let the tablet go, which promptly joined the arrangement of hovering objects around them, before producing a tool that resembled a fountain pen that looked like it had forgotten it wasn¡¯t a tool of war, sporting a thin blade that was just a bit too sharp-looking for Rosa¡¯s tastes.


    The runes circling her shifted and morphed into new symbols, with Godwin leaning forward. ¡°This may cause slight discomfort.¡±


    The instrument¡¯s sharp tip touched the Heartstone, sending a shiver through Rosa¡¯s body. She remained silent, though, giving him space to work.


    As the minutes ticked by¡ªRosa didn¡¯t really keep track of how many¡ªGodwin eventually sat back, his look introspective. ¡°The one who prepared the Soulstone, their name was Malachi, correct?¡±


    Rosa shifted in her seat, finding a more comfortable position after remaining still for so long. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said after having settled in again.


    ¡°It¡¯s regrettable that I was never given the opportunity to meet her myself. I must confess that the skill and knowledge on display here surpasses much of what I¡¯ve encountered before. It¡¯s particularly impressive how she succeeded in integrating the Soulstone with the Vilewyrm¡¯s heart. The ability to blend such distinct elements, especially given the complexity of Soulstones compared to most contemporary artifice, is no small feat. I believe there might also be remnants of the Vile¡¯s Authority used to bind together this creation towards the end, but I cannot be certain yet. It appears linked to something beyond this room, but its exact nature eludes me. My assumption is that this trait is something unique to an incarnate, though that in itself raises numerous questions.¡±


    Rosa watched him quietly for a few seconds. It seemed Scarlett had shared nearly all there was about Anguish. ¡°¡­Questions like?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I would not know where to begin, unfortunately. There are likely very few in the empire knowledgeable enough about incarnates to answer more than one of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing.¡±


    With a nod, Godwin let the pen-like instrument hover in the air alongside his other suspended tools. ¡°That it is.¡±


    ¡°But it sounds like you¡¯re well-acquainted with this ¡®Astral Soulstone¡¯ thing, at least,¡± Rosa said. ¡°I half-expected it to be unfamiliar to you, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. This is not the first Soulstone I have studied.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more of them? Scarlett made it sound like this one was one-of-a-kind.¡±


    The Dean crossed his arms. ¡°They are exceedingly rare, so perhaps she was unaware that there were others. However, this particular Soulstone exhibits power considerably beyond most of the ones I¡¯ve previously encountered.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Scarlett might have been mistaken? Perish the thought.¡±


    ¡°I take it such an occurrence is uncommon?¡± he asked with a quirked eyebrow.


    ¡°You could say that. They¡¯re rare enough to count on one hand.¡± Rosa mimicked the man¡¯s stance, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Makes one wonder what her secret is, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Their gazes locked, though Godwin¡¯s face gave away little about his thoughts. ¡°Any wizard worth their salt would be intrigued when faced with Baroness Hartford¡¯s recent achievements and discoveries.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? And that curiosity extends to keeping mum about certain¡­ambiguities in her methods? Say, like her harboring a bard hiding one of the Six Viles inside her?¡±


    The man regarded her quietly for a few seconds. ¡°No, I do not believe it quite reaches that extent for most.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t really think so either.¡± Rosa let out a light laugh. ¡°So, mind if I ask what she has on you that¡¯s got you going along with all of this Anguish business? Not that I¡¯m complaining, but sometimes curiosity gets the better of me as well.¡±


    Godwin¡¯s expression actually revealed a hint of mild surprise now. ¡°If the Baroness hasn¡¯t discussed it with you, it might not be my place to share. Nonetheless, I can¡¯t rightly have you assuming that she holds some form of incriminating leverage over me to secure my cooperation.¡± The atmosphere grew more serious as he seemed to consider his next words. ¡°¡­Simply put, I¡¯ve chosen to work with her because I believe she may play a crucial role in the future of our realm, and because I am uncertain whether we can afford to lose her under the current circumstances.¡±


    Rosa eyed him skeptically. ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­unexpected.¡±


    She wondered what threats to the realm he was worried about enough that he deemed Scarlett so indispensable. Rosa wasn¡¯t surprised that Scarlett could play such a pivotal role ¡ª rather, that almost felt like a given. But she simply wasn¡¯t sure what kind of threat they were talking about here.


    Something related to the Hallowed Cabal, maybe? They certainly were a menace to the empire, but the entire realm? What, was he expecting another Vile to appear?


    Perhaps it was something related to that ¡®Anomalous One¡¯ that Rosa had overheard Scarlett and Anguish discussing before.


    A slight frown had wormed its way into creasing her forehead.


    ¡­It made her feel somewhat left out, finding out that she was apparently less in the know than the man in front of her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she started, locking eyes with him. ¡°Out of curiosity, how long have you known about me being an incarnate?¡±


    ¡°How long, you ask?¡± He stroked his chin. ¡°I learned of it during my last visit here.¡±


    Rosa couldn¡¯t help laughing at that. ¡°Then you knew about it before I did.¡±


    That did feel a tad unfair. She was among the last to learn about her own identity. But she supposed there hadn¡¯t been many options, considering Scarlett¡¯s pact with Anguish.


    ¡°Well, it is what it is.¡± She pushed those thoughts to the side, bringing up a hand to touch the Heartstone in her chest. ¡°I¡¯ve got this now. I haven¡¯t felt this free in years. You win some, you lose some.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it¡¯s a relief to be free from the clutches of the Vile, and to even gain some control over it now,¡± Godwin said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know it.¡±


    ¡°How was it before?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to know.¡± Rosa glanced around at the various floating doodads in the room. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d rather not dwell on it.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I won¡¯t press further.¡± While the man said that, his look instantly became more intense. ¡°With that said, I do need to develop a better understanding of your current condition. The Baroness assured me the Vile no longer possesses the ability to escape its shackles. Would you agree with this assessment?¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± Rosa replied, reaching out to nudge a drifting crystal.


    ¡°Do be careful with those,¡± Godwin warned. ¡°And you are truly certain the Baroness is correct?¡±


    ¡°Completely.¡±


    The wizard¡¯s gaze lingered on her for a moment, then he nodded. ¡°That is reassuring to hear. Nevertheless, the Baroness also noted that, while contained, the Vile can still exert some influence if permitted. This means that it is not completely sealed away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong there, but calling Anguish ¡®sealed¡¯ in the first place might be a bit of a misnomer.¡± Rosa tilted her head to the side. ¡°¡®Domesticated¡¯ might be more apt.¡±


    ¡°Domesticated?¡±


    ¡°Yep. She still bites, but there¡¯s not much force behind it. Her fangs have been removed, so to speak. The worst she can do is probably try to talk my ear off now.¡±


    The man gave her a long stare. ¡°¡­That is a very unconventional way to describe a Vile.¡±


    Rosa flashed a playful grin. ¡°I¡¯m a very unconventional person.¡±


    ¡°That much is clear,¡± he said, appraising her for a moment. ¡°Since you are the one in control, have you thought about pressing the Vile for information on how the Heartstone functions?¡±


    ¡°I have, but Anguish isn¡¯t exactly the cooperative sort. Scarlett had some success forcing her to talk, but I don¡¯t think I can replicate that.¡± Rosa shifted to adjust the blanket as it was slipping from her shoulders. ¡°And if you¡¯re hoping to get an audience with her, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint. I¡¯d prefer not to let her out.¡±


    Scarlett probably wouldn¡¯t like it if she came back to Rosa having allowed Anguish to spill a bunch of dangerous secrets while she was gone.


    Godwin shook his head. ¡°I had no intention of requesting such a thing. While it would undoubtedly be an interesting experience, it would probably be best not to converse directly with a Vile. My concern was merely with the implications of such a powerful demon retaining the ability to communicate in such a fashion.¡±


    ¡°Well, she can only speak if I let her. Same goes for when it¡¯s just between the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever grant her that freedom?¡±


    Rosa nodded. ¡°Sometimes you just want to gloat.¡±


    ¡°¡­I must question your priorities, Miss Hale.¡±


    Her smile turned wry. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡± Her expression quickly sobered, though. ¡°That said¡­there are times that I slip up. Where she sneaks in a word or two unbidden.¡±


    Godwin frowned. ¡°That is concerning.¡±


    ¡°It might seem so, but I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s as big of a problem as it sounds,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Pretty sure it¡¯s more of a me problem than any sign that she might be able to break free. Even if she got loose, at this point, there¡¯s not much she could actually do.¡±


    ¡°When dealing with ageless existences such as a Vile, any uncertainty is worrisome,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an uncertainty. In fact, I know the issue is with me. Maybe I¡¯m just too paranoid, or maybe I want to hear it, or who knows, but I¡¯m confident the Heartstone won¡¯t fail.¡± She met his gaze. ¡°But if you think I¡¯m losing touch with reality, it might be safer for everybody if you addressed it right now.¡±


    He watched her closely, his silence stretching on until Rosa started to wonder if he hadn¡¯t just drifted off into some thought. Finally, he spoke. ¡°I initially found it odd when I heard that a relative novice like yourself could not only suppress a Vile but, as Baroness Hartford claims, even harness some of its power. Even with the Heartstone¡¯s aid, did you not find this extraordinary feat of yours¡­unusual?¡±


    Rosa gave him an odd look, puzzled by this line of questioning. ¡°Well, yes, a bit. But it felt natural, almost instinctive.¡±


    ¡°One does not simply ¡®instinctively¡¯ overpower a millennia-old entity, even with help.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Because that seems to be exactly what I did.¡±


    ¡°I am sure, yes,¡± Godwin touched a finger to his own chest, then pointed at the Heartstone on Rosa¡¯s. ¡°It was only after learning about the Astral Soulstone¡¯s involvement that I began to suspect why Anguish hadn¡¯t completely overwhelmed you.¡±


    Rosa glanced down at the crystal, then back at him. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m missing a piece of the puzzle here.¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± he replied. ¡°Tell me, have you experienced any unusual occurrences since the Heartstone was implanted in you? Strange voices or whispers, for example.¡±


    ¡°¡­You mean aside from the ancient demon in my head?¡±


    ¡°Besides those, yes.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have, then. Things like that were from before the Heartstone.¡± She gave him an uncertain look. ¡°Ehm, should I be hearing something else?¡±


    Godwin considered her for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s highly unlikely that you would intuitively know how to operate an artifact as intricate and complex as that Heartstone without guidance.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­which means¡­?¡±


    ¡°Are you aware of the true nature of Astral Soulstones?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve already established that arcane artifacts aren¡¯t exactly my forte unless music is involved. Ask me about the structure of a ballad and I¡¯m your gal, though.¡±


    A faint smile appeared on the man¡¯s lips. ¡°Allow me to give you a hint, then. It¡¯s in the name.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­You¡¯re telling me they¡¯re actually made from souls?¡±


    ¡°That they are.¡±


    She stared down at the stone inserted in her chest, face scrunching up at the thought.


    ¡°Does this revelation unsettle you?¡±


    ¡°I think anyone would find the idea of having a bunch of souls lodged in their chest a bit unnerving,¡± she said, trying to think back to if she hadn¡¯t maybe heard a whisper or two leave the thing on some occasion after all.


    ¡°You seem to have adapted quite well to harboring a Vile, at least.¡±


    Rosa hesitated. ¡°¡­Fair point. But I do think having literal souls swimming around inside me sounds a lot worse.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Godwin mused. ¡°I personally don¡¯t believe it¡¯s a cause for excessive worry. The Astral Soulstones were crafted long ago by the Zuver, and the souls they contain are likely no worse off inside you than they were in the Soulstones themselves.¡±


    Rosa eyed him skeptically. ¡°¡­You¡¯re sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not at all. I am merely speculating.¡±


    ¡°¡­Great.¡±


    A chuckle left the man. ¡°I do think that it¡¯s safe to assume their condition hasn¡¯t deteriorated since the transfer to the Heartstone. So, no need for any undue guilt.¡±


    ¡°If I start having strange dreams from now on, I¡¯m holding you responsible.¡±


    ¡°Feel free. Anyhow, what I wanted to have said with this, Miss Hale, is that the ¡®intuition¡¯ you felt while using the Heartstone likely stems from the souls within it. As I mentioned, this particular Soulstone was extraordinarily powerful, given its ability to suppress a Vile, even if it was a weakened one. This suggests that it either contained a remarkably high number of souls or that some of those souls were exceedingly powerful.¡±


    ¡°Which would be better?¡± Rosa asked.


    The man simply raised his hands in a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s difficult to say. Only the Zuver themselves may have been able to answer that.¡±


    ¡°Why would they even have created the Soulstones to begin with? Who would willingly want their soul stored in a stone for all eternity?¡±


    ¡°Yet another question I lack the answer to,¡± Godwin said. ¡°There are various theories. I presume you are familiar with The Severance?¡±


    Rosa¡¯s brows creased together. ¡°You mean when the entirety of Zuverian civilisation just up and collapsed?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. There are those who speculate that the Soulstones were one of the Zuvers¡¯ attempts to survive that inexplicable catastrophe. Why they would consider it a preferable alternative is beyond me, but it might imply that whatever they faced was even more dire.¡±


    Rosa blinked. She didn¡¯t really know what to make of that.


    ¡°Do you know where the Baroness acquired the Soulstone?¡± Godwin then asked.


    ¡°Malachi was actually the one who had it,¡± Rosa replied. ¡°And I think I overheard Scarlett mention that Malachi got it from Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Mistress?¡± Godwin looked surprised at the mention of the masked woman. ¡°So she was involved in this as well?¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    ¡°I have met her once, but that is all. I do know she is a formidable mage.¡± The man seemed to grow lost in thought for a moment, but soon returned his attention to Rosa. ¡°Ah, but we are straying from the issue at hand. There is still much to uncover about your Heartstone, and time is limited. Hmm, perhaps we should delve into some of the abilities you¡¯ve reportedly gained from it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I¡¯ll need my klert for that.¡± Rosa moved to stand, but the wizard gestured for her to stay seated.


    ¡°Allow me,¡± he said, waving his hand towards her klert. The instrument floated from its resting place by the door, gliding across the room to her.


    Catching it, Rosa suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with you mages and always showing off, huh? Scarlett¡¯s no better. Did you know she uses that fire of hers to write?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Godwin arched a single brow. ¡°Write, you say? I will have to remember that one. It sounds like an enjoyable challenge, though perhaps with lumomancy instead.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°And it is as my own master often said, ¡®Why master an art if not to display it on occasion?¡¯ As a bard, you must surely understand the impulse to showcase your skills.¡±


    Rosa couldn¡¯t really argue with that.


    The possibility dawned on her that maybe her influence had played a part in why Scarlett was always so showy as well.


    The thought was both alarming and oddly gratifying.


    ¡°Now, let us try to stay focused from here on,¡± Godwin said, drawing her attention back to the present. ¡°Please, demonstrate what you can do.¡±


    With a confident smile, Rosa prepared herself. ¡°Alright, but this stays between us. I plan to surprise Scarlett in the future.¡±

 Chapter 228 - Awkward company

    Scarlett stared at Nol¡¯viz. In return, Nol¡¯viz stared back at her, the trio of eyes on her expressionless mask blinking in concert.


    For several seconds, neither of them moved.


    Scarlett¡¯s mind raced, trying to figure out why one of the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s more formidable agents would be here, right at this moment. As far as she was aware, the Cabal shouldn¡¯t have any business in this area right now.


    Unless it somehow involved Ayrlazkreh, maybe? But they wouldn¡¯t have sent Nol¡¯viz for that.


    Was it because of Scarlett¡¯s presence, then? Had they decided to betray her after what happened in Crowcairn? Sure, they would know she¡¯d been there, but she hadn¡¯t violated any terms of their agreement. Without jumping to drastic conclusions, they had no grounds to hold her accountable.


    Moreover, how would the Cabal even know to expect her here? They had never displayed any signs of predicting the future before, suggesting this meeting was more likely to be a coincidence.


    Still, having a Cabal agent in front of her was disquieting.


    Nol¡¯viz maintained her unsettling, silent gaze, tilting her head slightly, as if finding something about this curious.


    Scarlett briefly glanced at the [Essence of Zenthas] in her left hand, her right gripping the blade that was pressed against the heart-like object. As long as she had The Angler Man¡¯s heart, she should be fine. Together with the teleportation feature of her [Garments of Form] and the way to cancel Dean Godwin¡¯s spell to return to Freybrook whenever she wanted, she was far from unprepared.


    Refocusing on Nol¡¯viz, Scarlett adopted an authoritative stance. Before she could speak, however, Nol¡¯viz¡¯s raspy voice, an echoing blend of whispers, cut through the silence from beneath her mask.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Pausing, Scarlett took a moment to consider the question. It seemed like the Cabal agent was as surprised by Scarlett¡¯s presence here as Scarlett was by hers.


    ¡°¡­The specifics of why I am here are irrelevant,¡± Scarlett finally answered. ¡°What I want to know is what brings the Hallowed Cabal here?¡±


    Nol¡¯viz leaned her head to the other side. ¡°They aren¡¯t here.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°Allow me to rephrase. Why are you here?¡±


    The girl remained silent.


    After a brief pause, Scarlett continued. ¡°To be clear, your presence here is unrelated to me, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you are not here to interfere in my affairs?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Scarlett allowed herself to relax slightly, though she didn¡¯t let her guard down completely. Taking a step back, she kept a watchful eye on Nol¡¯viz as she began to move away. Nol¡¯viz seemed to make no objection to letting her leave.


    It did not escape Scarlett¡¯s attention, however, that the girl soon started following her at a distance. Uncertain what to do about that, she returned to navigating the Zuverian outpost, having to now remain vigilant both of potential threats hiding around the beaten ruins and her uninvited follower.


    When Nol¡¯viz showed no sign of halting her pursuit, even after several minutes had passed, Scarlett stopped to face her once again.


    ¡°You must realize that the Cabal should know better than to meddle in my affairs,¡± she said.


    Nol¡¯viz stopped, regarding her for a few seconds. ¡°We are not the Cabal.¡±


    ¡°But you are a member of it.¡±


    The girl once more offered no reply.


    Scarlett¡¯s brows furrowed. Technically, any action by Nol¡¯viz, a Cabal member, could be seen as a violation of Scarlett¡¯s agreement with them, even if Nol¡¯viz didn¡¯t appear to view it that way.


    Should she try to dismiss the girl more forcefully? She didn¡¯t want to risk a fight with her, though. It was possible that Nol¡¯viz really wasn¡¯t acting on the Cabal¡¯s orders, and if so, she might not hold back despite Scarlett possessing the [Essence of Zenthas]. The girl¡¯s priorities didn¡¯t entirely align with the rest of the Cabal.


    Nol¡¯viz continued to watch silently as she weighed her options. Eventually, Scarlett shook her head and turned around, resuming her explorations.


    If anything, this could serve as future leverage against the Cabal. As long as they didn¡¯t attack her, it didn¡¯t matter if they knew what she was up to here. She would have preferred if she didn¡¯t have to stay on her toes here, but she felt relatively confident in being able to escape if necessary.


    With that mindset, she continued moving through the weathered labyrinth of the ruined outpost around her while pretending to ignore Nol¡¯viz¡¯s presence. The structures here, eroded by time, appeared mostly empty, but Scarlett still took the time to inspect most of them.


    After more than thirty minutes of walking, she eventually arrived at a semi-collapsed area on the edge of the outpost, near the rocky shore that overlooked the water. Stone arches framed what might have once been a large courtyard, dominated by a larger, tiered building at its center.


    Scarlett eyed the place for a short while.


    This looked to be what she was searching for.


    Crossing the courtyard, she made her way inside the main building, entering into a long hall cluttered with broken pillars and stone debris. Climbing over the rubble to get through¡ªshe felt more self-conscious than usual of some of her awkward movements with Nol¡¯viz still following her¡ªshe reached a raised platform at the hall¡¯s end, adorned with several podiums.


    On top of, it she stopped, glancing back to the entrance where Nol¡¯viz was standing, gaze unwaveringly aimed at her.


    What was the girl up to?


    Soon, Nol¡¯viz started moving, blending into the surrounding shadows and gliding across the hall, reforming at the base of the platform and turning to look back at Scarlett.


    The two of them eyed each other for a brief duration, then Scarlett turned her attention back to the podiums on the platform. Each featured a ten-by-ten grid of tiles, bearing arcane symbols that she was pretty sure weren¡¯t Zuverian script. The tiles showed significant wear, hinting perhaps at years of scholars and other people having tried to figure them out.


    Scarlett pondered the puzzle before her. Unlike previous Zuverian puzzles she¡¯d encountered, she had no clue what the solution to this one was, and solving it by hand seemed a daunting task. With five podiums and one hundred tiles on each one, she didn¡¯t even want to imagine the sheer number of possible combinations.


    Perhaps it had been easier in the game, but in this world, there would¡¯ve been a reason such an obvious puzzle had remained unsolved for so long.


    Silent steps sounded out next to her as Nol¡¯viz approached, and Scarlett stepped aside while watching her.


    ¡°¡­If I remember correctly, the Cabal warned you to be cautious of me,¡± she said.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Nol¡¯viz nodded. ¡°They said your words could be dangerous,¡± the girl replied sincerely.


    ¡°Then would it not be wise of you to heed their advice?¡±


    ¡°We are.¡±


    Scarlett met the trio of eyes on Nol¡¯viz¡¯s mask as they all blinked in unison, considering that response. Eventually, she returned her attention to the five podiums and the puzzle. She tried shifting the tiles some, seeing if she couldn¡¯t stumble onto the right solution. When that failed, she decided to simply try Plan B.


    Stepping off the platform, she climbed on top of a nearby piece of fallen pillar. ¡°You might want to move,¡± she warned Nol¡¯viz.


    After a moment of silently considering her, the girl complied, stepping off the platform as well.


    Scarlett then conjured forth a torrent of water that cascaded over the podiums and onto the platform, spilling down the sides and pooling on the floor, where most of it vanished under her command. Extending her senses, she then tried to use her connection to the hydrokinesis skill and follow the path of the water that remained.


    For a brief moment, it was as though she could taste it, feel it seep into the smallest of crevices. The sensation was strange, and she wouldn¡¯t claim to entirely understand it, but after spending a while doing that, she managed to find what she was looking for.


    On one side of the platform, some of the water had trickled into a narrow gap where the platform met the floor.


    Approaching, she crouched to inspect the platform¡¯s edge. Perhaps the stone had been worn down by the centuries that had passed, but she could indeed see a small but noticeable seam.


    Employing her hydrokinesis once again, Scarlett formed a tiny heated jet of water, directing it into the opening like a miniature saw. She followed this with a small but intense flame¡ªwhich drained more mana than one would have thought¡ªthat gradually began to melt the rock beneath it.


    She had previously tested her fire on rocks and knew it was hot enough to melt them, but she still wasn¡¯t sure exactly how hot her flames could get. At what point did rocks begin to melt? It was a question she wouldn¡¯t mind knowing the answer to, but she was unlikely to find it in this world.


    Alternating between her hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis, she used her fire to soften up the stone and then cleared the molten slag with blasts of pressurized water, slowly but surely creating a thin opening. Meanwhile, Nol¡¯viz watched from a distance, silent and attentive.


    When Scarlett felt the water penetrate the stone into an open space, she knew she had succeeded. She stood, adjusted her clothes, then activated her [Garments of Form], focusing on the cavity she¡¯d created.


    A mist enveloped her, and moments later, she emerged in complete darkness, nearly stumbling on unseen stairs. Steadying herself against a wall, she brought out her enchanted glasses to peer through the dark, revealing a passage that descended far into the ground before her.


    She smiled. Things like this were one of the benefits that came with not being constrained by the game¡¯s system.


    As she started going down the stairs, the stone around her suddenly trembled. Stopping, she turned only to see that the slab of stone that blocked the way out began sliding open, revealing both the chamber she¡¯d just left and Nol¡¯viz, standing at the mouth of the opening, peering down at her.


    ¡­The girl knew the puzzle¡¯s solution? Why would the Cabal have bothered teaching her that?


    Nol¡¯viz started descending the steps towards Scarlett.


    ¡°Do you plan to shadow me across this entire island?¡± Scarlett asked, tone sharp.


    ¡°We are curious,¡± Nol¡¯viz replied in her whispering voices. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°My purpose here is neither the Cabal¡¯s nor your concern.¡± Scarlett turned away from her and continued down the stairs.


    Along the walls, small sconces held unlit, dark crystals, interspersed with Zuverian carvings that held little interest to her.


    After a while, she reached the bottom of the stairs, which opened into a vast chamber.


    At its center lay a massive steel construct, its dull grey body marked by faded blue lines that stretched into veined pathways across the floor and walls. These lines, in turn, connected to several shattered crystals scattered around the room.


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow at the sight. The chamber¡¯s guardian had been deactivated, it seemed, lending credence to the suspicions that had brought her here.


    Feeling secure that she didn¡¯t have to do battle with any of this place¡¯s guardians, she confidently crossed the room, moving past the steel construct. Behind her, Nol¡¯viz paused beside the dormant colossus, studying it intently, while Scarlett approached a stone altar on an elevated platform at the far end of the chamber.


    Climbing up to the altar, Scarlett looked down at it.


    It was empty.


    She had expected as much. This altar was supposed to house the first piece of the Seal of Thainnith, which the Hallowed Cabal possessed at the start of the game. It was also the very same piece that Scarlett had assisted Mistress in stealing from the Cabal.


    Her gaze shifted to a mural-covered section of the wall behind the altar, adorned with Zuverian symbols and various drawings etched into the stone. Her attention was drawn to a part where several scenes depicted a group confronting a spectrum of entities across different scenes, ranging from leviathan-like beasts to an amorphous blob blotting out the sky.


    Strangely, she knew instinctually that they all represented the same being. The imagery invoked a vague, compelling sensation, pulling at the back of her mind.


    Caught up in this feeling, Scarlett momentarily lost track of time. When she snapped back to reality, she quickly turned to check Nol¡¯viz¡¯s position, finding the robed girl standing just a few steps behind, her masked gaze fixed on Scarlett.


    Several seconds of tense silence passed between them.


    Nol¡¯viz then shifted her attention to the murals, remaining silent.


    Annoyed at her own carelessness, Scarlett stepped off the platform and looked back at the wall. She still wasn¡¯t familiar enough with the Zuverian script to decipher the text by herself, but she already had a general idea of what it said. It was giving an overview of what the Seal of Thainnith was.


    In the game, this location marked the player¡¯s introduction to the Seal of Thainnith questline, setting the stage for future events. With Scarlett¡¯s experiences in Crowcairn and what she had learned from Anguish, she had been curious to see if reality differed from the game in that regard. So far, it didn¡¯t appear so. At least not necessarily.


    Still, it couldn¡¯t hurt to be thorough.


    Taking out a notebook from her [Pouch of Holding], Scarlett began transcribing the mural¡¯s contents onto the paper using pyrokinesis. That took her a dozen minutes or so, but once finished, she cast one final look at the depiction of the confrontation with the strange entity.


    Glancing to the side, she also summoned her status window.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Superior Mana Control]


    [Superior Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Major Hydrokinesis]


    [??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ?????a ???? ?????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 9632/12145]


    [Points: 2]


    Her focus lingered on the glitched skill that stuck out like a sore thumb. She was pretty sure it was related to the Anomalous One that was trapped inside the Seal of Thainnith. It was also possible that it was the source of the compelling sensation she felt while looking at the mural. In fact, it was likely.


    If she was right, this wasn¡¯t even the first time it had tried to influence her behaviour in some way. Back in Crowcairn, when she had been close to facing off against Raimond, she¡¯d been convinced she could win no matter what happened. That conviction had only felt partially her own. The other half, she suspected, had been instilled by this skill.


    As if it were promising her some unknown power.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t exactly keen on taking that offer when she didn¡¯t even understand the skill¡¯s purpose. She just hoped its influence was limited without her consent. Otherwise, she wasn¡¯t quite sure what she could do, considering the system itself was still largely a mystery to her.


    Closing the status window for now, she looked over at Nol¡¯viz, who was still inspecting the murals.


    By this point, she was starting to doubt she would learn what the girl was really doing here. With the Seal retrieved by the Cabal a long time ago, the ruins here held little apparent value to them. Other than that, there should only be one other site on this isle that might interest them, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how that related to Nol¡¯viz specifically.


    With a shake of her head, Scarlett turned and headed towards a half-hidden exit on the side of the chamber.


    Before she delved any deeper into that particular question, she wanted to confirm her other suspicions first. Potentially finding more information about the Anomalous One had been part of the reason for her visit here, but it wasn¡¯t her primary goal.


    Entering a corridor resembling those in any of the other Zuverian ruins she had explored before, the air turned chillier as she moved deeper into it. Warming herself with pyrokinesis, she soon noted that Nol¡¯viz had actually fallen behind, though she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the girl caught up eventually.


    As she progressed by herself, Scarlett spotted signs of triggered or disabled traps on the way. Broken arrows and weapons littered about, protruding from hidden compartments in the walls or lying amongst patches of dried acid on the floor. The scenes were reminiscent of when her own party had traveled through hallways like this in other Zuverian ruins.


    These traces also looked somewhat recent.


    She wondered if the Cabal was responsible for that. In the game, these traps would remain intact until the player¡¯s arrival, even though the Cabal had supposedly visited this place first. It was strange that it wasn¡¯t like that here. Maybe it was just another of those minor differences between game and reality.


    Maybe.


    Continuing on, Scarlett eventually reached another chamber, this one markedly smaller. It almost looked like it might have once served as someone¡¯s living space or workshop, its walls lined with aged stone shelves and desks, interspersed with various odd apparatuses.


    She couldn¡¯t help but note the absence of any loot-worthy valuables on the shelves.


    Her gaze was drawn to a peculiar structure in the corner ¡ª a circular platform of polished grey metal, a few meters wide and surrounded by a charred metal frame that was darkened and twisted inward as if warped by intense heat.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on this sight.


    It was just as she¡¯d thought. Someone had been here. Recently. Someone who wasn¡¯t part of the Hallowed Cabal.


    The question was who?

 Chapter 229 - Playing apprehensions

    Scarlett¡¯s attention was fixed on the broken device before her, studying the damage that had been done to it. She¡¯d had her suspicions, but seeing tangible proof was a different thing entirely.


    To anyone else, this sight, by itself, might seem insignificant. Even if they recognized it as odd that the device was in the state that it was, they wouldn¡¯t understand its implications.


    Scarlett did, though.


    With purpose, she crossed the chamber, stopping in front of the round platform on which it stood. Her attention shifted from the twisted, charred remains of the device¡¯s frame to its base. The platform, fractured into pieces by deep cracks, held faint traces of what could have once been runes, now scorched beyond recognition.


    This was another Zuverian teleportation artifact, similar to the Kilnstones. Unlike the Kilnstones, however, this one established a one-way connection to another set of concealed ruins near Kilsfell. In the game, the player could only use it once before it broke.


    Just like this one had.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t exactly sure why it broke. She vaguely remembered something about age having been a factor, but the specifics escaped her. What mattered was that, in the game, this device was the primary means for the player to access the ruins she was currently in, suggesting it was likely operational just a few months ago, when the game¡¯s timeline originally started.


    Given the activated traps she¡¯d passed to reach this chamber, she felt reasonably sure of her assumption that someone had recently used this thing.


    The number of potential suspects wasn¡¯t exactly long. In fact, other than the Hallowed Cabal¡ªwhich she thought unlikely¡ªonly three other possibilities to explain this came to mind.


    One scenario was that this world¡¯s timeline had diverged enough from the game that someone unknown to Scarlett had discovered and used the teleportation artifact near Kilsfell. Since she knew the Cabal could defy fate¡ªat least slightly¡ªthe events she knew to expect weren¡¯t completely set in stone. That said, she had yet to encounter a situation where a detail like this had changed.


    Another, more plausible scenario involved Princess Regina. Scarlett knew the princess was going around the empire, exploring Zuverian ruins similar to this one. In the game, including the princess in the party was one of the easiest ways to locate this site. Scarlett had even anticipated that the princess might uncover this place ever since learning that the woman had disappeared.


    But there was still a third possibility. One that could very well go hand-in-hand with the second.


    A ¡®player¡¯ might have been here.


    Scarlett frowned deeply at the thought.


    Since her arrival in this world, she had entertained the idea that she might not be the only outsider on more than one occasion. The existence of a ¡®player¡¯ character, filling the same role as the game¡¯s protagonist, seemed to fit within the framework of this world. Whether they¡¯d be aware of the overarching meta-narrative, like Scarlett was, remained uncertain, though.


    Until recently, she hadn¡¯t found any solid evidence that such a person existed. She¡¯d even grown relatively confident they didn¡¯t. After all, she lived in Freybrook, a low-level area in the game, and was one of the original low-level bosses in the region. If the player followed a similar progress route to the game, that would have put them squarely in her sights.


    Sure, she¡¯d altered events to the point where it was unlikely that the ¡®confront Baroness Scarlett Hartford¡¯ questline would ever play out as it did in the game, but she should still have seen something. She had even tapped into Beldon¡¯s information network to check for any promising new Shielders or similar characters running around, but none of the reports had indicated anything that pointed to the existence of a player character.


    That changed with the news of the first princess¡¯ disappearance, though.


    While it was entirely possible that the princess had independently decided to run off in this world, Scarlett couldn¡¯t ignore the parallel to the game¡¯s storyline, where the princess would join the player¡¯s party.


    The idea of encountering a player brought mixed feelings for Scarlett. On one hand, it might be nice to interact with someone from her own world, if they were indeed like her. On the other, a player character¡ªregardless of whether they were aware of the game aspects of this world¡ªintroduced unpredictable variables that Scarlett couldn¡¯t necessarily manage.


    The player didn¡¯t have any defined allegiances. If they had access to the same type of knowledge and system that she did, there was no telling what sort of threat they could pose. Any actions on their part could constrain Scarlett¡¯s own influence on future events. If they did exist, she preferred if she could make them her ally, but she also had to accept the fact that they could be an enemy. And there was no telling what effect their presence might already have had on the timeline of this world.


    What troubled her the most was that she had so little information about this potential player. In contrast, if they possessed knowledge from the game, there was a decent chance that they would know about her, given all the waves she¡¯d made across the empire.


    Suddenly, a chill ran up Scarlett¡¯s spine. Turning around, she found Nol¡¯viz¡¯s robed figure standing at the chamber¡¯s entrance, her masked countenance studying Scarlett intently. Then, slowly, Nol¡¯viz¡¯s gaze drifted to the damaged device behind Scarlett, her head tilting curiously.


    The girl¡¯s silence was laden with unspoken questions.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Scarlett chose not to answer them, instead walking back across the room and moving past Nol¡¯viz towards the exit.


    The purpose behind her visit here was to confirm her suspicions, which she had done. While the full implications of what she learned were still unclear, they necessitated considering several new scenarios that she hadn¡¯t previously given as much consideration.


    The faint sound of footsteps followed behind her as she navigated the corridor, but she relegated that to the back of her mind as her thoughts focused instead on the potential ramifications of this discovery.


    Reaching the main chamber where the Seal of Thainnith had once been, she ascended the stairs back to the surface. From there, she removed her enchanted glasses and clambered her way over the broken rubble to the courtyard outside.


    ¡°We are curious,¡± Nol¡¯viz¡¯s echoing voices reached her as the girl moved up beside her. ¡°What did you learn there?¡±


    Scarlett turned, observing the girl in silence for a moment.


    Even if the Cabal heard of her visit here, it was very unlikely that they¡¯d be able to make much sense of it. Nonetheless, she wasn¡¯t inclined to share more than necessary.


    ¡°No matter how persistent your inquiries, my response remains the same,¡± she stated, her tone emotionless as she shifted her attention to the volcano at the center of the island.


    There was a brief silence in return as Nol¡¯viz seemed to digest that response.


    ¡°¡­Are you afraid?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze snapped back to the girl, her eyes meeting the impassive mask. The strands of blonde hair framing the mask under Nol¡¯viz¡¯s red hood fluttered in the breeze as they faced each other.


    There was something unnerving in Nol¡¯viz¡¯s stare, beyond her trio of blinking eyes.


    ¡°I am not,¡± Scarlett said sharply.


    Nol¡¯viz tilted her head. ¡°Excited?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I suggest you abandon your attempts at interpreting my emotions. Such efforts will prove futile for you.¡±


    She was similar to Fynn, in a way. They had a certain sensitivity to the emotional states of others, yet both often struggled to decipher those emotions.


    Nol¡¯viz was probably worse on that front.


    After a brief silence, Scarlett decided to ask her own question. ¡°And what of you? While I do not expect you to disclose your reasons for being here, it seems unlikely you would accompany me if you suspected my motives.¡±


    If the girl really thought Scarlett was up to something that could affect her standing agreement with the cabal, openly following her around would have been the worst thing she could do.


    ¡°We do not understand your question,¡± Nol¡¯viz said.


    ¡°¡­Never mind, then. I will refrain from speculating on you or your affiliation to the Cabal.¡± Scarlett shook her head lightly. ¡°Regardless, I still have further investigation to conduct. If you are going to shadow me, then assist by leading me to Ayrlazkreh¡¯s lair.¡±


    This seemed to pique Nol¡¯viz¡¯s interest, as the girl¡¯s dark pupils narrowed slightly.


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. ¡°If you intend to refuse, I advise you to reconsider. I may not have been here before and could find it challenging to locate it on my own, but I would manage eventually. Your guidance would simply expedite the process for both of us.¡±


    Nol¡¯viz considered her for a moment, then turned and started walking. Taking that as a yes, Scarlett followed, maintaining a short distance between them.


    This confirmed another of Scarlett¡¯s suspicions, at least. That Nol¡¯viz was aware of Ayrlazkreh¡¯s lair¡¯s location implied the girl¡¯s presence here might be related to it in some manner. That narrowed down the potential reasons she was here.


    Together, the two of them made their way through the desolate ruins of the Zuverian outpost, soon leaving it and reaching a natural ravine at the base of the volcano, formed by rocky outcroppings. Without hesitation, Nol¡¯viz led the way through a narrow gap at the edge of the ravine. As they delved deeper, the temperature rose, the stone on the sides drawing closer. Scarlett made liberal use of her pyrokinesis to maintain a tolerable temperature around her, while Nol¡¯viz remained silent, seemingly unaffected by the heat.


    Finally, they reached a point where the ravine opened into a dark, expansive chamber where the air itself was stifling and pressed against the skin. With her enchanted glasses once more donned, Scarlett surveyed the area. At first glance, it looked to be no more than an ordinary cavern, though there was no visible source for the intense heat. But considering how close they were to an active volcano, it wasn¡¯t exactly unexpected.


    Scarlett walked past a motionless Nol¡¯viz towards the end of the cavern, where a massive section of the wall seemed slightly out of place compared to its surroundings. As she approached, a sudden pervasive pressure caused her to pause in her step, and the rock in front of her began to emit a deep red glow.


    A warning.


    Cautiously stepping back, her eyes remained on the glowing wall as she adjusted to the pressure.


    At least this matched up with her recollections from the game. If she couldn¡¯t proceed further than this, then it was likely that the same applied to the Cabal.


    She glanced back at Nol¡¯viz, who hadn¡¯t moved away from the cavern¡¯s entrance. ¡°I must ask, though I suspect I will not get an answer ¡ª has the Cabal attempted to overreach their boundaries in this place?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, the girl offered no response.


    Scarlett turned back to the glowing wall. She had been worried that the Hallowed Cabal would have found some way to exploit the being that resided here outside the scope of the game¡¯s narrative. Their assault against the empire was approaching, and it wasn¡¯t beyond the Cabal to utilize everything at their disposal, no matter the consequences. The devastation wrought in the Blasted Lands was a grim reminder of that.


    And there was no doubt that the creature that lived here was capable of causing destruction on the same scale. This was the entrance to the lair of none other than Ayrlazkreh, after all. An ancient dragon rivaled by few others in this world.


    The incident that destroyed most of Fynn¡¯s tribe and scorched a significant swath of the empire¡¯s land seven years ago was the work of Olgolzkreh, another ancient dragon who dwelled in the Whitdown Mountains. Between the two, Ayrlazkreh was definitely the more dangerous now, especially if the Cabal manipulated it for their own purposes.


    However, from what Scarlett could see here, it didn¡¯t seem like the Cabal could do that. This was a small comfort, as it meant Ayrlazkreh did not pose an immediate threat.


    Nonetheless, Ayrlazkreh¡¯s presence here on the Resting Eye would eventually spell trouble. The volcano didn¡¯t erupt without reason in the game.


    But there was still time until then. Lots of things could be done to mitigate such a disaster, even if it couldn¡¯t be prevented entirely. For now, Scarlett was content with simply knowing that the timeline seemed stable in this particular regard.


    She continued to contemplate the softly glowing rock before her for a short while longer, then eventually decided to depart.


    As she turned and started walking towards the exit, the oppressive pressure looming over her surged in magnitude. What had initially felt like the subtle weight of a dormant colossus now transformed into a focused, overwhelming presence. A tyrannical force, brooking no resistance, pressing down on Scarlett and asserting its dominion.


    Her breath momentarily seized as every fiber of her being wanted to snap at the sheer impudence of this reaction, then a voice resonated within her mind.


    ¡°You¡­ Mortal one who treads on the border of my domain¡­ Halt.¡±


    Without even realizing it, Scarlett had stopped, even as a scowl formed reflexively on her brow.


    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± the words escaped her lips.

 Chapter 230 - Draconian encounters

    An oppressive silence filled the cavern after Scarlett spoke, as though she had challenged the very sky itself.


    She found herself unable to suppress the surge of indignation and defiance that had risen up inside her. The stifling pressure seemed to assert its authority, feeling like a direct challenge to her very essence ¡ª an affront her instincts said was nigh unforgivable.


    The atmosphere intensified, the temperature around Scarlett climbing. For a moment, it felt as though an entire mountain weighed down on her, yet her legs held firm. This pressure only served to fuel the fiery spite building up inside her.


    Just as all of that anger and umbrage was about to boil over, Scarlett caught herself, narrowly avoiding uttering some words she really would regret.


    Taking a deep breath, she worked to force down as much of her temper as possible.


    It probably wouldn¡¯t be wise to provoke an ancient dragon any more than necessary.


    With a bare minimum of regained composure, despite the unrelenting pressure, Scarlett focused on the glowing red stone wall before her.


    ¡°Greetings, Ayrlazkreh, esteemed guardian of the molten peaks. I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, a noble of the Graenal Empire. Forgive my earlier outburst, but if I may inquire, is there a reason why you asked me to halt?¡±


    A hint of sharpness in her tone betrayed some of her efforts at remaining diplomatic.


    A tense quiet followed. Then the cavern shook, as if some massive entity within the depths of the volcano had stirred.


    Scarlett was slightly surprised by that. It seemed the dragon was more awake than she thought it would have been at this point.


    ¡°¡­I have not heard of you before,¡± boomed a voice, now echoing around the cavern rather than inside Scarlett¡¯s mind. ¡°Why does a human noble trespass in my domain? Your presence has disturbed my slumber.¡±


    ¡°I was investigating matters at the Zuverian outpost on this isle and seized the opportunity to visit. My intent was driven solely by curiosity. Legendary lairs such as yours are a rarity within the empire.¡±


    ¡°They are not rare. They are nonexistent, excluding mine.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but then you would have to ignore Olgolzkreh¡¯s lair,¡± Scarlett said.


    She could almost swear that the cave itself scoffed in return. ¡°He is but a shadow of what he once was.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I suppose that is true enough.¡±


    After ravaging the empire¡¯s lands seven years earlier, Olgolzkreh had become significantly weakened, after all.


    ¡°It is,¡± the dragon continued. ¡°It is also irrelevant to your presence here. You justify your intrusion with mere curiosity. If this is the truth, then you should be prepared to face the repercussions of such frivolous reasoning.¡±


    The tyrannical force bearing down on Scarlett increased. She steadied herself, jaw slightly clenched as her gaze remained resolutely on the wall. ¡°If you deem yourself capable of enforcing those repercussions, then so be it. I am ready.¡±


    Ayrlazkreh already confirmed that it had just awoken from its slumber. The dragon couldn¡¯t do anything without actually leaving its lair, and doing so wasn¡¯t exactly straightforward.


    The temperature around Scarlett soared, while the cave trembled ominously, like it was on the brink of collapsing. Scarlett had to focus even more on her pyrokinesis to deal with the heat, but she wouldn¡¯t let herself yield here.


    Then, suddenly, the pressure lifted, and the cave stilled.


    ¡°¡­You are an arrogant one,¡± Ayrlazkreh rumbled.


    ¡°It is a trait often remarked upon,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°¡­I will overlook this slight, but tread carefully should you consider deceiving me in the future, mortal. Do not presume my tolerance infinite simply because I have allowed your attendant to abide within my realm.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s prepared response was delayed, slight confusion etching a furrow into her brow. ¡°My attendant? To whom are you referring?¡±


    ¡°The little ones behind you.¡±


    Turning, Scarlett¡¯s gaze fell on Nol¡¯viz, her frown deepening. ¡°¡­She is not my attendant.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Ayrlazkreh¡¯s surprise at that was evident, even through its booming voice. ¡°Then that is even less reason for you to roam this place, Baroness of Hartford.¡±


    Scarlett faced the glowing wall once again. ¡°What led you to believe I was associated with her?¡±


    ¡°They bear your stain.¡±


    Her expression hardened. ¡°¡­I am afraid that I do not understand what you mean by that. Could you elaborate?¡±


    For a short while, there was no answer. Finally, Ayrlazkreh spoke. ¡°It appears I was mistaken. While there are similarities, the marks differ. You are not of the Cabal.¡± The overbearing pressure on Scarlett returned in full force. ¡°What are you?¡±


    Scarlett weathered this new onslaught, her forehead knitted in thought.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It seemed as if Ayrlazkreh could sense her fate-altering abilities, similar to how Godwin could. That¡¯s likely why it mistook her as a member of the Cabal and assumed Nol¡¯viz was her attendant. Was this perhaps also why her presence here had caught its attention even while slumbering?


    Glancing back towards Nol¡¯viz, she caught the girl studying her with a penetrating look from near the cavern¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°¡­As far as you have to be concerned, Ayrlazkreh,¡± Scarlett began, addressing the dragon again, ¡°you can consider me simply another human noble. Our paths are unlikely to intersect again, rendering any further details about me of little consequence to you.¡±


    That response only earned her an increased burden on her shoulders, testing her resilience. A faint grimace flickered across her face as she stood firm, until eventually, the force ebbed away. ¡°You should consider yourself fortunate that my time has yet to come.¡±


    ¡°Fortune plays no part in it,¡± Scarlett said confidently.


    The dragon¡¯s voice held a hint of disdain. ¡°Take your leave, mortal, or whatever you claim to be.¡±


    Scarlett paused briefly. ¡°¡­My intention was to depart before you yourself asked me to stay. I would be happy to leave, but first, your earlier remark has piqued my curiosity.¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°What did you mean to imply when you said you had allowed the girl to abide in your realm? You are aware that she is a member of the Hallowed Cabal, are you not? Do you have an arrangement with them?¡±


    The cavern shook again. ¡°Accusing me of such alliances? I maintain no ties to that pack.¡±


    ¡°Yet you have acknowledged permitting one of their numbers to stay in your domain?¡±


    ¡°Those are unrelated matters.¡±


    Scarlett turned her attention back to Nol¡¯viz. ¡°What connection do you have with Ayrlazkreh and this place?¡± she asked.


    She couldn¡¯t recall anything in particular related to Nol¡¯viz and this location from the game. That raised the question of whether this was a new development or not. Given that the girl had probably inherited the fate-defying power that some of the Cabal members purportedly had, deviations from the original narrative weren¡¯t impossible. Scarlett just didn¡¯t know exactly how such changes might take shape.


    Nol¡¯viz tilted her head, the girl¡¯s trio of violet eyes blinking in sync. ¡°We do not know,¡± she replied simply.


    Scarlett eyed her closely, but before she could press further, Ayrlazkreh¡¯s voice thundered through the cavern.


    ¡°These matters are not for you to meddle in,¡± the dragon warned. ¡°If you withhold your own truths from me, then expect none in return.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± Scarlett conceded, though reluctance tinged her voice. ¡°Nevertheless, you should exercise due caution in anything that relates to the Cabal. Their intentions towards you, should they get the chance, might mirror the fate that befell Olgolzkreh.¡±


    ¡°Do not presume me a fool, Baroness of Hartford. The ambitions of the Cabal are clear to me, as is their contempt for me and my kind. I bear no affection for them or their nametaker, so your warning is unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°If that is your belief, so be it,¡± Scarlett replied, her tone cooling. ¡°Simply do not forget your own words.¡± After a moment, she added, ¡°I shall now take my leave. As I said, I do not expect our paths to cross again soon, but this encounter has been¡­enlightening. Farewell.¡±


    ¡°We shall see whether fate attempts to bring us together again. If it does, I expect you to have tempered your arrogance in my presence,¡± Ayrlazkreh resounded behind her as she turned. With that, the dragon¡¯s imposing aura began to wane, and it felt as if a valve inside Scarlett finally relaxed.


    Approaching Nol¡¯viz, she stopped to consider the girl for a couple of seconds. Nol¡¯viz¡¯s impassive mask looked back at her in silence.


    ¡°It seems you hold secrets beyond what I anticipated,¡± Scarlett remarked.


    ¡°So do you,¡± the girl responded in her echoing voice of whispers.


    Scarlett walked past her, headed towards the cave¡¯s exit, though Nol¡¯viz soon followed. She continued keeping an eye on the girl just in case, but at this point, she felt increasingly certain that Nol¡¯viz posed no immediate threat.


    Emerging from Ayrlazkreh¡¯s lair through the narrow ravine outside, Scarlett reflected on the encounter. When coming here, she hadn¡¯t expected to engage in dialogue with an ancient dragon, no matter how short the actual conversation might have been.


    She realized that it hadn¡¯t exactly been the best first impression. The other party was an incredibly formidable creature capable of annihilating her with a mere gesture under normal circumstances, but Scarlett¡¯s conduct hadn¡¯t really reflected that gravity.


    She had made an effort not to offend Ayrlazkreh ¡ª at least up to a certain point. But it was difficult holding herself back when it was almost ingrained in her very nature to confront any and all who believed themselves her better.


    That went even for when they probably were superior to her in most regards.


    This encounter could potentially come back to haunt her later on, especially when Ayrlazkreh fully emerged from its slumber. It would likely be prudent to factor this into her plans concerning the dragon.


    Ideally, she hoped to avoid any sort of fight with Ayrlazkreh in the future. Such an event would be disastrous on multiple levels. Sure, she had entertained the notion of facing off against an ancient dragon at some point, but Ayrlazkreh was not the dragon she had in mind.


    Her sights were instead set on Olgolzkreh, the ¡®Dragon of Devastation¡¯. After all, Olgolzkreh was already nearing the end of its life, and it already had history with Fynn. A confrontation with it, in some shape or form, was inevitable.


    As for Ayrlazkreh, Scarlett would be perfectly content keeping her interactions with the dragon to an absolute minimum.


    Once she¡¯d exited the ravine, standing on the rocky outcroppings nearby and looking out over the vast lake surrounding the Resting Eye, she turned to regard Nol¡¯viz. The girl stopped, looking back at her.


    Scarlett had achieved her objectives here, leaving nothing else to explore before her return to Freybrook. This trip had revealed more surprises than expected, including the increased possibility of a player-like character and the unforeseen meeting with an ancient dragon.


    Where all of that would lead was unclear, and Scarlett knew she would have to wait for more information before making any conclusions.


    She found herself watching Nol¡¯viz closely for a few seconds.


    It would have been nice if she could at least have learned more about why the girl was here. All Scarlett had managed to uncover was that her presence was somehow linked to Ayrlazkreh, but apparently not directly related to the Hallowed Cabal. That offered little insight, though.


    ¡°Do we confuse you?¡± Nol¡¯viz asked, giving her a questioning look.


    Scarlett studied her for a moment longer before shaking her head. ¡°I hope shadowing me around today has been enlightening for you. I will be taking my leave. I doubt we will see each other again soon.¡±


    Nol¡¯viz stayed silent for a bit, meeting Scarlett¡¯s gaze. ¡°¡­We did not expect you here today.¡±


    ¡°I was not under the assumption that you did.¡±


    ¡°You were not as dangerous as we thought.¡±


    Scarlett paused, staring at the girl. Then a soft chuckle escaped her. ¡°Perhaps not. For now. Do not be surprised if that assessment of yours changes eventually.¡±


    She produced the translucent crystal that functioned as the anchor for Dean Godwin¡¯s teleportation spell. As Nol¡¯viz watched with an eerie stillness, Scarlett lifted the crystal in the air.


    ¡°I presume that you will report today¡¯s events to the Cabal. If so, advise them not to think too deeply about my reasons for coming here. Such inquiries will likely only lead them into a labyrinth of speculation, and I would prefer if they did not grow too paranoid of me. Everything has a balance.¡±


    Though Nol¡¯viz gave no reply, Scarlett suspected the girl would convey her message word-for-word anyway.


    ¡°Thus I take my leave.¡±


    Shattering the crystal, Scarlett broke the spell that had brought her here, and the scenery around her transformed.

 Chapter 231 - Hearty meals

    When Scarlett returned to Freybrook, the courtyard was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow from the windows overlooking it. The air here was starkly colder than on the Resting Eye, and the abrupt shift in temperature was somewhat jarring.


    Using her pyrokinesis to warm herself up, Scarlett allowed herself a brief moment to observe her surroundings before tapping into her bond with the [Obedience¡¯s Solitude Loci] to survey the estate in full. Through a cursory check, she could confirm that all appeared as she had left it, but to her surprise, Dean Godwin was still here.


    She had assumed he would have left by now, but his presence might be a fortunate turn of events. This meant she could immediately inquire about how matters went with Rosa. There was also another detail she¡¯d wanted to double-check with him that had come to mind during her visit to the Zuverian outpost.


    At the moment, he and the others were convened in the dining hall, including Evelyne, who appeared to have returned while Scarlett was away.


    Crossing the courtyard, Scarlett stepped into the mansion¡¯s foyer and was met by a servant cleaning the windowsills. The girl stopped in her work, bowing low in a respectful curtsy. ¡°Welcome back, my Lady. I hope you have had a pleasant trip outside.¡±


    Scarlett acknowledged the greeting with a nod. ¡°I have.¡±


    This girl was a newer hire, if she recalled correctly, and thus didn¡¯t share the typical nervousness around Scarlett that was more prevalent among some of the longer-tenured staff. While things had generally improved on that front, there was still the occasional moment where she managed to unintentionally startle a servant or two moving around the mansion.


    ¡°Are Evelyne and the others in the dining hall?¡± she asked, even though she already knew the answer.


    ¡°Yes, my Lady,¡± the servant responded. ¡°I think they¡¯re currently dining with the Dean of Elystead Tower?¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I will have to see if they have made accommodations for me as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Master Garside has anticipated your return, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Knowing him, he likely has.¡±


    Scarlett left the foyer and headed towards the dining hall, reaching out with the Loci¡¯s perception to gauge the ongoing discussions there. As she neared her destination, she caught the younger woman¡¯s voice through the closed doors.


    ¡°¡ªwe¡¯ve contracted several traders passing through Freybrook to supply their produce to us at a premium, which the barony is storing in the harbor warehouses. These are easy to keep dry, so we expect the produce to last for several months. However, I¡¯ve been told that transporting it in bulk over long distances in cases like emergencies can prove difficult. When I last spoke with a representative from the tower, they told me that you have spells for both preservation and temporary spatial expansion, which might be a more cost-effective solution than enchanting a fleet of wagons for the same effect. That¡¯s why I had been wondering whether it would be possible to reach some sort of agreement regarding those as services?¡±


    It seemed they were discussing Evelyne¡¯s efforts to organize and prepare the barony¡¯s relief operations.


    ¡°It is indeed possible,¡± Dean Godwin replied. ¡°Although I would not call them ¡®services¡¯, since your particular use case diverges quite a bit beyond the usual scope of Elystead Tower¡¯s operations. We are also quite stretched at the moment, but I will consult with the heads of our departments to explore how we can assist the Hartford barony in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Evelyne¡¯s voice brightened slightly. ¡°That would be immensely helpful, and I would appreciate any support you might be able to extend. I¡¯m sure Scarlett would as well.¡±


    ¡°That I would,¡± Scarlett confirmed as she entered the dining hall.


    All eyes turned towards her. At the center of the dining hall was a long table, with Allyssa, Shin, and Fynn seated on one side¡ªwith assorted dishes in front of them¡ªand Evelyne, Dean Godwin, and Rosa on the opposite side. Garside stood attentively at the room¡¯s corner, monitoring the ongoings.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Evelyne showed a trace of surprise. ¡°Did you catch our conversation just now?¡±


    ¡°The end part of it, yes,¡± Scarlett replied, crossing the room to the head of the table where her seat awaited.


    Garside quickly approached from his position by the wall, bearing a tray with covered dishes which he placed before her.


    ¡°I took the liberty of preparing a meal for you as well, my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Garside,¡± Scarlett said as she settled down.


    The butler lifted the silver lids covering the dishes, revealing a succulent roast pheasant with honey-glazed root vegetables.


    Appreciating the presentation for a moment, Scarlett then turned to address Dean Godwin. ¡°I am surprised to see you still here. Did you not have urgent affairs that required your attention?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± He nodded. ¡°However, I received word that my people decided to proceed without me after I may have become somewhat too absorbed in matters here. I expect that there will be some rather choice words waiting for me upon my return, and I am in no hurry to face those.¡±


    Scarlett regarded him thoughtfully. ¡°¡­I do not envy those placed under your charge.¡±


    He waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Oh, they manage quite well. Rowley, in my stead, is perfectly capable of handling most of my responsibilities in my absence. Moreover, this visit has afforded me the pleasure of engaging in some pleasant discourse with another promising young mage.¡± He gestured in Evelyne¡¯s direction.


    The woman blushed slightly under the praise. ¡°You give me too much credit.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Though I did not know the man myself, I am certain the late Lord Hartford would be immensely proud of the two daughters he left behind, both accomplished mages in their own right.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer if you forwent the unnecessary praise,¡± Scarlett said, her tone slightly brusque.


    ¡°Is that so? My apologies, then.¡± With a casual flick of his wrist, Dean Godwin levitated a beaker of gravy over his plate, where it tipped and drizzled the sauce with precision. ¡°Anyhow, as you¡¯ve gathered, Baroness, Lady Evelyne here has been sharing some insights into the considerable effort she is undertaking in her current ventures,¡± the man explained as Scarlett began her own meal. ¡°It is not often that I involve myself with the dealings of the nobility, so discussing these challenges is quite refreshing. It is altogether different from many of my own experiences in the realm of magical pursuits.¡±


    Scarlett glanced over at him, noting that the man had already finished most of his meal and seemed content with just the gravy. ¡°Given by the company you kept at the Tyndall Ball, I would have thought you quite accustomed to such things. Do you not regularly mingle with high-ranking nobles like Lord Fitzroy and Lord Withersworth?¡±


    Godwin chuckled. ¡°Our meetings rarely delve into such weighty topics. More often, they¡¯re filled with leisurely pastimes and trivial pursuits. Were our conversations as substantive as you seem to think, I suspect their spouses would be far less vexed by our gentlemanly gatherings.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hmm. I do indeed recall Lady Withersworth expressing her¡­ reservations regarding your influence on her husband.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Lila can be one ruthless woman, that is for sure.¡± His laughter continued for a couple of breaths, though his expression briefly shifted to contemplation with a slight furrow creasing his forehead. ¡°It is to my own misfortune that many of the formidable women in my life seem to increasingly resemble her with time. I often wonder how I would fare if she were to ever get her claws on my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that would bring some peace to those around you,¡± Scarlett suggested. From what she knew of the man, she could understand Lady Withersworth¡¯s grievances.


    ¡°It would appear she has already influenced you, Baroness,¡± Godwin noted. ¡°It is often said that the social circles of the nobility are a battlefield on their own, and one that is well-suited to Lila¡¯s talents. I wouldn¡¯t dare to compete with her there, nor her new prot¨¦g¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Calling me a prot¨¦g¨¦ might be overstating things,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Although I will concede that Lady Withersworth has offered me helpful guidance before.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s earned your recognition, then she must be quite the character,¡± Rosa joined in on the conversation.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°She certainly has a very strong personality,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°Even my brief encounters with her at the ball were enough to confirm many of the stories I¡¯d heard.¡±


    Dean Godwin nodded thoughtfully. ¡°There are many who would concur. And though I could hardly admit as much to his face, much the same can be said for her husband. If you are considering expanding those initiatives of yours, Lady Evelyne, perhaps you should consider securing their support. It could prove invaluable.¡±


    Evelyne gave him an intrigued look. ¡°You think they would be willing to help?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Lord Withersworth¡¯s extensive experience and connections far surpass mine in this regard, and there is no doubt in my mind that they would be of great benefit to someone with your talents. From what I gather, they also owe a debt to your sister. Knowing him as I do, he is likely to seize any opportunity to repay it.¡±


    Evelyne turned to Scarlett. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s an option? It would be advantageous to have a reputable house like the Withersworths on our side for this.¡±


    ¡°I see no reason why not,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°You already have my full support to proceed as you see fit. If you believe securing this alliance will aid your efforts, I will not stand in your way. The task of convincing them, however, will be left to you, though you are welcome to use my name if it helps.¡±


    Evelyne nodded with determination. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll come up with something.¡±


    Scarlett decisively cut into her roast. ¡°I trust that you will.¡±


    ¡°Might I ask what your broader objective is here?¡± Godwin asked. ¡°To an outsider, it might appear as if you are bracing for some major calamity.¡±


    At that question, Evelyne glanced over at Scarlett, as if silently seeking a cue. Scarlett maintained a neutral expression, continuing to savor her meal as she looked at the wizard. ¡°Are you perhaps insinuating something, Dean Godwin?¡±


    He met her gaze with a congenial smile, stroking his beard. ¡°Just an observation.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then let us leave it at that. Considering the current challenges facing the empire, including attacks by the Tribe of Sin and now demonic incursions, it is only logical to prepare for any eventualities. Our barony, though small, is fortunate in wealth, and it is part of our duty to utilize that where possible for the good of the empire.¡±


    A knowing glint showed in the man¡¯s eyes as he studied Scarlett. ¡°A commendable stance, Baroness. You¡¯re a very generous woman.¡±


    ¡°At times, yes.¡±


    A brief silence fell over the room as they regarded each other.


    As far as Scarlett was concerned, he could make whatever he wanted out of the barony¡¯s actions. It was inevitable that their movements would attract attention, and Godwin was already aware of her foresight. If he took this as a sign to take some additional precautions against the Hallowed Cabal, then that would hardly hurt Scarlett.


    ¡°Ehm, by the way,¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice pierced the silence. The young Shielder looked at Scarlett curiously. ¡°Where did you disappear to earlier? Shin and I didn¡¯t even realize you were gone until we got here and you were missing.¡±


    ¡°I paid a visit to the Resting Eye,¡± Scarlett revealed.


    Evelyne¡¯s fork stopped mid-air, and she stared at her, blinking. ¡°You went to Darkshore, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°How? You didn¡¯t arrange any transport through the Kilnstone.¡±


    Scarlett motioned towards Godwin. ¡°Do you not have one of the empire¡¯s most esteemed wizards next to you? He was kind enough to assist me.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s gaze shifted to Godwin, who confirmed with another nod, then back to Scarlett, clearly waiting for her to elaborate.


    ¡°I was interested in inspecting the Zuverian outpost on the Resting Eye,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°I had never visited it personally, and with the Dean¡¯s presence, it seemed an opportune moment to circumvent the nuisances that come with traveling.¡±


    ¡°And you went alone?¡±


    ¡°It seemed the simplest approach.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s gaze lingered on her for a moment, then gave a slight shake of her head before returning her attention to her meal.


    From there, the conversation gradually shifted to lighter topics. Rosa, among other things, teased Shin about his role as Allyssa¡¯s guinea pig, prompting more than one protest from their resident alchemist. As the dinner progressed, Evelyne eventually excused herself to look into how she could enlist the Withersworths¡¯ support, and Allyssa and Shin withdrew to continue their alchemy work. That left Scarlett at the table with Godwin, Rosa, and Fynn.


    Scarlett considered Fynn and Rosa in particular for a while, mulling over whether she should ask them to leave so she could have a private chat with Godwin. Ultimately, she decided against it. Their presence wouldn¡¯t compromise her plans, and she had been intending to integrate Rosa more closely into her ¡®circle¡¯ now that the issue with Anguish was mostly resolved.


    ¡°Garside,¡± she spoke up, addressing the butler at the edge of the room. ¡°Ensure our privacy, if you would?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Lady. I¡¯ll see if Lady Evelyne requires my assistance,¡± Garside responded before exiting the dining hall.


    Scarlett turned to face Rosa and Godwin. ¡°I am eager to hear how things progressed in my absence. Dean, did we reach a satisfactory conclusion that aligns with both our ambitions?¡±


    The man seemed to consider her question. ¡°As satisfactory as one could hope for, given the complexities involved. While I cannot be entirely certain, it appears the Heartstone has indeed quelled the Vile¡¯s presence within Miss Hale. The specifics of this suppression remain largely a mystery, but it proved a very fascinating case study to examine the interplay between an Astral Soulstone and a demonic heart. I would welcome the opportunity to delve deeper into this phenomenon in the future if that is a possibility.¡±


    ¡°You would have to discuss that with Miss Hale.¡± Scarlett looked to the bard.


    Rosa gave a light-hearted smile. ¡°I¡¯m open to whatever comes next. My head remaining on my shoulders and still breathing is a win in my book. Plus, I feel like I might have picked up a thing or two myself today.¡±


    ¡°Very well. There is your answer, Dean,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°When you are available again, you are welcome to visit, provided that I am present and not otherwise engaged.¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Will you ask for him to teleport you away again if he returns?¡± Fynn asked.


    Scarlett paused briefly, considering the white-haired youth¡¯s gaze before responding. ¡°Most likely, yes. The circumstances will dictate, but I see no reason not to make use of his abilities when beneficial.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s amber eyes held hers for a moment longer. ¡°¡­And would you go alone again?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say. That will also be decided by the circumstances. However, I do not think I will. Today¡¯s journey, while seemingly carrying little risk, underscored the necessity for vigilance in the future.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Rosa cut in. ¡°Did something actually happen during your trip?¡±


    Fynn¡¯s expression worsened slightly, his brow furrowing. ¡°Were you attacked?¡±


    Scarlett watched them both for a moment, slightly taken aback by their reactions.


    A small sigh left her.


    ¡°Something did indeed happen,¡± she admitted with a slight sigh. In a room filled with people who could detect lies, she couldn¡¯t exactly lie. ¡°Although it was not an attack. I simply crossed paths with a member of the Hallowed Cabal known as Nol¡¯viz. I believe you have met her briefly before, Fynn.¡±


    ¡°The masked girl?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°She was strange.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she does leave that impression,¡± Scarlett agreed, choosing not to mention Fynn¡¯s own peculiarities.


    ¡°Okay, wait, hold up for a second,¡± Rosa interjected, her expression a mix of concern and confusion as she looked between Scarlett and Fynn. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m out of the loop here. What¡¯s this all about?¡±


    Scarlett turned to her. ¡°The Hallowed Cabal. They are the group that attacked this mansion some time ago, if you recall.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s brows knit together. ¡°I thought that was the Tribe of Sin?¡±


    ¡°It was, in a sense. The Hallowed Cabal is the group behind many of the actions performed by the Tribe of Sin.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯m clearly out of my depths here. I¡¯ll just sit back and be pretty, because apparently, I have no idea what we¡¯re talking about now.¡±


    ¡°I will fill you in on the details afterward,¡± Scarlett said.


    While she had disclosed the existence of the Hallowed Cabal to Fynn, it remained mostly a secret from the broader public, including Rosa.


    ¡°Just to check.¡± Rosa gestured with a thumb towards Godwin. ¡°Was he privy to this before me? Not that I¡¯m jealous or anything.¡±


    The man in question didn¡¯t show any thoughts on his face as the conversation shifted towards him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett confirmed. ¡°But he knew of the Cabal¡¯s existence before we met and deduced my connection to them on his own.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, if you say so.¡±


    Seemingly judging that it was his time to speak, Godwin met Scarlett¡¯s gaze. ¡°So, you engaged in talks with this Cabal member, I take it?¡±


    ¡°I did, yes. Confronting her was not an option, given my standing non-aggression pact with them, as you are already aware.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression remained unreadable. ¡°Their presence on the Resting Eye is curious. What could possibly draw them there? Were their reasons perhaps aligned with yours?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know. As far as I could tell, that was not the case. If you wish, you may attempt to investigate it yourself, but I suspect that you will not find anything substantial.¡±


    Even if Nol¡¯viz remained on the island, the girl was skilled at hiding. It would probably take someone of Fynn¡¯s calibre to possibly spot her.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Godwin looked thoughtful now. ¡°However, the Cabal¡¯s actions are seldom without purpose, and the Resting Eye¡¯s proximity to several key settlements is concerning. I do indeed think a personal inquiry on my part may be warranted, if only to be certain.¡±


    ¡°If you do uncover anything, I would appreciate any findings you might share,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I will do what I can.¡±


    ¡°That is enough.¡± Scarlett paused, observing the man for a few seconds, before continuing. ¡°Setting that issue aside, I have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°Do you recall our discussion about the opening of Beld Thylelion and the Tribute of Dominion during your last visit?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with what the Tribute of Dominion is?¡±


    Godwin¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly. ¡°I am not, no. I have since looked deeper into the subject, but there is scant information available, and the legends are vague at best.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. That was similar to what Raimond had said about the tribute. It truly appeared as if knowledge about it was even rarer here than it had been in the game. Was she correct in suspecting that the Cabal was responsible for this, then?


    ¡°From your expression, I presume that wasn¡¯t the answer you hoped for,¡± Godwin said.


    ¡°Ultimately, it does not matter what answer I was expecting. What is important is that you continue your efforts to locate Beld Thylelion. I have already mentioned how crucial Adalicia Mendenhall¡¯s research is in that regard, if you recall. How is that progressing?¡±


    ¡°While I am not fully updated on all the details, I understand she¡¯s fully dedicated to examining the Tabernacle on the Rising Isle and the one recently discovered by you near Faybarrow. She seems to share your conviction that they hold key secrets, and I¡¯ve had her usual duties reassigned so that she can focus solely on this.¡±


    ¡°Then it should only be a matter of time before she makes a breakthrough,¡± Scarlett said.


    At least this development was somewhat reminiscent of what she remembered from the game. Maybe her interventions had even accelerated events on this front.


    Dean Godwin studied her for several seconds, likely wanting to prove the extent of her knowledge on the matter. But he also seemed resigned not to overstep their boundaries ¡ª whether out of respect or a belief that he wasn¡¯t capable of extracting any more information from her remained unclear.


    Scarlett¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by movement beside Godwin. She shifted her focus to Rosa, who had raised a hand into the air.


    ¡°I recognize that I¡¯m the proverbial village hick in this conversation,¡± the bard said, scratching the side of her head with an air of self-deprecation. ¡°But if we could perhaps circle back to square one¡­ What exactly is ¡®Beld Thylelion¡¯?¡±

 Chapter 232 - Leads and updates

    A cavalcade of elemental forces unfolded before Scarlett as she channeled her mana into her magic, with fiery whirls of concentrated flames bursting into existence only to be smothered by cascading vortexes of water. These vortexes enveloped the flames, dousing them in a dramatic clash of opposing forces that resulted in towering columns of steam. This cycle of fire and water continued relentlessly, creating a daunting spectacle for any who looked upon it.


    Sweat lined Scarlett¡¯s brow as she sat on a chair just outside the range of this chaotic fray, intensely focusing on suppressing the onslaught.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be increasing the difficulty again,¡± a voice declared from the sidelines.


    Suddenly, the emerging flames grew fiercer, engulfing the torrents of water that tried to contain them. The air became thick with the hiss and roar of sizzling steam as Scarlett¡¯s magic succumbed to the fires. Eventually, the overwhelming force of the fires forced her to relent, and she slumped back, exhausted, as the last of the water and her hydrokinesis gave way. The flames died down not long after.


    ¡°Huh. Seems you¡¯re not quite ready to handle this level yet,¡± the voice remarked casually.


    Wiping her face with a handkerchief, Scarlett turned towards Arlene, who was observing her from a chair on top of her porch in Freymeadow, a book lying on her lap. There was not even a trace of weariness from the inferno that she had conjured up just now.


    ¡°I was already straining to contain the flames before you chose to push them further,¡± Scarlett said, her voice tinged with both fatigue and exasperation. ¡°Did you truly expect me to handle twice the intensity?¡±


    ¡°No, but it would have been a rather pleasant surprise, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Arlene replied dryly, her eyes briefly meeting Scarlett¡¯s before returning to her book. ¡°Alas, life isn¡¯t always about pleasant surprises, it seems. We¡¯ll try once again once you¡¯ve had some rest.¡±


    Scarlett sighed, turning away to look out over the quiet village square, still in disarray from their ¡®practice session¡¯. As always, Arlene didn¡¯t pull any punches in instructing her. While that was probably a good thing, she wished it didn¡¯t have to be quite so frustrating at times.


    Leaning back in her chair, she brought a flask to her lips and took a long drink from it. The water was refreshingly cool against her dry throat, a welcome relief after the intense magical exercise and the scorching heat of Freymeadow¡¯s broiling summer.


    Lately, Arlene had been focusing more on improving Scarlett¡¯s hydrokinesis, setting up challenging ¡®combat¡¯ scenarios that pitted her hydrokinesis against Arlene¡¯s own magic. It was tough, but she had to admit that it was a valuable experience when it came to fighting mages, despite the woman overshadowing her by leaps and bounds.


    Though if Arlene¡¯s own remarks were to be believed, Scarlett was bridging that gap faster than she herself was even aware.


    Her eyes wandered over the quaint village, spotting some of the residents going about their daily lives among the houses. More often than not, they didn¡¯t bother interfering with any of her activities here, focusing on their own affairs.


    Not that any of what they were working on would ever amount to anything. Scarlett didn¡¯t envy their obliviousness to the true nature of this place, but she supposed that, considering their circumstances, there was also a certain charm in being ignorant of their broader reality. There was something to be said for simply forgetting and taking things easy sometimes.


    In the outside world, a week had passed since Godwin¡¯s visit to the mansion. In that time, she had spent most of it practicing her magic and exploring a couple of dungeons in nearby cities. Though it felt closer to two weeks due to her frequent trips to Freymeadow, this hadn¡¯t significantly changed her normal routine.


    She cast a thoughtful glance in Arlene¡¯s direction, pondering the woman. This version of Arlene was different from the one to whom Scarlett had previously given the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame (Divine)]. That loop had already ended, begetting another after it and yet another after that.


    Despite her initial concerns, the reset had done little to change their relationship, since each ¡®reality¡¯ here seemed to weave a slightly altered narrative. Where before she¡¯d been the one to present the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame] to Arlene; now, at the start of each loop, the woman already had it in her possession, complete with a plausible explanation for this anomaly. Nevertheless, she still generously allowed Scarlett to use it during their training sessions.


    A fact Scarlett very much appreciated. It was what helped her persevere through the training, and why she only felt half-dead right now, despite her having spent the entire afternoon rigorously honing her magic. Rosa had initially joined her, but the bard left to run about with the village kids after having exhausted her mana.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Resting quietly, Scarlett let her thoughts wander.


    Frankly, the recent period of relative calm she¡¯d experienced felt off considering the current situation. The empire was embroiled in so many conflicts and mysteries right now ¡ª from the Hallowed Cabal and the Tribe of Sin¡¯s looming attacks to the turbulence caused by the appearance of Anguish¡¯s citadel and the disappearance of the first princess, not to mention the existence of a potential player. Scarlett spending a whole week simply dungeon-delving and playing around with her magic seemed strange in that context.


    But it wasn¡¯t as if it was unwelcome to have a temporary reprieve from it all. No Cabal agents were bothering her about her encounter with Nol¡¯viz, no inquisitors from the Followers were besieging her home for colluding with demons, and no research-crazed mages were pestering her for her secrets. For now, it was just her dealing with the smaller stuff.


    Still, she wouldn¡¯t say no to at least some action amidst the calm. Several investigations were underway on her behalf, and she was simply awaiting their outcomes before she could get more things done. She had already done what she could to accelerate those processes, and the rest was up to fate.


    Figuratively.


    ¡°That should be an adequate amount of rest, I believe,¡± Arlene announced after a few minutes.


    A reluctant scowl formed on Scarlett¡¯s face. She disagreed with that statement, but she had learned it was generally best to follow the woman¡¯s lead with these things.


    Putting aside any distracting thoughts, she refocused on the square as new fires manifested before her. Back to the grind it was.


    Scarlett was seated in the carriage along with Fynn and Rosa as it wound its way through the gates of the Freybrook estate, the wheels crunching over the snow-dusted gravel road towards the mansion.


    Her trips to Freymeadow had settled into a predictable rhythm of magical training, but not much of particular interest actually happened during them. The visits had become so routine that she often left Shin and Allyssa behind unless their presence was particularly required.


    Upon arrival at the mansion, Scarlett and her companions stepped out of the carriage. After entering the mansion, Scarlett quickly parted ways with Rosa and Fynn to make her way to her office.


    En route, she ran into Garside, who informed her that Evelyne would be out for the evening, meeting with Count Knottley to discuss new initiatives related to the relief efforts. Scarlett was mildly surprised by this news; interactions with the Count were rare for both her and Evelyne, and he wasn¡¯t exactly her biggest fan.


    Although the man¡¯s relationship with Evelyne was a bit better, so maybe he didn¡¯t mind meeting the woman as much. And if Evelyne thought a meeting with the man would help her work, Scarlett saw no reason to interfere.


    Dismissing the matter for the moment, she continued to her office, settling in behind her desk and retrieving several objects and books from her [Pouch of Holding].


    She paused as she took out the small bluebird carving on a marble base ¡ª an artifact she used to communicate with Beldon Tyndall. A subtle flicker of white light at its base caught her attention.


    It seemed like the man had something to tell her.


    Extending her senses through the Loci, she made sure the vicinity around her office was clear before activating the artifact. She pressed a concealed switch on its bottom, which caused a gentle glow to radiate from the marble, accompanied by a soft static reminiscent of old phones. Soon, the noise cleared into a clear, distinct female voice.


    ¡°Who knows the paths unseen?¡± it demanded.


    ¡°The paths unseen are known to the silent watchers,¡± Scarlett replied.


    There was a brief period of silence, followed by a click, and the light from the artifact faded.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t mind as she reached for a book on her desk, choosing to browse through its pages while she waited. This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d had this exchange. The theatrical subterfuge was a bit much for her taste, but it was very in style for Beldon. In a way, it fit his role as the leader of a covert intelligence network.


    Time passed, and about thirty minutes later, the artifact resumed its glow. Scarlett set aside her book, shifting her focus back to the carved bluebird.


    ¡°Baroness,¡± came Beldon¡¯s voice from the artifact. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive the delay. I was tied up with pressing matters.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for apologies, Tyndall,¡± Scarlett responded calmly. ¡°I have no expectations that you will always be at my beck and call and am well accustomed to waiting when necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite aware of your understanding nature. But it would be a poor showing of me if I didn¡¯t at least pretend to be sorry, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­I suppose.¡± Scarlett shook her head slightly. ¡°Let us proceed to the matter at hand. I understand that you wished to speak with me. Have you progressed in the investigations I tasked you with?¡±


    ¡°In part,¡± Beldon said. ¡°Though the reliability of the information is yet to be fully assessed, I thought it pertinent to bring it to your attention given our keen interest in the topic. However, even assuming the information is accurate, my operatives have reached an impasse of sorts.¡±


    ¡°An impasse?¡±


    ¡°An impasse. You see, while I¡¯d like to say that there are no places on this continent beyond my network¡¯s reach, reality has often proven otherwise. One of the investigations you tasked us with is an example of that, and it has presented a challenge that will make it difficult to proceed with the request.¡±


    ¡°Do not dally. Speak what you have to say.¡±


    Beldon¡¯s chuckle resonated faintly through the carving. ¡°I am afraid that the leads we¡¯ve pursued have led us to suspect any further investigations would require access to a location outside our reach.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°Which request does this involve?¡±


    ¡°It concerns your inquiry about the fate of that noble called Delmont.¡±


    Her expression grew more serious. ¡°¡­So you are saying we cannot complete the investigation?¡±


    ¡°Not on my end, regrettable as it is,¡± Beldon said. ¡°However, that does not mean all avenues are barred for us. In fact, this might be a case where your direct involvement could yield better results than any of my operatives could hope for.¡±


    Scarlett considered it for a moment. What places would Beldon have trouble finding any information in?


    ¡°Elaborate,¡± she demanded.


    The man¡¯s tone shifted to one of intrigue. ¡°Tell me, Baroness. Have you ever ventured to the Rising Isle?¡±

 Chapter 233 - Diplomatic immunity...?

    A few days after her conversation with Beldon, Scarlett returned to Freybrook late in the afternoon from a day-long dungeon expedition, accompanied by her party. As they arrived, the party members quickly dispersed to deal with their own business, while Scarlett was greeted by Garside in the foyer as she was heading to her office.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± the elderly butler began, his well-groomed mustache moving slightly. ¡°Young Lady Evelyne asked me to relay that she received a response from the Rising Isle while you were away.¡±


    Scarlett paused, turning towards him. ¡°Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°In her office, my Lady. Would you like me to send for her?¡±


    ¡°No, that will not be necessary. I will go to her myself,¡± Scarlett decided, proceeding to ascend the stairs to the third floor of the mansion¡¯s western wing, where Evelyne¡¯s office was located.


    This wing primarily housed the majority of the staff and functioned as the center for most of the estate¡¯s operational needs, making it an unusual choice for the barony¡¯s current heir to have her office. Those unfamiliar with the nuances of Scarlett and Evelyne¡¯s relationship might interpret this as a sign of animosity or malice on Scarlett¡¯s part. However, Evelyne had chosen her office location freely, and as Scarlett understood it, the woman simply preferred the western wing for its ample space and functionality ¡ª two qualities she needed after having brought on a number of new people to deal with her increased workload in recent months.


    Although, to be fair, most of that increased workload was because of Scarlett. She could at least acknowledge that she hadn¡¯t exactly made life easier for Evelyne since coming here. While she wasn¡¯t sure if she was truly capable of pitying Evelyne for the additional burdens, she did respect that the woman still tackled these challenges with zeal and efficiency.


    Scarlett often wondered what she would have done if she couldn¡¯t rely on Evelyne¡¯s support in managing the noble household and all its related businesses. If she¡¯d been responsible for all of that, coupled with all the game-related things here, the weight placed on her shoulders would undoubtedly have been far greater.


    Case in point, after receiving crucial information from Beldon, Scarlett had needed to make contact with representatives from the Rising Isle, but she¡¯d been uncertain how to go about handling that. The Rising Isle could be a contentious topic among certain circles in the empire, one which she had no previous experience handling. Evelyne, however, already had connections with the Isle due to the barony¡¯s previous dealings in selling artifacts to them.


    Upon arriving at Evelyne¡¯s office, Scarlett knocked just once before entering.


    The office was modest in size, filled with shelves packed with ledgers and books on governance and law, all illuminated by simple wall-mounted lamps. A large oak desk occupied one corner, cluttered with scrolls and documents, beside which lay an assortment of quills, ink pots, and wax seals for official correspondences. A detailed map of the empire hung on the opposite wall, seeming to highlight certain key trade routes and regional specialties.


    Evelyne, seated behind the desk with her dark auburn hair framing her face, looked up in mild surprise as Scarlett entered.


    ¡°Garside mentioned the response from the Rising Isle,¡± Scarlett stated, crossing the room.


    Evelyne nodded, apparently slightly taken aback by her sudden visit, and set aside a document she¡¯d been reviewing. ¡°Yes, I was planning to discuss it with you later.¡±


    Scarlett seated herself opposite the woman. ¡°I have just returned and am currently unoccupied, so I thought it best we talk immediately.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, okay¡­ Sure.¡± Evelyne retrieved a striking white envelope from a drawer, distinguished by an elaborate seal depicting an island emerging from the sea. She handed it to Scarlett, who carefully broke the seal and began reading the contents.


    ¡°That particular response took longer than I expected,¡± Evelyne explained in the meantime. ¡°I don¡¯t think the person I¡¯d been in contact with at the Isle really knew what to do with your request at first. It felt like he was about to just reject it outright, but someone higher up must have been asked and gotten involved. They might have been paying more attention to you lately than I thought, Scarlett. I was even interrogated by a grand wizard a few days ago about the purpose of your proposed visit.¡±


    ¡°Their curiosity is understandable,¡± Scarlett remarked calmly in response as she continued reading the letter.


    It mostly outlined the formalities required for her to visit the Rising Isle. Officially, it was linked to her Zuverian research, since she¡¯d cited that as part of her reason for wanting to go there. She had thought that would catch their interest, considering some of her recent achievements in the field, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated all of this red tape.


    In essence, the Rising Isle was more than willing to allow her visit, but it would be under strict supervision by their mages, with considerable limitations on her movements. Moreover, the Rising Isle¡¯s mages had apparently also made the effort to go through the Imperial Chancellery¡ªthe empire¡¯s central administrative body for managing diplomatic relations with other nations¡ªto facilitate her stay.


    She looked up at Evelyne. ¡°Did the Imperial Chancellery contact you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I received the last of their correspondences yesterday,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°Since you were away and told me to do whatever it took to get this through, I agreed to their terms on your behalf.¡± A slightly concerned frown appeared on her brow. ¡°You¡¯ll be acting in the official capacity of an imperial envoy while you¡¯re on the Rising Isle, so you¡¯ll have to watch your conduct. That means it¡¯s important to avoid offending any high-ranking wizards.¡±


    Scarlett gave her a long look. ¡°I will exercise all the necessary caution.¡±


    Evelyne still seemed worried. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll compile a list of everything you need to know before you leave.¡±


    Scarlett allowed a small sigh to escape her, placing the letter back on the desk. Things certainly had become more cumbersome than she¡¯d wanted. Hopefully, this wouldn¡¯t impede her mission on the Isle, though even if it did, there seemed to be little she could do about it.


    Who would have imagined that the process of visiting the Rising Isle would be this involved in this world? In the game, it had literally been a matter of talking with the right mage and then stepping through the Kilnstone. Now, she faced the prospect of officially representing the empire during her stay.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    That was, frankly, crazy.


    Did this mean that the Imperial Chancellery had expectations of what she would be doing on the Isle, or was this protocol simply standard for any imperial noble seeking to go there?


    If she were to guess, the latter was more likely. Relations between the empire and the Rising Isle had always been complex, and that probably went double among the higher echelons of both factions. While reading up on the history of this country, Scarlett had found several mentions of defections by imperial nobles and distinguished mages from the towers and the Ustrum Assembly, with various degrees of repercussions for their families depending on the diplomatic climate at the time.


    Leaving for the Isle was still considered a crime against the crown just a few decades ago, resulting in huge fines for the defector¡¯s family. She could only imagine what the consequences might have been a century or so ago, when tensions had been even higher.


    At least she had no plans of defecting herself. While she might exchange some of her information with the Isle in a way that benefited them, such actions were no longer considered treasonous by default. Besides, as an envoy, the Chancellery was probably aiming to capitalize on any benefits or leverage her visit might create for them.


    Recent years had also seen increased collaborations between the Rising Isle and the empire, despite their checkered past. Adalicia had even been part of one such project during the woman¡¯s research on the Zuver, and Scarlett¡¯s efforts mirrored that in some ways.


    Lightly tapping her finger on the desk in thought, a vague memory surfaced in Scarlett¡¯s mind. She focused on Evelyne. ¡°You are familiar with Miss Adalicia Mendenhall, correct?¡±


    ¡°You mean the wizard from Elystead Tower?¡± Evelyne asked. ¡°I never met her myself, but Dean Godwin mentioned that you have a good relationship with her. What about her?¡±


    ¡°I was simply recalling a conversation where she once inquired if our family had ties to any wizards on the Rising Isle. Apparently, among their council, there is a ¡®Grand Wizard Hartford¡¯. This puzzled me as there should currently be no branches of our house left, especially not on the Isle. I have already checked the heraldic register, but I find no such link. Are you familiar with this?¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡°Hartfords on the Isle? And a grand wizard at that? That¡¯s certainly news to me.¡± She seemed to ponder it for a moment. ¡°But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m particularly knowledgeable about the Isle¡¯s politics. Still, it seems unlikely that we have unknown relatives there. Do you know if this person is actually from a noble family? Perhaps it¡¯s someone who adopted the Hartford name. I¡¯ve heard the mages on the Rising Isle often don¡¯t care for our customs.¡±


    ¡°I am unsure,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I suppose that is a possibility.¡±


    Evelyne seemed to consider it for a moment longer. ¡°Did father never mention anything about it? He visited the Isle in the past, so he would definitely have known about this.¡±


    A flicker of discomfort passed through Scarlett at the mention of the late Baron Hartford, but she quickly dismissed it with a shake of her head. ¡°I have no memory of him discussing such matters with me.¡±


    Even if he had, she wouldn¡¯t know about it. The man had died years before she arrived in this world.


    ¡°Then it seems we¡¯re both in the dark,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°Maybe you can uncover more during your visit. Just try not to get into a fight with whoever that grand wizard is, please. Our tiny barony¡¯s influence isn¡¯t even close to reaching the Rising Isle, and it would be a disaster if we somehow worsened the relationship between them and the empire.¡±


    ¡°I am not so careless as to provoke anyone simply because they annoy me.¡±


    Or, well, at least she tried not to be most of the time. She knew that pissing off the Rising Isle was a bad idea. There was a reason they¡¯d stuck around for centuries, despite the empire literally having several thousand times the population and landmass.


    Evelyne¡¯s expression held some skepticism in it, but eventually, it softened as she picked up the letter from the desk. ¡°Alright. I suppose I don¡¯t have much choice other than to trust your judgement.¡±


    ¡°You do have a choice,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I have simply shown that trusting me tends to be the wiser decision.¡±


    Pausing, Evelyne¡¯s eyes lingered on Scarlett for a few seconds. ¡°¡­Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± She cleared her throat, leaning back in her seat. ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re expecting you on the Rising Isle in two days. Do you think you can be prepared by then?¡±


    ¡°That will not be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let me know if there¡¯s anything else you need.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    With their conversation concluded, Scarlett excused herself and returned to her office at the opposite end of the mansion. There, she found a stack of neatly arranged reports piled on her desk, presumably courtesy of Evelyne. Atop the pile was an envelope, which she promptly opened as she settled into her chair.


    Her eyes moved to the name of the sender.


    ¡®Emeritus Master Docent Grand Wizard Adalicia Mendenhall¡¯.


    How timely.


    I hope this letter finds you well, Baroness Hartford.


    I received your latest message, and wish you luck if you truly plan to visit the Rising Isle. I imagine the culture and people there can be different and somewhat grating to a noble, but I am sure you will manage just fine. If anything, the wizards there are even more obsessed with their research and the Zuver than us here in the empire, so there will undoubtedly be many people who are more than willing to speak and facilitate your needs there if the purpose behind your visit is related to that.


    Regarding your request, I took the liberty of contacting one of the individuals whom I collaborated with during my last visit to the Isle. His name is Magister Penney, and he is a rather skilled grand wizard whose personality I personally found quite amiable. He agreed to act as your unofficial liaison during your stay, so I recommend seeking him out when you can. Hopefully, his assistance can prove a valuable resource.


    I would not object to hearing more about this visit of yours when we next meet. After my previous experiences with you, I find myself especially intrigued regarding what on the Isle might pique the interest of an individual like you, Baroness.


    As a last remark, I ask that should the Dean seek your hospitality again soon, please do not encourage the shirking of his duties any more than necessary. It is challenging enough as it is to keep him here in the empire, and now he appears to have developed a newfound interest in that mansion of yours. ¡®Vexing¡¯ hardly begins to describe the difficulties of dealing with that man.


    Best regards,


    Adalicia Mendenhall.


    As Scarlett finished the letter, she set it aside and leaned back. It seemed as if her connection with Adalicia would at least make her upcoming trip slightly easier. Good thing she¡¯d reached out to the woman beforehand.


    Her gaze absently drifted to the ceiling as she contemplated this upcoming journey of hers.


    It would mark the first time she actually visited the Rising Isle in person, and she had to admit that she felt a mix of curiosity and anticipation. The Isle¡¯s depiction in the game had always been captivating in its own right, and it would be interesting to see how that translated to this world. Beyond her primary objective, the Isle also promised a wealth of intriguing locations.


    Not that she knew how many of them she would get the opportunity to explore. She needed to complete the quest assigned by Arlene, and that took priority over everything else. At the moment, that involved uncovering the fate of the woman¡¯s brother, who had seemingly vanished centuries ago.


    According to Beldon, there were scant references to him in any of the records his agents had investigated. There were some mentions of a mage matching the description of Arlene¡¯s brother, and those had linked him to the Rising Isle of that era, but the details were sparse. Beldon had suggested that a direct investigation was the only viable option to learn more.


    Unfortunately for both him and Scarlett, Mirage¡¯s presence on the Rising Isle was significantly limited. The Isle used to be notoriously isolationist and protective of its knowledge and artifacts ¡ª a stance that, to some extent, still persisted today. They had implemented numerous safeguards to prevent organisations like Mirage or the Hallowed Cabal from penetrating their ranks and pilfering secrets. As a result, even seemingly innocuous information was inaccessible to most outsiders.


    That¡¯s why Scarlett¡¯s best bet was to venture there herself and find what she needed firsthand. Her reputation related to Zuverian research was enough to at least get her entry to the Isle, and from there, she could hopefully leverage her game knowledge to uncover more of what she wanted to know. With some luck, she might even persuade the wizards there to give her access to areas typically off-limits to outsiders.


    And, well, after that, who knows? She¡¯d simply have to wait and see.

 Chapter 234 - The Rising Isle

    The carriage rolled into the expansive, circular plaza that surrounded Freybrook¡¯s Kilnstone. Scarlett and her companions peered out the windows at the bustling lanes, watching as the coachman navigated past the queues leading towards the marble structure at the plaza¡¯s heart, drawing curious looks from many in line.


    ¡°So, what do you think it¡¯ll be like?¡± Allyssa asked across from Scarlett in the cabin.


    ¡°Watery,¡± Rosa responded crisply.


    ¡°It¡¯s an island. That¡¯s a given. I mean the parts beyond the obvious.¡±


    ¡°Quintessentially island-y, I¡¯d wager.¡±


    Allyssa sighed in mock frustration. ¡°Ugh. You¡¯re impossible sometimes, Rosa.¡±


    The bard chuckled. ¡°Occasionally, perhaps. I need to balance all of this excessive charm somehow, don¡¯t I? Otherwise, who knows how much of a threat I¡¯ll become to society? It beggars the imagination.¡±


    Scarlett turned to observe Rosa, impressed by the confidence with which she spoke such nonsense.


    ¡°Why would you be a threat?¡± Fynn asked, puzzled. ¡°I thought the demon wasn¡¯t a problem anymore?¡±


    The cabin fell silent briefly, punctuated by Allyssa¡¯s awkward cough.


    Rosa simply smiled widely. ¡°I¡¯m glad that some things about you never change, dearest Fynn, even with this despotic taskmaster of ours trying to corrupt that pure little spirit of yours.¡±


    Scarlett frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°Well, you can think of it this way,¡± Rosa explained, gently patting him on the head, ruffling his white hair in the process. ¡°Too much of anything becomes a poison, right? With my charm already being as infectious and overwhelming as it is, picture the chaos if I cranked it up a few notches or three. We¡¯d have people fainting left and right by my mere presence.¡±


    Fynn gave her a long, questioning look. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s smile didn¡¯t budge. ¡°It certainly doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°My Lady, we have arrived,¡± the coachman announced from the front, interrupting the conversation as he brought the carriage to a stop.


    Outside, they had reached the half-open structure housing the Kilnstone, with the ancient Zuverian artifact visible through an array of marble columns.


    ¡°Let us not dally,¡± Scarlett declared, rising from her seat and exiting the vehicle onto the snow-blanketed cobblestone street. Almost by habit, she used her pyrokinesis to fend off the biting cold, having not bothered putting on attire suited for the frigid air considering their destination.


    Ignoring the lines on either side of the Kilnstone¡ªone for noble households and the like, and the other for commoners¡ªshe moved forward.


    An official, dressed in a crisp black uniform and wearing spectacles, approached them, clipboard in hand. ¡°Are you Baroness Scarlett Hartford?¡± he asked with a professional demeanor.


    She nodded. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then please wait here for a moment.¡± He retrieved a watch from his breast pocket to check the time before walking towards where some of his colleagues were gathered by the Kilnstone.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re getting the special treatment,¡± Rosa remarked, stepping up beside Scarlett.


    ¡°Imperial nobles seldom visit the Rising Isle,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°The Imperial Chancellery wants to ensure there are no mishaps.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said. Special treatment.¡±


    ¡°¡­I suppose you are not wrong.¡±


    As officials paused the queues while guiding a newly arrived cluster of carriages and wagons off to the side, the official from before returned to Scarlett. ¡°It¡¯s time. If you and your entourage could approach the Kilnstone, we¡¯ll commence the transport process soon.¡±


    Following his directions, they walked between the marble pillars and stopped in front of the Kilnstone. Suspended in midair, the artifact¡¯s smooth, grey surface gleamed under the sunlight filtering through the columns.


    ¡°This¡¯ll be my first time traveling by Kilnstone without taking a carriage,¡± Allyssa said, pulling her cape tighter around her. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯ll feel any different.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± Shin replied casually, dressed much lighter than his fellow Shielder.


    ¡°And how can you be so sure?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how Kilnstones work.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then how does¡ª¡±


    ¡°I suggest you leave this debate for later,¡± Scarlett interrupted the two, casting them a brief glance.


    Allyssa offered an apologetic look, while Shin seemed unfazed.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves,¡± the official instructed, walking past Scarlett¡¯s group to ensure everyone was positioned within the designated area.


    Then a few moments passed before the Kilnstone surface darkened, engulfing all nearby light and plunging their world into blackness. A split-second later, all the light burst forth again, releasing a spectrum of colors that repainted their surroundings with new scenery.


    Scarlett found herself overlooking a vast expanse of water ¡ª a boundless ocean extending endlessly into the horizon, seemingly embracing the edge of the world.


    It was the Innisling Sea, lying south of the empire. A pretty dramatic shift from the urban landscape they¡¯d just left.


    Looking around, Scarlett found that they stood at the end of a stone platform, facing a steep drop to the sea below, where the water churned and frothed violently. Farther out, the ocean was calmer, its surface reflecting the sky above. A clear demarcation existed where the turbulent waters met the more serene sea, blending seamlessly at some unseen boundary.


    Behind her, voices filled with awe rose up. Turning, she took in the sight that had captured the others¡¯ attention.


    It was indeed a spectacle.


    The Rising Isle stretched out before them like a grand tapestry, a breathtaking mixture of architectural ingenuity and natural splendor, where the built environment and the natural landscape seemed to intertwine flawlessly.


    The city itself¡ªif it could be called that¡ªwas more a symphony of design than a mere collection of buildings, suspended beside and above azure waters. Crystal-clear waterways at different heights, alive with colorful marine life, wove through the terrain, acting as picturesque channels for smaller seafaring vehicles. Islands topped with high cliffs and lush vegetation were separated by terraces of cascading waterfalls, hosting structures that overlooked the canals like sentinels from a bygone era, their reflections dancing in the waters below.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Among the buildings, Scarlett recognized several of the more traditional Zuverian elements mixed in throughout a blend of more contemporary architecture, creating a unique style, even for this world.


    From the platform they were on, a lone elevated bridge filled with clear, tranquil water stretched towards the city, arching over the Isle¡¯s lowest tier where all of its waterfalls and waterways eventually converged. The bridge offered a direct route to the heart of the Isle, threading through several of its more prominent buildings.


    Remarkably, there were no signs of winter here. Instead, the climate was mild, and a gentle breeze stirred the air, as if the entire Isle was nestled within a vast greenhouse, insulated from the harsher elements of the world outside.


    A slight furrow creased Scarlett¡¯s brow as she surveyed their surroundings.


    Actually, why had they arrived on this particular platform? If she remembered correctly, the Rising Isle¡¯s Kilnstones should be located near the center of the Isle.


    Looking down, she noticed that there was some sort of runic array etched into the stone of the platform. Had the wizards here perhaps redirected their group¡¯s landing spot merely for dramatic effect?


    Her gaze drifted back to the panoramic view before them.


    ¡­She supposed that she couldn¡¯t really fault them. The scene was undeniably captivating, even more so than depicted in the game.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford, welcome. We are pleased to host you here with us.¡± A man clad in dignified grey robes, highlighted by several ornate gold lines at the collar, greeted her as he approached with two similarly attired mages trailing behind him.


    Scarlett shifted her focus from the scenery to the man. ¡°Thank you. We are fortunate to be here. The descriptions hardly do the Rising Isle¡¯s splendor justice.¡±


    ¡°You honor us with your words, Baroness. It seems your entourage shares your sentiment.¡± He offered an approving smile as he regarded Scarlett¡¯s group, then turned back to her. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I am Principal Wizard Bunce, and with me are Associate Wizards Atterton and Rudges. We are here to assist you with any needs you may have today.¡±


    Scarlett studied the other two mages¡ªa young man and woman¡ªnoting that they wore robes with fewer golden lines on the collar. While she couldn¡¯t quite remember the Rising Isle¡¯s ranking system, it would probably be enough to look at people¡¯s clothes to get a general idea.


    After the brief introductions, Bunce led them to the edge of the platform, where a spacious gondola awaited, ready to ferry them across the bridge towards the city.


    ¡°If you would.¡± He motioned towards the vessel.


    They boarded, with Bunce positioning himself near Scarlett at the front, while the two Associate Wizards stepped in last. The gondola then smoothly began to move on its own.


    ¡°As some of you may know,¡± the Principal Wizard began, ¡°The Rising Isle was once a pivotal seat of power for the ancient Zuver, and it remains the most intact and profound relic of their civilisations to this day. It was wholly inaccessible to us until Arch Wizard Aubrianne the Enlightened deciphered the enigma behind its seclusion four centuries ago, transforming it into the beacon of magical knowledge it is now.¡±


    ¡°Only four centuries? I thought the Rising Isle had been around for longer than that,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°I mean, the current Rising Isle, with the mages and all.¡±


    Bunce nodded. ¡°While the Isle itself is ancient, our occupation isn¡¯t, but I understand that this is a common misconception among those in the empire. It¡¯s easy to overlook periods that predate the founding of one¡¯s own nation, after all.¡±


    Allyssa frowned slightly at the man¡¯s casual remark, but Bunce continued.


    ¡°Nevertheless, that is not to say that we do not have plenty of history as is. These past four centuries have been marked by significant changes and advancements, particularly in the first century following Arch Wizard Aubrianne¡¯s discovery. That era revolutionized all magical disciplines, as our predecessors unlocked the secrets of numerous Zuverian artifacts and texts. In fact, much of what we know now in regards to our discipline can be traced back to that period. Arguably, it is one of the most pivotal eras in the last millennia.¡±


    Rosa let out a low whistle, leaning against the side of the gondola and trailing her hand over the ledge through the cool water beneath. ¡°I remember the old priests in my old village saying the same about the Renascence in the empire. Guess they were a bit full of themselves. Seems like you folk had quite the impressive lineup running around back then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, without a doubt.¡± Bunce nodded seriously. ¡°Figures like Arch Wizard Blythe the discerning, who was among the first to establish the current schools as they are, and Arch Wizard Neuveville the Judicious, who presided over a myriad of factional disputes, were plentiful. Arch Wizard Aubrianne, naturally, stood at the forefront of much of this progress, unveiling more of the Zuvers¡¯ secrets than any other.¡±


    Shin, who seemed to have been admiring the architecture ahead of them, turned to the wizard. ¡°I read that Aubrianne may have been of Zuver descent. Is it true that this could have been a factor in her success?¡±


    Bunce shook his head with a polite smile. ¡°That theory does circulate at times, but it¡¯s speculative at best. There is no concrete evidence of any surviving Zuver linage, nor can we assert that such heritage would have aided in deciphering their mysteries. Most likely, Aubrianne¡¯s achievements simply stemmed from her exceptional intellect and wizardly dedication.¡±


    Shin nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I see.¡±


    As Bunce went on to delve deeper into the Isle¡¯s history, Scarlett found herself tuning the conversation out, taking in more of their surroundings as the gondola floated forward. Eventually, the vessel glided under a pair of towering statues flanking a grand building ahead. The bridge¡¯s waterway went through the structure¡¯s central area, which expanded outward in a wide semicircle, its facade boasting a mix of intricate designs and towering spires with thick buttresses and pointed arches.


    ¡°What¡¯s this place?¡± Allyssa asked, gazing up as they passed beneath the imposing structure, momentarily engulfed in its shadow. The girl had long since stowed her cape away in the [Bag of Juham] that Fynn was carrying.


    ¡°This is the Arcanum Spire,¡± Bunce explained. ¡°It houses an extensive collection of magical research and literature. Arguably, it is the grandest library of arcane texts in the world. Though outsiders may not enter, its exterior alone is quite the sight, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°It looks pretty impressive, at least. But are you sure about that whole ¡®grandest¡¯ business?¡±


    ¡°Quite. It might seem merely large from the outside, but I assure you, it¡¯s even more expansive on the inside.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    As they moved beyond the Arcanum Spire, more of the Isle opened up, revealing larger islands and buildings. The bridge transitioned into the city¡¯s network of wide, natural waterways, allowing them to navigate through the islands, passing other gondolas along the way.


    ¡°How come there are so many boats moving about here?¡± Rosa asked. ¡°I¡¯d think wizards would have more¡­practical methods of travel. The last one I met just teleported wherever he wanted.¡±


    Bunce eyed her curiously. ¡°Spells vary greatly among different schools of magic, as well as between practitioners. Not all are versed in or capable of techniques such as teleportation or flight. In fact, there are very few who are able to cast such involved spells. For most, more mundane and traditional means of transport are simply more practical.¡± He waved to a small group of robed mages in a nearby gondola. ¡°We do utilize certain artifacts for faster travel over the Isle, similar to the Kilnstones, but I believe there is a general preference for these gondolas when the circumstances allow. They are rather calming, you see. Additionally, we must accommodate the non-mage residents of the Isle who lack some of those magical conveniences.¡±


    Allyssa looked to him. ¡°Are there a lot of non-mages here? I heard that there used to be fewer.¡±


    The wizard nodded. ¡°That is true, in part. There was a time when the Rising Isle forbade any who were not a mage from setting foot here, but that policy has changed. Now, about a quarter of those who call this place home are non-mages.¡±


    ¡°And how many people live here?¡±


    ¡°Around six thousand.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Allyssa stared at him. ¡°But this place looks to be at least as big as Freybrook or other cities in the empire. How can there only be six thousand people?¡±


    Both of Bunce¡¯s eyebrows rose as he studied her. ¡°Most first express their surprise at our sizable mage population, not the total number. To answer your question, however, appearances can be deceiving. While the Isle¡¯s size might rival that of many imperial cities, a significantly larger portion of it than you realise consists of water and uninhabitable terrain. Our actual living space is rather limited.¡±


    ¡°A fact I suspect the empire has found much comfort in,¡± Scarlett remarked. ¡°The notion of an island steeped in Zuverian secrets and inhabited by a veritable army of skilled mages presents both a formidable and threatening presence. If the Rising Isle were more populous, it is uncertain whether peace would have lasted during periods of time in the past where the relationship between the Isle and the empire was more fraught.¡±


    The wizard looked at her with mild surprise, making her reconsider whether it might have been a somewhat inappropriate comment considering her role here, but after a moment, he nodded. ¡°You may be right, Baroness. The size of our Isle has often shown to be a strategic advantage, neither too large nor too small. It is one of the many reasons we can govern ourselves as we are, unburdened by the many bureaucratic and hierarchic machinations so prevalent on the mainland.¡±


    Scarlett masked a slight scowl. She wasn¡¯t sure if that was supposed to be a dig at the aristocracy or not, but it was probably best not to dwell on it.


    Changing the topic, she continued. ¡°I was informed that upon our arrival, I would meet with a member of your council in the Chamber of Conjunction. They are supposed to serve as my intermediary during my stay here, if I understand it correctly. I have not been told who this is, and I presume it is not you, so may I ask who it might be?¡±


    Adalicia had recommended her to find a ¡®Magister Penney¡¯, who was both one of the Isle¡¯s more influential wizards and apparently relatively agreeable. Scarlett doubted he would be her official liaison, though, so she was curious who it would be instead. Hopefully, it was someone she could work with easily.


    Principal Wizard Bunce let out an awkward chuckle, his smile straining in a way that Scarlett decidedly did not like. ¡°Well, Baroness, this is actually a rather intriguing coincidence. Since your presence here is related to your Zuverian studies, the council selected someone based on his expertise in that area. It just so happens that he also shares a name with you. It is Grand Wizard Hartford.¡±

 Chapter 235 - Family reunions...?

    The gondola eventually made a smooth landing near the heart of the Rising Isle, where a central island featured a magnificent waterfall cascading into the network of waterways winding through the city. The island was adorned with numerous grand structures, each unique and intriguing in its own way.


    One building appeared as though carved from a vast vein of pearly moonstone, ascending towards the heavens like a beacon. Another presented a stark contrast in its more¡ªto Scarlett¡¯s sensibilities¡ª¡¯modern¡¯ look, reminiscent of a lofty clock tower embellished with a gleaming dial for a face. A third combined elements of a palace and an aqueduct, with great spires and a large section that arched over to an adjacent island, diverting water from a waterfall there to nourish a magnificent fountain at its front.


    The architecture in general bore many of the characteristics of Zuverian craftmanship, utilizing standard pale stone interspersed with elegant marble columns, yet it exhibited much more complexity and grandeur than your typical Zuverian ruin.


    Scarlett observed her companions marveling at their diverse surroundings as the group followed Principal Wizard Bunce through a spacious plaza towards a domed building bustling with robed wizards entering and exiting it. The building was large enough to fit several of Scarlett¡¯s mansions in Freybrook inside.


    The Chamber of Conjunction was a unique location even here on the Rising Isle, since it was the only place where external magic could penetrate the Isle¡¯s defenses. It also housed the Kilnstones, where Scarlett¡¯s party should have originally arrived.


    The detour hadn¡¯t been part of her plans, but she didn¡¯t mind it too much. If anything, it had served as a decent introduction to this place for her party.


    As they crossed the island, Bunce explained the purpose and significance of the various buildings until they finally reached the Chamber of Conjunction. Once inside, they were met with a mess of different chambers filled to the brim with wizards and other individuals, creating a chaotic scene that made it difficult for Scarlett to discern what was going on. Bunce quickly led them away from the central chambers, ascending to the higher levels through intricately designed corridors seemingly carved straight from a quarry, with stone veins seamlessly running through the floors and walls.


    Eventually, they arrived at a small vestibule featuring a broad window at the far end, framing yet another breathtaking waterfall flowing from a crescent-shaped structure carved into a cliffside amidst lush greenery. The chamber contained a central arrangement of chairs and tables set above a transparent floor, revealing a mesmerising display of moving, flowing lights. Emerald crystal sconces hung from the walls, bathing the space in a soft, ethereal glow.


    ¡°Baroness, Grand Wizard Hartford will meet you here,¡± Bunce informed Scarlett, gesturing towards the empty chairs. ¡°Regrettably, I hear he had to attend to some urgent business, but he should return shortly. One of the inconveniences of our limited numbers is that we are often pressed for people, and the services of wizards of his calibre are all the more occupied. This may differ from what you are used to on the mainland, but your understanding is appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Scarlett responded in a neutral tone, watching Allyssa and Rosa wander across the room to the window.


    It seemed like they hadn¡¯t had their fill of sightseeing yet.


    She looked at Bunce. ¡°Would it be possible for us to explore more of the islands beyond what was shown on our route here?¡±


    The man seemed momentarily surprised by her question but then nodded. ¡°Of course. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, provided it¡¯s only until the Grand Wizard arrives.¡± He motioned towards the two Associate Wizards with him. ¡°However, I will have to ask that these two accompany you to guide you through the permitted areas.¡±


    Scarlett turned to her companions. ¡°Then you may all feel free to explore at your leisure.¡± She glanced at Bunce. ¡°Time should not be an issue as long as I remain here, no?¡±


    He blinked. ¡°No, I suppose not.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°I have already seen enough of the Isle for now,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I prefer to conclude my meeting with the Grand Wizard first. Since I doubt it will be of interest to any of you, I thought you should take this opportunity to see what more this place has to offer.¡±


    Rosa regarded her with a questioning gaze. ¡°¡­You sure?¡±


    Scarlett met the bard¡¯s violet eyes. ¡°I am.¡±


    After a brief pause, Rosa shrugged. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t say no to exploring more of the sights. I¡¯d always heard stories that others made up about this place, but now I can do that myself without them being entirely fabrications. And being here certainly beats the gloom of Freybrook in winter. Might even be able to cheer up some of the local mages with a song or two.¡±


    ¡°Please ensure that you don¡¯t disrupt the work of our wizards,¡± Bunce interjected cautiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± Rosa reassured him with a smile. ¡°Music is the antithesis of ¡®disturbing¡¯, and I¡¯m sure your cooped-up colleagues won¡¯t complain.¡±


    The wizard seemed unsure whether he should say anything more, but after a brief exchange with his two junior wizards, he finally gave a reluctant nod. Rosa and Allyssa made to leave, but Fynn and Shin didn¡¯t move.


    Scarlett allowed a faint smile as she looked at the two. ¡°I believe I will be safe even without both of you here to protect me.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s whole demeanor basically screamed ¡°I¡¯m staying¡±, while Shin¡¯s expression didn¡¯t reveal much at all. After exchanging looks, Shin moved to follow Allyssa and Rosa, leaving along with the Associate Wizards.


    Scarlett then focused on Fynn. ¡°Are you not interested in exploring more of the Isle?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll have more chances later.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is true, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I will also take my leave for the time being, Baroness,¡± Bunce said, offering a polite smile. ¡°Your visit was rather sudden for us here on the Isle, so I need to ensure that your accommodations have been properly arranged. I¡¯ll return after your meeting with the Grand Wizard. Is there anything else you require before I go?¡±


    ¡°There is not.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, excellent. Then I¡¯ll see you again shortly.¡±


    With that, the wizard also departed, leaving Scarlett and Fynn by themselves. Fynn seemed to first turn his gaze to the see-through floor and the moving lights below, his brows furrowed in thought. It didn¡¯t take long for him to shift his attention, sitting down quietly on the floor by the entrance, closing his eyes in meditation.


    Scarlett watched him with slight amusement. Was the light show too much for his tastes?


    Walking over to the center of the chamber, she chose one of the more comfortable-looking chairs and settled down, her own attention turning to the scenery outside the window.


    She had to admit, it might take some adjustment to get used to this place. She¡¯d grown pretty accustomed to living as a noble in the empire at this point, and the overall atmosphere and way people looked at her here on the Rising Isle was very different from that. Even Principal Wizard Bunce¡¯s efforts, while likely well-intentioned, fell short of the formalities she was used to by now.


    The subtle missteps and demeanor did irk her slightly, but she was willing to tolerate them. She had been aware that the mages of the Rising Isle handled things differently even before she came here. This might even be a bit like how an interaction between a noble and most modern people would have played out.


    And although her visit was primarily motivated by advancing Arlene¡¯s quest, she was also eager to explore some of the notable locations here on the Isle. The places she was interested in wouldn¡¯t be among those Rosa and the others were currently visiting, though. No, she had her eyes set on the places she wasn¡¯t allowed to visit.


    And if she played her cards right, her status as an outsider wouldn¡¯t necessarily hinder her from doing so.


    Much of that would depend on her upcoming meeting with this ¡®Grand Wizard Hartford¡¯, however. She was curious about him, given the name and his apparent status, but there was also a part of her that felt slighted at his mere existence.


    Who was he to go around using her name?


    She pushed those intruding thoughts aside as best she could, her eyes moving to the entrance, as though the man in question might appear any second now.


    He did not.


    That was fine. She could be patient.


    ¡­Although it dawned on her that she had no idea how long she was actually expected to wait.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    To pass the time, she took out a book and began reading, but after a few minutes stretched to twenty without any sign of his arrival, her displeasure began to mount. She wondered if this was just how the Isle usually treated dignitaries.


    Surely the Imperial Chancellery would have warned her if they expected her visit to be problematic in any way?


    When her frustration began to reach a point where it was becoming slightly challenging to keep it under control, a figure finally appeared at the entrance. A man, looking to be somewhere in his fifties, entered wearing a distinguished set of black robes. His features were sharp, suggesting he might have been quite a looker in his younger days, with styled, short black hair greying at the temples and a groomed beard. The gold trim of his collar shone brightly, and he leaned on an ornate black staff topped with a striking gemstone.


    His approach stopped at the entrance, however, his gaze falling down on the motionless Fynn. A slightly befuddled and gruff expression crossed his face before he shifted his focus to Scarlett. ¡°¡­You are Baroness Hartford, I presume?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I am. And I presume you are Grand Wizard ¡®Hartford¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Simply call me Gaspar,¡± he replied, his expression easing somewhat. ¡°It will be easier that way.¡±


    Scarlett observed him closely as he crossed the chamber. She had actually meant that more as a subtle probe regarding his name, but she couldn¡¯t tell if he¡¯d caught that or not.


    The man settled into the chair opposite her, resting his staff behind him while casting one last glance at Fynn, as if assessing a particularly unruly rare beast.


    ¡°He is one of my retainers,¡± Scarlett explained, mostly managing to keep her voice neutral. ¡°His manners may appear somewhat peculiar to those from the Rising Isle, but you do not need to pay him any mind. He often takes the opportunity to meditate during long, undue waits.¡±


    Gaspar raised both eyebrows, but soon refocused on Scarlett. ¡°Apologies for the delay. I would have been here sooner, but there were some unforeseen complications with one of my disciples¡¯ research endeavours. It could have led to my being short one disciple, so I spent more time admonishing the fool than I had anticipated.¡±


    Scarlett regarded him with a measured expression, but she couldn¡¯t detect any lie. ¡°I see.¡±


    This didn¡¯t really change the fact that she¡¯d been waiting here for a while. He could have notified her about the delay, or at least informed Principal Wizard Bunce. She suspected that the man in front of her wasn¡¯t accustomed to being placed in charge of handling outsiders like her.


    But he seemed to be making an effort at civility.


    ¡°The Isle has been buzzing with mentions of your name this past month, Baroness,¡± Gaspar continued after a pause. ¡°If the rumors are to be believed, you supposedly possess insights into the Zuver that rival those of esteemed figures such as Arch Wizard Aubrianne or Myerscough, heralding a new chapter in Zuverian research.¡± He shook his head, the skepticism clear in his tone. ¡°I won¡¯t hold you to such inflated hyperbole. The junior wizards get too easily excited, even when there have only been two new discoveries of Zuverian sites. They forget that your background is imperial nobility, not wizardry.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°And what exactly are you implying with that?¡±


    ¡°I mean to say that, despite your collaborations with Master Docent Mendenhall of the Elystead Tower, you have yet to author a treatise or publish any substantial scholarly work for the academic community to review. Thus, skepticism is only natural regarding the validity and depth of your research. I would not claim to be a proficient administrator simply because I once headed a village, and the same applies here. Unless I am mistaken in assuming that you are not a conventional scholar and researcher in the field of Zuverian studies?¡±


    Scarlett held his gaze for a moment. ¡°¡­No, you are not.¡±


    She wanted to be annoyed at him, but he did have a point.


    ¡°Then expecting scholarly contributions from you is hardly fair or right, despite your key role in uncovering new sites of import,¡± Gaspar said seriously. ¡°This is why the council¡¯s urgency in granting your request to visit the Isle puzzled me. Though they are not all focused on Zuverian research as I am, it was strange nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°While I may not have expertise comparable to yours, the tangible outcomes of my discoveries speak for themselves. From what I have heard, thanks to my recent efforts, more Zuverian relics have been unearthed in these last few months than in the last five years combined.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dispute the importance of your findings, Baroness. My concern lies with those who might exaggerate their significance and risk diminishing the work of many lifelong researchers.¡± The man sighed. ¡°But my personal views are irrelevant now, and I will not place the burden of them at your feet. The council disregarded my vote on the matter and clearly values your contributions highly enough to sanction your visit. As your appointed liaison, I will fulfill my role.¡±


    ¡°¡­I respect your commitment, even if it comes with reluctance,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Should you find the task that unwelcome, however, you could simply ask that the responsibility be assigned to someone else. I will not take offense, and I am confident that I can work with whomever is decided upon.¡±


    ¡°That is not how things are done here, Baroness. There was a reason I was chosen, regardless of my personal opinions. Now, let¡¯s focus on the matter at hand rather than prolong unnecessary discussions.¡± He leaned forward, clasping his hands together. ¡°You have indicated in your correspondence that your findings in the Zuverian ruins east of Faybarrow¡ªdiscovered along with Master Docent Mendenhall¡ªreference secrets yet to be uncovered on the Rising Isle. Now that you¡¯re here, it¡¯s time you elaborate on what you meant by that. The prevailing assumption surrounding your visit was that you intended to contribute to our research endeavours in some way, but I do not find that particularly likely.¡±


    ¡°You are correct in a manner, then. That is not my goal.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s original pretext for wanting to visit the Rising Isle involved possessing potential secrets related to the Rising Isle itself. Despite centuries of mage habitation, the Isle still held mysteries within it, several of which were featured in the game, so her claim wasn¡¯t completely unfounded.


    However, she had been deliberately vague on the specifics, aiming to gauge what degree of freedom she would receive on the Isle before revealing too much. Considering the potential value of anything related to the Zuver, she had been expecting the Isle¡¯s wizards to show interest in almost whatever she proposed.


    ¡°Before we proceed, I have a question,¡± she began.


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I would like to understand the extent of my permissions as an imperial envoy here. Specifically, what restrictions apply to my movements?¡±


    A slight frown crossed Gaspar¡¯s brow. ¡°That information should already have been communicated to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I was not given specifics. I understand that general access is permitted under supervision, but I assume this excludes high-priority areas such as the Astral Sanctum, the Veiled Library, or the Halls of Echo?¡±


    Slight surprise showed on the man¡¯s face. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought you to even be aware of those places, to be frank. But yes, those locations remain off-limits, even with an escort.¡±


    ¡°What if I told you that I possessed information that could uncover secrets unknown to you in one of those locations?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Gaspar watched her silently for a few seconds before answering. ¡°Should that be the case, the council would need to convene and consider whether it¡¯s feasible to grant you temporary access. The possibility of such a scenario was considered when we first handled your request, and I know that they may allow you inside the Veiled Library, but I cannot guarantee the same for the other places. Before I can even relay your request, I must know which location in particular you¡¯re interested in and why.¡±


    Scarlett made a show of considering her response for a moment. ¡°My interest lies in the Astral Sanctum. I prefer to withhold the exact reason and details until I can receive at least the council¡¯s preliminary approval, however. I am well aware of the value of the information I possess.¡± Seeing the man¡¯s frown deepen, she added, ¡°Suffice it to say that I have reason to believe there remain parts of the Sanctum that are undiscovered.¡±


    Gaspar stared at her. ¡°That¡¯s ludicrous.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The man studied her intently. ¡°¡­I do not particularly like working with those who keep secrets, Baroness, but fine. I will present your request to the other members of the council.¡±


    ¡°When can I expect their decision?¡±


    ¡°The earliest would be tomorrow. A matter like this requires a majority of the council to convene.¡±


    If that was the case, then Scarlett should probably be glad they only needed one day. Given wizards¡¯ notoriety for immersing themselves in their own research and ignoring secular matters, gathering them on short notice sounded like it could be a challenge. The Rising Isle¡¯s council had fifteen members, comprising all their Grand Wizards as well as three Arch Wizards, representing probably one of the most formidable assemblies of pure magical might in this world.


    ¡°Then I will await their decision tomorrow,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Is there anything else you wish me to communicate to them?¡±


    ¡°My request to access the Astral Sanctum is currently my primary concern. However, I would not be opposed to the council discussing extending me additional privileges based on the potential value of my findings in the Sanctum. Future collaborations between us would undoubtedly prove immensely beneficial to both parties.¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ll consider it.¡± Gaspar gave her one last look, seeming ready to leave.


    ¡°There is one more matter.¡± Scarlett stopped him.


    He paused, eyeing her. ¡°Yes?¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡°It cannot have passed your notice that we share a name.¡±


    A scoff escaped the man. ¡°No, it has not.¡±


    ¡°This fact has¡­caught my interest. The Hartford barony dates back to the empire¡¯s founding, and so there have been several branches of it over the generations. Do you perhaps hail from one of these?¡±


    A mix of disbelief and incredulity entered Gaspar¡¯s expression as he gave her a long look. ¡°Surely you would know that better than anyone, Baroness? You imperial nobles are those who are obsessed with lineage.¡±


    ¡°While I have considerable knowledge of my family¡¯s history, it does not encompass every branch, especially very distant ones. I am not aware of any connections to the Rising Isle, hence my inquiry.¡±


    ¡°And what if I tell you that we have no relation?¡±


    Scarlett studied him. Annoyingly, that possibility bothered her more than if he¡¯d said there was a connection.


    ¡°Is that truly the case?¡± she pressed, her voice coming out a bit more confrontational than she intended.


    The man did not seem to miss the intensity in her question. ¡°Baroness, do not think that our shared name imposes any obligations between us.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°That was not my implication.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s demeanor also turned more severe, but he remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°To give you a proper answer, no, my family has no link to your house. My predecessors have been established on the Rising Isle for generations. If our shared surname intrigues you, I suggest you investigate it from your end. It is none of my business.¡±


    Standing up, he adjusted his robe and collected his staff. With a more formal tone, he added, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing more, I¡¯ll relay the council¡¯s decision tomorrow. Should they approve, I will likely be accompanying you to the Astral Sanctum as well. Meanwhile, I believe Principal Wizard Bunce was responsible for any other inquiries or needs you may have. Direct any specific requests to him unless they pertain directly to your visit¡¯s purpose.¡±


    Scarlett watched him for a moment, brow creased, but nodded. ¡°That will be all for now.¡±


    She felt like there was more to the story, but clearly, she wouldn¡¯t be getting anywhere with him right now. It was a shame, because she had also intended to inquire with him about details related to Arlene¡¯s quest, but consulting someone more receptive was probably better.


    Grand Wizard Gaspar Hartford bid his goodbyes, passing by Fynn on his way out. After a short while, Fynn opened his eyes and looked at Scarlett.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at making people angry,¡± the young man remarked.


    ¡°¡­Go back to your meditation,¡± Scarlett said.


    She turned back to the window, allowing some of her own frustration to subside. She might have let herself get a bit too carried away there, but Gaspar wasn¡¯t too bad. She¡¯d dealt with worse.


    That said, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why most of her first meetings with powerful wizards always seemed to start so poorly.

 Chapter 236 - Hitting the books

    After Scarlett¡¯s meeting with Grand Wizard Gaspar Hartford, she and Fynn waited for the rest of their party to return from their exploring. After they did, they also waited for Principal Wizard Bunce, who had the finalized arrangements for their stay.


    ¡°I hope that everything will be up to your standards,¡± the man said as the group began to exit the meeting room.


    ¡°I trust that it will,¡± Scarlett replied somewhat coolly. Her earlier frustrations¡ªif you would call them that¡ªhad mostly subsided, though she¡¯d be lying if she said there wasn¡¯t still some lingering dissatisfaction after her conversation with Gaspar.


    ¡°If not, we could always pitch up a tent and camp out under the stars,¡± Rosa chimed in cheerfully. ¡°Sing a song. Keep each other warm. Wouldn¡¯t that be cozy?¡±


    Bunce laughed awkwardly, seemingly uncertain if she was joking or not.


    Scarlett glanced at the bard, who shot her a bright smile. Rosa had probably noticed her mood and was trying to lighten the air.


    ¡°So, how was your discussion with Grand Wizard Hartford, Baroness?¡± Bunce eventually asked, adjusting his collar as he turned his attention back to Scarlett. ¡°I hope you reached a satisfactory agreement regarding your stay.¡±


    ¡°We came to an understanding,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°The Grand Wizard will present my proposal to the council, and we will see how things unfold.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°He¡¯s taking it directly to the council?¡±


    ¡°He is, yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see. I will admit that is quite surprising. But if that¡¯s the case, your afternoon appears to be open. Now that your accommodations are ready, you¡¯re welcome to check in whenever you like. Alternatively, I can personally guide you around the Isle to any places you may be interested in. I¡¯d particularly suggest the Mistral Observatory or the Crystal Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we went to the Crystal Sanctum,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°It was that huge white tower we saw outside. Inside was even more spectacular ¡ª like stepping into another realm.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°While I am grateful for the suggestion, Principal Wizard Bunce, I think I will postpone any such visits for now. Instead, I had been curious about meeting with an associate of an acquaintance of mine. Would you happen to know a Magister Penney?¡±


    Bunce¡¯s eyebrows lifted. ¡°Magister Penney? Certainly. He might be busy during the day, however, but I can see about arranging a meeting for you.¡±


    ¡°Please do,¡± Scarlett said. According to Adalicia, the man had already agreed to help her a bit. ¡°Meanwhile, I am interested in seeing the Arcanum Spire, if possible. Is that one of the places I can visit with an escort?¡±


    ¡°Certain sections of it, yes.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let us start there. You made it sound rather intriguing earlier, and I have heard much about the Isle¡¯s collection of texts and manuscripts. It will be fascinating to see it firsthand.¡±


    Scarlett exhaled softly, setting aside the hefty volume she had been studying next to a tall stack of assorted tomes, scrolls, and other documents that cluttered the right side of the table. She then reached for a new book from a separate collection to her left, immediately beginning to skim through its pages.


    ¡°I found two more,¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice reached her as the young Shielder approached, placing two scrolls atop the expanding mound on Scarlett¡¯s left. ¡°I think these two are actually about mythical creatures, but they seemed to mention things from before The Severance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Astley,¡± Scarlett said, and the girl turned to head back down the aisle of bookshelves.


    Across from Scarlett, Rosa picked up another volume, donning an unusually serious expression as she looked through it. Scarlett gave her a brief glance before diving back into her own book.


    They were currently inside the Arcanum Spire, in one of the less restricted sections devoted to the historical texts amassed by the wizards of the Rising Isle over generations. The interior of this place was a complex beast, but its center was dominated by a single grand atrium, bathed in a mix of natural sunlight filtering through the see-through ceiling and the soft glow from whimsical, floating orbs of light that were spread around the place. At the heart of the atrium was a single, large crystal orb suspended in mid-air, displaying ever-changing natural landscapes, some clearly not of this realm.


    Scarlett and her companions had settled on the third floor, overlooking the main space. Here, shelves brimming with ancient tomes, scrolls, and magically imbued artifacts climbed to the ceiling. Busts and portraits of renowned wizards lined the long reading tables scattered throughout.


    Here, Scarlett and Rosa had claimed a quiet corner for their work, while Allyssa and Shin combed the nearby area for relevant material. Bunce, further down on the same table, was engrossed in his own studies, though he was likely subtly keeping an eye on Scarlett so they weren¡¯t going anywhere they weren¡¯t allowed. The two Associate Wizards were following Shin and Allyssa.


    Scarlett¡¯s purpose here was to perform some research. Because of this, she¡¯d actually initially suggested that her companions continue exploring the Isle while she visited the Spire. However, to her surprise, they¡¯d all insisted on coming along and helping with her research, claiming that they¡¯d already seen enough of this place for the day. Thus, Rosa was currently absorbed in some treatise on Zuver architecture opposite her, while Allyssa and Shin scoured for any literature even tangentially related to Scarlett¡¯s subjects.


    Fynn was the only member of the group not involved in the research efforts, quietly meditating in his own corner, communing with his ancestors, as he often did lately. Though he could read, he had himself admitted to lacking the skills and experience for this type of ¡®academic¡¯ research.


    Scarlett frowned slightly as she continued to leaf through her current volume, eventually concluding that it likely held little relevance to her and setting it aside.


    Frankly, she wasn¡¯t holding out much hope for finding anything particularly groundbreaking here. After all, the topic she was researching was the Anomalous One, an entity so enigmatic that even gods were largely in the dark about its true nature, if Anguish was to be believed. Learning more about it likely hinged on the records of those who had sealed it, which in this case meant the Zuver. In particular, the divinarch Thainnith.


    Of all the places Scarlett knew about, only two seemed like they could reasonably hold knowledge left behind by him. The first was Beld Thylelion, which was currently beyond her reach, and the other was Rising Isle, where they now were.


    She couldn¡¯t be certain that there was anything useful here, but she at least had to make the effort while she had the opportunity.


    Still, the Arcanum Spire probably wasn¡¯t where she would find what she sought. If there was information relevant to this matter on the Isle, it was much more likely to be hidden inside the Veiled Library. But with time at her disposal, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to comb through what she could of the Spire as well. Although knowledge about the Anomalous One in general seemed obscure in this world¡ªfrom what she knew, even people like Dean Godwin hadn¡¯t heard about it¡ªthat didn¡¯t mean references couldn¡¯t exist that the uninitiated might overlook.


    After more than three hours of diligent research already, though, she was leaning towards there not being much of value here after all. Or if there was, it was hard to locate. Despite finding lots of fascinating facts about the Zuver as a whole, not even a hint of a mention relating to the Anomalous One had surfaced.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°This one¡¯s funny,¡± Rosa remarked in front of her, showing a passage from her book. ¡°Apparently, the Zuver had specific chambers simply for whispering to each other. ¡®Whisper Chambers¡¯, they were called. Their elite often used them for all kinds of conspiracies and clandestine gatherings. Can¡¯t help but respect their commitment to the bit.¡±


    Scarlett glanced over the passage. ¡°¡­That is incorrect. The Whispering Chambers were acoustic rooms designed to let natural elements like wind produce music or carry the spoken words of a teacher throughout a complex. They had nothing to do with conspiracies or the like. I suggest you abandon that book and proceed to the next. It clearly is not trustworthy.¡±


    She had actually read about that herself a while back when she had been reading up on the Zuver. It reminded her of certain historical misconceptions that were normal back in her world as well.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s far less interesting,¡± Rosa said in a disappointed tone.


    Scarlett arched a brow at the woman. ¡°I beg to differ. The presence of chambers engineered to educate and entertain carries far more interesting implications about their society at large.¡±


    The woman shrugged. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve got me there.¡± She put the book to the side and picked up another one.


    Suddenly, a faint blue light began emanating from one of the volumes at the top of their ¡®reviewed¡¯ stack.


    They both paused, staring at it.


    ¡°Um, are you doing that?¡± Rosa asked with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°I am not,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Then is it supposed to do that? Do books magically signal when they¡¯re overdue here?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s forehead knitted together slightly. ¡°Not that I am aware of.¡±


    Their attention shifted as footsteps echoed nearby. Scarlett expected either Allyssa or Shin to return, but instead, an unfamiliar figure emerged from behind a bookshelf.


    A woman, perhaps slightly older than Scarlett, approached, dressed in deep emerald robes with golden highlights. Her dark purple hair was cut just above the shoulders, contrasting sharply with her attire as a pair of round, scholarly glasses framed her eyes, with gold chains dangling from the ends. Her attention seemed aimed squarely on her right hand, where a glowing blue arrow floated like a guide, while she clasped a sizable stack of scrolls and books tightly against her with her left, precariously balancing them as she moved.


    She walked past Rosa and stopped abruptly when the blue arrow turned to point directly at the glittering book. Her gaze followed suit. ¡°Ah, there we have it.¡±


    The woman¡ªpresumably a wizard¡ªclosed her fist, and the arrow disappeared. She then leaned forward, dumping her burdensome collection of scrolls and books on the table with a soft thud. Several scrolls tumbled to the floor, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind as she plopped down next to Rosa, reaching out to pick up the now-previously glowing book, studying it intently.


    Rosa shared a bemused look with Scarlett before greeting the newcomer with a friendly smile. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± The wizard gave her a quick nod in acknowledgment before returning her focus to the book.


    ¡°Um, you might have dropped a few things,¡± Rosa pointed out, gesturing towards the scattered scrolls on the floor.


    The woman turned her head, glancing down. ¡°Oh, those are just props.¡± With a cursory wave, the items transformed into fading motes of light.


    Observing quietly, Scarlett assessed this new arrival more closely. There was a subtle mole above her right lip, and the gold embroidery on her collar suggested her rank was between that of Principal Wizard Bunce and his two Associate Wizards. Her demeanor lacked most of the professional formality exhibited by her peers, though.


    After a few moments, the wizard finally looked up at Scarlett, as if just now realizing she was there. Adjusting her glasses with a deliberate touch, her eyes narrowed slightly as she examined Scarlett¡¯s clothes before giving Rosa a similar appraisal.


    ¡°Forgive me if I¡¯m mistaken,¡± she began, ¡°but your attire seems atypical for wizards.¡±


    ¡°Oh, these?¡± Rosa replied, pulling at her clothes with a casual flourish. ¡°These are just props.¡±


    ¡°They are?¡± The woman¡¯s eyebrows lifted, intrigued, as she reached out to touch the fabric. ¡°It¡¯s quite sophisticated for an illusion. Did you use some umbramancy spell to mimic this texture? I have never seen someone go to such lengths for simple clothing.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s face broke into a mischievous grin. ¡°Even better. It¡¯s the work of the finest of arcane craftsmanship, each thread painstakingly woven from the mana of an eclipsian glitterglop¡¯s spinneret by hand, all to ensure the utmost authenticity. I¡¯d say they did a rather exemplary job.¡±


    The wizard gave a half-smile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s almost as though these are real clothes, not magical constructs. The glitterglops certainly live up to their reputation.¡±


    Scarlett found the surprised expression on Rosa¡¯s face amusing, but she kept her eyes on the woman who had returned her attention to the book.


    After a short pause, Scarlett asked, ¡°May I know your name?¡±


    The wizard looked up again. ¡°I¡¯m Yamina, a Senior Wizard.¡±


    ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, and this is Miss Rosalina Hale, my retainer.¡±


    A slight furrow appeared on Yamina¡¯s brow. ¡°Are you by any chance familiar with Grand Wizard Hartford?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I am, but there is no familial relation between us.¡± Supposedly. ¡°I am here as an envoy from the empire.¡±


    ¡°You must be that noble who¡¯s been the subject of recent debates here on the Isle.¡± The woman¡¯s gaze drifted to the assortment of texts strewn across the table. ¡°Are you delving into Zuverian studies?¡±


    ¡°¡­We are, yes,¡± Scarlett answered, trying to gauge the other¡¯s thoughts.


    Yamina read aloud some of the titles on the table. ¡°¡®Divinity in Decline ¡ª Zuverian Pantheons¡¯, ¡®Lost Languages and Scripts¡¯, ¡®Regents of Ruin: Zuverian Leadership and Governance, ¡®Harvests of Echoes; Agricultural Practices of the Zuver¡¯. That is quite a range of subjects. Have you found that the Spire¡¯s collection meet your needs?¡±


    ¡°It would be premature to say now, but the Rising Isle certainly has an impressive repertoire here. However, we have yet to find what I am searching for, which has come as somewhat of a disappointment.¡±


    Yamina gave her a curious look. ¡°And what are you searching for?¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t immediately answer.


    Seeing her reticence, the wizard spoke with a touch of sincerity. ¡°Ah, you prefer to keep it to yourself. I understand.¡± She cast a look at the surrounding shelves. ¡°While the Arcanum Spire boasts a remarkable collection compared to most places, that doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t fall short of one¡¯s needs. Even the more restricted areas can leave one wanting on occasion. Sometimes, for the more elusive information, one must explore the truly restricted sections.¡±


    Scarlett regarded her thoughtfully. ¡°And which sections would those be?¡±


    Yamina pushed back on the rim of her glasses, looking back down at her book. ¡°The sections that someone like me unfortunately cannot disclose to a mainlander like you.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you tell a mainlander like me, then?¡± Rosa asked playfully. ¡°I¡¯ll pinky swear not to tell a soul.¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Provided you consent to a magical contract involving¡­toadification.¡±


    ¡°Toadification?¡±


    ¡°It transforms you into a toad should you break the agreement.¡±


    Rosa pulled a face. ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass on that, then, thanks.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Who even thought up a spell that turns people into toads?¡±


    ¡°His name was Eastaughffe,¡± Yamina said. ¡°He was an arch wizard known for his very peculiar interests.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say. Toads are the mucus-mantled squatters of the amphibian aristocracy. Why anyone would prefer them over frogs is beyond me.¡±


    Yamina didn¡¯t seem to disagree with the bard¡¯s assessment, as her eyes seemed to land on the stack of unreviewed volumes and scrolls to the side. A slight frown appeared on her face. ¡°Am I interrupting your studies?¡±


    ¡°¡­Somewhat,¡± Scarlett admitted.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention.¡± Yamina shook her head. She picked up the book she¡¯d come for¡ªat least it was one Scarlett had already looked through¡ªand stood, preparing to depart. With a wave of her hand, the light around her coalesced into an untidy collection of scrolls and tomes, awkwardly secured against her robes by her arm. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Baroness Hartford, Miss Rosalina.¡±


    With a respectful nod, she turned and left in the direction she¡¯d come, vanishing from their view a few moments later.


    ¡°¡­Do you think it¡¯s something genetic that makes all the strange ones want to become wizards?¡± Rosa asked after a few seconds.


    Scarlett gave her a sideways glance. ¡°If that were true, you would have become a wizard long ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­Because I have such a big¡ªand now shiny¡ªheart, I¡¯m going to choose to take that as a compliment.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes remained where Yamina had disappeared for a short while longer before eventually returning to her own work. She didn¡¯t want to jump to any conclusions about the wizard, but Rosa was right that this encounter had been somewhat peculiar. For now, though, there wasn¡¯t much point in belaboring that fact.


    Time passed as Scarlett and Rosa resumed their research, with Allyssa and Shin occasionally popping in with new findings. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure what time it was when Principal Wizard Bunce eventually approached, hands clasped behind his back.


    ¡°The hour is growing rather late, Baroness. A meal should be ready for you in your lodgings, so perhaps it¡¯s time to make our retreat for the day,¡± he suggested politely. ¡°And please, leave the matter of returning the materials you¡¯ve been studying to the Spire¡¯s archivists. It will be taken care of.¡±


    Scarlett considered him for a moment before deciding to follow his suggestion. They hadn¡¯t found anything of particular relevance, anyway, and pressing on for a few more hours wasn¡¯t likely to be particularly fruitful. It would be better to get something to eat and rest.


    Gathering the group, with Rosa fetching Fynn, they soon left the third floor of the Arcanum Spire. As they descended to the main atrium¡¯s ground floor, now dimly lit by the night sky visible through the transparent ceiling, Scarlett turned to Bunce. ¡°Are you acquainted with the wizard who conversed with Miss Hale and me earlier?¡±


    The man gave her a perplexed look. ¡°I¡¯m not certain who you are referring to.¡±


    ¡°You did not see her?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°When was this? I must have missed them.¡±


    Scarlett studied him for a moment with a thoughtful frown, then turned away. ¡°Disregard it then. It is hardly important.¡±


    She decided to leave it for now, resolving to confirm things later.

 Chapter 237 - Hearty introductions

    The accommodations provided to Scarlett and her party were decent, though they weren¡¯t really comparable to her mansion back in Freybrook. While the Rising Isle boasted plenty of impressive landmarks, it seemed their appreciation for stunning architecture didn¡¯t quite extend to interior design.


    Shortly after Bunce had introduced them to their lodgings, food had been delivered to their rooms. Around the same time, however, Magister Penney arrived to greet Scarlett, prompting her to leave her companions to dine without her as she joined him in an adjacent chamber.


    Magister Penney didn¡¯t quite fit the stereotypical wizard¡¯s image. Appearing to be somewhere in his fifties, he was completely bald and had more of a robust, plump build, snugly fitting into the armchair he occupied. His demeanour differed markedly from the sterner presence of Grand Wizard Hartford and the polite Principal Wizard Bunce, as he looked at Scarlett with a warm, chummy smile.


    ¡°Master Docent Mendenhall has spoken highly of you, Baroness,¡± he began the conversation earnestly after their greetings. ¡°Moreover, your recent discoveries have sparked a not-so-insignificant number of discussions here on the Isle. Meeting the woman behind the rumors is indeed a pleasure for me. If even a fraction of them hold true, you are an exceptionally talented individual.¡±


    ¡°I can only hope to live up to those expectations,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Miss Mendenhall has spoken equally well of you, Magister. It is good to finally make your acquaintance.¡±


    He dismissed the formality with a wave and a hearty laugh. ¡°Please, don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me. Any friend of a friend is a friend of mine, as they say. Just call me Hugbert!¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. That name was rather¡­apt. She wondered if it ever elicited any comments.


    Changing the subject, the man continued. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve been informed that the council will convene in the morning to discuss a special request of yours. You¡¯re seeking access to the Astral Sanctum, as I understand it?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Scarlett confirmed.


    ¡®Hugbert¡¯ cleared his throat. ¡°Well, as you are likely aware, I happen to be a member of said council, and I¡¯m more than willing to support your request. However, before doing so openly, I would like to understand a bit more about what you hope to find in the Sanctum and your intentions.¡±


    Scarlett considered his question for a moment. ¡°¡­I suppose I can share some more details. I have already briefed Grand Wizard Hartford, but my recent findings at the Zuverian ruins east of Faybarrow indicate the existence of unexplored sections within the Astral Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you so certain of that? Any records you might have found there would predate our presence here, so isn¡¯t it perfectly reasonable that we would already have discovered these sections you are talking about?¡±


    ¡°If you had, you would not need me to provide you any further details.¡± Scarlett gave him a skeptical look. ¡°You do not strike me as the type who would attempt to test me like that.¡±


    Magister Penney chuckled. ¡°No, I suppose I¡¯m not. Then, assuming you¡¯re right about these hitherto ¡®unearthed¡¯ sections, what could we expect to find in them?¡±


    ¡°I think you might be better suited to answer that question than me,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am merely offering my assistance in revealing them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that isn¡¯t actually my area of expertise, but¡­¡± The man scratched his chin ponderously. ¡°If it is inside the Astral Sanctum, we¡¯re likely dealing with something related to the protective and warding barriers around the Isle. If so, it would be a nice surprise indeed. Some of their functions remain a mystery even to this day, so any new insights we might glean would most assuredly be valuable.¡±


    ¡°And how valuable, exactly, would you say?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a matter for the council to discuss tomorrow,¡± he answered. ¡°Do you have any particular thoughts?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I would first prefer to hear their stance before making any suggestions. It would not be appropriate to assert any demands before the council has been reassured of my credibility.¡±


    ¡°Ah, keeping your cards close to your chest, I see! Hehe, understandable, understandable.¡± Magister Penney chuckled warmly. ¡°I certainly can¡¯t fault you for that, especially considering how hawkish some of my fellow council members can be.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Scarlett was surprised that he didn¡¯t mind admitting as much to her.


    ¡°Yes, but let¡¯s keep that between us, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± the man added with a lighter tone, adjusting his position comfortably in his chair. ¡°But I¡¯ll say, it does excite me thinking about what we might uncover if you speak the truth, Baroness. Master Docent Mendenhall mentioned that encounters with you often leave one¡¯s initial expectations baffled, and I don¡¯t know her to be a woman who exaggerates such things.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully we will find if that holds true tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we will! And I¡¯ll do what I can to persuade the others to give you the opportunity to prove your claims,¡± Magister Penney assured her, though his expression then turned slightly more serious. ¡°However, I must warn you to be prepared for some resistance. There are those among us who are wary of granting an outsider access to the Isle¡¯s secrets. Even should your request be approved, I¡¯m sure you understand that you¡¯ll be placed under some stringent conditions to ensure nothing untoward happens for either party.¡±


    ¡°I had anticipated as much,¡± Scarlett said. She would be visiting the heart of much of the Rising Isle¡¯s defensive measures, after all. ¡°Regarding Grand Wizard Hartford, do you believe he might be among those who oppose my proposal?¡±


    The plump wizard seemed to consider it for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say,¡± he mused with one hand to his chin and eyes turned upwards. ¡°Gaspar can be¡­unpredictable. It might depend on how your meeting with him proceeded. I assume it went well? His decision to escalate your request to the council so quickly was unexpected in its own way.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Scarlett¡¯s lips thinned into a line. ¡°Our interaction was brief, and I find it difficult to gauge his position from that alone. He seemed to possess a certain¡­indifference towards me.¡±


    Magister Penney responded with a light-hearted laugh. ¡°That¡¯s often the impression he leaves when you first meet him.¡±


    Scarlett studied him briefly. ¡°¡­I find it curious that you have not asked whether he and I have any prior acquaintance. Others have seemingly assumed we were related.¡±


    ¡°I am familiar enough with Gaspar¡¯s background to know he has little connection outside the Rising Isle,¡± the man said. ¡°His family has been influential here for generations, contributing some rather notable names to our community now and then, including even two arch wizards if I recall correctly. In a way, the Hartfords represent what you might call the closest thing we have to a noble lineage on the Isle.¡±


    ¡°My impression was that the Rising Isle rejected all forms of aristocratic hierarchy and peerage,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Grand Wizard Hartford seemed particularly dismissive of such conventions, yet you are telling me that he holds a similar status here?¡±


    The Magister showed her another smile. ¡°No, I¡¯d say it is rather more complicated than that. I only meant to provide a relatable analogy. Gaspar himself has earned his position through his own accomplishments, not his lineage. The Hartford name simply happens to be well-regarded here since it is uncommon for families to maintain prominence and stay over several generations. This is likely why your name might provoke some confused reactions here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed?¡± So the Hartfords of the Rising Isle could actually be said to hold more esteem on the Isle than those in the empire. That revelation was somewhat irritating. ¡°It is surprising that this is not more well-known in the empire,¡± she remarked. ¡°I myself was oblivious to the existence of Hartfords here until recently.¡±


    ¡°You were?¡± Hugbert blinked, then paused in thought. ¡°Hmm, other than a select few of our numbers, we wizards rarely have reason to interact with nobles in the empire, so it is not entirely surprising that details of certain families here don¡¯t reach the mainland. We have always maintained a level of detachment from the more secular affairs, and this applies even more so with the empire.¡±


    Scarlett stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, considering his words.


    Given that the Hartford barony held a relatively minor status, was situated near the empire¡¯s western border, and was only really recognized for its early inclusion in the Elysian Proclamation, it made sense that connections between the Hartford name in the empire and on the Rising Isle could be somewhat overlooked. The magister was likely correct in that the overlap of individuals who dealt with both minor imperial nobles and the Isle¡¯s wizards was small.


    However, if she were to guess, people like the previous Baron Hartford and Grand Wizard Hartford himself would almost definitely have been aware of their shared name.


    She studied the man before her for a few seconds longer. ¡°Earlier, you mentioned that the Hartford family has contributed two arch wizards to the Rising Isle in its time,¡± she began. ¡°When was this? And how long has their family been established on the Isle?¡±


    Magister Penney¡¯s forehead creased slightly at the questions. ¡°Oh, those are difficult for me to answer. I know that Arch Wizard Malenka, who lived about a century ago, was a Hartford, and there was another before her. If you¡¯d like to know more than that, I¡¯d suggest speaking directly with Gaspar.¡±


    ¡°I suspect he might not be so forthcoming with that information,¡± Scarlett remarked.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t provide much more help. An outsider accessing our archival records would also require council permission, which, ironically, might be harder to secure than approval for your other request. There are several council members who would frown upon an imperial noble investigating the lineages of one of their own.¡±


    ¡°That is unfortunate,¡± Scarlett said, genuinely disappointed. ¡°It seems unlikely that our families share a name merely by coincidence. Yet there is no indication in our house records of establishing a branch on the Isle.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is hardly surprising,¡± the man commented thoughtfully.


    ¡°No? And why is that?¡±


    ¡°I do know that the Hartfords have been around since before the relations between the Isle and the empire improved. If they began as a branch of your house, then its founder would likely have committed treason in joining the Rising Isle. Depending on the time, such actions could no doubt have led to their erasure from both familial and heraldic records, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Scarlett stared at him for a moment.


    That¡­made sense. In fact, she felt a pang of frustration for not having considered the possibility herself. She already knew that the empire had historically punished mages who defected to the Isle, and while she hadn¡¯t read any examples of erasing their existence from official records, that was only to be expected.


    This basically confirmed that Gaspar probably did hail from a very distant branch of her house. If his family had still been imperial nobles, they would probably have adopted a new name generations ago, but maybe that wasn¡¯t how it was done on the Isle.


    Her expression turned contemplative. Actually, this knowledge might also explain another mystery she had been exploring.


    She looked at Magister Penney. ¡°On a related note, I am currently investigating the story of a certain mage from the empire who might have migrated to the Isle roughly three centuries ago. The records of him in the empire are scarce, but I know that he was a noble, so his story might parallel the Hartfords.¡±


    ¡°Well, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be a first,¡± the man said. ¡°Do you have a name for this man?¡±


    ¡°Only a first name: Delmont.¡±


    ¡°Delmont?¡± he echoed, seeming to consider it for a bit before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that doesn¡¯t tell me much. It¡¯s a rather common name here.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid of that.¡± Scarlett crossed her arms, thinking about how she best could proceed in looking into this matter. ¡°While I understand the council¡¯s reservations about my investigating Grand Wizard Hartford¡¯s lineage, this inquiry focuses on a historical figure, not a contemporary one. Do you think they might grant me permission to consult your records for this specific case? It is of rather significant personal interest to me.¡±


    The magister steepled his fingers, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. ¡°I can certainly raise the question during our meeting tomorrow. While I can¡¯t predict the council¡¯s decision, if you show results with your other request, I imagine that could form room for a broader discussion about this one.¡±


    ¡°That would be ideal,¡± Scarlett replied. Deciding to change the subject once more, she added, ¡°There is one more thing I would like to ask.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The man¡¯s expression turned curious. ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°Earlier today, I encountered a rather fascinating individual at the Arcanum Spire. I was wondering if you might know who they were.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating, you say?¡± Magister Penney chuckled with interest. ¡°They must have made quite the impression, then. Who might this person be?¡±


    ¡°She introduced herself as Senior Wizard Yamina.¡±


    Scarlett noticed a slight flicker of what might have been recognition in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yamina, you say¡­?¡± he said, as if pondering the name. ¡°And a Senior Wizard¡­?¡±


    ¡°That is what she claimed, yes. Is there a problem?¡± Scarlett asked, studying his reaction.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± the magister reassured her heartily. ¡°The name does ring a bell, but I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m too familiar with this person. With a good sixth of the Isle¡¯s mages holding the rank of Senior Wizard, it¡¯s difficult to be acquainted with everyone. Mind you, I do try my best,¡± he winked.


    Scarlett watched him for a few seconds.


    ¡°I see,¡± she said finally. ¡°It is unlikely that my path will cross with hers again, so perhaps knowing more is irrelevant. But thank you for answering my questions and offering your support at tomorrow¡¯s council meeting.¡±


    ¡°Would you say this means all the serious matters have been discussed?¡± the man asked.


    Scarlett gave a small nod. ¡°Yes, that should be everything for now.¡±


    His smile broadened as he patted his stomach with gusto. ¡°Marvelous! Then, what say you to joining me for a meal? It is always a joy to exchange stories with a newfound acquaintance, and I can regale you with the tale of the time I found myself nose-to-nose with a Coral Colossus on one of my research expeditions!¡±

 Chapter 238 - An Accessible Sanctum

    ¡°Be careful with the etheric temporances, and don¡¯t lose focus on your focalizations!¡± Grand Wizard Hartford¡¯s sharp instructions echoed as a group of Senior Wizards cast their spells in unison. Six of them stood before a massive stone door adorned with innumerable runes and sigils, all aglow in a spectrum of colors as the wizards¡¯ spells interacted with the engravings.


    Scarlett observed this scene from nearby, her arms folded, patiently waiting for them to finish. Behind the wizards, Gaspar, stern and focused with staff in hand, closely directed the proceedings with his commands. One by one, the glowing seals on the door dimmed as the door grew closer to being unlocked.


    Several minutes passed before Gaspar finally paused in his supervising to turn and approach Scarlett, though he maintained the stern expression. ¡°It won¡¯t be long now.¡±


    Scarlett studied the great door for a moment, watching the wizards dispelling yet another seal. ¡°It seems an exhaustive task merely to access a chamber,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°The enchantments guarding the Sanctum are exceedingly intricate, Baroness. They have held since the Zuver originally erected them.¡± The older man huffed. ¡°These are not defences one can simply bypass without due diligence. Though our Isle has long since deciphered their mechanisms and could dismantle them if necessary, the protective capabilities they offer are irreplaceable. It has always been judged that they are better left as they are.¡±


    ¡°I see. And exactly how much longer until we can proceed, then?¡±


    ¡°Only a few minutes, at most.¡± Gaspar turned back to the wizards, annoyance creasing his brow. ¡°I said to mind the temporances, you imbeciles! Is this how I taught you?¡±


    Muttering something about wizards nowadays, he hurriedly left Scarlett to return to overseeing the wizards¡¯ ongoing efforts to unlock the door.


    It didn¡¯t seem like he let up even on his own subordinates.


    ¡°This place smells a bit like Rosa,¡± Fynn spoke up beside Scarlett.


    She cast a brief glance to her left, eyeing the white-haired young man. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    That statement wasn¡¯t particularly surprising to her. It was in the name of this place, after all. The ¡®Astral Sanctum¡¯ was bound to have something in common with the Astral Soulstone that had been used to create Rosa¡¯s Heartstone.


    Considering this, it might have been a good thing that the bard hadn¡¯t joined them today. There was no telling if the Sanctum might have some unpredictable reactions to the Heartstone, and such things could complicate matters if the wizards learned about it. Scarlett knew from what Dean Goldwin had told her that the Heartstone¡¯s presence was nearly impossible to detect by a mage when it wasn¡¯t actively used, and she wanted to keep it that way.


    Her attention drifted from Fynn to survey their surroundings ¡ª an expansive underground chamber that was large enough to host an assembly of people. Carved directly from the bedrock upon which Rising Isle was built, the chamber sat beneath the Chamber of Conjunction, which served as the heart of the Rising Isle in more ways than one.


    Earlier this day, the Isle¡¯s council had reached a decision to approve Scarlett¡¯s petition to enter the Astral Sanctum. She had thought there would have been a bunch of delays associated with that, but to her surprise, Gaspar had swiftly taken charge, ensuring all the necessary arrangements and gathering the wizards for the endeavour.


    Currently, Scarlett found herself among almost two dozen Isle Wizards, with only Fynn from her own party as a companion.


    Since the Astral Sanctum played such a vital role in the Rising Isle¡¯s protections, the council was enforcing stringent security measures. This apparently included limiting the people Scarlett could bring and deploying a small army of seasoned wizards to monitor her every move inside the Sanctum. While it felt somewhat excessive to bring so many wizards just for her, she understood the council¡¯s concerns.


    Her gaze settled on one particular wizard standing near the entrance of the chamber, clad in emerald robes with their face concealed under a wide hood.


    Emerald wasn¡¯t exactly a unique robe color here on the Isle. Scarlett had seen several wizards wearing it since she arrived. Here, the color of one¡¯s robe typically signified one¡¯s field of study rather than any sort of hierarchical status or school of magic. Emerald was commonly associated with the Mistral Observatory, from the way Scarlett understood it, so this individual could be just about anyone.


    That said, they did look familiar to her. Almost like a certain wizard she had encountered just the day before.


    Not that she had to bother relying on her own judgement to be sure. Fynn had already confirmed that this was indeed the same person they had seen in the library.


    Of course, this fact by itself didn¡¯t have to be significant. Coincidences happened, and this chamber was almost entirely filled with Senior and Principal Wizards. It also wasn¡¯t like this was the only wizard who liked going around with their hood up.


    But it was ever-so-slightly suspicious.


    Scarlett redirected her attention back to the sealed door just as the last rune on it faded, followed by a resonance that reverberated through the chamber. The wizards in front of the door stepped back as the heavy barrier began to slowly slide open.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Gaspar turned to address the room, his voice firm and authoritative. ¡°We are about to enter the Astral Sanctum. Remember, adhere to protocol at all times. Do not interact with anything without my direct authorization.¡± His eyes briefly landed on Scarlett, adding, ¡°This especially applies to you, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± she responded.


    He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, then led the way through the opening. Scarlett and the others soon followed, stepping into the sanctum beyond.


    What greeted them was a pretty impressive sight.


    The Astral Sanctum was a vast, circular chamber, its walls lined with ornate murals inscribed with ancient Zuverian script that whispered of this place¡¯s history. Overhead, a series of detailed frescoes encircled a domed ceiling, illustrating various landscapes and wonders.


    At the chamber¡¯s center, a captivating orb of energy hovered, casting a vibrant, fluctuating light throughout the space. Below it, a meticulously etched runic circle lay on the floor, pulsing in sync with the orb as if breathing life into the air. Crystals, shimmering like starlight, floated gracefully above, suspended in an invisible ballet as their reflections weaved through the dimmer corners of the room in a tapestry of light and shadow.


    With measured strides, most of the wizards began dispersing around the chamber. Scarlett lingered at the entrance for a short while, her gaze resting on the frescoes on the domed ceiling as she studied the scenes depicted in them. Some were distinctly familiar.


    One showed the Rising Isle, set against the backdrop of a vast ocean, its unique topography of interconnected, terraced islands highlighted by cascading waterfalls and flowing waterways, converging towards a single point at the center.


    Another illustrated the imposing form of the Resting Eye, a colossal mass of grey stone rising from the earth, its peak shrouded in a veil of black smoke as it was surrounded by a large lake.


    A third portrayed the grand entrance of the Ever-reaching Grotto, an illuminated cave etched into the face of a tall mountain and seeming to stretch on forever.


    There was also a fresco of the Forgotten Tower ¡ª a lone, dark spire emerging from a shadowy ocean abyss, ensnared by a perpetual tempest of storm clouds that seemed to coil around its crown.


    And there were more, each of the displays depicting points of interest that had some form of relevance in the game.


    Scarlett noticed Fynn¡¯s attention staying on a scene portraying numerous snow-capped peaks of the Whitdown Mountains, where his old home was.


    The clearing of someone¡¯s throat brought Scarlett back to the present, and she turned to face Gaspar in front of her, who seemed to be appraising her closely.


    ¡°How do we proceed from here?¡± he asked. ¡°Remember, I will handle all the necessary procedures or actions. Simply outline what is required.¡±


    Scarlett considered him for a moment, then let her gaze wander the chamber. ¡°We have only just arrived, Grand Wizard. I am not all-knowing. If you would allow me a moment to explore the Sanctum, I will share what insights I can gather.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. If you say so.¡±


    She moved deeper into the Sanctum, conscious of Gaspar¡¯s following steps and the watchful eyes of the other wizards. Meeting the gaze of a couple of them, she offered a single, wintry smile, noting a flicker of discomfort in their expressions. She had to admit that, while the excessive caution was stifling, she also found a certain kind of sadistic enjoyment in it.


    She wondered if their wary looks stemmed from Gaspar¡¯s influence, her outsider status, or simply the importance of the Sanctum to the Isle.


    Maybe it was a combination of all those factors.


    Approaching the center of the chamber where the orb hovered by itself, Scarlett paused just outside the ring of runes on the floor, preempting the warning Gaspar was about to deliver.


    For a few seconds, she simply stood there, inspecting the orb. Its surface was a mesmerising canvas of power that reflected her image amidst shifting lights. She could practically taste the raw energy simmering within, occasionally surfacing in brief luminescent bursts. Although there wasn¡¯t an item of description, she suspected this was an Astral Soulstone, similar to the one within Rosa¡¯s Heartstone. This one was probably more potent, though, which said a lot.


    It would have been nice if she could find something like this for herself, but that was probably asking for too much.


    While quiet murmurs and whispers floated among the wizards spread about the chamber, Scarlett moved on to briefly study the crystals orbiting above before walking to the chamber¡¯s edge to examine the murals there. She recognized some of the symbols on them, but far from enough to make any real sense of their contents, and there wasn¡¯t much in the way of illustrations.


    She might have spent a bit too much time strolling around the chamber¡¯s periphery, scanning more of those murals, as Gaspar¡¯s patience seemed to eventually thin.


    ¡°Well,¡± he began. ¡°What possible findings do you have? Do not dare tell me you came here with no idea of what you were searching for.¡±


    Scarlett turned to look at him. She couldn¡¯t be sure, but she thought that, despite his sharp words, she sensed an undercurrent of expectation in his voice. As though he actually believed she knew something the Rising Isle didn¡¯t.


    That was curious. She wondered what his stance had been on granting her access to this place.


    After a thoughtful pause, she answered. ¡°The Astral Sanctum certainly is a sight to behold, no?¡±


    The man¡¯s forehead furrowed in a slight scowl. ¡°It is,¡± he said, waiting for her to continue.


    Suppressing a slight smile, Scarlett did. ¡°In a place rich with conundrums, where would you seek a concealed mechanism or secret passage? For centuries, the Rising Isle has housed some of the brightest minds who have all had the opportunity to ponder this question, so I am curious what you have to say on the matter.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°We are not here for riddles, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Humour me. There is no rush, is there?¡±


    He stayed silent for a moment, then pointed his staff towards the orb at the center. ¡°Even after all this time, the Etheric Soulstone remains one of our greatest enigmas. Though we have gleaned endless secrets from it, the complexities of its workings remain such that we can only ponder the full breadth of knowledge that went into creating it. If there is something we have yet to uncover here, it certainly lies with it. But that was hardly a mystery.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention shifted to the orb. ¡°A reasonable assumption, I suppose. However, it is the wrong one.¡±


    Her eyes shifted to a figure standing a short distance away from them, draped in emerald robes. ¡°And what say you?¡± she asked.


    A tense silence fell around them. Even without looking, Scarlett could tell that Gaspar wasn¡¯t pleased by her action. Yet he remained silent as the cloaked figure slowly turned to face her, removing their hood to reveal a cascade of purple hair and a face framed by a pair of round glasses.


    The woman held Scarlett¡¯s gaze for a few seconds, an evaluative pause marking the moment before she adjusted her glasses and surveyed the chamber. Her focus eventually settled on the ceiling illustrations depicting the Rising Isle and more.


    ¡°I always found those representations particularly interesting,¡± she offered casually.


    Scarlett¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°Astute observation.¡± Turning back to Gaspar, her expression grew more serious. ¡°It appears we need to undertake further preparations. I trust that I can count on your full support in this?¡±

 Chapter 239 - The inner sanctum

    Scarlett surveyed the lineup of robed wizards in front of her and Grand Wizard Hartford within the Astral Sanctum, studying their faces. They were all Senior Wizards or Principal Wizards, which meant they were skilled enough, but she had expected at least one Grand Wizard or Arch Wizard.


    Her gaze lingered momentarily on the purple-haired wizard at the end of the line before she turned to address Gaspar. ¡°Are you certain that this assembly meets the requirements?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± the man replied firmly.


    Scarlett regarded him silently. ¡°¡­Very well. Then shall we commence?¡±


    Casting a final look at the line of wizards, she then moved her attention upwards, admiring the myriad of scenes adorning the dome of the chamber¡¯s ceiling, each depicting notable locations.


    The Zuver certainly loved their puzzles.


    To players, this particular dungeon had never been that important. There were other dungeons on the Isle that offered better loot and held more quest relevance. That said, it stood out in that you had to have progressed pretty far in the game to even access it.


    Noticing that none of the wizards had started moving despite her words, she gestured to Gaspar to initiate the proceedings. He gave her one last, skeptical look before directing the wizards according to her instructions.


    ¡°Marlowe, assume your position before the Resting Eye mural. Whiteley, to the Ever-reaching Grotto. Tattersall will take the White Forest, and Rudge the Sunken Crypt.¡± The man systematically dispatched the orders, pausing when he reached the purple-haired wizard, Yamina. ¡°¡­Senior Wizard Ward, the Forgotten Tower falls under your responsibility.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes followed as Yamina crossed the chamber, stopping beneath the artwork depicting a tower emerging amidst a tumultuous sea, its surrounding waters in a perpetual storm.


    ¡°Position your hands on the markings within the murals,¡± Gaspar called out.


    The wizards complied, turning to the murals on the walls in front of them and touching the stone.


    Nothing happened, but that was to be expected.


    Gaspar turned to Scarlett. ¡°Baroness, if you would take your place.¡±


    Scarlett walked over to one of the final murals, situated beneath the fresco that illustrated the highest peak in the Whitdown Mountains. There, she pressed her hand against the cold stone.


    A few seconds passed, then an echoing rumble reverberated throughout the space. Suddenly, a section of the floor at the chamber¡¯s center lit up, slowly evaporating to reveal a descending staircase.


    The remaining wizards, who had temporarily retreated to the chamber¡¯s entrance, let out sounds of surprise and amazement, while Scarlett allowed a slight smile to appear on her lips.


    The reason this puzzle could take so long to complete was because of its ties to the Kilnstone network. Not to mention that the player had to complete it on their own in the game.


    Each location depicted on the ceiling was associated with at least one Kilnstone, and it only activated when an individual who had visited the corresponding Kilnstone made contact with the mural beneath it. Doing this for all the murals within a certain time frame opened the dungeon.


    Some of the locations were pretty remote, but since this was the Rising Isle, it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that they had wizards who had visited most of these places. The only truly shocking element was the Forgotten Tower¡¯s Kilnstone. The Tower was widely believed to be completely inaccessible and had been for centuries, with few even being aware it had a Kilnstone. Moreover, the Kilnstone itself was inactive most of the time, so actually reaching the place was practically impossible.


    Scarlett hadn¡¯t been worried, though, since she knew that there was one wizard on the Isle who had visited the Tower, despite all that.


    Her eyes once more turned towards Yamina, who met her gaze steadily.


    Maybe they could make that two now.


    Scarlett started walking towards the newly revealed opening at the chamber¡¯s center, stopping to stand beside Gaspar who was peering down the opening. Fynn, who had been waiting with the other wizards, caught up to them and halted behind Scarlett.


    Gaspar¡¯s expression was one that could only be described as a blend of restrained excitement and prideful stubbornness. The man himself didn¡¯t say anything to Scarlett as he turned to address the rest of the wizards. ¡°Prepare yourselves. We are moving forward immediately.¡±


    Scarlett noted that Yamina moved naturally with the others, still acting like part of the group as everyone gathered around the passage.


    Would it be rude of Scarlett to point out the absurdity of a Senior Wizard supposedly having been to the Forgotten Tower?


    Maybe.


    She¡¯d leave it for now, at least.


    Soon, they began their descent, with Gaspar and Scarlett near the front. The stairs were wide enough to allow six people to move side by side, illuminated by green crystals embedded in the walls where carvings of Zuver characters silently watched over them. Scarlett absentmindedly observed those figures as her thoughts wandered.


    Hopefully, this endeavour would demonstrate to the Rising Isle what she had to offer. For her part, this dungeon served mainly as a means for her to assess the Isle¡¯s commitment to a potential collaboration. She had yet to make any real, explicit negotiations or demands for compensation, but that would come later.


    For now, she was even willing to give up the loot in this dungeon. She couldn¡¯t recall its exact contents, but she felt relatively confident that it wasn¡¯t of immediate importance to her.


    The descent lasted roughly five minutes before they arrived at the bottom of the stairs. There, they were greeted by a vast open expanse of grey stone, marked only by an entrance at the far end and a solitary, large figure in the center. This figure, a construct forged from dull gray steel and towering as tall as six adults stacked, knelt on one knee like a statue without moving, but one look was enough to tell that it wasn¡¯t to be toyed with.


    Compared to the constructs Scarlett had encountered before, this one was probably several times as strong.


    She cast a sidelong glance at Gaspar, who was studying the construct intently. It seemed like he recognized what it was as well.


    ¡°Do you believe your people are capable of dealing with this?¡± she asked.


    Given the rather significant number of seasoned wizards trailing behind them, it would be strange if they couldn¡¯t handle this much.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Of course,¡± the man replied, giving Scarlett a brief look before signaling for her and Fynn to step aside. Scarlett didn¡¯t mind it, not having intended to show her full abilities quite yet anyhow.


    Gaspar directed a select group of wizards, dressed in emerald robes with Yamina among them, to step forward. Without directly addressing the purple-haired woman, he instructed them to search for any wards, concealed threats, or mechanisms that could deactivate the construct.


    The group began casting their spells¡ªpresumably a mix of analytical and divination magic¡ªwhile Scarlett observed from the sidelines.


    Usually, her party would have opted for a more direct approach and simply attacked the construct right out of the gate, considering there was nothing else here of note. But she supposed the Rising Isle would place more importance on preserving constructs like this whenever possible.


    A few minutes passed without the wizards identifying anything notable. From what Scarlett overheard, the construct itself lacked any obvious means of deactivation, nor could its enchantments be easily tampered with. Gaspar seemed disappointed by that, but he quickly arranged for the rest of the wizards to position themselves strategically at the chamber¡¯s entrance, ready to deal with the construct by force.


    What followed could barely be called a fight.


    The second the wizards began casting their offensive magic, the construct stirred from its inert state, rising to its full, imposing height. For a moment, it had seemed like an impressive battle would ensue from there. However, before it could act, it was bombarded by a relentless onslaught of spells¡ªfireballs, lightning, rays of light, and other elemental forces¡ªslamming into its massive frame like a tidal wave.


    To its credit, the construct withstood the initial assault mostly unscathed. But taking on consecutive volleys of such intensity, cast with little pause, proved too much, and within a minute, it had crumbled into a pile of smoldering, twisted metal.


    Scarlett honestly felt slightly let down by the length of the encounter. She¡¯d hoped to see a bit more of what ¡®Grand Wizard¡¯ Hartford and ¡®Senior Wizard¡¯ Yamina were capable of, but the former stuck to simpler spells, while the latter didn¡¯t even join in the fray.


    After beating the construct, Gaspar had his people inspect it and the surrounding chamber, and only when he was satisfied did they continue on.


    To say that their progress from there was slow would probably be an exaggeration, but it was certainly methodical. Gaspar had them proceed with deliberate care, with Yamina and the other emerald-robed mages periodically casting spells to detect any dangers or noteworthy details.


    Their journey eventually led them to another spacious chamber, this time guarded by two constructs. Scarlett noted Gaspar¡¯s slight annoyance as he directed his people to use the same tactics as before, and it wasn¡¯t long before these new threats were also dealt with.


    The advance continued in that fashion for a while, navigating through a series of mostly empty passageways and past various constructs that would have taken Scarlett¡¯s own party who knows how much time to handle. Finally, they reached a great hall bathed in an ethereal luminescence which she recognized as the dungeon¡¯s end.


    The air itself seemed to thrum with latent energy here, centering around a grand circular platform. The platform¡¯s intricate design glowed with a soft, rhythmic light, surrounded by elaborate runes and translucent trails etched deeply into its surface, forming intricate patterns and geometric configurations. Above, the ceiling vanished into an otherworldly expanse, where a mesmerising constellation of lights performed a silent dance, cascading down like celestial ribbons.


    The chamber¡¯s walls were flanked by towering pillars, each meticulously carved as if to fit some grand schema. Between these pillars, the stone itself seemed alive, shimmering with exceedingly complex characters that extended down to the floor, intertwining the entire space in a web of arcane energy.


    Impressed and awed murmurs filled the air as the assembly of wizards took in the sight.


    Perhaps somewhat disappointingly, there was no last boss awaiting them here, but Scarlett was fairly sure the same went for the game. The mobs they had encountered were supposed to be challenging enough by themselves. They just hadn¡¯t been enough to deal with a small army of trained wizards.


    ¡°There are those who have posited that the Astral Sanctum alone could not create the barriers and wards protecting the Rising Isle,¡± Yamina¡¯s calm, clear voice resonated nearby. ¡°Instead, they have suggested that there might exist a hidden nexus for them somewhere on the Isle. It appears we¡¯ve now confirmed those theories.¡±


    Scarlett caught Gaspar looking at her with an indecipherable expression. She met his gaze steadily.


    ¡°It seems I have delivered what I promised,¡± she said.


    The man scoffed lightly before turning his attention back to the chamber, instructing Yamina and the others to analyse the space before proceeding. However, none of their spells worked within the chamber¡¯s confines, dissolving as soon as they were cast.


    It seemed like there were still protections in place here.


    ¡°A precaution to ensure nothing interferes with the wards, presumably,¡± Gaspar concluded, a frown marking his brow. ¡°¡­Proceed with due caution, and do not disturb the runes. Tattersall, survey the right side while Marlow is in charge of the left. I will take the platform.¡±


    The large gathering of wizards moved forward, slowly flowing into the chamber while avoiding the runes and glowing veins etched into the floor. Scarlett instructed Fynn to do the same, even though she doubted anything would happen if they didn¡¯t. Better safe than sorry.


    Many of the wizards began taking out journals to document their findings. Gaspar and a few others approached the central platform, inspecting it from all angles without stepping onto it.


    As for Scarlett, her focus drifted to a set of altars at the chamber¡¯s end, which she supposed held the dungeon¡¯s loot.


    Seeing them before her, she felt her earlier resolve to ignore them waver slightly. But the Isle probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate it if she suddenly started claiming them outright, even considering her role in uncovering this place.


    That was fine. She¡¯d just make up for any lost loot in other ways.


    She just had to tell herself that.


    Her thoughts paused as she spotted something lying on the ground, narrowly missed by an eager wizard analysing a nearby set of runes.


    The item resembled a bracelet of sorts, crafted from dark iron with copper highlights, its surface a tangled network of engravings, patterns, and symbols.


    Scarlett frowned slightly, stepping over to the item. Kneeling to pick it up, she drew puzzled glances from a few wizards, but strangely, none of them seemed to notice the bracelet itself.


    She stood, turning the object over in her hands for a closer inspection. Prominent on its face was a tiny metal globe set within a copper framework. Encircling it was a ring, almost like the bezel on a watch, with two wobbling pointers¡ªone longer and one shorter¡ªboth aimed at the top of the ring where a small gem was affixed. Even to Scarlett¡¯s untrained eye, it was a masterpiece of craftsmanship.


    She studied the symbols etched along its band, which were clearly Zuver in origin, puzzled over its function.


    [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence (Unique)]


    {Crafted through ancient artifice long since forgotten, this mysterious device resonates with hidden energies beyond the veil of the mundane world}


    Her eyes widened. It was possible she was just misremembering, but she didn¡¯t recall this from the game¡­


    Moving the device slightly, Scarlett noticed the shorter pointer¡¯s faint, responsive quivers, shifting slightly along the rim of the outer bezel. Moving it again, the pointer returned to the top.


    Ignoring the curious glances from the wizards, she continued experimenting with the bracelet¡ªor rather, the ¡®Orrery¡¯¡ªtrying to discern its purpose. Unlike most other artifacts she¡¯d dealt with, she couldn¡¯t seem to establish a link to this one, nor did it provide any obvious buffs or effects.


    Suddenly, when she oriented the piece in a specific direction, the shorter pointer shifted noticeably, swaying as it pointed roughly at one o¡¯clock. Following its aim, she didn¡¯t find anything noteworthy, but she did note that the longer pointer was currently focused on Yamina, who was inspecting a complex arrangement of runes on a pillar.


    Forehead creasing in thought, Scarlett tried rotating the long pointer towards another wizard. Immediately, the short pointer returned to its original position and largely stopped moving.


    Pointing it at several other wizards yielded much the same result, but it was different when she pointed it at Gaspar. Then, the short pointer shifted roughly to two o¡¯clock.


    Scarlett stared at the Orrery for a few seconds.


    What was this?


    Gaspar seemed to notice her attention on him after a while, signaling with a hand gesture for her to come over. With the Orrery still clutched in her hand, Scarlett approached, expecting him to inquire about the artifact.


    But the question never came. Gaspar¡¯s focus was solely on her face. ¡°Is there something on your mind, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow. ¡°¡­No, nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­¡± He paused, a frown wrinkling his features before he gave a dismissive shake of his head. ¡°Regardless, the discovery of this place is more than sufficient to substantiate the accuracy of your claims. If it suits you, we¡¯ll discuss in further detail what other knowledge you have to offer and negotiate the terms surrounding it. I am sure you have much to ask of us.¡±


    [Quest completed: Cleared the Astral Sanctum]


    {Skill points awarded: 10}


    Scarlett spared the notification only a fleeting glance before returning her attention to the artifact in her palm, seeing its pointer still fluctuating while aiming at Gaspar. Then, meeting the man¡¯s gaze once more, she nodded. ¡°Indeed. There is much to discuss, and even more mysteries to unravel.¡±

 Chapter 240 - Politics

    Later in the evening, following their exploration of the Astral Sanctum and its hidden dungeon, Scarlett found herself in the communal space of their accommodations, joined by her party. They were seated around a secluded low table, the others engaged in heated conversation. Allyssa and Rosa, in particular, seemed keen on interrogating Fynn about the events in the Sanctum, while Scarlett''s attention was focused on the object in her hand.


    [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence (Unique)]


    {Crafted through ancient artifice long since forgotten, this mysterious device resonates with hidden energies beyond the veil of the mundane world}


    Since neither Gaspar nor any of the other wizards had seemed to even notice its existence, she had ended up keeping the artifact for herself in order to figure out what it was.


    Its mechanism was still a mystery to her. The encased metal globe at its center didn¡¯t seem to have a clear function, but the two pointers on its outer bezel were intriguing. When she aligned the longer pointer towards nothing in particular, the shorter pointer remained mostly static. However, pointing the longer one in towards Shin or Allyssa caused the shorter pointer to pivot and shake slightly, giving a similar reaction as with Gaspar.


    Directing it at Fynn, though, caused the shorter pointer to move almost twice as much. Even more noticeable was its reaction to Rosa, where it shot to 180 degrees around the face and trembled intensely.


    These responses had been consistent over several tests now, creating a clear pattern. Its meaning and significance was something Scarlett was still piecing together.


    While she couldn¡¯t be sure yet¡­


    She turned the Orrery towards herself, and the short pointer spun all the way around back to its starting point, vibrating uncontrollably as if struggling to maintain position.


    She had some inklings.


    Her thoughts were interrupted by Rosa¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s got you wearing your thinking hat with such a serious face?¡±


    Scarlett shifted her attention to the bard, who seemed to have momentarily left the questioning of Fynn to Allyssa to observe her with curious eyes.


    Scarlett considered Rosa for a moment, then showed the bracelet in her hand. ¡°Can you tell me what this is?¡±


    At first glance, Rosa¡¯s eyebrows rose with a trace of confusion in her expression, examining the artifact as if she had just noticed its existence. ¡°¡­A rock, maybe? You sure seem to have a penchant for collecting those.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your assessment is far from accurate, as usual, Miss Hale.¡±


    Rosa shrugged with a non-affected smile. ¡°Can¡¯t fault a girl for trying. So, what is it, actually?¡±


    ¡°Why not see for yourself?¡± Scarlett suggested, handing over the Orrery.


    The woman accepted the strange metal bracelet, turning it over in her hands without seeming to notice anything unusual.


    Scarlett watched her reaction closely. That was fascinating. Rosa didn¡¯t even appear to register its shape being unlike a rock.


    After almost a full minute of examination, Rosa¡¯s expression changed, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at the artifact. ¡°Okay, whoa. That is bizarre,¡± she mumbled.


    She accidentally aligned the long pointer towards herself, causing the short pointer to move. Rosa paused upon seeing that, appearing thoughtful, before finally looking back at Scarlett. ¡°Alright, so it¡¯s not a rock. Can¡¯t rightly say I have any better guess than it being a nifty bracelet, though. What do the pointy thingies do?¡±


    ¡°I am still pondering that myself,¡± Scarlett answered, taking the artifact back.


    At least it seemed like the Orrery wasn¡¯t entirely invisible to others. That said, Scarlett had been carrying it around Gaspar for a lot longer than Rosa had been checking it out just now, and he still hadn¡¯t noticed anything.


    ¡°Miss Astrey, Mister Thornthon,¡± she interrupted the conversation between the Allyssa, Shin, and Fynn, presenting the artifact to them. ¡°Can any of you tell me what this is?¡±


    Their reactions were a blend of puzzlement and curiosity. Even Fynn appearing slightly perplexed. Judging from their expressions, it took them a couple of moments even to register what she was asking. When their eyes focused on the Orrery, their confusion seemed to deepen.


    ¡°A¡­rock?¡± Allyssa ventured hesitantly, as if afraid Scarlett would fail her.


    Shin nodded along. ¡°It looks like a rock.¡±


    Fynn, however, simply shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Placing the item on the table, Scarlett encouraged them to try again. ¡°Look closer and see if your answer remains the same.¡±


    The trio scrutinized it more intently, each taking turns to touch and feel it. Despite their efforts, even after a couple of minutes, none of them seemed to see through whatever illusion was placed on the artifact. Fynn¡¯s deep frown hinted that he could sense there was something off about the ¡®rock¡¯, but that was it.


    ¡°Okay, I give up,¡± Allyssa eventually declared, turning back at Scarlett. ¡°Are we supposed to notice something special here, or is this one of those trick questions?¡±


    Scarlett retrieved the bracelet again, placing it on the table directly in front of her. ¡°There is something unique about this item, rest assured. I have yet to verify precisely what that is, but I have been confirmed that its true appearance cannot be perceived by most.¡±


    She was still wondering whether it was an item from the game or not. The idea of discovering a game item so casually discarded on a dungeon floor felt strange, though she supposed it wasn¡¯t impossible. Something could have happened in this world that altered its placement. But she was relatively certain that if it was a game item, she hadn¡¯t encountered it.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    If it wasn¡¯t a game item, though, its existence raised a bunch of other questions. What was its purpose, and why was it considered important enough for the system to highlight it out like this? Why couldn¡¯t others perceive it as clearly as she could?


    A sharp knock interrupted her thoughts, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to the room¡¯s entrance. A young wizard clad grey robes entered. ¡°Pardon me, Baroness, but Magister Penney has arrived wishing to see you, if you¡¯re available.¡±


    Oh?


    She supposed she did have a few of things to discuss with him. The mystery that was the Orrery could wait for a bit longer.


    ¡°I will be there shortly,¡± Scarlett said, rising from her seat and picking up the Orrery. She threw the others a brief look. ¡°I suggest you do not wait for me before eating supper.¡±


    If ¡®Hugbert¡¯ was here, he¡¯d likely offer to dine with her after whatever conversation they were about to have. While his overt friendliness was a bit too much for Scarlett¡¯s taste, she had to admit that their previous meal together had been pleasantly tolerable.


    She followed the young wizard down the hallway to a familiar side-chamber where she had met with the Magister before. There, she found the rotund but jovial man awaiting her with a wide smile.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford! I heard about the expedition¡¯s results from Gaspar, and I must say, your achievements have certainly lived up to your reputation!¡±


    ¡°Magister Penney,¡± Scarlett greeted him with a nod, but the man quickly corrected her.


    ¡°Please, call me Hugbert,¡± he insisted.


    Scarlett maintained a polite expression.


    She was not calling him that.


    Taking a seat opposite the man, Scarlett still had the Orrery in her hands, watching to see if he noticed it. When he didn¡¯t, she casually shifted its long pointer towards him to observe its reaction.


    The short pointer barely moved, similar to how it was with most wizards here. Seeing that, Scarlett stowed the artifact away in her [Pouch of Holding] and focused on Magister Penney.


    The wizard¡¯s expression held more than its fair share of excitement. ¡°Word of what you found under the Sanctum has spread like wildfire across the Isle, Baroness. Such a discovery hasn¡¯t been made here in generations. A nexus for the Isle¡¯s Etheric wards and defences, I hear. Most exciting!¡±


    ¡°I am pleased to see my findings have as much impact on the Rising Isle as I anticipated.¡±


    ¡°Oh, even more so, I would think,¡± Hugbert responded with a light chuckle. ¡°Certain members of the council are already buzzing about what demands you might make in exchange for this boon, and any other secrets you might unveil. I just left a meeting where Gaspar shared his preliminary findings, and there was no end to the debate surrounding the significance of your contributions.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Scarlett said.


    The man¡¯s demeanor grew more somber. ¡°Indeed. I doubt there is anyone who would think to argue with the value of what you have offered us now. However¡­despite this, it seems as though the council is still hesitant to approve your request to access our archives for that investigation of yours.¡±


    Scarlett stared at him. ¡°You cannot be serious.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid that I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is absurd.¡±


    She was basically offering them a golden opportunity on a silver platter. How could they not want that?


    ¡°I agree. But when the topic was first brought up this morning, it was deferred until we could verify your claims. Now that we have, it became a matter of vote. Unfortunately, four Grand Wizards as well as Arch wizard Newbury voted against granting you access due to your status as an imperial noble. Grand Wizard Hartford, too, opposed it and persuaded two other councilors to side with him, securing a majority against your request.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t get it. Did Gaspar really have a personal grudge against her, then?


    ¡°Am I to understand that the council is unwilling to collaborate with me further, even after I have demonstrated what I can bring?¡± she asked, her tone sharp. ¡°Even after what I have already offered?¡±


    Magister Penney offered a sympathetic, albeit uneasy, smile. ¡°Regrettable as it is, politics sometimes infiltrate even the Isle. Some council members likely view this as an opportunity to protest or force some form of negotiation. While I don¡¯t believe Gaspar intends to squander this opportunity you have presented, he appears to be seeking a compromise of sorts. After having opposed your request, he suggested that he would take it upon him to conduct whatever investigation you were interested, promising to provide you the same results without compromising our archives.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°And what would the council do if I simply refuse to compromise?¡±


    Hugbert sighed. ¡°Us wizards have always been a stubborn sort, even when it is to our detriment. I suspect the others won¡¯t budge so easily. Given the value of your information, perhaps you could force the others¡¯ hands, but it might be ugly. I can promise you, however, that even without access to our records, you would be compensated appropriately, nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Compensating me would involve granting my request,¡± Scarlett said.


    The man¡¯s expression wavered slightly. A couple of moments paused where he seemed searching for the right words, and his tone turned earnest. ¡°While it may not seem ideal, Grand Wizard Hartford is among the Isle¡¯s most esteemed researchers, deeply familiar with our historical archives. Enlisting his help might actually offer the most efficient route to the information you seek. And despite his obstinance, Gaspar remains a man of integrity, so I don¡¯t think he would betray your trust.¡±


    Scarlett leaned back, considering his argument.


    To be completely honest, she didn¡¯t like it. This whole situation felt like a personal affront, the kind that merited an aggressive response. Yet she also recognized that those feelings mostly stemmed from her character traits, and that any impulsiveness on her end here likely wouldn¡¯t make things easier.


    When she actually thought about it, Hugbert¡¯s words did carry some weight. It wasn¡¯t like her investigation into Arlene¡¯s brother was some grand secret. Letting Gaspar handle it on her behalf might not be such a disadvantageous arrangement. Should he fail to deliver, she would have ample reason to raise concerns. If he succeeded, it freed her time for other pursuits on the Isle.


    From this perspective, accepting this compromise might really serve her interests better.


    But acknowledging this didn¡¯t really ease her dissatisfaction. No matter how you sliced it, this was still the council looking down on her because of her imperial status. While she didn¡¯t want to provoke them directly over this issue, she would at least be determined to ensure they paid out of their pockets for inconveniencing her.


    ¡°I will take some time to consider this proposal,¡± she said eventually. ¡°However, I hope the council understands that I am not one who appreciates being pressured during negotiations. Especially when I have already shown considerable generosity on my end.¡±


    Magister Penney nodded, a knowing smile on his face. ¡°Your point is well taken, and that¡¯s precisely why I¡¯m here. I trust we¡¯ll find mutual ground that satisfies both parties. Gaspar will likely discuss this matter with you in detail tomorrow, so perhaps you can convey your decision then.¡± His eyes lit up with sudden interest. ¡°Now, leaving that aside, would you maybe be willing to share some hints about what other secrets you might hold regarding our Isle? There has been quite the speculation among us council members, and I¡¯m hardly immune to curiosity.¡±


    Scarlett returned a measured smile of her own. ¡°For now, you will need to be patient. Should I agree to this proposal, I will present Grand Wizard Hartford with a list tomorrow, outlining my conditions for sharing any additional insights. If the council finds my terms acceptable, then we can proceed further.¡±


    Hugbert¡¯s face momentarily betrayed his disappointment, but he quickly recovered his cheerful demeanor. ¡°Understandable enough, I suppose. I certainly can¡¯t blame you for being shrewd, Baroness.¡± He laughed to himself, tapping the arm of his chair with his hand. ¡°Although, perhaps over dinner, I might coax at least some of those secrets from you, hmm?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is unlikely,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Well, in that case, we¡¯ll simply have to stick to more conventional topics of conversation,¡± he conceded jokingly, rising from his seat. ¡°Speaking of which, you never did finish the story about your visit to that grove connecting to the Wandering Realm¡­¡±

 Chapter 241 - Nice views

    Scarlett sat on a bench at the edge of a thin, lush wharf, cradled by the natural beauty of the Rising Isle. Before her, one of the Isle¡¯s countless waterfalls cascaded gracefully into the network of waterways that weaved through this place, painting a picturesque view.


    Behind her loomed a tall structure reminiscent of a lighthouse, though it likely had a more arcane purpose, considering where they were. Its long shadow provided Scarlett with a peaceful retreat from everything else. Except for Fynn, who hadn¡¯t left her side much since arriving on the Isle and was currently meditating by a moss-covered boulder nearby, she was completely alone.


    That morning, her meeting with Grand Wizard Hartford had unfolded mostly as Magister Penney had predicted, with Gaspar presenting the ¡®compromise¡¯ Scarlett had been informed of the evening before. Perhaps to the man¡¯s surprise¡ªScarlett wasn¡¯t sure if he was aware of her contact with the Magister¡ªshe promptly laid out her own conditions. ¡®Demands¡¯ might be too harsh to call them, but they were extensive, encompassing a detailed list of various rare materials, services, and concessions that she honestly doubted the council would accept without significant pushback.


    To Gaspar¡¯s credit, he managed to maintain his composure, even as the tension between them grew palpable while he read through her terms. It seemed like he could act professionally when the situation called for it.


    Following that meeting, and lacking any immediate commitments until the council gave her a proper response, Scarlett and the others had headed over to the Arcanum Spire to further delve into their research on the Zuver and the Anomalous One. Despite their efforts, as on the first day, progress was minimal, and after several hours of making little headway, they decided to break for lunch.


    While Rosa and the rest eagerly sought out one of the eateries popular with the local wizards, Scarlett preferred less crowded spots and opted to dine alone, which was what brought her here. Hugbert had recommended it to her the evening before.


    Not that her choice of food really lived up to the view. To make things simple, she¡¯d decided to try one of the locally produced staples called ¡®Everlasting Biscuits¡¯, which were apparently designed to sustain wizards through prolonged stretches of research. For something that was supposed to last you for most of the day and sounded like it would taste like cardboard, the biscuit was surprisingly palatable. It just couldn¡¯t compare to the culinary delights Scarlett had grown accustomed to back in Freybrook. Unless she needed to, she probably wouldn¡¯t be trying one of those again.


    Apart from her lacklustre meal and the council-related affairs with Gaspar, she¡¯d also spent some time in the early morning catching up with information from the empire. Direct communication with Beldon was impossible on the Isle, but the man still managed to send her letters¡ªwhich were a pain to decipher¡ªthat gave her a general run-down of things.


    His latest missives detailed the ongoing search for the Countess¡¯ whereabouts and some unsettling discoveries that had recently been made involving a certain count in Ambercrest. She also learned that the preliminary investigation into Anguish¡¯s Citadel had finally concluded, and it had been officially declared a failed manifestation attempt by one of the six Viles. Scarlett didn¡¯t know what the overall reaction to this news would be, but from what Beldon reported, it was being spun as a crisis averted through the valiant efforts of the Dawnbringers and Duke Valentino¡¯s forces, so there probably wouldn¡¯t be any widespread panic.


    She was thankful that the incident hadn¡¯t drawn too much public attention to her as well. She assumed that some of the more important figures in the empire were aware of her involvement, but hopefully, she would remain a minor footnote even in their minds. It was better for her if Raimond and the Dawnbringers received the bulk of the credit.


    Other than Beldon¡¯s updates, Scarlett received a letter from Evelyne, discussing matters relating to the fief and the other preparations that were underway under the younger woman¡¯s charge. Evelyne had apparently left Freybrook the previous day for Autumnwell to confer with the Withersworths and other influential figures in the city. Scarlett assumed this meant Evelyne would have some good news to report on her return. Lady Withersworth had always seemed positive about working with them, and the old noblewoman would probably be able to help Evelyne in ways she couldn¡¯t.


    Scarlett¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of another person, who suddenly sat down on the bench beside her. Turning, she recognized the dark purple hair ending just above the shoulders, the gold-rimmed glasses with thin chains dangling at the ends, and the familiar emerald robes with gold accents.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Senior Wizard Yamina looked straight forward, seemingly entranced by the view.


    Scarlett glanced over at Fynn, noting his watchful gaze on the newcomer.


    ¡°It appears these encounters are becoming a recurrent occurrence,¡± Scarlett remarked after a few seconds, breaking the silence. ¡°Rather coincidental, would you not say so?¡±


    ¡°Coincidental?¡± Yamina echoed, looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a curious look. ¡°Whatever brought that notion into your head? I thought my interest in you was quite overt.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her, momentarily taken aback by the candidness. ¡°¡­Most would not admit that so openly.¡±


    Yamina gave a light shrug, her eyes returning to the scenic landscape. ¡°Fitting in has never been my strength.¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a couple of seconds before also looking ahead. ¡°It appears we share that trait.¡± After another brief silence, she continued, ¡°What, then, drives your interest in me, if I may ask? I doubt the council assigned you to follow me.¡±


    ¡°I heard about you from an acquaintance of mine.¡±


    ¡°And which acquaintance might that be?¡±


    ¡°Warley Godwin.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    She supposed that made sense. She recalled Godwin once mentioning an associate skilled in divination and analytical magic who had helped him in crafting a device to analyse Scarlett¡¯s ¡®precognitive¡¯ abilities. Was that Yamina, then?


    ¡°And who are you, precisely?¡± Scarlett eventually asked, cautiously examining the woman from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Senior Wizard Yamina,¡± came the response. ¡°Yamina Ward.¡±


    Scarlett looked over at Fynn. ¡°Is she speaking the truth?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She frowned, confused.


    That couldn¡¯t be right. She had been sure that the woman was one of the Isle¡¯s arch wizards in disguise. If not, the rationale behind most of her actions seemed puzzling. Could it be a half-truth of some kind, maybe?


    Yamina¡¯s attention shifted to study Fynn, a discerning expression on her face. ¡°So you are a Grehaldrael.¡±


    The frown on Scarlett¡¯s brow deepened. Had Godwin disclosed information about Fynn?


    ¡°What has Dean Godwin shared with you?¡± she asked, her tone edged slightly sharper than intended.


    The wizard shook her head lightly. ¡°Hardly anything, actually. He¡¯s been suspiciously taciturn, in fact. But I have a certain sense for these things. A vocational hazard, one might say. I might be no Augur, but I pick up on things.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what, exactly, is it that you have picked up on?¡±


    Scarlett was trying to figure out who this woman could be if she wasn¡¯t one of the Isle¡¯s three arch wizards. There were no significant NPCs from the game who matched Yamina¡¯s description or position, as far as she was aware. Her title of ¡®Senior Wizard¡¯ suggested she wasn¡¯t anyone particularly important, but her manner and apparent relationship to an imperial arch wizard like Godwin implied otherwise.


    Scarlett considered bringing out the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence] to gauge its reaction to the woman once more, but she was hesitant to do that right now.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve noticed several intriguing aspects,¡± Yamina said, amused. ¡°Your discovery of the hidden chambers beneath the Astral Sanctum, for one. It has made it clear why Warley has taken an interest in you. Even if that were all, I would still be keen to meet you.¡±


    ¡°But there is more? What other reasons did you have to seek me out as you have? I assume our encounter in the Arcanum Spire was also orchestrated by you.¡±


    Yamina tilted her head to the side slightly. ¡°Intellectual curiosity, you might say?¡±


    ¡°That does not tell me much. I would appreciate a more straightforward answer.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I thought that was rather direct. My apologies.¡±


    ¡°I will not take offence if you tell me your intentions directly.¡±


    ¡°Well, to speak with you, evidently.¡± The woman went quiet for a bit, as if considering what more to say. ¡°You¡¯re rather thorny, aren¡¯t you? I can see why you and Gaspar might find yourselves at odds. Your personalities are rather divergent.¡±


    ¡°Should I infer from your words that you are here to critique my character?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Yamina hesitated, adjusting her glasses. ¡°No, though it seems I¡¯ve done so inadvertently, despite that. I suspect this is one of the reasons they often try to keep me away from foreign dignitaries.¡±


    ¡°So you are indeed not here on behalf of the council.¡±


    ¡°Certainly not. They would have more than a few choice words for me if they learned of this.¡± The wizard cast a quick glance at Scarlett. ¡°However, I understand you¡¯ve already mentioned my name to Hugbert.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­Then he is aware of your identity, after all.¡±


    That meant Magister Penney hadn¡¯t been completely honest with her about Yamina. Not that she¡¯d thought he was, but it was clear she had also misunderstood Yamina¡¯s true identity.


    ¡°He probably believed withholding my identity was the best way to not get me caught up in the politics,¡± Yamina said. ¡°He has a tendency to be overprotective, even when it¡¯s wholly unnecessary.¡±


    Scarlett studied her carefully. Initially, she thought the woman was disguising her actual age, but if appearances were to be trusted, Yamina wasn¡¯t much older than herself, perhaps in her early thirties. Yet she spoke about some of the Isle¡¯s most prominent wizards¡ªnot to mention Dean Godwin¡ªas if they were close friends.


    There was definitely something about her identity that Scarlett was missing.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve veered off topic, haven¡¯t I?¡± Yamina continued. ¡°There¡¯s a wealth of topics I wouldn¡¯t mind discussing with you, Baroness. However, first I have a proposition.¡± She faced Scarlett squarely. ¡°Would you be interested in exploring the Veiled Library?¡±

 Chapter 242 - Naturals

    ¡°I presented Grand Wizard Hartford with my response this morning,¡± Scarlett informed Magister Penney calmly. The man sat opposite her in a spacious armchair, watching her with keen interest. ¡°I trust he will bring it before the council without delay. My terms are rather comprehensive, so I sincerely hope that you will give them thoughtful consideration before coming to a decision.¡±


    Evening had set in, and only the dim light from a lone chandelier illuminated the room.


    ¡°I look forward to reviewing it with the rest of the council, then,¡± the magister replied earnestly. ¡°Should I anticipate any particular points of interest?¡±


    ¡°Everything proposed should be well within the Isle¡¯s means.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°That could still cover a broad spectrum of things, but alright. I¡¯m optimistic that we can reach a satisfactory compromise for your continued collaboration, eventually.¡±


    ¡°That is my preference as well.¡± Scarlett paused briefly to consider him. ¡°With that settled, there is something else I want to ask. Do you recall the wizard I inquired about during our initial meeting?¡±


    ¡°The Senior Wizard, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw her again yesterday, participating in the Astral Sanctum¡¯s investigation, and our paths crossed once more today. It strikes me as remarkable that we have encountered each other three times already during my short stay here.¡±


    Magister Penney¡¯s expression shifted subtly, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.


    Scarlett held his gaze for a moment. ¡°¡­Unless I am mistaken, you claimed not to know her personally.¡±


    The portly man straightened in his seat, clearing his throat. ¡°Ah, yes, I did say that, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°However, I have since learned that to not be the case,¡± Scarlett pressed.


    He fell silent, then, after a few seconds, sighed. ¡°It seems she has once again disregarded any efforts I make to simplify matters for her.¡± Magister Penney offered an apologetic smile. ¡°I apologise for not being entirely forthright about the matter. I am indeed familiar with Senior Wizard Yamina. My silence wasn¡¯t meant to deceive you specifically, but rather to protect her. It could reflect poorly on her if it were known that she had made clandestine contact with you in the particular manner I suspect she has.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Well, there are several reasons,¡± he answered. ¡°For one, the duty has been designated to Grand Wizard Hartford, and any interference with that duty will be frowned upon. While the council knows of and largely accepts my meeting with you, Yamina¡¯s involvement is a concern due to her history of causing, let¡¯s say, disruptions with those from outside the Isle.¡±


    ¡°I do not mind.¡±


    Hugbert¡¯s smile became awkward. ¡°The council might.¡±


    Scarlett wondered what Yamina might have done to merit the council being so wary. The woman didn¡¯t strike her as someone who would do something too crazy. Although, she supposed that Yamina¡¯s method and motivations for approaching Scarlett had been pretty¡­direct.


    ¡°If I might ask, who is she? I find it hard to believe that she is simply another Senior Wizard, given how she acts.¡±


    There was also the fact that she seemed to have no difficulty at all in locating Scarlett no matter where she was on the Isle.


    The magister seemed to consider her for a bit, weighing his response.


    ¡°I presume she introduced herself only as ¡®Senior Wizard Yamina¡¯ when you originally met her?¡± he finally asked.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Then do you know her full name?¡±


    ¡°I believe it is ¡®Yamina Ward¡¯.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Indeed, though she herself often prefers just her first name. Now, have you heard of anyone else with the surname ¡®Ward¡¯ here on the Rising Isle?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow knitted as she pondered that question. The name seemed familiar, now that he mentioned it, but why?


    ¡°¡­Was there not an arch wizard on the Isle that went by that name?¡±


    She vaguely remembered reading about it while researching the Rising Isle. Since it wasn¡¯t relevant to her game knowledge at the time, it hadn¡¯t been at the front of her mind.


    ¡°There was,¡± Magister Penney confirmed. ¡°Senior Wizard Yamina is Arch Wizard Ward¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Scarlett had to admit that she didn¡¯t quite expect that.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Arch Wizard Ward was a wizard of exceptional skill and character, rare even among those mages who reach that vaunted level,¡± Hugbert continued. ¡°Though the Rising Isle has never officially had a single leader, he was, in many respects, a guiding force during his time. Yamina, being his daughter, received considerable attention and benefits while she was still young, unlike most here.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°I would have assumed that such favoritism would find little favor here.¡±


    ¡°In most cases, it would. But Yamina was an exceptional case, undoubtedly deserving of such attention. From a young age, she exhibited magical prowess and insights far beyond her peers, astounding even seasoned wizards. The Isle hadn¡¯t witnessed such a prodigious talent in decades. Many believed she would surpass even her father.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°If she is so talented, why then is she merely a senior wizard?¡±


    If the woman was at the level where she even had the respect of figures like Dean Godwin, it seemed odd for her to remain in that position.


    ¡°A question I¡¯m sure is asked by many of us as well, I¡¯m sure.¡± The man¡¯s expression turned introspective. ¡°Hmm. The best way I can put it, I suppose, is that attaining positions like Principal or Grand Wizard requires more than raw talent or breadth of knowledge. At the very least, it requires some combination of dissertational work, participation in academic and scholarly discourse, mentoring apprentices and disciples, and numerous other responsibilities. Additionally, while the primary focus of the Rising Isle is the advancement of magical knowledge, a certain level of combat prowess is also valued. Despite Yamina¡¯s undeniable skill, her focus has always been on divination and fundamental spellcraft analysis. Along with her disinterest in many of the conventional formalities and duties associated with a higher status, there simply has not been much reason to give her another title. Moreover, her frequent excursions outside the Rising Isle on independent, unsanctioned projects have led to some friction between her and certain members of the council.¡±


    Scarlett folded her arms as she listened. It sounded like Yamina was similar to Dean Godwin in more ways than just the woman¡¯s interest in her. Despite the apparent age difference between the two, maybe their friendship made sense after all.


    Still, it felt like all of this wasn¡¯t quite enough to explain everything she¡¯d learned about Yamina. ¡°There must be more to her story. As you said, she is no ordinary Senior Wizard.¡±


    ¡°There is, yes,¡± the magister said, scratching at his chin. ¡°Yamina is only a Senior Wizard, but she also happens to be the leading authority in her field. This expertise means that she has been given some additional responsibilities and freedoms uncommon for her rank. For instance, she oversees several of the major projects at the Mistral Observatory and is even permitted to attend council meetings as its representative.¡±


    ¡°And how many other wizards enjoy such privileges?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°So, she essentially holds a position akin to that of a council member.¡±


    ¡°There are those who have drawn such comparisons. Technically, she lacks any formal voting rights, but she is free to express her views, even though she seldom does.¡±


    A small frown creased Scarlett¡¯s brow. To her, it sounded like Yamina was basically an unofficial Grand Wizard ¡ª or perhaps even an Arch Wizard.


    Despite this, the woman had never made a noticeable appearance in the game.


    ¡°Does this mean she also wields similar influence to an official council member among the wizards of the Isle?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°In part. Although, from what I know, Yamina often sees this more as a hindrance than a benefit.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    She somehow doubted that giving people like her access to restricted areas like the Veiled Library was among the powers Yamina had. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to learn all of this about the woman. Although she didn¡¯t turn out to be who Scarlett thought she was, Yamina still sounded useful.


    As silence fell, Magister Penney¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. ¡°¡­Should I perhaps be concerned about your interest in Yamina and whatever it is that she has sought you out for?¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze with a completely neutral expression.


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    Whether her response did much to ease his worries was another matter entirely.


    Later that day, Scarlett and her companions were gathered in the communal space of their lodgings. Her conversation with Magister Penney had continued for a while longer before he eventually left to attend to his own duties, this time without extending an invitation for supper.


    As night fell, Scarlett stood before her party, surveying them closely.


    Each member was fully equipped, looking like they were about to clear another dungeon. And in a sense, they were.


    Shin was clad in his bluish-grey armour and shield, provided by Scarlett. Fynn had donned his bracers and assorted protective gear. Allyssa and Rosa were draped in their enchanted cloaks, with Rosa busily tying Allyssa¡¯s blonde hair into a ponytail that wouldn¡¯t get in the way during fights.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that, even with all this time spent coming up with spells to blow up monsters and teleport around the world, no one bothered creating one for simple conveniences like this,¡± Rosa sighed, securing Allyssa¡¯s hair and stepping back.


    Shin looked over. ¡°I think there are spells like that.¡±


    Allyssa finished adjusting the last stray locks on her head before pulling on her protective goggles. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you learn them? I wouldn¡¯t mind having a personal attendant for things like that.¡±


    He rolled his eyes and turned to Scarlett. ¡°So, when are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± Scarlett replied, checking the clock on the wall. It should be any moment now.


    Right on cue, a burst of light filled the room. A figure in emerald robes appeared in the center, holding an ornate pocket watch with a radiant crystal on its face.


    ¡°Baroness,¡± Yamina greeted.


    ¡°Senior Wizard Ward,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the props lady,¡± Rosa remarked.


    Yamina nodded, her purple hair swaying. ¡°That is indeed me.¡±


    Allyssa wore a puzzled expression. ¡°¡®Props lady¡¯?¡±


    ¡°She uses props,¡± Rosa explained.


    ¡°No, I got that, but like¡­what?¡±


    ¡°How does she use props?¡± Fynn asked.


    ¡°The introductions can wait,¡± Scarlett interrupted, focusing on Yamina. ¡°Is everything ready?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± the woman said, producing a circular disc from her robes and placing it on a nearby table. The disc, etched with numerous runes and inlaid with gems, emitted a soft glow and it cast a protective aura over the room. ¡°This will ensure that your departure remains unnoticed,¡± she explained, glancing at the pocket watch in her hand. ¡°Now, if you would all gather around.¡±


    Scarlett gestured for the others to join her, and they formed a circle around the wizard.


    With a slight smile, Yamina looked at Scarlett. ¡°Off to the Veiled Library, then?¡±


    ¡°To the Veiled Library,¡± Scarlett confirmed.


    The woman activated the artifact in her hand, and a radiant light enveloped the group as they left for their destination.

 Chapter 243 - The Veiled Library

    Scarlett and her companions found themselves in a dimly lit underground chamber, its age-old stone walls sporadically illuminated by glowing green crystals, painting everything in hues of ghostly jade.


    It was eerily silent here, broken only by the soft echoes of their footsteps. Statues of ancient Zuver lined the walls, their impassive stone faces eternally watching. At the center of the chamber stood rows of bookshelves, obscured by a dark, purplish fog that seemed almost sentient, hinting at hidden knowledge.


    Given this place¡¯s importance, it was smaller than expected. It reminded Scarlett of the more basic Zuverian ruins she had explored in the empire, rather than the grandiose architecture typical of the Rising Isle.


    ¡°Uh, where are we?¡± Allyssa asked in a low whisper.


    ¡°In the Veiled Library,¡± Yamina replied. ¡°It¡¯s one of the Rising Isle¡¯s most hidden sanctuaries, home to perhaps the world¡¯s most extensive collection of rare arcane lore and esoteric texts.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Allyssa glanced at Scarlett, a hint of concern flickering in her eyes. ¡°And we¡¯ve just slipped in?¡±


    ¡°It would be best not to dwell on the particulars,¡± Scarlett said, dismissing the girl¡¯s worries about their unofficial entry. It was possible¡ªperhaps even likely¡ªthat she would have gained access through official channels eventually, but the opportunity presented by Yamina had been too good to pass up. There was an artifact that she wanted here. Not one that she needed, but it would be good to get her hands on it if possible, and she doubted the Isle would willingly part with it if they knew of its existence.


    Yamina, though, seemed different.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes dropped briefly to the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence] on her wrist, then moved to the wizard. Even with it aimed at Yamina, it didn¡¯t show more of a reaction than it had before.


    Since its presence went unnoticed by most, she¡¯d decided to wear it to better get a grasp of its exact purpose.


    ¡°I assume we can explore the collection freely?¡± she asked, gesturing towards the stone shelves.


    ¡°Feel free,¡± Yamina replied, her robe sleeves flowing as she motioned with her hand. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Rosa stood beside Scarlett, her gaze skeptical as she surveyed the shelves. ¡°You know, for supposedly being such a trove of knowledge, I can¡¯t help but note that there¡¯s a suspicious lack of books here.¡±


    Yamina looked at her with a knowing smile. ¡°Are you certain about that?¡±


    ¡°Well, not when you ask me like that.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you would like a firsthand look?¡± The wizard nodded towards the closest of the fog-shrouded shelves.


    Rosa eyed the shelf with wariness. ¡°What, should I just plunge my hand into mist?¡±


    ¡°That would be a good start.¡±


    Rosa narrowed her eyes, voice laced with mock suspicion. ¡°This won¡¯t result in some finger-eating monster latching onto my hand, will it?¡±


    ¡°It would be a first if it did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a no.¡±


    Despite her apparent unease, Rosa approached the shelf and gingerly reached into the swirling purple fog. The moment of contact seemed to surprise her, and she quickly retracted her hand, now holding an aged, black leather-bound book. The bard stared at the cover with widened eyes.


    Yamina stepped closer to her, reading the title aloud. "Guardians of the Veil: Warding Against the Blazes.¡± She glanced at Rosa meaningfully. ¡°An interesting choice.¡±


    Rosa stayed quiet for a moment, then released a light, dismissive laugh. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just naturally interesting¡­ Not that I made any conscious choice here.¡±


    Yamina chuckled softly. ¡°The Veiled Library does not actually let you choose. Instead, it presents the seeker with either the tome they most desire, or the one that aligns best with what they¡¯re currently searching for. It appears this book is precisely what you need at this moment.¡±


    Scarlett noted Rosa¡¯s discomfort at that response and found it rather refreshing.


    ¡°All we need to do is reach into the shelf, then?¡± Shin asked as he walked up to the shelf as well, the interest clear on his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    With a blend of anticipation and curiosity that one didn¡¯t often see in him, the young man extended his hand into the fog, withdrawing a thick volume filled with dense text on the cover.


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± he mumbled, examining the title.


    ¡°¡®Regulations of Trade Routes: An Exhaustive Compilation, 8th Century¡¯,¡± Allyssa read. ¡°Only you would find excitement in what might be the dullest tome known to man.¡±


    She shook her head, then reached into the shelf herself, drawing out a book. Her expression froze as she saw its title.


    Shin leaned over, reading it out for her. ¡°Elixirs of the Ancients: Secrets of the Alchemical Vanguard.¡±


    Allyssa turned to Yamina, her voice a mix of thrill and disbelief. ¡°Is this real?¡±


    ¡°Every item within the Veiled Library is,¡± the wizard confirmed.


    The girl¡¯s eyes sparkled with awe as she returned her focus to the book. ¡°This book is famous. My old teacher told me it was one of the most sought-after works in alchemy, with only a few copies in the entire empire. I¡¯ve always wanted to read it.¡± She sent Scarlett a hopeful gaze. ¡°Please tell me we¡¯ll have enough time for me to take some notes before we leave?¡±


    ¡°The Library grants copies of any tome it presents which last for a whole week,¡± Yamina explained. ¡°You may keep this one.¡±


    Hearing this, Allyssa¡¯s astonishment morphed into unbridled joy, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.


    ¡°I think this is what they mean by ¡®the pot calling the kettle black¡¯,¡± Shin said.


    ¡°Oi, you be quiet. Don¡¯t think being right gives you the right to be smug.¡± Allyssa sent him a cautionary glare. She then looked to Fynn, who had hung back, showing little interest in the shelves. Her smile turned slightly mischievous. ¡°Hey, Fynn, why don¡¯t you give it a go as well? I¡¯m curious what it gives you.¡±


    Fynn gave her a disinterested look, then stepped up to the shelf and reached through the mist. What he pulled out was a hefty tome even thicker than Shin¡¯s. Its cover was plain and seemed to scream practicality, stamped with a single title: ¡®Fulton¡¯s Compendium on Human Engagements: Principles of Social Converse.¡¯


    A stifled snort escaped Rosa, while Fynn examined the book with a frown. ¡°Who¡¯s Fulton?¡±


    ¡°Presumably, it¡¯s referring to Fulton the Hermetic Scholar,¡± Yamina supplied. ¡°He was a renowned arch wizard here a little over a century ago. Apparently, he was most known for his reclusive nature and preference to avoid even other wizards.¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Rosa seemed to struggle to contain her laughter, and even Allyssa couldn¡¯t hide a grin. Fynn, however, seemed genuinely puzzled by the book in his hand.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t need this,¡± he said.


    Yamina studied him quietly for a moment. ¡°Then perhaps the Library has misjudged your needs.¡± She then turned her attention to Scarlett. ¡°Now, Baroness, would you like to try?¡±


    Scarlett looked from the woman to the fog that draped over the shelf like a veil. Up close, it looked a lot more uninviting than it had through a screen. There was definitely a part of her that blanched at the thought of pushing her hand into that.


    After having taken a moment to steel herself, she reached out through the veil, which felt like penetrating a cold vacuum. Suddenly, something solid seemed to slot itself into her grip, and as she pulled her hand back, she found herself holding a leather-bound book.


    Her forehead knitted together as she examined the cover. It was completely bare. No title or anything. Flipping it open, she discovered that the pages were blank as well. Turning to Yamina, she found the wizard observing her with a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The woman was silent for a few seconds before responding. ¡°It seems the Library doesn¡¯t possess what you seek.¡± She reached into the shelf herself, retrieving a similarly blank book. ¡°Something we share in common, apparently.¡±


    A small sense of disappointment washed over Scarlett. She¡¯d hoped to uncover something related to the Anomalous One and its sealing. The Veiled Library had seemed like her best chance for that. Finding something to help in completing Arlene¡¯s quest would also have been nice, but maybe the Rising Isle didn¡¯t store their historic records here.


    Following Yamina¡¯s lead, Scarlett returned her book to the shelf and surveyed the rest of the chamber. The exit, marked by a simple stone staircase, wasn¡¯t far, and there wasn¡¯t much else of note. Outwardly, this place seemed really unimpressive.


    Of course, she doubted Yamina would have brought her here if the woman thought there wasn¡¯t more to this place.


    Her gaze landed on a Zuver statue in the corner, a quill in its hand.


    She turned back to Yamina. ¡°The Veiled Library provides what it believes you need or want, correct? If so, I presume it is possible to refine one¡¯s request to influence the outcome?¡±


    Yamina nodded. ¡°It¡¯s possible, yes, though it requires practice.¡±


    ¡°But you are capable of it?¡±


    The woman pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, the lenses catching the ambient light in the room. ¡°Naturally. Are you searching for something specific?¡±


    ¡°A text pertaining to the Zuver and the custodian of this library,¡± Scarlett said.


    Tilting her head slightly, Yamina reached into the shelf, withdrawing a slender, aged book adorned with intricate Zuverian script.


    ¡°The Librarian¡¯s Final Word,¡± she translated its title. ¡°Hmm, curious. I wonder if this is recorded in the archives? I wasn¡¯t aware the Library ever had a librarian.¡±


    ¡°I have found several references to them in my own research,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°It surprises me that you have not.¡±


    Yamina shrugged, handing the book to Scarlett. ¡°I am not an expert on the Zuver. My focus lies elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°So I have heard.¡± Accepting the tome, Scarlett headed towards the statue in the corner. ¡°Magister Penney shed some light on your circumstances. It would seem there is far more to you than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps so,¡± Yamina replied with a nonchalant smile, following closely with the others. ¡°At the very least, that is one way of seeing it. I find that, often, complexity is more a matter of perception.¡±


    ¡°That is true, I suppose. I am prone to overthinking myself.¡± Scarlett stopped in front of the Zuver statue. It was taller than her, with protruding brows and elongated, elf-like ears.


    ¡°Many have scoured this library for secrets, to no avail,¡± Yamina mentioned, joining Scarlett in examining the statue. ¡°Myself included.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her. ¡°Did the same not apply to the Astral Sanctum?¡±


    ¡°It did. I just thought I should temper your expectations about discovering anything new here.¡±


    ¡°How considerate of you.¡±


    Scarlett raised the tome in her hands, not bothering to open it as she positioned it before the statue. At first, nothing happened. Then, a glimmer lit up the statue¡¯s eyes, its hand opening to accept the book, which unfurled on its own. The statue then maneuvered its quill to the open page.


    Suddenly, the chamber rumbled, and a segment of wall to their right became transparent, revealing a hidden staircase.


    Looking to Yamina, Scarlett found the woman watching the scene with an intrigued, but not surprised, expression.


    There was a brief period of silence where nobody said anything, broken by Rosa.


    ¡°By the light of Ittar¡¯s shimmering philtrum!¡± the bard gasped, pressing her hands to her face in disbelief. ¡°The wall just vanished! Like magic! I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m seeing!¡±


    Everybody turned to look at her.


    Rosa paused briefly before clearing her throat lightly and smiling. ¡°Sorry. The moment felt like it lacked a certain amount of flabbergasted shock, so I thought I¡¯d provide it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ever the performer, Miss Hale,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I live to entertain, my Lady.¡±


    Allyssa stepped up to pat Rosa on the shoulder. ¡°Hey. I appreciate your efforts.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The group approached the newly revealed entrance, peering down the staircase. It was spacious enough for them to walk side by side, embellished with intricate carvings that spiraled down its walls, illuminated by the soft glow of green crystals, leading deep into the bowels of the earth.


    Rosa let out an impressed whistle. ¡°Looks like we have quite the descent ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°That we do,¡± Scarlett agreed. ¡°We should begin immediately if we wish to return before dawn.¡±


    Taking the lead, she started down the stairs, which she suspected plunged even deeper than those in the Astral Sanctum. Fynn quickly moved past her to the front, while Shin guarded their rear, with the rest of the group nestled safely in between.


    As they descended, Scarlett cast a sidelong glance at Yamina, who still appeared unruffled by their surroundings.


    ¡°It almost seems as though you anticipated this, Senior Wizard Ward. That is curious, considering you yourself suggested the Library held no secrets.¡±


    ¡°Please, just Yamina is fine,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Or Miss Ward, if you care for the formalities. As for anticipating things, I truly had no idea what was here. I simply assumed that you would be able to uncover something.¡±


    ¡°And what made you so confident? Is it the experiences in the Astral Sanctum, or does your confidence stem from insights shared by Dean Godwin?¡±


    Yamina seemed to consider the question for a moment. ¡°A bit of both, perhaps?¡±


    Scarlett paused briefly, scrutinizing her and wondering if there could be more to it, then she refocused on the path ahead. ¡°Earlier, the Library presented us both blank volumes. I believe I grasp the rationale behind why mine was empty, but why was yours? What question of yours is it that remains unanswered even by the Veiled Library?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a rather direct line of inquiry, Baroness. Might I expect you to share your secrets as well if I reveal mine?¡±


    ¡°Not at this moment, no.¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlett noticed a subtle smile on the wizard¡¯s face.


    ¡°In that case, I think I¡¯ll remain equally reserved.¡±


    ¡°So be it.¡±


    She was curious about what Yamina might be searching for. Presumably, it was something significant enough to warrant bringing Scarlett here covertly. Still, she wasn¡¯t quite willing to divulge anything about the Anomalous One or the fate of this world to Yamina when they¡¯d only known each other for a few days.


    With Godwin, she¡¯d at least had some insights into his character from the game.


    The group continued in silence until Allyssa broke it. ¡°So, what should we expect from here? This place seems a bit different from the other Zuverian ruins we¡¯ve visited, but should we still expect a fight?¡±


    Everyone turned their gazes to Scarlett, including Yamina.


    ¡°¡­It would not surprise me if we did indeed encounter some resistance,¡± she said. ¡°If so, try to avoid damaging the surroundings if you can.¡± She looked at Yamina. ¡°Can you identify and detect any threats with your spells?¡±


    The woman waved her hand through the air, leaving a trail of blue light. Her brows furrowing slightly. ¡°Divination spells are obstructed here, and I don¡¯t think I will be able to deconstruct the wards responsible. We¡¯ll have to proceed further to see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Since Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how capable Yamina was in combat, it was best to assume that their party would be doing most of the work.


    As they descended further, Rosa sidled up to Scarlett, leaning close to her in a whisper. ¡°Hey, just checking. In case we do run into trouble, should I hold back on using my special charms, or are we pretending those don¡¯t exist right now?¡± She nodded quietly towards Yamina, who had her head turned away from them at the moment, examining some of the wall inscriptions.


    Scarlett considered the wizard for a bit. She had a hunch that Yamina finding out about Rosa¡¯s particular constitution wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but it was probably best to play it safe. ¡°For the time being, keep to your normal charms.¡±


    ¡°Understood, boss lady,¡± Rosa replied with a mock salute.


    Eventually, as they neared what seemed to be the bottom of the passage, Yamina spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± she said, turning to Scarlett. ¡°How many locations like this one are you aware of on the Isle?¡±


    Scarlett regarded her evenly. ¡°¡­It is difficult to say. There are some I have encountered only in passing references, so I cannot be certain they exist. There are also those that might have already been uncovered by the wizards here.¡±


    The woman mulled this over. ¡°Along with the Veiled Library and the Astral Sanctum, I believe you also mentioned the Hall of Echoes during your initial discussions with Grand Wizard Hartford. The council is working under the assumption that you hold the secrets to all three. Is that correct?¡±


    It seemed like the woman really was privy to the Isle¡¯s council meetings.


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Even just the possibility is an intriguing one,¡± Yamina said. ¡°The Hall of Echoes has always been a particular fascination of mine, despite its irrelevance to my field.¡±


    ¡°Then should luck be on our side, we might explore whatever it may hide in the future.¡±


    Scarlett was planning on visiting the Hall of Echoes eventually, considering its significance in the game. But that would have to wait, though.


    ¡°For now, let us focus on what lies ahead. We will soon see what the Veiled Library has to show us.¡±

 Chapter 244 - Cranky librarians

    When Scarlett and the others reached the bottom of the stairs, they stopped for a moment to take in the sight before them. The room was vast, far larger than the chamber above, with countless rows of stone shelves laden with books and other texts. Spectral entities, clad in thick, grey robes, glided gracefully between the aisles, pausing now and then to peruse or touch the spines of the books with an almost reverent delicacy.


    ¡°¡­Alright, now this looks more like a library,¡± Rosa said with a hint of laughter in her voice.


    ¡°I suspect this is the true Veiled Library,¡± Yamina replied, touching the rim of her glasses with a look of fascination. ¡°The initial chamber was likely created to serve as a physical dialogue with this place. The books had to be kept somewhere, after all. Considering how expansive this space appears to be, the Zuver likely employed spatial magic to accommodate the contents, but even so, its size surpasses my expectations.¡±


    ¡°How extensive is the Veiled Library¡¯s archive supposed to be?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°No one knows for certain. Since the founding of the Rising Isle, we¡¯ve catalogued over one hundred thousand unique volumes and contributed nearly as many ourselves. Among these are numerous rare and unique texts, though many are also mundane or in such a state of disrepair that they¡¯re mostly unreadable. Judging from what we see here, I would say that the Isle has probably only uncovered half of the Library¡¯s full scope.¡±


    Scarlett considered Yamina¡¯s words for a moment, then turned her gaze to the endless rows of books. She hadn¡¯t really considered that aspect in the game, but unearthing this place might actually be more significant to the Rising Isle than the Astral Sanctum or Hall of Echoes. Although she supposed that depended on the value of whatever unread works were kept here.


    Given that the chamber above seemed designed to provide what one sought or needed, it felt like the Isle should already have found most of the important works.


    Her eyes fell on one of the spectral figures meandering through the aisles, seemingly indifferent to their group¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Are those supposed to be the librarians?¡± Allyssa pointed towards another one that drifted by, disappearing down one of the aisles. Their faces were obscured by grey, semi-transparent hoods that emanated a dissonant aura.


    ¡°They likely serve a similar purpose,¡± Yamina observed. ¡°They¡¯re the caretakers of the library, in all probability.¡±


    Fynn stepped forward, lowering his stance. ¡°Are they dangerous?¡±


    ¡°It would surprise me if they weren¡¯t. Whether they are inherently hostile is another matter.¡±


    ¡°From their actions, that does not appear to be the case,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Assuming their role is to protect this repository, they will likely only retaliate if we harm the books or do something to anger them.¡±


    Allyssa, clutching her crossbow in one hand and a vial in her bandolier with the other, glanced at Scarlett. ¡°So it should be safe to proceed?¡±


    ¡°There is only one way to know for certain. Fynn, lead the way.¡±


    Nodding, Fynn began walking ahead. He halted at the entrance to one of the aisles, allowing a librarian to glide past him. The spectral figure paused briefly at a shelf, its arm glowing faintly as it touched the spine of a book before continuing on its path, paying no attention to Fynn.


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to mind,¡± Rosa remarked. ¡°How novel. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever run into anything on one of these adventures of ours that hasn¡¯t tried to kill us in some way.¡±


    ¡°We will have to see whether that holds true.¡± Scarlett moved after Fynn. The others followed her lead, stopping behind Fynn as he studied their surroundings with knitted brows.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Scarlett asked.


    He turned to her, shaking his head. ¡°No. But these things are strange. They don¡¯t feel dead or alive. I don¡¯t know what they are.¡±


    ¡°They remind me of those Aurenthial thingies that we ran into before,¡± Allyssa said. ¡°Or is that just me?¡±


    Yamina regarded the girl with interest. ¡°You¡¯ve come across Aurenthials?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, when we were in this old Followers shrine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for anyone outside the Followers to even be aware of their existence, let alone encounter them.¡±


    ¡°These feel different,¡± Fynn said, looking thoughtful. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re Aurenthials.¡±


    ¡°The underlying principle might be similar, but the process behind their creation would differ significantly,¡± Yamina mused, watching another librarian glide by. The lenses of her glasses took on a light shine as she observed it. ¡°Unlike Aurenthials, these entities are not animated by divine power or mana. In fact, I cannot detect any energy whatsoever from them. It is as if they are only acting as conduits.¡±


    ¡°Conduits for what?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°That is the crux of the matter. Typically, the Zuver use constructs as vessels for their animancy spells. Those are powered internally, and I can usually detect such spells.¡± Yamina paused, appearing contemplative. ¡°These, however¡­ I¡¯m not sure there is anything beneath those robes.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound ominous at all,¡± Rosa said dryly.


    Yamina smiled faintly. ¡°On the contrary, I think it sounds rather fascinating. It begs the question of why the Zuver would employ such a method here when there are no records of it elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that the Rising Isle will have ample time to investigate the matter.¡± Scarlett peered down the numerous aisles. ¡°For now, our priority is simply to move forward.¡±


    ¡°Where are we heading?¡± Allyssa asked. ¡°Does this place even have anything other than books?¡±


    It was true that, at first glance, this chamber seemed to contain nothing but endless shelves of texts.


    Scanning the space, Scarlett eventually pointed down one of the aisles. Far in the distance, there seemed to be a wall that had an opening in it. ¡°That seems like a good place to start.¡±


    They began making their way in that direction, passing more and more shelves filled with volumes accumulated over centuries. Eventually, they did reach the end of the chamber, where the wall was nothing but dark bedrock. Hewn straight into it was a single passage, its entrance adorned with Zuverian symbols.


    Yamina examined the symbols closely. ¡°Only those authorized are permitted beyond this point.¡±


    Rosa crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go out on a limb and say that it¡¯s a bit late to apply for that authorization.¡±


    ¡°Presumably.¡± Yamina moved her hands in a series of intricate gestures to cast some sort of spell, but from what Scarlett could tell, it didn¡¯t have any immediate effect. ¡°The wards against divination remain active, so I cannot ascertain what lies ahead. One possibility seems likely, however.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Allyssa looked at the wizard.


    Yamina¡¯s eyes shifted towards Scarlett. ¡°Perhaps you would like to guess, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett held the woman¡¯s gaze for a moment before turning to the passage. ¡°It is obvious, is it not? This is a library. What is a library without a forbidden section?¡±


    Rosa chuckled. ¡°Dull, I¡¯d say.¡±


    ¡°While I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call it dull, I do agree with the general sentiment,¡± Yamina said. ¡°Despite its extensive collection, the Veiled Library is conspicuously lacking in materials on certain subjects. I have always found that peculiar.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°If there is a restricted area, the Zuver likely implemented safeguards to deter intruders. Remain vigilant from here on.¡±


    The group steeled themselves as they began descending the passage, with Fynn leading. Illuminated by more of the green crystals, the passage stretched on before taking a sharp turn. After a few minutes, they emerged into a chamber that looked strikingly similar to the one they¡¯d just left, with the aisles extending out in front of them. In fact¡­


    ¡°Did we just circle back to where we started?¡± Allyssa voiced the group¡¯s confusion as they watched one of the librarians flit by.


    ¡°What a seamless spatial translocation,¡± Yamina murmured.


    Rosa turned to Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯m guessing endlessly wandering around the same place all night isn¡¯t part of our plan. Any bright-eyed insights on what to do from here?¡±


    Scarlett turned around to inspect the Zuverian symbols on the wall above the passage, then surveyed their surroundings. She had been wondering if they would run into a problem like this one down here.


    If she recalled correctly, multiple passages like this one were scattered throughout the dungeon, some looping back, others leading to combat encounters. There wasn¡¯t really any particular trick to it other than exploring them all, as far as she was aware.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°We will simply have to be thorough and patient in our search,¡± she said, preparing to go find the next passage.


    ¡°Wait a moment, if you will,¡± Yamina interjected.


    Scarlett looked at the woman as she scrutinised the passage they¡¯d come from, deliberately touching the rim of her glasses.


    ¡°Not sure engaging it in a staring contest will do much,¡± Rosa joked. ¡°Then again, given the stubbornness of certain people in our group¡­¡±


    Allyssa looked at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be the one saying that, Rosa.¡±


    The bard grinned. ¡°Never said I was exempt.¡±


    Yamina retrieved a leather-bound emerald tome from her robes, its cover embellished with silver and gold accents. It opened on its own, revealing a page filled with convoluted crests.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t dare compare myself to the great Zuverian arch mages of the past and their formidable accomplishments, I do have some pride. Unraveling the type of spells used here is supposed to be my specialty. It wouldn¡¯t do for me to be outwitted so easily.¡±


    The air around them came alive with runes, flickering in an assortment of colors.


    Scarlett eyed the wizard. ¡°Do you think you can bypass whatever conjuration is at work here?¡±


    ¡°Possibly. I would first have to determine its nature before I can say for certain. For that, we¡¯ll need to go through it once more.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well. I see no harm in at least allowing you the opportunity to try.¡±


    If it could save them time, she didn¡¯t mind.


    Fynn led the way as they re-entered the passage, moving more cautiously. Yamina remained focused, casting various new spells as they progressed. Despite their efforts, however, they soon found themselves back in the main chamber.


    Yamina stopped, analysing the runes floating before her, then turned back to the passage. ¡°Hmm. Perhaps¡­ I will have to look more carefully this time.¡±


    Scarlett studied her. It seemed the woman was more stubborn than she had thought.


    Without further ado, the group once more set down the passage, and after a few more minutes of walking, they were back where they had started.


    Yamina wore a serious expression, deep in thought. ¡°I see. I believe I understand the mechanism at play here.¡±


    Wordlessly, she left them behind to venture back inside.


    The group exchanged uncertain glances, looking to Scarlett for guidance. After considering it for a moment, she nodded, and all of them followed Yamina.


    This time, the wizard stopped midway through the passage, her attention fixed on a certain section of the wall. To Scarlett, it looked like nothing more than a flat piece of carved stone, but Yamina was intensely focused on it.


    After a few more seconds, the woman turned another page in her spellbook, causing the runes around her to vanish abruptly. ¡°Fascinating. Fascinating and clever. I wish I could have met the mind behind this arrangement. It is beyond any contemporary formation I¡¯ve faced. Ingenious, in a way.¡±


    ¡°Is that good or bad?¡± Allyssa asked.


    ¡°From a scholarly standpoint, it¡¯s the former. However, for our immediate situation, it presents somewhat of an obstacle,¡± Yamina explained. ¡°Dissecting this array in order to deactivate it could take months.¡±


    ¡°Then we will have to find an alternate route,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Yamina shook her head. ¡°This formation integrates multiple magical disciplines in its spellcraft, primarily employing a complex application of arcane geometry to create a looped spatial configuration. Given its intricacy, it likely involves a series of localized reality warps anchored to several ley-line intersections in the walls, though I have yet to confirm this. The most intriguing part, however, is that it appears to have mixed in umbramancy wards to subtly shift the perceptions of intruders, concealing the phenomenon from those who would otherwise detect it.¡±


    Rosa gave the woman a blank look. ¡°¡­I did not understand a single word of what you just said.¡±


    ¡°I understood some of it,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°Good on you. Please teach me later.¡±


    He nodded earnestly. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Yamina placed her spellbook down on the ground as she began casting a new series of spells. ¡°Though I think you may be inflating its complexity, I can give you a lesson once we are finished here.¡±


    As she moved her hands in complex gestures, more runes materialized, converging on the wall section she¡¯d been focusing on earlier. Her spellbook lit up, and the runes pulsed erratically before settling into a steady pattern. Then, with a deliberate motion, Yamina clasped her hands together.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know what, but she felt something shift in their environment, as if a mismatched puzzle piece had been corrected.


    ¡°¡­Did that do something?¡± Allyssa asked after a few seconds.


    ¡°It did,¡± Yamina confirmed, picking up her spellbook and returning it inside her robes. ¡°The formation will not consider us intruders for now, but we must hurry. Our window of opportunity is brief.¡±


    Exchanging quick looks, the group hastened to follow the wizard down the passage.


    ¡°So, what exactly did you do?¡± Rosa asked, keeping pace with Yamina.


    ¡°I simply adjusted the formation¡¯s detection mechanism. While the underlying structure of the umbramancy ward was ingenious, it relied on what is called ¡®Essence Resonance Detection¡¯ to identify our presence. Essentially, it attuned itself to the unique magical signature that each being carries, much like an arcane signature, and aligns its matrix with the intruder¡¯s essence to create a disturbance in the ambient magical field. This triggers an alert, but that alert can be intercepted by creating an opposite disturbance in the environment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not gonna pretend to make much sense of that, but it does sound nifty. Still, I thought you said it would take months to figure that one out.¡±


    ¡°It would undoubtedly have taken months to completely unravel the underlying enchantments, yes, but interfering with its detection is far less complex,¡± Yamina said.


    ¡°Seems kinda counterintuitive to set up such a spell if it¡¯s that simple to bypass,¡± Rosa remarked. ¡°Maybe the Zuver weren¡¯t quite as adept at the ol¡¯ magic as they¡¯re reputed to be.¡±


    Yamina tilted her head thoughtfully. ¡°It is true that this shortcoming compromises the formation¡¯s integrity, but perhaps I am slightly understating the difficulty of what I just did. I don¡¯t know any others who could reproduce this feat without significant preparation.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rosa looked over at Scarlett, then back at the wizard. ¡°That¡¯s one way of acknowledging your skill, I guess.¡±


    As they progressed through the passage, they eventually emerged not into the familiar chamber from before, but rather into another, smaller, space. It was mostly empty, save for the rows of motionless forms draped in robes lining the walls, similar to the spectral librarians from before but hanging limply in the air.


    As they stepped further into the room, the robes stirred, taking on more human shapes as they faced the intruders.


    Rosa grimaced. ¡°Sometimes I hate when you¡¯re right, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°I do share that sentiment on occasion,¡± Scarlett replied, readying herself. ¡°Miss Ward, can you neutralise these entities?¡±


    Yamina¡¯s hands glowed briefly as she cast a spell, then shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then we will have to engage them directly,¡± Scarlett declared. ¡°Prepare yourselves.¡±


    As one, the librarians were all enveloped in a grey aura and surged forward.


    Fynn and Shin stepped up, forming a defensive line. Rosa played her klert, weaving her music throughout the area to buff the rest of them, while Allyssa pulled out two vials from her bandolier. Scarlett activated the [Foxfire Charm] given to her by Arlene, summoning the fox Emberling as well as unleashing several pyrokinesis attacks.


    She was somewhat surprised to see that the grey aura surrounding the librarians shifted to douse some of her flames, giving them at least part resistance. Not wanting to waste too much of her mana, she redirected her efforts to herd the librarians towards Shin and Fynn instead of attacking directly.


    Shin, fortified by Rosa¡¯s charms, relied on his armor and shield to stand his ground as the first librarians reached him, their auras coalescing into thin spears that shot at him. Fynn, meanwhile, leveraged his supernatural agility and fortitude to simply tear into the attackers, his wind magic sending several of them flying across the room.


    As for Allyssa, she¡¯d already tossed her two vials to both sides, which spilled a flammable liquid over a large area that Scarlett had ignited to form barriers of flame on their flanks. The Emberling stood in front of one of these barriers, amplifying the fire¡¯s ferocity even further.


    While Scarlett started preparing to use her hydrokinesis to strike at the librarians¡¯ weak points¡ªshe was hoping water would work better than fire¡ªshe glanced to the side as Yamina began casting a spell next to her.


    Suddenly, all the librarian¡¯s vulnerabilities already highlighted by Scarlett¡¯s [Charms of Apperception] became clearer, and the others in the party all seemed to pause for a moment.


    Had the woman just provided the same effect for everyone?


    Fynn was the first to take advantage, his attacks growing markedly more effective as his conjured claws sliced straight through the librarians¡¯ defences with ease.


    Yamina met Scarlett¡¯s quizzical gaze. ¡°Did you perhaps not expect me to help at all?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was uncertain what to expect, frankly.¡±


    The woman¡¯s lips turned up. ¡°Well, consider this my contribution.¡±


    Giving her an appreciative nod, Scarlett refocused on the fight. While Yamina¡¯s spell wasn¡¯t quite as useful to her, given her artifact, it greatly benefited her companions as the librarians began to fall in quick succession. Fortunately, Scarlett also found that her hydrokinesis attacks¡ªsharpened into fine blades and spears of water¡ªworked better than her pyrokinesis here, piercing through their foes¡¯ weakened defences.


    It took them roughly five minutes to bring the fighting to an end. At that point, both Shin and Fynn had suffered several injuries, but nothing that Rosa couldn¡¯t patch up. As the final librarian collapsed, its robes shredded into pieces, Scarlett looked to Yamina.


    ¡°Your assistance was invaluable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would have managed without me, but I¡¯m glad I could be of help,¡± the woman replied, watching Rosa heal the last of Shin¡¯s injuries. She then turned her analytical gaze to Scarlett. ¡°Warley mentioned that you were likely more capable than appearances would have one believe, but I think he still underestimated you somewhat, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t really know what Godwin thought of her combat abilities. As far as she knew, he¡¯d never actually seen her fight, and whatever evaluation he might have of her was likely outdated by this point.


    ¡°Your magic is also quite unique,¡± Yamina continued. ¡°A curious blend of schools. Although I¡¯m sure you have been told that before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, more than once.¡±


    The woman regarded her thoughtfully. ¡°If I may ask, how did you come to master both true hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis? Who taught you?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it should not surprise me that you could discern what I was using so easily,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°As for who taught me, much of my learning was self-directed. I have received some guidance from an acquaintance of mine, but their identity is one that I must keep confidential, unfortunately.¡±


    Yamina raised her eyebrows. ¡°Is that so? I understand. Nonetheless, your prowess is remarkable. The mastery you exhibit over both hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis is something I¡¯ve never seen in a single mage. Your command of pyrokinesis alone may well exceed that of Grand Wizard Hartford.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    While Scarlett didn¡¯t think it was that impressive, given her reliance on the system, she couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat smug by the acknowledgment.


    ¡°We try not to inflate the boss lady¡¯s ego too much,¡± Rosa cut in, having finished tending to the others¡¯ wounds. ¡°She already has enough things to lord over the rest of us as it is.¡±


    Scarlett offered her a light frown.


    The bard shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you haven¡¯t earned the right to do that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us move on,¡± Scarlett said, preferring to leave her thoughts unspoken.


    It was true that she often lorded around her power and knowledge. There wasn¡¯t much she could do about it, given it was essentially ingrained in her personality. Still, it was a tad embarrassing to have it pointed out so directly.


    Before they could advance, Yamina took some time to investigate what remained of the defeated librarians with her magic. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t seem to find anything that shed light on their nature or how they worked, which seemed to disappoint her.


    Still, with that out of the way, they continued on. Unlike the first passage they tried, the next one didn¡¯t employ any fancy tricks that had them moving in circles, instead leading them immediately to another room filled with more of those hostile librarians. Defeating them was no harder than the first encounter, and after several more repetitions of this pattern, they arrived at what seemed to be the final chamber.

 Chapter 245 - Odd signs

    The final room in the Veiled Library wasn¡¯t anywhere near as vast as the main chamber, but it still held an imposing presence. Its design echoed that of the main chamber with rows of stone shelves, but the aisles were wider, and the eerie librarians were conspicuously absent.


    Instead, however, there was a lone, towering figure in front of them, commanding their immediate attention. Dressed in grey robes similar to those of the librarians, it was significantly taller and had a gangly build. A hood obscured its face in shadow, and its robes concealed its limbs, but its presence didn¡¯t feel quite as ephemeral as the librarians¡¯.


    Fynn squinted, scrutinising the figure. ¡°This one is different from the others.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think we got that,¡± Rosa said with a hint of sarcasm. Meanwhile, Allyssa and Shin readied themselves for another potential conflict, their stances tense. The figure remained motionless, gazing into empty air.


    Next to Scarlett, Yamina seemed deep in thought. ¡°I believe this may be the entity that oversaw those librarians. Unlike them, I can detect a faint flow of mana from it, though it is rather¡­peculiar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not alive.¡± Fynn frowned slightly. ¡°...I think.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like one of those undead Zuver we¡¯ve encountered before?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Fynn shook his head. ¡°No. Those smell different.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°It might be that this is supposed to be the custodian of this library,¡± Yamina suggested, pulling out her spellbook. She cast a series of diagnostic spells, her brows furrowing in concentration. ¡°Its nature is unlike any construct known to me, but I cannot discern what else it might be.¡±


    Allyssa, holding a vial with a radiant silver liquid inside, eyed the ¡®custodian¡¯. ¡°Could it be like one of those infused Aurenthials used by the Followers?¡±


    ¡°I do not think the comparison is that straightforward,¡± Yamina said.


    The towering figure shifted slightly, its hooded head turning towards them. It made no other movement, merely observing them.


    ¡°What¡¯s it doing?¡± Rosa asked, her voice now hushed.


    ¡°I believe it is simply observing us,¡± Scarlett answered calmly.


    ¡°Is that a good or a bad thing? If it¡¯s the one that¡¯s been controlling those librarian fellows we fought on our way here, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the most welcoming.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Scarlett studied the custodian, then stepped into the chamber, eliciting surprised looks from the others. The custodian, however, remained unmoved.


    There was a brief period of silence among them.


    ¡°¡­Okay, is that a good or a bad thing?¡± Rosa repeated.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Scarlett replied, though she did have an idea. She turned to Fynn. ¡°Fynn, if you would.¡±


    At her cue, the young man advanced into the room, his stance lowered as if ready for any sudden attack. The custodian remained passive, its hooded gaze following Fynn until he stood directly before it, receiving nothing but a silent stare.


    Rosa edged closer to Scarlett, her face a mix of curiosity and concern. ¡°Any idea why it¡¯s not attacking?¡±


    ¡°It might no longer perceive us as intruders,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°¡­Alright, not quite sure I follow the logic in that.¡±


    Yamina turned towards Scarlett, her expression thoughtful. ¡°Are you suggesting that its role might be to ward off intruders, but consider those who reach this point as guests?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°It is a possibility. The Zuver¡¯s methods do not always align with what we would consider conventional logic.¡±


    Their incessant obsession with puzzles showed that much. She also knew for a fact that, in the game, this custodian only retaliated if provoked or if any of the works here were damaged. While it was supposed to be the Veiled Library¡¯s boss, facing it in combat was optional.


    Yamina seemed to consider it. ¡°That¡¯s an intriguing thought. I think you may at least partially be correct.¡±


    Scarlett led the group cautiously across the room towards Fynn and the tall figure. As they stopped in front of it, the custodian¡¯s head tilted slightly to regard them.


    Up close, Scarlett could detect hints of a face beneath the dark hood ¡ª pale grey skin etched with sharp features and a pair of eerie green eyes that studied her intently. Somehow, despite its lifelike appearance, one look was enough for her to know that this being wasn¡¯t truly alive. But it didn¡¯t feel entirely artificial either.


    It was something in between.


    Scarlett¡¯s attention was drawn to a flicker of movement from the Orrery on her wrist. She adjusted it slightly to point at the custodian, observing the short pointer rotate about a quarter around the bezel.


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda creepy,¡± she overheard Allyssa murmur to Shin, though the custodian hardly cared, its focus remaining on Scarlett.


    With a puzzled frown, she examined the Orrery more closely. She hadn¡¯t been expecting it to react to the custodian. What did that mean?


    ¡°Some of its features appear to resemble those of the Zuver, but not quite,¡± Yamina said. ¡°If it predates The Severance, it¡¯s likely artificial in some fashion. It could be a relic of experimentation left behind by one of the diviniarchs, which would explain why it¡¯s unlike anything we have encountered before.¡±


    The wizard moved closer to the tall figure, runes floating around her. By this point, she seemed unconcerned about a potential attack.


    ¡°So, are we just going to stand here gawking at it?¡± Rosa asked, glancing around the room. ¡°Do you think it¡¯d get mad if we started exploring some of the books here?¡±


    Allyssa looked at her, then down one of the nearest aisles. ¡°Even if it didn¡¯t mind, there are a lot of books here. How do we find what¡¯s useful? And if this really is the library¡¯s forbidden section, maybe we should be careful with the texts here.¡±


    ¡°True. You never know if you might open a manual on impressionist gardening only to get turned into a frog,¡± Rosa joked, eye scanning the rows of ancient tomes.


    ¡°Although that particular scenario is unlikely, we could perhaps simplify matters by asking for guidance,¡± Scarlett said, her eyes still on the custodian. She wanted to understand why the Orrery was reacting to it, but she wasn¡¯t sure how.


    ¡°Yeah? And how do you propose we do that?¡±


    Scarlett finally looked away from the custodian to briefly meet the bard¡¯s gaze. ¡°¡­We have the Library¡¯s custodian at our disposal, do we not?¡± She turned back to the figure and addressed it directly. ¡°Does this section contain any works related to the Forgotten Tower?¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The custodian¡¯s stare seemed to pierce through Scarlett for a moment before it turned and glided down an aisle, its robes trailing behind it like wisps of smoke. The others in the group exchanged surprised looks, but Scarlett motioned for them to follow.


    Stopping before one of the shelves lined with numerous dark volumes, the custodian lifted its gangly arm to gesture towards a specific cluster of books.


    ¡°These pertain to the Forgotten Tower?¡± Scarlett asked, eyeing the titles on the spines.


    It had indicated five tomes in all, each bearing the marks of age. Yamina stepped forward, selecting one and flipping it open, her eyes lighting up with keen interest as she scanned its pages. ¡°¡­This appears to be a compendium on the Stormheart anomaly centered on the Forgotten Tower. Although it doesn¡¯t speak of its origins, it does seem to relate a method to replicate a similar effect.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Allyssa leaned in, peering at the book with a blend of wariness and curiosity. ¡°Isn¡¯t that supposed to be responsible for catching most storms in the western empire? Replicating that would be scary.¡±


    Yamina nodded soberly, examining the tome¡¯s contents. ¡°Indeed it would.¡±


    ¡°I imagine this must be of particular interest to you, Miss Ward, given you have already visited the Forgotten Tower,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Allyssa and the others all looked at Yamina.


    The wizard met Scarlett¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not wrong. However, this type of magic is beyond my usual practice. Many of my fellow wizards would be thrilled by the chance to study it, though.¡± Her focus shifted to the custodian, who watched them silently. ¡°Now, I wonder what other secrets this place holds.¡±


    ¡°Why not ask?¡± Scarlett suggested.


    Her request for materials on the Forgotten Tower was more of a test than anything. Although the Tower did interest her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to go there anytime soon, and her current priorities lay elsewhere.


    That said, she was also curious about what Yamina was looking for here. She assumed the woman was searching for something in particular, after all.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Yamina carefully replaced the book on the shelf and pushed her gold-rimmed glasses higher up on the bridge of her nose. She then turned to address the custodian. ¡°Could you show me any documents related to the Tribute of Dominion?¡±


    Scarlett considered her. Yamina was investigating the Tribute of Dominion?


    That was¡­somewhat unexpected. While perhaps not entirely unforeseeable, Scarlett wondered what had drawn the wizard¡¯s attention to that particular subject. As far as she knew, few in the empire were even aware of the Tribute, let alone its significance.


    The custodian started moving, leading the group through the forbidden section¡¯s tiny maze of aisles. Eventually, they stopped before another shelf, where the custodian pointed out several titles.


    Yamina approached the indicated books, carefully selecting the first title to examine. Scarlett and the others stood to the side, watching as the woman¡¯s expression grew focused.


    ¡°Is there a particular reason why you are seeking information on the Tribute of Dominion?¡± Scarlett asked after a while.


    ¡°There are several,¡± Yamina responded, without looking up.


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Scholarly curiosity.¡± The woman offered Scarlett a single glance. ¡°And the other reasons are quite personal.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. Personal? The Tribute of Dominion had been hidden away in Beld Thylelion since The Severance. How did its existence relate to Yamina personally?


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡± She observed Yamina for a moment longer, then turned her attention to the custodian. ¡°While she studies that, there are topics I would also like to investigate. Show me what you have on the Divinarch Thainnith.¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the name seemed to catch Yamina¡¯s interest, though the wizard quickly returned to her book.


    Wordlessly, the custodian led the way down another aisle. Scarlett turned to her companions. ¡°Miss Hale, Fynn, accompany me. Mister Thornthon and Miss Astrey, stay here with Miss Ward in case of any unforeseen events.¡±


    With that, she followed the custodian, its path winding through several turns before reaching the end of the chamber. There, a single stone shelf stood against the wall, entirely devoid of texts.


    The custodian stopped before that vacant shelf, gesturing towards it.


    Scarlett stared at it. ¡°¡­That is empty.¡±


    The custodian continued pointing.


    ¡°Wait, I think I know this one,¡± Rosa said, moving closer to the shelf. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with invisible books.¡±


    ¡°I find that unlikely,¡± Scarlett replied, though she watched as Rosa waved a hand through the empty shelf. She then looked at the custodian. ¡°Is there another area with materials on Thainnith? If not, is there anything related to the Seal of Thainnith or the ¡®Anomalous One¡¯?¡±


    It regarded her for a few seconds, then turned back to the shelf, lifting its arm to reveal a grey, bony hand that seemed to grasp at books that weren¡¯t there. Finding nothing, it repeated the motion along the next section, as if searching through an unseen catalog.


    ¡°¡­Enough,¡± Scarlett eventually commanded when its hand showed no signs of stopping. The custodian''s empty gaze turned back to her.


    ¡°It looks confused to me,¡± Rosa said, leaning casually against the shelf with arms folded. ¡°Maybe someone removed the books, and it never got the news?¡±


    Scarlett frowned deeply. Why would that be the case? And why would these specific texts be missing? Was there a reason it had to be the exact topic she was trying to find information on?


    Maybe she could still find something relevant back where Yamina was. The Tribute of Dominion was also related to Thainnith, so it wasn¡¯t impossible that mentions of him or the ¡®Anomalous One¡¯ might be found there.


    Just as she was about to head back, Fynn¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.


    Scarlett turned to see him pointing towards an unusual glow emanating from a part of the empty shelf, a faint light etched into the stone. Her brows furrowed in light puzzlement. Had that been there before?


    She approached for a closer look, and the glow intensified slightly. She glanced at the custodian for any reaction, but it remained as impassive as ever.


    Drawing nearer, the shining mark on the stone became clearer, resembling a sigil with a globe encased in an intricate frame. It looked somewhat familiar¡­


    Suddenly, Amy¡¯s breath caught, her focus narrowing on the sigil in a glare. From somewhere within, a strong urge rose up. A certainty, a conviction, that she should annihilate this. That she could annihilate this, along with everything around them and this gods-forsaken Isle¡ª


    ¡°¡ªScarlett.¡±


    The voice snapped her back to reality. Her hand was raised, as if to destroy the sigil. Rosa stood by her side, the bard¡¯s expression laden with worry, while Fynn watched with a frown.


    A surge of raging indignation flooded through Scarlett as she realised what had happened.


    ¡°Are you okay, Scarlett?¡± Rosa asked carefully.


    Rather than answer, Scarlett posed her own question, the anger tinging her voice. ¡°How long was I distracted?¡±


    Rosa hesitated, clearly taken aback by the sharpness in Scarlett¡¯s tone. ¡°¡­About a minute.¡±


    Scarlett clenched her jaw, staring at the still-glowing sigil before her.


    Something had just tried to influence her. Tried commandeering her will. And it had nearly succeeded.


    As for the culprit, she had a strong suspicion.


    Turning her head slightly, she prompted a system window to appear and display her status.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Superior Mana Control]


    [Superior Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Major Hydrokinesis]


    [??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 8532/12334]


    [Points: 28]


    Her eyes settled on the glitched skill that had been there ever since her visit to Crowcairn. The feeling just now had been reminiscent of back then, but far more invasive. It carried with it an unnatural confidence, whispering that she could do basically anything she wanted ¡ª including destroying the sigil and the secrets it guarded.


    For some reason, the Anomalous One wanted her out of here.


    She had to fight the urge to outright curse the damn entity aloud.


    ¡°¡­Scarlett, talk to us, please. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Looking back at Rosa, she met the woman¡¯s uneasy gaze briefly before holding up a hand. ¡°Allow me a moment to myself.¡±


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, centering herself and pushing aside the tiny voice that called for her to burn something to the ground. When she opened her eyes again, the sigil seemed to pulse with a strange energy.


    The alien urge beckoning her to erase the sigil from existence still lingered at the back of her mind, but she dismissed it, stepping closer to examine the sigil more closely.


    Then, she realized why it seemed familiar.


    Scarlett looked down at her left wrist, where the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence] rested. The dark iron bracelet¡¯s origin and function remained enigmatic, as did the exact purpose of the dual pointers on its face. At its core, it held a tiny globe nestled within a copper frame, strikingly similar to the depiction on that sigil.


    Aligning the Orrery¡¯s long pointer with the sigil caused the shorter pointer to sweep across the bezel¡¯s rim, stopping just shy of halfway.


    Carefully, she extended her right hand towards the sigil, but nothing happened. She then tried her left, positioning the Orrery just above.


    The sigil suddenly flickered out.


    Before her, the stone shelf dissolved into blue light, revealing a room bathed in a soft, ethereal sheen. The walls were lined with ancient symbols, and various strange contraptions were scattered about.


    Scarlett stared at it for several seconds.


    She definitely had no memory of this from the game.

 Chapter 246 - Inheritance

    Scarlett¡¯s eyes quickly adjusted to the gentle, otherworldly light suffusing the chamber, some of it seeming to emanate from the myriad symbols adorning the walls, each pulsing in a mysterious rhythm. Tall structures resembling pods occupied the corners, their surfaces intricately etched with ancient runes.


    Scattered throughout were arcane devices and instruments, their purposes and designs unfamiliar to Scarlett. At the room¡¯s center floated a conspicuous orb, its light casting dancing shadows on the stone floor where a constellation of star-like patterns converged towards it, the air buzzing with latent energy.


    An undeniable tension hung heavy in the atmosphere, an unseen force that instilled a disquieting sensation of being watched.


    ¡°So,¡± Rosa remarked dryly, a touch of irony in her tone. ¡°The hidden library beneath the secret library conceals a hidden forbidden section, which, in turn, hides yet another secret chamber.¡± She raised both eyebrows. ¡°Am I the only one starting to question these Zuvers¡¯ architectural choices at this point?¡±


    Glancing at the woman, Scarlett detected a glimmer of caution beneath her casual demeanour.


    Returning her gaze to the enigmatic room, Scarlett paused at the threshold, her eyes roving over the foreign environment before stepping inside.


    What manner of place was this? Was it a chamber from the game that she had simply never discovered in her previous playthroughs? Or something unique to this world? Given her growing suspicions about the nature of the Orrery, she leaned towards the latter.


    Her attention fell upon the pods at the edge of the chamber. Five in total, all but one remained sealed shut. Their fronts were semi-transparent, through which she could vaguely discern the twisted, distorted outlines of various unnatural shapes ¡ª some contorted beyond any recognisable form.


    She was hoping those wouldn¡¯t start moving.


    Her focus lingered on the lone, open pod, wondering what its purpose had been. Given its size, it looked suspiciously like it could have accommodated the custodian.


    Turning, Scarlett noticed that the entity in question had followed her into the chamber, though it remained mostly still, merely observing her with its impassive, unblinking gaze.


    Considering it wasn¡¯t a living being in any conventional sense, she supposed it must have been crafted or created somewhere. Maybe this was that ¡®somewhere¡¯. Although from its earlier confusion when searching for text related to Thainnith, she gathered it wasn¡¯t aware of this chamber¡¯s existence.


    Redirecting her search to the floating orb at the center, she studied it intently for a few seconds. Regardless of whether that was true or not, it was clear that this thing was the heart of this place. Its appearance reminded her a bit of the Astral Soulstone, yet it was also distinctively unique.


    At the back of her mind, that same instinctual urge from earlier commanded her to destroy the orb. This, in itself, told her a lot.


    It also stoked the simmering embers of her growing displeasure even further.


    Raising her left hand, Scarlett aimed the Orrery directly at the orb, observing the reaction. The short pointer moved about as much as it had with the sigil before.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Rosa asked.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Scarlett responded.


    ¡°¡­Like, are you saying ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯ as in you¡¯re keeping a secret,¡± the bard pressed, ¡°or you genuinely have no clue?¡±


    Scarlett turned to face her. ¡°I was genuinely not aware this chamber existed until now.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Rosa¡¯s expression turned somberly pensive as she regarded the orb closely. ¡°In that case¡­ I think we should leave that thing well alone.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her with a mix of surprise and curiosity. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Rosa placed a hand over her heart, eyes suddenly deepening to a darker, more foreboding shade of violet. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but there¡¯s an unusual sensation coming from it. Everything in this room feels¡­weird, but that orb¡­¡± She shook her head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s on an entirely different level.¡±


    Scarlett watched her quietly for a moment longer. ¡°Do you believe it poses a threat?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, but I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t risk try finding out.¡±


    Scarlett turned her attention to Fynn. ¡°Can you sense anything?¡±


    He shook his head as well. ¡°Nothing at all, in here.¡±


    Scarlett refocused on the orb.


    Ignoring it wasn¡¯t an option, especially if the Anomalous One desired its destruction. There was also its apparent connection with the Orrery itself to both consider and unravel.


    ¡°I can tell what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Rosa said, her tone edged with the same concern that had been there before. ¡°Or at least part of it. If you¡¯re set on investigating that thing, let me try instead. I¡¯ve got the Heartstone, so I might be able to protect myself from any harm.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Scarlett responded decisively. ¡°It is best if neither of you gets involved.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t going to let her people assume any unnecessary risk this time. Besides, if the orb was indeed related to both the Anomalous One and the Orrery, she was the only one suited for examining it.


    After casting one final sweeping look across the rest of the mysterious chamber, she began purposefully advancing towards the orb. Delving into this place¡¯s secrets could wait, but first, she intended to uncover the true nature of this orb.


    As she drew nearer, she scrutinised the object more closely. From afar, it resembled more a floating sphere composed of pure energy, but upon closer examination, she realised that it was physical. Beneath the intense aura of brilliant light surrounding it, the orb appeared crafted from some sort of lustrous metal, adorned with complex, flickering lines and indecipherable runes that almost seemed to shift and move.


    Beyond the Anomalous One¡¯s insistent urging to destroy the orb, Scarlett felt the object itself beckoning to her in some ineffable way. Not deceptively, as though trying to lure her, but rather an¡­invitation.


    ¡°Scarlett¡­¡± Rosa¡¯s voice called out from behind.


    ¡°Hold whatever you have to say,¡± Scarlett replied, her focus narrowing on the orb. There was no item description, which she had been hoping for, but despite what Rosa had said earlier, she didn¡¯t think it was dangerous.


    Cautiously and deliberately, she extended her finger, allowing it to barely graze the orb¡¯s surface.


    Instantly, impenetrable darkness enveloped her senses. She blinked rapidly, finding herself adrift in a vast, unending void. It didn¡¯t feel like she¡¯d been physically teleported elsewhere, though. Was it some sort of mental or metaphysical shift, then?


    Looking down, she noticed the Orrery¡¯s twin pointers were now aligned, indicating a single unified direction straight ahead. After a moment¡¯s contemplation, she steeled her resolve and began walking in that direction.


    At first, it didn¡¯t feel like she was getting anywhere, simply moving through infinite nothingness, with all perception of time becoming increasingly uncertain. Gradually, however, the void began transforming, solidifying into a distinct path of ancient stonework beneath her boots. Simultaneously, the stark edges of the void grew brighter until, eventually, she found herself surrounded by the breathtaking, open expanse of a dusky twilit sky awash in the fiery hues of an encroaching sunset.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    A raised dais or platform shimmered into view in the distance, upon which stood a solitary figure facing away from her approach. As she got closer, the silhouette of this entity remained stubbornly indistinct, its form blurred as if refusing to fully materialise into coherent focus even as she drew nearer and stepped onto the platform itself. There, she stopped, carefully studying the elusive, ever-shifting outline of the mysterious figure before her. Their archaic vestments seemed to fluctuate between countless states and configurations, making it near-impossible to make out any details.


    In fact, the only thing she could say for certain about this presence was that they exuded a formidable, dominating aura of immense power, almost as if their mere existence commanded the respect and deference of the surrounding space.


    Slowly, the figure turned to face her. While their features remained obscured and blurred as well, she could perceive hints of ageless, greyish skin, with eyes that radiated a potent, silvery luminescence, settling their penetrating gaze directly upon her.


    Words, initially emerging as unintelligible murmurs and echoes, gradually reached her as the figure spoke. These indistinguishable utterances steadily changed, sharpening into familiar tones and cadences until, at last, they fully coalesced into perfect English.


    ¡°Welcome, inheritor, to this hallowed sanctuary hidden from prying eyes,¡± the figure intoned in a rich, resonant voice imbued with a timeless quality. ¡°I harbored lingering doubts that this sanctum would remain undiscovered, yet I am relieved to see those fears unfounded and witness your arrival myself.¡±


    Scarlett watched the entity warily, staying silent for a moment before responding. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­or rather, I should say, I once was merely a man,¡± the figure replied, its words weighing heavily upon the air. ¡°The one known as Thainnith.¡± It closed its brilliant eyes slowly. ¡°Now, I am not even that. Now, I am likely dead. And your presence here portends that my hopes of my demise sparking a miracle to fend off the threats to our world did not bear fruition.¡± Its eyes reopened, regarding her with a gaze edged with sorrow. ¡°For that, I am sorry.¡±


    Scarlett stared at it, or him. ¡°¡­Are you truly Thainnith?¡±


    The figure nodded. ¡°I am, though I have been known by many other titles ¡ª the Veilweaver, the Ascendant, the Second Diviniarch, Guardian of Equilibrium, and others that are of little consequence now. At this moment, you are here, which means you have found my hidden laboratory within the Veiled Library. For that, I must commend you.¡±


    A weighty silence lingered as Scarlett absorbed the gravity of his words. Despite most of his visage being obscured, his voice seemed to carry the burdens of millennia, resonating with wisdom. It simply felt like he was telling the truth.


    But she could scarcely believe it. Meeting Thainnith himself far exceeded any of her expectations. His name permeated much of the game¡¯s lore, but as far as she was aware, the man himself never made an appearance. Encountering him like this was¡­


    Well, she didn¡¯t quite know what it was.


    ¡°Your arrival suggests the world once more teeters on chaos¡¯ brink,¡± Thainnith said, his words sounding equally like a question and a statement.


    ¡°¡­That is correct, yes,¡± Scarlett replied after a brief hesitation.


    ¡°If you know who I am, you must have questions.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Thainnith clasped his hands behind his back, gaze drifting towards the horizon. ¡°Understandable. Regrettably, I may not have all the answers you seek.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s forehead pulled together slightly. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I no longer walk among the living,¡± he explained. ¡°What stands before you is but a shadow of my former self, a reflection crafted at this sanctum¡¯s inception. It lacks the full breadth of my knowledge and the ability to address every conceivable inquiry you may present.¡±


    ¡°You appear to have no issue freely conversing with me now.¡±


    Was this thing perhaps similar to the infused Aurenthial Deacon Embertwood had left behind in the Sunfire Shrine?


    ¡°Any dialogue we may be engaging in is merely an illusion,¡± Thainnith said, his glowing eyes, intense yet phantom, locking onto her. ¡°I can interact to this extent because our exchange falls within anticipated parameters. As a divinarch burdened with the fate of this realm, however, I could not afford to anchor even a fragment of my essence here. Hence, straying beyond my predictions will mean your questions may be left unanswered.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed in thought. Was he implying that Thainnith¡ªthe original Thainnith, that is¡ªhad literally pre-designed this echo of himself with a catalogue of queries and replies? The notion was baffling if this was the result. It felt like talking with a real person. If it was true, though, how limited was his response range?


    ¡°¡­Earlier, you referred to the concealed chamber within the Veiled Library as your laboratory,¡± she began carefully. ¡°What was its purpose?¡±


    ¡°Myriad,¡± Thainnith answered, his voice taking on a more sedate tone. ¡°Myriad, always. Its original purpose, I cannot even recall. It has been too long. The passage of time, the accumulation of years, and the relentless march and ceaseless demands of my charges have eroded all but its distant memory. Doubtless, its purpose has shifted innumerable times hence. However, now, as I fashioned this inheritance for one such as you to find, it served a singular, paramount objective ¡ª to finalise the Tribute of Dominion.¡±


    Surprise flitted across Scarlett¡¯s features. ¡°Is this where you created the Tribute of Dominion?¡±


    ¡°More accurately, it¡¯s where I conducted the requisite research,¡± the man clarified. ¡°Though my latest recollections find me still engaged in that pursuit, your presence suggests I ultimately succeeded long ago. For years¡ªhow many, I do not know¡ªI dedicated myself singularly to that endeavour here. Only recently had I contemplated what must follow my success ¡ª the Tribute alone cannot deliver this realm¡¯s salvation. The threat against it will inevitably resurface, and once it does, I can no longer stand against it. This epiphany led me to establish this sanctum, to leave a legacy for those who might continue the fight, however meager it may be compared to the immensity of the task.¡±


    ¡°And you believe I could be one of those people?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°Is that why you called me ¡®inheritor¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so certain that I am the right person?¡±


    ¡°The fabric of the future is woven with fate¡¯s fibers and conjecture, its path fixed yet veiled from any but its architect. Though I wish it were not so, I am far from such an architect, so certainty often eludes me.¡± Thainnith shook his head, and the movement seemed to come with a sigh of the space around them. ¡°Your arrival speaks volumes, as few others could uncover this place. It defies yet aligns with my expectations ¡ª I foresaw a pivotal figure eventually discovering this sanctum, someone unbounded by the fate that has most of us a thrall. Yet I did not envision someone of your¡­particular composition. My abilities do not fully comprehend nor predict what you are, which itself is surprising. Moreover, you bear the unmistakable mark of one touched by the Anomalous One, yet you do not seem here to destroy me.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°You can discern the Anomalous One¡¯s influence on me?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that related to the system¡¯s workings in some way? Could he still detect it, despite that?


    ¡°I can,¡± Thainnith replied simply.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say.¡±


    A frown tugged Scarlett¡¯s lips downward. That was¡­slightly frustrating. Did that mean he would not, or could not, elaborate? Either way, what could she do about it?


    For a few moments, she simply studied the mysterious figure before her, considering his transient appearance.


    ¡°You claim to have created this sanctuary to leave a legacy for those like me,¡± she began eventually. ¡°What precisely did you intend for me to inherit?¡±


    ¡°My will, first and foremost ¡ª a heavy burden to bear, no doubt, but hopefully lighter for you than it was for me.¡± Thainnith¡¯s gaze seemed to drift past her momentarily before returning to her. ¡°At the time of my creation here, my sole focus was thwarting the Anomalous One and the threat it presented. No force in this world can definitively accomplish this, yet the Tribute of Dominion will do so nonetheless. In my era, I have no doubt about this. Your presence signals a pivotal moment in your era, where the world faces similar perils. This means that the location where I will safeguard the Tribute of Dominion will soon open.¡±


    ¡°You are referring to Beld Thylelion,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°That may be the name I bestowed upon it.¡±


    ¡°I am already aware of its unveiling. I have seen the future where it happened.¡±


    Thainnith observed her in silence. ¡°¡­I lack an appropriate response to that, regrettably. Know that the Tribute of Dominion cannot be concealed forever, even were that my wish. Its very nature is to ultimately reveal itself, and when that occurs, inheritor, regardless of your present affiliations, if you do not wish to see the Anomalous One be set free, you must secure the Tribute first.¡±


    Scarlett stifled a sigh. Was there no point in telling him about her knowledge of the future, then? Had she been too optimistic in hoping that he might comprehend matters transcending the system¡¯s bounds simply because he had crafted elements that seemed to go beyond the game¡¯s existing framework that she knew about?


    ¡°¡­I understand. I will make it my mission to secure the Tribute first,¡± she said.


    Not that she¡¯d ever had any other plans.


    Thainnith responded with a grave nod. ¡°I wish I could offer you the Tribute¡¯s location, but its final resting place remains unknown to this me. However, I likely orchestrated a trail to uncover its sanctum. Should you require guidance on where to begin, that much I can provide.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary. I am already aware of Beld Thylelion¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Then you have come here more prepared than I thought. Perhaps hope yet remains that this world may endure, even in my absence.¡±


    Scarlett watched him quietly, waiting to see if there was more he wanted to say. ¡°¡­Is there nothing else you wished to impart?¡±


    ¡°The Tribute of Dominion¡¯s importance cannot be overstated,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I agree, but surely there is more to this ¡®inheritance¡¯ of yours than that?¡±


    She basically knew all of that stuff from the game already.


    Observing her intently, Thainnith seemed to ponder her question, though that felt unlikely if his responses were predetermined.


    ¡°You need not worry,¡± he eventually said. ¡°There is indeed more to my legacy, but it cannot be transferred to you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It requires further preparation before it can be finalised. Simply be patient.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, are there any further questions you have for me?¡± he asked.


    Scarlett considered him for a bit. ¡°I want you to explain the Anomalous One¡¯s true nature in greater detail.¡±

 Chapter 247 - Legacy

    Though Scarlett couldn¡¯t be sure, she felt like Thainnith cocked an inquisitive eyebrow in response to her question. After a brief pause, his mostly featureless visage raised a hand, and an image shimmered into existence above his palm ¡ª a vast, cloud-streaked sky. Within its expansive vista, glimpses of a tremendously long, serpentine creature periodically emerged, slithering through the clouds like one colossal leviathan.


    The sight made the hairs on the back of Scarlett¡¯s neck prickle with discomfort.


    ¡°There is much about the Anomalous One that even I still do not comprehend,¡± Thainnith began in his resonant voice. The skyscape flickered and reformed into the image of a vast, shapeless grey mass rising from the ocean depths, its very form seeming to strain the eyes. ¡°As its name implies, it is an irregularity ¡ª an entity that does not belong in our world, forced into existence here despite that. A caged beast, operating outside the laws and moral boundaries we understand. It poses an existential threat to all that dwell here, whether divine or mortal.¡±


    The vision shifted once more to a smaller scene. At its center was a solitary, indistinct humanoid silhouette set in a stark, barren wasteland. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure she was truly comprehending the full extent of these sights, but even just what she could perceive was more than enough to convey an overwhelming sense of wrongness and apprehension.


    She tore her gaze back to Thainnith. Despite the vague, ethereal nature of his form, he projected an undeniable commanding presence, entirely unperturbed by the disturbing nature of what he was showing her.


    Perhaps that was only to be expected. Though he might just be a remnant left behind by the original, Thainnith had basically been a demigod, overshadowed only by literal gods. Or, considering that Thainnith had sealed the Anomalous One¡ªwhich even gods were apparently afraid of¡ªhe might well have surpassed even them in some respects.


    She considered his words for a moment. ¡°When you refer to it as a ¡®caged beast¡¯, what precisely do you mean by that?¡±


    Thainnith clenched his fist, dismissing the projections. The nagging sense of wrongness immediately faded. ¡°Although we may view the Anomalous One as a threat and an adversary, it is no invader. Nor is its presence here driven by its own intent. It desires nothing more than to escape ¡ª a return to wherever its existence originated, just as fervently as we wish for its departure. However¡­¡± His silvery eyes glinted with some indecipherable emotion. ¡°Its means of escape would irreparably shatter the very foundations upholding all the realms.¡±


    A crease formed on Scarlett¡¯s brow. ¡°What force could possibly confine such a powerful being against its will?¡±


    That detail had never been mentioned in the game, at least not in these specific terms.


    ¡°I do not know the original circumstances by which it became trapped here,¡± Thainnith admitted. ¡°Only the consequences should it break free. The Anomalous One cannot simply leave, for it remains shackled by the very laws and system of fate that it wages war against.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s thoughts pulled to a halt, and her focus zeroed in on what he¡¯d just said. ¡°¡­Do you know what the system is?¡±


    Thainnith looked at her, studying her carefully. ¡°Please elaborate on your question, inheritor.¡±


    Drawing a breath, Scarlett continued, ¡°You mentioned a system of fate? With that, are you referring to an artificial construct underlying this world and its functions? I have myself encountered an artificial system that appears integral, or at the very least tied to, how this world operates. Is that related to what you were describing?¡±


    The man remained silent for a while. ¡°¡­The nature of fate as understood by most may differ from what I refer to,¡± he eventually said, seeming to not quite answer her question. ¡°It is inexorable and preordained, yes, but also more tangible than many would think. Tangible, yet intractable. A vast, ineffably complex tapestry of very real interwoven laws and mechanisms actively shaping and constraining all that transpires in this world to its image. However, its full extent remains unknown.¡±


    Uncertainty entered Scarlett¡¯s expression. She wasn¡¯t sure whether this ¡®fate¡¯ was part of the same system she knew or if it was an entirely separate force. ¡°Are you aware of any system that binds to an individual, granting them power in exchange for completing tasks?¡±


    Thainnith slowly shook his head, his form drifting subtly. ¡°I am not familiar with whatever you just described.¡±


    A flicker of disappointment stirred inside Scarlett. ¡°You are unaware of any artificial framework of that nature existing within this world? What about a separate plane of reality where the events and fate of this world exist merely as a narrative?¡±


    His form still showed no signs of recognition. ¡°Whatever you refer to lies beyond the extent of the knowledge instilled in me.¡±


    Scarlett clicked her tongue in light frustration, realising that¡ªdespite how unlikely it was¡ªshe¡¯d actually been hoping that Thainnith would know something about the game-like aspects of this world. Although¡­his lack of familiarity with her description didn¡¯t necessarily mean he didn¡¯t know anything. It was possible that the system as she knew it simply hadn¡¯t existed before her arrival.


    Folding her arms, she regarded him thoughtfully for a while, considering her next question. ¡°Can you tell me who created this world?¡±


    Thainnith met her steady gaze. ¡°This world¡¯s birth began during an event known as the ¡®Genesis of Realms¡¯. First was the emergence of the Wandering Realm, followed by the Blazes. Thereafter, it¡¯s believed the first gods and Viles came into existence, while the Material Realm was later created by the mightiest of those gods sacrificing their very lives.¡± He paused momentarily. ¡°The precise details, especially regarding whatever primordial spark ignited it all, remain unknown. Even gods and Viles likely lack such knowledge. Certain primal Idols in the Wandering Realm may hold clues, though accessing that truth would prove¡­challenging. Aside from them, only one entity has existed since near the inception, but they are neither easily accessible nor forthcoming.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened slightly. There was actually someone or something that had been around since the start of it all, then? Or at least close to it? ¡°Who is this entity?¡±


    ¡°They do not have a name,¡± Thainnith said evenly. ¡°And regrettably, I can offer no guidance on finding them in your era. They are neither Idol, Vile, nor true deity, and they are as transient as the turning of the seasons themselves.¡±


    A dissatisfied frown tugged at Scarlett¡¯s lips. ¡°It seems there is much you cannot tell me.¡±


    He offered no response to that.


    Sighing softly, Scarlett decided to change the subject. ¡°You have spoken extensively about this world¡¯s fate. The Anomalous One can defy it, as you noted. Are there others capable of the same?¡±


    ¡°There are those who can influence fate¡¯s course, to an extent,¡± Thainnith replied, then paused. His eyes narrowed slightly and moved away from Scarlett, as if observing some distant phenomenon, before eventually refocusing on her. ¡°I am one of those, though I believe I should temper your expectations of what this means. Understand that fate does not directly command every being¡¯s thought and actions. It is not the oppressive force some perceive. Fate operates on a grand scale, and what it commands are subtle yet significant shifts to steer history down a certain path ¡ª towards what ultimate goal, none know. Nevertheless, there is still considerable freedom in how that path unfolds, which is why most mortals could be considered free of fate¡¯s sway. More powerful beings like dragons, Viles, or Idols do not quite share that same freedom. Nor do I, nor the gods. But some of us can alter even fate¡¯s more fixed aspects, in minor ways. I suspect my capacity in this regard exceeds most others¡¯, barring the Anomalous One.¡±


    Scarlett mulled over his explanation. To her, that portrayal of fate seemed to align with her current view of it as simply being some sort of mechanism to enforce the game¡¯s plotline on this world. Was that another indication that it derived from the game, rather than the reverse? But how did her own presence fit into that?


    ¡°Have you ever encountered another Anomalous One?¡± she asked. ¡°Or anticipated one might appear?¡±


    ¡°I cannot provide an answer to that,¡± Thainnith replied.


    ¡°Very well. Then can you instead explain how it is that you are able to perceive and interpret fate? You seem to possess some foresight of the future, at the very least.¡±


    ¡°I do, though it is not a skill easily acquired. Some gods bestow this ability upon devoted followers, and certain mortals, through decades of training and acclimation to fate¡¯s weave, can perceive fragments of what¡¯s to come.¡±


    ¡°So you do not believe I could learn it within a few months?¡±


    It took a couple of seconds before the man responded, as if he was processing a suitable answer. ¡°Your presence here, inheritor, indicates that you possess an understanding of fate few others have.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡± That felt slightly like a reset of the conversation, but Scarlett supposed he was right, in a way. ¡°Allow me to pose you a different question, then. Among those who can discern fate, who would you deem most adept?¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°It is impossible to say definitively,¡± Thainnith said, ¡°but it is likely some gods and Idols are more proficient than I.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think they would do if they detected the appearance of another Anomalous One?¡±


    There was another pause, indicating he didn¡¯t have a proper answer prepared. ¡°¡­Typically, any attempts to divine the Anomalous One¡¯s fate prove futile.¡±


    That reassured Scarlett, at least somewhat. It seemed to confirm her hunch about being mostly undetectable by seers like the Augur. Although there was also the possibility that she¡¯d catch someone¡¯s attention because she was difficult to detect.


    A thought struck her. ¡°Earlier, when you spoke of the Tribute of Dominion¡¯s eventual resurgence, you seemed certain of your success in sealing the Anomalous One despite its vast powers. Now you claim discerning its future is nearly impossible. If so, how can you be so sure of achieving that goal?¡±


    ¡°It is simple,¡± Thainnith stated. ¡°While the Anomalous One¡¯s actions defy prediction due to its resistance against fate¡¯s influence, its existence remains within fate¡¯s bounds. As I explained, fate itself binds the creature to this world. I am not so naive as to believe its arrival was unforeseen by fate. In fact, it was preordained.¡±


    ¡°You are implying that this world¡¯s fate is part of the cause for the Anomalous One¡¯s presence, as well as the resulting strife following its inability to leave?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. The myriad seemingly paradoxical facets of fate contribute to its ineffable nature. It should neither be mistaken for a purely tyrannical overlord nor a wholly merciful presence.¡±


    A scowl had formed on Scarlett¡¯s face.


    She was starting to see why the Hallowed Cabal so vehemently opposed fate in this world.


    ¡°Fate has already decreed that the Anomalous One will be sealed,¡± Thainnith continued confidently. ¡°In all other matters, fate rarely imposes itself directly. But this is an exception. The Anomalous One¡¯s defeat in my era is certain, and I am merely the instrument through which that verdict shall be delivered. It may defy fate with every action and be inconceivably powerful, but even it has its limitations.¡±


    Though Scarlett doubted she could sympathise with the entity, this certainly put things into context. This world was basically a giant forced cage battle between those living here and the Anomalous One, with fate keeping both parties in line.


    She silently observed Thainnith for a few moments before asking her next question. ¡°¡­Who determines fate?¡±


    ¡°That remains unknown,¡± he answered, though that was hardly unexpected. ¡°Perhaps fate brought about its own existence when the world first dawned, or it was established by a being whose power surpasses even what I can fathom. Alternatively, fate might simply be the remnant echoes of a world that came before us, its influences and reflections dictating our course today. Many theories have been put forward, but few answers.¡±


    ¡°So, you truly know nothing? Even as one of the greatest mages to ever live?¡±


    ¡°There remain many secrets that elude even me. Mysteries whose truths I am barred from exploring, and which I am hesitant to say I could unravel by my life¡¯s end.¡± Thainnith¡¯s radiant gaze stayed on Scarlett. ¡°¡­Perhaps you will be the one to finally shed light on some of those truths, inheritor.¡±


    Scarlett met his eyes, as though feeling the weight of his expectations across the ages. Her eyes then drifted to the Orrery on her left wrist, lifting it. ¡°Were you the one who created this?¡±


    After inspecting it, Thainnith nodded. ¡°I was.¡±


    ¡°What is its purpose?¡± Scarlett asked, turning the device over to study its intricate metalwork from another angle.


    ¡°That is the Orrery of Dissonant Convergence. Its function is to identify significant deviations from fate¡¯s path.¡± As he spoke, a ghostly version of the Orrery materialized above his hand. ¡°It was developed as part of my study on the Anomalous One, to better grasp its nature and track its influence. With it, you can detect objects and individuals who markedly diverge from fate, as well as pivotal, aberrational events.¡±


    Scarlett contemplated it for a while. His explanation lined up with her suspicions, then. Yet it raised questions about individuals like Yamina and Grand Wizard Hartford, who both elicited reactions from the artifact. She didn¡¯t think they were connected to the Anomalous One, nor had she personally interacted significantly with them, so where did that come from?


    Was it a sign that she should be more wary of them than she¡¯d thought? Or maybe just some kind of ripple effect propagated by the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s actions or some other historical shifts? Thainnith said some gods could influence fate slightly as well.


    She looked back up at the shifting presence of the ancient Zuver. ¡°When you say it can detect pivotal, aberrational events, what do you mean? Is that different from what I have already witnessed?¡±


    The man presented the ethereal Orrery copy, gesturing towards the metallic globe nestled within a framework of copper bands at its center. Those bands suddenly began whirring into motion. ¡°The Orrery is intimately linked to fate¡¯s fabric. While it cannot alter fate itself, it will alert you to any significant deviations or monumental events defying the expected course.¡±


    Watching the animation, Scarlett glanced back down at her own version, wondering what qualified as a ¡®significant deviation¡¯. Would it perhaps have reacted to her actions when she caused Anguish¡¯s citadel to manifest too early?


    ¡°This will undoubtedly prove a valuable tool,¡± she said. ¡°You have my thanks for its creation.¡±


    Simply being able to determine how people deviated from fate could prove very useful to her. If she ever found someone who triggered a response on the same level as herself or Rosa, she would know something was up. This could potentially even help her confirm and detect the presence of any other players in this world, should they exist.


    One aspect still puzzled her, however. She looked back up at Thainnith. ¡°You must have intended for someone in my circumstances to eventually obtain this Orrery, given its importance in accessing this sanctum. How did you foresee that I would come to possess it?¡±


    ¡°I cannot provide any insight into that,¡± Thainnith replied, his tone actually somewhat apologetic. ¡°In my current memories, I have not yet determined where to place the Orrery.¡±


    Scarlett studied him intently. ¡°But surely you have some concept of your intentions for it?¡±


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°Can you at least confirm whether leaving it in the Astral Sanctum aligns with a reasonable course of action for you?¡± she pressed.


    Since he could deviate from fate himself, it might explain how the artifact came to reside in the Sanctum when it wasn¡¯t there in the game. And yet, leaving such an important artifact unguarded on the floor seemed like an odd choice.


    ¡°I cannot confirm that,¡± Thainnith responded.


    ¡°Then what if¡ª¡± Scarlett began, but her words caught in her throat as she noticed a shift in their surroundings. The vibrant hues cloaking the horizon just a minute ago had faded to an ominous, creeping grey.


    It took a moment for recognition to set in, but when it did, Scarlett¡¯s heart began racing.


    Thainnith also stilled, the air around him sharpening as he turned to scan the distance. ¡°It appears the Anomalous One has somehow located us. I am powerless to repel it in this form.¡±


    As he said that, the decaying grey started rapidly spreading, not just along the horizon but enveloping the sky itself in an expanding grey blanket.


    Thainnith faced her again. ¡°You must leave before this place succumbs completely. Detached from the realms, the restrictions meant to limit the Anomalous One are weaker here. Should it reach you, escape would be impossible without its permission.¡±


    Memories of her last encounter with the Anomalous One flashed through Scarlett¡¯s mind, reminding her of that overbearing existence that had watched her closely. She didn¡¯t want to risk giving it another opportunity to interfere with her connection to the system like last time.


    But there were also still so many unanswered questions she¡¯d hoped to pose to Thainnith. Though he was clearly limited in what he could reveal, she wanted to glean whatever insights possible.


    The platform under her feet trembled, and a massive crack split the sky to reveal a stark white void beyond.


    Scarlett set her jaw firmly, fixing her eyes on Thainnith. ¡°Is there anything you have yet to tell me that I need to know?¡±


    He raised his hand, a silvery pool of liquid light coalescing above it. ¡°I have not had the time to fully tailor this to your essence, but it will have to suffice. This is part of the legacy I spoke of.¡± Extending the light towards her, he added, ¡°Your mental defences are strong, so you will need to lower them for this to work.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the condensed luminescent substance warily. Was that something that would mess with her mind?


    That rang all the wrong warning bells.


    Several more fissures tore through the sky, one splitting the space mere meters from her. Through the rift, she felt the piercing gaze of an unseen observer weigh down upon her.


    ¡°Quickly,¡± Thainnith urged.


    Scarlett closed her eyes. It seemed like she didn¡¯t have much choice.


    ¡°Do it,¡± she forced out through gritted teeth.


    If this was a ploy to lower her defences, she¡¯d face that challenge when it came.


    An unsettling sensation enveloped her, like something foreign and chaotic seeping into her skin, permeating her body and attempting to intertwine with her mind and memories ¡ª only to crash against a powerful barrier.


    Though Scarlett hadn¡¯t erected those defences herself, she could tell that it was possible for her to lower them. And she did.


    Immediately, the foreign presence flooded her consciousness with a torrential barrage of images, thoughts, and voices ¡ª all too muddled to discern clearly. Amidst the onslaught, she thought she heard Thainnith¡¯s voice, her body moving of its own accord as her surroundings blurred to obscurity, the influx of information overwhelming her senses.


    Visions flashed before her: a slightly chubby, bald man with stubble watching her from a field¡¯s outcrop¡­ The Gentleman observing ships in a harbor¡­ A vague, looming silhouette she instantly recognised as one of the Anomalous One¡¯s forms towering over a vast cityscape, confronted by an absolutely massive white dragon.


    One by one, the images cycled through her head, each leaving a throbbing pain as she struggled to focus on any single thread.


    ¡°¡ªarlett. Hey, Scarlett!¡±


    A new voice sliced through the chaos, and Scarlett¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    She was back in Thainnith¡¯s laboratory, Rosa and Fynn watching her anxiously as her right hand gripped the orb at the center, now just a dull, floating hunk of metal.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rosa asked, worry palpable in her tone.


    Scarlett stared blankly at the woman for a moment, disoriented, then touched her nose, finding blood. Suddenly, the room spun, and she stumbled.


    ¡°Whoa, wai¡ª¡±


    Both rushed to support her, and even as she steadied herself against them, her gaze began to wander, searching the chamber as if urged by some unknown impulse. Her attention fell on the numerous Zuverian symbols and runes etched into the walls, her unsteady vision struggling to make them out fully.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Rosa asked beside her.


    ¡°Quiet¡­¡± Scarlett murmured, squinting at the markings. ¡°I need to focus¡­¡±


    Finally, her vision stabilised to a point where she could make them out, and she blinked in surprise.


    She could read them. Each and every single rune and symbol ¡ª she could read and understand what they represented, like they were carved into her frontal lobe.


    Turning her head, her eyes landed on the tall, robed figure of the custodian near the chamber¡¯s entrance, observing them silently.


    Unbidden, pieces of information bubbled up to the forefront of Scarlett¡¯s consciousness.


    This was the custodian of the Veiled Library, the fifth and only successful iteration in a series of prototypes created by Thainnith as part of his ongoing efforts to understand and ultimately seal the Anomalous One.


    The custodian¡¯s cool, pale green eyes met hers, devoid of emotion.


    Scarlett exhaled slowly. It seemed Thainnith¡¯s legacy had indeed imparted more than just a heavy responsibility upon her.

 Chapter 248 - Disruptions

    Rosa and Fynn exchanged worried glances as Scarlett turned to face them.


    After a brief hesitation, Rosa broke the silence, her voice gentle but still laced with concern. ¡°Scarlett, mind telling us what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Scarlett looked at her, finding that it took a moment to articulate her thoughts. ¡°I am¡­fine,¡± she replied measuredly. ¡°I have just had an encounter with the remnants of an ancient Zuverian demigod. It left me somewhat disoriented, that is all.¡±


    Fynn nodded along as if that statement made perfect sense, while Rosa¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­what?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze drifted to the floating metal orb at the center of the chamber, her eyes tracing the intricate patterns on its surface.


    It was a strange sensation, having Thainnith¡¯s legacy pressing against her mind. Apart from the headache currently blasting her senses, it felt like a strange fusion of knowledge and instinct was lying just in wait inside her head. Like an auxiliary repository that she could draw on, though the information inside was disorderly and hard to sift through consciously. Instead, the legacy seemed more inclined to volunteer pieces of information when relevant.


    That¡¯s how it was when she was studying this orb. She knew it was Thainnith¡¯s creation, designed to house the copy of himself he¡¯d left behind to pass on his legacy. The device drew power from the leylines beneath the Rising Isle, but now, having fulfilled its purpose, it was effectively inert.


    Not that it was likely to have withstood whatever assault the Anomalous One performed anyway.


    A frown creased Scarlett¡¯s brow as she recalled her encounter with the being both back in Crowcairn and just now. The seal containing it really seemed less robust than she¡¯d initially believed.


    What was it that Thainnith had said? Outside the confines of the realms, it was under fewer restrictions? The implications of that were concerning.


    Unbidden, snippets of lore surfaced in her mind, informing her that the space between realms¡ªwhich differed from interstitial spaces¡ªwas largely unknown and unexplored. The fragments of knowledge on it were frustratingly patchy, but it did give her a rough understanding of the concept.


    She wondered if the fractured nature of some of the information was due to Thainnith¡¯s remnant not having enough time to complete his legacy. If so, perhaps she was lucky that he¡¯d managed as much as he had.


    ¡°Hey, are we just gonna gloss over you claiming to have met a literal demigod?¡± Rosa pressed, her voice pulling Scarlett back to the present.


    ¡°We can discuss the details later,¡± Scarlett responded, her voice low and some fatigue bleeding into it. ¡°This is not the place.¡±


    She decided to keep the details about the legacy to herself for now. It would be better to share that with them at a time when they wouldn¡¯t be as worried. There were also bits of knowledge that might be relevant to them then, and she needed time to sort through the jumble in her mind.


    With a slight gesture, Scarlett managed to summon enough of her focus to call upon her hydrokinesis and clean the traces of blood from her nose and fingers. She then turned her attention back to the custodian, studying it for a few seconds.


    The clarity of the knowledge Thainnith¡¯s legacy provided seemed to vary quite a bit.


    ¡°Thelmin beldor vaelinn sylth,¡± she commanded, the words feeling foreign as they rolled off her tongue. She wasn¡¯t even entirely certain of their full meaning, but she knew they would have the desired effect. ¡°Relinquish the Glimpse of Eternity.¡±


    The custodian¡¯s blank gaze fixed upon her. Then its elongated arm reached into the depths of its robes, producing a small, crystalline orb no larger than the palm of a hand. The orb¡¯s surface was smooth and utterly flawless, yet within its depths was a swirl of mesmerizing colors that moved slowly, like ethereal mist caught in an endless dance.


    It extended the item towards her.


    [Glimpse of Eternity (1/?) (Unique)]


    {Essence captured, forever yearning for wholeness}


    Scarlett briefly examined the orb, then accepted it silently. It felt surprisingly warm against her skin, and she could sense a faint vibration from within, like the heartbeat of the universe itself, resonating through her palm.


    She stored it securely in her [Pouch of Holding].


    Aside from finding information on the Anomalous One, this had been her primary objective in the Veiled Library. The [Glimpse of Eternity] was a key component that powered the custodian, and in the game, acquiring it required defeating the dungeon boss. However, thanks to Thainnith¡¯s legacy, Scarlett now possessed the passphrase to compel the custodian¡¯s cooperation, simplifying matters considerably. She¡¯d been trying to think of ways of getting this without causing a mess.


    Her newfound knowledge assured her that, even without the [Glimpse of Eternity], the custodian should still be able to continue functioning. It had been accumulating mana over centuries of isolation, and it had basically been a giant battery to begin with.


    That said, its capabilities would probably diminish because of this. Maybe it would struggle to fend off powerful intruders, but it should manage its other duties adequately at least.


    Scarlett was content as long as she had what she wanted. The artifact wasn¡¯t of immediate use to her, but when she had collected all of its pieces, it would be.


    The sound of footsteps drew her attention to the chamber¡¯s entrance. Allyssa, Shin, and Yamina appeared, their expressions a mix of confusion and surprise as they took in the room¡¯s strange atmosphere. Yamina, in particular, seemed captivated by the intricate runes adorning the walls and the array of magical devices scattered throughout the space.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Allyssa asked as they approached.


    Standing beside Scarlett, Rosa briefly glanced her way. Then the bard¡¯s concerned expression quickly morphed into her usual carefree demeanour.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the buried Veiled Library¡¯s hidden area¡¯s forbidden section¡¯s secret chamber, of course,¡± Rosa said with a dramatic flourish, turning to Allyssa with a grin. ¡°I thought that much would be obvious? Scarlett found it.¡±


    The girl shot her a slightly exasperated look in response.


    Yamina, peering over her gold-rimmed glasses, turned her keen gaze to Scarlett. ¡°So, this place was concealed, and you uncovered it? Can I ask how? From just a glance, several of the arrays appeared designed to mask its presence, and they seem quite formidable.¡±


    ¡°The chamber was hidden behind a section dedicated to Thainnith,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°It was devoid of texts, but when I interacted with it, this laboratory was revealed. From what I have gathered, this belonged to the Zuverian diviniarch Thainnith, and it was likely meant to be discovered eventually.¡±


    Wrinkles formed on Yamina¡¯s brow as her attention shifted to the metal orb at the center of the chamber. ¡°And that is¡­?¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The wizard¡¯s eyes lingered on the orb for several seconds before returning to Scarlett. ¡°I see,¡± she said, her tone neutral but her interest evident.


    With that, Yamina wandered over to a long stone table near the wall, scrutinising the various arcane implements spread out on it.


    Scarlett observed her for a moment, then decided it was best to let the woman satisfy her curiosity before initiating any serious discussions. She turned back to the others.


    ¡°I have obtained what I came for,¡± she said, keeping a steady voice despite her growing exhaustion. ¡°We still have time before we need to depart, and there are no imminent threats, so you may all feel free to explore the library as you wish. I do advise caution in the forbidden sections and suggest using the custodian for guidance, as some texts here could indeed be dangerous.¡±


    From what she could tell, Thainnith¡¯s legacy hadn¡¯t provided any detailed catalogue, but Scarlett did get a strong intuition that certain things here were better left undisturbed.


    Both Allyssa and Shin lit up at the prospect of further exploration, though they quickly tempered some of that enthusiasm.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s alright?¡± Allyssa asked, the blond-haired girl now eyeing Scarlett more closely. ¡°You don¡¯t look too well.¡±


    ¡°I am fine,¡± Scarlett assured her.


    Allyssa and Shin exchanged a skeptical glance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with her,¡± Fynn spoke up.


    Rosa tossed a lock of curly hair over her shoulder with feigned nonchalance. ¡°Me too. Just in case she gets lonely.¡±


    Scarlett gave them both a mild frown. Out of the corner of her eye, she even spotted Yamina pausing at the far end of the chamber, looking their way as well.


    Did she really appear that tired? She felt it, yes, but she was pretty sure she could press on for at least a few more hours.


    Suppressing a sigh, she offered a slight shake of her head, immediately regretting the motion as it intensified her headache.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she conceded, ¡°but Allyssa and Shin should take this opportunity to explore what interests you here. I cannot guarantee that we will have such unrestricted access to the library¡¯s contents again.¡±


    The two of them stared at her, eyes slightly widened.


    ¡°¡­What?¡± she asked.


    Allyssa blinked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she playfully punched Shin¡¯s armored arm. ¡°Stop staring. So what if she used our first names for the first time in Ittar-knows-how long? You¡¯re embarrassing us.¡±


    The young man shot her a flat look in response.


    Clearing her throat, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of the girl¡¯s lips, Allyssa turned away. ¡°Rosa, I¡¯m counting on you and Fynn to keep an eye on things here.¡±


    She tugged on Shin¡¯s arm, leading him out of the chamber. Scarlett watched them go, her eyes slightly narrowed.


    ¡°Not sure if I should feel proud or sad,¡± Rosa mused to the side. ¡°I kinda liked being the only one you addressed so informally. At least on occasion.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always called me informally,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you basically go by one name. Unless we¡¯re including that ¡®Grehal-something¡¯ ¡ª but let¡¯s face it, that¡¯s just too much of a mouthful.¡±


    ¡°My real name is Fyntrarth, though.¡±


    Rosa went quiet for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°¡­Still doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    Scarlett, whose frown remained as she listened to their exchange, shifted her focus to Yamina. ¡°While you are here, we will be searching more of the library. Although I trust your judgement, be mindful of the time. Remember, we must leave before dawn.¡±


    ¡°I will find you later, then,¡± the robed woman nodded, her attention already returning to some runes etched into the wall. ¡°Do be careful not to get lost.¡±


    Leaving the laboratory, Scarlett, Rosa, and Fynn paused before the first aisle. Scarlett assumed Allyssa and Shin would make their way back to the first chamber since that was the most convenient place to find specific books in this place.


    ¡°Are you sure you shouldn¡¯t rest for a bit?¡± Rosa asked quietly, stepping closer to her.


    Scarlett turned to her. ¡°If you wish to explore in my stead, feel free.¡±


    The woman looked at her, then flashed a confident smile as she straightened some imaginary collar confidently. ¡°Alrighty then. What am I looking for?¡±


    Resisting the urge to shake her head again due to the headache, Scarlett simply turned away. ¡°I was not being serious. I will manage, so you can cease with the incessant questioning.¡±


    Despite the allure of a good night¡¯s sleep right about now, the chance to explore the Veiled Library without restrictions wasn¡¯t one she could pass up. Although its vast collection of knowledge probably held less value for her than most others, and her time was limited, this was an opportunity to build upon and confirm some information she remembered from the game.


    To start, there were still things she wanted to investigate in the forbidden section.


    She directed her attention to the custodian, which had followed them out of Thainnith¡¯s laboratory as if awaiting instructions. ¡°Let us begin, shall we?¡±


    She had it guide them to sections relevant to her interests. This included Beld Thylelion, the Tribute of Dominion, the Forgotten Tower, the Rising Isle itself, and other significant locations within the empire.


    Previously, without Yamina or another expert fluent in Zuverian, Scarlett would¡¯ve struggled to understand any of the texts here. Now, thanks to the legacy, the script became increasingly comprehensible over time. This included even some runes and other arcane symbols that had been like Greek to her before.


    It wasn¡¯t quite to the level where she could magically understand how to use and arrange runes to create enchantments and complex arrays¡ªat least as far as she could tell¡ªbut the sudden comprehension was still very surprising, not to mention surreal. It was the kind of shortcut that any college student would have killed for.


    While in the forbidden section, she took meticulous notes of what they found, making ample use of Rosa and Fynn¡¯s presence to have them help her with that. The information here seemed to primarily concern potent¡ªor dangerous¡ªspells and arrays, secrets concerning the constructions and hiding of treasures, and similar topics. While not exhaustively detailed, the knowledge was undoubtedly invaluable to the right people.


    After some time, Yamina joined up with them briefly after having concluded her investigations of the hidden laboratory, but the woman soon ventured off on her own again. Eventually, Scarlett and the others left the forbidden section, returning to the first chamber to peruse the more general volumes alongside Allyssa and Shin, leaving the custodian behind.


    Scarlett found that, with a bit of practice, she could coax whatever book-conjuring mechanism the Veiled Library used to yield some of the texts she sought. The process wasn¡¯t precise, and sometimes the library¡¯s choices baffled her¡ªshe certainly had no use for treatises on social interactions written by wizards with personalities even worse than her own¡ªbut it proved effective enough.


    They discovered that there was a limit to the number of copies the library would provide to any one person, a fact Shin had apparently learned to Allyssa¡¯s amusement when he attempted to amass a stack of historical tomes and triggered the disappearance of the first book he acquired. From the look of things, no more than five copies were allowed at once.


    This restriction did force Scarlett to prioritise her own selections and take even more extensive notes. Fortunately, her current mastery of pyrokinesis made writing pretty easy, and she had enough helpers to record the most interesting material.


    Annoyingly, though, as the hours passed and she pored over more and more texts, her headache intensified, making it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Still, she made sure to maintain a composed exterior, not exactly feeling inclined to have the others fuss over her.


    While she was slightly worried that the headache might indicate an issue with the legacy Thainnith, she wasn¡¯t going to jump to any conclusions. It seemed just as likely that she was simply overexerting herself, and she doubted Thainnith would have attempted anything that could seriously put her life at risk.


    Although she did consider telling Gaspar that she was ill or something the following day to rest and recover.


    As the time to depart approached, Yamina met up with them again, the woman¡¯s arms now laden with tomes and scrolls.


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow at the sight. It was almost like their first meeting.


    ¡°Something tells me those aren¡¯t props this time,¡± Rosa remarked, eyeing the items.


    ¡°In a manner of speaking, they still are. Simply more tangible ones.¡± The wizard soon stashed them within her robes, where Scarlett assumed she had some sort of spatial enchantment. ¡°It¡¯s a habit of mine, you could say. I always feel that repositories like this call for a certain¡­presentation.¡±


    Scarlett wondered if the woman actually intended on snatching those volumes from the library proper. Even she hadn¡¯t gone that far, only keeping the copies provided by this first chamber. Beyond not wanting to provoke the Rising Isle more than necessary, it felt somewhat irreverent. Then again, she supposed Yamina would have unrestricted access to this place and could return the volumes at her convenience.


    As they gathered in the center of the underground chamber, Scarlett approached the statue in the corner clutching a quill in its stone hand. She retrieved the book she had previously given it, which triggered the closure of the entrance to the library¡¯s deeper sections. After carefully placing the book back on one of the veiled shelves, she rejoined the group.


    [Quest completed: Visit the Veiled Library]


    {Skill points awarded: 9}


    A quest completion message flashed before her, which Scarlett promptly dismissed. That much she¡¯d already been expecting. The only thing that caught her attention was the lack of any mention of her encounter with Thainnith.


    ¡°I will return you to your accommodations first,¡± Yamina said, drawing Scarlett¡¯s focus. ¡°Rest assured, no one will know we were here. Baroness Hartford, should you choose to share the secrets of this library with the council in exchange for something in the future, I would like if you could consult with me first so I can make the proper preparations. It would be best if our visit tonight remained a secret for now, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Scarlett replied, then regarded Yamina for a moment. ¡°¡­May I ask, though, why you chose to accompany us tonight? Surely the council would have granted you access eventually if I informed them of this place.¡±


    Yamina paused, tilting her head as a strand of her dark purple hair fell across her face. ¡°You¡¯re right. I hadn¡¯t considered that.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her skeptically.


    A slight smile formed on the woman¡¯s lips. ¡°Apologies, that was an attempt at humour. While it¡¯s true that I would have gained entry eventually, the Isle tends to be overly cautious with access to sensitive areas such as this. Official permissions can be¡­glacially slow. I found this approach more expedient.¡±


    ¡°Is there something specific you needed to learn quickly?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Yamina considered her. ¡°¡­Perhaps,¡± she replied cryptically.


    The two of them studied each other.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the wizard came here for, other than that it was related to the Tribute of Dominion. The information Scarlett herself had uncovered on the topic here hadn¡¯t clarified things either, nor was it clear if Yamina had found what she sought.


    What reasons could she have to be in a rush? Even if Yamina was investigating Beld Thylelion and all of that, the place wasn¡¯t opening that soon, as far as Scarlett knew.


    There was also the matter of the Orrery¡¯s reaction to the woman. Scarlett still wasn¡¯t certain whether that was a cause for concern. However, since it was Yamina who had facilitated her visit here today and had been generally helpful and cooperative, Scarlett would give her the benefit of the doubt for now.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves,¡± Yamina instructed as she brought out the artifact she¡¯d used to transport them here earlier. She knelt, placing it carefully on the stone floor before them.


    As the wizard¡¯s hands extended out, beginning to cast whatever spell activated the device, Scarlett felt a slight tremor against her skin. The Orrery on her wrist had suddenly come to life.


    ¡°Hold for a moment,¡± she said sharply, glancing down at the artifact. Yamina paused her casting, and the others turned towards Scarlett, expressions ranging from curiosity to concern.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened as she watched the metallic globe at the Orrery¡¯s center. The copper bands encircling it, usually still, had now started rotating with increasing speed.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford,¡± Yamina¡¯s voice cut through Scarlett¡¯s focus, tinged with a mix of fascination and wariness. ¡°That device¡­ What is it?¡±


    Scarlett barely registered the question. Her mind raced back to Thainnith¡¯s description about the Orrery:


    ¡®The Orrery is intimately linked to fate¡¯s fabric. While it cannot alter fate itself, it will alert you to any significant deviations or monumental events defying the expected course.¡¯


    It was clear that something was happening right ¡ª something that deviated from the predicted path of fate.


    Something big.

 Chapter 249 - Crisis

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s that on your wrist?¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice snapped Scarlett back to the present.


    ¡°You can see this?¡± Scarlett asked, turning to face the girl with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°Um, yes¡­?¡± Allyssa replied, her eyes darting uncertainly between Scarlett and the others. ¡°Am I not supposed to?¡±


    Yamina stepped forward, her keen gaze fixed on Scarlett¡¯s wrist. ¡°What manner of artifact is that?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened as she regarded the wizard. Suddenly, all of them could see it? Did that mean it was now visible to anyone, or was it because they all diverged at least slightly from fate? She shook her head, pushing those thoughts aside. There were more pressing matters at hand.


    ¡°We can discuss this later,¡± she said. ¡°Miss Ward, we need to return to the surface immediately.¡±


    Yamina¡¯s eyes narrowed, but after a moment¡¯s hesitation, she nodded. ¡°Everyone, prepare yourselves,¡± she announced, preparing to activate her teleportation artifact.


    With a wave of her hand, a blinding light enveloped them, and Scarlett felt the world lurch around her. The piercing headache that had been gnawing at her intensified, threatening to briefly overwhelm her senses. When reality stabilised, she found herself leaning heavily on Fynn and Rosa in their guest quarters, her vision swimming.


    As the pain ebbed and her surroundings came into focus, Scarlett straightened, pushing away from her companions. With a flick of her wrist, she activated her [Charms of Expeditious Change] to swap her expedition gear for a more comfortable black dress, then strode purposefully towards the door, ignoring the concerned looks of the others.


    At the threshold, she paused, turning to face Yamina. ¡°Miss Ward, you have my gratitude for your assistance tonight,¡± she said, keeping her voice steady despite the lingering discomfort. ¡°We will need to discuss matters further soon, but for now, our business is concluded. It may be best if you take your leave.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression seemed to suggest she didn¡¯t quite agree that they were done for now, but after a moment¡¯s consideration, she nodded. ¡°Until we meet again, then,¡± she replied. With another shimmer of light, she vanished, leaving the room¡¯s occupants staring at Scarlett.


    Without another word, Scarlett exited into the hallway. Rosa¡¯s voice called out behind her.


    ¡°Wait, Scarlett!¡±


    She pressed on, her footsteps sounding out against the wooden floor as she made her way to a door at the hall¡¯s end. She raised her hand to knock firmly.


    ¡°It would be best if you change out of your gear before leaving,¡± she declared, hearing the others approach from behind. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw her companions, still clad in their dungeon-crawling attire, pause and exchange brief looks before retreating. Only Fynn, who barely had any real gear to speak of anyway, remained by her side.


    Refocusing on the door before her, Scarlett tried knocking once again, more forcefully this time. Her foot tapped an impatient rhythm as she waited, the seconds stretching interminably. Finally, the door creaked open, revealing a disheveled young wizard in rumpled grey robes, blinking the sleep from his eyes.


    ¡°Contact Grand Wizard Hartford,¡± Scarlett commanded, her tone brooking no argument. ¡°Now.¡±


    The man flinched at her sharp words but quickly disappeared into the room again. He returned moments later, presenting a circular metal disk.


    Scarlett examined the device in her hands. ¡°How does this function?¡±


    ¡°Ah, um, yes, my apologies.¡± The wizard hastily reached out to touch the disk. A soft blue light pulsed to life. ¡°T-There. Now, when Grand Wizard Hartford sees your message, he¡¯ll respond.¡±


    ¡°And how long might that take?¡±


    His hand crept to the back of his neck. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Scarlett clicked her tongue in frustration. ¡°Very well.¡±


    Taking the device, she turned and descended a nearby staircase, navigating the corridors of their lodgings until she was outside. She emerged into a spacious circular courtyard, one of many nestled among the Rising Isle¡¯s network of waterways. Her gaze swept across the landscape, where the vista of elevated islands and cascading waterfalls gave way to the vast ocean¡¯s expanse in the distance. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and gold, but there were no signs of anything out of the ordinary.


    She glanced down at the device in her hand. Its gentle blue pulse remained unchanged.


    Was Gaspar still asleep? No, that seemed unlikely. She had been assured she could reach him at any hour if necessary. Rather, it was more probable that he was occupied.


    She doubted it was a coincidence that he was unavailable precisely when the Orrery displayed this kind of reaction. But what could she do about it? Nothing. Not when she was here on the Rising Isle.


    Feeling the weight of fatigue settling over her, and with little else to do but wait, she walked over to a nearby bench, sinking onto the weathered wood with a soft sigh. Her fingers drummed an absent rhythm on the armrest as she fixed her gaze on the horizon. Fynn took up a silent vigil beside her.


    A few minutes later, Rosa arrived, her enchanted cloak draped over a simple blouse. She carried a brush in hand, for some reason, working it through her hair as she sat down next to Scarlett.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Allyssa¡¯s helping Shin with his armor, but they¡¯ll be here soon,¡± the woman said while sorting her rumpled locks, her gaze sweeping over the breathtaking landscape. ¡°I¡¯ll say, you gave them quite a scare, rushing off like that. Made one think the skies were falling down or some such. You might want to consider softening that hard-headed approach of yours. You¡¯re liable to give the younglings heart attacks at this rate.¡±


    ¡°That is currently the least of my concerns,¡± Scarlett responded, her tone cool and distant.


    ¡°Yeah, I can tell.¡± Rosa¡¯s eyes flicked to the Orrery on Scarlett¡¯s wrist. ¡°¡­So, what is up, Red? It¡¯s not like you to act on impulse. Does that bracelet thingy spinning mean trouble¡¯s brewing or something?¡±


    Scarlett looked down at the artifact, the metal orb on its face and the rings around it in constant motion. ¡°¡­I do not know,¡± she admitted after a pause. ¡°That is precisely what concerns me. It could signify any number of possibilities.¡±


    She had some notion of the most probable scenarios, but the uncertainty was the problem.


    Rosa¡¯s expression grew somber. ¡°Not gonna lie, hearing you say that has me worried.¡±


    ¡°As well it should.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s our plan?¡±


    ¡°First, we need more information,¡± Scarlett said. She held up the disc artifact she¡¯d been given before placing it between them on the bench. ¡°While we remain on the Isle, our best source of insight is through its wizards.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to reach that old man Hartford, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You sure he¡¯s not sleeping?¡±


    ¡°I doubt that is the case.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you say so. Then what? We just wait?¡±


    Scarlett fell silent for a moment. ¡°¡­For now, yes.¡±


    Fynn observed them both, then settled down on the ground, closing his eyes. Scarlett leaned back, allowing herself a brief respite as they waited. After a while, Shin and Allyssa joined them, having changed back into their normal clothes. Sensing the subdued atmosphere, they remained quiet.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t really sure how much time passed like that, but finally, Gaspar¡¯s voice crackled from the artifact and roused her addled mind back to the present. ¡°What is it, Baroness? I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Sitting up straight, her companion¡¯s attention immediately focused on her.


    ¡°I need an update on the situation in the empire,¡± she said.


    A beat of silence followed. ¡°Baroness, under normal circumstances, there is no way to receive external news here on the Isle, outside the Chamber of Conjunction. Yet, you seem to be aware of the situation at hand already.¡±


    ¡°I am not. However, your response suggests that something is indeed unfolding in the empire.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what.¡±


    Another pause stretched out. Shin and Allyssa exchanged glances, looking to Rosa as if asking what was going on. The bard could only offer a helpless shrug.


    Finally, a resigned sigh echoed from the communication artifact. ¡°Early this morning, we detected several intense surges of magical energy across the continent, primarily concentrated around the empire. It appears these are part of a coordinated attack. The scale and methods of these assaults vary greatly, and we¡¯re still mapping them, but our communications with certain imperial mages and our own readings have confirmed the presence of numerous monsters attacking settlements. The full extent of the attacks remains unclear.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Allyssa¡¯s eyes widened in shock, her reaction mirrored by the others.


    Scarlett¡¯s expression hardened.


    Her foremost suspicion was correct, then. The Hallowed Cabal had initiated their assault on the empire. Though it occurred sooner than in the game, even earlier than she herself had anticipated, it didn¡¯t catch her entirely off-guard. There was a certain relief in knowing that she wasn¡¯t facing a crisis she hadn¡¯t at least considered.


    That said, this situation was far from preferable, especially while she was away.


    ¡°What more can you tell us?¡± she pressed.


    ¡°Very little,¡± Gaspar replied. ¡°I was informed of this less than an hour ago, Baroness. I¡¯m far more curious about how you came to know of it, but I¡¯ll set that aside for the time being. We are still identifying the types of monsters involved. There are reports suggesting dragons among them, which is astounding if true. The attacks¡¯ deliberate precision is evident, yet the method used to gather and direct such a diverse force of beasts remains a mystery.¡±


    Allyssa murmured the word ¡®dragons¡¯ under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief.


    Scarlett considered the girl for a moment before returning her attention to the communication artifact.


    She knew exactly what method had been used. The Cabal had finally utilised the [Ring of Depravity] they¡¯d stolen during their raid on the Tyndall Ball. It would likely take at least a day or so before anyone could make full sense of what was happening, though, and there was no telling the extent of damage that would be caused in that time.


    ¡°I need to use the Kilnstone and return to the empire,¡± she said.


    While her pact with the Cabal should mitigate the severity of the initial attacks in the Freybrook area, her presence back home would still be important. There would be numerous tasks to handle, including things related to the relief efforts Evelyne had been working on.


    Actually, that reminded her of a troubling thought. Wasn¡¯t Evelyne supposed to still be in Autumnwell? How hard would it be for her to return while all of this was going on?


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible,¡± Gaspar replied, his tone laced with unexpected frustration.


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already tried it, but the Kilnstone network across the empire is currently inactive,¡± he explained. ¡°This disruption is unprecedented. None of the fools over there can provide us any relevant insight into how it¡¯s possible, either. Clearly, the actors behind this attack possess capabilities far beyond what the empire¡ªor even we on the Isle¡ªhad anticipated.¡±


    The Cabal had disabled the Kilnstone network? She didn¡¯t even know they could do that, although if any group could manage it, it would be them.


    ¡°Then have one of your wizards transport me instead,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Do you take our wizards for your personal attendants, Baroness? The few capable of such magic are preoccupied. An event of this magnitude hasn¡¯t occurred in years, and we must prepare on all fronts. You will simply have to be patient. Whatever is causing the Kilnstones to malfunction is almost definitely temporary. I would be surprised if it persists beyond today.¡±


    Scarlett bit back a retort. She wanted to argue that an attack on the Rising Isle was highly improbable, so whatever preparations they were doing weren¡¯t necessary. But convincing Gaspar would be futile. Given that it was an emergency, no amount of valuable information she could offer would sway them. Even the Rising Isle, with its abundance of skilled mages, would only have a handful capable of teleportation over such long distances.


    ¡°If that is all,¡± Gaspar said, ¡°then I really must take my leave. We are currently working on establishing a communication network with the mage towers on the continent to better assess the situation and formulate a response. I cannot spare more time. If you have further questions, I suggest you consult Magister Penney.¡±


    The disc¡¯s glow faded, leaving Scarlett staring at the now-inert artifact.


    ¡°What¡­ What does this mean?¡± Allyssa asked, her voice trembling as she turned to Scarlett.


    Scarlett met her gaze, then leaned her back, pressing a thumb to her temple. No doubt, the empire would be in chaos. The fallout of this attack would be far-reaching, but at least she could find some solace in having protected herself as best she could.


    Yet, she wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable relying solely on that mindset. This crisis did affect her deeply, even if it felt oddly disconnected in some ways.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± she finally said, exhaling a deep sigh. ¡°Not yet, at least. But we will soon learn.¡±

 Chapter 250 - Brewing storms

    Evelyne stirred from her slumber, roused by an unsettling cacophony of distant noises and faint, haunting cries. Groggily, her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the darkness that enveloped her bedroom as consciousness slowly seeped back into her mind.


    What in the world could that be?


    With a soft rustle of fabric, she pushed aside her bedsheet and gingerly rose, her bare feet recoiling slightly as they met the cold floorboards. She padded across the room until she reached the window, drawing back the heavy curtains to reveal the snow-blanketed inner courtyard nestled at the heart of the estate.


    Could it have been part of her dream?


    As she pondered, a massive shadow swept across the gloomy morning sky, catching her attention. Evelyne leaned closer to the glass, her breath fogging the pane as she squinted into the distance, questioning whether her still-drowsy mind was playing tricks on her.


    Suddenly, an explosion shattered the silence. Plumes of dark smoke began to billow from the city¡¯s edge, unfurling against the pale sky like ominous banners. Her eyes widened as she watched the scene rapidly worsen. More columns of smoke erupted across different points in the city, and soon, the entire skyline above Autumnwell was bathed in an otherworldly crimson glow, its source hidden.


    Evelyne immediately recognized it. That was a flare spell. A warning.


    The city was under attack.


    She spun on her heel, her nightgown swirling around her legs as she rushed to the closet. Without bothering about the details, she forced on her clothes and darted out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the corridor. In the mansion¡¯s hallways, she soon encountered clusters of confused servants in various states of undress, their whispered conversations a blend of fear and speculation. She made her way past them, trying to keep a calm expression even as the concern grew inside her.


    Now fully alert, she reached the foyer. There, she found a man trying to orchestrate some of the other servants to keep some semblance of order. His brown uniform was impeccably pressed despite the early hour, and his flaxen-blond hair and neatly trimmed mustache gave him an air of cultivated droit as he issued rapid-fire instructions around him.


    The head butler of the estate.


    As Evelyne approached, the man turned to face her, his expression shifting to one of polite deference. ¡°Ah, Lady Hartford,¡± he said, his tone surprisingly measured. ¡°My sincerest apologies for the commotion. It appears the city is under attack by some manner of miscreants, you see. However, rest assured, I¡¯m sure that Autumnwell¡¯s stalwart defenders will promptly address this situation with utmost haste and efficiency.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s gaze swept over the anxious faces in the hall before returning to the butler. ¡°Do we have any information on what¡¯s actually happening?¡± she asked.


    His mustache twitched slightly as he replied, ¡°Regrettably, details are scarce at present. But Milord has instructed me to gather everyone for their safety. This, of course, includes esteemed guests such as yourself. I had dispatched someone to your chambers, though it seems that effort has now been made redundant.¡± He finished with a rueful shake of his head.


    Evelyne recalled that Scarlett had warned her about the butler¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯, but she found herself far less bothered by it than her sister¡¯s words had suggested. If anything, his composure in the face of a potential crisis was admirable.


    Her attention drifted to one of the nearby windows, where the dark courtyard was visible. Flickers of red reflected across the sky now that the flare¡¯s effect had faded. So there were fires?


    ¡°Where are Lord and Lady Withersworth?¡± she asked.


    ¡°When I last spoke with His Lordship, he and Her Ladyship were in their private quarters,¡± the butler responded. He then cleared his throat, turning to address the murmuring staff. ¡°Now then, let us maintain decorum and focus on the tasks at hand. Any loquaciousness can be left for when you are not on duty.¡±


    Leaving him to his job, Evelyne retreated to a quieter corner of the room, her mind racing as she observed some servants hustle in and out of the foyer, though more of them trickled in, their faces a mix of confusion and fear.


    Scarlett had warned her of an impending crisis that would engulf the empire. Was this attack part of that supposed calamity? And if so, who was behind it? The Tribe of Sin? They seemed a likely culprit, but what worried Evelyne most wasn¡¯t necessarily the who, but the how. What was the scale of this attack, and exactly what were they facing? Scarlett had told her to be prepared for a threat against the entire empire, not merely a single city.


    Evelyne¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as she considered the implication. If Scarlett¡¯s warnings held true, this chaos wasn¡¯t confined to Autumnwell alone. But could the Tribe really mobilise the forces for such a widespread assault? She didn¡¯t have a clear sense of their full strength, but their attacks had always been much more limited in the past.


    As the minutes ticked by, the sounds of battle and chaos drew nearer to the Withersworth estate, even though it was situated a fair distance from the city''s edge. The gathered servants¡¯ anxiety was almost tangible by this point, their whispered fears a constant undercurrent to distant explosions. Evelyne still fought to maintain her composure, but her eyes never left the window, watching for any sign of immediate danger.


    Unbidden, her thoughts strayed to Freybrook. Was her home also under attack? And what of Stagmond and the rest of their barony? With both she and Scarlett absent, the burden of leadership would fall to Garside and Kinsley. Capable as they were, their options would be limited in the face of such a threat.


    A small comfort came from Scarlett¡¯s strange assurances that Freybrook was less likely to be directly impacted by the impending crisis. This offered a glimmer of hope, at least, but Evelyne dared not place too much trust in that prediction.


    Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. Whatever was happening, she hoped they could weather this storm.


    Suddenly, a bone-chilling scream sliced through the tense air, momentarily paralyzing everyone in the foyer. The cry seemed human at first, but Evelyne detected an unsettling, off quality to it that made her skin crawl.


    Her sharp gaze swept over the assembled group. Several of the estate¡¯s footmen stood ready, some clad in thick gambesons with arms strapped to their waists, but despite their brave stances, they hardly cut the figure of seasoned warriors. The Withersworths were more known for their political acumen than martial prowess and had few people on hand truly capable of handling these dire emergencies.


    The scream erupted again, closer this time, causing several people to flinch. A deep frown creased the head butler¡¯s forehead, and Evelyne approached him, her voice low and urgent. ¡°Do you have a plan for everyone¡¯s safety?¡±


    He hesitated briefly, his previous composure slipping slightly. ¡°Milord directed us to gather here first, whereupon I presumed he had further instructions to follow. However, his continued absence is¡­concerning. It should not have taken this long to finalise his preparations and join us with Milady.¡± After a moment of reflection, a resolute look settled over the man¡¯s features, and he shook his head. ¡°No, no, this simply will not do. I must seek out the Lord myself. You, guard, accompany me¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, a cacophony of those strange screams erupted, and several windows around the foyer shattered simultaneously. Through the rain of glass shards burst a pack of wolf-like creatures, their massive forms sleek and predatory. Their jaws, filled with rows of sharp, saliva-dripping teeth, ground against each other, producing those eerie cries that heralded their arrival while numerous pairs of intense, almost glowing eyes fixed on the terrified onlookers with an unnatural hunger.


    Evelyne¡¯s blood ran cold as she recognised the intruders. Those were shriekstalkers.


    How had monsters penetrated this deep into the city?


    A few courageous footmen stepped forward, forming a protective line before those assembled. Evelyne, acting on instinct, pushed the butler back and faced an attacking shriekstalker head-on. She had activated Mana Barrier at the first sign of the city¡¯s assault, and the spell protected her as the creature¡¯s jaw clamped down on her arm, trying to drag her to the ground.


    Without hesitation, she cast Blazeblade, summoning a slender blade of fire that materialised in front of her free hand. With a swift, precise motion, she thrust the fiery weapon into the monster¡¯s head, and the shriekstalker¡¯s body went limp instantly, its dead weight slumping against her.


    Kicking the corpse away and shaking off the numbness in her arm, Evelyne turned her attention to the remaining shriekstalkers in the room. Her hands traced intricate patterns in the air as she began to cast another spell: Emberflurry Salvo. A volley of fiery bolts formed around her, each one darting with unerring accuracy into the monsters¡¯ heads. Most fell instantly, their bodies crumpling to the floor with sickening thuds. The footmen, emboldened by her display, managed to dispatch the few that remained.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    With the sudden ambush handled, Evelyne took a moment to assess the situation. The people had huddled away from the windows, visibly shaken but mercifully unharmed. A couple of footmen sported bleeding wounds, but nothing that looked too serious, thankfully.


    Evelyne had faced shriekstalkers once before, during a childhood training session with her father. That was back when she had been enamored with the idea of becoming a knight, dragging him along on all sorts of ridiculous outings. Despite the shriekstalkers¡¯ fearsome appearance, they weren¡¯t as dangerous as they looked, even in packs. More importantly, they never ventured near major settlements, at least not to her knowledge. Their presence here, attacking a noble¡¯s mansion at the heart of the city, was deeply troubling.


    ¡°Y-You have my deepest gratitude, Lady Hartford,¡± the butler said, adjusting his rumpled uniform. His gaze fell to the carcass of the first monster she¡¯d killed, with a large charred hole through its head, and he scrunched his nose slightly. ¡°Given these extraordinary circumstances, it might be prudent to reposition ourselves to a more secure location, even if His Lordship has yet to join us.¡±


    ¡°Is there a safer place we can retreat to?¡± Evelyne asked, eyes still scanning for any signs of further danger.


    ¡°The cellar would be suitable under the current conditions,¡± the man replied, regaining some of his usual poise. ¡°However, as uncouth as it may be of me to impose, I must insist that you lead them there yourself. In light of what just occurred, the delayed arrival of Milord and Milady is most worrying, and I feel compelled to verify their well-being personally.¡±


    Evelyne turned to study him for a moment, weighing her options. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go find them,¡± she decided. ¡°You can go with the others to safety.¡±


    The Withersworths¡ªLady Withersworth, especially¡ªhad been incredibly hospitable during her stay here in Autumnwell. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to abandon them now, not when danger lurked so close.


    The butler gave her a long, somewhat uncertain look, but soon, he nodded his head. ¡°Then so be it. Your commitment to the Lordship and Ladyship¡¯s safety is truly exemplary, Lady Hartford, if I do say so myself. You embody the virtues of nobility far beyond what is exhibited by certain others of a similar rank.¡±


    With that, he began ushering the people out of the foyer and towards a connecting hallway. Evelyne lingered, ensuring no more monsters were skulking nearby.


    As she glanced out one of the broken windows, her eyes caught on the silhouette of a tall structure in the distance, its outline emerging from the early morning haze and red-dotted sky. The Wells Tower, Autumnwell¡¯s mage tower. However, what truly alarmed her was the massive figure clinging to its side. Even from this far away, she could hear its roar as the creature clawed at the tower¡¯s stone facade, jets of flame spewing from its maw.


    A dragon.


    Evelyne¡¯s heart raced. Was the city now under attack by a dragon as well? She couldn¡¯t tell for sure, but its size suggested it was at least an adolescent one, if not an adult.


    Out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning split the sky, striking the beast with pinpoint accuracy. The dragon spiraled away from the tower, its massive wings unfurling as it circled the structure like a colossal bird of prey.


    Evelyne¡¯s attention snapped back to her immediate surroundings as a thunderous crash reverberated from within the estate, accompanied by muted shouts. It originated from the opposite direction to which the others had fled ¡ª towards the southern wing, where Lord and Lady Withersworth¡¯s chambers were located.


    The sight of a dragon attacking the mage tower had shaken Evelyne, but she couldn¡¯t let that get to her. Not right now. She¡¯d already faced a similar ordeal during the Tyndall Ball, and she recalled how her sister had remained completely calm and unaffected through that. She could¡ªshe must¡ªdo the same.


    Pushing aside thoughts of the broader implications of these attacks, Evelyne focused on her immediate priority: surviving the current crisis and ensuring the safety of her hosts.


    With renewed determination, Evelyne started moving, sprinting through the foyer and along the winding corridors towards the source of the disturbance. As she rounded a corner, she came upon a scene of devastation. The ceiling had partially collapsed, and a gaping hole had been torn in the wall, exposing the broad patio beyond. There, silhouetted against the chaotic skyline, loomed a massive creature several times her size.


    Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the beast¡¯s imposing form. It was bear-like in stature, with dense white fur that seemed to shimmer in the light. Where had something that big even come from?


    The creature didn¡¯t roar but emitted a constant, low growl that vibrated through the air, shaking Evelyne to her very bones. On the far side of the patio, a small group of people huddled together, cornered by the monstrous beast. Among them was Lord Withersworth, supporting his fallen wife. They were shielded by a wide, translucent barrier that pulsed with mana.


    ¡°Dagnabbit and confound it all, have at me, you cursed brute!¡± the old noble shouted, his voice cracking defiantly as he brandished what appeared to be a wand, its tip crackling with energy. A series of lightning bolts erupted from the device, singeing the creature¡¯s fur and causing it to step back slightly, but not retreat.


    Seeing this, Evelyne knew she had to act quickly. Assessing the threat, she began to weave one of her most potent spells, seizing the moment while the creature¡¯s attention was focused on Lord Withersworth and the others.


    As the nobleman fired another volley of lightning bolts from his wand, the monster¡¯s rage seemed to intensify. It pressed forward relentlessly, testing the strength of the magical barrier that separated it from its intended prey.


    Evelyne marveled briefly at the effectiveness of the barrier. While she knew Lord Withersworth wasn¡¯t a mage himself, whoever had crafted the item generating this protection was undoubtedly a skilled artificer. Still, she could see signs of strain beginning to show in the glimmering field. Any enchanted item relying on its own finite mana reservoir had its limit, and this one was clearly approaching it.


    The spell Evelyne was working on was both complex and demanding, but she quickened her casting, drawing upon a substantial portion of her mana. She had never used this spell in actual combat and still struggled slightly with its execution, but the circumstance left no room for hesitation or lesser magics.


    Behind the creature, a solitary red rune ignited in the air, hovering menacingly. Moments later, it duplicated itself, spawning identical glyphs to either side. These glyphs multiplied at an exponential rate, weaving an ever-growing network that soon enveloped the monster in a sphere of pulsating symbols. So fixated was the beast on breaking through the barrier that it failed to notice the magical web encircling it until it was completely surrounded.


    Evelyne¡¯s focus intensified as she triggered the next phase of the spell, her hands moving in intricate patterns as she composed the runes into a grid of flames. The lines connected, forming a fiery cage around the monster. Finally sensing the danger, it spun to face her, revealing a beaked face and round, black eyes that glared at her with primal fury. The tips of its white fur brushed against the confines of the sphere, sizzling on contact.


    With a final surge of concentration, Evelyne completed the spell.


    Emberheart Convergence.


    For a fleeting moment, the cage of runes and fire beat with increased intensity, as if snapping more deeply into existence. Then, with devastating force, it contracted. The beast had no escape as the flames engulfed it, its movements constricted and its body both igniting and compressing under the ruthless magical onslaught. It howled in agony, its fur catching fire and its limbs emitting a cacophony of disturbing sounds as it burned and was squeezed by the unforgiving spell.


    The inferno lasted until the monster was reduced to nothing but a charred heap, now a mere fraction of its original size. A foul stench of scorched flesh permeated the air, making Evelyne¡¯s stomach churn.


    Exhausted by the immense magical exertion, she collapsed to one knee, her chest heaving as she gulped in deep breaths. Sweat beaded on her brow, and her limbs trembled lightly.


    This spell had been one of her father¡¯s creations, and she was thankful that it had worked. She shuddered to think what might have happened if it failed.


    At the patio¡¯s edge, a small group of servants watched, a mixture of awe and horror etched on their faces. Lord Withersworth, carefully helping his wife to her feet, began leading the group towards Evelyne.


    It was only then, as her vision cleared and her senses sharpened once more, that Evelyne noticed the white-furred behemoth wasn¡¯t the only dead monster in the vicinity. There was also a grotesque collection of smaller, rat-like creatures scattered across the area. She recognized them as skittercloaks, a type of monster known for their stealth and occasionally found lurking in the sewers of bigger cities like this one.


    As the others drew near, it became clear that Lady Withersworth was injured; her left leg was bleeding, and she looked far more gaunt than Evelyne had ever seen her before.


    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± the older noblewoman said wearily, supported by her husband and a servant. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t arrived when you did, who knows what reckless heroics my husband might have attempted.¡±


    Lord Withersworth grumbled next to her but offered a gruff nod in agreement nonetheless. ¡°Yes, thank you. It¡¯s clear that the Hartford lineage excels at producing exceptional mages to this day. Your father before you, and now you and your sister both demonstrate formidable abilities. Most impressive.¡± He paused, waving the polished wooden wand in his hand along with a silver talisman in the other, his tone tinged with slight disdain. ¡°Certainly more effective than these sorry trinkets that Warley gifted me.¡±


    His wife touched his arm gently. ¡°While I am not one to excuse that old fox¡¯s behaviour, his ¡®trinkets¡¯ did save our lives, dear.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Yes, well, I¡¯ll make sure to give him our thanks next time I meet him.¡±


    Evelyne managed a weary, slightly awkward smile at the praise as she struggled to her feet. A few months ago, she would have found the notion of her sister showing promise as a mage laughable. Scarlett had neither displayed interest nor talent for magic since they were young. Evelyne had always taken a strange kind of pride in that fact. It was one of the few areas where she clearly excelled, regardless of Scarlett¡¯s attempts to downplay it.


    Now, however, she was no longer certain of that superiority. After witnessing Scarlett¡¯s prowess at the Tyndall Ball, it seemed possible¡ªeven likely¡ªthat her sister had surpassed her in magical skill, despite the woman¡¯s unconventional methods.


    Evelyne wasn¡¯t sure if she was envious of that or not. There were a lot of things she wasn¡¯t sure about regarding her sister these days.


    Pushing all of that aside, she focused on the urgent matter at hand. ¡°We should hurry and make our way to the basement,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know where all these monsters are coming from, but it¡¯s clearly not safe here.¡±


    ¡°That it is not,¡± Lord Withersworth agreed grimly. He tucked his wand into his breast pocket and produced a pair of unusually shaped keys instead. ¡°I suppose I do owe a debt to old Warley for managing to persuade your sister to part with these.¡±


    Evelyne eyed the keys curiously. What were they for? And how did they connect to Scarlett?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she urged, letting that be for now and taking the lead and preparing to guide the group back the way she had come.


    Suddenly, a disturbing noise made her stop and turn. At the center of the open patio, a black hole had materialised out of thin air, its edges crackling with energy. From it, a pack of shriekstalkers and other small monsters tumbled to the ground, their eyes immediately locking onto Evelyne and the group with an almost supernatural fixation.


    Reacting quickly, Evelyne prepared to cast another Emberflurry Salvo to deal with this new threat. But before she could complete the incantation, a second, much larger portal ripped open. From its swirling depths emerged another of those white-furred behemoths, its massive form dwarfing the other creatures. Its eyes briefly landed on the twisted, charred remains of its fallen comrade before fixing a menacing stare on Evelyne.


    Time seemed to slow.


    ¡°Run,¡± she said.

 Chapter 251 - Mixed news

    Scarlett sat at the table in her quarters on the Rising Isle, poring over a weathered old Zuverian tome. It was something she¡¯d used on occasion to practice reading the ancient script, but now was the first time she could truly comprehend its contents. Mostly, though, she was reading to distract herself, an effort that was only marginally successful as her mind kept drifting back to the events unfolding in the empire.


    The day had crawled by without word from Gaspar, leaving Allyssa and the others to stew in their anxiety over the ongoing attacks. Scarlett, while not worrying per se, couldn¡¯t shake a nagging sense of unease. She despised the feeling of not being in control, even though she¡¯d long anticipated the Cabal¡¯s assault.


    Enduring a dull, persistent throbbing behind her eyes didn¡¯t help matters. The headache had continued plaguing her ever since Thainnith¡¯s legacy was jammed into her frontal lobe. She¡¯d tried resting at noon, but it had only helped so much.


    With a sigh, she idly thumbed through the tome, allowing the once-alien symbols to crystallise into meaning. The soft rustle of turning pages filled the room, a soothing counter to her otherwise racing thoughts.


    Without warning, a flash of light erupted in the center of the room. As it faded, a figure materialised ¡ª a woman with vibrant purple hair, draped in emerald robes and clutching a watch-like artifact in her hand.


    ¡°Ah, excellent. I¡¯ve found the right place,¡± the newcomer remarked, her gaze sweeping the room before settling on Scarlett. ¡°Pinpointing your exact location can be surprisingly tricky.¡±


    ¡°Miss Ward. I was not expecting another visit from you so soon,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Yet here I stand,¡± Yamina replied, her eyes flicking to the tome Scarlett had been reading. ¡°Oh, so you do understand Zuverian after all. I was wondering whether you were fluent or not.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± Scarlett closed the tome and slipped it back into her [Pouch of Holding] placed on the table. ¡°What brings you here, Miss Ward? Given the current situation in the empire, I assumed you would be otherwise occupied.¡±


    The wizard nodded, a hint of weariness seeming to bleed into her voice. ¡°The Mistral Observatory is in a frenzy, everyone scrambling to assess the situation on the continent. I have managed to steal a moment for myself and thought to pay you one last visit. I suspect opportunities may be scarce after today.¡±


    Scarlett regarded her thoughtfully. ¡°¡­Indeed. I will be returning to Freybrook as soon as I am able, making future meetings unlikely. That said, I have unfinished business here on the Isle. I will return when circumstances allow.¡±


    She still hadn¡¯t found the answers she needed related to Arlene¡¯s quest, after all, not to mention all of her dealings with the council. They still owed her.


    ¡°Understandable,¡± Yamina said.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°You still have not answered my question. What exactly brings you here, Miss Ward?¡±


    The wizard fell silent, studying Scarlett for a moment before adjusting her glasses with a light touch. ¡°It occurs to me that we haven¡¯t had a proper conversation, just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Considering that we only formally introduced ourselves yesterday, that is scarcely a surprise. We are barely acquaintances.¡±


    A trace of amusement flickered across Yamina¡¯s face. ¡°I have many acquaintances, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve collaborated with any of them to infiltrate one of the Rising Isle¡¯s most restricted areas.¡±


    ¡°Accomplices, then,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I think I prefer ¡®partners¡¯,¡± Yamina countered.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyebrow arched. ¡°I hesitate to categorise our relationship that highly this early.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes glinted behind her glasses. ¡°Not even after I risked my position to grant you access to the Veiled Library? You¡¯re rather cold, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Your risks are your own concern, not mine.¡±


    To Scarlett¡¯s surprise, Yamina laughed softly, shaking her head. ¡°Hardly a real concern, actually. I¡¯m not so careless as to put myself in real jeopardy.¡± Her expression sobered as she crossed the room, settling into a chair opposite Scarlett at the table.


    Scarlett studied her closely. ¡°So, what is it that you wanted to discuss?¡±


    ¡°That artifact you were handling earlier,¡± Yamina began, her gaze locking onto Scarlett¡¯s. ¡°What exactly is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not sure what you mean.¡±


    The wizard¡¯s eyes flicked to Scarlett¡¯s wrist, where the Orrery had rested before. ¡°It seemed to alert you. Curiously, not long after, an attack of almost unprecedented scale was launched against the empire. I had no inkling of such an event, despite my skill in foreseeing significant occurrences.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Then would you claim you can read fate?¡±


    Yamina hesitated, leveling a keen look at Scarlett¡¯s words.


    ¡°Dean Godwin once mentioned possessing such an ability,¡± Scarlett added. ¡°Given your association with him, I wondered if you shared that talent.¡±


    After a pause, Yamina responded, ¡°What Warley can do isn¡¯t exactly ¡®reading¡¯ fate. Rather, he can sense when others deviate from it. Although I suspected that you were already aware of as much.¡±


    The two of them regarded each other in silence.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Scarlett finally asked.


    Yamina had been paying special attention to her since their arrival on the Isle. Scarlett had speculated about the reasons, but she hadn¡¯t yet found one that quite fit completely.


    The wizard seemed to weigh her words carefully. ¡°¡­My interest in you was initially piqued by your connection to Warley,¡± she began. ¡°By then, your Zuverian discoveries had already caused quite a stir here. As such, it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that I chose to employ more magical means to learn more about you, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°I did expect that, yes. I assume you found something to further arouse your interest?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, actually. There was surprisingly little to discern about you.¡± Yamina leaned forward slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how familiar you are with divination magic as a school, but it is far from precise. It¡¯s often unreliable, in fact. However, experienced practitioners can glean valuable insights if they know what to look for. It¡¯s not exactly reading fate, but sometimes it does allow us to glimpse fragments, especially if the subject is closely tied to fate¡¯s weave.¡± Her eyes bore into Scarlett¡¯s. ¡°What was curious about you, Baroness, is that despite numerous divinations before and after your arrival, the results were almost always utterly mundane. If my spells are to be believed, there¡¯s nothing that sets you apart from your appearance, save perhaps the company you keep.¡±


    Scarlett found that interesting. Was that how she was perceived by divination in this world, then? Not as a conspicuous anomaly or an imperceptible void, but as unremarkable and easily overlooked? Did that mean someone would have to be looking into her specifically to even have a chance of detecting something was amiss?


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, I might have left my investigations there,¡± Yamina continued. ¡°But I felt compelled to meet you in person, to confirm my findings.¡±


    ¡°That is why you approached us at the Arcanum Spire,¡± Scarlett said.


    The woman nodded. ¡°Precisely. And that, Baroness, is where you truly captured my attention. Because contrary to what any divinations might suggest, you are far from ordinary in presence.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°For one, you do not carry yourself as others do. Though I suppose that could be attributed to your status as an imperial noble. But more notably, the lingering tenor surrounding you indicated that you were anything but simple.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Tenor?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Are you not familiar with the phrase?¡± Yamina asked, a note of surprise in her voice.


    ¡°Not in this context, no.¡±


    Yamina touched her chin thoughtfully. ¡°¡®Tenor¡¯ in this case refers to ¡®arcane tenor¡¯, a term used by mages to describe the residual mix of mana and other energies that cling to individuals and objects after interacting with different magics. You could say it¡¯s an imprint left by you on the world.¡±


    ¡°I have never heard of this concept before.¡±


    ¡°Very few can perceive it, so it¡¯s rarely significant.¡± The woman tapped her gold-rimmed glasses. ¡°These glasses, for instance, carry enchantments so incomparably intricate they likely surpass the value of most noble fortunes in the empire. Yet even they cannot fully capture the nuances of an individual¡¯s tenor. It may well be impossible to do so completely.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see,¡± Scarlett said, her frown softening. ¡°And what have your glasses revealed about this ¡®tenor¡¯ surrounding me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, many fascinating little details. Mages often overlook how much can be inferred from mere traces of interactions. In your case, what stood out were signs of exposure to at least one potent mana source, or repeated interactions with an incredibly potent artifact. Possibly both. There were also traces of magic use that would be considered highly unusual for a mage of your purported level.¡±


    ¡°I assume you are referring to my ability to use both true pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Yamina tilted her head, her gaze analytical. ¡°Simply put, after meeting you in person, it was clear you were far, far from an ordinary individual. Yet, all divinations pointed to the contrary ¡ª a paradox that I found particularly curious.¡±


    ¡°And what are you trying to imply?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely certain yet,¡± Yamina admitted. ¡°But I sense that some of our goals might align, beyond our shared interest in the Veiled Library¡¯s secrets.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her cautiously. ¡°You may be right. However, do not expect that to mean I will reveal my own secrets freely.¡±


    She was somewhat unsure about what Yamina¡¯s slight deviation from fate meant, and it was better to be safe than sorry in that regard. Unlike with Godwin, where her options had been limited, she saw no reason to be overly forthcoming here.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yamina said, a hint of a smile now playing on her lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to simply hand over the answers to your particular mystery.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Scarlett did recognise that this also meant she couldn¡¯t expect Yamina to reveal her own secrets, but that was a trade-off she¡¯d have to accept.


    The woman¡¯s attention shifted as she produced a small crystal ring from her robes, its slow, pulsing blue light casting a soft glow. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all the time I can spare for now.¡± She rose, moving to the center of the room before turning back to Scarlett. ¡°I hope we¡¯ll have more opportunities to talk in the future. Do look for me when you next visit the Isle.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The wizard paused, her hand hovering over the artifact that she¡¯d used to teleport here. Her eyes locked onto Scarlett for another second. ¡°You might find it interesting to hear that there was one detail from divinations that stood out from the rest, though I can¡¯t claim to understand its significance.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    Yamina offered a mysterious smile. ¡°When you return, you may want to pay a visit to the Hall of Echoes.¡±


    With that cryptic remark, she activated her artifact and vanished in a brilliant flash of light.


    Scarlett stared at the now-empty space, left pondering the woman¡¯s parting words. She¡¯d already intended to visit the Hall of Echoes eventually, but as far as she knew, there wasn¡¯t anything there that she needed.


    So what was that about?


    Shaking her head, she set the matter aside for the time being and returned to her earlier tome. The hours slipped by as evening approached, until a slight vibration from a communication artifact resting on the table caught her attention.


    Glancing over, she saw that it was blinking insistently. Setting aside her tome again, she reached out and activated the device.


    Gaspar¡¯s voice came through, heavy with exasperated fatigue. ¡°Baroness, there are matters we should discuss.¡±

 Chapter 252 - Tensions

    Guifford Knottley stood at the broad window of his office, his calloused hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the errant signs of devastation marring Freybrook. His gruff face, etched with lines of exhaustion and disquiet, reflected in the glass as he gazed upon the occasional broken rooftop, charred dwelling, and shattered street below.


    Count Hayden¡¯s voice cut through the heavy silence from the communication device on his desk. ¡°We¡¯ve reached a consensus among us lords. We must petition His Majesty without delay. This situation cannot be allowed to deteriorate further.¡±


    Guifford¡¯s jaw tightened, his eyes never leaving his city. The ruin brought to it was enough to make his blood boil.


    After a long moment, he turned and strode to his desk, his boots echoing on the old wooden floor. ¡°Imposing additional burdens on our citizens at this point might be ill-advised,¡± he replied deeply. ¡°While I agree that an imperial Security Edict is necessary, to a degree, aiding the realm shouldn¡¯t come at the cost of further taxing those who have already sacrificed and lost so much.¡±


    ¡°You can only afford that sentiment because Freybrook weathered the storm better than Kilsfell and other cities,¡± Count Hayden said sharply. ¡°Countless lives and homes have been lost to these attacks. Far too many are now left adrift and vulnerable, and it¡¯s painfully clear that our current resources aren¡¯t enough to shield them from this threat. We need to muster both funds and manpower to mount an effective counteroffensive against this blatant aggression. Even with the Imperial Diet¡¯s support, only His Majesty can decree it.¡±


    Guifford¡¯s hand clenched into a fist at his side. ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me on the stakes, Rawling,¡± he growled, his voice low. ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed the devastation firsthand, time and time again.¡±


    ¡°Then we have little left to discuss,¡± Count Hayden replied coolly. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave, Guifford. We can speak again later.¡±


    As the device fell silent, Guifford sank into his chair, the leather creaking beneath his broad form. His gaze drifted back to the window behind him, his mind replaying the chaos that had engulfed Freybrook just the day before. The armrests of his chair groaned under his tightening grip.


    Reports from both Count Hayden and many others suggested that Freybrook had fared better than most during the attack. But the notion that Guifford should consider himself fortunate ignited a profound rage in his chest. One should never feel grateful merely because circumstances could have been worse. An injustice remained an injustice, regardless of scale, and accepting the opposite mindset only invited further injustice.


    While the general populace still reeled from the assaults and still did not fully understand what had caused the sudden monster attacks, those in power harbored no doubts about the perpetrators. All evidence pointed unmistakably to the Tribe of Sin¡ªand, by extension, the Hallowed Cabal¡ªas the architects of this destruction.


    The true mystery lay in how they had managed to marshal and control such a vast array of monsters, including dragons, for these coordinated strikes across the empire. The destruction wrought in a single day rivaled that of the dragon of devastation¡¯s rampage eight years prior.


    More than a decade had passed since Guifford last stood on the front lines inside any of the empire¡¯s own cities. After a grueling day of united efforts among various factions¡ªknight orders, mage towers, the Assembly, the Shields Guild, mercenary groups, and noble retinues¡ªmost cities had repelled the immediate threats by nightfall. While Wildscar and Ambercrest reportedly still grappled with lingering beasts, the reactivation of the Kilnstones this morning promised that would be resolved soon enough.


    But Guifford harbored no illusion that this was the end. To his knowledge, there had been no direct sightings of the Tribe¡¯s or Cabal¡¯s agents, suggesting that these attacks were merely a prelude to something far more sinister.


    A heavy sigh escaped him as he ran a hand over his bare head. It seemed to him that the current state of affairs was returning to how things were back in his youth, when the empire last engaged in open warfare with the Tribe. In those days, the Undead Council had simultaneously embroiled the eastern border in conflict, leaving scarcely a moment of peace for him and his peers. But even then, the empire¡¯s heartlands had never suffered to this degree.


    His eyes fell upon a small painted portrait on his desk depicting his family, with him and his late wife smiling as they stood behind their young children. Guifford extended a hand, his fingers tracing the edge of the frame, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.


    He pondered what Rilla would have thought of the current chaos. Undoubtedly, she would have been horrified by the destruction, but perhaps she would also have been proud of their efforts to defend their home. Guifford had personally overseen the training of many of Freybrook¡¯s defenders, and they had displayed remarkable courage in yesterday¡¯s battles.


    His son, Garrin, had also shown impressive valor, befitting his role as heir. Despite his shortcomings, Guifford felt a swell of pride for the young man.


    Finally, his gaze lingered on the image of his daughter, Livvi, in the portrait. Painted when she barely reached his waist, her long brown hair framed a pair of keen eyes that seemed to gaze back at him with an uncanny intensity.


    Concern for her safety weighed heavily on his mind. He hadn¡¯t received any updates on her since the attacks, and he was uncertain where her Guild responsibilities currently placed her. Though he tried to reassure himself that she was likely well-protected and more than capable of looking after herself with her sharp mind, the worry persisted.


    Closing his eyes, Guifford rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling the full load of his responsibilities as both the lord of Freybrook and a noble of the empire. Part of him longed to set aside all other duties and ensure Livvi¡¯s safety personally, but he knew that was impossible. Still, a father¡¯s concerns were not easily dismissed, in more ways than one.


    Much to his chagrin, his thoughts inevitably drifted to one of his daughter¡¯s ¡®closest¡¯ friends and a frequent source of irritation for him ¡ª Baroness Scarlett Hartford.


    It still astounded him that the callous woman had been proactive in implementing several emergency initiatives around Freybrook, as if anticipating the very crisis they now faced. While he had initially supported some of these efforts out of a sense of duty to her father and sympathy for her sister, he hadn¡¯t truly expected they would prove relevant so soon.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    A cynical snort escaped him. There was a bitter irony in the fact that someone like Baroness Hartford was so well-prepared to help in these circumstances. He could already envision the Empyreal Chronicle¡¯s glowing features and the citizens¡¯ praise for her foresight and generosity ¡ª all of which he supposed were part of her calculations. With the recent tensions simmering across the empire, it seemed she had shrewdly anticipated a major event like this to bolster her standing after alienating herself from most of the nobility. How far-reaching were her schemes, he wondered?


    Reluctant as Guifford was to admit it, however, the Baroness¡¯s initiatives were poised to provide crucial aid to many in the hour of need. Ultimately, the intentions behind her actions mattered little if they resulted in the saving of lives today.


    Yet it galled him to think that Livvi, ever the optimist, would likely view this as further evidence of her friend¡¯s supposed transformation, raising her hopes unnecessarily. As perceptive as his daughter typically was, Guifford sometimes feared her idealism verged on dangerous naivety.


    Shaking his head, he pushed himself up from his chair, casting one final, lingering glance at Freybrook through the window before reaching for the massive greatsword propped against his desk. As he strode towards the exit with long, purposeful steps, he steeled himself for the many challenges that lay ahead. There was much to be done, and he needed to focus his full attention on the tasks at hand for the greater good of his people and his empire.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, My Lady,¡± the coachman¡¯s voice pierced through Scarlett¡¯s reverie, bringing her back to the present. Looking out the carriage window, she realised they had already reached the Freybrook mansion.


    Her gaze swept across the cabin, noting the palpable tension that had settled over the space. Hardly a word had been exchanged since their arrival in the city, and she knew the fault lay with her.


    Rising silently, Scarlett stepped out onto the snow-dusted ground. Garside, flanked by a group of servants, greeted her with polite deference.


    ¡°Welcome back, My Lady,¡± the elderly butler said. ¡°It is a relief to see you¡¯ve returned unharmed.¡±


    Scarlett detected a trace of fatigue in his voice, mirrored by the weary expressions of the servants. Her attention remained fixed on Garside as she spoke, her tone authoritative. ¡°What is our current situation?¡±


    ¡°It is stable here at the estate,¡± the man responded. ¡°The monsters largely avoided this area, and none approached the mansion directly. As such, there have been no injuries among the staff, allowing some of our people to lend assistance in the city where possible.¡±


    ¡°Does that include you?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The butler hesitated briefly. ¡°Once I confirmed the estate¡¯s safety, I did take it upon myself to venture into the city to check on Your Ladyship¡¯s interests there and offer support where needed. In the process, I did engage in a few minor conflicts.¡±


    Scarlett studied him closely, searching for any signs of injury but finding none.


    ¡°I see,¡± she eventually said, her voice cool as she turned to survey the estate. It appeared untouched.


    Not that she¡¯d been expecting any attacks on her property. Even without her pact with the Hallowed Cabal, the loci would likely have prevented any portals from opening and unleashing monsters on her land. It might even have deterred weaker threats entirely, though she still wasn¡¯t entirely sure of its full capabilities.


    From what she¡¯d seen of the city earlier, the damage to Freybrook had been relatively minimal. While not all buildings were spared, the city had fared better than she suspected others had.


    She turned back to Garside and the servants. ¡°Ensure that everyone who maintained vigil through the night receives adequate rest,¡± she commanded. A couple of servants visibly tensed at the sharpness in her voice, but she disregarded their discomfort.


    ¡°I will see to it, My Lady,¡± Garside assured her.


    ¡°That includes you,¡± she added.


    He paused, then bowed his head in acknowledgement. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice remained cold as she strode past him, her feet clicking sharply against the cobblestones of the courtyard. Garside and the others hurried to keep pace with her. ¡°What other updates do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°From what I have gathered, the Count¡¯s forces succeeded in clearing the last of the monsters by evening yesterday,¡± Garside reported as they walked. ¡°We are still awaiting direct communication from the Count himself, however. Small numbers of refugees have been arriving via the Kilnstone since this morning, and if I am to understand it correctly, the Followers of Ittar are spearheading the local relief efforts, though I have not observed their work personally. There is some uncertainty among the people regarding the fate of outlying settlements during these attacks, and we are still waiting for further details about the situation in Stagmond. For the time being, however, it does appear as if the attacks were concentrated on the cities.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed, processing the information. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°I need you to inform Seneschal Kinsley that he is to oversee the initiatives Evelyne was organising. It may be premature, but we cannot delay the matter. Tell him that he is to begin immediately.¡±


    ¡°I will do so. But if I may ask, is there a specific reason for such urgency, apart from yesterday¡¯s events?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As long as the empire still stands, those responsible have not achieved their goal. Until they do, these attacks will not stop.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you certain, My Lady?¡± Garside asked.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°That is concerning indeed.¡±


    As they approached the mansion¡¯s entrance, Scarlett began climbing the stairs there. ¡°What more can you tell me?¡±


    Garside cleared his throat. ¡°Lady Withersworth is currently staying at the estate. She arrived with Lady Evelyne this morning through the Kilnstone.¡±


    Scarlett stopped in front of the mansion doors, turning to face the man. ¡°Lady Withersworth?¡± she repeated.


    He nodded solemnly. ¡°It would seem she suffered injuries when monsters attacked their estate in Autumnwell. She is now recuperating here.¡±


    Scarlett turned back towards the entrance, her voice carefully controlled. ¡°And Evelyne?¡±


    A heavy silence fell before Garside¡¯s reply came. ¡°¡­Lady Evelyne is currently resting in her chambers. However, My Lady, you should know that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will go see her myself,¡± Scarlett cut him off, ending the conversation there.


    As she stepped into the mansion¡¯s foyer, Scarlett discreetly extended her senses through the Loci, confirming the locations of Evelyne and Lady Withersworth. Noticing the concerned glances from Rosa and her other party members, she quickly schooled her features, replacing her scowl with a neutral expression and offering a reassuring nod. With a curt gesture, she directed Garside to carry out her earlier instructions before ascending the grand staircase alone, her footsteps echoing bleakly through the mansion¡¯s hushed corridors.


    Her mind was a whirl of thoughts as she approached her destination, a turmoil of conflicting emotions she could scarcely define. Was it anger? Concern? Fear? The latter two descriptors felt as unlikely as the first felt lacking. No clear answer emerged as she reached Evelyne¡¯s room, pausing before the sturdy oak door. She studied its paneling for a moment, then finally entered.


    The room was shrouded in a dim light, heavy curtains drawn tightly across the windows. The pungent aroma of disinfectant assaulted her senses, mingling with the faint smell of blood lingering in the air. As Scarlett¡¯s eyes adjusted to the gloom, they focused on a figure lying motionless on the bed, buried beneath a mound of blankets. Beside the bed, a low table held a bucket, several wrung towels, and a batch of medical supplies neatly arrayed on a tray.


    ¡°¡­Garside?¡± a weak voice murmured from the darkness.


    Scarlett felt the simmering stream of violence she had been suppressing for some time force its way to the surface, and she fought to keep it in check.


    Her success was tenuous at best.


    ¡°¡­It is not Garside,¡± she said slowly, each word measured and deliberate. ¡°Hello, Evelyne.¡±

 Chapter 253 - Sibling affection

    The candles around the room flickered to life with a subtle flick of Scarlett¡¯s wrist, their warm glow illuminating the prone figure on the bed.


    Evelyne¡¯s eyes widened slightly as they focused on her. ¡°¡­Scarlett?¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t much above a whisper.


    Scarlett¡¯s features hardened into a scowl as she regarded the injured woman before her. Evelyne¡¯s face was partially obscured by thick bandages that extended over her left shoulder and arm, the latter secured in a sling. The bedcovers hinted at further injuries concealed beneath, painting a grim picture of their severity. Evelyne¡¯s skin, where visible, was ashen and slick with a feverish sheen.


    The anger simmered inside Scarlett as she watched the younger Hartford sister struggle to sit up, her movements punctuated by barely suppressed winces until she finally managed to lean her back against the headboard behind her.


    ¡°¡­Have you received proper treatment yet?¡± Scarlett¡¯s question cut through the air, harsher than she¡¯d intended.


    Prominent lines appeared on Evelyne¡¯s brow. ¡°I¡­yes, I think a healer looked at me earlier.¡±


    ¡°You ¡®think¡¯?¡± Scarlett¡¯s tone sharpened.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t fully conscious, but I¡¯m fairly sure,¡± the woman admitted, her uninjured hand resting on the bedsheet.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze drifted to the cluttered side table, littered with bandages and other medical implements. Were they talking about an actual healer or simply your conventional physician? Injuries like these usually required immediate attention for magic to work effectively, and Scarlett wasn¡¯t certain how quickly Evelyne had been treated.


    Maybe Rosa could help some. The bard was a capable healer in her own right. If that wasn¡¯t enough, Scarlett also had her connection with Raimond, who might very well be one of the most powerful healers in the empire.


    Returning her attention to Evelyne, Scarlett¡¯s glower eased into a frown as she studied the woman. ¡°¡­Why did you allow yourself to end up in this state?¡± The question escaped her lips before she had time to process it.


    Confusion flashed across Evelyne¡¯s face, followed by a flicker of marginal indignation. ¡°It¡¯s not like I chose to get hurt,¡± she murmured, her gaze moving to the corner of the room.


    Scarlett folded her arms before her chest, her finger drumming an impatient rhythm against her arm. ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s expression was tired, and she took a shaky breath before speaking. ¡°I was ambushed by a monster. The Withersworths and I were seeking safety when these portals suddenly materialised, unleashing several of them on us. One of them, like a huge bear, seemed to target me specifically.¡± Her uninjured hand clenched the sheets under it. ¡°By that point I¡¯d already killed another like it, so I didn¡¯t have the mana to deal with another. Lord Withersworth and I managed to kill most of the other monsters, but that one¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I had the others flee while I distracted it.¡±


    ¡°You intended to sacrifice yourself?¡± Scarlett asked, fully aware that this wasn¡¯t the time to be confrontational but failing to keep the intensity out of her voice.


    ¡°I was trying to buy time,¡± Evelyne countered weakly, gesturing to her bandages. ¡°Clearly, it wasn¡¯t enough. I only managed to injure the monster, and I might not have survived if some knights hadn¡¯t arrived when they did.¡±


    Scarlett observed her silently. ¡°¡­I warned you of the dangers brewing in the empire. Had you heeded my words, you would not have placed yourself in such a perilous situation.¡±


    Even as the words left her mouth, she recognised how unreasonable they were. Borderline hypocritical, even, considering she herself had known of Evelyne¡¯s plans to leave for Autumnwell and had raised no objections.


    But at this moment, forget about acting reasonably ¡ª it took every ounce of self-control not to storm the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s headquarters and retrieve The Angler Man¡¯s head on a pike.


    Evelyne looked back at her, mouth open in slight disbelief. ¡°¡­How could I have anticipated this? Your ¡®warning¡¯ was as vague as they come. And what? Was I supposed to sequester myself in the mansion indefinitely? Let¡¯s not forget that I¡¯m effectively managing the entire barony, not to mention the myriad other projects you¡¯ve assigned me. And if I hadn¡¯t been there in Autumnwell, Lord and Lady Withersworth might both have¡ª¡±


    Her response was cut short by a violent bout of coughing that left her gasping, face contorted in agony.


    ¡°Do not overexert yourself,¡± Scarlett said, her tone laced with the irrational irritation that she was trying to rein in while waiting for the coughing to subside.


    Scarlett¡¯s mood had been foul ever since first receiving news of Evelyne¡¯s condition, and seeing the woman in this state only made things worse. Maybe the most maddening part, though, was that she couldn¡¯t even pinpoint the precise root of her frustrations.


    Was it fear of losing her ¡®sister¡¯, or anger at the Cabal for harming her ¡®family¡¯? Was there even a shred of familial affection in these emotions? What if it was more twisted than that? What if she was just upset because something of ¡®hers¡¯ had been damaged? Try as she might, Scarlett still couldn¡¯t recall a single instance where she¡¯d felt something that could unambiguously be defined as ¡®warmth¡¯ towards Evelyne.


    The visceral loathing and dislike that had surged through her upon first encountering Evelyne in this world hadn¡¯t magically disappeared. Scarlett thought she had been managing it better of late, and its intensity might have diminished, but it undeniably still remained. This lingering antipathy made it nearly impossible for her to decipher her current feelings.


    As Evelyne¡¯s coughing subsided, she looked up at Scarlett, hesitating as if there was more to say. Instead, she averted her gaze, eyes roaming the room aimlessly. ¡°¡­Just to confirm,¡± she eventually began, ¡°these attacks were the impending disaster you warned me about, right?¡±


    Scarlett observed her for another few seconds, then gave a slow nod. ¡°They were.¡±


    ¡°And I presume the Tribe of Sin is behind this?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    A brief silence blanketed the room as the woman seemed to process that information. Scarlett¡¯s own gaze began to wander, taking in her surroundings. It was her first time in Evelyne¡¯s quarters, but there wasn¡¯t much to see. The younger woman didn¡¯t seem fond of decoration¡ª


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes halted on a large portrait partly hidden by a closet. It depicted a family of three in a grand room: a man in his forties with short, dark-red hair and warm amber eyes, exuding a gentle aura, his hand resting on a young girl¡¯s shoulder. Beside him stood a woman who appeared slightly younger, with soft features and long brown hair cascading past her shoulders. The girl in front of them, with shorter auburn hair and matching amber eyes, smiled broadly, a small beauty mark adorning the area beneath her lip.


    As Scarlett¡¯s focus shifted from the girl in the painting to the woman, and then to the man, a maelstrom of discomforting emotions roiled within her, her fists clenching unconsciously.


    Noticing Scarlett¡¯s reaction, Evelyne spoke softly. ¡°Ah, sorry, Scarlett. I know you don¡¯t like having paintings of father or mother displayed in the mansion, but I thought¡ª¡±


    ¡°Remove it,¡± Scarlett said, the sheer force in her voice surprising even herself as she turned to face Evelyne.


    The woman blinked, studying Scarlett for several long seconds. ¡°¡­No.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A cold fury ignited inside Scarlett. She tried to keep it down, since she knew, logically, that her reaction wasn¡¯t right, but controlling it proved too much of a challenge.


    ¡°That was not a suggestion,¡± she stated, her tone glacial.


    Evelyne¡¯s expression hardened as she met Scarlett¡¯s icy stare. ¡°I¡¯m not taking it down.¡±


    The air in the room grew heavy with unspoken tension as they locked eyes, the silence between them thick. Finally, Scarlett was the one to look away, her attention shifting to look out a frost-laced window overlooking the estate¡¯s eastern wall.


    ¡°¡­I have instructed Garside to coordinate with Seneschal Kinsley, ensuring all necessary preparations are underway for the relief initiatives,¡± she stated, her voice detached as she watched the snow-draped beyond the wall. ¡°He will oversee the operations while you are indisposed. I trust everything is set to proceed, despite the premature timing of these attacks?¡±


    From the corner of her eye, Scarlett noticed Evelyne¡¯s posture relax slightly as she sank back into the bed. ¡°Yes, everything is mostly in place. Kinsley should know what to do for now. We¡¯ll need either you or me to handle some of the more important aspects eventually, though, since we¡¯ll be relying on the cooperation of several nobles and other key figures.¡± She shifted, wincing slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll focus on my recovery so I can get back to work.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°I have no expectations of you in your current condition.¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    She turned back to the woman, her expression impassive. That had come out worse than intended as well, but she could hardly admit that. ¡°It would be prudent to wait until you are not confined to a bed before resuming your duties.¡±


    ¡°Then are you planning to handle these responsibilities yourself?¡± Evelyne asked.


    Scarlett paused before responding. ¡°I will manage what I can.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s skeptical look mirrored Scarlett¡¯s own misgivings on the matter. She had very little genuine experience with the administrative aspects of running the barony and its related affairs, not to mention the networking that Evelyne had been primarily handling. She also wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d even find the time.


    ¡°What about your commitments on the Rising Isle?¡± Evelyne continued, then stopped as a new thought seemed to occur to her. ¡°Actually, what happened to that? Did you come here straight from the Isle through the Kilnstone? When you left, it seemed important ¡ª I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be back so soon, even with what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°I did return via Kilnstone, yes,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°And while matters on the Rising Isle remain vital to my goals, they will have to wait until we stabilise the situation here. That includes ensuring your swift recovery. Expect additional evaluations of your condition. I will arrange for Miss Hale to visit after we are done here.¡±


    ¡°But I told you a healer had already looked at me.¡±


    ¡°Miss Hale¡¯s ability is almost certain to surpass theirs.¡±


    Slight surprise showed on Evelyne¡¯s face. ¡°Really¡­? Well, alright.¡±


    The room lapsed into silence once more. Scarlett continued observing the other woman while fighting to maintain her composure as conflicting emotions warred within her. Evelyne seemed lost in thought, absently rubbing her thumb across her knuckles while chewing her lower lip.


    Finally, Evelyne looked up at Scarlett. ¡°What are you going to do from here? Now that the empire is under attack, I mean. What are your plans? What¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    ¡°It depends,¡± Scarlett answered.


    ¡°Depends on what?¡±


    ¡°On the extent of the Tribe of Sin¡¯s actions.¡±


    Scarlett had issued some vague warnings and advice to influential figures like Beldon and Godwin, so that might help mitigate the threat in the long run. But given the Cabal¡¯s ability to diverge from fate, there were no guarantees that things wouldn¡¯t turn out worse than she expected. It was hard to tell.


    ¡°How far can the Tribe take things?¡± Evelyne asked, the worry evident in her voice.


    ¡°I do not know. They have always posed a significant threat, and it is likely they will continue launching attacks similar to yesterday¡¯s.¡±


    Their primary limitations lay in the frequency with which they could create portals and how quickly they could muster monsters for these assaults. In the game, these had been cyclical events, but reality could prove more unpredictable.


    Evelyne¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What can we do against that?¡±


    ¡°Defend ourselves,¡± Scarlett stated flatly. ¡°The empire is well-versed in conflicts with the Tribe by this point, so this should not be entirely uncharted territory.¡±


    ¡°This time we¡¯re not just fighting the Tribe, but hordes of monsters,¡± Evelyne pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t even understand how they¡¯ve managed to amass and control so many to begin with. It¡¯s completely unprecedented.¡±


    ¡°Not entirely, no. Eight years ago, the dragon of devastation¡¯s attack that resulted in what we now call the Blasted Lands followed a similar pattern.¡±


    Evelyne stared at her. She brushed a stray lock of hair from her face with her uninjured hand. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying the Tribe was behind that?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°They were.¡±


    While technically it had been the Hallowed Cabal, the distinction was largely irrelevant. Back then, the Cabal had also wielded the [Ring of Depravity], and the dragon of devastation¡¯s attack on the empire had served as something of a trial run for the artifact. It had demonstrated that the ring could influence even an ancient dragon, one of the most formidable creatures alive. Controlling a horde of lesser monsters was certainly within the realm of possibility. Though the actual mechanics were more complex and had several caveats, the outcome still spoke for itself.


    Concern etched itself across Evelyne¡¯s features as she seemed to search Scarlett¡¯s expression. ¡°What should we do, then? You¡¯ve¡­you¡¯ve seen what happens, right? There must be some way to stop this madness.¡±


    A flicker of irritation crossed Scarlett¡¯s face. ¡°We have already had this conversation. There is no stopping this. I have made that clear.¡±


    ¡°But we need some kind of response¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThe relief effort initiatives are our response,¡± Scarlett cut in. ¡°That is the extent of what we can feasibly accomplish. I only agreed to those measures to ease your acceptance of our reality. The Tribe¡¯s ambitions extend far beyond mere skirmishes with the empire. My focus lies in thwarting their grand design, not engaging in futile battles that are not mine to fight. Do not ask me to do more than I already am. I cannot achieve the impossible.¡±


    She was angry with the Cabal after witnessing Evelyne¡¯s injuries, yes, but she didn¡¯t want to let her anger drive her to rash decisions that might jeopardise her plans laid for the future.


    Even if maintaining that degree of restraint was really difficult right now.


    Evelyne seemed poised to argue further, but hesitated, her gaze dropping momentarily, her voice turning softer. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ask for more than you can handle. It¡¯s just that, seeing the chaos in Autumnwell and imagining it elsewhere across the empire¡­ How can I stand by and not do absolutely everything in my power to prevent it?¡± She looked up, her eyes searching Scarlett¡¯s face. ¡°I understand that you might not have cared before, but you¡¯ve changed now, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re not the same Scarlett I used to know. Surely, you must feel something about all the suffering that¡¯s happening.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s carefully controlled demeanour cracked, her eyes flashing with a fierce glare. ¡°You do not know me, Evelyne, nor have you ever done so, so do not presume that I share your sentimentalities simply because I have been more lenient recently. No matter how callous it paints me, the plight of faceless others has never moved me as it does you, and that will not change, regardless of whatever transformation you believe my changes have brought.¡± Her voice lowered, taking on a dangerous edge. ¡°I suggest you temper your expectations of who I am, or we will both end up bitterly disappointed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ªI¡¯m not trying to argue with you, Scarlett.¡± Evelyne shook her head. ¡°But you can¡¯t tell me that you haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°Whether I have changed or not is irrelevant,¡± Scarlett said. She wasn¡¯t sure why the woman¡¯s statement riled her up so, but it did. ¡°What matters is your insistence on projecting your unrealistic expectations onto me because of it.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s brow furrowed in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m trying to paint you as a saint. I don¡¯t understand why everything has to be a battle with you.¡±


    ¡°Because I find your presence grating,¡± Scarlett replied, the words escaping before she could rein them in. ¡°It takes all of my current efforts simply to attempt treating you with the dignity and respect you seem to want from me.¡±


    The moment she said it, she knew it was a bad idea. Evelyne recoiled, eyes wide with shock. Several tense seconds passed before she spoke, her voice barely audible. ¡°What did I ever do for you to hate me so¡­?¡±


    Scarlett stood motionless, watching the hurt and confusion play across Evelyne¡¯s face. ¡°¡­I cannot answer that.¡±


    She turned and began walking towards the exit, deliberately avoiding looking at the portrait in the corner to not agitate herself even further. ¡°This conversation has veered far from its intended course,¡± she said, her voice clipped. ¡°I will take my leave. Let us both pretend this exchange never happened.¡± She paused at the door, one hand on the handle. ¡°¡­I will have Miss Hale attend to you shortly. Do not be foolish enough to overexert yourself and delay your recovery.¡±


    With that, she left, stopping just outside in the hallway. She shook her head at her own lapse in control, feeling almost as though she¡¯d regressed to her early days in this world when she struggled to manage her reactions around Evelyne.


    She didn¡¯t even think she had a legitimate reason for her anger this time. Much of what she¡¯d said had neither come out as intended nor served any purpose, but apologies weren¡¯t really an option for her. The wisest course of action, she decided, was to wait these volatile emotions out before even attempting to further interact with Evelyne.


    Hopefully, that wouldn¡¯t take too long. She seriously disliked being at the mercy of feelings and instincts she neither fully understood nor could control. For a moment, she almost pitied the original for whatever past had shaped her into this.


    Releasing a deep, pent-up breath, she resumed her walk down the hallway, heading towards her office. Someday, she needed to find out the background for this twisted ¡®sister¡¯ relationship, if only to give herself some peace of mind. For now, however, all she could do was cope.


    Though she wouldn¡¯t say no to something¡ªor someone¡ªto serve as an outlet for her anger at this moment.

 Chapter 254 - Elderly offers

    Scarlett¡¯s fingers sifted through the towering stack of documents cluttering her desk. The papers, a mixture of official business and reports, ranged from shipping manifests and bills of loading to imperial charters and writs issued by the relevant authorities. Invoices from entities such as Elystead Tower mingled with correspondences from the Followers of Ittar, while preliminary reports from Evelyne¡¯s various newly hired clerks peeked out from beneath the chaos.


    The sheer volume of paperwork was honestly daunting. Scarlett had never been one for bureaucratic tasks to begin with, and most of the content here was far outside her area of expertise. Despite this, she¡¯d been diligently reviewing every document while Evelyne was unavailable, her eyes scanning each page methodically while trying to sort out what was worth remembering and what wasn¡¯t.


    Although most of the actual work would still be handled by others, including the barony¡¯s seneschal, Kinsley, Scarlett felt compelled to gain a more comprehensive overview of current operations than she¡¯d gotten from simply reading through Evelyne¡¯s usual reports.


    Two days had passed since the attacks on the empire, and only one since Scarlett¡¯s return to the Freybrook mansion. In that short time, the barony had initiated several of their relief measures. For now, this primarily focused on establishing communication channels with the Followers and Kilnstone officials, coordinating the distribution of emergency supplies. They were also arranging chartered ships to transport resources that couldn¡¯t be moved via Kilnstone.


    Across the empire, needs varied significantly from one settlement to another. Some cities hit by the attacks had ample food supplies but suffered significant losses in infrastructure and the available workforce. Others faced severe shortages of water and basic sustenance, requiring urgent deliveries from external sources. Their efforts currently focused on the latter, more time-sensitive issues, but initiatives to provide medical support and other critical aid were also underway.


    In her preparations, Evelyne had explored various options for delivering, sparing little expense. At present, the barony alone had probably stockpiled enough basic supplies to sustain a medium-sized town for a few weeks. Though modest on an empire-wide scale, they had also secured several contracts to ensure a steady influx of further supplies, and in this situation, every contribution, no matter how small, was crucial.


    Fortunately for Scarlett, they¡¯d yet to encounter any major issues that demanded her direct intervention. Admittedly, though, things were still in the early phases. She knew Evelyne anticipated that some suppliers, both domestic and foreign, might challenge their standing agreements given the drastically changed climate, so it was only a matter of time until those complaints surfaced. Their contracts should be pretty airtight, however, so barring any imperial decrees to start seizing grain and other vital resources, their position should remain secure.


    Personally, Scarlett was more concerned about the potential questions regarding their timely preparedness for an emergency of this magnitude. But she would handle those as they came.


    In addition to deepening her understanding of the relief operations and everything surrounding them, Scarlett had been in regular contact with Beldon Tyndall, receiving updates about the situation throughout the empire.


    So far, no members of the Cabal or Tribe had been spotted during any of the attacks, meaning there was still a lot of confusion among the general populace about the nature of the threat. The monster assaults had sparked widespread panic, and while authorities and nobles had managed to stabilise the situation temporarily, the damage to cities had been significant. Ambercrest and Wildscar had been hit particularly hard ¡ª the former due to the precarious political situation following Count Soames¡¯ recent detainment and ongoing investigation, and the latter because it had been forced to contend with three adult dragons along with the other monsters.


    Freybrook and Elystead were the only cities that fared relatively well. Freybrook¡¯s defenders had repelled some larger monsters, but overall, things had been calmer here than in the rest of the empire. Elystead, meanwhile, had both the natural defences and a high concentration of powerful factions that helped it weather the attacks better than most.


    These developments had been in line with Scarlett¡¯s expectations, which provided some relief. She had feared that, because this event diverged from fate and occurred several months earlier than in the game, the Cabal would launch an all-out assault immediately. Thankfully, that hadn¡¯t been the case.


    However, this didn¡¯t mean that the threat had passed. They would have known this wasn¡¯t enough to bring the nation to its knees. Beldon had informed Scarlett of reports indicating more portals appearing sporadically across the empire over the last couple of days, unleashing monsters closer to smaller, more vulnerable settlements. This had prompted many people to flee to the cities, exacerbating the already tense resource shortages that were building up.


    Groups like the Shields Guild and various knight orders were now redirecting their efforts towards combating these monster incursions, but they were fighting an uphill battle. Already stretched thin by months of increased Tribe activity, they were struggling to reorganise against this new, unpredictable threat. The Cabal and Tribe¡¯s ability to strike almost anywhere via their teleportation magic gave them a significant tactical advantage. The empire had some defences against such tactics, but they had never been truly tested on this scale.


    Amid these crises, though, there were still some silver linings. For instance, Beldon and Mirage leveraged Scarlett¡¯s information to mount a more effective response to the initial attacks. Unsurprisingly, the man had clearly sensed the brewing storm from their previous conversations and made his own preparations.


    Mirage¡¯s network had disseminated intelligence about safe locations within underground passages beneath certain cities, providing local leaders with escape routes and strongholds. They were also feeding information to organisations like the Shields Guild, helping them anticipate and counter the monstrous threats.


    Beldon wasn¡¯t exactly a saint, but like Scarlett, he recognised the importance of maintaining the empire¡¯s stability in the face of the Cabal¡¯s onslaught. Though she didn¡¯t have any illusions that he hadn¡¯t secured some benefits for himself in the process.


    Elsewhere, it seemed like there was still a lot of confusion going around. The mage towers were grappling with understanding how exactly the Tribe of Sin had managed to disable the entire Kilnstone network during their first attacks. Meanwhile, circles of the imperial nobility were buzzing with heated discussions on how they should address the current crisis. According to Beldon, a flurry of petitions had already been submitted to the crown in just the last day.


    One notable faction was apparently advocating for what basically amounted to martial law, coupled with emergency drafts and taxes, to bolster the empire¡¯s defences. This approach might not sound entirely unreasonable on the surface, but from what Beldon had told Scarlett, there were plenty of nobles pushing for measures that would disproportionately impact certain regions and groups, weakening their rivals while avoiding much of the responsibility themselves.


    The Hartford barony, with its small population and stable finances, would likely remain relatively unaffected. However, Scarlett could see how such measures might sow discord among the empire¡¯s elite.


    For now, the emperor had only issued an Imperial Security Edict ¡ª essentially a milder form of martial law granting special privileges to military officials and knight orders, while affording high nobles more autonomy in managing security within their domains. Beyond this, the crown¡¯s future actions remained unclear.


    Whispers and suspicions of foul play and espionage within the nobility had also circulated, seemingly fueled by the precision of some of the Tribe¡¯s attacks. The crown had yet to address these rumors publicly, but more than one accusation had already been thrown around.


    Beldon had cautioned Scarlett that the Freybrook area and nobles like herself who survived the attacks without much cost might come under scrutiny, though he didn¡¯t seem to think it was a significant threat. From what Scarlett gathered, he thought that her relief initiatives were a strategic move to preempt such suspicions and ensure, at least, that public opinion remained in her favor.


    It hadn¡¯t been, of course, but she could see how those efforts might be perceived in that light. Especially considering how similar it was to when she ¡®dealt¡¯ with the Grey Dog Gang operating out of Freybrook. The thought of being viewed as some kind of saint by strangers mildly irritated her, but it wasn¡¯t something she would try to work against at this point.


    As for any potential suspicion that might fall upon her, she had to acknowledge that it was justified. She had, after all, made a pact with the Cabal. However, she felt pretty secure in that there was little evidence to use against her. Given the enormity of this crisis, she also doubted much attention would be directed towards a relatively minor noble like her, despite her infamy.


    Having finished reviewing another document, Scarlett returned it to the desk and was about to reach for the next when a knock at the door interrupted her. Garside stepped into the room.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± the elderly butler began in a formal voice. ¡°I have come to inform you that Lady Withersworth has requested a meeting with you at your convenience.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. ¡°Lady Withersworth?¡± She glanced at the papers strewn across her desk before nodding. ¡°Very well. Bring her to the parlor. I will join her shortly once I have finished here.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, My Lady,¡± Garside replied, bowing before departing.


    Scarlett quickly read through a few more papers, affixed her seal to a couple of them, then rose and left her office. She made her way through the mansion¡¯s east wing to the parlor, where she found Lady Withersworth seated on an elegant couch. The room was adorned with landscape paintings and large windows offering views of the hedge garden housing the Loci. A low rosewood table stood at the center, decorated with vases of fresh flowers.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Lady Withersworth, her silver-grey hair neatly gathered into a bun, sipped a steaming cup of tea as she gazed out the window with a dignified expression. Her head turned as Scarlett entered, a warm smile gracing her features.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford, it¡¯s wonderful to see you again.¡±


    ¡°The sentiment is mutual, Lady Withersworth,¡± Scarlett replied, crossing the room and settling into a couch opposite the woman. She noticed another cup on the table, likely prepared in advance by the ever-attentive Garside. ¡°I trust that you have found your stay comfortable, despite the surrounding circumstances?¡±


    ¡°The formality really isn¡¯t necessary, dear. Though I suppose there isn¡¯t much point in saying that to you, or asking you to simply call me ¡®Lila¡¯.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement. ¡°And yes, it has been more than comfortable, thank you very much. This is truly a beautiful home. One can feel the weight of history in these walls, and the care that has gone into maintaining them.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, this estate has been in my family for many generations,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard.¡± Lady Withersworth¡¯s gaze drifted to her tea. ¡°It reminds me of our estate in Autumnwell, before¡­well.¡± She paused, then added with a hint of curiosity. ¡°My husband mentioned that Warley¡ªthat old knave¡ªtold him about a rather unique garden you have here. I presume it¡¯s the one outside, hmm? Supposedly it blooms year-round, unaffected by the seasons.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the snow-covered hedges visible through the window, which concealed the flourishing vegetation within. ¡°That is correct, yes.¡±


    ¡°How delightful that must be. I would love to see it during my stay, if possible.¡±


    ¡°That should not be an issue. Feel free to do so at your leisure.¡±


    Lady Withersworth smiled appreciatively, taking another sip of tea. ¡°How sweet of you, dear.¡±


    Scarlett observed her guest quietly for a moment.


    ¡°Is something on your mind?¡± the woman asked, catching Scarlett¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°No, I was simply surprised,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°You seem to be in good spirits, considering recent events.¡±


    She¡¯d heard that the woman¡¯s injuries were largely treatable, but recovery at her age could still be slow. Moreover, with Autumnwell in partial ruin and her husband remaining behind to manage the crisis, Lady Withersworth had found herself effectively isolated in Freybrook, accompanied only by a handful of servants.


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s smile waned ever-so-slightly as she set down her teacup. Suddenly, the weight of her years seemed more apparent, a soft sigh escaping her lips. ¡°Truthfully, I am exhausted. Every waking moment is filled with worry for my husband, our children, and all those affected by this chaos. But as you know, dear, women in our position cannot always afford to let such concerns show.¡±


    ¡°That is a sentiment that I can understand,¡± Scarlett said. She picked up her own tea, finding it brewed perfectly to her preference. Had Garside bothered adjusting its temperature with pyrokinesis as well? After a few sips, she returned her attention to Lady Withersworth. ¡°If I may ask, what did you wish to discuss with me?¡±


    The older woman¡¯s smile returned, seeming to mask her earlier weariness. ¡°Why, I wanted to express my gratitude, of course. For your hospitality in allowing me to stay here, among other things.¡±


    ¡°I hardly did much. If you wish to thank someone, you should direct your gratitude to Evelyne.¡±


    Lady Withersworth waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Oh, I already have, both for myself and on behalf of my husband, as well as everyone that brave girl helped at our estate. However, I believe you also deserve acknowledgment. Call me old-fashioned and superstitious, but I feel that fate and fortune play a role in everything, and it is partly thanks to you that I¡¯m here to tell our tale.¡±


    Scarlett shifted slightly, resting her hand on the couch¡¯s armrest. Was it ironic that she should bring up fate in front of her, of all people? Considering how Scarlett¡¯s own manipulations of the game¡¯s narrative might have inadvertently affected or even hastened the Cabal¡¯s decision to attack when they did, it was entirely possible that she was part of the cause of the Withersworths¡¯ close brush with death.


    Pushing aside those thoughts, Scarlett cleared her throat. ¡°Regarding your husband, what are his plans in the wake of these attacks?¡±


    ¡°His immediate concern is likely to visit our lands and ensure their safety, but we had little time to discuss specifics before I left.¡± Lady Withersworth sighed, a blend of fondness and exasperation in her voice. ¡°Knowing that dogged nature of his, I suspect he¡¯ll dive headfirst into the capital¡¯s response to this crisis and reach out to his old acquaintances, offering his counsel whether they ask for it or not. Many will surely welcome his input, but the incessant fool won¡¯t have any hairs left on his head by the time his stubbornness leaves me a widow.¡±


    ¡°That seems rather extreme. Surely, even as the former Lord Marshal, managing such emergencies was not part of his duties?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my dear.¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you might be underestimating my husband¡¯s tenacity. He has a knack for involving himself in matters well beyond his official remit. There are many, even among the high nobility, who wouldn¡¯t ignore his counsel if he chose to intervene. It¡¯s quite likely that he will sway some opinions in the current political disputes.¡±


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t expecting that response. Although she was aware that the Withersworths were pretty well-connected, she hadn¡¯t realized they had that kind of pull. They were just a barony like hers, after all.


    ¡°What about you, dear?¡± Lady Withersworth asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Scarlett replied.


    The older woman leaned forward slightly. ¡°When your sister stayed with us in Autumnwell, I took the opportunity to properly get to know her and hear more about those projects of hers,¡± she said, a glimmer of intrigue in her eyes. ¡°It seems the Hartford barony has been more foresighted than most, dedicating significant resources to prepare for a disaster like the one we are facing. While it¡¯s admirable that you¡¯re using the means available to you to aid others, I wonder if there is perhaps some larger objective you have in mind?¡±


    Scarlett met her gaze steadily, choosing her words carefully. ¡°No, there is not. For now, we will simply be collaborating with groups such as the Followers to provide aid where necessary, expanding our efforts where possible. However, we harbor no grand ambitions. The impact a small barony like ours can make is inherently limited, even with our substantial investments.¡±


    Lady Withersworth nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I had planned to introduce your sister to some individuals who could have supported these initiatives, but that was before the attacks. Unfortunately, with everyone¡¯s focus fixed on this crisis, I fear it will be much more challenging to achieve the same result now.¡±


    ¡°We appreciate the intention,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°We will proceed with the resources and opportunities available to us, though I do not expect our reach to extend much further than that.¡±


    This was mostly Evelyne¡¯s project, anyway. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how to expand it beyond its current scope.


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s gaze lingered on Scarlett, an almost-smile playing on her lips. ¡°Then what would you say to me perhaps assisting you, dear?¡±


    Scarlett blinked. ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±


    The older woman lifted her teacup again ¡°Believe it or not, I doubt even I could convince that doting husband of mine to let me return to Autumnwell until I¡¯ve fully recovered. That leaves me with little else to do but fret endlessly.¡± She tapped her finger against the fine china in her hand. ¡°That simply won¡¯t do, especially not with the empire seemingly up in flames ¡ª from demonic castles one week to monster hordes the next. I need a worthwhile diversion, and this project of yours seems like an excellent one.¡±


    Lady Withersworth sipped her tea, then her voice lowered conspiratorially. ¡°And do avoid sharing this with my husband, but truthfully, I had started to find my current lifestyle somewhat drab. I sometimes find myself missing the thrilling days of noble intrigue from my younger years, tiring as they were. While this isn¡¯t exactly in the same realm, I believe this endeavour might still provide a withering woman like myself ample opportunity to leverage some of my old connections.¡±


    Scarlett hesitated, not having expected a proposal like this. She leaned back in her seat, considering the matter. ¡°And what would you expect in return for offering such assistance?¡± she finally asked.


    Lady Withersworth scoffed lightly, as if mildly offended. ¡°Dear, I hope you know me well enough by now to understand that I am not some old miser. I have plenty of reason to help without needing compensation. Furthermore, it¡¯s the duty of the older generation to share our wisdom with today¡¯s youth for the benefit of all.¡±


    She set her teacup down with a soft clink, her expression growing ever-so-slightly more serious. ¡°It would hardly benefit my dignity if I started making demands of the family who has saved mine thrice over. I must admit, I would be rather disappointed if you were to decline my offer.¡±


    Scarlett considered the woman for a moment, her fingers absently tracing the leather on the armrest beneath her.


    It was true that having the woman¡¯s support could be incredibly beneficial, but it was unusual for nobles to offer such direct help without any existing familial ties or formal alliances. The idea of accepting such an unconventional proposal actually made her slightly uncomfortable. But she also recognized that she shouldn¡¯t let her emotions cloud her judgement in these matters. She¡¯d allowed them to do enough of that yesterday with Evelyne.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she eventually agreed. ¡°We would be deeply grateful for any help you can provide.¡± A light frown formed on her brow as she considered the logistics of this. ¡°However, you will need a thorough briefing on our current efforts. Evelyne would be best suited for that, but she should not be involving herself in these affairs until she has fully recovered.¡±


    Scarlett recalled Garside mentioning how their brief meeting yesterday had taken a lot out of Evelyne. Would it be enough to just show Lady Withersworth all the documentation and have the seneschal provide any additional details?


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s perceptive gaze studied her closely. ¡°Although I fear it¡¯s not my place to say this, dear, I can¡¯t help but notice that there seems to be some tension between you and your sister.¡±


    Scarlett stiffened slightly. ¡°¡­I am not surprised that you noticed.¡±


    A gentle chuckle escaped the woman¡¯s lips. ¡°At my age and with my experience, reading people becomes second nature. Though in your case, it hardly requires such skill.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to understand your history, but from what Evelyne has shared, it¡¯s clear she holds you in high regard in several ways. And unless I am mistaken, that sentiment isn¡¯t entirely one-sided.¡±


    A small scowl crossed Scarlett¡¯s face at the mere suggestion that she respected Evelyne, but she quickly suppressed it along with the brewing emotions inside. It was true, at least in part. Despite any irrational and instinctual misgivings she had, she did admire Evelyne¡¯s capabilities and dedication.


    ¡°Our relationship is¡­complicated,¡± she admitted after a while. ¡°But I strive to ensure it does not interfere with our duties or the barony¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°That in itself is commendable,¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°Sibling rivalries are not uncommon, and I have personally seen far too many nobles let such conflicts lead to decisions so foolish that it boggles the mind. I do hope nothing of the sort ever befalls any of you. If it¡¯s not too intrusive, might I ask what caused this rift between you?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression tightened slightly, but her respect for the older woman prevented an outright rude refusal. After a long pause, she responded. ¡°By now, it is mostly forgotten history.¡±


    Literally.


    Sensing the shift in the conversation, Scarlett began to rise from her seat. ¡°I must attend to other matters now, but I will have the relevant documents prepared for you to review and arrange for our seneschal to brief you thoroughly. We can discuss further details afterward. While you are here, do take care not to overexert yourself. The garden is ideal for relaxation if you are seeking a peaceful spot. Garside can show you the way anytime.¡±


    Lady Withersworth watched her prepare to leave, offering no objections as she extended her farewells. Once out of the room, Scarlett immediately headed back towards her office, intending to immerse herself in work before going to the training grounds later for practice. It did feel slightly like an escape, but that was probably for the best.

 Chapter 255 - Left in the attic

    The soft glow of lanterns cast dancing shadows across the leather-bound tomes lining the Hartford mansion¡¯s library. In a secluded corner, Scarlett sank deeper into a plush armchair, her eyes poring over an old text. A teacup, filled with half-steaming brew prepared by Garside, sat within easy reach on the crowded table before her as she pulled a thin pelt tighter around her shoulders to ward off the evening chill.


    Her head was weary after a long day. Her morning had been consumed by practicing magic and the tedious reviewing of Evelyne¡¯s usual workload, which was tiring enough. The afternoon hadn¡¯t afforded her much rest, as she found herself swept into a smaller forum called by Count Knottley, where local nobility and influential figures gathered to discuss current events.


    In truth, the forum held little direct relevance for Scarlett. The Count had delivered some impassioned speeches advocating for unity and collaboration, but nothing she listened much to. His updates on the empire¡¯s state of affairs also hadn¡¯t offered her any particular new insights. Even the discussions of monster attacks and the potential of them appearing more here in the southwestern reaches of the empire didn¡¯t affect her much, since she¡¯d already confirmed that things were good in her own fief.


    The other nobles and representatives had at one point started debating defensive strategies and organisations, which did capture more of her interest, but it had hardly been enough to warrant the others seeking her input. The Hartford barony barely had its own retinue, consisting of only a handful of guards at the Freybrook mansion and a small unit at Stagmond Keep. Only when whispers of her recent extensive purchases of goods and grains reached some people¡¯s ears did she find herself the subject of some curiosity, but that was all.


    Throughout the proceedings, Count Knottley himself had shot her the occasional look, though he approached her only once to inquire about Evelyne¡¯s condition. In general, the forum felt largely pointless to Scarlett, and as it dragged on, she only found herself increasingly frustrated and tired from having to skirt around topics. But the prospect of returning home to face a mountain of paperwork hadn¡¯t exactly lifted her spirits either. This included both the work left over from the morning and what had likely accumulated during the day.


    Technically, the seneschal was supposed to manage most of this work, and he did. But for some stupid reason, Scarlett found herself shouldering more responsibilities than necessary now that Evelyne was unavailable. Whether this was due to pride or some other stubborn quality of hers, she wasn¡¯t quite sure. She just knew that she regretted it.


    That¡¯s why she had been more than just pleasantly surprised to find, upon her return, that Lady Withersworth had spent the entire day and more familiarising herself with¡ªand subsequently overseeing¡ªthe relief efforts and associated business matters. This included even those initiatives Evelyne hadn¡¯t fully gotten off the ground yet.


    A brief meeting with Lady Withersworth was all Scarlett needed to recognise that her fears of a long night poring over reports had been unfounded. Though she¡¯d already suspected as much, the older woman proved to have extensive experience in managing all kinds of ventures, which shone through in their discussion. Though this particular venture was new territory even for Lady Withersworth, it seemed she had no issue adapting her skills¡ªand probably connections, given enough time¡ªto the task at hand.


    And since Scarlett actually trusted the woman¡¯s judgement more than her own in these matters, she found herself more than willing to relinquish control this time. This turn of events afforded her the luxury of an evening devoted to her own pursuits, which was a plus. Because she felt drained from the day¡¯s activities and had been pretty moody in general these last few days, she had opted to focus on simpler tasks that didn¡¯t require her to think as much about complicated matters or the state of the empire.


    Still, as she surveyed the array of books before her, Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but question whether she¡¯d been successful in that goal. The volumes sprawled across the table varied in topics, but none could really be considered ¡®light reading¡¯. They included tomes on magical theory, placed alongside research texts delving into the intricacies of Zuverian civilisation, which were in turn interspersed with her own notes collected from the Veiled Library, scrawled in Zuverian or other obscure, dead languages that were only decipherable through Thainnith¡¯s legacy.


    She was starting to wonder if she hadn¡¯t unwittingly become a workaholic.


    Her current task involved cross-referencing her notes from the Veiled Library with personal observations and comments about the game, aiming to confirm and expand upon the information while identifying potential areas of future interest. The contemporary Zuverian texts served as both reference material and a more updated perspective on the information she was investigating.


    The books on magical theory, however, were gathered more as a small experiment. Scarlett had gathered them in the hopes that Thainnith¡¯s legacy might lend her new insight into concepts that had previously eluded her understanding. Since the legacy let her both read Zuverian script and interpret the symbols used in runes and arrays, she had wondered if this knowledge might extend to modern equivalents and spells.


    The simple answer was that it didn¡¯t.


    The longer answer was that it didn¡¯t, kind of.


    Not all, but many of the symbols used in contemporary magic theory and spells were either derived from or identical to those used by the Zuver. As a result, Scarlett could actually comprehend much more of the theory. Recognising the meaning behind specific symbols composing a rune helped her grasp its general purpose, which she found both intriguing and useful.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    However, understanding or recognising the symbols and runes used in spells didn¡¯t equate to knowing how to cast them. This was a gap that Thainnith¡¯s legacy, for all its value, seemingly couldn¡¯t bridge.


    Somewhat disappointing, perhaps, but she couldn¡¯t complain simply because she didn¡¯t get the ¡®magic cheat¡¯ she¡¯d partly hoped for. She already possessed one of those with her pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis skills, and the legacy already held significant potential as it was.


    After several hours of study, Scarlett felt her eyelids growing heavy. With a resigned sigh, she closed her books and carefully stowed her notes in her [Pouch of Holding]. Rubbing her temples to ease the faint throbbing¡ªa reminder of the strain overusing Thainnith¡¯s legacy seemed to bring¡ªshe rose from her seat.


    Despite her weariness, she tidied up the remaining books scattered across the table, returning them to their respective shelves around the library. Though she could have asked a servant to do this, she often preferred the task herself, finding something soothing about putting things back in their place. As she moved about the library, the soft whisper of leather bindings against wood shelves filled the air.


    Her hand paused as she went to return a book on the foundational elements of pyromancy, her gaze falling upon a partly concealed door wedged between two bookshelves, a small cabinet obscuring it further. Her eyes lingered on it for several seconds.


    It had been some time since she had ventured beyond that door. She¡¯d only bothered passing through it once, shortly after arriving in this world. Since then, she¡¯d mostly thought it best to leave the room alone.


    But now, there was a part of her that tugged at her, urging her to explore its contents more closely.


    She approached the door, studying it briefly before leaning forward, using what strength she had to push the cabinet aside. Reaching into her [Pouch of Holding], she retrieved a small key she¡¯d once found hidden in her quarters. With a soft click, the lock yielded, and she stepped inside.


    Darkness enveloped her, so she summoned small, floating flames overhead with her pyrokinesis, providing just enough light to see. The space resembled a storage room, filled with dusty shelves, chests, and fabric-covered paintings leaning against the walls.


    As she surveyed the room, a small frown marred her features. The lingering emotions within her made it clear that the original hadn¡¯t been fond of this place.


    That wasn¡¯t entirely without reason.


    She began by following the wall to her right, her finger tracing a dusty bookshelf. Ledgers and documents lined the shelves, their spines bearing dates stretching back generations. When she reached the end of the bookcase, her gaze fell upon a covered frame resting on the floor.


    Scarlett hesitated, then used her hydrokinesis to cleanse the dust from her fingers. She then reached out and grasped the fabric covering the frame, pulling it away.


    It was a painting, depicting a middle-aged man with dark-red hair¡ªso like her own¡ªand clear amber eyes. He sat with an air of authority and confidence in the very office Scarlett now called her own, his determined gaze aimed forward.


    A lump formed in Scarlett¡¯s throat, but she forced herself to study the portrait. After a long moment, she finally replaced the covering.


    Nearby, another obscured frame caught her attention. Stepping over to it, she unveiled it as well, revealing a painting of a woman with long chestnut hair and soft features. She stood amidst a vibrant flower garden, smiling down at a young girl Scarlett recognised as Evelyne.


    A wave of revulsion welled up, and Scarlett immediately re-covered the painting, shocked that the original had even allowed it to remain, even hidden away in this forsaken room.


    Her eyes moved around the space, finally settling on another frame that lay nearly concealed in the corner. Crates and various odds and ends had been strategically placed before it, as if to further obscure its presence. For several heartbeats, Scarlett simply stared at it.


    Eventually, she walked over, carefully navigating the cluttered floor, moving obstacles aside until she stood before the veiled painting. Reaching out, she gripped the fabric¡¯s edge and slowly drew it away.


    The canvas beneath revealed a solitary woman seated before a roaring hearth, her bearing proud and regal as her piercing gaze seemed to stare directly at the observer.


    The resemblance was uncanny. Save for the woman¡¯s black hair and sharp light blue eyes, she could have been Scarlett¡¯s older sister. Even the haughty expression, the way those painted eyes seemed to look down upon the viewer, was eerily similar to how Scarlett often saw herself reflected in the mirror.


    Time seemed to stand still as Scarlett regarded the painting, lost in a vacuum of unknown emotions and half-formed thoughts. When she finally covered it once more, she realised some of her earlier anger had ebbed, but she wasn¡¯t sure what replaced it was much better.


    As she turned to leave, a small chest resting on a nearby counter caught her eye. Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed as she studied it, a niggling sense of familiarity pulling at her mind. She didn¡¯t recognise the chest, but she sensed that it was significant somehow.


    After considering it for a moment, she approached and unlatched the chest. Inside, nestled on a bed of velvet, lay a single garnet ring. Its thin gold band glinted in the ghostly light of her conjured flames, the deep red stone on its face seeming to pulse with a slight inner fire.


    [Hartford Garnet Ring (Unique)]


    {Blessed by an unknown power, this ring has been passed down through generations of the Hartford family, often worn by its head. There appears to be a slumbering flame burning within}


    Scarlett stared at the ring. Though she had no memory of it whatsoever, the item stirred something inside her, suggesting it might have belonged to the original.


    But if so, why was it locked away here? On her previous visit to this room, she¡¯d still been adjusting to being Scarlett and had left without exploring thoroughly because of how uncomfortable this place made her feel. She never imagined there would be an enchanted item here, one worthy of a system description, no less.


    Her fingers hovered over the ring for a while, conflicting impulses warring within her. A part insisted she leave it be, saying she didn¡¯t need it. That she was above it.


    She silenced that voice, tucking it into a corner as she picked the ring up and slipped it onto her finger.


    The Hartford family had produced numerous skilled mages over the years. Scarlett wasn¡¯t about to pass up an artifact traditionally worn by the family head.


    To her surprise, she felt no immediate change. It felt like any other enchanted item, establishing a faint magical connection with her and all, but she couldn¡¯t discern its actual purpose. The description also didn¡¯t help much.


    She frowned. She was missing something. Should she ask Garside or Evelyne about it?


    ¡­No, she didn¡¯t feel much like doing that, frankly.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze swept across the room one last time, lingering on the covered paintings and dust-laden shelves. With an annoyed shake of her head, she moved towards the exit.


    For now, she¡¯d leave this place and return to her quarters. She needed some rest, and that took priority. As for what the ring was for, she would look into that later. She would probably figure something out.

 Chapter 256 - Dont quit the grind

    Scarlett and Rosa walked along a well-worn dirt path cutting through a wide forest clearing. The bard¡¯s fingers cranked away at the klert Scarlett had gifted her, its melodious twangs mingling with Rosa¡¯s cheerful humming. As they neared the outskirts of Freymeadow, the quaint village came further into view, its low stone walls offering meager protection against its surroundings.


    Rosa¡¯s tune trailed off as the woman¡¯s eyes swept over the cluster of buildings ahead. ¡°You know,¡± she mused, her tone deceptively casual, ¡°I¡¯ll admit that with the empire in such a mess right now, I half-expected we¡¯d be giving this place a wide berth for a while.¡±


    Scarlett remained a stoic expression as they crossed the threshold into the village, her gaze meeting the curious, albeit wary, stares of the villagers. ¡°It would be imprudent to neglect the advantage this place offers, regardless of the current circumstances,¡± she replied in a measured voice.


    A wry smile played on Rosa¡¯s lips. ¡°Can¡¯t fault that logic, I suppose. I don¡¯t have to bet my last copper coin that relaxation isn¡¯t on your agenda today, at least. You couldn¡¯t sell me that lie even if you had a dragon¡¯s silver tongue and a wizard¡¯s charm.¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow, casting a sidelong glance at her companion. ¡°I fail to see the relevance of a dragon¡¯s tongue in this context. They are not particularly renowned for their eloquence.¡±


    At least not in this world.


    The bard just shrugged, her eyes twinkling with mirth. ¡°Sometimes things just sound good, alright? Cut me some slack. I don¡¯t pick apart every outlandish statement you make.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying the two of us are comparable in any way?¡±


    Rosa¡¯s smile faltered for a moment. ¡°¡­I¡¯m walking into a trap no matter how I answer that, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Scarlett faced forward as they continued their trek through the village. ¡°I wonder why it is that you cannot exercise such verbal caution and tact when we are in the company of others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m plenty tactful around other people,¡± Rosa said. ¡°I just can¡¯t always restrain myself from extolling your numerous virtues at times.¡±


    ¡°I am sure,¡± Scarlett responded dryly.


    Their conversation died down as Rosa began enthusiastically waving her lively hellos to some of the villagers and children they passed. Meanwhile, Scarlett retreated into her thoughts, her mind dwelling on the current state of affairs in Freybrook.


    Though she had justified their visit here to Rosa as a pragmatic decision, Scarlett also knew that finding time for these excursions would become increasingly difficult. The journey alone consumed half a day, and this very morning, her mansion had been flooded with a deluge of correspondence on various matters.


    Some missives were official notices pertaining to her barony and status as a baroness, which she assumed most nobles were receiving in some form at the moment. Others were inquiries from acquaintances of Lady Withersworth, who had somehow already caught wind of the woman¡¯s involvement in Scarlett¡¯s affairs. Additionally, there was no shortage of merchants and groups clamoring for Scarlett¡¯s attention after having heard of the substantial cache of goods and resources the Hartford barony had prepared, wanting to buy it off her. Whether through ignorance or indifference, they seemed oblivious to the fact that much of these supplies had already been earmarked for the empire-wide relief efforts.


    While Scarlett could dismiss the majority of these matters, even going as far as to personally incinerate countless letters after a cursory glance, others represented genuine opportunities that warranted consideration. Lady Withersworth had pledged her assistance with handling those, but some issues would inevitably require Scarlett¡¯s direct involvement.


    Recent days had also seen Scarlett engaged in even more discussions with Beldon, plotting and strategising how to counter the ongoing attacks against the empire. Though Scarlett technically wasn¡¯t part of Mirage or its operations, at some point, an unspoken sort of agreement had formed between her and Beldon to cooperate on this matter. Consequently, she¡¯d been focusing a lot on how to leverage her knowledge and Beldon¡¯s resources to thwart the Cabal¡¯s objectives while carefully avoiding anything that would count as a direct confrontation.


    Their current plans revolved around preparing for future attacks, investigating suspicious activity among the empire¡¯s aristocracy, and identifying probable targets. Beldon and Mirage as a whole stood to gain significant influence and resources by offering aid to various imperial factions on these issues, so Scarlett was also making sure how she could turn that to her advantage.


    As the sun reached its zenith, Scarlett and Rosa arrived at Freymeadow¡¯s central square. On the far side, sheltered from the summer heat, Arlene reclined on her porch, engrossed in a book as usual.


    Upon their approach, the raven-haired woman looked up, faint creases appearing beneath her pale green eyes as they narrowed slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve returned,¡± she stated, closing her book with a soft thud.


    ¡°Indeed we have,¡± Scarlett replied.


    Rosa, unable to resist, chimed in with a grin. ¡°Did you miss us? Pine for some dazzling presences and sparkling conversations, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was rather relishing the calm,¡± Arlene said, her gaze staying on Scarlett, particularly on her left wrist.


    Scarlett glanced down, her attention falling on the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence] encircling her wrist. Was the woman studying that?


    Before she could confirm her suspicion, Arlene rose and stepped off the porch. A volley of menacing fire arrows appeared just behind her, the temperature rising around them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed directly to the lesson, then,¡± she declared. Scarlett suppressed a sigh as Rosa swiftly abandoned her, retreating with a far-too-amused grin plastered across her face.


    Straight to business it was.


    As the day waned, Scarlett and Arlene found themselves seated on the porch, gazing out across the square. They were taking an extended break after several grueling training sessions. At the square¡¯s heart, Rosa perched on the edge of the wooden platform there, her legs swaying in rhythm as she coaxed more melodies from her klert. Overhead, wisps of black and violet danced in perfect sync with the faint music, like enchanted phantoms.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The village children gathered before her, their eyes wide with wonder. They gasped in awe or squealed in delight whenever the wisps swooped down close, eliciting peals of laughter from their peers.


    ¡°That retainer of yours is more dedicated than appearances would have one think,¡± Arlene observed, her tone offhanded as she focused on the book in her lap.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze flickered to the woman before returning to the spectacle of Rosa entertaining the children.


    ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± she said.


    Even though it looked like Rosa was merely indulging in frivolous activities, the bard was also honing her skills in her own unique way. Rosa had become remarkably adept at wielding the Soulstone¡¯s power for these harmless displays. However, Scarlett knew that the woman was still hesitant to employ it in more serious situations. She had yet to have an opportunity where she could truly let loose and see what her charms could do against a genuine enemy.


    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s adopted some of her employer¡¯s traits,¡± Arlene continued with a light chuckle. ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m still surprised you didn¡¯t abandon your training after my first lesson. While stubbornness can be a valuable asset, you should be careful not to let it lead you astray.¡±


    ¡°I shall remain mindful of that,¡± Scarlett replied evenly.


    ¡°That advice extends to Miss Hale as well.¡±


    ¡°Influencing her in that regard may prove more challenging.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t be so certain. Despite your frequent bickering, I suspect there¡¯s little she wouldn¡¯t do if you were to ask it of her.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered on Rosa, who wore a radiant smile as one of the children tumbled backward when a wisp darted past them.


    ¡°¡­It is true that Miss Hale places considerable trust in me,¡± Scarlett admitted. ¡°I believe she feels she has much to atone for, both in her actions and her character.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, I can understand that sentiment.¡± Arlene nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. ¡°Regret and self-doubt can be powerful motivators.¡±


    Scarlett turned, studying the older woman intently. She supposed Arlene would know that better than most.


    The atmosphere shifted, a quiet settling between them as Arlene seemed to refocus on her book, its pages just out of Scarlett¡¯s line of sight.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes remained on the woman for a moment longer before dropping temporarily to the Orrery encircling her own wrist.


    Earlier, she had attempted to gauge the artifact¡¯s reaction to Arlene and was surprised to find it responded almost as intensely as it did with Rosa. At first, this had given her pause, but upon reflection, it seemed reasonable given the extent of her interactions with Arlene and how much had changed from the game¡¯s original narrative. Though trapped in this endless loop, the Arlene before her behaved very differently from the one Scarlett knew in the game.


    This did make her wonder if the woman¡¯s ultimate fate could also be changed.


    Lost in thought, Scarlett wasn¡¯t prepared for Arlene to suddenly look up, meeting her gaze directly. ¡°You¡¯ve been observing me quite intently today, I¡¯ve noticed. Is there something on your mind?¡±


    Scarlett hesitated, noting how Arlene¡¯s eyes briefly flicked to her left wrist, narrowing at the Orrery.


    For a moment, Scarlett paused. She¡¯d been curious whether the woman would notice the artifact on her own. Had she?


    ¡°Is that a new ring, perhaps?¡± Arlene suddenly asked.


    Scarlett blinked, her attention shifting from the Orrery to the [Hartford Garnet Ring] on her middle finger. Was that what had caught the woman¡¯s eye?


    She remained silent for a few seconds. ¡°¡­It is, yes. A family heirloom passed down through the Hartford line for generations.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arlene nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know how to use or activate it,¡± Scarlett said. She had experimented with it back in Freybrook, but with little success.


    After watching Arlene for a moment, she asked, ¡°Might you have any insights?¡±


    Arlene continued studying the ring, her expression neutral. ¡°I¡¯m no wizard and far from an expert on artifice of this nature, but it appears to be imbued with some form of pyromantic enchantment. Rather fitting for you, don¡¯t you think? As for its use, it¡¯s not uncommon for noble families to possess artifacts that only certain members can activate. They often require a passphrase or something similar.¡±


    ¡°A passphrase? I see. How might I discover it?¡±


    The woman shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. ¡°How could I possibly know that? It would defeat the purpose, no? If there is a passphrase, you¡¯ll have to ask whoever created the ring or those to whom it was passed down.¡± She looked up at Scarlett, considering her silently for a moment. ¡°Did the previous holder never share it with you?¡±


    ¡°¡­They did not.¡±


    Even if they had, Scarlett wouldn¡¯t have remembered it.


    Arlene¡¯s gaze remained fixed on her, though Scarlett couldn¡¯t tell what the woman was thinking.


    ¡°Are there no records or family members you could consult?¡± Arlene eventually asked.


    Scarlett¡¯s lips tightened almost imperceptibly. ¡°¡­It is possible that my sister might know.¡±


    ¡°Then why not ask her?¡±


    ¡°I am not certain that is an option. Our relationship is¡­complex.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯d help?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s fists clenched, knuckles whitening slightly. ¡°I believe she likely would. The issue lies not in her willingness to help but in my ability to bring myself to ask.¡±


    One of Arlene¡¯s eyebrows lifted as the woman gave her a long, almost admonishing look. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just warn you about being stubborn?¡±


    ¡°It is not by choice that I am this inflexible,¡± Scarlett replied, the words difficult to voice.


    Arlene¡¯s brow furrowed, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. After a prolonged silence, however, she sighed, her expression relaxing. ¡°Look at me, posturing as if I¡¯m some authority simply because I¡¯ve imparted on you a lesson or two. My relationship with my own sister was far from ideal. While it never deteriorated to the point where I loathed the mere thought of seeking her aid.¡±


    The older woman turned her gaze across the square, absently brushing a wayward lock of black hair from her cheek. ¡°But perhaps it might have felt that way to her,¡± she added, a note of wistfulness in her voice.


    Scarlett observed her quietly. She knew from Arlene¡¯s sister¡¯s journal that Arlene had been strongly disliked by her sister when they were young. That said, she didn¡¯t get the sense that Arlene¡¯s sister hated her the same way the original Scarlett did Evelyne.


    ¡°¡­Do you resent your sister?¡± she found the question leaving her lips.


    A flicker of surprise crossed Arlene¡¯s features as she met Scarlett¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t, no. We¡¯ve had our share of conflicts¡ªsome quite serious¡ªso I can¡¯t claim to like her, but I¡¯ve never truly resented her.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Arlene paused before responding. ¡°¡­Because she is family, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°And what if she did not reciprocate those feelings?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she most definitely did not.¡± A self-deprecating laugh escaped the woman. ¡°That makes me the fool here, I suppose. But I never let that stand in my way. In a sense, I always pitied that aspect of her.¡±


    Scarlett kept studying Arlene for a while. Could that be similar to how Evelyne felt?


    ¡°Do you want your sister to hate you?¡± Arlene asked, a curious look in her eyes.


    Scarlett considered the question. ¡°¡­It would complicate matters if she did.¡±


    ¡°I would think so, but that¡¯s hardly an answer, is it?¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°Then I do not know.¡±


    A slight smirk appeared on Arlene¡¯s lips. ¡°The simple answer would have been ¡®no¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You did not ask me merely for me to lie.¡±


    ¡°Nor did I ask for you to avoid lying,¡± Arlene said, tapping the book on her lap thoughtfully while observing Scarlett. ¡°You seem like someone who struggles to sympathise with others. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Partly. At the very least, it is not incorrect,¡± Scarlett replied slowly, trying to figure out what the woman was getting at.


    ¡°Have you considered why?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is simply part of who I am.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking that because you expect a definitive answer?¡±


    Arlene shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m asking out of curiosity, perhaps because you remind me of my own sister. I know you¡¯re capable of self-reflection, so why do you think you are the way you are? What events in your past do you believe contributed to it?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened. As Scarlett, she couldn¡¯t answer because she didn¡¯t know her past. As Amy, she couldn¡¯t answer because she wasn¡¯t even sure how much of her current self was Amy and how much was Scarlett.


    Arlene¡¯s smile turned gentler. ¡°You can consider this the idle musings of a nosy teacher, but I suggest not dwelling on these things until you can answer those questions.¡±


    ¡°And what if they prove unanswerable?¡± Scarlett asked sharply.


    The woman¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°Then you create the answers. As my student, I¡¯m confident you can do that much.¡±

 Chapter 257 - Arrayed for success

    Despite her expectations, Scarlett found herself in Freymeadow more than once in the week following the Hallowed Cabal and the Tribe of Sin¡¯s attacks on the empire. Though the anticipated busywork back home wasn¡¯t absent, Lady Withersworth¡¯s timely presence and guidance in the relief efforts proved invaluable, freeing up Scarlett¡¯s time for other matters. These included addressing barony-related issues, engaging in recurring discussions with Beldon, exchanging the occasional communication with Raimond, and dedicating herself to even further magic training.


    Evelyne was still bedridden, even after Rosa and other skilled healers had tended to her. While Rosa had assured Scarlett that the young woman¡¯s prognosis was largely positive and her life wasn¡¯t at risk, the timeline for her recovery remained uncertain. What was clear, however, was that even if Evelyne could work from her bed, Scarlett wouldn¡¯t allow it. She surprised herself with her willingness to enforce the woman¡¯s rest, despite the increased workload it placed on her shoulders. This determination persisted even as they¡¯d barely seen each other since Scarlett¡¯s return, an odd tension lingering between them.


    Perhaps it was the allure of escaping these self-imposed responsibilities that drew Scarlett to Freymeadow. It felt almost ironic how her time in the village had become a sort of refuge, even though her visits were far from relaxing under the watchful eye of the despotic Arlene, who oversaw her magic training with what could generously be described as an iron fist.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Arlene had been even harsher on her in recent loops. The raven-haired taskmaster pushed Scarlett¡¯s mana supply to its limits nowadays, leaving her so drained at the end of each day that even Rosa¡¯s charms were barely enough to keep her moving.


    Perhaps it was just a natural response to Scarlett¡¯s growing skills, with Arlene recognising her improvement and increasing the difficulty to match?


    In particular, the woman had been focusing intensely on developing Scarlett¡¯s hydrokinesis lately. This included coming up with new combat applications, refining existing techniques, and using water-based magic to counter Arlene¡¯s own formidable pyromancy spells. Though Scarlett had always struggled with hydrokinesis, she didn¡¯t mind the opportunity to hone the skill now that she¡¯d upgraded it to a higher level. That said, she doubted it would ever surpass her affinity for pyrokinesis.


    One day, after an especially grueling training session in the forest clearing outside Freymeadow, Scarlett found herself sitting on the ground, her back pressed against the rough bark of a thick tree. A soft blanket spread beneath her offered at least some slight comfort as she looked up at Arlene, who stood before her with arms crossed, gazing off into the forest towards Freymeadow.


    Seeking to break the silence, Scarlett ventured a question on a topic she¡¯d been thinking about recently. ¡°How challenging do you believe it would be for me to learn formal spells at this point in my training?¡±


    Arlene turned to her, the woman¡¯s pale green eyes fixed on Scarlett. ¡°As challenging as learning any new skill. It¡¯s all a matter of time and dedication.¡± One eyebrow rose on her forehead. ¡°I was under the impression you didn¡¯t have enough of either to spend. What brought this about?¡±


    ¡°It is simply something I have been contemplating lately. My recent research has involved the Zuver and their texts, including many of the characters that comprise contemporary magical scrips and runes. I have found myself becoming increasingly familiar with these and wondered if that knowledge could be applied when learning modern spells. That is all.¡±


    ¡°Knowing runes and their construction is part of spellcasting.¡± Arlene¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°But it¡¯s not enough on its own.¡± She studied Scarlett closely, eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Have you really learned to read runes?¡±


    ¡°The Zuverian equivalents, at least,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°That would be impressive if true.¡±


    ¡°You sound skeptical.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cautiously optimistic. You didn¡¯t strike me as the type to delve into the intricacies of ancient Zuver linguistics.¡±


    ¡°I imagine that there is much that you do not know about me. My recent acquaintance with the Zuver language is but one example.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s eyebrow rose higher. ¡°You speak as if it¡¯s a recent development.¡±


    Scarlett offered a light shrug, her shoulders rising and falling slowly. ¡°Perhaps it is.¡±


    The woman fell silent, considering her for several seconds. Then she unfolded her arms and, with a fluid wave of her hand, conjured a glowing rune of fire that hovered in the air between them.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked, her eyes never leaving Scarlett¡¯s face.


    Scarlett leaned forward, studying the flickering symbol closely. After a moment, she answered, ¡°¡­¡¯Tizark¡¯. It means ¡®ignite¡¯.¡±


    Slight surprise flashed across Arlene¡¯s feature before a ghost of a smile touched her lips. Another rune materialised, replacing the first. ¡°And this?¡±


    ¡°¡®Korlath¡¯,¡± Scarlett replied, without hesitation this time. ¡°It can roughly be translated as ¡®shield¡¯. Presumably, that rune is used for defensive spells.¡±


    ¡°Among other things, yes.¡± Arlene nodded approvingly as a third, more complex rune appeared.


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°¡­I do not recognize this one precisely, but it seems to combine the symbols for ¡®sea¡¯ and ¡®flow¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re close,¡± Arlene said. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Aqualis¡¯, and it¡¯s a common component in most modern hydromancy spells.¡± With another wave of her hand, she caused the rune to flare brilliantly before dispersing into motes of light. ¡°Usually, casting a spell doesn¡¯t require materializing the runes, but it can be helpful for beginners.¡±


    ¡°I see. That does make sense.¡±


    Arlene regarded her for another long moment.


    ¡°Is there something you wish to say?¡± Scarlett asked, meeting the woman¡¯s gaze.


    Arlene shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m simply¡­surprised. You continue to perplex me.¡±


    ¡°I presume that is a compliment?¡±


    ¡°If you want it to be.¡±


    ¡°Then I will take it as such.¡± Scarlett rested her palms on her lap, her posture relaxing. ¡°Anyhow, so simply being familiar with runes will not be enough on its own to master spellcasting. In truth, I had already surmised as much. However, it should still be of aid when learning spells, no?¡±


    ¡°It would certainly make things easier for you, yes,¡± Arlene conceded, then paused, her expression growing more serious. ¡°¡­But I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t spend too much time trying to learn traditional magic. You should focus on what you already excel at.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her with mild surprise. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Arlene¡¯s gaze grew distant for a short while as she seemed to consider her words carefully. ¡°Despite the disadvantages of your approach, you¡¯re already working on addressing those. Your talent in hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis is truly impressive, and I believe your potential with them far surpasses what you could achieve with traditional magic in the same amount of time.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Scarlett mulled over the woman¡¯s words. It was roughly the same conclusion she¡¯d come to herself, which was why she hadn¡¯t invested too much time in this endeavour after confirming that Thainnith¡¯s legacy hadn¡¯t taught her actual spells. If she had wanted to become a proper mage, she should have started months ago when she first arrived in this world. She wasn¡¯t lamenting that fact too much, but it was just a shame to feel as though she wasn¡¯t fully utilising everything the legacy offered her.


    ¡°¡­That is not to say there aren¡¯t ways for you to use that knowledge of yours,¡± Arlene continued after a brief silence. ¡°Depending on how familiar you are with these runes, there are arrays that you can set up even without extensive experience in casting spells. While they won¡¯t come close to what you can achieve with your hydrokinesis or pyrokinesis, if you use the runes properly and have a sufficient mana supply, they could yield some useful results.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Scarlett blinked, surprised at how closely Arlene¡¯s words mirrored her own thoughts. ¡°What kind of arrays would these be?¡±


    ¡°That depends on you,¡± Arlene replied. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to simply know how the runes look, but in theory, you could establish very primitive defensive formations, assuming you have the time and resources.¡±


    So things like fire barriers and the like? Even if Scarlett couldn¡¯t replicate more complex effects like her Aqua Mines, formations like those could still prove useful. Especially if she could set up these arrays around the estate and use the Loci to supply mana.


    ¡°You would teach me this, then?¡± Scarlett asked, a trace of ambition finding its way into her voice.


    Arlene¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Under one condition.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly shifted as the woman¡¯s demeanour seemed to become deadly serious. ¡°From now on, you must give everything to our training,¡± she said, voice firm and unyielding. ¡°I agreed to teach you, but this is not your playground. If you can¡¯t handle the demands of being my pupil, then you shouldn¡¯t return after you leave tonight.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her, taken aback by the sudden intensity. What was Arlene talking about? She talked as if Scarlett was slacking with her practice, but if anything, she had been pushing herself harder here than anywhere else. She was regularly teetering on the brink of mana exhaustion. For the woman to put forth that condition, stated so gravely, felt strange.


    As Scarlett met Arlene¡¯s severe gaze, a sense of uncertainty bubbled up within her.


    ¡­Actually, maybe she had been slacking, in a sense ¡ª not in the effort, but in mindset. She wasn¡¯t really sure when it had happened, but at some point, she¡¯d almost begun to view Freymeadow less as a quest location to overcome and more as a fixture in her current life. She had started to see Arlene as an actual teacher, even though this place and the woman¡¯s position were only temporary.


    Arlene wasn¡¯t teaching Scarlett out of kindness. She had her own goals in making Scarlett stronger. Had this version of the woman somehow sensed this shift in Scarlett¡¯s attitude? Was this her way of warning Scarlett not to lose focus?


    ¡­Was this perhaps a sign that Scarlett¡¯s time in Freymeadow was coming to an end?


    It was true that by now, Scarlett had likely been here longer than you were in the game. She¡¯d visited Freymeadow more frequently than expected, but when she finally completed Arlene¡¯s quest, her main reason for coming here would be gone. Yet lately, she hadn¡¯t given much thought to what came next, even though she knew it was inevitable.


    It probably wasn¡¯t a coincidence that much of Arlene¡¯s focus in these past visits had been on improving Scarlett¡¯s hydrokinesis to counter her own magic in their sparring sessions.


    Scarlett honestly wasn¡¯t sure what to feel about that at this point. Was it natural to experience some hesitance after all this time? Was that what she was feeling, or were her other personality traits overwriting that? As always, it was hard to tell.


    In the end, did it really matter? She had been determined from the start and wasn¡¯t about to back down now.


    After several long seconds, she spoke, her voice steady and resolute. ¡°I understand. You have my word that I will fully commit to my training while under your tutelage.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s gaze remained locked on her for a while longer, as if probing the depths of Scarlett¡¯s determination. Finally, she gave a single, curt nod. ¡°I believe you.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never thought of it before, but why do witches in stories always have black cats? What¡¯s wrong with tabbies?¡± Rosa mused from Scarlett¡¯s left, sounding genuinely curious.


    Allyssa¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I love tabbies.¡±


    ¡°Right? Who doesn¡¯t?¡± Rosa nodded shrewdly. ¡°If I were a witch, I¡¯d have a house brimming with them. Just an army of adorable, striped felines.¡±


    ¡°I prefer dogs,¡± Fynn said.


    Rosa reached over and gave him a playful pat on the head, her fingers ruffling his white hair. ¡°No surprise there. Loyal to a fault, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Personally, I am partial to Abyssinians,¡± Lady Withersworth interjected from where she was seated opposite Scarlett in their carriage.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Rosa¡¯s eyebrows shot up with interest. ¡°Now that¡¯s a take I haven¡¯t stumbled upon in any taverns. You¡¯ve earned my tip of the hat. I suspected you had refined tastes.¡±


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s eyes crinkled with mirth. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, dear. But please, do continue. Flattery is a crucial part of aging gracefully.¡±


    ¡°Well, I usually reserve my praise for our stoic leader here, but I suppose I can spare one or two more.¡± Rosa raised her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat theatrically. ¡°My Lady, your taste is as impeccable as a dragon¡¯s hoard ¡ª only you manage to do it without the flames and scales. Your sense of style could turn even a humble carriage ride into a royal procession.¡±


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s soft laugher filled the cabin. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m beginning to understand why some of my peers employ minstrels for their entertainment. That is rather different from the usual flattery I receive. It¡¯s quite delightful.¡±


    ¡°But of course,¡± Rosa replied with a sly grin, bowing her head slightly. ¡°As long as the gold¡¯s good, us traveling songsters would sell our shadows to a phantom.¡±


    ¡°I do hope you don¡¯t, dear.¡± Lady Withersworth turned to Scarlett with her smile. ¡°Baroness, you do have an interesting troupe around you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re never bored with these lively companions around.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her, then at Rosa, and back at the woman, her expression carefully neutral. ¡°¡­Indeed. Never.¡±


    Beside her, Rosa shook her head while clicking her tongue disapprovingly. ¡°Take note, Fynn. This is what we call ¡®sarcasm¡¯.¡±


    Fynn¡¯s brown furrowed, as if actually keeping that in mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that counts as sarcasm,¡± Allyssa said, pressing a finger to her chin. ¡°It sounded more ironic? Or maybe just deadpan?¡±


    Scarlett sighed as her companions debated the nuance of her response, while Lady Withersworth continued to regard her with an amused smile. ¡°You should cherish these eventful moments of yours while you can, Baroness,¡± she spoke in a quieter tone. ¡°Before you know it, you¡¯ll be my age, and excitement will come in the form of a back that doesn¡¯t ache in the morning.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will bear that in mind,¡± Scarlett replied. She turned her gaze out the window, observing the snow-blanketed streets of Freybrook. There weren¡¯t many people out at this time of day, with the sun slowly rising behind a veil of grey clouds. Some signs of damage still remained in Freybrook from the attack, but not much in these parts.


    Their group had departed from the mansion at dawn, heading towards the Kilnstone. Usually, having six people in the carriage was a tight fit, especially for an older woman who had only recently recovered from injuries, but not this time. Although it had taken a while, the new carriages Evelyne had commissioned were finally finished, and they made the journey notably more comfortable. Roomier and more luxurious than its predecessor, the enchanted vehicle focused on both comfort and durability. Its polished wood and plush upholstery spoke to Scarlett¡¯s current sensibilities, and it was a detail that likely wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed at their destination.


    After a while, Scarlett turned back to Lady Withersworth. ¡°Do you know if your family will be present in Elystead as well?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression softened. ¡°My daughter will be there, but my son has returned to our lands to oversee our lands while that oaf of a husband of mine is busy entangling himself in the capital¡¯s political quagmire.¡±


    ¡°It seems everyone has their hands full these days.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I would be surprised if even a quarter of the nobility shows up for this conclave. These are trying times for the empire.¡±


    Scarlett nodded slowly. ¡°True.¡±


    Beldon had told her much the same when she last spoke with him. While the Cabal and Tribe of Sin hadn¡¯t launched another large-scale assault yet, reports of monster attacks were on the rise, keeping many nobles occupied in their own territories.


    In light of the crises the empire was facing, a general conclave had been called in the capital for nobles to meet and discuss strategies for addressing the situation. Attendance wasn¡¯t mandatory, and Scarlett knew that a lot of important decisions had already been made outside of it, but it would still be a gathering of many influential individuals.


    Scarlett had initially considered skipping it, but Lady Withersworth had persuaded her to go. The older noblewoman believed there was much Scarlett could gain from being there, and since the conclave wouldn¡¯t last as long as the Light Fest had, Scarlett wouldn¡¯t be stuck in the capital for an extended period, either. That was good, given the myriad other responsibilities and matters vying for her attention. Beyond her visits to Freymeadow, there were several unresolved matters awaiting her on the Rising Isle, for instance.


    As their carriage passed a small shop, Lady Withersworth¡¯s gaze was drawn to a young woman diligently clearing snow from the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s rather unfortunate that your sister couldn¡¯t accompany us,¡± she said. ¡°I can attest to how tedious it is to be cooped up in bed for hours and days on end.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on the shopkeeper for a moment. ¡°She will endure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure. You Hartfords seem to be cut from sturdy stock, as my husband would say. Still, having saved this old lady¡¯s life, I can¡¯t help but feel a tad worried for both her and you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see,¡± Scarlett replied after a brief pause. ¡°I believe she would value your concern.¡±


    The conversation lapsed into silence, neither of them inclined to pursue the topic further. Throughout her stay at the mansion, Lady Withersworth had been subtly probing the dynamics between Scarlett and Evelyne, clearly curious about their relationship. However, she had always maintained a respectful distance, never pushing too far.


    As they continued their journey through Freybrook¡¯s snow-laden streets, the carriage eventually arrived at the expansive circular square housing the city¡¯s Kilnstone. The scene that greeted them was markedly different from Scarlett¡¯s departure for the Rising Isle. Gone were the queues of travelers and merchants. In their place stood a small city of tents and temporary shelters, their canvas walls fluttering in the crisp winter air. Red-robed figures moved purposefully among the structures, while workers bustled about, ferrying crates and supplies.


    These were part of the relief efforts coordinated by the Followers of Ittar, leveraging the empire-wide Kilnstone network. Technically, that meant some of the individuals here were likely working directly or indirectly for her, given her involvement in Freybrook¡¯s relief initiatives.


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the makeshift camps as their carriage drew near the Kilnstone, a contemplative expression on her features. Scarlett turned her attention from the woman as two officials approached their vehicle to verify their credentials before letting them through. Nobles were essentially the only ones permitted to use Kilnstone for personal travel like this at the moment, and even then, only under specific circumstances.


    Upon clearing the checks, their carriage rolled into the structure housing the Kilnstone. The ancient artifact loomed before them, its surface a reflective grey. The officials conducted their final checks with practiced efficiency before stepping back.


    The Kilnstone activated, its power surging as it absorbed all ambient light and plunged their surroundings into an unnatural darkness. Then, in the blink of an eye, they arrived in Elystead.

 Chapter 258 - Pit-stops

    As their carriage emerged from the large structure housing Elystead¡¯s Kilnstones, Scarlett and the others found themselves in a vast, snow-dusted plaza. To the north, the Ustrum Assembly stood proudly before an expansive artificial lake, its waters seemingly unaffected by the frigid January temperature.


    Scarlett leaned against the windowsill, her chin resting on her hand as she surveyed the scene. A strange mixture of pride and nostalgia washed over her, like echoes of the original¡¯s emotions. Those feelings were tempered somewhat, though, by the sprawling network of tents and temporary barracks that stretched out at the far end of the plaza, serving as a makeshift home for thousands of refugees and workers.


    Elystead had become the center of many ongoing relief efforts, both because of its relative safety and its access to four Kilnstones rather than just one.


    ¡°So, Allyssa, Shin, how does it feel to be back home?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice came from Scarlett¡¯s left.


    ¡°Not much different from when we were last here,¡± Shin replied calmly.


    Allyssa¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the camps. ¡°I¡¯ve missed it, actually,¡± she admitted, a tinge of melancholy in her voice. ¡°I just wish it could have been under better circumstances, you know?¡±


    ¡°I bet most do,¡± Rosa replied softly.


    Lady Withersworth turned her attention to the two young Shielders, her eyes curious. ¡°Have you both spent your entire lives in Elystead?¡±


    Allyssa tore her gaze from the window to address the noblewoman. ¡°I have, but Shin¡¯s originally from Wildscar. He came to live with us after my father brought him here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so your father is also a Shielder?¡± Lady Withersworth seemed to regard the girl more closely.


    ¡°He is.¡± A hint of shyness crept into Allyssa¡¯s voice. ¡°He¡¯s¡­well, he¡¯s kind of a big deal.¡±


    ¡°I thought I recognised your name,¡± Lady Withersworth said with a trace of amusement. ¡°Your father is Arnaud Astrey, I presume? Who would have thought that man could produce such a charming daughter?¡±


    ¡°C-Charming? That¡¯s a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Arnaud often calls her his ¡®little seraphim sprout¡¯¡±, Shin interjected in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°Most at the Guild branch have their own nicknames for her as well.¡±


    A poorly suppressed snort escaped Rosa, earning her and Shin a withering glare from Allyssa. Lady Withersworth¡¯s soft chuckle did little to diffuse the tension.


    Rosa, demonstrating at least a semblance of shame, cleared her throat, adopting a more serious expression. ¡°Have you heard anything about what your father is doing at the moment, by the way?¡± she asked. ¡°Is he helping the Shields Guild handle everything that¡¯s going on?¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s expression softened slightly as she tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think so. Last I heard from him, he was still over in the Unresting Steppes, dealing with Ittar-knows-what. It¡¯s possible he hasn¡¯t even heard of what¡¯s happened here yet. Otherwise, I¡¯m sure he would have returned already.¡±


    Scarlett listened with slight interest. As far as she knew, Allyssa¡¯s father had been absent from the empire for a while now. While there were some game-related quests that might keep a high-ranking Shielder occupied in the Unresting Steppes, she had expected those to be over by now.


    Hopefully, nothing too troublesome was going on over there.


    Returning her attention to the window, Scarlett watched as their carriage rolled across the plaza and onto the broad expanse of the Sunset Way. Running southwards, the thoroughfare cut through more than half of the city. In the distance, Rellaria Lake¡¯s snow-covered waters shone in the early morning light, cradling the island where Dawnlight Palace stood like a gleaming bastion.


    That would be Scarlett¡¯s destination this evening. The conclave was to be held on the palace grounds, which meant members of the imperial family would also be present.


    Despite the early hour, Elystead¡¯s streets were far from quiet. As the empire¡¯s most populous city, it rarely experienced true peace, and the current crises had only swelled its numbers as both nobility and commoners sought refuge within its walls. The increased population and traffic made for slower progress through the city, but eventually, their carriage reached its first destination in the Eastgate District, where most of the city¡¯s affluent residents lived.


    They came to a stop outside the iron gates of a mansion built of white and grey stone, its three stories overlooking a walkway lined with sleet. This was the Hartfords¡¯ mansion estate here in the capital.


    As they made their way inside, they were greeted by a small retinue of servants and a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, dressed in a black suit. He bowed deeply. ¡°Welcome back to Elystead, My Lady. As always, we are honored by your presence.¡±


    ¡°I trust all the preparations I requested have been completed?¡± Scarlett asked in a businesslike tone.


    ¡°Of course, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Scarlett turned to Lady Withersworth. ¡°I understand you have chosen to stay with us during our time in the capital. Should you wish to meet with your family, simply inform Whiteley here, and he will arrange a carriage for you. We can also prepare rooms if your daughter or any other guests desire to stay.¡±


    Lady Withersworth smiled warmly. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, dear. I may take you up on that offer, but for now, I think I will spend the morning and afternoon catching up on some work and resting before this evening¡¯s events. I¡¯ll be seeing my husband this evening, no doubt, and I¡¯m sure it will drain these aging bones of mine more than I care to admit.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    After ensuring Lady Withersworth was comfortably settled in at the estate, Scarlett and the others set out once more in the carriage to deal with other matters. Their first stop was the Coins district, which was very much the beating heart of Elystead¡¯s commerce. There, Scarlett paid quick visits to the various establishments Evelyne had acquired and managed on her behalf, confirming that operations were proceeding smoothly despite the empire¡¯s current troubles. Apparently, the capital wasn¡¯t even close to struggling as much as some other cities were doing.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Having spent a couple of hours on business matters, Scarlett then took the others to visit some of Elystead¡¯s specialty shops, stocking up on supplies that were harder to come by in Freybrook. With that handled, they returned to their carriage and set off for the other end of the city, where the Old Quarter awaited.


    The Old Quarter, perched on an elevated section of the city along the eastern part of its bay, boasted streets worn smooth by the passage of time. Historic buildings lined the lanes, their weathered facades overlooking much of the city below and lending the area a unique charm.


    As they traveled deeper into the Old Quarter, an old stone temple came into view. Tall vines crept up its walls, with a short flight of stairs leading up to the entrance flanked by two tall statues. Time had eroded their features, but their arms remained raised towards the sky.


    This was the House of Fire, one of the temples of the Followers of Ittar, repurposed from a shrine once dedicated to the now largely forgotten goddess of fire. Scarlett had visited briefly during her first trip to Elystead, but on that occasion, she had only managed a cursory glance inside.


    The party disembarked from the carriage and ascended the worn steps. As they reached the top, Allyssa turned to Scarlett, curiosity evident in her voice. ¡°Sooo, what are we doing here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Simply paying a brief visit,¡± Scarlett answered.


    ¡°So¡­ No need for me to pull out the bandolier and crossbow?¡±


    ¡°We shall see.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright then.¡±


    The temple¡¯s wooden doors groaned in protest as they pushed them open, revealing a long hall with high-vaulted ceilings. Pillared archways ran along the sides, supporting the ancient structure, and faded murals adorned sections of the walls, their subjects lost to time.


    A handful of worshipers sat on pews, heads bowed in quiet prayer. Scarlett paid them little mind as she strode across the hall towards the gallery at the far end, where a marble altar stood. Behind it loomed a tall wall of wooden planks, interrupted only by a single, unassuming door.


    A figure to the side took notice of their approach, rising from a low podium. Clad in thick red robes embellished with gold, their face was hidden behind a plain white mask decorated with golden lines. An acolyte.


    ¡°Ittar¡¯s blessing upon you, visitors,¡± the acolyte greeted them, a man¡¯s voice emanating from behind the mask. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlett gestured towards the door behind the altar. ¡°I wish to enter that area.¡±


    Though the mask concealed the acolyte¡¯s expression, his body language betrayed his surprise at her request.


    ¡°That area is restricted to members of Ittar¡¯s clergy, I¡¯m afraid,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am well aware,¡± Scarlett replied coolly. ¡°However, that should not pose an issue in this instance. I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford. You should have been notified of my impending arrival.¡±


    In her communications with Raimond, she¡¯d asked this as a favor. The man had seemed intrigued about her reason for wanting to visit this place in particular, but he had agreed, even when she had been vague in her explanation.


    The acolyte still appeared uncertain, but he confirmed her assumption when he started leading Scarlett and her companions to the back of the gallery and the door there. Producing a large key ring, he took a moment to unlock the door before motioning them through.


    They entered into a chancel of sorts, which might once have been part of the temple proper, but now mostly appeared relegated to storage. Crates and miscellaneous items were scattered about, gathering dust in the dim light.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze was immediately drawn to the far end of the room, where what looked to be a tall statue stood shrouded beneath a wide cloth.


    She turned to the acolyte. ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    The man hesitated for a few seconds longer, but then bowed his head and left. He was likely uneasy about leaving strangers unsupervised in the temple like this, but whoever had informed him about Scarlett¡¯s arrival clearly outranked him significantly.


    Besides, as far as the Followers knew, they had nothing of particular importance here that needed protection from Scarlett.


    ¡°Poor guy,¡± Rosa remarked, sauntering over to one of the crates and perching herself on its edge, legs dangling. ¡°He¡¯ll spend the rest of the day fretting over if he messed up or not, and he didn¡¯t even get a ¡®thank you¡¯ for his troubles.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her, eyebrow raised. ¡°¡­I hardly treated him poorly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. For you, that was practically like baking him cookies and wishing him all the best. There¡¯s just a rather wide gap between your heart and your manners, if you get what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do.¡± Scarlett turned her attention from the bard and crossed the room, heading towards the covered statue. Once there, she motioned at it. ¡°Fynn, if you would.¡±


    Fynn stepped up beside her and pulled off the drapery, releasing a cloud of dust into the air. Covering her mouth with a slight frown, Scarlett examined the worn statue before them. It depicted a woman encircled by flames, her hands reaching upwards, holding a large, empty silver brazier. At the base of the statue were three smaller bronze braziers, each engraved with a rune.


    Most of the statue¡¯s details had been eroded by time, seemingly neglected for ages. Perhaps that made sense, considering this was now a temple to Ittar, but Scarlett wondered if the goddess of fire ever felt sorrow over how small her following had become in this part of the world.


    Did the gods even concern themselves with things like that? In the game, their role had been pretty distant, so she didn¡¯t really know. It was probably for the best if they didn¡¯t care too much, since Scarlett preferred not to attract their attention at the moment.


    Pushing those thoughts aside for now, she focused on the three smaller braziers. Thanks to Thainnith¡¯s legacy, she didn¡¯t even need to bother with trying to translate their meanings. One said ¡®Birth¡¯, another ¡®Death¡¯ and ¡®Rebirth¡¯, and the last ¡®Ascension¡¯.


    First, she conjured a weak flame to light the ¡®Birth¡¯ brazier, which ignited despite a lack of any visible fuel or kindling inside. As if in response, the ¡®Death¡¯ and ¡®Rebirth¡¯ brazier spontaneously ignited. Scarlett promptly extinguished it with her pyrokinesis before rekindling it.


    Lastly, she turned her attention to the third brazier labeled ¡®Ascension¡¯. This one was meant to be ignited with a powerful pyromancy spell, but Scarlett felt pretty confident her abilities were enough. Concentrating on the brazier¡¯s center, she willed it to light up.


    The fire that burst forth was more intense than even she¡¯d been expecting, eliciting startled gasps from her companions as its flames reached nearly a full meter into the air.


    ¡°Okay, I wouldn¡¯t have said no to a warning for that,¡± Allyssa said, shielding her face as she stepped back.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± Scarlett replied, though she wasn¡¯t finished yet. Using her pyrokinesis once more, she controlled the ''Ascension'' flame, separating a portion and guiding it towards the large brazier in the statue¡¯s hands. There, it settled, and all four fires suddenly turned blue.


    From each brazier, a strand of azure fire streamed out to touch down on the floor in front of the statue, drawing a wide circle. The stone inside that circle evaporated into motes of ash and dust, revealing a steep, dark stone staircase leading straight down into unknown depths.


    ¡°That was impressive,¡± Fynn said.


    ¡°Sadly, yes.¡± A theatrical sigh escaped Rosa as she jumped down from her perch and strolled over. ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll ever enter an ancient crypt that doesn¡¯t have more floors than advertised for you to reveal dramatically. I¡¯m starting to suspect you¡¯re sneaking in the night before with a chisel and hammer just to show off in front of us ordinary mortals.¡±


    Scarlett fought the urge to roll her eyes at the woman¡¯s melodramatics, simply gesturing towards the newly revealed passage. ¡°Come, let us proceed. As I said, we will make this brief.¡±


    She still needed to return in time to prepare for the conclave this evening.

 Chapter 259 - The House of Fire

    The hidden passage within the House of Fire plunged Scarlett and her companions deeper than anticipated, guiding them to the entrance of what looked to be an underground temple, its smooth, darkened stone walls bearing the marks of unknown craftsmanship.


    Upon reaching the temple¡¯s threshold, the group paused to retrieve their equipment from the [Bag of Juham] and readied themselves for combat. A single, long corridor stretched out before them, its far end punctuated by a faint, flickering light. Scarlett conjured a flame that danced before them and illuminated their path as they started moving.


    After a few minutes of walking, they emerged into a vast, cavernous chamber. The ceiling stretched high above, almost lost in the shadow above, while massive pillars, some crumbling and others toppled, rose from the floor like obelisks. The walls bore faded murals depicting scenes of what was presumably the fire goddess and her followers at the height of their power, performing various rites.


    Scattered across the chamber¡¯s expanse lay other remnants of the temple¡¯s former glory: abandoned altars, urns, and offerings long since reduced to ash. Bursts of flame erupted periodically from sconces embedded in the walls and floor, casting an eerie, pulsating light throughout the space, and the air hung thick with an almost oppressive heat, carrying a faint tang of sulfur.


    At the heart of all this stood a grand, partially collapsed statue of the fire goddess. Although equally worn by the centuries as the rest of this place, her stern gaze seemed to follow their every move, as if judging their worthiness to tread upon this ground.


    Allyssa¡¯s voice broke the prolonged silence, tinged with wonder. ¡°This¡­ This is unbelievable. It¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is,¡± Scarlett replied, her eyes surveying the chamber. ¡°And I believe this is merely the first layer of what awaits us.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°There¡¯s more?!¡±


    Even Shin couldn¡¯t mask his incredulity. His brow furrowed as he scanned the area. ¡°¡­I¡¯m having difficulty understanding how this place has remained hidden beneath the capital for so long without anyone realising.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Allyssa nodded vigorously at his statement.


    ¡°That is hardly uncommon for sites of this nature,¡± Scarlett said. Otherwise, there would be no ¡®forgotten ruins¡¯ left to explore. ¡°These locations often bear enchantments that render them nearly undetectable unless one knows precisely what to seek. This is likely even more true for what were once the holy sites of gods and goddesses.¡±


    ¡°How lucky we are that you just happened to know what to look for, then,¡± Rosa remarked.


    ¡°Yes. Quite,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°I was being sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°As was I.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s expression softened into mock pride. ¡°This must be how a parent bird feels when they see their chick first fly from the nest.¡± She dramatically wiped an imaginary tear from her cheek.


    Scarlett eyed her for a moment, then turned away. ¡°¡­Let us not dawdle,¡± she said, moving forward. As an afterthought, she added, ¡°Do be careful not to touch the walls.¡±


    Allyssa glanced back at the dark stone surfaces they¡¯d passed. ¡°Why not?¡±


    In response, Scarlett conjured a ball of water with a flick of her wrist. She sent it hurtling towards the nearest wall, where it hissed angrily and vanished into a cloud of steam upon contact.


    ¡°That is why,¡± she stated simply.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Allyssa replied.


    Rosa chuckled, though there was a hint of nervousness in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad you brought that up before we stopped for a breather and I accidentally set half my bottom on fire. Makes you wonder what the point is, though. I¡¯d wager it¡¯s already sweltering enough down here without the walls adding to the broil.¡±


    ¡°I believe this site¡¯s original purpose was as a trial of sorts,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°From what I know, the fire goddess and her followers were not renowned for their restraint.¡±


    To be safe, they had already consumed fire resistance potions purchased earlier in the Coins district. Scarlett¡¯s [Chromacloth] also provided some extra resistance, and all of them wore armor and gear crafted from the scales of the Ashenwraith dragon, offering further defense against the heat.


    They crossed the chamber, passing the towering central statue. Scarlett paused briefly to study it before moving on. This place had been abandoned for centuries by now, likely since even before the rise of Ittar¡¯s faith and the founding of the Graenal Empire. The number of visitors since then was probably minuscule, if any had come at all.


    Scarlett led them towards the far end of the chamber, where a wide opening descended into darkness. Above it, intricate carvings and unfamiliar symbols adorned the stone. While the first layer of this dungeon might have once served as a congregation area of sorts for the worshippers, the second layer marked the true beginning of the trial.


    ¡°Walk the steps of¡­the furnace?¡± Shin read aloud.


    ¡°What?¡± Allyssa asked, confusion evident in her tone.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s what it says,¡± Shin elaborated, pointing at the symbols carved into the stone. ¡°¡®Walk the steps of the furnace¡¯. Or maybe ¡®of the fire-keeper¡¯.¡±


    Allyssa stared at him for a long second. ¡°¡­What are you on about?¡±


    Scarlett also turned her attention to Shin, studying the young man.


    ¡°That looks like Theraq script,¡± he said. ¡°It was widely used in this region long ago.¡±


    ¡°Oookaay¡­¡± Allyssa squinted at him. ¡°But how do you know what it means?¡±


    ¡°Theraq and Old Kereq are related languages,¡± Shin replied patiently. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t speak it often, I can still read Kereq without much difficulty. I¡¯ve studied texts in Old Kereq before, and some of these symbols are familiar.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± A hint of guilt crept into Allyssa¡¯s expression. ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t know that about you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never asked,¡± Shin pointed out.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± Allyssa¡¯s face fell slightly.


    Rosa stepped forward, patting her shoulder reassuringly. She leaned in to whisper something in the girl¡¯s ear, causing Allyssa¡¯s eyes to widen and a slight blush to color her cheeks. The girl quickly stepped away while Rosa chuckled softly.


    ¡°I did not expect you to be able to decipher the script used here, Thornthon,¡± Scarlett said, choosing to ignore the rest of that exchange. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    She believed Kereq was the language used by the tribes who survived in the sands of the Unresting Steppes to the east. She knew he had ties to them, but she didn¡¯t actually know much about the specifics of his past.


    Shin simply shrugged. ¡°Sometimes my interests are useful.¡±


    Scarlett gestured for him and Fynn to take the lead, and the two men started down the passage. Before following, she retrieved a fox-shaped amulet from her pouch. A fiery fox materialised before her, its head immediately turning upward to fixate on the small flame she produced above her hand.


    Rosa¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight, her lips curling into a bright smile. ¡°Well, look at the cute little fella. He¡¯s practically ecstatic. Finally his time to shine, is it?¡±


    ¡°¡®He¡¯ is not sentient, Miss Hale,¡± Scarlett corrected, moving her flame to guide the Emberling down the stairs.


    ¡°Ehm, is it really a good idea to have him out here?¡± Allyssa asked uncertainly as the fox bounded past her.


    ¡°I do not know, to be frank,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°But it will be interesting to see what happens.¡±


    She knew facing opponents who used fire attacks might not be the wisest strategy when accompanied by a pet that boosted nearby flames. At least if the effect didn¡¯t differentiate between friend and foe, which Scarlett wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it did. Thanks to Thainnith¡¯s legacy, though, she had some idea of its general capabilities. Besides, dismissing it wouldn¡¯t be difficult if necessary, so it was worth experimenting.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    As one, the party descended the passage. Soon, they emerged into a chamber starkly different from the open temple ruins above. This space was smaller and more confined, its walls glistening with heat and marked by scorch patterns that seemed to have burned through the very rock. A dim, fiery light seeped through strange vents in the ceiling, casting ominous shadows across the room.


    The floor formed a complex grid of stone tiles, many cracked or singed. At the far end of the chamber loomed a large, ornate door, its surface engraved with the image of the fire goddess cradling a solitary flame.


    ¡°You mentioned that this used to be used for trials?¡± Shin asked, glancing at Scarlett.


    She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Appearing to steel himself, Shin stepped forward, shield and sword at the ready. Fynn followed close behind, ethereal claws forming above his knuckles. Allyssa and Rosa also prepared themselves, the former pulling out a turquoise-coloured vial from her bandolier while the latter retrieved her klert from within her enchanted cape.


    As Fynn and Shin ventured deeper into the room, the air seemed to shift. Cryptic patterns appeared on the walls, glowing a fierce orange and pulsating with a mystical energy. Suddenly, jets of flame erupted from the ceiling vents, blocking their path. From these jets, the fire looked to coalesce and take form. Swirling, blazing vortices gathered in the chamber¡¯s center, growing larger and brighter until they solidified into several vaguely humanoid shapes, radiating intense heat.


    Fire elementals.


    Rosa started playing her klert, and Scarlett felt her focus sharpen as the stifling temperature around them grew more tolerable. Fynn released a primal roar, and the wind surged with him, propelling both him and Shin forward to face their burning opponents head-on.


    With practiced precision, Allyssa hurled her vial into the air, shattering it with a well-aimed crossbow bolt. A rain of ice crystals showered down, crystallising further in front of and atop three of the elementals to Shin¡¯s left, fusing together to form a single large block of ice. Impressively, it didn¡¯t immediately melt upon contact with the elementals¡¯ bodies.


    Two of the elementals at the front raised their arms, unleashing streams of searing flame towards Shin and Fynn. Shin hunkered down behind his shield to defend the party, while Fynn simply charged through the flames with reckless abandon, leaping and slashing at his enemy.


    Scarlett had long since given up on instilling any sense of self-preservation in the young man.


    ¡°Oh, fantastic,¡± she heard Rosa mutter nearby. ¡°Let¡¯s not avoid the fiery inferno. Let¡¯s just dive right in and let Rosa patch us up afterward. Pacing ourselves? What¡¯s that? Can I eat it?¡±


    Scarlett cast a brief glance the bard¡¯s way, noting that despite her sarcastic comments, the woman remained intently focused on her charms, her music not missing a beat.


    Turning her attention back to the battle, Scarlett looked down at the [Foxfire Charm¡¯s] Emberling before her. The critter stood motionless, its nose pointed towards the fire elementals as if studying them. She had half-expected it to rush forward and had been prepared to dismiss it, but it showed no signs of moving.


    That was curious, but she pushed the observation aside for now. There were more pressing matters at hand. Narrowing her eyes, she focused on how to best deal with the elementals.


    In truth, she had hoped that, with them being composed of fire, she could control them with her pyrokinesis. Unfortunately, however, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Her attempts were being violently repelled. She might even have had an easier time trying to seize control of Arlene¡¯s spells than these beings. And something told her that simply attacking them with more fire wasn¡¯t going to be effective.


    But, of course, she had plenty of other alternatives at her disposal.


    One of the elementals encased by Allyssa¡¯s ice thrashed almost desperately, its burning form flickering against the translucent prison. Realising the apparent futility, it redirected its efforts, raising a free arm towards Shin¡¯s exposed flank. A swirling vortex of flames coalesced, but just as it prepared to unleash its attack, the elemental stilled. A thick lance of water, gleaming like liquid crystal, skewered its upper body. In rapid succession, two more watery spears pierced its frame, one extending through its core and impaling one of its nearby companions.


    These spears, sprouting from the slowly melting ice block, multiplied with startling speed. They fractured into smaller shards, shooting out in a deadly hail of liquid harpoons that perforated more of the elementals with ruthless efficiency.


    ¡°Much obliged for the assistance, Allyssa,¡± Scarlett said, carefully manipulating the water under her command.


    ¡°Happy to help,¡± Allyssa replied with a proud smile.


    If Scarlett were to describe the girl¡¯s concoction with one word, both figuratively and literally, it would be ¡®magical¡¯. Its recipe was among the materials Allyssa had unearthed in the Veiled Library, and it produced ice with an adjustable melting point. Whether subjected to scorching heat or frigid cold, it remained solid within a specific range, making it the perfect medium for Scarlett¡¯s dual pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis. It not only conserved her mana but also served as an effective tool for immobilising enemies.


    Plus, she had to admit, it looked rather cool.


    The first elemental she¡¯d impaled soon lost cohesion, its fiery form dissipating into wisps of smoke. However, its brethren proved slightly more resilient. Scarlett found that unless she committed significant mana to maintain the water¡¯s form, it quickly vaporised upon contact with their bodies, so her initial barrage had inflicted less damage than anticipated. That said, it was far from ineffective.


    With Shin and Fynn occupying the elementals¡¯ attention and Rosa tending to the group¡¯s injuries, Scarlett had ample opportunity to methodically eliminate their foes. She focused on crafting compact, mana-efficient water spears, systematically dispatching the fiery entities one by one.


    Eventually, a lone elemental remained standing. Scarlett expended one last surge of mana, conjuring a wide, aqueous barrier that enveloped the final enemy just as Fynn was about to tear into it. The white-haired youth halted mid-stride, his almost feral combat demeanour instantly evaporating as he lowered his arms and glanced towards Scarlett.


    ¡°Hold off for a moment,¡± she instructed, approaching the trapped elemental.


    Within the liquid prison, the fire elemental thrashed violently, repeatedly trying to break through the watery walls. Each attempt resulted in portions of its body vanishing in explosive bursts of steam.


    Scarlett frowned. That was actually draining her mana reserves faster than she liked. She turned towards the chamber¡¯s entrance, where the Emberling still stood, its gaze fixated on the captured elemental with an almost childlike look.


    ¡°Come,¡± she commanded.


    It didn¡¯t move.


    She blinked, then immediately shook her head with a rueful sigh. She was letting Rosa¡¯s antics influence her. The Emberling couldn¡¯t even understand her.


    Ignoring the tickled grin from said bard nearby, Scarlett summoned a small flame to guide the pseudo-spirit. It skipped over without hesitation now, stopping just shy of the water barrier separating it from the fire elemental.


    ¡°Now, let us observe what happens,¡± Scarlett said.


    As soon as she dispelled the water cage, the fire elemental lunged forward, but Shin and Fynn intercepted it with practiced coordination.


    Scarlett watched closely. Contrary to what one might have expected, the elemental¡¯s flames didn¡¯t intensify in the Emberling¡¯s presence. If anything, they might have diminished slightly, though it was hard to tell.


    ¡°That is enough,¡± she declared after a moment. ¡°Fynn, you may finish it off now.¡±


    At her command, Fynn tore through one of the elemental¡¯s arms. The severed limb flared brightly as it struggled to reattach, but before it could succeed, Shin¡¯s sword¡ªcoated in one of Allyssa¡¯s other alchemical concoctions¡ªsliced through its torso. Fynn then unleashed his full fury, swiping his claws repeatedly, and within seconds, the elemental lost all semblance of form, its flames flickering and fading.


    However, before it could completely dissipate, tendrils of fire drifted towards the Emberling, seemingly absorbed into its body.


    Scarlett and the others watched curiously as the fox-like creature remained motionless, suddenly bereft of its previous fixation.


    ¡°Did he just¡­eat part of that thing?¡± Allyssa asked.


    Scarlett continued scrutinising the Emberling closely. ¡°¡­It appears so.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that would happen?¡±


    ¡°Not specifically, no.¡±


    The Emberling¡¯s appearance remained unchanged, offering no clues to what its ¡®meal¡¯ just now had done.


    Still, this was definitely interesting. Scarlett believed she had some idea of what had happened. But for now, they had to press on. She turned her attention to the now-open door at the chamber¡¯s far end. ¡°We can analyse this further later. For now, let us proceed.¡±


    She conjured another flame to guide the Emberling as they advanced.


    From there, the party traversed several similar chambers, each presenting them with one challenge or another. It felt a lot like a gauntlet, designed to test their skills and resolve. Some rooms pitted them against more fire elementals of varying forms¡ªall eliciting similar reactions from the Emberling¡ªwhile others contained intricate puzzles and deadly traps reminiscent of those common in the game. The obstacles ranged from genuinely challenging to merely time-consuming, but none proved insurmountable.


    Their perseverance was eventually rewarded when they reached what appeared to be the final chamber. A wide passage descended before them, its walls decorated with elaborate murals depicting supplicants bowing before the fire goddess after enduring numerous trials like the ones Scarlett¡¯s party had just gone through. Above the entrance, large symbols were etched into the stone.


    Shin squinted at the inscriptions, then read aloud, ¡°¡®Welcome to the Sanctuary of Flames¡¯. Or possibly, ¡®Embrace the Sanctuary of Flames¡¯. The translation¡¯s a bit ambiguous.¡±


    ¡°One of those options sounds distinctly less inviting,¡± Rosa remarked.


    Allyssa grimaced. ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    After a moment of studying the carvings, Scarlett stepped forward. ¡°Come. We are nearing the end, it seems.¡±


    They descended the passage, soon emerging into a great circular chamber with a towering domed ceiling that gleamed with an ethereal blazing red. At its center stood a grand obsidian altar, upon which burned an immense, white-hot flame. Its intense heat permeated the chamber, creating shimmering waves in the air. Surrounding the altar were imposing statues of the fire goddess, each holding a brazier filled with eternally burning blue flames. The floor was a mesmerising mosaic of what appeared to be flowing lava trapped beneath a black, glassy stone.


    Beyond the altar, at the chamber¡¯s far end, loomed a massive slab of dark stone covered in intricate etchings and countless arcane runes.


    ¡°Oh? Is this it?¡± Rosa glanced around, her tone a mix of relief and disappointment. ¡°I was expecting something more¡­dramatic. Perhaps a fire-breathing dragon atop a giant magma-eating tortoise. Or at the very least a rather majestic cat. This feels somewhat anticlimactic.¡±


    A heavy silence fell over the group, and Scarlett turned to Rosa with a weary look.


    A low rumble reverberated through the chamber.


    Rosa met Scarlett¡¯s eyes, offering a sheepish grin. ¡°I spoke too soon, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Scarlett sighed deeply. The woman had to be doing this intentionally.


    A deep, guttural roar shook the very foundations of the sanctuary. Fissures spider-webbed across the floor, spewing forth rivers of molten rock as the entire chamber quaked. Between the party and the altar, a massive pool of liquid fire formed, and from its depths, a colossal shape began to emerge.


    First, one enormous head broke the surface, followed by another, and then another, until seven fierce heads rose from the molten abysm.


    The [Lava Hydra], this dungeon¡¯s final boss, towered before them. Each of its seven heads snarled and dripped with fiery saliva, fourteen blazing eyes lowering to focus on the intruders who dared violate its domain.


    ¡°What the Blaze¡ª¡±

 Chapter 260 - Multi-faceted foes

    The party sprang into action as the [Lava Hydra] loomed before them. One of its fiery heads lunged downward, flaming jaws agape, but Fynn was ready. He leaped into the air, his form wreathed in a swirling green tempest. Their clash sent a sweltering shockwave rippling through the chamber.


    Shin charged forward, his sword held high, its blade gleaming with an otherworldly light. Meanwhile, Allyssa¡¯s hands moved with practiced efficiency, retrieving a handful of vials from her bandolier.


    The hydra¡¯s remaining heads reared back, strange guttural roars echoing off the chamber walls. Before them, tiny motes of flame coalesced, growing rapidly into pulsing orbs of fire. Rosa¡¯s music swelled just as six searing beams erupted from the hydra¡¯s maws.


    Shin brought his sword down in a smooth arc, unleashing a blast of argent light that collided with one of the beams. Allyssa¡¯s vials sailed through the air, exploding into shimmering curtains of ice that partially deflected two more. Scarlett conjured three thick barriers of water, which met the remaining attacks head-on, bursting into billowing clouds of steam that momentarily obscured the battlefield.


    ¡°Rosa,¡± Allyssa grumbled, reaching for more flasks as her crossbow now bounced securely holstered against her hip, ¡°I¡¯m blaming you for this.¡±


    The bard¡¯s fingers danced across the keys of her klert, coaxing a blend of harmonising notes. ¡°When I asked for ¡®dramatic¡¯, I didn¡¯t mean this,¡± she replied. ¡°I know the gods aren¡¯t my biggest fans, but surely they wouldn¡¯t go this far just to teach me a lesson.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Allyssa¡¯s words trailed off as she hurled another vial into the air. The steam parted, dispersed by a strong gale, revealing Fynn clinging to one of the hydra¡¯s heads. Flames licked at his arms, but somehow his claws still found purchase on the creature¡¯s immaterial form. Allyssa¡¯s flask shattered beneath the beast, splintering into a rapidly expanding block of ice that Scarlett immediately set to converting into water.


    Seemingly irritated by the pest on one of its heads, the [Lava Hydra] flung its neck upward. Fynn allowed the momentum to carry him, soaring dozens of meters into the air. As he plummeted back towards the boss again, three heads turned to meet him, jaws agape and brimming with flame. At the last moment, Fynn twisted in mid-air, moving and evading their attacks with impossible agility. His claws tore into one of the hydra¡¯s necks as he fell, leaving a trail of ghostly green in his wake.


    The remaining heads swiveled towards Scarlett and the others. Two began charging fiery attacks again while the others lunged forward. Scarlett shaped her water around them in a protective barrier, blocking the first attacks. One of the lunging heads also aimed directly at her and Rosa, but the bard cranked her instrument and cast another charm. The air before them shimmered as a minor illusion took shape, concealing their forms as they hurried to dodge to safety.


    A wave of near-blistering heat washed over them as the hydra¡¯s head slammed into the ground where they had stood moments before. Scarlett then gathered all the water at her command, shaping it into a colossal, shimmering blade. With a powerful downward sweep, she brought it crashing onto the hydra¡¯s exposed neck like a scythe. Steam shot forth as liquid met flame, and Scarlett could feel the creature¡¯s incorporeal body resist her magic. Gritting her teeth, she pushed through, cleaving the head clean off.


    The wounded neck recoiled, a sound like burning brimstone filling the air. As the severed head began to lose cohesion, Scarlett seized control of the flames, funneling them towards the chamber¡¯s entrance where the Emberling stood, motionless. The fire was absorbed into its tiny form, just as it had done with the elementals before.


    It¡¯d be a waste to simply let it disappear.


    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t be serious,¡± Allyssa¡¯s exasperated voice cut through the chaos as flames reignited along the hydra¡¯s injured neck, swiftly regenerating the lost head.


    ¡°As long as it remains in that fire lake, it will continue to regrow,¡± Scarlett said, reforming the remaining water into a broad shield. It solidified just in time to block another blast of fire. Using her [Garments of Form], she then teleported away from another direct attack, her eyes constantly tracking her companions¡¯ positions throughout the chamber.


    Fynn, she knew, could handle himself. Battling foes many times his size was practically second nature to the youth by now. He was much hardier than the rest of them, and combined with Rosa¡¯s healing, he was the least of her worries. Shin, while not quite as resilient or mobile, had his armor and Rosa¡¯s charms to rely on. He could probably manage to occupy one or two of the hydra¡¯s heads for a bit, buying them time.


    That technically left Scarlett to manage the rest of the heads, with Allyssa and Rosa¡¯s support. Their primary objective was to deal with the pool of fire sustaining the hydra. She had already tried dispersing it with her pyrokinesis, but that hadn¡¯t worked, which meant they needed to try something more aggressive.


    ¡°Rosa,¡± she called out to the bard, who stood a few meters away, furiously working her klert to maintain their protective and buffing charms while also not getting burnt to a crisp. ¡°I will be requiring your assistance.¡±


    Rosa grimaced slightly. ¡°Ehm, alright. Give me a moment.¡± She paused her music, and Scarlett felt the buffs fade. It was a necessary sacrifice, though, since maintaining them while doing this was impossible for the woman.


    ¡°Alrighty, ready when you are,¡± Rosa announced, her grip tightening on her instrument.


    Scarlett nodded, deflecting another of the hydra¡¯s attacks before raising her hand. A thin blanket of deep crimson flames materialised above a portion of the fire lake where the [Lava Hydra] writhed. Soon, a fresh melody rose from Rosa¡¯s klert, rising above the din of the battle.


    As if responding to the music, Scarlett¡¯s flames began to shift and change. Tiny, translucent echoes flickered into existence, trailing delicate shades of azure that danced in perfect time to Rosa¡¯s song. These ethereal echoes exploded in small bursts of light, resonating through the chamber and spreading through Scarlett¡¯s conjured fire before reaching the lake below.


    To Scarlett¡¯s surprise, the lake¡¯s fire showed unexpected resistance, as though it were an extension of the [Lava Hydra] itself. While some areas succumbed to the blue echoes, which spread like gossamer threads across the fiery surface, the effect was less pronounced than she had anticipated. When the echoes reached the hydra proper, they simply flickered and died without causing any visible damage.


    Soon, a strained gasp from Rosa heralded the sudden extinguishment of all the blue flames. The bard stumbled, her face having turned a shade paler.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Red,¡± Rosa managed between ragged breaths, her expression apologetic. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed as she surveyed the fire lake. Maybe a third of it had been suppressed, but the results fell far short of what she¡¯d hoped.


    Once more, she activated her [Garments of Form], vanishing in a swirl of mist just as another of the hydra¡¯s heads unleashed a torrent of flame where she had stood. Reappearing near Rosa and Allyssa, she conjured two more water barriers to deflect the boss¡¯ relentless assaults before glancing to the side.


    [Mana: 5914/12302]


    She could still stomach a couple more mana potions if necessary, but even with a full mana reservoir, summoning enough water to completely extinguish the fire lake and deal with the boss seemed unlikely. Maybe if she had Arlene¡¯s [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame], she might have stood a chance of powering through the hydra¡¯s defences and dispersing all the fire, but alone, it was beyond her current capabilities.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    If it came to a battle of attrition, relying on the party to whittle down the boss while she focused on the lake might be possible, but she wasn¡¯t too keen on that approach. They needed something more potent, more immediate.


    ¡°Rosa,¡± she called once more, stepping closer to help steady the wavering bard. ¡°I believe you will have to put your heart into it.¡±


    The woman blinked, regarding Scarlett for a long moment. ¡°You sure that¡¯s okay here?¡±


    ¡°The fire goddess will hardly strike you down for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, if you insist.¡± Rosa¡¯s expression hardened, her grip on her klert tightening as she took a deep breath. ¡°Here goes nothing¡­¡±


    The atmosphere around Rosa shifted dramatically. The whites of her eyes turned pitch black, and a soft glow penetrated through her blouse near her chest. She suddenly seemed filled with a renewed vigor as a strange energy suffused her form.


    ¡°Mind giving me a hand?¡± the woman asked, her voice now carrying an eerie, ringing quality.


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rightly know. Try something powerful. I¡¯ll figure it out from there.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head at the vague instructions. One of the primary challenges with Rosa¡¯s Heartstone was that it wasn¡¯t quite as predictable as her charms.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Allyssa¡¯s cry pierced the air. Scarlett reacted instinctively, pulling Rosa aside and summoning a protective sphere of water around them. Steam billowed as another of the [Lava Hydra]¡¯s attacks struck the shield, enveloping their surroundings.


    Rosa¡¯s concentration wavered, the darkness in her eyes receding briefly, but she quickly regained her focus. Looking around them, she seemed to consider what remained of Scarlett¡¯s defensive barrier. ¡°Actually, can you create another one of these? But this time, aim for one of its heads.¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a moment, then dispersed the surrounding steam with a wave of her hand. She turned her attention back to the hydra, noting how Fynn and Shin had managed to occupy six of its seven heads for the time being. Without Rosa¡¯s charms, however, they couldn¡¯t hold out for long.


    Especially not Fynn, who was pushing his limits as usual. He darted between the heads¡¯ attacks with preternatural speed, but half his clothing had been reduced to smoldering tatters, exposing badly burned skin beneath that not even his high resistances were enough to prevent.


    Scarlett raised her hand once again, targeting the hydra head that had just attacked them. It was already preparing another blast of fire, its maw glowing with the building heat.


    Gathering the remaining water in the chamber and conjuring even more with her hydrokinesis, Scarlett directed it towards the hydra. Erupting from all directions, the liquid coiled around its head like a watery vise. A significant portion vaporised as the creature unleashed its attack, but Scarlett simply replaced it.


    Beside her, Rosa began to play a new, haunting melody that seemed to reverberate with the very air around them.


    Scarlett felt a strange force intertwine with her magic, as if a hungry void sought to seep into her power. She watched as the water under her control grew murky and thickened, transforming into a maelstrom of dark violet waves that engulfed the [Lava Hydra]¡¯s head. Her mana also began draining at an alarming rate, but she held firm.


    ¡°Your turn, Red,¡± Rosa said, her voice strained and brows knitted in concentration. Scarlett gave her a quick nod before focusing all her will on her magic.


    In an instant, the swirling, murky water contracted into a dense, violet-hued ball. It swallowed the hydra¡¯s head and part of its neck like a vacuum, leaving nothing but empty space where they had been. The hydra quailed in fury, its remaining heads spinning towards Scarlett. Most surprisingly, however, the lost head didn¡¯t regenerate as before. Flames attempted to regrow the limb, but they lost cohesion almost immediately, the process significantly slowed.


    Scarlett turned to Rosa, who managed a bright, if tired, smile. ¡°I was thinking about naming that the ¡®Call of the Abyss¡¯. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­Impressive,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°But for now, you should focus on surviving the retaliation.¡±


    As if on cue, three massive bursts of fire shot towards them. Scarlett summoned more water to intercept them, simultaneously reaching for a mana potion and downing it in one swift motion.


    The taste was bitter, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.


    ¡°Are you able to reproduce that feat for more than one head at once?¡± she asked, her mind formulating their next move.


    ¡°You might have to princess carry me out of here afterward, but I think the Heartstone¡¯s up for the task.¡±


    ¡°I am sure Fynn will volunteer.¡±


    ¡°Grouch.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips quirked into the ghost of a smile as she refocused her concentration. She formed spheres of water around three of the hydra¡¯s heads, fighting to maintain their integrity against the creature¡¯s searing heat. Drawing on more of the ice scattered around the chamber from more of the flasks that Allyssa had recently thrown out, she replenished her arsenal as much as possible. As before, Rosa¡¯s charm began to influence the water, transforming the spheres into churning vortexes of inky darkness.


    The hydra, seeming to sense the impending threat, extended its other heads towards Scarlett. Shin and Fynn intervened, though, their weapons and claws flashing as they diverted the creature¡¯s attacks.


    Scarlett¡¯s dark vortexes condensed violently, severing three more of the hydra¡¯s heads in a single, devastating assault.


    Rosa stumbled, nearly dropping her klert. Scarlett steadied the woman, her eyes never leaving the boss. Its surviving heads appeared weakened now, flickering with more unstable flames.


    ¡°Once more,¡± Scarlett said.


    Rosa pulled a face as if in protest, but she nodded, re-tightening her grip on her instrument and resuming her otherworldly melody. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Scarlett drained another mana potion, ignoring the first stirrings of what promised to be a monumental headache later. Pushing aside her discomfort, she launched her final assault. Her hydrokinesis enveloped the [Lava Hydra]¡¯s last three heads in a suffocating embrace. The boss thrashed wildly, its massive body lunging from the fire lake in a desperate bid for survival. But it was too late. It couldn¡¯t disperse her attacks in time, not while she maintained her focus.


    Then, with Rosa¡¯s charm bolstering her magic, Scarlett commanded the remaining heads to vanish into the abyss.


    The hydra froze. Its first head had started to regenerate partly, perhaps regaining a quarter of its original shape, but without the others, the hydra seemed to lose whatever elemental force held it together. Gradually, inexorably, the flames that constituted its form began to sputter and die, along with the lake of fire that had been its lair.


    Scarlett, however, wasn¡¯t about to let all that power simply dissipate. With the [Lava Hydra] no longer resisting her will, she easily controlled the remaining fire in the chamber, siphoning it towards the waiting Emberling. The tiny fox absorbed what had been at least half of the hydra¡¯s body in mere seconds, yet showed no visible change.


    As the last flames vanished, the cracks forming the fire lake sealed themselves, restoring the chamber to its original state.


    Scarlett nearly buckled as Rosa¡¯s full weight suddenly fell against her. The bard¡¯s appearance had returned to normal, but she looked utterly spent, her face pressed against Scarlett¡¯s shoulder. Though tempted to push her off¡ªthe woman was almost certainly exaggerating¡ªScarlett let her be, allowing the contact. Rosa had, after all, played a crucial role in their victory.


    ¡°That was incredible, Rosa!¡± Allyssa exclaimed, approaching them while wiping rivulets of sweat from her flushed face. Even with their fire resistance buffs, the heat had been intense.


    Without lifting her head, Rosa managed a weak thumbs-up, her other hand barely maintaining its grip on her beloved klert¡¯s neck.


    Scarlett checked her mana reserves one last time.


    [Mana: 2136/12302]


    That fight had actually proved more challenging than she had expected. The [Lava Hydra] had effectively countered her pyrokinesis, and while hydrokinesis served as its natural enemy in some respects, it was also weak against it in others.


    Escape had always remained an option, but she was glad they hadn¡¯t needed to resort to that.


    With a small gesture, Scarlett summoned a tiny flame to beckon the Emberling over to them as the party regrouped. To her mild surprise, Rosa¡¯s exhaustion appeared entirely genuine. The bard sank to the floor, her hands shaking as she fumbled with a flask to drink from.


    ¡°That sure was intense,¡± Allyssa said, kneeling to inspect the Emberling. ¡°By the way, how come this little guy isn¡¯t changing even after absorbing all those elementals?¡±


    ¡°Because it is not a true elemental,¡± Scarlett replied absentmindedly, her attention turning towards the far end of the chamber. There, the altar with its huge white flame still burned, unaffected by the battle. Beyond it loomed the massive rune-covered slab.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me much, but alright.¡± Allyssa stood, brushing the dirt from her knees. Her gaze shifted to Shin and Fynn as they approached, concern etching into her features. ¡°Are you two alright?¡±


    Shin¡¯s armor bore the scars of battle, blackened and warped in places. His exposed skin was reddened, but he appeared otherwise unharmed. Fynn, on the other hand, had fared worse. Angry burns covered most of his left arm and shoulder, with large sections of his clothing reduced to ash. Despite that, the youth¡¯s face remained impassive, as if oblivious to the pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle that in a minute,¡± Rosa mumbled from her spot on the ground, raising a finger while continuing to gulp water from her flask.


    ¡°Save your mana,¡± Scarlett said, retrieving health potions from her [Pouch of Holding]. She handed them to the two young men, earning a grateful look from Rosa before the bard collapsed fully onto her back, utterly spent.


    Leaving the woman to recover, Scarlett began making her way towards the altar. It was time to collect the loot and leave this place behind.

 Chapter 261 - Be thou my flame

    Scarlett paused before the grand obsidian altar inside the Sanctuary of Flames, her eyes fixed on the colossal flame burning with a blinding white-hot intensity at its core. Fierce heat radiated from the flame, creating shimmering waves that distorted the air and cast an unearthly, dancing glow on the obsidian beneath. Statues of the fire goddess encircled the altar, their own fires reflecting the central flame¡¯s brilliance, filling the space with an aura of faint divinity.


    At this distance, Scarlett had to actively employ her pyrokinesis to withstand the scorching temperature. She raised a hand, signaling for her companions to stay back as she inched closer to the flame with deliberate steps.


    As she halted a few steps away, feeling the violent heat even through her magic, an item description materialised in front of her.


    [Sacred Flame (Legendary)]


    {This eternal flame embodies the fury and grace of the Fire Goddess, its unending blaze a source of both awe and dread that once bestowed blessings upon the faithful and fiery retribution upon the unworthy}


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered on the flame as she considered it closely. From what she remembered, the [Sacred Flame] was a valuable artifact in the game. Most legendary-tier items were, to some extent. Given her affinity for fire, it was probably of particular worth to her. That said, it wasn¡¯t on the same level as Arlene¡¯s [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame], nor was it the primary reason for her interest in this place. It would have just been an added boon, comparable to her [Tiara of Lost Benediction (Legendary)], but nothing groundbreaking.


    At least, that¡¯s what she had originally thought. Now, seeing it in person, her perspective had shifted somewhat.


    She could simply take the flame for herself as it was, and it would enhance both her fire resistance and overall pyrokinesis damage. That wasn¡¯t anything to sneeze at, frankly. But thanks to the knowledge she¡¯d inherited from Thainnith¡¯s legacy, a new plan formed in her mind, one that happened to align well with what she had already been doing.


    Turning around, Scarlett¡¯s attention fell on the Emberling. The fiery fox was fixated on the [Sacred Flame], but unlike its behaviour with normal fire, it wasn¡¯t bounding towards it recklessly.


    Scarlett conjured a small flame to coax it closer. As the Emberling moved to her side, its form seemed to shimmer with a newfound brilliance in the artifact¡¯s presence.


    Unlike the fire elementals and the [Lava Hydra], there wouldn¡¯t be any point in having the Emberling try to absorb the [Sacred Flame]. It was neither an elemental nor a true spirit, and despite appearances, it didn¡¯t actually have the power to consume fire. Instead, as an Etherialias and pseudo-spirit, it acted more as a magical conduit for elemental energy, capable of storing the essence of true elemental spirits.


    This knowledge, gleaned from the legacy, explained why the Emberling could amplify nearby fires in the Material Realm. It acted as a stabiliser and channel for raw elemental power around it. Scarlett had been slightly uncertain whether this ability extended to elementals before, but her earlier experiments confirmed that it didn¡¯t, or if it did, the effect was minor.


    What this meant, though, was that having the Emberling absorb defeated elementals stored their energy inside it. In other words, she was using the Emberling as a mobile elemental battery.


    Until now, she had been unsure how to utilise this stored energy. The Emberling¡¯s power didn¡¯t increase with more absorbed essence, and Scarlett had no direct method to channel or access it. However, she¡¯d believed there had to be some way to make use of it.


    And according to Thainnith¡¯s legacy, the [Sacred Flame], it seemed, presented one such opportunity.


    She couldn¡¯t make the necessary preparations here, though. That would require someone with a bit more expertise and experience than her. Fortunately, she had someone in mind. If she was lucky, they might even be in the capital tonight.


    Slowly, she extended her hand towards the undying fire, moving closer with measured steps. The temperature rose precariously, quickly surpassing mere discomfort, but she didn¡¯t stop until she reached the flame. Her palm touched its searing white surface, yet instead of being reduced to cinders, the flame changed, immediately shrinking to a condensed version that hovered above her hand.


    Now, it was emanating an almost pleasant warmth.


    Scarlett studied it for a few seconds, then tried willing it away. It flared briefly, then disappeared.


    The Emberling beside her was left staring at her empty hand, and if she didn¡¯t know better, she would have thought its eyes to betray a hint of perplexity.


    ¡°Patience,¡± she said, mostly to herself. ¡°Your time will come.¡±


    She brought out the [Foxfire Charm] that housed the little pseudo-spirit, using it to dismiss the fox entirely. Her attention then shifted from the now-empty altar to the massive slab of stone covered in intricate etchings and runes at the chamber¡¯s far end.


    The possibilities presented by the [Sacred Flame] had been a pleasant surprise, but this stele was her true objective. Ironically, though, it was of far less immediate practical use to her.


    She walked towards it, retrieving a notebook from her [Pouch of Holding] and stopping a few meters in front of the slab. Her eyes traveled across the dark stone, observing the vast array of glyphs and channels carved into it. It was, without a doubt, the most confusing piece of inscription she had encountered in this world. The interconnected nature of the symbols, forming a single, megalithic design, spoke volumes about its complexity.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Still, perhaps unsurprisingly, all the symbols were familiar to her in some way, even if the entirety of the construct was far too involved for her to comprehend fully. Opening an empty page in her notebook, she used her pyrokinesis to begin copying down the array, starting from the left of the stele until she had filled the page, then moving on to the next.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± a voice soon called out behind her. Scarlett glanced back to see Allyssa and Shin approaching, while Fynn had stayed back with Rosa.


    ¡°¡­An instruction,¡± Scarlett replied, returning to her task.


    Allyssa¡¯s brow furrowed curiously. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Presumably a spell,¡± Shin said, stopping close to Scarlett to study the etchings. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one this¡­extensive, though.¡±


    ¡°You are correct in that it is for a spell,¡± Scarlett confirmed, her forehead creased in concentration. ¡°Specifically, a primordial spell.¡±


    The young man fell silent.


    ¡°¡­Is that something important?¡± Allyssa asked, looking between them.


    A sigh left Shin, as if apologising for his companion¡¯s apparent ignorance. ¡°Primordial spells are among the most powerful ever created, dating back to the days of the Zuver. They are supposed to be incredibly rare.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, I thought those symbols looked different from before. So that¡¯s Zuverian. Did you know it would be here, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°I have known of this place¡¯s existence for some time, but I could not access it until recently.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯re going to learn how to cast this spell?¡±


    Scarlett paused her transcription, shooting the girl a short look, then let out a small chuckle. ¡°No, I am not. This spell is far, far beyond my capabilities. It would require someone of Dean Godwin¡¯s calibre to cast it.¡±


    Or Arlene, in this case, given the spell¡¯s school of magic.


    ¡°Then why copy it down?¡± Allyssa pressed, gesturing to Scarlett¡¯s notebook.


    ¡°There may be others who are interested in it,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Information is power, as they say. And sometimes, knowing a thing exists is just as valuable as being able to use it yourself.¡±


    And even if she couldn¡¯t cast it outright, she had long since considered other applications for it.


    The two Shielders soon left her to her work, allowing Scarlett to fully immerse herself in the task of transcribing the ancient spell. Hours slipped by, with what remained of her mana reserves slowly dwindling as she maintained the pyrokinesis necessary for writing. That wasn¡¯t to mention the nasty headache she¡¯d developed, likely a combination of mana exhaustion and using Thainnith¡¯s legacy to interpret the myriad signs and symbols in the spell.


    Finally, after what was at least a grueling three-hour session of intense concentration, Scarlett snapped her notebook shut. She¡¯d already double-checked her work, feeling confident it was as accurate as she could get it. Massaging her temples to alleviate some of the mounting pressure, she made her way back to the group.


    They had relocated to the chamber¡¯s entrance, seeking respite from the stifling heat on the steps of the stairs there. Rosa, to Scarlett¡¯s mild surprise, was still awake, though she looked as if she¡¯d just run a marathon twice over.


    Allyssa glanced up from an array of alchemical flasks and vials spread out on the stone in front of her when Scarlett approached. ¡°Are we done here?¡± she asked, protective goggles lying on her lap.


    ¡°We are, yes,¡± Scarlett replied, walking past them and up towards the dungeon¡¯s second layer. ¡°It is time we took our leave.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t been worried about time before, but transcribing that primordial spell had taken far longer than anticipated. They might actually be cutting it close. The conclave was in the evening, and they¡¯d already burned several hours down here. She still needed to return to the mansion and make final preparations before departing for Dawnlight Palace.


    ¡­It was shaping up to be a thoroughly vexing evening, she could tell.


    Not only would she be operating on depleted mana and energy reserves, but she¡¯d also have to deal with a bunch of nobles¡ªmost of whom probably disliked her in some way or another¡ªwhile nursing this persistent headache.


    Far from her definition of fun.


    But she had no one to blame but herself for cramming this dungeon into her schedule today. She would have saved it for tomorrow, but there was no guarantee that she¡¯d have the time then either. Better to just clench her teeth and power through it.


    What was offending another noble or two in the grand scheme of things? Her reputation for being arrogant and standoffish was already a thing. Besides, Lady Withersworth would be joining her, and the woman¡¯s presence might be enough to smooth over any minor faux pas or ruffled feathers.


    Still, Scarlett would have to ask Allyssa about any stamina-boosting potions the girl had left in her stock. It might also be wise to have someone replenish the mana in her [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker], just in case. She wondered if anyone at the mansion could handle that? Rosa was the only one in the party with significant mana reserves, and the bard hardly had any to spare right now.


    She¡¯d have to look into it.


    Gradually, the group made their way back through the dungeon¡¯s chambers¡ªwith Fynn carrying Rosa¡ªuntil they returned to the first chamber. From there, it didn¡¯t take them long to reach the underground temple¡¯s entrance, where they began climbing back above.


    The passage they had originally taken had closed itself after their initial descent, but it reopened as they approached. Soon, they were back in the back room inside the House of Fire. Things looked much the same as when they first got here, with the fire goddess¡¯ statue at one end and the braziers in front of it now unlit.


    [Side-Quest completed: Beat the fire goddess¡¯ forgotten trials]


    {Skill points awarded: 4}


    [Quest completed: Cleared The House of Fire]


    {Skill points awarded: 9}


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. She wouldn¡¯t have thought clearing the trials would count as its own side-quest. That was interesting.


    Looking around, her eyes scanned the room for the acolyte they¡¯d talked with before. She could only imagine his confusion and concern when they¡¯d vanished without a trace. From his perspective, he¡¯d allowed a group of strangers into the back of his temple, only for them to vanish without a trace.


    She wasn¡¯t really in the mood for it, but at the very least, she owed him a perfunctory word of thanks. If she could manage it.


    Changing into one of her dresses with her [Charms of Expeditious Change], she waited as the rest of her party stowed their gear in the [Bag of Juham]. From here, Rosa also had to walk on her own, but it wasn¡¯t far to the carriage.


    They filed out through the lone door into the main vestibule of the House of Fire, where Scarlett spotted the masked acolyte seated by the podium. A trace of shock rippled through his posture as he registered their appearance.


    Before Scarlett could address him, a glint of bright blond hair caught her peripheral vision. A familiar, lilting voice sounded out, dripping with cheerfulness.


    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t my quondam companions and dear compatriots? What a propitious coincidence that I would happen upon you here!¡±


    Scarlett felt a small part of her instinctively tense as she turned. There, rising from one of the central pews with a broad, too-perfect smile, stood a man whose appearance screamed of carefully orchestrated happenstance. His long, lustrous hair¡ªas if someone had spent far too much time grooming it before arriving here¡ªcascaded over ornate red robes adorned with gold filigree, gleaming unnaturally bright in the temple¡¯s subdued lighting.


    Scarlett¡¯s voice was low, laced with a mixture of resignation and wariness. ¡°¡­Father Abraham.¡±

 Chapter 262 - talkative priests

    ¡°The one and only!¡± Raimond announced with a flourish, his appearance accompanied by what Scarlett hoped was merely an imagined shimmer in the air. His priestly robes rustled as he glided across the room, a radiant smile plastered across his face.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. ¡°¡­I was not expecting to see you here, Father.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s gaze swept across the group, a cocktail of amusement and inquisitiveness swirling in his eyes. ¡°Nor I you, Baroness. Just look at you all! It appears you¡¯ve been through quite an adventure.¡±


    Rosa shifted her weight, leaning more heavily against Fynn for support. Her voice, still tinged with exhaustion, held a note of dry humor. ¡°I¡¯m sure none of us knows what you mean. So, what brings you to these parts, Father?¡±


    ¡°Why, to offer my most heartfelt devotions to the illustrious Ittar, naturally!¡± Raimond¡¯s voice rose dramatically, his arm sweeping towards the altar behind them in an overly grandiose manner. ¡°Despite what my dazzling exterior might suggest, I am, after all, an ardent priest at heart.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze flicked to the masked acolyte standing silently nearby. If she were to guess, he¡¯d been instructed to inform Raimond of their arrival. It seemed the priest-cum-derelict-deacon had come here specifically to await them after receiving the news. She hadn¡¯t known he would be in Elystead, though.


    ¡°Your timing is impeccable, as always,¡± Scarlett said, her voice not hiding her skepticism of his claims.


    Raimond winked at her. ¡°A talent I¡¯ve honed over years of practice.¡± His face softened, a hint of what might have been genuine warmth¡ªor a remarkably convincing act¡ªsuffusing his features. ¡°But truly, seeing you all gathered here is a balm to my weary soul. These past weeks have been a whirlwind of chaos for the Followers and myself. In the bleak expanse of the empire¡¯s current plight, this reunion feels like a rare and vibrant bloom in a desolate wasteland.¡±


    Rosa snorted, though the sound was somewhat subdued. ¡°Laying it on a bit thick now, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The priest shrugged, his lively smile never wavering. ¡°My dear Rosa, when blessed with a silver tongue, why not aim for linguistic gold?¡± His attention pivoted back to Scarlett, eyes twinkling with barely concealed interest. ¡°Pardon me if I am mistaken, but are you perhaps just about to take your leave, Baroness?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°We are.¡±


    His gaze flickered past her to the back door, behind which the fire goddess¡¯ statue resided. ¡°I find myself most intensely intrigued about what mysterious matters could have drawn someone of your distinguished stature to this humble house of worship,¡± he spoke slowly with feigned innocence. ¡°But, as fate would have it, I too was about to take my leave. Perhaps we could abscond together and exchange a few words on the way, hmm?¡±


    Scarlett raised a brow at the overly transparent ploy but decided to let it pass. ¡°Very well,¡± she said.


    She had no real reason to avoid him. Technically, he was one of her collaborators.


    Leaving the unfortunate acolyte behind, their group exited the House of Fire. The cool winter air outside was a stark contrast to the sweltering heat they¡¯d experienced in the dungeon earlier. With Fynn¡¯s assistance, they quickly located the coachman waiting a couple of blocks away¡ªparking right in front of the temple for hours on end wasn¡¯t an option¡ªand soon, they were climbing into the carriage. Raimond, ever the gentleman, gestured for the others to board first with an almost saintly demeanour.


    Scarlett hesitated before climbing inside herself, her eyes studying the priest closely. For a fleeting moment, as the setting sun caught his silhouette, she could have sworn a faint, ethereal glow surrounded him. Was she imagining things, or was he actually using lumomancy right now?


    ¡­She bet that whichever priest had taught this man would be rolling in their grave if they knew how frivolously he used his ¡®sacred¡¯ talents.


    Shaking off the notion, she finally entered the carriage and settled into the plush seat by the window. Raimond followed, his appreciative gaze roaming over the carriage¡¯s opulent interior as it lurched into motion, the rhythmic clop of hooves filling the air.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve upgraded your mode of transport,¡± the priest remarked from the seat opposite her, running a hand along the polished wood paneling. ¡°Though the last one had a certain cozy intimacy, this one is splendid in its own right.¡±


    ¡°I am sure the craftsmen would be thrilled by your effusive praise,¡± Scarlett replied without much emotion.


    ¡°Indubitably.¡± Raimond¡¯s attention drifted to the receding silhouette of the House of Fire. ¡°This feels rather nostalgic, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he mused after a moment, a wistful note in his voice. ¡°Here we are once more, ensconced on freight following yet another visit to a temple conspicuously steeped in fiery symbolism. The only missing element is another perilous adventure through its hidden catacombs, but perhaps we can imagine that in spirit? Because, surely, you would never embark on such a thrilling escapade without a certain charming priest in tow.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t even bother acknowledging the ¡®subtle¡¯ jab with a response.


    A soft chuckle left Rosa to her left, her head lolling back against the cabin¡¯s padded headrest. ¡°Not that I mind, but I don¡¯t think our esteemed baroness is in the mood for your particular brand of whimsy at the moment, Raimond.¡± She grinned as she regarded the priest. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually sulking about being left out of our little expedition?¡±


    ¡°That I am, unfortunately. Alas, my considerable talents go unappreciated yet again.¡± Raimond released yet another dramatic sigh. ¡°But if the Baroness is too drained from her undoubtedly uneventful temple visit to listen to this priest lilt, it would be most inconsiderate of me to add to her burdens.¡± His eyes locked onto Scarlett, his tone growing more serious. ¡°I must confess, however, that I was rather taken aback when you first sought my aid in accessing the House of Fire. Knowing you as I do, I trusted there was a compelling reason behind it ¡ª a reason that, as you may have noticed, I am rather eager to uncover.¡± His eyes flicked to Rosa¡¯s slumped form. ¡°Judging by Miss Hale¡¯s current state, I can only surmise that your visit involved more than simple prayers and contemplation.¡±


    His perceptive gaze shifted to Fynn briefly, scrutinising the youth with an intensity that belied his overall jovial demeanour. ¡°It would also seem that our steadfast Fynn here has recently benefited from some rather extensive healing.¡±


    A flicker of surprise passed over Scarlett¡¯s features. Could he really pick up on minor things like that? She wouldn¡¯t have been able to notice anything out of the ordinary about Fynn¡¯s condition.


    ¡°I suppose there is little point in obfuscation at this juncture,¡± Scarlett conceded. ¡°Beneath the House of Fire lay a hidden sanctuary dedicated to the fire goddess. That was our intended destination, and the trials we faced there are the reason for our current¡­disheveled state.¡±


    A look of contemplation crossed Raimond¡¯s face. ¡°Hmm, I see. Fascinating¡­ Unexpected, certainly, but not entirely beyond the realm of possibility. The temple¡¯s origins do lie with the fire goddess, after all. Still, in all my years with the Followers, I¡¯ve never caught so much as a whisper about such a sanctuary, even if I did start to suspect after you contacted me.¡± A curious glint appeared in his eyes as he watched Scarlett. ¡°So, would I be correct in assuming you found something interesting in those hidden depths?¡±


    ¡°You would.¡±


    The priest held her gaze for a long moment, as if expecting her to elaborate further.


    She didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You wound me, Baroness,¡± Raimond finally broke the silence, a trace of playful reproach in his voice. ¡°Am I truly not deemed trustworthy enough to be privy to these tantalising secrets?¡±


    ¡°I fail to see how this concerns you, Father,¡± Scarlett replied.


    Raimond¡¯s eyebrows rose dramatically on his forehead. ¡°Surely you¡¯re aware that, personal alliances aside, the Followers hold complete authority over the House of Fire. Any discoveries made therein could, by rights, be considered our property.¡±


    Scarlett casually leaned an arm against the windowsill, her finger tapping rhythmically against the polished wood. ¡°The Followers¡¯ dominion extends to the House of Fire, yes, but they have no claim to the sanctuary beneath. Should you, however, wish to pursue this matter, I am certain an Imperial Tribunal would be more than happy to adjudicate.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The Followers of Ittar hadn¡¯t even known the place existed, which, for once, likely actually placed the law in Scarlett¡¯s corner. Imperial decree dictated that the discoverer of sites such as Zuverian ruins held initial claim to any findings for a period of several weeks, and she was fairly certain that the same principle could be applied here. While the law had been primarily designed to benefit groups like the Ustrum Assembly and the mage towers, there was no reason a noble couldn¡¯t utilise it to her advantage.


    An amused smile appeared on Raimond¡¯s lips. ¡°No, I must say, the prospect of an extended legal battle holds little appeal to me. I shall graciously withdraw my words. However, I would be most grateful if you could exercise discretion regarding my involvement, should word of this escapade spread. The thought of the Quorum hounding me more than they already do is not one I am particularly keen on.¡±


    Though his words were said in a light-hearted tone, they cast a more serious pall over the carriage¡¯s atmosphere. Scarlett studied him intently for a few seconds.


    ¡°¡­How are you faring on that front?¡± she finally asked.


    Much of the mirth drained from Raimond¡¯s face. ¡°I was not indulging in needless hyperbole earlier when I spoke of recent chaos. The Tribe¡¯s relentless raids, the Citadel¡¯s sudden manifestation, and now these monstrous attacks sweeping across the empire ¡ª it¡¯s as if calamity breeds calamity.¡± He leaned back, his gaze turning distant. ¡°On a personal front, I have had to endure a grueling inquest following the Crowcairn incident. They dissected my every action, questioning how my supposed negligence allowed a key suspect to slip through our fingers.¡± A weary sigh escaped his lips. ¡°While I¡¯m certain my peers appreciate the role I played in averting catastrophe, some of them often struggle to comprehend the¡­nuances of my admittedly unorthodox methods.¡±


    ¡°Yet your presence here suggests that you managed to finesse your way out of that predicament,¡± Scarlett said.


    Considering that she¡¯d yet to have any inquisitors or Dawnbreakers knocking on her door, she assumed he¡¯d kept to his word and managed to deflect suspicion away from her. No doubt that was a lot harder than it sounded, and she genuinely appreciated his efforts, even if she was loath to admit it openly.


    ¡°I had hoped for a smidgen more praise than that, but alas, the plight of a misunderstood and artistically inclined soul is ever thus,¡± Raimond replied with some of his earlier theatrical melancholy. His expression sobered as he continued. ¡°I will say that I did not emerge from those inquests entirely unscathed, mind you. My once vast sphere of influence has been somewhat¡­curtailed, if you will, and I¡¯ve no doubt that certain colleagues are watching my every move with heightened scrutiny. Despite what some may believe, however, I do retain allies within the Followers who¡¯ve proven invaluable. You needn¡¯t worry about today¡¯s clandestine meeting reaching unfriendly ears.¡±


    ¡°I harbored no such concerns. While there are many complaints I could raise, your discretion has never been in question, Father.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Then allow me to rescind my earlier lamentations of being underappreciated.¡± The priest cleared his throat. ¡°But as I said, there are still those who stand firmly in my proverbial corner. Deacon Solnate, in particular, has been a steadfast ally, despite her masterful facade of perpetual exasperation with my antics. Her assistance in investigating those¡­delicate matters we¡¯ve discussed has been most helpful.¡±


    The ¡®delicate matters¡¯ in question referred to the corrupt elements within the Followers, which included a deacon in league with a Vile and another entangled with Mistress.


    ¡°That is fortunate indeed,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Your complete ouster would have significantly complicated matters for me.¡±


    Raimond flashed a broad smile. ¡°I pity those who claim your heart is naught but ice, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Who has made such a claim?¡±


    ¡°About half of Freybrook,¡± Rosa chimed in. Scarlett shot her a reproachful glare, but the bard merely responded with an impish, if tired, grin. ¡°Never said I agree with them.¡±


    With that exchange, the last vestiges of seriousness in the cabin appeared to dissipate, leaving a moment of silence in its wake.


    ¡°Am I the only one who still has a hard time believing that this guy is an actual, Ittar-ordained deacon?¡± Allyssa suddenly blurted out, shattering the quiet.


    All eyes turned to her.


    The girl¡¯s cheeks flushed as she met Raimond¡¯s gaze. ¡°No offense, Father.¡±


    ¡°None taken, I assure you,¡± Raimond replied with a good-natured chuckle.


    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Rosa interjected, her eyes fixed on the priest. ¡°What¡¯s the proper form of address for someone of your¡­particular ecclesiastical versatility? ¡®Ray¡¯ or ¡®Raimond¡¯? ¡®Father Abraham¡¯ or ¡®Deacon Abram¡¯? That question¡¯s been tiptoeing through my thoughts for a spell, and I¡¯d hate to think I¡¯ve been going around unwittingly committing sacrilege all this time.¡±


    ¡°I answer to either with equal enthusiasm,¡± Raimond replied in a charming voice. ¡°For friends and compatriots of your caliber¡ªespecially those blessed with exceptional talent and breathtaking beauty¡ªany form of address you choose is music to my ears.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Rosa studied him, one eyebrow arched skeptically. ¡°Awful generous, giving a demon-ladened soul like me that much leeway. Pretty sure you¡¯re supposed to be brandishing holy fire and chanting exorcisms in my general direction. Or something.¡±


    For once, Raimond showed a warm, fatherly smile that might actually have suited someone of his status. ¡°I have unwavering faith in the inherent goodness of your character.¡±


    ¡°Lucky me.¡± Rosa turned away from him, letting her eyes drift closed as she sank deeper into her seat with her own tickled smile on her lips.


    Scarlett looked between the two, then let her focus settle on Raimond as her voice took on a more businesslike tone. ¡°Father Abraham, if I may inquire, what truly brought you to the House of Fire today? Did you have a specific matter to discuss with me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a matter of perspective,¡± the man replied as he looked away from Rosa, his fingers interlacing in his lap. ¡°While I have been quite preoccupied of late, I found myself in Elystead¡¯s vicinity on various¡­priestly errands, let¡¯s call them, when your request reached me. It seemed an ideal opportunity for a clandestine rendezvous among comrades, and naturally, my interest was also piqued by whatever surreptitious business might have drawn you to the House of Fire ¡ª though it seems those tempting details will remain shrouded in mystery even now. Beyond that, I had hoped this might provide an opportunity for a long-overdue conversation with our dear Rosa.¡± He cast a sympathetic glance at the exhausted bard. ¡°Although it appears now that the timing may be less than ideal.¡±


    Rosa shook her head, eyes still closed. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just resting my eyes a bit. Been meaning to have a chat with you as well, so why don¡¯t we have it back at the mansion?¡±


    ¡°A splendid suggestion,¡± Raimond agreed readily.


    Scarlett considered him thoughtfully. She wondered what had brought him to the capital under such tumultuous circumstances. The man typically steered clear of political entanglements, so she doubted he was here to attend the conclave. The fact that he hadn¡¯t just told her outright likely meant he preferred to keep quiet about it, though, and she wouldn¡¯t pry.


    Still, since he was here, perhaps she could make some good use of him.


    With a subtle gesture, Scarlett activated her [Charm of Expeditious Change], causing the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker] to disappear from her neck and reappear in her palm. She extended it towards Raimond. ¡°I presume your mana reserves remain as formidable as ever, Father. I would be grateful if you could replenish this.¡±


    The man blinked, his gaze moving from the necklace to Scarlett¡¯s face with an expression of mock injury. ¡°I do hope you don¡¯t view me merely as a convenient wellspring of magical energy. There¡¯s far more to me than my exquisitely luxurious hair and undeniably impressive mana reserves, I¡¯ll have you know!¡±


    ¡°Hah. Now you know how I feel half of the time,¡± Rosa laughed from the side.


    Ignoring both their comments, Scarlett pressed the necklace closer to Raimond. ¡°I will be attending the conclave at Dawnlight Palace this evening. Given the unexpected turn of events that occurred in Windgrove, I would prefer not to arrive completely bereft of mana.¡±


    Her current state of exhaustion would prevent her from accessing most of the mana stored in the necklace, but even a fraction was preferable to nothing at all. That said, the likelihood that what happened during the Tyndall ball would occur within the heavily warded imperial palace was vanishingly small. The magical protections surrounding the palace were second only to those of the Rising Isle itself, making it all but impenetrable to the likes of the Hallowed Cabal most of the time. Not to mention, some of the empire¡¯s most powerful individuals stood guard over the imperial seat of power.


    Raimond finally accepted the proffered item, touching a glowing fingertip to the crystal at its center. ¡°I had wondered if you¡¯d be gracing the conclave with your presence, Baroness. As it happens, the Followers will also have our own distinguished representatives in attendance. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to engage with them in various forms of stimulating discourse.¡±


    Scarlett frowned at his word choice. ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡±


    He studied her closely, a hint of concern creeping into his voice. ¡°Forgive my bluntness, but are you truly in a fit state to navigate such a politically charged gathering? While you certainly appear more¡­lively than Rosa here, nevertheless¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether I am fit or not is immaterial,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I will manage.¡±


    Raimond regarded her for another long moment before returning the [Depraved Solitude¡¯s Choker], now filled with mana. To Scarlett¡¯s surprise, he then extended his hand towards her, suffusing it with a warm, golden radiance that reached out to envelop her.


    Almost instantly, she felt the vise-like grip of her headache loosen somewhat as a revitalising energy seeped into her limbs.


    ¡°Lumomancy may not be a panacea, nor is it particularly suited for this type of healing, but I can at least offer you this modicum of relief,¡± Raimond explained.


    Scarlett met his gaze, momentarily taken aback by the gesture. She inclined her head slightly. ¡°You have my gratitude.¡±


    His response was yet another smile as bright as the magic he wielded. ¡°Do mention it.¡±


    She continued to study him, a slight crease between her brows.


    ¡°Something else troubling your mind?¡± he asked with a touch of amusement.


    ¡°¡­Do you anticipate returning to Freybrook in the near future?¡± Scarlett asked, her voice carefully neutral.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, at least not in any immediate sense. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Evelyne, my sister, sustained injuries during the recent monster attacks. Her recovery is¡­ongoing. I wondered if you might be able to lend your expertise to her treatment.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s expression turned thoughtful as he seemed to ponder it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. If time and circumstance permit, I may be able to offer my assistance. Although, I assume Rosa has already done what she could, so I can¡¯t promise miracles beyond what she¡¯s already achieved.¡±


    ¡°Your assessment alone would suffice,¡± Scarlett said, turning to gaze out the window, effectively ending the conversation.


    The request had felt awkward, but if it meant expediting Evelyne¡¯s recovery, it was a small price to pay. After all, that would make things easier for her in the future.

 Chapter 263 - Imperial banquets

    With the conclave drawing near, Scarlett and her companions returned to the mansion in the Eastgate district, the red-tinted light of sunset casting long shadows across the elegant facades. Raimond and Rosa excused themselves, retreating to one of the parlours for their private chat, while Scarlett, her mind already racing with preparations, instructed Whiteley to ready another guest room for their priestly guest.


    Apparently, Raimond intended to stay in the capital for a few more days, and citing his current lodgings as ¡®¡®too dreary¡¯, he had opted to take advantage of Scarlett¡¯s hospitality to freeload. She¡¯d briefly entertained the notion of refusing but reconsidered, given that there might be more matters she wanted to discuss with him later.


    As the evening grew closer and Scarlett had finished all her preparations, she and Lady Withersworth departed in their carriage, bound for Dawnlight Palace. The Eastgate district rolled by outside the window, a drapery of opulent mansions and snow-blanketed gardens bathed in the soft glow of the occasional magical lamppost. They were more common here than in other parts of the city, powered by a spell that lasted through the night.


    Scarlett had heard from Allyssa that there were people employed specifically to maintain and light these lamps during the darker seasons, which reminded her of similar professions that had existed in her old world.


    She didn¡¯t think she would have minded a job like that. Apparently, it paid well, and you didn¡¯t have to bother too much about the broader happenings in the empire. It sounded like a far cry from the frankly tumultuous existence she now led, with challenges that made her previous life¡¯s stresses seem quaint in comparison.


    As for tonight¡¯s conclave, Scarlett was unsure what to expect. She doubted there would be any earth-shattering revelations, given her growing understanding of imperial politics. That said, with so many influential figures gathering in one place, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for something of note to occur. The question was whether it would affect her. She had her own objectives for the evening, mostly divorced from any political maneuvering, so she didn¡¯t really care too much about the event¡¯s actual purpose.


    At the moment, she would be happy if things could just become stable enough so that she could return to her unfinished business in Freybrook and on the Rising Isle.


    ¡°You look a bit pale, dear. Is all well?¡± Lady Withersworth¡¯s voice cut through Scarlett¡¯s contemplations.


    Scarlett turned, meeting the older woman¡¯s keen gaze. She had thought she¡¯d managed to hide her fatigue, but Lady Withersworth was, as usual, more perceptive than one would think.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°The day¡¯s affairs have left me somewhat drained, that is all. But I will manage the evening¡¯s proceedings.¡±


    The numbing effect of Raimond¡¯s magic seemed to be fading, allowing her headache to reassert itself with a dull throb, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable. She just prayed she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with any nobles picking a fight with her, as Count Soames had done at the Tyndall ball.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t tire yourself out so before these gatherings,¡± Lady Withersworth said in a motherly tone. ¡°That is no way for a proper lady to set her priorities.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention drifted back to the window. ¡°I am hardly a proper lady.¡±


    A proper lady wouldn¡¯t have such an irritable personality, for one.


    A lilting chuckle escaped the older woman. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed, dear. But sometimes, maintaining the appearance of one can serve as an excellent shield. I should know. I did it for decades.¡±


    Scarlett glanced back at her momentarily. ¡°¡­I will bear that in mind. Thank you.¡±


    The carriage continued winding its way through the city, eventually joining the trafficked thoroughfare that was the Sunset Walk with Dawnlight Palace coming into view, its polished bronze-red stone gleaming tenderly in the faint moonlight. Perched atop the cliffs of its island sanctuary, surrounded by the frozen expanse of Rellaria Lake, the palace cut quite the image of imperial might and beauty that resonated with the original Scarlett¡¯s sensibilities.


    As their carriage joined the queue crossing the long bridge to the palace, Scarlett observed the line of vehicles before them with quiet intensity. The scale of the event was rather significant, even if it wouldn¡¯t quite rival the Elystead Proclamation back in the summer. She couldn¡¯t deny a trace of excitement that coursed through her at the prospect of re-entering the palace, likely another vestigial emotion from the original¡¯s reverence for all things imperial.


    They passed under the massive gates surrounding the palace, where armored guards stood sentinel against the biting cold. Fynn and the others had to stay behind at the mansion, leaving Scarlett without anyone to protect her if it came to it. A fact she wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable with, given how tired she already was. While it was highly unlikely that she¡¯d need any sort of protection tonight, her experiences up till now had bred a certain paranoia.


    But it wasn¡¯t as if she could bring a bodyguard into the imperial palace. Not even dukes had that right, much less a mere baroness like herself. The same went for Lady Withersworth, although the woman technically held a slightly higher status since Lord Withersworth had been granted the title of True Noble after his service as the Lord Marshal.


    The carriage entered an expansive courtyard, bounded by large trees with leaves of gold and red that defied the snow blanketing the ground. Following the procession of other carriages, they came to a halt before a grand staircase of plated gold, the palace looming above like a fortress of regal authority.


    As Scarlett and Lady Withersworth exited the vehicle, a servant in bronze-gold livery stepped forward from a line of attendants flanking the stairs.


    ¡°His Imperial Majesty, the gilded sun of the empire and the light who shines upon us all, bids you welcome,¡± intoned the woman, her black hair coiled in an intricate bun.


    The greeting wasn¡¯t quite as grandiose as during the Elysian Proclamation, but it seemed each guest was still afforded their own guide. Scarlett pitied the servants having to stay out here shivering in the cold, though.


    The attendant¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as Scarlett extended her pyrokinesis, which was already keeping herself and Lady Withersworth warm, to encompass the woman. Instead of offering an explanation to the woman¡¯s questioning gaze, Scarlett simply gestured for her to proceed.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    They ascended the golden stairs into the grand entrance hall, its vast expanse and high ceilings adorned with detailed frescoes. At the far end, dominating the space, stood the imposing bronze statue of Galrath the Great, the first emperor of the realm. Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered briefly on the colossal figure before returning to their guide.


    Unlike her previous visit, Scarlett now had a clearer understanding of the evening¡¯s agenda. The conclave proper would be preceded by a banquet, allowing guests to mingle and engage with each other, and this was where most of the actually important conversations were likely to happen. Scarlett was just happy there weren¡¯t a bunch of ceremonies she had to learn.


    Their guide led them through gilded halls adorned with plush carpets and grand tapestries. As they passed the stoic forms of the Palace Guards in their gleaming steel armor, Scarlett found her attention drawn to their sheathed swords.


    For some reason, she found herself wondering how she would fare in a fight against one of them. The Palace Guards were elite warriors, so they would undoubtedly put up a decent fight. When she first arrived in this world, even the weakest among them would likely have bested her with ease. Now, though¡­


    How many could she take on?


    Her eyes met the impassive gaze of a guard through his slitted helm, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a slight smile.


    She supposed it would depend on a lot of factors. She worked best with someone like Fynn covering her front, and these guards likely had more practical combat experience, giving them an advantage. But it also hinged on how ruthless she could be. Pyrokinesis wasn¡¯t exactly suited for holding back.


    Not that she ever planned on actually getting into a fight here, of course. Besides, it was probably unwise to underestimate the Palace Guards, and there were the even more formidable Royal Guards and a host of other defences in this place to consider. Even a full-scale assault by a group like the Hallowed Cabal would have a hard time completely overwhelming the palace.


    That said, the Cabal did have individuals like Veil, who even the empire¡¯s strongest would struggle to handle in a worst-case scenario. Fortunately for the empire, Veil in particular didn¡¯t always quite play ball with the Cabal¡¯s plans.


    Scarlett might still have to be mindful of potential attacks, though, just in case. However unlikely that was to happen tonight, it would probably happen eventually. In the game, the Cabal¡¯s assassination of the emperor had involved infiltrating the palace, after all. Timeline-wise, that shouldn¡¯t happen anytime soon, but it wasn¡¯t impossible that it was accelerated just like other events.


    As they reached their destination, they entered a stately hall decorated with elegant chandeliers and elaborately designed walls connecting to various other chambers and passages. The room buzzed with activity, filled with people in resplendent attire engaged in animated conversations as attendants moved about seamlessly between them.


    Scarlett was surprised to spot the presence of knights in black-and-gold armor, standing watch around the banquet hall ¡ª the Solar Knights. She would have thought them too occupied with the current monster attacks, but perhaps there was enough concern about the event¡¯s security to warrant having some of the empire¡¯s finest around.


    She wondered briefly if that meant Leon might be among them.


    The servant woman who¡¯d led them here curtsied and took her leave. ¡°Please, enjoy the refreshments here until the proceedings begin.¡±


    Lady Withersworth turned to Scarlett. ¡°What do you intend to do first now that we¡¯re here?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze swept the hall once more. ¡°I have yet to decide,¡± she said, scanning the crowd.


    She was searching for one individual in particular, but she doubted they would join the banquet itself. More likely, they would appear only for the conclave later. She would need to find another way to arrange a meeting.


    ¡°Will you seek out Lord Withersworth?¡± Scarlett asked, turning her attention to the older woman beside her.


    Lady Withersworth waved dismissively. ¡°Oh, he could only hope. I¡¯m sure I will run into him eventually. He is the one insisting on entangling himself in this political nonsense again, so he can very well manage without seeing me for a while longer. No, I think I will be staying with you for now, dear.¡± A subtle smile played on her lips as she nodded towards a small cluster of noblewomen nearby, their curious glances darting in their direction. ¡°I think this promises to be far more entertaining.¡±


    Scarlett regarded the group, noting how some averted their gaze when she looked their way. She wondered about the reaction to Lady Withersworth¡¯s arrival with her ¡ª the former¡¯s influence in noble circles juxtaposed with Scarlett¡¯s reputation as something of a social pariah in noble circles was bound to spark some speculation. Though she supposed that assumed the people here even remembered her appearance.


    ¡°Then where would you like to begin?¡± Scarlett asked, turning back to Lady Withersworth.


    ¡°An old lady like me shouldn¡¯t hog all the excitement. I¡¯ll defer to your judgement.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Perhaps we can start over there.¡± Scarlett gestured towards a table further into the hall, laden with an array of delicacies and relatively free of people. She hadn¡¯t had the time to eat much before coming here, and the extra energy would be welcome.


    An amused look crossed Lady Withersworth¡¯s face. ¡°Not the typical approach for a noble lady at these events, but I suppose this will send its own message. After you, dear.¡±


    They walked over to the table, and Scarlett took a moment to survey the assortment of appetizers, ignoring the occasional looks sent their way. She selected a delicate pastry, savoring its buttery crust and rich filling, while Lady Withersworth chose a small tart adorned with fresh berries.


    ¡°The Imperial chefs always outdo themselves,¡± the older woman remarked appreciatively. ¡°Though I must say, I have been rather impressed by the chef at your estate as well, Baroness. If I weren¡¯t so fond of you, I might have tried to poach him for myself.¡±


    ¡°If you did, I am afraid I would have little choice but to consider House Withersworth an enemy,¡± Scarlett replied.


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s laughter, light and tinkling, was partially hidden behind her hand. ¡°My dear, it¡¯s refreshing to hear what passes for humour from you.¡±


    As Scarlett reached for another delicacy, she found herself wondering whether she had, in fact, been joking.


    Her attention was suddenly drawn to one of the larger entrances, where a group clad in red robes and masks arrived. Among them, one figure stood out, wearing a distinctive golden mask, their onyx hair cascading elegantly over one shoulder in a sleek tail. Inquisitive glances from the other guests trailed in their wake.


    Followers of Ittar, including a deacon. Raimond had mentioned they would be sending representatives. Scarlett wasn¡¯t entirely sure which deacon this was, but she had to admit they possessed a certain dignity.


    ¡°So, even a deacon graces us with their presence tonight,¡± Lady Withersworth said, her tone thoughtful. ¡°It¡¯s a rare occurrence at gatherings such as these.¡± She turned her gaze to Scarlett. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice a priest arrived at your estate earlier as well. I wasn¡¯t aware you had cultivated such close ties with the Followers beyond your relief initiatives, Baroness.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head lightly. ¡°I have not, in truth. It is merely that priest in particular, and even then, ¡®priest¡¯ might be too generous a term for him.¡±


    Lady Withersworth raised an amused eyebrow, curiosity gleaming in her expression. ¡°Oh? Now that sounds like quite the tale.¡±


    ¡°I can arrange an introduction tomorrow, if you would like,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Though I feel compelled to warn you that his personality can be¡­trying, at times.¡±


    ¡°Dear, that description fits more than half of my acquaintances.¡±


    Scarlett paused, considering.


    ¡­That was probably true.


    They continued their quiet conversation, savoring the food by themselves. After a while, Lady Withersworth¡¯s gaze moved to sweep the room, taking in the growing throng of guests. Her eyes finally settled on a group of nobles engaged in spirited discussion.


    ¡°I believe we have allowed the rumors to simmer long enough,¡± she said, a mischievous glint in her eye belying her years. ¡°Now it¡¯s time we made our presence known.¡±


    Scarlett felt a mix of apprehension at those words but nodded as Lady Withersworth began leading her away from their secluded spot and towards that group.


    It seemed it was time to mingle.

 Chapter 264 - The *mingling*

    As Scarlett and Lady Withersworth approached the cluster of opulently dressed nobles, their animated chatter dwindled to a hushed murmur. Curious eyes turned towards the pair, and though Lady Withersworth walked with an air of casual elegance, her mere presence subtly shifted the atmosphere, commanding attention without much effort.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± Lady Withersworth greeted warmly, her voice carrying across the group. The assembly comprised a diverse mix of men and women, some surprisingly young, others closer to Lady Withersworth¡¯s age. ¡°Count Braxton, Baron Redi, how delightful to see you both here again. Lady Graeme, Lady Huxley, it is a pleasure to reunite with you as well.¡±


    Four of the older members acknowledged her with respectful nods.


    ¡°Lady Withersworth, it has been some time,¡± Lady Graeme, an older woman with silver-streaked hair arranged in an immaculate bun, said.


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s smile was sincere as she gestured towards Scarlett. ¡°Allow me to introduce my companion. This is Baroness Scarlett Hartford. Some of you may not have met her yet, but I¡¯m sure you have heard whispers of her name by now.¡±


    The older nobles maintained their composed expressions, but Scarlett caught some of the younger ones shifting uncomfortably, their gazes darting away. All except one ¡ª a young woman, likely even younger than Evelyne, with long ebony hair plaited into an intricate braid. She regarded Scarlett with undisguised intensity.


    ¡°Indeed, there has been quite a buzz about Baroness Hartford lately,¡± Baron Reid remarked, stroking his meticulously trimmed mustache. His eyes, sharp and assessing, never left Scarlett¡¯s face.


    Scarlett eyed him, her brow furrowing slightly. Was that truly the case? She would have thought her novelty among noble circles would have worn off by now.


    With practiced grace, Lady Withersworth plucked a crystal wine glass from a passing attendant¡¯s tray, swirling the deep red liquid slowly. ¡°I have been staying at Baroness Hartford¡¯s estate in Freybrook recently. She has been exceptionally hospitable after my own home in Autumnwell fell victim to those dreadful attacks.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I did hear something to that effect,¡± Lady Graeme said with sympathy. ¡°Apparently, you¡¯ve involved yourself in some charitable endeavours as well, even in your current circumstances. How commendable.¡±


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s eyes sparkled as she replied. ¡°In a manner of speaking, though it is actually an initiative spearheaded by our industrious Baroness here and her younger sister. They are truly committed to supporting the empire through these challenging times. At my age, I can¡¯t help but admire the drive of the younger generation, so I decided to lend them my assistance.¡±


    ¡°How wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, that is a rather admirable venture.¡±


    ¡°With more people like the Baroness, the empire will surely overcome these challenges.¡±


    A chorus of polite but non-committal comments followed, though Lady Withersworth¡¯s presence likely had a lot to do with that. As Scarlett¡¯s gaze swept over the younger nobles, she noticed they awkwardly avoided meeting her eyes.


    Were they¡­intimidated by her?


    Where did that come from? She knew her appearance wasn¡¯t the friendliest, but these weren¡¯t children, and she¡¯d barely uttered a word.


    To her left, Scarlett caught sight of a slight, knowing smile playing on Lady Withersworth¡¯s lips.


    One of the older noble ladies, sensing the palpable unease emanating from a younger woman beside her, cleared her throat. She turned her attention to Scarlett, her voice tinged with forced casualness. ¡°Baroness Hartford, it is actually quite coincidental that we meet you like this. The Empyreal Chronicle recently wrote a column about you that I found rather fascinating.¡±


    A small scowl formed on Scarlett¡¯s face.


    Right, that had been a thing. The previous week, the Empyreal Chronicle had caught wind of the relief initiatives performed by her barony and penned a short piece on it. Somehow, they had also mentioned the orphanage set up in her name, as well as the rumors about her killing a dragon, painting her as some kind of dragon-slaying saint.


    While the depiction wasn¡¯t necessarily detrimental to her, it strayed far from reality, and that fact alone irked her. She also found it suspicious how eager the Empyreal Chronicle had been to write about her. After some digging, though, she had realised that Beldon had pulled a few strings behind the scenes.


    That said, she wasn¡¯t sure which aspect of that depiction would make other nobles afraid of her. Perhaps it was a combination of the dragon-slaying rumors and stories about the old Scarlett. It was also possible they¡¯d heard about her confrontation with Count Soames at the Tyndall ball. If these were people who had spoken ill of her before, they might now think it best not to cross her.


    An awkward silence settled over the group, and Scarlett felt a twinge of embarrassment as she realised she was the cause. With an inward sigh, she schooled her expression as best she could, though she briefly questioned why she even bothered.


    One of the nobles, evidently more uncomfortable with the silence than with Scarlett¡¯s presence, finally spoke up. ¡°Baroness Hartford,¡± he ventured cautiously. ¡°Is there any truth to the tales of you having slain a dragon?¡±


    Scarlett fixed him with a penetrating gaze. ¡°What do you think?¡± she replied, her tone coming out sharper than intended. ¡°Do you believe a lone noblewoman such as I capable of felling a beast of that calibre?¡±


    He seemed momentarily taken aback. ¡°I¡­well, that is to say¡­ I¡¯m not entirely certain. Hence why I asked.¡±


    Count Braxton, an older gentleman in an impeccably tailored suit with salt-and-pepper hair firmly combed back, smoothly interjected. ¡°If I may, Baroness,¡± he began, ¡°your father was a skilled mage, was he not? And I myself witnessed some of your remarkable abilities at the Tyndall ball. To me, it would seem the gift of magecraft runs in the family.¡±


    Scarlett regarded him coolly for a few moments. ¡°¡­Perhaps,¡± she conceded. ¡°However, I feel compelled to clarify that I did not kill that dragon.¡±


    The news article hadn¡¯t even claimed as much, but that still seemed to be the story that continued circulating. Frankly, it was strange.


    ¡°But it did inexplicably appear deceased in her courtyard,¡± Lady Withersworth added with a hint of amusement. ¡°In my experience, Baroness Hartford tends to find herself at the center of far more intriguing events than even the most fanciful rumor might suggest.¡±


    Some of the nobles¡¯ eyes widened at the statement, and Scarlett saw one young lady¡¯s cheeks blush in a manner that she decidedly did not like.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lady Huxley chimed in with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°It seems the Baroness leads quite the¡­eventful life. I¡¯m certain our children could learn much from someone as¡­accomplished as her.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression darkened slightly at the woman¡¯s tone, but before she could respond, the young woman who had been observing her intently earlier spoke up.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford, if I may ask,¡± she began, ¡°I¡¯m fascinated by your skill as a mage. How long did it take you to attain the level you are at?¡±


    Scarlett paused, turning her attention to the young woman, realising that was eagerness and curiosity in her eyes. ¡°¡­Your interest is appreciated,¡± she replied, ¡°but I must correct your assumption. I am not a true mage in the classical sense. Even so, the skills I do possess required no small investment of time and effort to cultivate.¡±


    A small lie, but it would be true for most others.


    The young woman¡¯s gaze remained earnest, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. ¡°Do you believe someone like myself could achieve the same?¡±


    Count Braxton, standing beside her, seemed to flinch at the question, though he maintained his polite demeanour. Was he her father, perhaps?


    Scarlett regarded the young woman thoughtfully, taking in her determined expression. ¡°While it is certainly within the realm of possibility,¡± she said, choosing her words with care, ¡°I would caution against pursuing such a path lightly. Attaining proficiency comparable to mine would demand an immense commitment of time and energy for most people, with limited practical application outside the realm of combat. Unless you aspire to dedicate your life to defending the empire or exploring treacherous territories as a Shielder or similar vocation, I would suggest a number of other pursuits as more worthy of your talents and ambitions.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face fell slightly at Scarlett¡¯s response, while Count Braxton¡¯s shoulders visibly relaxed. Scarlett wasn¡¯t planning on involving herself more than this, though.


    From there, Lady Withersworth took charge of the conversation with practiced ease. She steered the dialogue towards current events, skillfully eliciting information and small talk from the assembled nobles. Scarlett contributed occasionally, but it was clear that Lady Withersworth was in her element, accustomed to this kind of social maneuvering. Even when she allowed others to speak, the flow of conversation remained firmly under her control. More than once, she deftly directed the topics towards potential actions nobles like them could take for the empire, seeming to subtly set up avenues for collaboration with Scarlett in the future.


    As the evening wore on, long after Scarlett had grown weary of all the talking, Lady Withersworth seemed to decide they had spent enough time with this particular group. With a graceful smile and a few well-chosen words, she excused them both. For a brief, hopeful moment, Scarlett thought her social obligation might already be at an end. However, Lady Withersworth¡¯s sharp eyes had already spotted another cluster of influential-looking people, and she smoothly led Scarlett along towards them.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    This pattern continued throughout the evening, with Lady Withersworth introducing Scarlett to a parade of important figures, showcasing her to friends and acquaintances alike, peppering her introductions with astute comments on their personalities and influence. For Scarlett, maintaining a facade of relative cordiality was exhausting, but with Lady Withersworth¡¯s help, she managed to find a rhythm in these interactions. While she wasn¡¯t sure if she ever made a stellar impression on her own, people at least seemed to regard her with more respect now than they had immediately following the Elysian Proclamation.


    After navigating through at least half a dozen different groups across the banquet hall, Scarlett¡¯s energy was wearing thin. She wanted little more than to find a quiet corner somewhere and take a break. That was when Lady Withersworth¡¯s gaze seemed to land on yet another target. Scarlett was on the verge of voicing her protest when she saw who had caught the older woman¡¯s attention.


    Gathered around a small round table adorned with an array of delicate refreshments was a group deep in discussion. One of them, a portly man in his late fifties with neck-length hair streaked white, had a rumpled face and a thin mustache. He leaned heavily on an ornate cane clutched in his right hand.


    Duke Ingomar Valentino of Bridgespell.


    Beside him stood his wife, Duchess Lenka Valentino, a woman of graceful bearing despite having turned more gaunt from stress over the recent months. She was engaged in conversation with another couple that Scarlett vaguely recognised: Viscount and Viscountess Clapham, if her memory served correctly. She recalled meeting them briefly at that ill-fated wedding she had accidentally crashed in Ambercrest all those months ago.


    ¡­She supposed she could stomach one more social interaction.


    As she and Lady Withersworth approached the group, Scarlett¡¯s eyes scanned the room for a much-needed drink. Spotting a nearby attendant bearing a tray of crystal glasses with sparkling wine, she signaled for one as they passed.


    ¡°My, Lila!¡± Lady Valentino exclaimed, her voice carrying over the ambient chatter. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Who else, Lenka?¡± Lady Withersworth replied with easy familiarity, coming to a stop before their table.


    The duchess shook her head with a laugh. ¡°I thought I caught a glimpse of you earlier, but I scarcely believed my eyes! It¡¯s been years since I last saw you at these serious gatherings. What a pleasant surprise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a joy to see you too, Lenka.¡± Lady Withersworth¡¯s gaze shifted to Duke Valentino. ¡°Ingomar, I see you¡¯ve put on even more robustness since I last saw you. I heard what happened to your son. My sympathies. I trust he¡¯s on the mend?¡±


    The duke regarded her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable, before offering a slight nod. ¡°Lila,¡± he acknowledged gruffly. ¡°Your concern is¡­appreciated. And yes, he¡¯s recovering, albeit slower than we¡¯d like.¡±


    Lady Withersworth then addressed the Viscount and Viscountess, her smile never faltering. ¡°My, my, how long has it been since our paths last crossed? Far too long, I would wager.¡±


    ¡°It has, it has,¡± Viscount Clapham replied in a jovial tone. ¡°In fact, my wife spotted you earlier and suggested we seek you out, but it seems fate has saved us the trouble.¡±


    His wife smiled pleasantly. ¡°I must say, Lady Withersworth, your presence here tonight is quite the surprise. And in such intriguing company, no less.¡± She turned her attention to Scarlett, her gaze appraising but not unkind. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you again as well, dear. Our last encounter felt far too brief.¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with Baroness Hartford, Lady Clapham?¡± Lady Valentino asked.


    Lady Clapham nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve had the pleasure of meeting once before, yes. And if I¡¯m not mistaken, my husband was acquainted with her father. How did you come to know her, if I might ask?¡±


    The duchess placed a delicate hand on her husband¡¯s arm, interjecting. ¡°Oh, the Baroness has been quite the talk of Bridgespell lately. She assisted Ingomar with some rather important matters a few weeks ago, and we had the fortune of sharing conversation over a few pleasant meals. Isn¡¯t that right, my dear?¡± she added, glancing at her husband.


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± the duke almost muttered, eyeing Scarlett.


    ¡°How delightful,¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°It seems everyone here is already acquainted. No need for the lofty introductions, then.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention remained fixed on Duke Valentino, studying him intently. ¡°I must confess, Your Grace,¡± she said. ¡°I did not anticipate your presence here tonight.¡±


    She knew that Bridgespell had been heavily impacted by the recent monster attacks, and reports suggested the incursions near the city were growing more intense by the day. Given the city¡¯s precarious situation, not to mention that it was still dealing with the aftermath of the Citadel incident, Duke Valentino was likely one of the busiest nobles in the empire at the moment. Despite this, he had made time to attend this gathering where other notables like Duke Tyndall or Marquis Delmon hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Believe me when I say that I had little choice in the matter, Baroness,¡± the duke replied, his tone laced with annoyance. He considered her for a moment before shifting his gaze to Lady Withersworth. ¡°So, Lila, the rumors of you taking on a new prot¨¦g¨¦ were true after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lady Withersworth raised a hand to her mouth in feigned surprise. ¡°Are those the rumors making the rounds?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you had no hand in them,¡± the duke said, his fingers tightening around the head of his cane. ¡°We both know you¡¯re far more adept at manipulating the rumor mill than playing innocent. On that note, where is that husband of yours? I hear he¡¯s been quite busy these past two weeks.¡±


    Lady Withersworth clicked her tongue and waved one hand dismissively. ¡°That lumbering oaf is skulking about somewhere, I¡¯m sure. No doubt embroiled in some terribly ¡®important¡¯ business or other with his equally oafish cohorts.¡±


    A slight frown creased Duke Valentino¡¯s brow, deepening the lines on his face. ¡°I see. There are several notable absences tonight, even among those one would have expected to attend.¡±


    Lady Withersworth¡¯s expression turned more serious. ¡°Do you know something, perhaps?¡±


    The man shook his head irritably, causing stray locks of his hair to fall across his forehead. ¡°The Imperial Family has kept me in the dark about their plans for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is rather disconcerting,¡± Viscount Clapham said.


    Scarlett listened to their conversation, considering the implications. It sounded as though something was going on, though she wasn¡¯t sure what. It could be related to the political maneuvering Beldon had warned her about, with certain factions pushing for rather extreme policies. However, she doubted Lord Withersworth would be involved in most of that.


    ¡°No matter,¡± Duke Valentino finally said. ¡°There is little we can do but wait at this point.¡± He turned his attention back to Scarlett. ¡°As for you, Baroness, it seems you¡¯ve been keeping yourself remarkably busy since causing a stir in my city. It is truly astounding how one young noble can find herself embroiled in so many predicaments. I hear you even managed to wrangle the Chancellery into sending you to the Rising Isle.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. ¡°I was not aware my endeavours were of such interest to you, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Do not flatter yourself, Baroness,¡± he grumbled, shifting his weight on his cane. ¡°I have acquaintances within the Chancellery who saw fit to inform me given our recent collaborations, that is all. Apparently, they have been rather¡­tied up in negotiations with the Isle¡¯s wizards ever since your visit.¡±


    Scarlett would certainly hope so. She wasn¡¯t privy to the precise details of what the Chancellery had gained from her trip to the Rising Isle, but she doubted it was inconsequential. For her part, she was more concerned with the Isle¡¯s council fulfilling their promises to her. Though she had cut negotiations short due to the empire¡¯s current situation, they owed her a rather considerable debt now.


    As long as they didn¡¯t learn about her breaking into the Veiled Library, naturally.


    ¡°I feel somewhat out of my depth here,¡± Viscount Clapham remarked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even aware the Baroness had paid a visit to the Rising Isle. What exactly were you doing there? If you don¡¯t mind my asking, of course.¡±


    Scarlett turned to him. ¡°Not at all, Viscount. I was there on a diplomatic mission of sorts ¡ª a project to facilitate the exchange of knowledge pertaining to Zuverian mysteries and artifacts,¡± she explained. ¡°Perhaps it is not common knowledge, but I have dedicated a significant portion of the past year researching these topics, and the scholars of the Rising Isle expressed a keen interest in my findings.¡±


    The viscount¡¯s eyebrows rose in slight surprise. ¡°Why, I hadn¡¯t heard about that whatsoever. Most impressive, I must say. If the opportunity should present itself, I¡¯d be fascinated to hear more about your research.¡±


    ¡°I would also be interested in hearing more about this,¡± Lady Withersworth interjected, fixing Scarlett with a look that was equal parts curiosity and subtle reproach.


    Scarlett met the older woman¡¯s gaze, recognising the unspoken question in her eyes. She realised she hadn¡¯t actually shared much about any of that with Lady Withersworth, and unlike some of her more public activities, Scarlett¡¯s work with Zuverian ruins wasn¡¯t as widely discussed outside of mage circles. She wondered if the woman saw this as a missed opportunity of some kind.


    ¡°This is not the venue for such a detailed discussion, but perhaps we can explore the subject more thoroughly when circumstances allow,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Of course, my dear,¡± Lady Withersworth replied with a gracious nod. ¡°Speaking of Zuverian research, it brings to mind talk of the first princess. I seem to recall she was quite famously passionate about the subject.¡±


    Scarlett noticed Duke Valentino¡¯s expression grow markedly more taut at this sudden shift in topic.


    Lady Withersworth simply smiled at the man. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve caught wind of some rather intriguing rumors on a similar theme. They suggest that the princess might have paid a visit to Bridgespell recently, ostensibly to investigate some ruins in the area. I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any truth to these whispers, Ingomar?¡±


    The duke eyed the woman warily before casting a pointed glance at Scarlett, who maintained a carefully neutral expression. She hadn¡¯t shared any information on the matter. As far as she was aware, the princess¡¯ disappearance was still meant to be a closely guarded secret, let alone the young woman¡¯s investigation of the Zuverian ruins near Bridgespell. If Lady Withersworth had somehow caught wind of this, it meant information had leaked from somewhere.


    Were those actually the rumors circulating in the wider circles? Or did Lady Withersworth possess unique sources? Given that she was broaching the subject so openly, the former seemed more likely, but perhaps it was a combination of both. Judging from the current situation, it was clear that the woman was using her question as a subtle probe for additional information.


    Whatever the case, Scarlett was determined not to be held responsible.


    Duke Valentino leaned more heavily on his cane as he addressed Lady Withersworth. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard that, Lila, but I know nothing about it. Perhaps you would be better served spending less time indulging in idle gossip at your tea parties and more time consulting more reputable sources of information.¡±


    Lady Withersworth responded with a light, musical chuckle. ¡°Oh, come now, Ingomar. There is no need for such defensiveness. I assure you, I listen plenty to both. But perhaps you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s not dwell on weighty discussions here. We¡¯ll have ample opportunity for that later in the evening.¡±


    With her characteristic finesse, the woman steered the conversation back to lighter topics, easing Scarlett into the conversation where possible. It certainly helped that, this time, Scarlett was at least somewhat acquainted with half of the people present, even if the duke wasn¡¯t her biggest fan.


    Their talks continued for some time, touching on various subjects of nominal importance, until a noticeable increase in movement around the banquet hall caught their attention. More attendants began to filter into the room, signaling a shift in the evening¡¯s proceedings.


    ¡°It would appear that we¡¯re on the cusp of a change in venue,¡± Viscount Clapham observed.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze swept across the room, noting the changing of the guard as Solar Knights took up new positions at the exits and entrances. Her attention was suddenly drawn to a familiar face entering the banquet hall, moving to stand guard next to one of the smaller exits.


    It wasn¡¯t Leon, but rather a woman with long copper-blonde hair tied up in a neat ponytail. She was clad in the distinctive black-gold armor of the Solar Knights, a sword hanging at her side. Dame¡­Trista, was it?


    If Scarlett recalled correctly, the woman was both a friend and compatriot of Leon¡¯s, as well as someone who harbored a strong dislike for the original Scarlett.


    Engaging with her at this point probably wasn¡¯t the best idea, but Scarlett did have a question she wanted answered.


    ¡°If you will excuse me for a moment,¡± Scarlett addressed Lady Withersworth and the group. Her abrupt departure earned her a few curious glances as she stepped away.


    As she made her way across the bustling hall towards Dame Trista, the knight¡¯s gaze locked onto her approaching figure. The expression on Trista¡¯s face immediately darkened, her features tightening with unmistakable displeasure.


    Honestly, Scarlett couldn¡¯t blame her. She was the bride whose wedding Scarlett had inadvertently crashed that one time, after all.

 Chapter 265 - Connections new and old

    The grand banquet hall began to empty as attendants gently ushered guests towards the exit. Scarlett wove her way through the thinning crowd towards Trista, the knight¡¯s steely gaze briefly locking onto her before dismissively turning away, refocusing on her duties.


    That did irk Scarlett somewhat, though she imagined the woman had her reasons for disliking her. Unfortunately for Trista, Scarlett lacked both the tact and the inclination to let the woman¡¯s animosity dissuade her.


    ¡°Dame Trista,¡± Scarlett greeted as she stopped in front of the knight.


    Trista¡¯s attention slowly returned to Scarlett, her stern countenance morphing into an undisguised scowl. ¡°What do you want, Scarlett?¡± she asked, her words clipped.


    A vein pulsed at Scarlett¡¯s temple.


    On second thought, maybe this was a bad idea. Standing before Trista like this, she was acutely reminded that the knight was one of the few individuals for whom the original harbored enough dislike that it carried over to her.


    Allowing herself just a moment to compose herself, Scarlett masked her own irritation behind a veneer of civility. ¡°I merely wished to exchange greetings and pose a few questions. It has been quite some time since our last interaction, after all.¡±


    Technically, she¡¯d never actually conversed with the woman herself.


    ¡°I know,¡± Trista responded, her tone distant. ¡°I was counting myself fortunate for that ¡ª until now.¡± She straightened her posture, the light glinting off her armor. ¡°I¡¯m on duty, Scarlett, so I¡¯m going to have to ask that you don¡¯t disturb me.¡±


    ¡°This will not take long.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes scanned their surroundings, noting the curious glances from some of the nearby guests and the wary looks from other Solar Knights. Returning her focus to Trista, she continued, ¡°I was surprised to see the Solar Knights present for tonight¡¯s proceedings. Is Sir Leon present as well?¡±


    Trista¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, a hint of threat colouring her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I see no reason why I should disclose that information to you. I have no interest in complicating matters for my friend, and I think the vice-captain has enough on his plate already.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s fingers twitched slightly at her side, but she maintained her composure. ¡°¡­Your response is understandable, given the nature of our past¡­interactions. However, I believe you are the only one still caught up in the past. My relationship with Sir Leon is not as strained as it once was, in case you were unaware.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard as much. Frankly, I¡¯ve heard more about you in the last six months than I ever cared to. It¡¯s as though you¡¯ve become a completely different person.¡± Trista¡¯s accusatory tone suggested she found that hard to believe.


    Scarlett met her eyes unflinchingly, tempted to respond with her own scathing retort. For a couple of seconds, both of them stood motionless, the sounds of the banquet hall fading into the background. Eventually, Scarlett relaxed her gaze.


    Despite her emotional aversion to the knight, she didn¡¯t hold any personal animosity towards Trista. Perhaps she could afford a modicum of tolerance, just for today.


    ¡°My priorities have¡­evolved,¡± she said with a slight shake of her head, causing a stray lock of red hair to fall across her forehead. She brushed it aside with a light frown. ¡°But that is hardly relevant now. I simply wish to know if Sir Leon is present tonight and his whereabouts, if so. As I am sure you are aware, he has been occupied as of late, making it challenging for me to discuss certain matters with him in person.¡±


    Trista remained silent, studying Scarlett as if trying to see through her. Finally, she exhaled sharply, her attention drifting back to the remaining guests in the hall. ¡°He¡¯s here. Half of the order was summoned for tonight, and the vice-captain is in charge of overseeing things in the Emperor¡¯s Forum.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Scarlett murmured. That was where the conclave and relevant discussions would be held. If Leon was in charge of security there, it likely meant she wouldn¡¯t have a chance to speak with him during the evening.


    Her gaze drifted down to the sleek lines of Trista¡¯s black-and-gold armor, lingering briefly on the ornate sword at her hip before scanning the other Solar Knights stationed around the room. ¡°Do you anticipate any disturbances tonight?¡± she asked.


    Neither she nor Beldon had any intelligence suggesting a specific threat to the evening¡¯s proceedings. The Cabal was always a concern, sure, but she was curious if the Solar Knights possessed any additional information.


    Trista¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution, given the current circumstances.¡±


    Scarlett regarded her thoughtfully. Was that truly the case? Everything she knew did suggest the palace was far from an easy target, and Beldon was likely one of the most well-informed individuals in the empire. It would almost be odd if the Solar Knights possessed more information than the two of them together.


    ¡°¡­Very well. I will not trouble you further,¡± she said, turning to leave. A thought struck her, and she hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Trista. ¡°On another matter¡­¡±


    The knight¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Scarlett paused, the words dying on her lips. ¡°¡­No, I suppose it is inconsequential at this point. Farewell for now.¡±


    She had briefly considered apologising for crashing Trista¡¯s wedding, but the words didn¡¯t feel right on her tongue. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if she had caused that much of a mess at the time.


    As she walked away, Scarlett observed the clusters of guests still making their way towards the exits at the center of the hall, which presumably led to the Emperor¡¯s Forum. Amidst the sea of finery and jewels, she spotted Lady Withersworth, still accompanied by Duke Valentino and his entourage, edging towards one of the exits. The older lady seemed to notice her as well, and their eyes met just as an austere voice called out from behind.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford.¡±


    Halting mid-stride, Scarlett turned to identify the speaker. A woman stood before her, adorned with an intricately carved gold mask that caught the ambient light around them. Her onyx hair cascaded in a sleek tail down her shoulders, and she was dressed in ornate red robes embroidered with golden thread.


    Deacon Solnate.


    Scarlett appraised the woman, her gaze flicking to the two priests flanking the deacon. They wore the customary red robes as well, their faces obscured by white masks composed of intersecting squares and draped cloths.


    ¡°This is unexpected,¡± Scarlett said deliberately. ¡°Greetings, Deacon. Is there something you wish to discuss with me?¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± the woman replied tersely. ¡°Perhaps you could spare me a moment as we make our way to the Forum?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on the deacon for a beat longer, her eyes searching for any hint of emotion behind her golden mask. With a subtle tilt of her head, she then signaled Lady Withersworth to proceed without her. The older noblewoman, seeming to catch on, offered a gracious smile in return before departing with Duke Valentino and the others.


    Turning back to the deacon, Scarlett gestured towards the nearest exit. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Deacon Solnate¡¯s gaze swept over the bustling guests who still hadn¡¯t left the chamber. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s wait until the crowd thins out.¡± With a fluid motion of her gloved hand, the two priests flanking her silently took their leave.


    Scarlett watched them disappear into the throng before refocusing on the deacon. What was this about? She hadn¡¯t expected the deacon to seek her out tonight. Could it be related to Raimond?


    A few minutes passed in silence as the opulent chamber gradually emptied, leaving only a few stragglers and ever-vigilant Solar Knights. To most, such silence would be uncomfortable or stifling, but the woman before Scarlett didn¡¯t appear to have any such qualms. That, at least, was a relief.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Should we start moving?¡± Deacon Solnate finally asked, her voice breaking the quiet.


    Scarlett cast a final glance around the hall, her eyes briefly locking with Trista¡¯s. The Solar Knight, remaining vigilant, seemed to be dividing her attention between her duties and occasional furtive looks in Scarlett¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Yes, let us,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Now, what is this about? This is the first time I have conversed directly with a deacon of the Followers of Ittar, and I must admit I am curious as to why you would approach me.¡±


    ¡°I have been eager to speak with you for some time, Baroness Hartford,¡± the woman said. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I understand this isn¡¯t the most suitable venue for an extended discussion, so I will keep things brief.¡±


    As they walked, Deacon Solnate¡¯s hand moved to a pendant hanging from her neck ¡ª a diminutive silver piece housing a polished black gem. At her touch, the gem emitted a soft, pulsating glow, and the distant sounds of the guests further ahead seemed to fade, as if muffled by an invisible barrier.


    ¡°If you were concerned about eavesdroppers, that won¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    Scarlett studied the pendant with undisguised interest. Presumably, it was an artifact of some sort. Raimond had used something similar before, though his had blocked out all surrounding noise. This one seemed more subtle in its effects.


    It reminded her that she still needed to get something like it. Such an artifact was on the list of items she had demanded from the Rising Isle¡¯s council in exchange for her assistance, along with other valuable concessions.


    Returning her attention to Deacon Solnate, Scarlett found herself briefly pondering what lay behind that impassive mask. ¡°So, what did you wish to discuss?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Deacon Abram wasn¡¯t mistaken about your straightforwardness,¡± the deacon noted.


    ¡°¡­Deacon Abram?¡±


    ¡°Father Abraham, though I suspect you¡¯re already aware of his true identity. If his reports are to be believed, you¡¯re likely privy to a wealth of information that should be well beyond your reach. He does have a flair for exaggerating things, however, so sometimes it can be difficult discerning what to trust.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°His reports?¡±


    What kind of reports were they talking about here, exactly?


    Deacon Solnate maintained her detached demeanour as they exited the banquet hall, stepping into a lavishly decorated corridor. Lavish tapestries adorned the walls, with intricately carved marble columns standing sentinel along the passage, and ornate chandeliers casting a warm, golden light that danced over the polished floor.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t come as a shock that the Followers have been monitoring your actions closely these past months,¡± the deacon continued, her voice low. ¡°Presenting one of the Chalices of Canon during the Providing Ceremony, uncovering ancient Zuverian ruins, locating one of the original deacon¡¯s veils, your involvement in the Citadel incident ¡ª all these events have drawn attention, and Deacon Abram was responsible for investigating these matters.¡±


    Scarlett scrutinised the woman carefully. ¡°I did have my suspicions,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Deacon Abram had quite a lot to say about you,¡± Deacon Solnate said.


    ¡°That does not surprise me,¡± Scarlett replied, wondering where this was going.


    ¡°Do you know what he said in his first report about you?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure I want to.¡±


    ¡°He described you in one sentence: It was his genuine belief that we had greatly underestimated the importance you might play in the conflicts to come.¡± The deacon fell silent, her masked gaze seeming to momentarily drift to a nearby tapestry. The complex weaving depicted a hero clad in golden white, the sun at their back, in fierce combat with a monstrous dragon. ¡°Despite his¡­proclivities, I do not know Deacon Abram to make such statements lightly. Initially, I had my reservations, but based on what I have witnessed since then, I¡¯m inclined to believe his assessment might be accurate.¡±


    A small furrow appeared on Scarlett¡¯s brow. While this was not an entirely unexpected evaluation considering everything she¡¯d been involved in up till now, she¡¯d hoped Raimond would divert the Quorum¡¯s attention away from her. This seemed to be the opposite of that.


    As if reading Scarlett¡¯s thoughts, Deacon Solnate added, ¡°I am the only one who received this report.¡± The woman finally turned to face Scarlett directly. ¡°Although you remain a figure of interest, my fellow deacons are preoccupied with their own concerns and aren¡¯t focusing on you as much as they perhaps should. In fact, Deacon Abram¡¯s testimony regarding the events that transpired during the Vile¡¯s attempted manifestation likely has only a few of them even considering you at all.¡±


    Scarlett allowed her frown to fade as she met the woman¡¯s eyes, covered as they were. ¡°I see. While the affairs of the Quorum are hardly mine to comment on, it does concern me somewhat that they would have reason to regard me at all. Nonetheless, I am even more intrigued that you chose to share this with me at all. I presume there is a reason for that.¡±


    Deacon Solnate studied her with a penetrating look for several seconds, the silence between them seeming to become charged with unspoken questions. ¡°¡­I want to know the nature of your partnership with Deacon Abram.¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth turning up in a slight smile. She looked ahead as they continued down the corridor, passing a Palace Guard standing at attention. ¡°What makes you so certain we are in a partnership? True, we did collaborate during the Citadel incident and explored the Sunfire Shrine together, but those were merely temporary arrangements. Nothing out of the ordinary, given the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°The other deacons did not receive Deacon Abram¡¯s original assessment of you. They might have believed that statement.¡± The deacon paused, her words hanging in the air. ¡°During the hearings, they only saw Deacon Abram defending his actions, his seeming insistence on shouldering all the responsibility for both the negative and positive outcomes, and his minimisation of your role. But considering what he had confided in me earlier, I find that hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°And that alone is reason enough to suspect a partnership between us?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°With Raimond, there is always logic behind his actions, no matter how convoluted they may appear,¡± the woman replied. ¡°In this case, despite the restrictions placed on him following the inquiry, he has been urging me for resources, urging investigations with little apparent purpose.¡±


    ¡°And I suppose you believe there is a connection between these ¡®investigations¡¯ and my association with him?¡±


    ¡°Is there one?¡±


    Scarlett did not answer at first, considering her response carefully. The soft click of their heels against the floor filled the temporary silence.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps there is,¡± she eventually said. ¡°These investigations of his¡­ Would I be correct in assuming they pertain to certain Quorum members and their¡­unsanctioned activities?¡±


    ¡°¡­So you are involved,¡± the deacon stated plainly.


    ¡°I have made no such admission.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to. Deacon Abram has been unwavering in his convictions lately. More so than I¡¯ve seen him in years. He clearly has a trusted source, and you, Baroness, were the most obvious suspect.¡± A flicker of emotion finally crept into the woman¡¯s voice, tinged with frustrated exasperation. ¡°Despite leaving the bulk of the work to me, he refused to share this with me.¡±


    Scarlett was actually slightly surprised that Raimond had kept this information secret even from Deacon Solnate. She knew he trusted the woman more than anyone else among the Followers, so she¡¯d expected him to involve her in some fashion. Was he trying to maintain Scarlett¡¯s trust?


    Maybe it was a good thing that the deacon had approached her tonight, if only to make things easier for everyone involved.


    ¡°Very well, Deacon,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°If that is the case, there is little value in me continuing to feign ignorance. You are correct in that Deacon Abram and I have been working together, and I have provided him with certain¡­sensitive information regarding some of our esteemed Quorum members who have been engaging in activities they should not.¡±


    ¡°I have been investigating these issues for years with little success. How did you come by your information? More importantly, how certain are you that it¡¯s true?¡± Deacon Solnate asked.


    ¡°That is not something I can disclose, but its accuracy is something that your own inquiries will no doubt confirm. If you can persuade Deacon Abram, perhaps he will divulge more.¡±


    Scarlett honestly wouldn¡¯t mind it too much if Deacon Solnate knew a bit more about her partnership with Raimond. The woman¡¯s position as a deacon appeared more stable than his, so her support could probably be more helpful. That said, Scarlett wasn¡¯t that familiar with Solnate, so she wasn¡¯t sure how much it was safe to reveal. It seemed wiser to leave such matters to Raimond, who could better filter details according to his own judgement.


    ¡°I will see what he has to say, then,¡± the woman replied. ¡°On that note, you wouldn¡¯t happen to know of his current whereabouts?¡±


    Scarlett turned to her with mild surprise. ¡°Were you not aware that he is currently a guest at my estate here in Elystead?¡±


    Though she couldn¡¯t see the deacon¡¯s face, the air around her almost seemed to freeze. ¡°Is that so¡­? Then, Baroness, would you mind if I paid your estate a visit?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are welcome to do so, if you wish.¡±


    Scarlett mentally apologised to Raimond for apparently having sold him out just now. It seemed she had just inadvertently complicated his stay.


    Their conversation dwindled as they approached the end of the corridor. The muffled murmur of voices grew louder, heralding their arrival at their destination. They stepped into an expansive, magnificently adorned chamber within the palace ¡ª the Emperor¡¯s Forum.


    The room¡¯s domed ceiling was an artistic marvel, painted with colorful scenes and mythological figures, while colossal crystal chandeliers hung from above, casting a radiant glow throughout the space. Ornate banners draped the walls, their rich fabrics embellished with the emblems and colours of various noble houses and legends. Between tall, arched windows that framed the starlit sky stood towering marble pillars, their surfaces streaked with veins of gold and silver that caught the light, creating illusions of movement.


    At the heart of the Forum, a massive circular table dominated the space. Its polished surface bore a detailed map of the empire, each region and landmark meticulously rendered. High-backed chairs upholstered in deep velvet surrounded the table, already seating several figures. At the head of the table, on a raised platform, stood the emperor¡¯s throne, carved from a single piece of white jade and gilded with gold filigree depicting the sun¡¯s rays. Though currently empty, its presence did command attention.


    Beyond this central area, tiered galleries with rows of plush seats ascended towards the back and sides of the chamber. These were bustling with guests engaged in hushed conversations.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes swept across the room, recognising several of the prominent individuals seated around the table, including Duke Valentino¡¯s stout stature and Lord Withersworth¡¯s thinner, more refined figure. Beyond them, there were other people that Scarlett had been introduced to briefly through Lady Withersworth.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to continue our conversation later,¡± Deacon Solnate said, her tone turning businesslike.


    Scarlett gave a curt nod. The time had come to participate in the conclave.

 Chapter 266 - Ugh, politics

    Deacon Solnate excused herself from Scarlett¡¯s side with a slight nod, her red robes rustling as she strode towards the table at the center of the Forum. Several eyes around the vast chamber followed the woman as she took her seat among the assembled individuals there. Scarlett¡¯s gaze, meanwhile, drifted to the raised galleries lining the edges of the room. Her eyes locked onto Lady Withersworth¡¯s familiar figure, and she began making her way towards her.


    As she walked, Scarlett studied the central table and its occupants more closely. It hosted an array of powerful nobles, dignitaries, and high-ranking officials, beyond just Lord Withersworth and Deacon Solnate. From her understanding, they would be responsible for much of the night¡¯s discussion and debate.


    A fact she certainly didn¡¯t mind if it meant less for her to do. From what she¡¯d heard, the conclave could drag on for many hours, a prospect that was far from appealing. Every fiber of her being right now yearned for the warmth and comfort of the mansion and the sweet embrace of sleep that awaited there.


    At least she could take solace in only being an observer for the proceedings. It was unlikely she would be called upon to speak at length, and there weren¡¯t any matters she particularly wanted to bring up at an event like this.


    Upon reaching the galleries, Scarlett ascended the steps to the level where Lady Withersworth sat. She threaded her way past other guests, giving the faintest of nods to those who caught her eye, until she reached the older woman. Lady Withersworth had reserved a seat to her right, while Lady Valentino occupied the chair on the woman¡¯s left.


    ¡°Welcome back, my dear,¡± Lady Withersworth greeted Scarlett with a warm, maternal smile that softened the slight wrinkles around her eyes. She patted the open seat beside her. Once Scarlett settled in, smoothing her dress beneath her, the woman leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°So,¡± she began in a hushed, playful tone that didn¡¯t quite match her age, ¡°did that deacon have anything intriguing to tell you?¡±


    Scarlett paused for a moment, considering her response. ¡°She expressed curiosity about some of my recent collaborations with her fellow clergy,¡± she eventually replied in a measured voice. ¡°I have assisted the Followers in reclaiming several valuable relics of late, and that had apparently piqued the interest of certain members of the Quorum.¡±


    That was actually pretty close to the truth.


    A light chuckle escaped Lady Withersworth as she sat back. ¡°Others will no doubt have noticed your arrival alongside a deacon. I wonder what kinds of rumors that will fuel in the coming days.¡±


    Scarlett stifled a tired sigh. While she did expect as much, she hoped Deacon Solnate was telling the truth when the woman claimed most of the Quorum was too preoccupied to dwell on her existence much. Although, even if that wasn¡¯t the case, there was no use fretting over it at this particular moment. Scarlett redirected her attention to scrutinise the figures seated around the central table.


    ¡°Were you aware that your husband would already be present?¡± she asked, her gaze falling on Lord Withersworth¡¯s disgruntled expression as he occupied one of the high-backed velvet chairs. Even from this distance, the lines of exhaustion were clear on his face.


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s not entirely unexpected,¡± Lady Withersworth replied, raising a bejeweled finger to indicate some of the individuals near her husband. ¡°Those to his right are High Treasurer Fitzroy, with his ruby-topped cane, and Chancellor of Trade Hayhurst, forever fiddling with that pocket watch of his. And the man to his left is the former Imperial Steward, Sebastiano Langdon, accompanied by Count Stansfield. No doubt they and many others have been working tirelessly behind the scenes with my husband these past two weeks.¡±


    Scarlett studied their faces attentively. Working on what, she wondered?


    She was far from an expert on the matter, but she knew the empire¡¯s politics could range from exceedingly byzantine to relatively straightforward depending on the times. Historically, permanent factions were rare, with more fluid, temporary coalitions often forming around shared interests or objectives.


    From her research and discussions with Beldon, most of the nobles Lady Withersworth identified tended to remain neutral arbiters, which in the empire essentially meant you were a loyalist faithful to the crown and establishment. While not an organised faction per se, the loyalist mindset pervaded much of the aristocracy here to varying degrees, and the imperial nobility overall demonstrated a pretty strong sense of patriotism.


    Scarlett supposed that included her as well, in a way.


    She did spot some influential figures around the central table who she knew were part of more defined factions, such as Count Hayden of Kilsfell and Duchess Swail of Silverborough. Both were key members of the growing coalition aiming to capitalise upon the recent attacks as a catalyst to push for swift, dramatic changes across the empire and the rights granted to certain nobles.


    Scarlett¡¯s attention was drawn to the far end of the chamber, where an ornate grand staircase led up to a pair of large, imposing doors adorned with vivid crimson tapestries and gilded accents. At the foot of those stairs, a solitary figure in black-and-gold plate armor stood rigidly at guard, his steady gaze fixed forward like an immovable statue.


    Leon.


    He looked unchanged from their last encounter, but she wondered how he had been faring lately. Not that she cared too deeply for the man¡¯s well-being, but he had no doubt seen considerable fighting these last few months. Probably even more so in these last two weeks. She was just curious if that had tempered his skills any further. In the game, his growth rate had been impressively fast.


    ¡­Was it heartless of her to focus solely on pragmatic considerations like that? She didn¡¯t think it was too bad herself. If anything, it was a necessary byproduct of her circumstances. That said, it was probably best not to voice such thoughts aloud. She and Leon were still technically betrothed, after all, even if they had been in talks to annul that arrangement.


    As if sensing her scrutiny, Leon¡¯s gaze suddenly flicked up as if to meet hers across the chamber, and she caught some emotion on his features. They held that shared look for a moment, then Leon refocused on his duty, his face once again an impassive mask.


    The reverberating blare of a trumpet resounded through the space. A tall man dressed in rich, imperial garbs that Scarlett recognised as the royal herald stood atop the stairs, grasping an ornate staff while a liveried servant holding a ceremonial trumpet waited beside him. The herald slammed his staff against the floor with an echoing boom.


    ¡°His Majesty, Gartelnas Articius Verddun Teronia!¡± he proclaimed in a rich, commanding tone. ¡°Ittar¡¯s chosen light makes his entrance!¡±


    All eyes turned towards the large doors at the top of the stairs as they swung open with a resonant creak, the murmurs of the assembled nobles and dignitaries hushing in anticipation as a small group of people emerged from the brightly lit corridor beyond.


    Leading the procession were two members of the Royal Guard, resplendent in their elegant white armor inlaid with gold, their dragon-crested helms glinting under the light. Next came the emperor himself, clad in intricate gold and crimson robes that trailed behind his regal, measured steps. A neatly trimmed beard framed his face, while wavy blond locks topped his head beneath an ornate golden crown inlaid with three large gemstones.


    Scarlett felt the familiar flutter of awe and reverence at his entrance, her pulse quickening slightly as she tracked the emperor¡¯s progress down the stairs. Eventually, though, she tore her gaze from him to briefly regard the two figures behind him.


    One was the crown prince, cutting an odd figure beside his stately father. He was dressed in a uniform that blended red and blue, with golden pauldrons and bracers that would have marked him as a warrior, though the ruler-in-waiting wasn¡¯t known to often engage in combat.


    Beside the prince walked a figure that commanded notice even in such august company. Evelia Blackwood, the ¡®Imperial Advisor¡¯, walked resplendent in a form-fitting violet gown textured like dragon scales, each tiny plate catching and reflecting the light. In one hand, she clutched a long silver staff topped with a crystal, with her raven tresses cascading in luxurious waves down her back, framing her beauty.


    Scarlett might have imagined it, but as the group continued descending the stairs, she thought she saw the woman¡¯s eyes flick briefly in her direction, accompanied by the faintest of smiles.


    A final Royal Guard brought up the rear, his vigilant gaze sweeping the room for any threat.


    The emperor reached the raised dais at the head of the central table and took his place upon his throne under the watchful gazes of the gathered conclave. The crown prince claimed a seat to his right, while the Imperial Advisor gracefully lowered herself into the chair at his left. The three Royal Guards arrayed themselves in vigilant formation behind them, their hands resting on the hilts of their sheathed swords.


    Once more, the royal herald slammed his staff against the floor with another resounding boom. ¡°His Majesty, Emperor Gartelnas, graces us with his presence to convene this most critical conclave. By his command, let all matters of urgency and state be brought forth, as we strive together to safeguard our empire and restore prosperity to our lands.¡±


    A heavy silence descended over the hushed chamber as the emperor surveyed those assembled before him with an inscrutable expression. Finally, he addressed the gathered nobles and officials in a calm yet resolute voice.


    ¡°Esteemed nobles, honored dignitaries, and loyal servants of the Graenal Empire,¡± he began, his words resonating through the chamber like the tolling of a great bell. ¡°I welcome you all here. Tonight, we gather under the shadow of great adversity, as our beloved homeland is under relentless attack and many of our cities lie in states of ruin unseen for generations.¡±


    He paused, the gravity of his statement sinking in, and Scarlett saw some of the faces around her show grim expressions.


    ¡°Our people suffer shortages of food and essential supplies,¡± the emperor continued. ¡°The very fabric of our realm is strained.¡± Another pause, pregnant with tension, before his tone shifted. ¡°However, it is in times of trial that the true spirit of our empire shines brightest, as demonstrated by our ancestors countless times before.¡±


    A murmur of agreement rippled through the assembled crowd.


    ¡°Let us approach these discussions with the same courage and clarity they once did,¡± the emperor urged, his voice growing stronger. ¡°Ensuring our decisions today reflect the strength of our unity and our unwavering commitment to defending our realm. For the future of this land, the welfare of our people, and the honour of our forebears, let the deliberations begin.¡± He raised his left hand in a gesture both commanding and benedictory. ¡°May the light of dawn guide our path.¡±


    As if on cue, the Imperial Advisor, Evelia Blackwood, nodded her head, and the crystal atop her silver staff flared to life with a soft, pulsing glow. Above the central table¡¯s intricately detailed map of the empire, various lights and markers shimmered into existence, creating a sort of three-dimensional representation of the realm¡¯s state. Some regions, like the eastern provinces, were highlighted more than others, covered in red and black, while the Freybrook area remained relatively empty.


    She addressed the assembly. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, esteemed lords, and honored guests,¡± she began, her melodious voice carrying effortlessly through the chamber. ¡°I will now present you a general overview of the situation facing our empire.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Evelia went on to provide an abridged report of the repeated incursions from the Tribe of Sin which had begun roughly six months ago. These attacks had drained resources and caused significant damage in key regions, but were mostly contained through the cooperation of the empire¡¯s forces and independent actors like the Shields Guild.


    The display above the table shifted and changed as the woman spoke. She then mentioned the manifestation of Anguish¡¯s citadel near Bridgespell a month ago, which was ¡®resolved by Duke Valentino¡¯s local forces, along with the timely intervention of the Dawnbringers¡¯.


    Finally, she delved into the details of the monster attacks that had begun two weeks prior, causing widespread destruction and devastation across the land and in select cities, further straining defences and resources. The Tribe of Sin was believed to be responsible, though their forces¡¯ presence had notably diminished since the onset of the monster incursions.


    After her account, there was some light murmuring and discussions in the forum. While the information itself shouldn¡¯t be much of a surprise for most present, the woman¡¯s magic helped paint a vivid picture of their circumstances, bringing into sharp focus the affected regions on the map.


    The emperor waited for the whispers to subside before speaking. ¡°Thank you, Lady Blackwood,¡± he said. With a gesture, he turned the assembly¡¯s attention towards a broad-shouldered man further down the table. ¡°Now that we are all apprised of the situation, I would like my officials to elaborate on the specifics. Lord Graeme, if you would begin.¡±


    The man, the Imperial General, inclined his head, the light catching on his close-cropped greying hair. ¡°Certainly, Your Majesty.¡± He rose, his hands resting on the polished wood of the table. ¡°Two weeks past, our forces were blindsided by the unprecedented wave of monster attacks that struck all major cities simultaneously. Despite the initial shock, many local leaders and garrisons rallied admirably, mounting defences that were instrumental in mitigating even greater losses.


    ¡°Since then, we have reorganised our forces, concentrating them at critical strategic points while dispatching smaller units to counteract the repeated incursions now plaguing smaller settlements. However, our army is spread thin, as we must continuously deploy troops across the empire to combat increasingly unpredictable attacks. We have fortified the perimeters around the cities that faced the most destruction, while working extensively with the Shields Guild and the knight orders to patrol vulnerable regions."


    The man¡¯s brow furrowed as he added, ¡°There is a concern that our current strategy leaves our border defences undermanned, particularly near Wildscar and the Everdust Barrier, where reports suggest concerning movements from the Undead Council and other threats emerging from the Unresting Steppes.¡±


    As the general droned on, delving deeper into the logistical challenges and estimated threats, Scarlett observed the assembly with a detached air. Her gaze swept across the spacious chamber, taking in the varied expressions of those present ¡ª from barely concealed fear and anger to calculated indifference.


    When Lord Graeme finished, the Chancellor of Trade took the floor. The man launched into a detailed account of the empire¡¯s compromised supply routes and warehouses, the measures underway to secure and restore crippled trade lines, and plans for food and resource distribution.


    A procession of similar reports from other imperial offices followed, each painting some kind of grim picture or other. Eventually, prominent nobles and dignitaries were called upon to provide firsthand accounts from their domains. Those summoned included figures seated at the central table, like Duke Valentino and Deacon Solnate, but people were also beckoned down from the galleries. Among them was Count Knottley, whom Scarlett had glimpsed briefly during the earlier banquet but hadn¡¯t engaged directly.


    After a litany of speakers had given their accounts, the royal herald¡¯s booming voice announced the floor open for all those present to express themselves freely. Instantly, a susurrus of murmurs rippled through the chamber. As individuals rose to speak, their voices were amplified by whatever magic had carried the emperor¡¯s words earlier.


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, esteemed peers,¡± a count called out from the galleries. ¡°While I applaud the swift actions taken thus far, it should be clear to all that our current measures are woefully inadequate to secure our lands against these relentless threats.¡± He paused, eyes sweeping across the assembly. ¡°I believe we can no longer afford a purely reactive stance. The imperial forces and knight orders, valorous though their efforts may be, have proven unable to respond with the quickness and effectiveness required to handle the localised perils each province faces, as already detailed by the Imperial General and others.¡±


    Scarlett folded her arms, leaning back in her seat as she studied the man. She¡¯d anticipated someone to bring something like this up eventually.


    The count continued, his voice growing bolder. ¡°This is not a question of loyalty or courage, but one of practicality and logistical reality. The Imperial Security Edict may have allowed us the freedom to alleviate some of these pressures, but tales of beleaguered lords left defenceless during the past fortnight are widespread.¡± He stood straighter, hands clasping the folds of his frock coat. ¡°As such, I propose that each lord, for the duration of this crisis, be granted greater autonomy in establishing and drafting forces from the common folk, as well as procuring other necessary resources required to effectively defend their lands. The safety and stability of our empire must be our foremost priority.¡±


    A swell of mutterings greeted his proposal, though Scarlett doubted many were truly surprised. The empire¡¯s military was highly centralised under the emperor and the crown¡¯s authority, and it was basically only high nobles who could maintain substantial private forces in order to protect the major cities ¡ª and even those ultimately answered to the imperial family. Officially, most nobles relied solely on small, elite personal retinues for conflicts, otherwise requiring aid from knight orders or groups like the Shields Guild. Drafting commoners into levies was a wartime privilege, and those levies themselves also fell under the imperial army¡¯s purview.


    It didn¡¯t exactly come as a shock that some nobles would seize any opportunity they could to chip away at that power structure.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± a man across the galleries surged to his feet, his face flushed with indignation. ¡°This is not the time to be looking at laws and needless bureaucratic wrangling! There are reasons you cannot simply commandeer whoever and whatever you wish in your lands to feed your own greed!¡± His glare could have melted steel as he focused on the count who had spoken. ¡°There are those who tried in the past, and they were no better than thieves!¡±


    Even from this distance, Scarlett could tell that the count¡¯s face turned a dangerous shade of crimson. ¡°You would call me a thief?¡± he spat. ¡°Hah! How na?ve you must be of our current circumstances. Have you witnessed the devastation around Ambercrest these last two weeks? In the city and its surrounding fiefs, nearly a quarter of the peasantry has already fled in fear or to find food for their starving children, leaving the lords bereft of both the people and resources to properly protect those who remain.¡±


    He jabbed a finger accusingly at his opponent. ¡°An issue easily prevented if they could impose curfews, draft laborers to fortify and muster defences, and not solely rely on the overtaxed imperial forces and other actors to maintain order! To brand a lord safeguarding his people through any means in this crisis a thief is ludicrous!¡±


    The debate quickly escalated, with more nobles rising to voice their stance. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure who was moderating and controlling the magic that amplified people¡¯s voices, but they seemed intent on ensuring each side roughly had equal time to make their case.


    For the most part, the discussion remained focused on the nobles¡¯ inability to defend their lands against these monster incursions, and how the current framework actively prevented them from mobilising their populations against the threats. Opponents warned how such ¡®freedoms¡¯ often came at the cost of the very people many nobles claimed to protect, and that already established institutions¡ªsome of whose members were speaking¡ªexisted to combat threats like these. Even if they were spread thin presently, inexperienced nobles mobilising common folk would hardly make up for that. Instead, they should collaborate to better establish logistics for transferring resources from those settlements that had them to those in need while ensuring those with the ability to protect received full support.


    Scarlett saw some validity in both arguments, though she didn¡¯t care too much either way. The empire¡¯s inner politics didn¡¯t matter much to her, and she had no plans on conscripting the few souls who lived in her territory, nor had she much to gain by doing so. Besides, this debate was still mostly posturing from what she could tell, with the leaders on both sides not having raised their voices yet.


    Eventually, after several heated rounds of arguing to which the emperor and those at the central table merely listened, an unfamiliar, well-dressed noble rose in the galleries. The chamber fell silent after a while as he was given the floor.


    ¡°Gentlemen, gentlemen,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s all well and good that we discuss how to properly distribute and allocate resources and treat those in our lands, but it feels as if we are overlooking a far more pressing threat that these past weeks have laid bare. It is almost as if you are too afraid to broach it. I, however, am not. And I doubt I am the only one to have considered the eerie accuracy with which some of the recent attacks have been carried out, and how certain figures have acted in response.¡±


    He went quiet for a moment, as if allowing for a dramatic pause while adjusting his silk cravat. Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how effective it was. The man reminded her too much of a preening rat for her liking.


    ¡°I speak, of course, of the rumors that have been circulating in many circles lately,¡± he continued, his voice lowering slightly. ¡°Rumors suggesting that there may be those within this empire¡ªperhaps even this very chamber¡ªwho have collaborated with, or indirectly benefited from, the Tribe of Sin and these monsters¡¯ savage attacks in ways befitting no loyal subject of the empire.¡±


    A heavy silence fell over the chamber, broken only by some hushed whispers near Scarlett.


    ¡°Oh, Baron Ogden, you gullible fool,¡± Lady Withersworth murmured beside Scarlett, her lips barely moving. ¡°You always let yourself be led too easily.¡±


    Suddenly, as if unleashing a floodgate, the chamber exploded into a cacophony of impassioned cries. People leapt to their feet, shouting and gesticulating wildly. Some seemed genuinely outraged that this ¡®Baron Ogden¡¯ had dared to voice such brazen accusations based on nothing more than unsubstantiated rumors. While many had probably heard some variety of these whispers at this point, the imperial nobility was very particular about never appearing disloyal in public spaces.


    Baron Ogden himself appeared unprepared for the ferocity of the backlash. He stood awkwardly, his earlier confidence quickly evaporating. Yet there were those who defended his stance, loudly insisting that there was nothing wrong about exposing those who would betray the empire.


    Unlike earlier, no one was granted the floor to speak, resulting in the chamber being engulfed by the swelling tide of voices. Scarlett massaged her throbbing temple, her patience running thin as she wondered why the man two seats down from her couldn¡¯t shut up about the ¡®deliberate sabotage¡¯ of his Bridgespell mansion.


    She didn¡¯t care, and she was liable to torch whoever did.


    Finally, to her relief, the emperor raised a hand. The air above the center table burst with soft lights and sonorous chimes that immediately quieted the crowd. Beside him, the Imperial Advisor Blackwood lowered her glowing staff.


    ¡°Calm, everyone,¡± the emperor¡¯s steady voice rang out. ¡°We are here to promote discussion, not to fight.¡±


    Silence reigned for a brief while until one of the central table¡¯s occupants rose. All eyes were drawn to the severe-looking man with a neatly trimmed beard and a hawkish gaze.


    That was Hanwyn Roscoe, the Duke of Darkshore.


    ¡°First off,¡± the man began, his voice projecting clearly. ¡°I would like to commend Baron Ogden for his courage, though his words may have been somewhat excessive and misguided. Nonetheless, it¡¯s clear that they stemmed from genuine concern for our empire, and as shown by the heated discussion that followed, a concern shared by many tonight. And while I wish I could dismiss it as baseless, can we truly afford to be so certain? We need only look to Ambercrest and the recently uncovered crimes of Count Soames to see that we cannot.¡±


    ¡°Count Soames was found to have been collaborating with demonic cults making offerings to the Viles, Duke Roscoe, not the Tribe of Sin,¡± another man at the table, the Imperial Chamberlain of Justice, interjected. ¡°The man may be a loathsome sinner and a betrayer to all of man, but that is a separate issue.¡±


    ¡°Is it truly separate?¡± the duke countered, spreading his hands. ¡°The Tribe is savage and cruel in their depravities. Like the cowards they are, it would not surprise me if they made pacts with demons in their bid to overthrow us. Did you not find it convenient that one of the Vile¡¯s own citadels appeared so close to when these latest attacks began? It is almost as if planned.¡±


    Scarlett frowned as whispers stirred through the chamber, many appearing to agree with the man.


    ¡°Dear, you might want to brace yourself,¡± Lady Withersworth said quietly beside her.


    Scarlett shot her a questioning look, but before she could respond, another voice broke through the noise.


    ¡°I agree,¡± said a man Scarlett recognised as Count Hayden, drawing her attention back to the table where he¡¯d risen. ¡°The Citadel incident¡¯s timing is suspicious. That it was allowed to happen at all could almost be considered treason. I have also recently learned information that casts further doubt on the circumstances surrounding it.¡± His gaze swept over the galleries. ¡°Not all of you may be aware, but the Citadel¡¯s appearance occurred near a village called Crowcairn, which was revealed to have been a hidden Tribe Enclave.¡±


    Shocked gasps erupted from many of those assembled, and Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened.


    Count Hayden turned towards Duke Valentino, seated not far away from him. ¡°Tonight, many have praised Duke Valentino¡¯s efforts in resolving the situation when the Citadel manifested. But I fear this achievement is tarnished by the revelation that he was aware of this Enclave¡¯s existence and deliberately attempted to suppress the information. I do not wish to make unfounded accusations, but that is certainly suspicious, is it not? Perhaps we should hear more from the person involved himself?¡±


    Duke Valentino met the count¡¯s gaze with a dark scowl. Then another noble spoke up ¡ª a minor baroness in the galleries that Scarlett recognised as being under Marquis Delmon, Leon¡¯s father.


    ¡°That is not all,¡± the woman said as she was given the floor for some reason. ¡°I have also heard Duke Valentino was not the only noble present tonight involved in those happenings, and thus, likely not the only one aware of the Tribe¡¯s Enclave. It also appears Baroness Scarlett Hartford was engaged in what happened there.¡±


    Some eyes turned towards Scarlett, while others wore expressions of confusion, likely wondering why a mere baroness just got dragged into this play.


    Scarlett herself couldn¡¯t help but mirror Duke Valentino¡¯s dark expression.


    Someone had just ruined her evening, and she wasn¡¯t about to let that go lightly.

 Chapter 267 - Questioning

    The gathered assembly¡¯s attention was split between Scarlett and the central table, hushed murmurs rippling through the crowd. Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed into a withering glare aimed at the baroness who¡¯d dared to call her out, though the woman pretended not to notice.


    Presumably, Marquis Delmon had set her up for this. That the man still had it out for Scarlett was hardly surprising, but this maneuver felt incredibly shortsighted. Unless he foolishly expected her to literally be apprehended on the spot over whatever trumped-up allegations they¡¯d mustered¡ªan outcome that seemed very unlikely¡ªthis would blow up in his face.


    If anything, Scarlett would make sure of that.


    ¡°Perhaps we should allow these two to explain their actions to those assembled here?¡± Count Hayden¡¯s voice cut through the low hum of the crowd, his gaze sweeping the chamber. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you all agree?¡±


    A smattering of voices murmured their assent, though most remained silent, their eyes shifting towards Duke Valentino.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Count Hayden addressed the emperor with a respectful bow, ¡°would you permit us to inquire further with these nobles?¡±


    The emperor, seated on his throne, leaned forward slightly, his elbow on the armrest as he regarded the count with an appraising look. After a pensive moment, he gave a light nod. ¡°Duke Valentino, Baroness Hartford. You may speak and present your perspectives.¡±


    A hush fell over the chamber. Duke Valentino rose from his seat, his movements stiff and deliberate as he used his cane to limp towards a small raised platform opposite the throne. Expectant eyes then shifted to Scarlett.


    She threw a glance to her left, where Duchess Valentino and Lady Withersworth sat. The duchess¡¯ worry was clear, her brow creased in concern, but Lady Withersworth emanated her usual unruffled calm, offering Scarlett an enigmatic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can acquit yourself admirably, dear. Don¡¯t fret. I¡¯ve made note of those who spoke out.¡±


    There was a glint of something dangerous lurking behind that smile, a fact Scarlett felt appreciative of. With a curt nod, she rose and began descending to the main floor, acutely aware of the weight of countless stares tracking her every move. Instead of unnerving her, though, they just served to further stoke the flames inside.


    Soon, she joined Duke Valentino on the platform before the central table. They exchanged brief looks but said nothing. Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but feel that if he¡¯d wanted to keep the existence of the Tribe¡¯s Enclave under wraps for now, he should have done a better job of not getting her pulled into this mess.


    Opposite them, on the other end of the central table, the emperor¡¯s silent gaze remained fixed on them, compelling Scarlett to instinctively incline her head slightly in a subtle gesture of respect.


    ¡°Now, while it is not my place to dictate proceedings,¡± Count Hayden began, ¡°perhaps we should begin with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough of these games, Rawling,¡± Duke Valentino cut him off, his irritated voice reverberating through the chamber. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    Scarlett caught a faint glow emanating from the duke¡¯s cane. Was it enchanted to project his words, maybe? That looked handy.


    Count Hayden frowned lightly before clearing his throat. ¡°I believe many here are curious as to why the duke would choose to conceal the existence of a Tribe Enclave. Should we start there?¡±


    Duke Valentino glared at the man for a moment, muttering a curse under his breath about fools that likely only Scarlett heard.


    ¡°The answer is simple,¡± he finally replied. ¡°I withheld the information because I refused to allow rash simpletons, like some present here, to start persecuting imperial settlements indiscriminately. Our empire has endured enough misguided persecutions in the past without repeating those mistakes now.¡±


    ¡°With the Tribe of Sin in our midst, is this not the perfect time to root out any agents or sympathisers?¡± the count challenged.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to let those unqualified make those decisions.¡±


    ¡°That is not your place to decide,¡± Duke Roscoe, the instigator of all this, said.


    Duke Valentino¡¯s nostrils flared, a vein throbbing at his temple. ¡°It most certainly is my place when the Enclave was found on my lands,¡± he almost growled. ¡°I will not have ignorant rabble harassing my people based on unfounded suspicions after a Vile nearly destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Those who needed to know about the Enclave¡¯s existence were informed, as you are already well aware.¡±


    Mutterings of quiet discussion broke out around the table and in the galleries, but Scarlett¡¯s focus remained on the emperor and the officials seated closest to him. It was true that they should have all been informed about the Enclave, so it was hardly as if Duke Valentino had kept it a real secret. Most people in this chamber likely understood that fact, even if they had just learned the information themselves. It should be clear to just about anyone that this was more of a political ploy targeting Duke Valentino, though Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure exactly why they singled him out.


    Still, the emperor had allowed this impromptu questioning despite probably understanding the underlying motives. Did he also have it out for the duke? From what Scarlett knew, Duke Valentino was one of the more loyalist dukes in the empire, so that seemed unlikely. But she also doubted the emperor genuinely suspected him of colluding with the Tribe.


    ¡°What you say makes sense,¡± Count Hayden conceded, and Scarlett finally shifted her gaze towards him. ¡°But it also makes for an awfully convenient excuse, does it not? The fact remains that the only Tribe Enclave to surface in decades appeared on your lands, duke, alongside a Vile¡¯s citadel. This either indicates involvement in illicit activities or gross negligence in your duties as a lord.¡±


    Duke Valentino¡¯s expression darkened further, his lips curling into a light snarl as his hand clenched into a white-knuckled fist around his cane.


    ¡°That is a rather bleak interpretation, wouldn¡¯t you say, Count Hayden?¡± an older gentleman in stately clothes at the central table spoke up. Stockwell Bentley, the Count of Farmire, stroked his neat beard. ¡°One could just as easily view Duke Valentino as a hero who, when faced with events so precarious they would have paralysed many a noble, took decisive action that averted catastrophe and spared the empire untold destruction. All while exposing a Tribe Enclave and suffering minimal loss of life, I might add. To me, that sounds like quite the admirable achievement.¡±


    Count Hayden sent the man a dismissive look, then turned back to Duke Valentino. ¡°Under normal circumstances, perhaps I would agree. But we must view this from the lens of our current crisis, Count Bentley, and in that context, there is no doubt that these events reflect poorly on the duke. Had the Followers of Ittar and the Dawnbringers not intervened, we might now be contending with not just monster incursions, but demonic ones as well.¡±


    A few shouts of agreement erupted from the galleries. Scarlett scanned the crowd, wondering if the voices were genuinely concerned or if they were planted by the duke¡¯s detractors. This whole affair seemed pretty orchestrated to her, from the suspicious speaking right allocations to the decision to drag her into this farce.


    The more she thought about it, the more it annoyed her. She was only managing a neutral expression due to the emperor¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Perhaps we should have Baroness Hartford explain her involvement as well?¡± another voice at the central table suggested. Scarlett turned her attention to a woman in her late thirties with a cascade of blonde curls who was scrutinising Scarlett with a pair of sharp blue eyes. Duchess Swail, the Lady of Silverborough.


    As far as Scarlett was aware, the two of them had never interacted, but she got the sense that the woman didn¡¯t particularly like her.


    The feeling had just become mutual.


    ¡°Yes, let us afford Baroness Hartford the opportunity to present her reasons for cooperating with Duke Valentino,¡± Count Hayden said smoothly. ¡°I suspect I am not the only one who has heard the Baroness¡¯ name bandied about lately, though few likely expected her to be so deeply enmeshed in these troubling matters.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the meaningless insinuations,¡± Duke Valentino interjected, his tone clipped.


    ¡°Insinuations? I assure you, that¡¯s not at all what I am doing.¡± Count Hayden shook his head. ¡°Like Baroness Upton put forth, I too have heard from credible sources that Baroness Hartford was involved in both the events surrounding the Citadel¡¯s appearance and the Tribe Enclave. Reportedly, she acted as your agent on those issues, duke. Moreover, she rather coincidentally visited Bridgespell and yourself just before it all unfolded.¡±


    Scarlett studied the man closely. He spoke as if revealing some grand conspiracy, but much of this would be common knowledge to anyone who¡¯d bothered looking. Sure, she had asked the duke and Raimond to help ensure details didn¡¯t spread too much, but a cursory investigation would still reveal her name. Up until now, Count Hayden wasn¡¯t so much presenting damning evidence as engaging in a public smear campaign against her and Duke Valentino.


    In the process, he had inadvertently stumbled onto some truths about the Citadel¡¯s appearance, but Scarlett doubted even the count himself actually believed them.


    ¡°Now, if that were all, perhaps it would not merit discussion,¡± the count pressed on, his voice rising. ¡°But upon deeper scrutiny, I¡¯ve noticed a series of other dubious coincidences centering around the Baroness. For those unaware, she has recently discovered several ancient Zuverian sites that eluded even the Ustrum Assembly and mage towers, despite ostensibly having no prior expertise in that field. Additionally, her barony¡¯s activities over the past few months have been¡­unusual, to say the least. Apparently, they¡¯ve included stockpiling near prodigious quantities of grain, produce, and other vital supplies ¡ª almost as if anticipating our current crisis. Not only that, but while the rest of the empire suffered untold damages from monster attacks, none of the Baroness¡¯ own lands or properties have been impacted whatsoever.¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Scarlett maintained her composure, her eyes hardening as she listened to the man¡¯s unspoken accusations. She¡¯d anticipated someone connecting those particular dots eventually, so this wasn¡¯t a surprise per se, but the setting was a different matter.


    She glanced at Duke Valentino to see if he had some response, noting his sudden silence. While his anger still appeared to simmer just below the surface, Scarlett somehow got the sense that he wasn¡¯t actually too concerned. It was almost as if his indignation was aimed more at the unfolding drama than the specific accusations being hurled his way. Perhaps he had something up his sleeve.


    Well, if he wasn¡¯t speaking up, she supposed it was her turn. Scarlett returned her attention to Count Hayden, taking a steadying breath as she prepared to speak.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± she asked, her voice carrying just enough to reach those nearest at the central table.


    The count paused. ¡°What was that? It seems the Baroness has something to add now.¡±


    ¡°I said, is that all?¡± Scarlett reiterated, her tone icy. This time, her words rang out clearly, filling every corner of the chamber.


    Count Hayden cocked an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. ¡°I believe so. For now, at least. I will say, however, that for a mere baroness, you certainly have a checkered past. What do you have to say for yourself?¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze squarely. With a click of her tongue¡ªa sound that echoed through the tense forum¡ªshe let her irritation be known. ¡°You disrupted my evening for only this paltry showing?¡±


    A few surprised murmurs could be heard, but Scarlett ignored them, keeping her eyes locked on Count Hayden. She was fairly certain he didn¡¯t actually know the full extent of her involvement with the Citadel incident, but if she were to guess, he likely assumed it was minor. Still, his accusations wouldn¡¯t be entirely baseless, and any detailed information could only have come from Duke Valentino¡¯s people or the Followers of Ittar. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if the count and his cohorts had some connection to one of the deacons.


    ¡°There was nothing untoward or irregular about my presence at Bridgespell last month,¡± she declared evenly. ¡°My presence there was a coincidence, but a fortunate one, as I happen to have prior experience eradicating demonic entities. That is why I offered my assistance to the duke in investigating what appeared to be an assassination attempt against him involving a demonic presence, and it was in the course of this investigation that we uncovered the circumstances surrounding the Citadel and the Tribe¡¯s Enclave.¡±


    Count Hayden¡¯s expression darkened, presumably not appreciating her tone.


    ¡°As for the nature of my involvement,¡± Scarlett continued, ¡°it is nothing as nefarious as you seem desperate to suggest. The Citadel¡¯s appearance caught us by surprise, but once it manifested, Duke Valentinos¡¯s forces and I, along with members of the Followers of Ittar¡ªwho had apparently foreseen the Citadel¡¯s emergence, if you were unaware¡ªinvestigated directly by entering the structure itself. There, we learned that the source for its manifestation was a demonic practitioner named Malachi, and after confronting her, we succeeded in halting the ritual she was conducting to summon the Vile. As for the Tribe Enclave, their connection was evident through dealings with Malachi, but they fled during the events.¡±


    Her explanation shouldn¡¯t differ too heavily from Raimond¡¯s report to the Quorum, even if it was somewhat abridged and omitted the events that occurred in Crowcairn itself. Officially, though, she wasn¡¯t involved in those.


    That said, she would have preferred avoiding having to explain this in front of a gathering of the empire¡¯s nobility. This was not the type of attention she wanted.


    A weighty silence followed her account, with Count Hayden studying her skeptically. ¡°Hmph. From your tale, Baroness Hartford, it would almost seem you are attempting to claim credit for thwarting the Vile¡¯s manifestation. That rings rather distasteful when, by all reports, the Dawnbringers played a far more significant role.¡±


    ¡°While the Dawnbringers were indeed crucial in combating the demons that attempted to breach our realm from the Blazes, they arrived only after the Vile¡¯s summoning had already been halted,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°As for my role, I never claimed it was central. I merely provided my assistance where I could.¡±


    Count Hayden¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°So, you expect us to simply accept your version of events and motivations without question? Your supposed demonic expertise seems far-fetched and uncertain, I hope you understand. Especially since I well remember your conduct during the Elysian Proclamation, and more than one noble I have spoken to has mentioned your propensity for grossly overstating your abilities.¡± He turned to Duke Valentino. ¡°Is this the sort of individual you align yourself with, Ingomar? Charlatans who inflate their own accomplishments for status?¡±


    ¡°If you doubt her words, perhaps my testimony will suffice?¡±


    The chamber¡¯s attention shifted to a robed figure with a gold mask sitting at the central table ¡ª Deacon Solnate. The woman¡¯s gaze was focused on the count.


    ¡°¡­Deacon Solnate, are you vouching for the veracity of Baroness Hartford¡¯s claims?¡± Count Hayden asked tightly.


    The deacon inclined her head. ¡°I have personally consulted with my people who were present during the events described. Their accounts corroborate hers.¡±


    ¡°That may be so,¡± Count Hayden replied, ¡°but it does not rule out the possibility of her deeper involvement. Nor does it mean she is not greatly exaggerating the importance of her part.¡±


    ¡°But it is true that she possesses extensive knowledge of how to effectively combat demons,¡± Deacon Solnate stated firmly. ¡°According to my subordinate, there are precious few in the empire who can match her expertise in such matters. Where she acquired that aptitude is another issue, but not the one at hand.¡± She raised a gloved hand. ¡°If you find her presence in Bridgespell odd, I can inform you that the Baroness was working with the city¡¯s high priest to inquire into the history of one of our shrines. She has previously aided us in recovering lost relics, and her particular ability was called upon once more for this task.¡±


    Count Hayden stared at her, momentarily at a loss. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t anticipated one of the Followers¡¯ highest-ranking members to so unequivocally speak up in Scarlett¡¯s defence.


    Truth be told, Scarlett hadn¡¯t expected it either. If Deacon Solnate had only verified Scarlett¡¯s account based on what she¡¯d heard from Raimond¡¯s report, the count could still have pressed the issue beside that since his goal was just to raise suspicions, but this was clearly a deacon covering for her. Deacon Solnate had even gone as far as to bend the truth in order to make it seem like Scarlett¡¯s presence in Bridgespell was originally part of a sanctioned mission on the Followers¡¯ request.


    The corner of Scarlett¡¯s lips curled up in a cold smile. Maybe she owed the woman a favor later. This presented an opportune moment to turn the tables.


    ¡°I believe Count Hayden mentioned how suspicious it was that my barony escaped damage while the rest of the empire suffered, and our ¡®curious activities¡¯ in recent months,¡± she said, her voice now carrying a razor¡¯s edge. ¡°If we are to scrutinise all of those who emerged relatively unscathed, perhaps we should interrogate every noble in Freybrook and Elystead as well? And regarding my barony¡¯s activities, their purpose should be self-evident to anyone with a modicum of sense. The escalation of conflict with the Tribe became apparent after their attack on Windgrove during Duke Tyndall¡¯s ball. I merely prepared for the inevitable. What I find truly unusual is that you neglected to discuss where all those supplies my barony procured have gone.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, those support programs you¡¯ve supposedly established,¡± Count Hayden sneered, having regained some of his poise as he looked away from Deacon Solnate. ¡°A laudable endeavour, to be sure, if only its timing wasn¡¯t so suspect.¡±


    ¡°It seems we have quite different interpretations of ¡®suspect¡¯. To me, that word better applies to more¡­insidious activities.¡± Scarlett met his gaze with a contemptuous smirk. ¡°For instance, attempting to monopolise goods essential to the empire¡¯s welfare.¡±


    She saw the man¡¯s eyes widen suddenly.


    It seemed her arrow had found its mark. Having a partnership with the empire¡¯s foremost information broker certainly had its benefits. Beldon had provided her with numerous useful tidbits about several of the empire¡¯s influential actors lately, including some choice information about Count Hayden.


    The man¡¯s territory held some of the most productive salt mines in the empire. Over the past years, he had been involved in various schemes to control the commodity¡¯s price through monopolistic practices. This included investing in salt mines in other regions and negotiating exclusive contracts through intermediaries, as well as buying up and stockpiling large quantities of salt to create artificial scarcity. While not strictly illegal under imperial trade law, such actions were deeply problematic, especially during wartime when salt became crucial for tasks like cheaply preserving food without magical enchantments. Messing with essential goods like that could bring you considerable trouble, even as a high noble.


    Count Hayden fell silent, his expression continuing to darken. The reaction seemed to surprise some of his allies around the table, and Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but scoff at the man¡¯s sudden indecision. He had been quick to attack her, yet a mere hint of his own shady dealings rattled him this much? It was pathetic, honestly.


    Though she supposed he¡¯d had little reason to expect her, of all people, to have ammunition to fire back. She wasn¡¯t exactly a big player in the game of political intrigue.


    ¡°¡­It appears Count Hayden may have been somewhat overzealous in his assertions,¡± Duchess Swail finally said in the man¡¯s stead. ¡°However, we shouldn¡¯t lose sight of the matter at hand.¡±


    Scarlett shifted her gaze to the duchess. While she didn¡¯t have anything specific on the woman for now, she could probably dig something up, given time.


    ¡°Come now, Duchess,¡± Count Bentley spoke up before Scarlett could respond. ¡°I think it¡¯s been made abundantly clear that the purpose of this ¡®hearing¡¯ regarding Baroness Hartford and Duke Valentino¡¯s actions has become aimless. Whatever suspicions you may still harbor about the Baroness, they are clearly not the sort to be addressed at this conclave.¡±


    ¡°I concur,¡± the Imperial Chamberlain of Justice added. ¡°Baroness Hartford in particular has demonstrated both remarkable foresight and generosity far transcending her rank in alleviating the hardships of our citizens these past two weeks. If what we¡¯ve heard about her role in halting the manifestation of a Vile is accurate as well, it doesn¡¯t sit well with me to continue treating her in this adversarial manner.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but should we not address any lingering doubts about a noble¡¯s possible collaboration with the Tribe of Sin¡ªdirectly or indirectly¡ªconsidering the significance of such a possibility?¡± Duchess Swail countered.


    There were sounds of agreement from the galleries, though surprisingly, these were met by equally vocal disagreements from other sections. Scarlett observed the commotion as arguments sparked up, curiously trying to identify some of the faces who appeared to be on her side. She¡¯d planned to offer a few more arguments in her defence, but maybe that wasn¡¯t necessary.


    As before, the arguments grew in intensity until much of the audience was suddenly engaged in debate. Somewhat unexpectedly, the scales seemed to be tipping decidedly in Scarlett and the duke¡¯s favor. Perhaps Deacon Solnate¡¯s testimony and Scarlett¡¯s recent portrayal in the Empyreal Chronicle helped sway some minds. Although she suspected Lady Withersworth¡¯s influence also played a part, with Duke Valentino likely having his own base of supporters as well.


    Scarlett looked over briefly at the duke, noting that his earlier rage seemed to have cooled to a stoic resolve as he waited out the storm of voices filling the chamber.


    Duchess Swail and Duke Roscoe, along with a few other nobles, attempted to regain control of the debate¡¯s flow, but it was clear they¡¯d lost most of the momentum they had briefly held. As for Count Hayden, he seemed to be grinding his teeth while fixing Scarlett with an intense stare, perhaps weighing whether he could afford to press on or to retreat and cut his losses.


    If she were him, she wouldn¡¯t expect any quarter either way.


    The emperor, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, finally raised his hand. At his signal, Imperial Advisor Blackwood cast another spell, hushing the Forum.


    ¡°Since it appears we can no longer reach a consensus on how to proceed with this matter, we will conclude it here,¡± the emperor declared in a voice that brooked no argument. ¡°Though some may still have questions for Duke Valentino and Baroness Hartford, those can be addressed at a later time. The duke and baroness may return to their seats.¡±


    The opposition at the table frowned, but seemed to accept their defeat for now. Duke Valentino gripped his cane and gave Scarlett a curt nod before returning to his seat.


    Scarlett allowed herself one final, pointed look at Count Hayden, Duchess Swail, and the galleries where a certain baroness sat. Her gaze carried both a warning and a promise before she turned and began making her way back to Lady Withersworth. As she walked, her mind started going over potential strategies for her response. She would see with Beldon what more dirt she could unearth on those who¡¯d tried to corner her here. Perhaps she¡¯d also leverage some of the information she had on Count Soames¡¯ associates to pressure them into lending their aid. There were several angles worth exploring.


    It was a shame that she couldn¡¯t just burn her obstacles to the ground in this particular venue.

 Chapter 268 - Motioning

    Scarlett returned to her seat in the galleries, where Lady Withersworth and Duchess Valentino awaited her. The former greeted her with a knowing smile as she settled down.


    ¡°For a moment there,¡± Lady Withersworth remarked, her voice low and tinged with amusement, ¡°I half-expected Count Hayden to spontaneously combust before the entire conclave. But it seems my concerns were unfounded. Though it seems you did not have to do much yourself, you handled the situation with admirable grace, considering things, dear.¡±


    Scarlett cast a sidelong glance at the older woman, noting the widening of the duchess¡¯ eyes at the first comment. Her own attention drifted to the central table below. ¡°You have been listening to too many of Miss Hale¡¯s fanciful tales, Lady Withersworth,¡± she replied simply. ¡°I am not so reckless as to publicly disfigure a high-ranking noble of the empire, regardless of the provocation.¡±


    She just entertained the idea of doing so.


    Lady Withersworth let out a light chuckle. ¡°No, of course not. Yet you still silenced him quite effectively, despite your restraint. That was a rather curious statement you made to Count Hayden earlier. I daresay the count will be occupied with some rather urgent ¡®housekeeping¡¯ in the coming weeks.¡±


    ¡°He is welcome to try.¡± Scarlett¡¯s sharp gaze fixed on the man, still seated with a deep frown etched across his face.


    Lady Withersworth wasn¡¯t the only one who had picked up on Scarlett¡¯s veiled threat, nor Count Hayden¡¯s reaction. Whispers would undoubtedly spread, and quiet inquiries would probably follow, no matter what happened next. The count probably hoped Scarlett either lacked concrete evidence to back her insinuations or chose not to disclose it if she did, buying him time to cover his tracks where necessary. But for Scarlett, a favor from Beldon would be enough to set the wheels in motion, and the man owed her plenty.


    She doubted Count Hayden would lose his title or anything, but it would at least send a message. In that way, she was lucky. The count was pretty easy for her to target, compared to some others.


    Her eyes briefly shifted to Duke Valentino, then to Lord Withersworth and his associates, who had remained unusually subdued throughout most of the evening. Scarlett supposed that she had inadvertently removed one enemy player from their political chessboard. While she wasn¡¯t necessarily allied with either the duke or Lord Withersworth¡ªshe still wasn¡¯t sure of the latter¡¯s full agenda¡ªit might not even make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. At the very least, they were unlikely to become her enemies in the near future.


    Imperial Advisor Blackwood¡¯s harmonious voice cut through the murmur of conversation around the chamber, pulling the assembly back to order. The emperor redirected the focus of the proceedings to the matters at hand, encouraging open discussion on how best to allocate and position the combined forces and resources to combat the growing monster incursions and Tribe threat.


    Most of the logistical groundwork had already been done, with both imperial forces and independent groups like the Followers and Shields Guild handling much of the coordination. Now, though, the emperor sought to foster dialogue about how the factions could further collaborate and the like. Scarlett only half-listened, to be honest, massaging the bridge of her nose occasionally in vain attempts to alleviate her dull headache.


    Though these talks were technically relevant to her barony and its ongoing relief efforts, she wasn¡¯t well-versed enough in the details to keep up with all that was being said. Despite her recent efforts to educate herself and keep on top of reports, she was still far from an expert in these kinds of operations. Fortunately, with Lady Withersworth overseeing matters while Evelyne was recuperating, the barony already had things covered.


    That¡¯s why Scarlett allowed herself a moment of rest so that she could conserve enough mental energy to stick through the remainder of the evening.


    As the discussions dragged on, Lord Withersworth rose from his seat. Immediately, Scarlett¡¯s attention snapped back to the present as a hush fell over the assembly. All eyes turned to the older gentleman as if in anticipation of him finally speaking up after remaining silent until now.


    ¡°That dolt,¡± Scarlett heard Lady Withersworth mutter under her breath. ¡°Look at him, standing tall when it¡¯s clear as day he¡¯s been neglecting sleep and proper meals. If he¡¯s intent on leaving me a widow, he could at least have the decency to revise his will first.¡±


    Lord Withersworth, oblivious to his wife¡¯s biting remarks, cleared his throat, the sound ringing through the now-quiet chamber. ¡°Esteemed peers,¡± he began, his voice more commanding now than Scarlett had ever heard it before. ¡°While we have addressed many crucial matters already, I wish to bring forth a separate motion for consideration. One that may represent a matter of almost unprecedented significance. What I am about to present is, in the opinion of myself and my distinguished associates, the most comprehensive strategy for countering the threat posed by the Tribe of Sin and the current monster incursions. Indeed, it may even prove to be one of the most ambitious undertakings of our time.¡±


    A ripple of anticipation fell over the Forum as those gathered waited for him to continue.


    ¡°We have been working closely with select mages and wizards from the towers and the Ustrum Assembly to devise this approach,¡± he declared, his gaze sweeping across the chamber. ¡°Once you hear the details, I¡¯m certain you will all grasp its importance, if not its necessity. In essence, we have found a method to erect a barrier that inhibits the Tribe of Sin¡¯s teleportation abilities within all imperial lands, effectively preventing them from launching any further attacks on our settlements.¡±


    A wave of astonished and stunned murmurs rippled through the galleries, and even Scarlett was slightly taken aback.


    ¡°Are you speaking in earnest, Lord Withersworth?¡± Duke Roscoe called from his seat opposite at the central table, his voice thick with a healthy dose of skepticism.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    The duke leaned forward, brow furrowed. ¡°¡­That is an extraordinary claim, if so. But there must be more to it, else you wouldn¡¯t bring such a proposal before this conclave. I have never heard of magic capable of such a feat on this scale.¡±


    ¡°I can assure you that it is most definitely possible.¡± Lord Withersworth straightened his sleeves calmly. ¡°I have personally consulted with numerous reputable mages, including Elystead Tower¡¯s Dean Godwin, the Ustrum Assembly¡¯s Master Docent Ainsworth, and our own Imperial Advisor Blackwood. All have confirmed its viability.¡±


    He paused, allowing his words to sink in. ¡°However, this is no simple task. My colleagues and I, along with our dedicated subordinates, have spent countless sleepless nights over the past two weeks scrutinising every aspect of this proposition. By all accounts, an endeavour of this magnitude would rival great projects like the construction of the Everdust Barrier or the Singing Sands Palace on the Luicean Isles. Given the urgency of our situation, it must also be completed within a remarkably short time frame.¡±


    Scarlett glanced around as hushed conversations broke out. Even Lady Withersworth, usually so composed, seemed taken aback by her husband¡¯s revelation.


    It had been clear that Lord Withersworth and certain other influential figures tied to the crown had been planning something big lately, but even Beldon¡¯s network had failed to uncover the details. The fact that they had managed to keep it hidden even from Mirage was, in its own way, impressive. All those involved must have been working under the strictest of confidentiality agreements, which meant they were serious about being able to present this motion tonight without giving the opposition time to prepare.


    ¡°What exactly is the scale we are discussing here?¡± the Imperial General asked seriously.


    Lord Withersworth gestured towards Lord Fitzroy, the High Treasurer, seated to his right. Lord Fitzroy¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°By current estimates,¡± he said, steepling his fingers, ¡°the cost of this project would require an investment of materials exceeding four billion solars in value¡­ to be gathered within one month.¡±


    An uproar of gasps and exclamations erupted around the chamber as the assembled nobles and dignitaries heard the figure. Even Scarlett found herself staring at the man in disbelief.


    Four billion solars? In one month? That was insane. She had thought she¡¯d accumulated a pretty considerable wealth for a baroness over the past six months or so, but even her fortune¡ªincluding everything she¡¯d already spent¡ªonly amounted to a few million solars. A duke¡¯s fortune might be larger, but she doubted any would have more than a couple hundred million solars. Even then, most noble wealth would likely be tied up in lands, businesses, and other assets.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°This is preposterous!¡± someone shouted from the galleries, their outburst quickly joined by a chorus of similar sentiments.


    ¡°Are you here simply to waste our time?¡± a noble at the central table demanded, glaring at Lord Withersworth and his associates.


    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± Count Stansfold, one of Lord Withersworth¡¯s allies, answered with unflappable patience. ¡°This is the single most effective way of handling the Tribe of Sin, as we would be stripping them of their most potent weapon. Our citizens live in constant fear, and as many here tonight have been so eager to point out, our forces are strained to deal with the incursions. This proposal offers the best chance to protect both our people and our empire.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t impossibly expensive, perhaps,¡± someone retorted.


    ¡°What would this mean for the Kilnstone network?¡± another noble asked.


    ¡°It would also be affected,¡± Lord Withersworth admitted, triggering another wave of outrage.


    Duke Roscoe shook his head. ¡°So this motion of yours would not only cripple our empire¡¯s finances, but our own trade and logistics as well?¡±


    ¡°The empire is more than capable of functioning without access to the Kilnstone network,¡± the Chancellor of Trade interjected. ¡°And since the attack two weeks ago, we have already begun implementing measures to reduce our immediate reliance on it. The routes established to transport relief supplies will be sufficient to handle the additional strain that the absence of the Kilnstones would represent.¡±


    ¡°And how long would this last?¡± one voice demanded.


    ¡°Until the current threat has passed, or as long as necessary,¡± came the response.


    ¡°There is no telling how long that could be!¡±


    The debate intensified, with seemingly every person in the chamber clamoring to be heard.


    ¡°What do you make of this, dear?¡± Lady Withersworth asked quietly, turning to Scarlett.


    Scarlett glanced at the woman. ¡°I am withholding judgement,¡± she replied, her eyes flicking back to the central table. ¡°For now.¡±


    She had lots of thoughts, but much depended on the finer details.


    ¡°Tell us more about the specifics of this proposal,¡± Duke Valentino said, finally cutting through the noise. The portly man¡¯s gaze settled on Lord Withersworth and his colleagues. ¡°Is this a one-time expense? Once this ¡®barrier¡¯ is removed, can it be reactivated?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, and it depends,¡± Lord Withersworth replied. ¡°The barrier consists of a single immense spell array spread across the empire, but casting and maintaining it would require establishing vital infrastructure throughout our lands. The Kilnstone network would serve as its foundation, but we would also need to construct certain structures¡ª¡¯pylons¡¯, our mages call them¡ªnear each Kilnstone. These pylons require significant investment, including rare and costly materials, specialised magical ingredients, and skilled labor. Much of this would be provided by the mage towers and the Assembly, with some assistance from the large merchant guilds in sourcing what we lack. A large portion of the cost comes from this, but even more will be required for the array¡¯s upkeep, as it consumes vast amounts of mana. Regarding what happens after we deactivate it, the pylons themselves will remain, so they can be reused, though it would come with additional costs.¡±


    Duke Valentino nodded, taking in the explanation. Around the chamber, some heads bobbed in agreement, though just as many or more shook in disapproval.


    ¡°I still fail to see how this can in any way be considered a reasonable measure,¡± Duke Roscoe said sharply. ¡°At a time like this, we should focus on practical solutions, not grandiose fantasies.¡±


    ¡°This is a practical solution,¡± Count Stanfold shot back. ¡°And more complete than anything else proposed thus far.¡±


    ¡°And how do we intend to pay for it?¡± Duchess Swail questioned. ¡°Four billion solars gathered in such a short period is not a burden the crown alone can bear. It would inevitably require considerable contributions from us nobles, many of whom are already struggling to protect our lands. How much are we expected to sacrifice for this project at the expense of our people?¡±


    Lord Fitzroy spoke next, his tone measured. ¡°We acknowledge that it is a substantial cost, and to demonstrate its commitment, the crown would finance half of this venture¡¯s expenses, even if it means transferring ownership of a portion of the royal treasury¡¯s reserves, selling imperial land, or cutting court expenses. However, the remaining half must indeed come from the noble houses and institutions. This is a collective investment in the future and safety of the entire empire ¡ª one we must all share.¡±


    ¡°And how would we decide who pays what?¡± the duchess pressed further.


    ¡°That remains under discussion,¡± Lord Fitzroy replied. ¡°But before we can divide the burden, we must first decide whether to proceed with this plan at all.¡±


    Duke Roscoe scoffed. ¡°This is truly absurd. You claim this ¡®barrier¡¯ will work, but how can we even be so sure? What if this only hastens the downfall of the empire?¡±


    There were sounds of agreement from those gathered.


    A soft, melodious chuckle cut through the tense atmosphere, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Duke Roscoe scowled as his gaze shifted to the woman seated beside the emperor. ¡°¡­Did I say something amusing, Lady Blackwood?¡±


    Lady Evelia Blackwood, her raven hair framing an enigmatic smile, shook her head lightly. ¡°Certainly not intentionally, Duke. I did, however, find it funny that you would so openly doubt their claims ¡ª especially after having heard my endorsement of their credibility. Should I perhaps take offense?¡±


    ¡°That was not my intent.¡±


    ¡°Then we have nothing to debate, do we? The array will function exactly as described,¡± she said, her smile deepening. ¡°Whether the price is worth it is another question entirely.¡±


    Duke Roscoe fell silent for several seconds, then turned back to the room. ¡°¡­Let us suppose that it will work as claimed. Nevertheless, this is not a decision we can make here. These matters should be deliberated within the Imperial Diet, not at this forum.¡±


    ¡°That is where you are mistaken,¡± Lord Withersworth replied. ¡°While the Imperial Diet is indeed where these decisions would normally be made, the Edict of Sovereign Necessity, enacted by Emperor Gautier II, empowers conclaves like this one to make swift and decisive actions to safeguard the realm in times of crisis. Is that not precisely why we are here tonight?¡±


    His statement sparked another round of whispers, this time far less favorable. More than one noble shot dark looks in Withersworth¡¯s direction.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t blame them, considering the audacity hidden in those words.


    Technically, Lord Withersworth wasn¡¯t wrong. This was indeed the intended purpose of a conclave like this one. But there was a reason not all the empire¡¯s nobles had chosen to attend tonight ¡ª and it wasn¡¯t only because they were busy. While, officially, conclaves could be convened to enact far-reaching, empire-wide decisions, in practice, they just weren¡¯t. And the reason for that was simple.


    The nobles didn¡¯t like it.


    In the empire, the emperor wielded considerable power, but he did not hold absolute authority. As Duke Roscoe had pointed out, major decisions generally went through the Imperial Diet, and this wasn¡¯t something easily bypassed.


    A conclave was one of the few ways to do so. And while it was ostensibly a gathering of influential individuals meant to address urgent matters, it was even more so a relic of the empire¡¯s early days. This was reflected in the fact that, regardless of what consensus those present might reach, the final decision ultimately rested with one person and one person alone: the emperor.


    In theory, this allowed the emperor to bypass the usual channels and force through decisions that might otherwise face vehement opposition. However, even the most loyal nobles would view such an action with suspicion if abused. As a result, very few emperors had ever invoked this privilege, and conclaves had largely become ceremonial. Yet here were Lord Withersworth and his allies, brazenly defying that long-standing precedent.


    Honestly, Scarlett could understand why many would be furious.


    As the debates around her grew more heated, Scarlett¡¯s gaze drifted towards the emperor himself. He sat there on his throne, silently observing the proceedings, his expression revealing nothing.


    Several of his officials were among those backing this proposal, so he clearly had knowledge of it beforehand. The question was whether he actively supported it, or if he was merely letting Lord Withersworth and the others test the waters to gauge the conclave¡¯s reaction.


    For Scarlett, one reason this proposal was unexpected was that she didn¡¯t recognise it from the game. There could be many reasons for this: perhaps it had never made it through this conclave, or maybe the accelerated timeline of events had pushed the emperor and nobles to consider more drastic actions. But even if the specifics were unfamiliar to her, certain aspects of this situation did align with her overall expectations.


    That made her wonder who the original architect of the idea had been.


    Her eyes flicked to Evelia Blackwood, seated to the emperor¡¯s right. The woman didn¡¯t look at all bothered by the continued buzz of discussions in the chamber, even as impassioned advocates on both sides made their cases.


    Eventually, the emperor himself spoke.


    ¡°I understand that this is a divisive issue,¡± he said, the chamber quieting almost immediately. ¡°Indeed, this motion is both drastic and far-reaching. Such momentous decisions must not be made lightly, even in circumstances as dire as these. However¡­¡± He paused, allowing a stretched silence to settle over the Forum as everyone waited for his next words. ¡°For now, let us adjourn for a brief recess. This will give everyone time to reflect and gather their thoughts. We will reconvene to resume these discussions shortly.¡±


    Scarlett frowned as disappointed murmurs rippled through the assembly. While she had known a break was on the agenda, she didn¡¯t see the point. It was already getting late, and she would much have preferred to wrap things up rather than drag things out.


    With a weary sigh, she accepted things as they were. She guessed this might actually suit her plans for the night as well.


    As people slowly rose from their seats amid animated conversations, Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered momentarily on the emperor before moving to Leon, who stood watchfully at the chamber¡¯s edge.


    Speaking to him tonight probably wasn¡¯t an option, judging from how things were looking. But there was someone else she wanted to meet.


    She stood and turned to Lady Withersworth and Duke Valentino¡¯s wife. ¡°There is someone I must find during this recess. I will rejoin you when the session resumes.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Very well, dear. Take care,¡± Lady Withersworth replied with a smile. ¡°If you need me, I¡¯ll be cornering that oaf of a husband I have for a much-needed chat.¡±


    Scarlett chose not to think about what that chat might entail. She didn¡¯t envy Lord Withersworth right now. ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    With that, she made to leave the gallery.


    It was time to seek a private audience with a certain advisor.

 Chapter 269 - Behind the mask

    Leaving the gallery, Scarlett wove her way through the bustling crowd as she exited the Emperor¡¯s Forum with the weight of numerous gazes pressing upon her. The attention was far more palpable than what she¡¯d experienced during the banquet, but that wasn¡¯t particularly surprising given her recent brief role as the centerpiece of the proceedings. As she began navigating the extravagant corridors of Dawnlight Palace, the throng of people gradually dispersed around her, with most returning to the banquet hall for the intermission, while others drifted into ornate lounges that dotted the spacious hallways.


    Palace attendants stood at attention here and there, their postures straight and expressions neutral as they were ready to cater to the guests¡¯ whims. Scarlett veered down a less-traveled hallway, her footsteps echoing softly as she made her way to the ladies¡¯ room.


    The restrooms in Dawnlight Palace were a marvel of opulence, their walls adorned with intricate gold filigree that caught the warm light of crystal chandeliers, while wide mirrors polished to a fine sheen reflected the grandeur. Individual chambers, presumably fit for royalty and their esteemed guests, offered privacy to those seeking it, but Scarlett didn¡¯t linger to admire the decor. She bided her time near the entrance, watching as a couple of ladies walked past, their curious and perplexed whispers not escaping her notice.


    When she was sure there were no eyes upon her, Scarlett activated her [Charm of Expeditious Change]. In an instant, her attire shifted, and a hood appeared to obscure her face. Carefully, she peered back into the corridor outside, her gaze landing on a servant passage she¡¯d noted earlier. A lone guard stood sentry, rigid and alert.


    Invoking the ability of her [Garments of Form], Scarlett was enveloped by a swirl of mist. In the blink of an eye, she materialised inside the passage, leaving the guard none the wiser. Walking with deliberate slowness, she moved forward, her senses heightened as she listened for any approaching footsteps. Considering her distance from the banquet hall, though, there would likely be fewer attendants in this area.


    Her recollection of the palace layout was hazy at best, not to mention mostly based on an outdated game map, but she had a general sense of her bearings. The unadorned servant passages proved more navigable than the main corridors, and she ascended several floors as she searched for her destination.


    As long as she stayed clear of the imperial quarters and certain other heavily guarded areas, she should be fine. Worst-case scenario, she could probably talk her way out of any unexpected encounters, but it would be a nuisance.


    After some educated guesswork and careful exploration, Scarlett found herself in a hallway that seemed more familiar than the others. She stayed close to a wall as two servants bustled past, their arms laden with polished silver trays. Once they were out of sight, she continued her search.


    Rounding a corner, she spotted a door at the hallway¡¯s end, flanked by two palace guards. Her brow creased in mild surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected it to be guarded. That complicated matters somewhat.


    After a moment¡¯s deliberation, she decided a direct approach was the best option. Especially considering who she was meeting. With a thought, her clothes shimmered and transformed back into the elegant gown she had worn earlier. She strode down the hallway with purposeful steps, maintaining the air of someone who belonged there. The guards¡¯ eyes tracked her movement as they spotted her, hands resting lightly on the hilts of their weapons, poised but not overtly threatening.


    As she reached them, Scarlett briefly considered trying a polite smile, but quickly abandoned that idea. Instead, she fixed the guards with a steady gaze. ¡°Is this room¡¯s incumbent currently inside?¡±


    One guard eyed her closely. ¡°No, they¡¯re not. Your Ladyship, may I ask what business brings you here?¡±


    Before Scarlett could respond, a silvery voice interjected from behind. ¡°I believe she¡¯s here to meet with me.¡±


    Scarlett turned to see a woman approaching with poised grace. The newcomer¡¯s raven hair cascaded over a resplendent violet gown that glinted like dragon scales in the hallway¡¯s light. An ambiguous smile played on her lips as she stalked forward, an elaborate silver staff clasped in one hand.


    Scarlett frowned slightly. She hadn¡¯t even noticed the woman¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Lady Blackwood!¡± Both guards snapped to attention.


    Evelia Blackwood, the Imperial Advisor, came to a stop beside Scarlett. The woman¡¯s gaze swept over her with undisguised mirth. ¡°My, what an intriguing visitor I have this time,¡± she mused in an amused tone. ¡°To think you¡¯d trouble yourself to come all this way.¡± Her lips curled into a wider smile, revealing perfect white teeth. ¡°A simple letter would have sufficed, you know.¡±


    With a graceful flick of her wrist, the door before them swung open. Evelia stepped inside, leaving Scarlett to cast a final glance at the guards before following. The door closed behind them with a soft, gentle click.


    The room beyond was a spacious and elegant office, dominated by a massive desk at one end, its surface adorned with neatly arranged stacks of documents and various instruments. Towering bookshelves laden with tomes lined the walls, and a single glass door led to a balcony, offering a full view of the night sky reflected in the frozen waters of Rellaria Lake, the ice glittering under the moonlight.


    ¡°I believe this is our first face-to-face meeting,¡± Blackwood remarked casually, her back to Scarlett as she crossed the room. She released her grip on the silver staff, which remained upright on its own. ¡°I¡¯m curious what could have brought Baroness Hartford to my door at such an hour.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes followed the woman as she paused by an ornate cabinet, picking up a delicate porcelain cup. Whatever liquid was within began steaming gently, its exotic aroma filling the room.


    ¡°You may dispense with the charade,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I am not here to speak with Evelia Blackwood.¡±


    The woman¡¯s head turned, eyebrows rising as she locked gazes with Scarlett. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, a lilting laugh escaped her as she set down her cup with a soft clink. ¡°Alright, have it your way.¡±


    A bright aura enveloped her form, melting away the illusion to reveal a tall, lithe figure clad in golden yellow robes with stark red lining. The upper half of her face was obscured by a white marble mask, its edges traced with golden inlays and its eye sockets holding gleaming scarlet rubies. The visible skin beneath the mask was unnaturally pale, practically white, and a knowing smirk played across a pair of bright red lips.


    ¡°Come here often, hmm?¡± Mistress almost purred, regarding Scarlett. ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since we last met, hasn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve certainly been keeping yourself busy. I¡¯ve been following your escapades closely, particularly what happened in Crowcairn. Riveting stuff, that.¡±


    ¡°I am not here for idle chatter, Mistress,¡± Scarlett replied curtly, striding across the room towards a granite stand in the corner. Atop it sat an object resembling a bronze armillary sphere, its intricate rings gleaming in the dim light.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you aren¡¯t, darling.¡± Mistress watched with unconcealed interest as Scarlett touched different spots on the sphere¡¯s poles and rings with practiced movements. Suddenly, the device blazed to life, and the office around them seemed to blur and twist, colors bleeding together before resolving into a vast, underground stone chamber. The transition was so smooth and seamless that it felt as if reality itself had shifted around them.


    This new space was a veritable wonderland of arcane artifacts and paraphernalia, looking every bit the secret laboratory of a master mage. Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved from one magical contraption to the other, Thainnith¡¯s legacy whispering in her mind to offer hints about their purposes and powers.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s curious,¡± Mistress said, her tone a mixture of amusement and fascination. ¡°Unless I¡¯ve let something slip during some drunken revelry I can¡¯t recall, that device is supposed to be a closely guarded secret. One that fewer than a handful of people would even have any idea exists, let alone know how to activate. And you, Baroness, are most certainly not on that very short list.¡±


    Scarlett turned to face Mistress, her expression carefully neutral. ¡°Are you truly surprised?¡±


    ¡°I am, actually,¡± the masked woman replied. She studied Scarlett in silence for a few moments, her piercing ruby eyes seemingly delving into one¡¯s very soul. Then, with a casual snap of her fingers, her silver staff, which hadn¡¯t joined them in the underground chamber, materialized in her hand. Its appearance shifted as the metal darkened to a deep, smoky grey, its head transforming into an intricate arrangement of curled bronze, crowned by a small, pulsing azure gem. ¡°And that¡¯s me being honest, as utterly repugnant as the notion may be.¡±


    With graceful steps, Mistress approached the center of the chamber, where a complex array of runes and sigils was carved into the stone floor. She placed her staff at the heart of the array, leaving it standing upright as she returned her attention to Scarlett. ¡°So, what¡¯s given me the honor of your seeking me out tonight?¡± A note of genuine curiosity crept into her voice. ¡°I¡¯d ask how you knew of my little alter-ego, but that¡¯s hardly a tenth as surprising as what you just did, frankly.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze drifted to the array, studying it. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but it appeared to be some form of sophisticated arcane infrastructure, perhaps designed to channel and distribute mana throughout the hidden chamber. The faintly glowing sigils pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm, and the staff practically resonated with energy.


    After a few seconds, she looked back at Mistress, assessing her. ¡°Before I offer you my answer, there is something I would like to know.¡±


    ¡°I imagine so,¡± the woman said, her tone turning dry. ¡°And I¡¯m the unfortunate soul who has to enlighten you, I take it?¡±


    ¡°If you would be so kind.¡±


    Mistress exhaled in a dramatic sigh. ¡°Only if you swear not to breathe a word of it to anyone. I can¡¯t very well have my reputation sullied by people thinking I¡¯m developing a conscience or any such nonsense.¡±


    ¡°You have my word.¡±


    ¡°Then, by all means, proceed.¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a moment, then spoke. ¡°The proposal to establish the magical barrier preventing the Cabal¡¯s teleportation across the empire ¡ª was that your design?¡±


    The woman¡¯s mouth curved into a more pronounced smirk. ¡°What makes you think that? Is it simply because I vouched for its effectiveness? I was far from the only mage to do so ¡ª though admittedly, I was by far the most competent.¡±


    ¡°Your endorsement is not my only reason for suspicion,¡± Scarlett said.


    Mistress hadn¡¯t invested years crafting her ¡®Imperial Advisor¡¯ persona for no reason. While perhaps not as malevolent and straight-out dangerous as the Hallowed Cabal, Mistress was still pursuing the Seals of Thainnith for her own purposes, without consideration for others. Her role as an advisor to the emperor was simply a means to her final goal.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Scarlett pressed, ¡°will this barrier truly function as Lord Withersworth and the others claimed?¡±


    Mistress tilted her head, the rubies in her mask glinting ominously. ¡°My, my. Is the word of several esteemed mages¡ªmyself included¡ªnot enough to convince our illustrious Baroness?¡±


    ¡°It is your word in particular that gives me pause.¡±


    It would have been easier to trust it if Scarlett had heard about this in the game, but she hadn¡¯t. Perhaps if she could examine whatever ¡®blueprint¡¯ existed for the proposed barrier¡¯s array, she might be able to at least partially confirm it with the aid of Thainnith¡¯s legacy.


    A low chuckle escaped Mistress. ¡°How charmingly insulting. I¡¯ll try not to feel offended, but there¡¯s little reason for deception here.¡± She began to pace, her robes touching the floor. ¡°Blocking the Cabal¡¯s oh-so-impressive teleportation trick is, in fact, remarkably straightforward. It always has been, even for the empire¡¯s¡­¡± She paused, tapping a long finger against her chin. ¡°Shall we say, less gifted practitioners? Dawnlight Palace has long employed such defences. The real challenge lies in applying the same principles on a wider scale, and the Kilnstone affords a rather convenient solution to that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Then, suppose that I take you at your word. Were you the architect of this proposal or not?¡±


    Even if Mistress wasn¡¯t outright lying, it was entirely possible she had manipulated Lord Withersworth and the others into pushing for the motion during the conclave.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I wasn¡¯t,¡± the woman answered casually, turning to face Scarlett once more. ¡°And before you ask ¡ª no, I don¡¯t know who was. Judging by the configuration of the array I was presented, I¡¯d have wagered on our mutual acquaintance, Warley Godwin, but I find that unlikely.¡±


    ¡°Even if you did not set these events into motion,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°surely you recognised the opportunity they presented.¡±


    A beat of silence followed, and Mistress¡¯ smile took on a dangerous edge. ¡°This, Baroness, is why you¡¯re my favorite. While other troglodytes flounder around in blissful ignorance, you consistently manage to pierce that veil. But knowledge, darling, can be a double-edged sword. Not to mention awfully inconvenient.¡±


    ¡°I will take that as confirmation.¡± Scarlett did not let herself be affected by the unspoken threat in those words.


    A palpable tension hung between them for several seconds before dissipating as Mistress gave a light shrug and turned away. ¡°What can I say? The opportunity practically presented itself on a silver platter, and I¡¯ve always had a weakness for easy opportunities.¡±


    The woman strolled over to a large pillar near the wall, where a set of intricate metallic frames was set up. Scarlett recognised those as a Zuverian artifact meant for establishing communication networks, though it seemed to have been altered from what she knew to expect of its original design.


    As Mistress began making subtle adjustments to the device, her fingers dancing over a set of intricate controls on its side, she continued speaking. ¡°Naturally, the final decision rests with our illustrious emperor.¡± Her tone practically dripped with sarcasm. ¡°That man is perpetually mired in caution, as if the sycophants surrounding him weren¡¯t shield enough. How much simpler it would be if he¡¯d just dance to my every tune like a good little sovereign.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is not your personal plaything,¡± Scarlett said sharply.


    Mistress paused, turning back with an amused quirk on her lips. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a surprise. You¡¯re quite the loyal subject, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s almost endearing. Though I¡¯m not quite sure a truly loyal subject would dabble in Vile-summoning and backroom deals with the Hallowed Cabal.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s features hardened, her eyes glinting like steel. ¡°¡­Neither of us is in a position to speak of loyalty.¡±


    ¡°No, perhaps not.¡± The woman returned her attention to the artifact.


    Scarlett observed her for a few moments longer before speaking, her voice low. ¡°I will not interfere with your plans for the barrier, but you would do well not to compromise its primary purpose.¡±


    She found herself conflicted on the topic. Part of her was tempted to help overturn the proposal, but she also recognised that it could bring about a lot of good. The inability to use the Kilnstones and the unpredictability it would create would be inconvenient, but it could be a worthwhile trade-off if it allowed the empire a chance to stabilise and recover. And if Mistress wanted to piggyback on its implementation for her own ends, Scarlett wouldn¡¯t stop her. Nor could she, at the moment.


    Mistress waved a dismissive hand, not bothering to look back. ¡°Don¡¯t fret your pretty little head about that. Though I can scarcely fault you for your concern. After all, you stand to benefit more than most from that endeavour.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What exactly are you implying?¡±


    ¡°Come now, you don¡¯t think those pylons Withersworth droned on about will manifest from thin air, do you?¡± Mistress finished whatever adjustment she¡¯d done to the metallic frames, stepping back as arcs of dark, ethereal lightning suddenly started dancing between them, forming a shimmering arch-like construct. The eerie light cast strange shadows across her mask as she continued, ¡°These pylons are hungry beasts ¡ª they will require mana and rare materials like you wouldn¡¯t believe. Their placement is crucial, and while most cities only have their mage towers to offer, Freybrook just so happens to have a hidden gem.¡±


    Realisation dawned on Scarlett, her eyes widening slightly. ¡°You are referring to my mansion.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Mistress replied. ¡°That quaint little Icon-infused detritus of yours might as well have been tailor-made for this. Using it instead of Brook Tower could save the empire tens of millions in solars and magical materials, not to mention manpower. No doubt you¡¯ll be ¡®generously encouraged¡¯ to offer your humble abode for the illustrious safety of this glorious empire. And the best part? You¡¯ll barely have to lift a finger. The countless fortifications that¡¯ll be used to safeguard the pylon? Consider it a gift with the purchase. How fortuitous, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    Scarlett fell silent, mulling over this information. Would they really try to use her mansion as one of the pylons for the barrier? The prospect was both intriguing and concerning. Sure, if she was rewarded for it, that might be a good thing. But what if it limited her freedom or made her a target? What were the benefits and the risks? Did she even have a real choice if it concerned the empire¡¯s safety and such vast resources?


    She¡¯d need to look into that further later on.


    Suddenly, Mistress snapped her fingers once more, and the shimmering arch construct before her expanded, now towering at nearly twice her height. Scarlett¡¯s brow arched in light perplexity, her eyes darting between Mistress and the imposing phenomenon. What was the woman up to?


    ¡°You know,¡± Mistress hummed, ¡°if you¡¯re interested, I could whisper a word or two in the emperor¡¯s ear to secure you certain¡­additional perks.¡± She fixed Scarlett with a calculating look. ¡°Lucky for you, Auntie Mistress has been viewing you in a rather favorable light ever since learning what you did with that squalid excuse for a Vile.¡± Her mouth curled into an almost predatory grin. ¡°I do wish I could have witnessed it firsthand, but alas, fate is a fickle mistress.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Scarlett said, her attention now focused on the shimmering gateway¡ªif that¡¯s what it was¡ªstudying it warily. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± she eventually asked.


    Whatever Mistress had done with the device, it clearly wasn¡¯t doing what it was originally designed for.


    ¡°You can consider it a wake-up call, if you will,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Or bait. Nothing to worry about, though you¡¯re certainly welcome to if you¡¯d like. We¡¯ll have to wait and see if something bites.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Scarlett remained silent for a moment, continuing to examine the magical construct before refocusing on Mistress. ¡°Regarding your generous offer to whisper my name in the emperor¡¯s ears ¡ª I would prefer if you did not.¡± She¡¯d rather not get involved with Mistress¡¯ other persona more than necessary. ¡°Though I must admit, I am surprised that you would offer at all. It was my understanding that my actions in Crowcairn directly interfered with your plans for Anguish.¡±


    Mistress shook her head. ¡°Hardly. That was, at most, an amusing side project. It would have been entertaining to see her reduced to a gibbering wreck devoid of any Authority, but I¡¯m a pragmatic pessimist at heart. Or at least in what remains of it, I¡¯m sure. I barely expected much to come of it, so this outcome is satisfactory enough.¡±


    ¡°A side project? I somehow doubt that Malachi shared that sentiment regarding your involvement.¡±


    ¡°Should I be held responsible for whatever fanciful notions those around me conjure up?¡± Mistress asked, her tone mockingly innocent. ¡°I¡¯m inclined to say no.¡± She cocked her head somewhat. ¡°Though I will grant you that Malachi did disagree rather vehemently at first.¡±


    ¡°You have been in contact with her since then?¡± Scarlett asked in mild surprise. She¡¯d heard nothing at all from Malachi or the Blazes in general since Crowcairn, but she supposed Mistress did have ways of interacting with both that she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°On occasion,¡± Mistress replied. ¡°It pays to keep lines open with the new ruler of one of the six Blazes, fledgling and quasi-Vile though they may be.¡±


    ¡°I would not have thought Malachi to simply forgive and forget.¡±


    ¡°Forgive? Oh, far from it.¡± The woman laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls. ¡°It took more than a few attempts just to keep her from trying to reduce my existence to leftover effluvia on mere sight, but I am nothing if not resilient.¡±


    Scarlett folded her arms. ¡°Resilient, perhaps, but not a dependable ally. How did you convince her?¡±


    ¡°Malachi and I were never allies to begin with,¡± Mistress said indifferently. ¡°Occasional collaborators, at best. I provided the woman what she desired, and whatever might have transpired because of this if it weren¡¯t for your involvement wasn¡¯t much of my concern. She¡¯s no fool, so she saw that as well, eventually.¡±


    ¡°You are as callous as always.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me. But that¡¯s beside the point. While I¡¯d love to engage in witty repartee all night, time does happen to be of the essence. So, let us cut to the chase.¡± The woman fixed her with her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve indulged your curiosity about the barrier and our dear Vile friend. Now, what¡¯s the real purpose behind this little visit of yours?¡±


    Scarlett eyed her, then let her arms fall as she activated her [Charm of Expedient Exchange] to bring out her [Pouch of Holding]. From its depths, she produced the [Firefox Charm] and [Sacred Flame]. ¡°I require your expertise.¡±

 Chapter 270 - Unexpected concerns

    The [Firefox Charm] activated, and in a brief swirl of flames, the Fire Emberling materialised between Scarlett and Mistress. The fiery fox¡¯s luminous eyes fixed upon Scarlett, devoid of curiosity.


    Mistress regarded the fox, her masked visage tilting slightly in what almost seemed to be a blend of laughter and hunger, strangely enough. ¡°My, my. Have you brought me a treat? It¡¯s been an age since I¡¯ve sampled an Etherialias, and I must admit, I am feeling rather famished.¡±


    Her gaze shifted to the [Sacred Flame] cradled in Scarlett¡¯s hand. Though her eyes were hidden, Scarlett could sense the woman¡¯s eyebrows rising up. ¡°And now that,¡± she continued, tone sharpening with interest, ¡°that¡¯s a rare sight indeed. A primordial elemental essence. In what godforsaken realm did you unearth such a treasure?¡±


    ¡°The Emberling is not here to sate your appetite,¡± Scarlett said, her voice firm. ¡°As for this flame, it was quite the opposite. I discovered it in an ancient temple dedicated to the fire goddess after enduring its trial.¡±


    Mistress clicked her tongue, a sound tinged with both envy and annoyance. ¡°Typical. Those self-important gods always hoard the best stuff for themselves.¡± She knelt, extending a hand towards the Emberling. A delicate flame flickered to life on her fingertips, and the fox immediately darted from Scarlett to Mistress, like a moth drawn to the fire. Mistress casually stroked its fiery fur as if petting a common house cat. ¡°What have you been feeding this little marvel? It¡¯s practically bursting with essence.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes stayed on the fox. She hadn¡¯t seen any visible changes in the Emberling after it absorbed the elementals, but she was acutely aware of the vast gulf between her and Mistress¡¯ magical abilities.


    ¡°It has taken in the essence of a lava hydra,¡± she explained, folding her arms. ¡°And I have no intention of hunting down another simply to satisfy your appetite, so I suggest you be careful with those wandering hands of yours.¡±


    A sly smile curled on the woman¡¯s lips as she withdrew her arm, extinguishing the flame. The Emberling, bereft of a fire to focus on, returned to standing idly by.


    ¡°Such a pity,¡± Mistress lamented. ¡°All that delectable essence, and not a morsel for me.¡± Her gaze sharpened as she rose and focused on Scarlett. ¡°Now then, what brings you to seek old Mistress¡¯ arcane expertise, hmm?¡±


    Scarlett held her ground, staring into the scarlet ruby eyes of the woman¡¯s mask. ¡°I want you to perform the Rite of Primal Harmonisation.¡±


    Mistress stilled, her body seeming to tense as if struck. For a long moment, silence flooded the underground chamber. Then, a shrill laugh erupted from the woman, echoing off the stone walls and sending an icy tingle down Scarlett¡¯s spine. As the laughter died, Mistress¡¯ demeanour shifted, her posture becoming almost predatory.


    ¡°Now that,¡± she said, her voice low and dangerous, ¡°is most intriguing. I can hazard a guess as to how you learned of my identity and those other tantalising tidbits of knowledge nestled in that pretty head of yours. But this¡­ This leaves me truly perplexed.¡± Her tone took on a razor¡¯s edge. ¡°Those meddlesome gods wouldn¡¯t waste their breath on such esoteric details, nor would they afford to. And you certainly didn¡¯t glean this from any of your Zuverian ruins.¡±


    The air in the chamber thickened, charged with an unseen force that pricked at Scarlett¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Do enlighten me, Baroness,¡± Mistress continued, her words cold and calculating. ¡°Where did you hear of the Rite?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she maintained her composure, arms still crossed. ¡°The threats are hardly necessary, Mistress,¡± she said coolly.


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Mistress replied.


    Scarlett stayed silent for a moment, weighing her answer. It seemed like the woman was close to making assumptions, and they likely weren¡¯t ones favorable to Scarlett. She wasn¡¯t exactly looking for a fight here, so it¡¯d be best to de-escalate this before it went any further. A light sigh slipped from her lips as she let her arms fall to her sides. ¡°If you must know, I learned of the Rite in the Veiled Library.¡±


    ¡°The Veiled Library contains no entries on the Rite.¡±


    ¡°¡­And how can you be so certain of that?¡±


    ¡°I simply am.¡±


    The two of them eyed each other, the tension growing. Scarlett wondered if Mistress had any inkling about Thainnith¡¯s legacy, hidden away in the Library¡¯s forbidden section. She doubted it. Then the question was how the woman might react upon learning about it.


    ¡°I did not say that I read it in the Veiled Library,¡± Scarlett said at last. ¡°Only that I learned of it there.¡±


    With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed the [Sacred Flame]. In its place, the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence] appeared, its weight familiar in her hand.


    Mistress¡¯ attention snapped to the strange metallic bracelet. She went quiet, her masked gaze lingering on it. Scarlett, in turn, studied both her and the Orrery¡¯s reaction with interest.


    She had deliberately kept the artifact concealed during the night¡¯s proceedings, unsure how Mistress or someone like her might respond to its presence. Now, however, she needed to convince the woman. It was clear that Mistress had no trouble discerning the Orrery¡¯s appearance, suggesting her existence already diverged significantly from fate. The Orrery¡¯s short pointer, oscillating at a point around a sixth of the face¡¯s circumference, seemed to confirm this.


    This was the most intense reaction Scarlett had witnessed from the artifact, save for her own. Frankly, it surprised her. While she had altered some of Mistress¡¯ destined events through their collaboration, the woman had largely acted in line with Scarlett¡¯s expectations in this world. If she were to believe the Orrery now, though, there could be more to Mistress than she had initially believed.


    ¡°Who crafted that?¡± Mistress asked eventually, the earlier tension dissolving. Her gaze flicked back to Scarlett, but she raised a hand before she could respond. ¡°No, don¡¯t answer that. I¡¯d recognize a divinarch¡¯s handiwork from leagues away. Tell me instead ¡ª what is it?¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. ¡°You do not know?¡±


    Mistress let out a dry chuckle. ¡°I may appear to be an all-knowing, self-sufficient savant,¡± she said, ¡°but even I have limits. You could count on two fingers the number of mages in existence capable of discerning the purpose of Thainnith¡¯s creations at a glance, and one of those was the man himself. I¡¯m not so blustering as to claim any of my names is the other.¡±


    Scarlett considered her response before dismissing the Orrery once more. ¡°It is a device for measuring the divergence of fate. Thainnith created it to track the influence of the Anomalous One.¡±


    Mistress touched a slender finger to her pale cheek. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I will not be relinquishing it, if that is what you are thinking,¡± Scarlett stated.


    ¡°Oh, petal, it¡¯s adorable that you think you¡¯d have any say in the matter if I truly wanted it.¡± The woman¡¯s contemplative gaze stayed on Scarlett, seeming to almost reassess her. ¡°I believe I am starting to piece this puzzle together now, but humor me ¡ª where did you find that fascinating trinket?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°In the Astral Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Truly? How curious¡­ And I presume you brought it to the Veiled Library afterward?¡±


    ¡°I did, yes.¡±


    ¡°And there, did you encounter Thainnith himself?¡± Mistress asked.


    Scarlett eyed her. ¡°¡­I did. A fragment of him, to be precise. But how did you know?¡±


    She¡¯d wanted to ask Mistress about Thainnith¡ªpart of the reason she revealed the Orrery¡ªbut she hadn¡¯t expected the woman to figure so much out on her own.


    An enigmatic smile played at the corner of Mistress¡¯ lips. ¡°Let¡¯s call it Auntie Mistress¡¯ special intuition.¡± Without warning, she stepped closer, the white marble mask coming within a hand¡¯s width of Scarlett¡¯s face. Its ruby eyes gleamed, as if trying to bore into her very thoughts.


    ¡°That cruel man,¡± Mistress said, a darkly amused lilt colouring her voice. ¡°And people call me heartless. They¡¯re right, of course, but that¡¯s hardly comparable.¡±


    Scarlett retreated a step, her brow drawing together. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Mistress tapped her own temple. ¡°Am I wrong in assuming that clever mind of yours now holds a great deal more information in it than when we last met? That it¡¯s been indelibly stuffed with knowledge of a rather¡­dated variety?¡±


    Scarlett paused. ¡°¡­So you are already aware of Thainnith¡¯s legacy, then.¡±


    ¡°His legacy? That¡¯s a generous term for whatever he may have left you, but I suppose it¡¯s marginally more useful than a chocolate teapot. I¡¯m more surprised that he bothered leaving anything behind for us mere mortals and mortal-adjacents.¡±


    ¡°It is what taught me of the existence of the Rite of Primal Harmonisation,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it did, along with a wealth of other tasty crumbs of Zuver wisdom. Such a repository would be a treasure trove for any mage or scholar alive today.¡± Mistress studied her for a few seconds. ¡°Assuming it didn¡¯t reduce their brains to a quivering mass of cerebral jelly, of course.¡±


    Scarlett stared at her.


    The woman continued casually, though her words were laced with an almost morbid curiosity. ¡°What truly astounds me is that you¡¯re still standing, frankly. Humans are ever-so-fragile, and their minds even more so. Little more than walking sacks of meat waiting to decay and topple over, really. I¡¯ve yet to meet any that don¡¯t crumble after a few casual prods at their intellectual goo grotto, much less one that could survive having an entire library crammed into their skull, regardless of its size. How many do you think survive the whispers of Zenthas¡¯ dreams, hmm?¡±


    A flicker of unease wormed its way into Scarlett¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­What exactly are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Haven¡¯t I made it clear enough already?¡± Mistress¡¯ voice dropped, her tone almost mocking. ¡°Well, alright. I¡¯ll spell it out. You, Baroness, should be dead. Pushing up daisies. Deader than last week¡¯s catch. Wearing the silver shroud.¡±


    Scarlett searched the lifeless mask for any hint of deception, but Mistress seemed utterly serious now. ¡°¡­Because of the legacy?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, because of the price of tea in Baajirr.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips thinned. Honestly, she found this hard to believe. When Thainnith¡¯s fragment had infused her with this legacy, he hadn¡¯t mentioned any danger, and he would have had no reason to lie. He must have known that Scarlett could handle it, right? She was more inclined to trust the knowledge of the greatest mage to have ever lived over almost anything else ¡ª but Mistress rarely spoke without reason.


    Scarlett wasn¡¯t an expert on magic related to the mind, or whatever method had been used to create the legacy. The repository itself also didn¡¯t contain much legible information on the process, so she couldn¡¯t confirm whether the woman¡¯s claim about forcing information into people¡¯s minds truly was that risky. The closest equivalent she knew were Augurs, who received visions directly from the gods, or victims of The Angler Man¡¯s mental attacks.


    ¡­Now that she thought about it, both were explicitly infamous because of the drastic effects they had on a person¡¯s sanity.


    ¡°I do wonder what¡¯s so special about you,¡± Mistress mused, cutting into her thoughts. ¡°Tell me, have you experienced any peculiar symptoms since ¡®acquiring¡¯ that legacy? Strange headaches? Nosebleeds? Sudden urges to recite the entire history of the Luicean Isles while juggling flaming kittens?¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°¡­Headaches are more common, yes.¡± She already knew those were side-effects from overusing the legacy, but as far as she could tell, they weren¡¯t dangerous. ¡°Do you believe the legacy poses a danger to me?¡±


    Mistress shrugged, her golden robes shimmering faintly in the light. ¡°Blazes be feytouched if I know. As I said, I would have expected you to be dead already. What¡¯s keeping you alive is a mystery, and while I do love myself a good enigma, this is one that I think I¡¯ll keep my hands off of.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Scarlett pressed.


    ¡°Oh, there are numerous reasons.¡± Mistress waved a hand lazily. ¡°First and foremost, I¡¯m not your nursemaid. Second, I stand to gain very little. And third, I¡¯ve learned when to rein in my curiosity. If Thainnith was the one who shoved that thing into your head¡­ Well, let¡¯s say that there are few people I¡¯ve ever bothered with the troublesome task of harboring any sort of respect for, but he is one of them.¡±


    Scarlett studied her closely, unsure of what to make of this. If anyone could provide answers about the potential risks associated with the legacy¡ªaside from Thainnith himself¡ªit would be Mistress. But if she wasn¡¯t willing to get involved, that complicated things.


    Then again, Mistress could simply be wrong. She didn¡¯t have all the details. The system¡¯s effects on Scarlett were unique, and the woman¡¯s ignorance of those could explain why Scarlett was mostly fine, even if it should be dangerous. But Thainnith didn¡¯t appear to know about the system either, so¡­


    What did this mean? Should Scarlett be worried? Thainnith¡¯s legacy had already proven useful to her in various ways, and it held a whole lot more promise in the future. But risking her life unnecessarily was not something she could take lightly.


    Not that she knew what she could do about it at this point.


    Mistress watched her for a moment longer before turning and striding to the center of the room. She grabbed the upright staff standing there and rapped its end against the floor three times. A section of the wall to Scarlett¡¯s right rumbled open, and with a snap of the woman¡¯s fingers, a trail of tiny flames sparked into the air, leading towards the opening. The listless Emberling immediately bounded after them.


    Mistress looked back at Scarlett. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ve instilled enough existential dread in you for one day. You were asking me to help you perform the Rite of Primal Harmonisation, weren¡¯t you?¡± She motioned towards the iridescent arch-like construct that she¡¯d conjured out of ethereal lightning earlier. ¡°While that does precious little on its own, I suppose there¡¯s not much else for me to do. Come. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Scarlett remained silent for a moment, then squared her shoulders as she forced herself to shelve her concerns. If answers weren¡¯t forthcoming, so be it. She¡¯d figure something out. Right now, she still had another goal in front of her.


    She turned her attention to the newly revealed chamber where the Emberling had gone. Through the opening, she saw that it was cluttered with an array of imposing stone and metal equipment, looking like a strange kind of forge. Information bubbled up from the legacy, confirming that what she needed for the Rite was here.


    ¡°Am I to take it that you agree to help me with the Rite, then?¡± she asked, fixing Mistress with a suspicious look.


    Mistress cocked her head. ¡°Is that skepticism I hear? This is what you are here for, no?¡±


    ¡°True. But I did not expect you to agree so readily.¡±


    In fact, Scarlett had come prepared to bargain.


    Mistress released a dismissive chuckle. ¡°Bagh. What¡¯s a few ancient, secret, reality-bending rites between fellow schemers and power-seekers?¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes. ¡°Presumably very expensive.¡±


    ¡°Inordinately so,¡± the woman confirmed with a straight face.


    ¡°I see. Then name your price.¡±


    Mistress tapped her chin, her other hand drumming its finger against her staff. After a long pause, she sighed. ¡°Just this once, there will be no price. I may be a self-serving manipulator, but even I have a modicum of decency. Deep, deep down. While I may not understand Thainnith¡¯s reason for hampering you with that ¡®legacy¡¯, he would have chosen you for a reason. I¡¯d scarcely call myself an ardent enthusiast of his, but suffice to say that I owe certain¡­debts to his efforts. Consider this my repayment of those.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is surprisingly charitable of you, Mistress,¡± Scarlett said, unable to keep the surprise from her voice.


    Mistress shuddered dramatically. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. I¡¯ll be scrubbing the stench of altruism off for weeks.¡± She waved Scarlett forward. ¡°Now, chop chop, little baroness. Time waits for no mage, not even me.¡±


    Both of them moved into the chamber. The Emberling stood transfixed, its fiery form flickering as it gazed up at a flame dancing before a towering forge of shimmering, pale grey. The structure seemed almost alive, its metal surface rippling like liquid starlight.


    Mistress approached the forge, her staff stopping to hover obediently beside her. With a graceful motion, she pressed a pulsing crystal embedded in its side. The forge roared to life, its depths igniting with dark hues that cast an eerie light across the chamber.


    ¡°If you intend to take up Thainnith¡¯s mantle,¡± the woman said, ¡°you¡¯d do well to choose your allies with utmost care. One never knows when today¡¯s drinking companion could become tomorrow¡¯s assassin.¡±


    Scarlett watched her quietly. ¡°..I believe I do, in fact.¡±


    Mistress glanced back, then smiled. ¡°Hmm. I suppose you do.¡± She returned her focus to the forge, raising a hand. At the far end of the chamber, a series of ornate, rune-covered chests snapped open. A procession of gleaming ingots¡ªsome clear as diamond, others dark as the void¡ªfloated into the air, dancing towards the forge.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Mistress purred, a note of excitement creeping into her voice. ¡°Stand back and observe, little baroness. I¡¯m about to remind this world why they call me Mistress.¡±

 Chapter 271 - Crowning achievements

    Scarlett edged back towards the chamber¡¯s entrance as Mistress got to work at the heart of the forge. Thanks to Thainnith¡¯s legacy, Scarlett knew exactly what she was looking at: an Empyreal Crucible ¡ª a relic from the days of the Zuver, priceless beyond measure and beyond the skill of any contemporary craftsman.


    She watched with slight fascination as Mistress began feeding the Crucible with the assortment of rare and exotic materials floating through the air. Each new material fed into its gaping maw caused the forge to pulse and shimmer with vibrant, otherworldly hues. The woman really wasn¡¯t sparing any expenses.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze followed the intricate rune patterns that materialised across the Crucible¡¯s surface. More than half of the runes, she realised, seemed dedicated solely to containing the forge¡¯s immense energy. But even with such precautions, the chamber¡¯s temperature was rising rapidly. Despite her resistances, Scarlett could feel the oppressive heat building around her.


    ¡°Be a dear and hand me that primordial elemental essence, won¡¯t you?¡± Mistress called over her shoulder, her fingers dancing nimbly across the Crucible¡¯s controls, not sparing Scarlett a glance.


    Scarlett produced the [Sacred Flame (Legendary)], its core glaring with a white-hot radiance. As she held it, the artifact lifted of its own accord, drifting across the room to hover near Mistress. Down on the floor, the Emberling fixed its unblinking eyes on the [Sacred Flame].


    Mistress¡¯ hands moved in a blur, one manipulating a beating crystal embedded in the forge while her other hand clutched her staff, its azure-tipped gem flashing. With a single motion, she conjured a stream of ochre-red dust from a rune-covered chest nearby. The dust floated, swirling in the air, before settling around the Emberling in the form of a complex arcane pattern.


    ¡°Back in the day, this is where you¡¯d have some cleric of whichever deity you¡¯re choosing to bother channel the binding through the essence,¡± Mistress remarked casually as the [Sacred Flame]¡¯s fire intensified. ¡°But we¡¯ll dispense with the formalities. It was always more pageantry than necessity.¡±


    The Crucible¡¯s interior had transformed into a vortex of energy, the various materials melding and transmuting within. Mistress tapped her staff against the stone floor, and the [Sacred Flame] surged forward, plunging into the heart of the swirling maelstrom.


    The forge blazed. In a heartbeat, its inner flames flared to an unbearable brilliance before being consumed by the [Sacred Flame], which expanded to fill the Crucible. Waves of colour danced within, their intensity growing as the chamber¡¯s heat reached dangerous levels. The very air seemed to vibrate as the contained power strained against the Crucible¡¯s wards, and Scarlett was forced to channel her pyrokinesis just to hold her ground. Mistress, on the other hand, appeared unmoved by the inferno.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± the woman¡¯s voice cut through the heat. At her words, the runes encircling the Emberling ignited, and the creature¡¯s form sharpened, its body becoming more distinct as it rose into the air. Seemingly unperturbed, it simply stared into the Crucible.


    Scarlett observed as Mistress¡¯ magic guided the Emberling into the forge. The pseudo-spirit was drawn towards the all-consuming fire, vanishing into the burning depth like a moth to a flame. No immediate reaction followed, but Scarlett knew there was more.


    Mistress placed a hand on the Crucible¡¯s surface, causing a gleaming barrier to slide into place, sealing the forge. The chamber remained agonisingly hot, but at least the inferno was temporarily contained.


    Turning to Scarlett, Mistress met her gaze through her marble mask, her ruby eyes seeming to glow. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve brought a suitable anchor?¡±


    Scarlett raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you expect me to provide that as well,¡± Mistress said, a note of exasperation creeping into her voice.


    After a pause, Scarlett reached into her [Pouch of Holding]. She withdrew the [Tiara of Lost Benediction]. While she was reluctant to part with her only other Legendary-tier item, she couldn¡¯t deny that this seemed an appropriate use for the artifact.


    Mistress extended her hand, and the tiara lifted from Scarlett¡¯s fingers, floating gracefully through the air. She plucked it deftly from its trajectory, examining the tiara with a critical eye. ¡°I suppose this will do,¡± she muttered, moving to a section of the Crucible where the runes were conspicuously absent, replaced instead by an array of glinting crystals. With a quick touch, a portion of the metal surface morphed, creating a recess that fit the tiara perfectly. As the artifact settled into place, the compartment sealed.


    Mistress released her staff and began gingerly regulating the crystals, which flared to life in a dazzling display of chromatic light. Even Scarlett, who was terrible at sensing mana, felt the overwhelming surge of power emanating from the woman as the forge thrummed with newfound energy.


    The temperature started rising again, and Scarlett was soon forced to retreat out of the chamber entirely to save her mana, continuing to watch from the relative safety of the main chamber. From there, she could see Mistress performing the Rite of Primal Harmonisation ¡ª though it didn¡¯t look much like a ¡®rite¡¯ at all, to be honest. Still, Scarlett understood some of the theoretical underpinnings involved.


    The process included binding the essence of a spirit or something similar¡ªsuch as the Emberling¡ªto a primordial essence, stabilising the essence¡¯s existence in the Material Realm. Usually, such things were only ever partially present here.


    Minutes passed as Mistress performed her work. Eventually, the runes on the Empyreal Crucible began to flicker and faded, signaling the rite¡¯s nearing completion. The woman manipulated the controls, and the Crucible¡¯s main compartment reopened, revealing an empty interior still brimming with the residual energy from the conflagration that had burned within.


    Mistress reached inside, pulling out a single object. It resembled a circlet, its surface blackened with a char-like, obsidian substance. Scarlett steeled herself, channeling just enough of her pyrokinesis to keep the oppressive heat at bay as she re-entered the sweltering room. Mistress turned towards her, holding out the charred artifact. ¡°There you have it. One Rite of Primal Harmonisation performed. You better be grateful.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the darkened circlet, frowning in mild distaste.


    Noticing her hesitation, Mistress glanced down, then clicked her tongue. She snapped her fingers, and the blackened crust crumbled away like ash, revealing the true form beneath: a slender band of pale white metal, just large enough to fit on the head but deceptively modest in appearance.


    ¡°There. Happy?¡± the woman asked, extending it towards her again.


    [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction (Unique)]


    {Born through ancient forgotten rites, this crown harbors the unified essence of sacred and elemental flames, its true power waiting to be discovered}


    Scarlett studied it closely. She had honestly hoped for a Divine-tier item, but there were occasions when Unique-tier artifacts rivaled their divine counterparts. Given the extraordinary materials and process used in its creation, she had no doubt this circlet outclassed anything she had at the moment, including her sacrificed [Tiara of Lost Benediction].


    It also boasted a far less ostentatious¡ªand embarrassing¡ªlook.


    Scarlett reached for the circlet, surprised by its cool touch, a stark contrast to the heat clinging to the chamber. Her fingers brushed over its edges as she carefully reached out with her senses towards the newly forged artifact, trying to establish a connection. It felt similar to when she had used the [Tiara of Lost Benediction], but slightly different.


    Her brow creased in concentration as she began to probe the circlet¡¯s latent power. At first, faint red runes flickered to life along its circumference, casting a soft glow across her skin. Scarlett¡¯s eyebrows lifted as a sudden wave of mental clarity swept through her, dispelling some of the fatigue and the dull headache that had plagued her throughout the evening. It was like inhaling fresh air after being stuck inside for too long.


    That was a nice surprise. The circlet had retained¡ªpossibly even enhanced¡ªthe stat-boosting properties of the [Tiara of Lost Benediction].


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Pushing further, the runes ignited brighter. The air glimmered as the Emberling materialised on the ground between her and Mistress, its fiery, fox-like form unchanged from before.


    ¡°Ah, what a pity,¡± Mistress sighed, her voice laced with genuine disappointment. ¡°All that delectable essence, gone to waste.¡±


    Scarlett ignored her, focusing intently on the artifact. She could tell there was more to it. Maybe part of that intuition came from the legacy, but she was pretty confident she knew how to draw the circlet¡¯s potential out.


    She extended her free hand and conjured a flame, a small orb of fire hovering just above her palm. The Emberling¡¯s eyes immediately locked onto it. Focusing on the circlet, Scarlett felt the runes pulse in response. Suddenly, tiny ethereal flames erupted around the circlet, wreathing it in a mesmerising dance of flames that floated harmlessly over Scarlett¡¯s palm where they touched it.


    The fire in her other hand, meanwhile, flared unpredictably, and before she could react, it singed her skin. She blinked, instinctively dispelling the flame. For a moment, she stared at her hand. Given her high fire resistance, that was unexpected with such a weak flame.


    Her eyes narrowed in thought. For some reason, she was pretty sure there were even more surprises in store.


    Trusting her instincts, Scarlett conjured several smaller flames in the air around her. She held out the circlet, watching as the ethereal fires licking its surface grew more potent. The flames she¡¯d conjured drifted towards it, absorbed into the artifact¡¯s cold metal.


    Traces of a warm, invigorating energy suffused her body, and she observed with growing fascination as the singed skin on her hand began to heal. The minor burn vanished, her hand returning to its unmarred state.


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    Scarlett clenched her fist, sensing a subtle but distinct surge in physical strength. It was far from overwhelming, but it was noticeable.


    Some form of fire-fueled body enhancement magic, then? That was¡­interesting, to say the least. She was familiar with mana-based skills that could produce similar effects in the game, but using fire as the source? That was a first.


    A faint smile tugged at her lips as she flexed her fingers, testing the newfound strength. Could this be applied defensively as well? What were its limits? While she doubted it could bring her to the level of individuals like Fynn or Leon, this power could help mitigate her long-standing physical weakness.


    When she had more mana to spare, she would need to explore this in more depth.


    Returning her attention to the circlet itself, Scarlett wondered if that was all. From what she could tell, though, there was still something more stirring within the artifact, as if it was asking to borrow more of her energy. Narrowing her focus, she reached deeper into the circlet¡¯s power. In response, the flames coiling around it exploded outward, enveloping the entire circlet until it had transformed into a crown of pure, radiant fire resting in her palm.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened as she felt the artifact begin to greedily drain her mana at an alarming rate. Realising the danger, she acted swiftly, using her [Charms of Expeditious Change] to remove it and cancel the effect before it could deplete her reserves entirely. The flaming crown disappeared, leaving her slightly winded, staring at the now empty space in her hand.


    ¡°Careful now,¡± Mistress¡¯ amused voice broke through the silence. ¡°It¡¯s always wise to exercise caution when playing with unfamiliar artifacts. Especially ones this potent.¡± She tapped a finger against her marble mask. ¡°This mask and my staff were also forged through the Rite, and even I faced some challenges at first.¡± She tilted her head slightly, the smirk audible in her voice. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not entirely true. But at your level, I imagine it would¡¯ve been quite the ordeal.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved from Mistress¡¯ mask to the staff, which remained standing upright on its own. She hadn¡¯t realised both were products of the Rite. If she remembered correctly, the staff was classified as Divine-tier. She wondered what made her circlet different. Was it actually weaker, or were the classifications more arbitrary than she thought? She supposed it depended on whatever mechanism the system used to determine these things.


    She turned back to Mistress. ¡°Then did you¡ª¡± she began, but her question was cut short by a thunderous crash from behind.


    Mistress¡¯ lips curved into an expectant smile. ¡°Well, well. It seems my other guests have finally arrived. A bit tardy, but who am I to complain?¡±


    Before Scarlett could process the words, she sensed a surge of sinister energy rushing towards them. Mistress raised her hand, conjuring a shimmering barrier of light just as a writhing mass of dark-green energy, streaked with ominous crimson, slammed into it. The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, gouging deep furrows in the stone floor.


    ¡°Always the same dramatic entrance,¡± Mistress remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. ¡°One would think she¡¯d tire of it eventually. This place doesn¡¯t just repair itself, you know.¡±


    Scarlett turned towards the source of the attack. Back in the main chamber, a group of figures had emerged from the arch-like gateway Mistress had conjured earlier. One of the figures stood out immediately ¡ª cloaked in dark robes, with wild silver hair and piercing, eerie green eyes that seemed to cut straight through her.


    Malachi.


    The woman was flanked by an assortment of demons, their presence filling the space with a thick, noxious miasma that seemed to corrode the very air.


    Malachi¡¯s hand, still swirling with corrupted gloomy energy, lowered as she strode forward, her face contorted in barely contained fury. She stopped just at the threshold of the chamber they were in, her burning gaze fixing upon Scarlett.


    ¡°You,¡± she said bluntly.


    Scarlett¡¯s expression remained impassive, though her brow furrowed slightly. "It has been some time, Malachi,¡± she replied coolly. ¡°I cannot say that I appreciate being attacked upon first sighting.¡±


    The half-demon clicked her tongue, the sound unnervingly sharp, carrying a weight that threatened to send a shiver down one¡¯s spine. Scarlett wasn¡¯t particularly adept at reading these things, but it was obvious Malachi had grown more powerful since their last encounter. The stolen Authority from Anguish had clearly taken root.


    ¡°I was unaware you would be here,¡± Malachi said, turning her gaze towards Mistress with barely concealed irritation. ¡°She was my target.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, someone¡¯s in a foul mood,¡± Mistress replied airily, earning only a withering glare in response.


    Scarlett glanced back at the masked woman, recalling her earlier claim that Malachi had moved past their old grievances. It appeared that had been an exaggeration ¡ª hardly surprising, if this was how Mistress acted.


    ¡°I presume you were the one who summoned Malachi here?¡± Scarlett asked.


    She¡¯d been wondering about that strange device Mistress had activated earlier. She wouldn¡¯t have thought the woman had somehow modified it to allow a Vile¡ªor at least a pseudo-Vile¡ªto pop up so easily.


    Mistress nodded, her tickled gaze shifting from Malachi to Scarlett. ¡°Indeed, I was. And that, petal, means it¡¯s time for you to make your exit. Now, shoo.¡± She waved Scarlett away dismissively.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°What games are you playing now, Mistress?¡± Malachi demanded.


    ¡°Oh, dozens, as always,¡± the masked woman replied flippantly. ¡°But none that particularly require both of you here at the same time. Not anymore.¡± She continued waving Scarlett away as if trying to shoo a fly.


    Scarlett stood firm, eyeing Mistress with thinly veiled annoyance. Eventually, Mistress stopped her motioning and sighed dramatically. ¡°Ugh, fine. I¡¯ll use words if I must.¡± She pointed at both Scarlett and Malachi. ¡°I had intended for the three of us to have a pleasant little chat. A girl¡¯s talk, if you would. But I really can¡¯t be bothered anymore. I¡¯ve performed far too many charitable deeds lately, and I have to draw the line somewhere, don¡¯t I? You can thank old Thainnith for this, Baroness dearie, but if you want to parley with our quasi-Vile here, you¡¯ll have to perform a blasphemous summoning ritual on your own time. So, now, shoo, shoo.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened as her eyes narrowed further.


    ¡°Come now, don¡¯t give me that look,¡± Mistress said. ¡°I just helped you fashion an artifact that would have half the empire¡¯s nobility drooling with envy and the other half completely incapable of comprehending its worth. What more could you possibly ask of me?¡±


    A low hiss escaped Malachi as the demons behind her bristled menacingly. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this charade, Mistress?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to that, once our esteemed friend here has taken her exit,¡± Mistress replied, fixing Scarlett with an unsettlingly patient smile. ¡°Feel free to leave the same way you came. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have any trouble figuring out how. And rest assured, I¡¯ll wrap things up here before the conclave resumes.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze moved between Mistress and Malachi, studying the latter for a moment. What did Mistress have to discuss with Malachi that she¡¯d initially wanted Scarlett privy to? There were plenty of possibilities, but she didn¡¯t like not knowing for certain.


    She was also frustrated at missing the chance for a proper conversation with Malachi herself. She¡¯d been wanting to speak with the new Vile for some time now.


    ¡°Clock¡¯s ticking,¡± Mistress added. ¡°Dawdle too long, and I really will translocate you out of here myself. I can¡¯t guarantee you won¡¯t find yourself in a rather¡­compromising situation if that happens.¡±


    Scarlett shot the woman one last glare before heading towards the chamber¡¯s entrance. As she passed, Malachi¡¯s intense green eyes followed her.


    ¡°I believe it would be beneficial if we spoke, when circumstances allow,¡± Scarlett told her.


    Malachi¡¯s gaze lingered on her before the woman replied, voice cold. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll see. If I deem you correct, I¡¯ll contact you myself.¡±


    Ignoring the hungry stares of Malachi¡¯s demons, Scarlett continued to the far side of the underground chamber, where the armillary sphere she had used to get here stood waiting. She cast one final glance back at Mistress, who waved lazily through the chamber opening, before placing her hand on the sphere.


    Drawing on the knowledge imparted by Thainnith¡¯s legacy, she activated the complex mechanism, focusing on Mistress¡¯ office in Dawnlight Palace. The image of the empty room flickered in her mind¡¯s eye.


    If the imperial family ever learned that Mistress had installed a device like this inside their palace, they¡¯d probably be apoplectic. It represented a significant security breach, but then again, when it was Mistress in control, such things probably felt trivial.


    As her surroundings shimmered and shifted, Scarlett found herself standing once more in the office of ¡®Evelia Blackwood, Imperial Advisor¡¯. She started to turn, ready to leave the place, but a thought made her pause.


    She glanced back at the armillary sphere.


    ¡­Actually, there should still be some time before the conclave resumed, right? An opportunity like this didn¡¯t come often. There was something she¡¯d long been curious to investigate. It would have been impractical, if not impossible, to attempt on her own, but this artifact gave her options she typically didn¡¯t have.


    And after all, Mistress had said she could leave the way she came, but she never specified the destination.

 Chapter 272 - Some slight trespassing

    Scarlett stepped towards the armillary sphere, her fingers momentarily hovering above its cool, metallic surface. Then, with a deliberate touch, she activated it. The artifact hummed in response, but instead of returning to Mistress¡¯ hidden underground chamber, she allowed her consciousness to slip outward. Her awareness expanded, extending from the confines of the Imperial Advisor¡¯s office.


    Soon, the halls of Dawnlight Palace unfolded beneath her mental gaze. Servants hurried along the corridors, their footfalls soundless in her mind¡¯s eye, while stoic Palace Guards stood at attention, their armor gleaming in the warm light of various enchanted chandeliers. In the banquet hall, the nobles and dignitaries mingled, and Scarlett spotted more than one familiar face. She lingered there for a moment, confirming she still had some time before the conclave reconvened.


    Satisfied, Scarlett narrowed her focus. She knew roughly where to search.


    Her consciousness skimmed through the palace, slipping past bustling chambers and shadowed alcoves until she found a place that seemed to match her goal ¡ª a secluded room devoid of both guards or other prying eyes. A quick scan confirmed there was no one around, and with another activation of the armillary sphere, her surroundings shimmered and transformed.


    Scarlett found herself in a spacious, dimly lit chamber, its walls lined with bookshelves crammed with various tomes and works. A large, arched window on the far wall revealed a sweeping view of the frozen Rellaria Lake, its silvery-white expanse gleaming beneath the moonlit sky. Below the window, an ornate canopy bed rested, its frame carved from a dark, burnished wood. Plush quilts and silk pillows were piled high atop the mattress to form a tiny mound of luxurious comfort.


    As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Scarlett carefully surveyed the room, triple-checking that she was alone. The armillary sphere in Mistress¡¯ office was a Zuverian artifact, and courtesy of Thainnith¡¯s legacy, Scarlett knew it had more functions than simply connecting the woman¡¯s underground chamber to Dawnlight Palace.


    For one, it possessed capabilities similar to the spell Aetheric Repatriate, which Dean Godwin had once used to teleport Scarlett to the Zuverian ruins on the Resting Eye. Unlike Godwin¡¯s spell, which required a physical focus to trigger the return, Scarlett could feel a tether still linking her to the armillary sphere in Mistress¡¯ office. That should allow her to return when she was finished here.


    Scarlett first turned her attention to the room¡¯s many bookshelves. The sheer quantity of texts suggested the occupant was an avid reader. It was almost a small library in its own right. She moved towards the nearest shelf, squinting slightly as she examined the titles. There were volumes on a vast array of topics, including military strategy, statecraft, economics, history, and more, each meticulously organised by subject and author. Scarlett also found several works on the Zuver in their own dedicated section, from modern imperial treatises to ancient tomes written in the Zuverian script.


    She ran her fingers over the spines, making a mental note of certain titles, searching for anything that seemed out of place or particularly noteworthy. If she had the time, she wouldn¡¯t have minded inspecting each and every single one in detail.


    Eventually, she turned to the two large desks near the entrance. One held various writing implements and the like, while the other was cluttered with open books, maps, and notes, as well as what appeared to be partially translated Zuverian texts. Scarlett conjured a small flame above her hand, illuminating the surface.


    Her eyes roamed over the documents. She imagined that the imperial family¡¯s own investigators had already combed through this room, but they wouldn¡¯t have known exactly what to look for. While Scarlett wasn¡¯t necessarily sure she did either, her game knowledge did give her a distinct advantage. After all, these were the private quarters of the first imperial princess. The same place where the young woman would have conducted much of her research prior to her ¡®disappearance¡¯.


    There were still aspects of the first princess¡¯ vanishing that troubled Scarlett. Questions that couldn¡¯t be answered by her game knowledge alone. Chief among these was, of course, the possibility that the princess was collaborating with another player-like entity, one that didn¡¯t quite follow the original game narrative. Scarlett had long suspected this, but her only real evidence still came from her discoveries in the Zuverian ruins on the Resting Eye.


    Carefully, she began sifting through the papers before her. She recognised a few of the Zuverian works, noting that there were several half-written accounts that included maps and observations from various regions of the empire that housed Zuverian ruins ¡ª both those Scarlett knew to be discovered and undiscovered. However, nothing seemed to indicate the princess¡¯ immediate destination or intentions.


    Then again, that wasn¡¯t really what Scarlett was interested in.


    She turned her attention to the desk drawers, sliding them open one by one, searching their contents for something¡ªanything¡ªthat might offer clues about this potential player that the princess might have gotten involved with. The first contained only mundane items¡ªstationery, wax seals, and a few scattered coins. The second held similar tools and papers. But as she opened the third drawer, her hand paused.


    A slight frown formed on her brow.


    Nestled inside was an emerald-green, leather-bound book with gilded edges and elegant script, adorned with stylised illustrations of castles, dragons, and heroes.


    Was it a compendium of folklore or fairy tales of some kind? It seemed wildly out of place among the scholarly texts and administrative tomes that filled the room.


    At first glance, it didn¡¯t appear to hold any particular significance.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Curious, Scarlett lifted the book from the drawer, her fingers tracing the embossed patterns on the cover before carefully opening it to the first page. She turned to the next, and the next after that, and gradually, her eyes widened as she absorbed the contents.


    To a casual observer, the book might have seemed innocuous. The opening illustration portrayed a wistful princess gazing up at a star-strewn sky from her castle balcony, rendered with exquisite detail. Subsequent pages unfolded into a series of intricate vignettes, chronicling the princess¡¯ journey as she left her sheltered existence to embark on a grand adventure. Alongside a small band of compatriots, she battled fearsome monsters and overcame daunting obstacles on what seemed to be a quest to save the world.


    On the surface, it really wasn¡¯t anything more than a typical fairy tale ¡ª a fanciful narrative of heroism and adventure that could easily be commonplace in this world. But as Scarlett studied the illustrations, a chill coursed down her spine.


    The cast of characters depicted in them was disturbingly familiar.


    A majestic white-furred wolf, its form wreathed in swirling winds and crackling energy. An eclectic bard with flowing locks, whose very shadow seemed to hint at hidden depths and lurking terrors. A knightly figure clad in a cerulean cape, wielding a sword of shimmering blue light. A wizened sage with a gangly frame and perceptive eyes. A diminutive figure cloaked entirely in dark clothes and a concealing hood, revealing only a pair of creeping, emerald eyes. And finally, a nondescript hero whose appearance subtly shifted from scene to scene, valiantly leading the princess and the others through each trial.


    Scarlett spent several minutes poring over the images, uncertain whether to trust her own eyes. The first two characters were suspicious enough, but the others were unmistakable. Despite their stylised and somewhat ambiguous renderings, they perfectly resembled the companions from the game she knew so well.


    The wolf was undoubtedly Fynn, portrayed in an abstract, yet pointedly accurate manner. The bard had to be Rosa, hinting both at the woman¡¯s own tormented past and the ever-present specter of Anguish. The knight in the cerulean cape mirrored a loyal companion players could recruit later in the game, while the wizened ¡®sage¡¯ bore a striking resemblance to another potential ally. If you included the princess character, the book illustrated all five of the possible ¡®good¡¯ companions from the game. The remaining two characters matched the descriptions of an extra companion and what was¡ªpresumably¡ªthe ¡®hero¡¯ or player character themselves.


    This couldn¡¯t possibly be a coincidence.


    The question was, why did the first imperial princess have this book in her room? And perhaps more importantly, why did it exist at all? Who had created it? The book seemed almost tailored specifically for the first princess, focusing only on the ¡®good¡¯ companions. But for what reason?


    Mind racing with possibilities, Scarlett continued flipping through the pages, hoping to find some answers without success. None of the illustrations even depicted any specific situations or events that she recognised from the game; rather, they were more like general scenes from a children¡¯s picture book. It was only the characters that were familiar. She scoured the cover and each page for any mention of an author or artist, but even that was missing.


    Had this book existed in the game as well? She doubted it had, or at the very least, the first princess hadn¡¯t owned or been aware of it. If Scarlett had to guess, whoever created it either had insight into the ¡®fate¡¯ guiding this world or was intimately familiar with the game¡¯s setting like she was.


    She wasn¡¯t sure which scenario was more plausible. From what she¡¯d learned, reading and understanding fate was both incredibly rare and seldom precise. It seemed odd that someone with that ability would go to the trouble of creating a story like this one based solely on those visions. Then again, it was equally strange for someone familiar with the game to do so.


    But even putting aside the book¡¯s origins, what did its presence in the first princess¡¯ quarters mean? Did this imply that the princess knew there was a predestined path for this world? And that she herself might play a crucial role in that?


    While the picture book alone didn¡¯t explicitly identify the princess character as the first princess, why would she have it if she didn¡¯t somehow suspect its significance?


    Scarlett didn¡¯t know what to make of it. In a way, this did explain some things, if one could overlook the mountain of questions the book¡¯s existence posed. In the game, the first princess abandoned her royal duties to join the player¡¯s party for a mix of reasons ¡ª her stifled life as a princess, and her realisation of the hidden threats resurfacing that needed to be investigated. Still, her decision to leave had always seemed a little odd to Scarlett. The princess was in a position to enact change by leveraging her authority, and she was respected by many despite her young age, so her abrupt departure felt both impulsive and immature.


    Scarlett had accepted it in the game, even if it had perplexed her. The first princess she knew was generally a logical, level-headed character, even when emotional ¡ª but games were games. In this world, Scarlett had initially assumed the situation would be no different.


    But after hearing about the princess¡¯ disappearance, she had begun entertaining the possibility that other factors were at play, even though she¡¯d had no concrete evidence of what those might be. Perhaps this book in her hand was a piece of that puzzle.


    She studied the pages longer, considering their implications. First of all, she needed to figure out where it came from. That might give her insight into the princess¡¯ actions and, hopefully, shed some light on this potential other player¡ªor other forces¡ªinterfering with this world¡¯s narrative.


    But how should she go about finding out more information about the book? Depending on how rare it was, there might not be much available outside of the princess herself, and asking her wasn¡¯t exactly an option. Nor was questioning any of the palace staff close to the princess.


    Maybe Beldon was her best bet. She wasn¡¯t sure if Mirage specialised in this type of investigation, but it would be the best way to discreetly track down the book¡¯s source. If she was lucky, it might not even be that complex of a task. Otherwise, she could always¡ª


    Scarlett tensed as she heard the soft rustle of fabric behind her. She spun around, her gaze darting to the large bed at the far end of the room, dimly lit by the moonlight filtering through the window.


    She narrowed her eyes. There was nothing there.


    For a moment, she wondered if she¡¯d imagined it. Then, there was a faint movement. Among the plush pillows and luxurious quilts on the bed, a pair of sleepy eyes¡ªframed by stray gold locks glinting in the moonlight¡ªblinked owlishly at Scarlett.


    Scarlett stared, caught off guard. The urgent thought that she needed to leave now only registered after a long second had passed. But before she could move, the pillows stirred, and the bed¡¯s occupant rose slightly. A delicate hand emerged to rub at tired eyes, as the covers slipped down to reveal a young girl in elegant nightclothes, her golden hair falling in disarray over her shoulders.


    The girl¡¯s eyes, still clouded with sleep, focused on Scarlett. As comprehension slowly dawned in those eyes, Scarlett realised who this girl was.


    She was face to face with none other than the second imperial princess.

 Chapter 273 - This princess is in the right castle

    ¡°Regina¡­?¡± The young princess¡¯ voice sounded out, soft and confused, as she blinked sleepily in the dim light. Her face was still slack with drowsiness, the fog of sleep slow to clear, but gradually, she seemed to register that the figure before her wasn¡¯t who she had expected.


    A stretched silence fell over the room, and Scarlett found herself rooted to the spot, caught between conflicting instincts. One part of her urged to bow, to show the reverence expected when facing a member of the imperial family. Another part screamed to activate the spell that had brought her here and vanish before it was too late. She knew neither option was particularly wise at this point, though. Fleeing now would only ensure a witness to her actions without resolving the situation, and supplicating herself wasn¡¯t much better.


    What was the second princess even doing here, of all places? And buried beneath a mountain of quilts and pillows, no less. Had she been hiding on purpose?


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes flicked around the room, half-expecting a Royal Guard to step out from the shadows. That felt unlikely, though. Holdger ¡®The Mammoth¡¯ was the one who typically guarded the princess, and he was a man whose imposing stature lived up to his moniker. She would definitely have noticed him earlier when scouting the area through the armillary sphere.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the princess eventually spoke, her confusion growing. She adjusted her position on the bed, pulling a pillow embroidered with delicate gold thread into her lap like a shield. Though her movements were slow, they betrayed her effort to make sense of the unexpected situation.


    Scarlett studied the girl briefly, weighing her options. Was it safe to bet that the princess wouldn¡¯t recognise her if she vanished now? No, even if that was the case, the princess would tell others, and a vague description of Scarlett would be enough to raise suspicions.


    ¡­After several seconds, she finally let out a quiet sigh. She extended her hand towards the flame she had been using as a reading light, causing it to bloom into a warm, steady glow that illuminated more of the room.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Imperial Highness, the second star of the Empire,¡± she said, dipping into a graceful curtsy. ¡°I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    The princess stared at her, silent and unblinking. ¡°¡­You¡¯re that lady,¡± she replied after a while, almost matter-of-factly.


    Scarlett paused, momentarily taken aback. ¡°¡®That lady¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You were in the garden that time,¡± the girl continued.


    Scarlett eyed her for a couple more seconds, recalling the event. The princess was referring to their brief encounter during the Proclamation Ceremony nearly half a year ago, when Scarlett had stumbled upon the girl and Allyssa in one of Hamet Garden¡¯s hidden nooks.


    It was surprising that the princess remembered something like that.


    ¡°I am honored that Your Highness recalls our meeting,¡± Scarlett said, inclining her head.


    A quiet moment passed as the princess regarded her, any sense of caution¡ªwhat there had been of it, at least¡ªgone as her gaze swept across the room. ¡°¡­This is sister¡¯s room.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. She assumed the princess was asking about why she was here, rather than making an observation. If so, her composure was impressive. Most would be alarmed to wake and find a stranger rummaging through their sibling¡¯s chambers, but the princess¡¯ reaction was¡­


    Well, minimal.


    Still, Scarlett knew she couldn¡¯t simply ignore the question. She needed an explanation, something plausible that wouldn¡¯t ignite suspicion. But what could she say that wouldn¡¯t lead to drastic consequences? While she could easily overpower the young girl, leaving no witnesses, the very thought was abhorrent. Violence was not an option here.


    ¡°Your Highness, I presume you are aware of the first princess¡¯ disappearance?¡± she asked carefully.


    The girl met Scarlett¡¯s gaze before offering a wordless nod.


    ¡°My presence here is related to that issue,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°His Highness, the crown prince, sought my assistance a few weeks ago due to my expertise in the field of Zuverian research that the first princess has been involved with. My investigation has led me here.¡±


    It was the best excuse Scarlett could muster here on the spot, and it wasn¡¯t too far from the truth.


    The second princess remained silent, simply watching her for several long seconds, her face now completely unreadable. Scarlett didn¡¯t know what thoughts were going on behind that mask. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke. ¡°Do you know where sister is?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not,¡± Scarlett replied, somewhat unsure whether the girl had just accepted her explanation or not.


    The princess¡¯ gaze dropped back to the pillow in her arms. Her fingers traced the ornate embroidery. ¡°Why did she leave?¡±


    The question caught Scarlett off guard. She studied the princess, and for a fleeting moment, she felt a pang of familiarity. Despite their obvious differences, the girl reminded her of her own sister at that age. It had been the same last time they met as well. Perhaps it was the air of concealed isolation that seemed to cling to them both, surrounded by a world far too preoccupied with its own complexities to care about them.


    ¡°Regrettably, Your Highness, I cannot answer that,¡± Scarlett said.


    The reminder of that part of her past left a bitter taste in her mouth, frankly. Those hadn¡¯t been the best of days.


    Her attention fell to the emerald-green, leather-bound cover of the book in her hand, adorned with fanciful script and illustrations.


    Even if she had an inkling of why the first princess had left, it wasn¡¯t something she could¡ªor should¡ªshare under the current circumstances.


    The princess glanced up again, her eyes searching. Did she suspect Scarlett or not? Anyone would find a stranger in their sister¡¯s room suspicious, even more so within the palace walls. Yet the girl¡¯s reaction remained unsettlingly neutral.


    ¡°¡­You have a sister, don¡¯t you?¡± the princess asked suddenly.


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. How did she know that? While the Hartford family wasn¡¯t unknown, it wasn¡¯t to the extent that everyone was familiar with all its members. Why would a princess bother learning about a minor house like theirs? Was it simply part of her education, perhaps? If so, the girl¡¯s memory could be more impressive than Scarlett had thought.


    ¡°I do, Your Highness,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°She is close in age to the first princess.¡±


    The princess studied her for a moment longer. ¡°Would you leave her?¡±


    Scarlett stilled, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the book. Why was the girl asking these questions of someone she¡¯d barely met?


    ¡°¡­It would depend on the circumstances, Your Highness,¡± Scarlett said slowly. ¡°We cannot always control the hand that we are dealt. Sometimes, we are forced to make difficult choices, even if it means hurting those close to us. Or, at the very least, we believe we must do so.¡± She hesitated briefly, then added, ¡°In my case¡­ I believe I would, yes.¡±


    The admission seemed to hang heavy in the air, though Scarlett wasn¡¯t certain why. She didn¡¯t think it was the wrong answer. Hadn¡¯t she already left her sister from her own world behind, in a way? And she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if circumstances pushed her to do the same or worse with Evelyne.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re very honest,¡± the second princess responded, her voice barely above a whisper.


    ¡°I see no reason to be dishonest with you.¡±


    ¡°My sister would have lied.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. ¡°¡­I see. However, I am not the first princess.¡±


    The girl¡¯s head dipped in a nod as her eyes once more fell to the pillow in her arms, her small arms running along its edges. ¡°Mmm,¡± she murmured. The rustle of silk filled the silence as she shifted under the weight of the covers. After a pause, she lifted the pillow slightly. ¡°Mother made this for sister. Before I was born.¡±


    Scarlett watched her, uncertain what to make of the comment. This conversation overall was very strange. ¡°It seems Her Majesty was quite talented in needlework,¡± she observed, in lack of a better response. ¡°I imagine it meant a great deal to the first princess.¡±


    The second princess nodded again, her fingers lingering over a delicate flower stitched into the fabric. ¡°Sister said mother loved us most. That¡¯s why she died. Because of me.¡± She looked up, meeting Scarlett¡¯s gaze with an expression that was eerily calm, though it couldn¡¯t quite hide the shadow of sorrow in her eyes. ¡°Is that normal?¡±


    Scarlett hesitated briefly before answering, her voice measured. ¡°I do not know the specifics of Her Majesty¡¯s situation, Your Highness¡­ However, I believe many mothers would give everything for their children without regrets. Love often drives people to great sacrifices.¡±


    She thought back to what little she knew about the late empress. The woman had died a few years back due to some rare illness, if she recalled correctly. The first princess had mentioned it in passing in the game, but never in detail.


    ¡°Would your mother have done the same?¡± the princess asked quietly.


    Scarlett stiffened, her lips forming a thin line. ¡°She would not,¡± she replied, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them. Despite knowing very little about the original¡¯s mother, she felt instinctively that these words were true.


    As for her own mother, the one from her original world¡­ Perhaps it might have been different¡ªit likely was¡ªbut she had long since stopped dwelling on such thoughts.


    The room fell into a tense quiet, broken only by the dull crackle of the magical flame illuminating the space. The princess¡¯ eyes remained on her, as if trying to read something deeper in her expression, and Scarlett found herself wondering why this had almost become an impromptu counseling session. Could she be truly sure this wasn¡¯t just the girl playing her in some way?


    Seeking to change the subject, she shifted her focus to the book in her hands, raising it for the princess to see. ¡°Your Highness, if I may ask, are you familiar with this?¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes moved to the book. ¡°That is sister¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what it contains?¡±


    ¡°Stories about heroes.¡± A faint note of warmth crept into the princess¡¯ voice. ¡°Sister used to read it to me.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brows creased somewhat. ¡°How long has Her Highness possessed this book? Do you recall how she acquired it?¡±


    The princess tilted her head, as if considering the question. ¡°As long as I remember. I don¡¯t know where it¡¯s from.¡±


    That suggested the book had been in the first princess¡¯ possession for years ¡ª long before Scarlett¡¯s arrival, and likely before any other players appeared.


    ¡°Is there nothing else you can recall? Even the smallest detail could be important. I believe this book may be connected to Her Highness¡¯ disappearance.¡±


    A faint frown crossed the young girl¡¯s face. She glanced down, and after a long pause, she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I see. That is¡­unfortunate,¡± Scarlett said, masking her disappointment.


    Then was Beldon her best shot at uncovering more about it?


    Alternatively, if she could study it further and figure out its purpose from its contents, that might give her an idea as well. But she was a bit at a loss as to where to begin. The fact that the book appeared to depict scenes featuring the ¡®good¡¯ companions from the game couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. Was it meant to serve as some hint? A cryptic directive to gather them? Or maybe the book itself was some sort of vestige of a ¡®good¡¯ playthrough of the game. That seemed doubtful, considering the party size limits prevented you from having all of them together.


    Scarlett¡¯s mind worked through some of the different possibilities. In her case, assembling all the good companions wasn¡¯t really feasible in the short term. There was a reason why Fynn and Rosa were the only ones she¡¯d recruited so far. The first princess had never been a viable option, and locating and enlisting the knight companion would be difficult for someone like her. As for the sage, he was all the way in the Unresting Steppes, and his background was possibly even more problematic than Rosa, with all her baggage.


    ¡°¡­Do you think my sister is safe?¡± the princess¡¯ quiet question broke into Scarlett¡¯s thoughts.


    Scarlett returned her attention to the girl, nodding. ¡°I am certain that she is,¡± she replied. ¡°Though Her Highness¡¯ precise whereabouts remain unknown, my investigations suggest she is not alone. Whoever she is with, they are likely quite capable of protecting her.¡±


    If the first princess was indeed involved with another player or someone with similar abilities, her chances of survival and growing stronger were high. Of course, this world¡¯s divergence from the game¡¯s narrative introduced numerous variables, so she couldn¡¯t entirely dismiss the possibility of something unforeseen having befallen the woman, but Scarlett didn¡¯t see the point in burdening the young girl before her with that info.


    The princess¡¯ shoulders seemed to relax, if only slightly. ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± she said quietly. Her eyes moved briefly towards the glowing flame lighting up the room, then returned to Scarlett. ¡°Were you here for tonight¡¯s conclave?¡±


    ¡°I was, Your Highness,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°Recent events have demanded much of my attention, but I attended the conclave in part to further my investigation into your sister¡¯s situation.¡±


    ¡°If you find her¡­would you tell me?¡±


    Scarlett inclined her head. ¡°If that is Your Highness¡¯ wish.¡± She paused, then added, ¡°In return, may I request a favor?¡±


    The girl watched her in silence for several moments before nodding.


    Scarlett carefully chose her next words. ¡°I would be grateful if Your Highness could keep my presence here tonight between us. While the crown prince did enlist my help, few are aware of my involvement. There are those who might use knowledge of my role¡ªand any details related to the first princess¡¯ disappearance¡ªfor their own nefarious purposes.¡± She stopped briefly before continuing. ¡°Some of the methods I have employed to conduct this investigation are also ones that I cannot reveal freely, even to those who would be considered an ally. That is why I have taken great care to avoid drawing attention to my visit. Your discretion would be most invaluable, Your Highness.¡±


    In the end, as long as the second princess remained quiet, her encountering Scarlett tonight wouldn¡¯t become a problem. The girl seemed to have plenty of things to worry about on her own, and from what Scarlett had observed, the imperial household wasn¡¯t the closest of families. Maybe it was entirely possible to secure the princess¡¯ complete silence.


    However, if the girl did speak, it would present a serious problem. How would her word weigh against Scarlett¡¯s? Without concrete evidence, there was a chance that her claims would be dismissed as childish imagination. But even then, it would just bring far too much attention to Scarlett.


    For a brief, passing moment, the thought of simply eliminating all risk by ensuring the princess couldn¡¯t speak while she had the opportunity resurfaced in Scarlett¡¯s mind. The thought lingered for just a second before she crushed it. She wasn¡¯t that much of a monster.


    As she considered all of these things, the second princess continued watching her in silence, and Scarlett wondered if she understood the gravity of the request.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the girl finally agreed.


    Scarlett stared at her. She had to admit that she hadn¡¯t expected it to be that easy. She¡¯d thought it possible to convince her, but the girl¡¯s unhesitating agreement was surprising. Could she be dissembling out of fear, planning to report Scarlett¡¯s presence as soon as she was gone?


    She didn¡¯t get the feeling that was the case. In both this interaction and their previous one, the princess struck her as someone who didn¡¯t hide her thoughts, even if she seemed the type to try to suppress them.


    Scarlett watched her for a while longer before speaking again. ¡°You have my thanks, Your Highness.¡± She glanced at the book in her hand, then back to the princess. ¡°Might I keep this for the time being? You have my word that I will return it. Until then, it may prove critical in locating your sister.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. It¡¯s fine,¡± the princess replied.


    Scarlett carefully placed the book in her [Pouch of Holding], then looked towards the window, where the moon hung high in the star-filled sky. ¡°I believe the conclave will reconvene shortly. I must take my leave, Your Highness.¡±


    The young royal kept her eyes on Scarlett, her expression neutral, though a flicker of curiosity showed through. ¡°Farewell,¡± she said, almost too softly to hear.


    Scarlett reached out to the formless tether that connected her to the teleportation artifact in Mistress¡¯ office, but then stalled. Her gaze lingered on the princess, who sat alone on her sister¡¯s bed, looking smaller and more fragile than her years would suggest.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Scarlett began, then stopped herself when the princess¡¯ head cocked slightly, her gaze on Scarlett seeming to carry a question along with quiet expectation. What was it about this girl that made her pause? ¡°¡­No, forgive me. It would be presumptuous of me to offer counsel at this point. Simply know that, should I uncover any insights regarding your sister, I will find a way to inform you. Until then, may you find strength in these trying times.¡±


    With a final, respectful nod, Scarlett turned and walked to the door. She found it unlocked and exited the room, closing the door gently behind her before standing for a moment in the quiet hallway outside.


    She would like to think she could trust her instincts that this wouldn¡¯t cause a problem, but there was still a seed of doubt.


    Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the connection to the armillary sphere. In a ripple of arcane energies, she disappeared from the palace corridors and reappeared in Mistress¡¯ office, where she prepared to rejoin the conclave and then put this night behind her.

 Chapter 274 - Conclusions

    Using the armillary sphere in Mistress¡¯ office, Scarlett reappeared in the restroom where she had first initiated her vanishing act. She smoothed her dress, checked her reflection in the mirror, then returned to the Emperor¡¯s Forum. As she entered the vast chamber, she noted that most of the guests had already returned, but she wasn¡¯t the last to arrive. Both the emperor and several key figures at the central table were still absent.


    Lady Withersworth and Duke Valentino¡¯s wife greeted her as she approached their seats in the galleries. The former fixed Scarlett with a penetrating gaze, the curiosity in her eyes barely concealed. ¡°I trust your meeting with your acquaintance was fruitful?¡± she asked.


    Scarlett settled into her seat. ¡°It went as well as could be expected,¡± she replied evenly. ¡°There were a few unexpected developments, but nothing of great consequence.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lady Withersworth¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°If you say so, dear.¡±


    Their attention was soon drawn to the chamber¡¯s grand entrance as the royal herald¡¯s booming voice rang out. The massive doors atop the staircase swung open, revealing the emperor¡¯s retinue. Scarlett¡¯s gaze was instinctively drawn to the raven-haired woman walking just behind the emperor. Mistress had finished up whatever talks she¡¯d had with Malachi, it seemed, but Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but wonder what those discussions had been about.


    The emperor descended to his throne, the room falling into a respectful silence as he took his seat at the head of the central table. His gaze swept across the gathered nobles and dignitaries.


    ¡°I trust you have all had the time to reflect further on the matter at hand,¡± the man began, his voice effortlessly reaching every corner of the chamber. ¡°Let us resume our discussion regarding the establishment of a barrier across imperial lands, to thwart the Tribe of Sin''s use of teleportation magic. Those who wish to speak, now is the time.¡±


    A stillness hung in the air, heavy and expectant. Then, as if a dam had burst, the chamber erupted into a torrent of voices. Lord Withersworth and his allies¡¯ faction and their opponents clashed in a renewed cacophony of arguments that surged forward, mixed in with the occasional accusation and rebuttal.


    Scarlett almost found herself marveling at how little the break seemed to have tempered the intensity of the debates as she observed nobles, one after the other, raise concerns over the astronomical costs of the project, the crippling of vital trade routes, and the potential devastation of defensive strategies that relied on the Kilnstone network. The counterarguments were just as fierce, pointing out the immediate threat posed by the Tribe of Sin and the need to combat the current incursions before anything else.


    One noble stood and addressed the assembly, asking what would happen if the empire¡¯s eastern borders faced an unforeseen attack from the Undead Council or monsters hailing from the Unresting Steppes. And what would they do in the¡ªhowever unlikely scenario¡ªof the Voneia Kingdom to the west staging an attack without them being able to rapidly deploy troops in defence through the Kilnstones? To that, both the Imperial General and several associates of different knight orders suggested that stationing more permanent military units in vulnerable regions was far from impossible, though some seemed to balk at the mere notion.


    As the discussions raged on, Scarlett found it increasingly difficult to gauge which side held the advantage. Both factions boasted influential speakers. Just judging by the number of voices, those opposing erecting the barrier seemed to have a slight edge. Still, it didn¡¯t escape her notice that certain groups¡ªsuch as the Followers of Ittar¡ªmaintained a conspicuous silence throughout the proceedings.


    Scarlett herself was a bit conflicted on the matter. While she recognised the need to stabilise the empire and had resolved not to obstruct the barrier¡¯s implementation if it moved forward, that didn¡¯t mean she had no reservations. Beyond her suspicions about how someone like Mistress would exploit the situation, the inconvenience of losing access to the Kilnstone network couldn¡¯t be ignored. There was also the question of the costs that might be levied on nobles like Scarlett, even if she could really become exempt from some of them, as Mistress suggested.


    Not to mention, this was a dramatic deviation from the familiar game narrative she had once known. It threatened to render her foreknowledge less useful, and the potential consequences and reaction from the Hallowed Cabal to an event like this wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d had the time to consider yet.


    That said, it wasn¡¯t as if her opinion held any sway here anyhow. Nothing she said would likely change the outcome.


    After what felt like ages of heated debate, the emperor raised a hand, commanding silence. The gathered assembly obeyed, all eyes locking on the man seated on his throne.


    ¡°I can see that this will remain a contentious issue,¡± he began, folding his hands before him. ¡°This does place me in a difficult position, as many of you have expressed valid concerns.¡± He paused, his eyes moving across the chamber. A palpable tension seemed to descend over the Forum as everyone awaited his verdict.


    ¡°¡­.After careful deliberation,¡± the emperor continued, ¡°we shall proceed with this proposal. Henceforth, the project shall be known as the Empyreal Barrier. It may not align with the wishes of all present, but I trust that each of you will do your part to ensure its success. For the sake of our empire and its people.¡±


    The reaction was delayed, his words hanging in the air for several seconds. Then it was as if a collective gasp rippled through the crowd, followed by a din of whispers and exclamations. Scarlett cast a glance at Lady Withersworth, whose expression was unreadable. The same could not be said for several others nearby, their faces painted with a mixture of surprise, quiet apprehension, anger, and agreement.


    Scarlett was curious about how this decision would shape things from here. Even among those who hadn¡¯t been entirely opposed to the proposal itself, there seemed to be a lot of mixed reactions. Presumably, part of that concern came from the precedent set by the emperor using a conclave to push through such a major policy decision.


    How would the rest of the empire¡¯s nobility react? Among the absent were powerful figures like Duke Tyndall and Marchioness Thackeray of Wildscar. No doubt, many would question whether the emperor might already have made his decision long before the conclave and if the views brought up here had any real effect.


    The growing murmur of voices was abruptly silenced when Mistress, under her guise as the ¡®Imperial Advisor¡¯, struck her staff against the floor. The sound reverberated through the chamber like a thunderclap, commanding immediate attention.


    ¡°With the decision made,¡± the emperor resumed, his tone now softer, as if to quell the unease, ¡°the specifics will still need to be further explored by the Imperial Treasury, Ustrum Assembly, and the Imperial Diet. These bodies will oversee the allocation of funds and resources necessary to realise this project.¡±


    While his words didn¡¯t entirely dispel the strained atmosphere, none of the nobles challenged the emperor¡¯s decision directly.


    The emperor¡¯s announcement that the matter was now closed shifted the discussion towards more mundane concerns ¡ª cooperative efforts, trade arrangements, and initiatives that the gathered nobles could undertake or expand upon. These discussions remained outwardly cordial compared to earlier, but an undercurrent of unease persisted through the remainder of the night, like a shadow that couldn¡¯t be shaken.


    As midnight came and went, the conclave began to wind down, with no further significant issues being brought up. The royal herald formally announced the conclave¡¯s conclusion, and the emperor rose with his retinue, making their way up the grand staircase. Scarlett¡¯s eyes followed them, lingering both on the emperor and Mistress before they left the room.


    And with that, it was over.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± a steady voice called out from behind as she and Lady Withersworth walked through the corridor outside the Emperor¡¯s Forum.


    Scarlett turned, her eyes landing on Leon as he approached. His polished black-and-gold armor gleamed under the soft light, the end of his dark hair swaying slightly with his stride. His hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword as he stopped before her.


    ¡°Sir Leon,¡± she greeted, her voice cool and measured, brushing off the curious glances from others in the hallway. ¡°It has been some time.¡±


    During the entire conclave, including her ¡®interrogation¡¯, the man had barely spared her a glance. Yet now, with the proceedings concluded, he wasted no time in seeking her out. She supposed she had to respect his sense of duty, even if it felt somewhat rude considering their official relationship.


    Not that she was judging.


    ¡°Lady Withersworth,¡± Leon added, offering a respectful nod to the older woman. ¡°A pleasure to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, Sir Leon,¡± Lady Withersworth replied, an entertained smile playing at the corners of her mouth as her eyes moved between him and Scarlett. ¡°Perhaps I should give you young ones some privacy?¡±


    Leon shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. This will only take a moment.¡± He turned back to Scarlett, his expression unreadable as his eyes studied her carefully, seeming to weigh his words. ¡°You¡¯ve been¡­busy,¡± he said at last.


    Scarlett met his gaze evenly. ¡°I have, yes. Though I assume the same could be said for you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, yes.¡± His fingers drummed lightly against his sword hilt as the man shifted his weight. His voice grew lower, almost cautious. ¡°¡­Scarlett, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware, but my family might be¡­preparing to take action against you.¡±


    She arched an eyebrow at him. That¡¯s what this was about? ¡°I had noticed,¡± she said dryly.


    Leon frowned slightly. ¡°There¡¯s likely more going on than just what happened during the conclave.¡±


    ¡°If there is, then Marquis Delmon and his wife will have no one to blame but themselves for what follows,¡± Scarlett replied coolly. ¡°However, I personally doubt this will go much further.¡±


    Leon¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. ¡°You don¡¯t know my family like I do, Scarlett. Especially not my mother.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not. But there are certain facts about them that you do not know either.¡±


    Scarlett looked him in the eyes. It was clear from his expression that Leon didn¡¯t fully grasp her meaning, but she was content to leave it at that. She had her own plans to deal with those who¡¯d tried to interfere with her tonight, and the Delmons were at the top of that list. If possible, though, she would prefer an approach that was a bit more subtle than an outright confrontation. She did have more important things to focus on, after all.


    ¡°Was that all you wished to discuss?¡± she asked, looking past Leon in the direction he had come from. ¡°If there is something more substantial, you are welcome to visit my estate tomorrow. This setting is hardly appropriate for an extended conversation.¡±


    Leon¡¯s frown eased slightly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have that luxury. The order is moving out again in the morning. But there are things I¡¯d like to talk about when the opportunity arises.¡± He glanced at Lady Withersworth, then returned his attention to Scarlett. ¡°Also¡­I heard about your sister. You have my condolences. I hope she recovers swiftly.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression tightened briefly, but she quickly composed herself. ¡°I am certain that she will.¡±


    Leon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡± His eyes moved around the corridor, seeming to note the other guests who were giving them curious looks. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you the next time I¡¯m near Freybrook,¡± he added.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Scarlett replied.


    With that, Leon turned and left. Scarlett watched his retreating form for a moment, her mind already moving past the conversation.


    ¡°Ah, the complexities of youthful relationships,¡± Lady Withersworth mused beside her.


    Scarlett spared the elderly woman a sidelong glance. ¡°By now, I am sure you have noticed that Sir Leon and I share no such relationship.¡±


    ¡°True enough, but it¡¯s decidedly more cordial than rumors would have an old lady believe,¡± Lady Withersworth said. ¡°That¡¯s more than can be said for many young nobles.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Scarlett replied noncommittally. It didn¡¯t matter too much. Their engagement, whatever it might have once been, would end when convenient anyway.


    Ignoring the gazes of those around them, Scarlett turned around and continued down the corridor. Guided by one of the palace attendants, they soon reached the palace¡¯s entrance hall, where they stepped out into the extensive square courtyard, now bathed in the cool light of the starry night sky. A procession of carriages stood lined up, ferrying the evening¡¯s guests away. The rhythmic clatter of hooves and the soft glow of lanterns faded into the night as one by one, the vehicles departed.


    Scarlett and Lady Withersworth waited for a few minutes under the warmth of Scarlett¡¯s pyrokinesis, using what had recovered of her mana during the conclave. Their own carriage soon arrived, and they climbed in. The older woman would be continuing her stay with Scarlett while her husband tended to affairs in the capital.


    As their carriage rolled away from the palace, crossing the long bridge that connected it to the rest of the city, a comfortable silence settled over the cabin. Scarlett gazed out the window, her eyes tracing the frozen surface of Rellaria Lake, the lights of Elystead reflected on its ice. Exhaustion tugged at her consciousness as she went over the night¡¯s events in her head.


    The evening had unfolded in unexpected ways. While she wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call it entertaining, it had certainly been¡­interesting. The sheer mental effort required to stay ahead of it all might have been the only thing keeping her alert during the seemingly endless proceedings.


    The conclave itself had been a big surprise. Going into it, Scarlett hadn¡¯t thought much of it, having been led to believe it was primarily a formality. The flimsy¡ªalbeit somewhat accurate¡ªaccusations leveled at her and Duke Valentino during the proceedings had been one thing, but this ¡®Empyreal Barrier¡¯ business was entirely outside the realm of her predictions.


    She wouldn¡¯t be shocked if this decision triggered another wave of violent attacks from the Tribe once they caught wind of it. When that time came, the empire would need to be fully prepared to deal with the consequences.


    As for Scarlett¡¯s own interactions throughout the night, there had been lots of unexpected developments there as well. Not only had Deacon Solnate¡¯s approach and ¡®request¡¯ to meet with Raimond caught her off guard, but her meeting with Mistress had also unveiled more revelations than she¡¯d anticipated.


    Almost unconsciously, Scarlett touched a finger to her temple, rubbing lightly where the dull ache had been lingering most of the day. Mistress¡¯ words about the legacy were troubling. While Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure how much credence to give the woman¡¯s warnings about its dangers, she couldn¡¯t deny the side effects she¡¯d already experienced. The headaches, though manageable, were becoming a regular occurrence when she overused it. The nagging question was how far those effects might go.


    So far, it always stopped at headaches, and they usually subsided once she stopped using the legacy. Did that mean it was safe to continue using it as she had? Considering it allowed her to read Zuverian effortlessly, interact with ancient artifacts, comprehend runes and spell arrays to a certain degree, and even grasp arcane practices like the Rite of Primal Harmonisation, she was hesitant to simply give it up. But if it genuinely posed a danger to her life, was it worth the risk?


    The uncertainty was the problem. Scarlett found it hard to believe that Thainnith¡ªeven if it had just been a fragment of the legendary archmage¡ªwould knowingly have set her on a path that could kill her. But other than him, Mistress and The Angler Man were the only individuals she was aware of who might possess reliable knowledge of these things, but trusting them entirely was the definition of ¡®unwise¡¯.


    One thing she could be sure of, though, was that there was something special about her, something that provided her a measure of protection. At least if Mistress¡¯ surprised reaction was to be believed. The most likely candidate was the system, or some mechanism related to it, but it was hard to tell when its inner workings weren¡¯t even perceivable to Scarlett.


    For now, she would probably continue using the legacy when necessary, albeit more cautiously until she learned more. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose the advantages it gave her just yet, nor did she know how to.


    Even if she did end up somehow having to give it up eventually, the silver lining was that she¡¯d already reaped some tangible rewards. The creation of the [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction (Unique)], for one, genuinely excited Scarlett. Although she¡¯d yet to test its capabilities, she was eager to explore its potential. That artifact alone made the night worthwhile.


    Moreover, the unexpected opportunity to glean more about the first princess¡¯¡¯ disappearance after her meeting with the Mistress had been fortuitous. While what she learned was neither conclusive nor as advantageous as she¡¯d hoped, the existence of the book she had discovered in the princess¡¯ quarters presented a lead worth pursuing.


    The subsequent encounter with the second princess was a bit of a shock, but despite her initial concerns, Scarlett didn¡¯t believe it would pose a real issue. Still, it might be wise if she treaded carefully in any future interactions with the girl ¡ª and with the entire imperial family in general, if possible. She doubted she would have been nearly as lenient or accommodating had it not been for the lingering reverence the original Scarlett held for them.


    Though she had to admit, the fact that the girl had stirred certain memories from her own past likely played a small part as well.


    Regardless, caution would be necessary moving forward. Especially since Scarlett needed to find a way to contact the second princess should she uncover more information about the first princess. She had, after all, given her word.


    Beldon seemed the most obvious choice for facilitating this, though she couldn¡¯t shake the unease that came with trusting him for such a task. Finding an alternative method would be preferable.


    Scarlett exhaled softly as she sank deeper into her seat, feeling the weight of the evening settle on her shoulders as her eyelids grew heavier.


    Whatever. Determining her exact course of action for that could wait for another day. Right now, she was looking forward to a night of well-deserved rest. Tomorrow, she would need to wrap up a few more matters in the capital before she could return to Freybrook.


    As the carriage trundled on through the night, Scarlett let her thoughts drift, the events of the evening slowly fading into the background as more of the exhaustion began to claim her.

 Chapter 275 - Two deacons in one

    When Scarlett awoke to the golden rays of dawn filtering through the blinds, the previous day¡¯s exhaustion still clung to her like a stubborn mist. A flicker of annoyance sparked within her at the sun for daring to disturb her rest, but its brightness told her she¡¯d likely overslept.


    With a tired sigh, she ran her fingers through her tousled hair and sat up, the silken sheets rustling against her skin. Her eyes drifted to the window, tracing the vague outlines of the world beyond the blinds before she finally mustered the will to rise.


    The cool floorboards sent a slight shiver through her as her bare feet met the ground, with the chill of the morning air nipping at her exposed ankles. With barely a thought, her pyrokinesis flared to life, enveloping her in a cocoon of warmth as she crossed the room to the dressing table.


    She spent several minutes preparing herself, much of it devoted to taming her long, dark-red locks, which had grown wilder than usual overnight. Satisfied, she returned to the nightstand beside her bed and retrieved her [Pouch of Holding]. A thought later, her nightwear shimmered and was replaced by a flowing emerald gown, and she left her chambers with a determined stride.


    As Scarlett moved through the Elystead mansion¡¯s half-familiar corridors, her mind wandered to the events of the previous day. Occasionally, she paused to acknowledge the respectful greetings of passing servants, absently admiring the expensive paintings that adorned the walls. Eventually, she arrived at a set of double doors that opened into a large, sunlit hall with tall columns lining a long table at its center.


    Most of her companions, along with Raimond, were already seated, engrossed in conversation over a meal. Lady Withersworth was the only notable absence, but Scarlett assumed the older woman was still sleeping, much like she¡¯d been until recently.


    ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t the belle of the ball,¡± Rosa remarked, the bard¡¯s sharp eyes catching Scarlett¡¯s entrance. ¡°Finally decided to grace us with your presence, eh? Last night¡¯s soir¨¦e must have been quite the affair. What sort of mischief did you fine folks get up to in that fancy palace?¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you as well, Miss Hale,¡± Scarlett replied, her tone cool but not entirely unkind as she moved to take her seat at the head of the table. Her gaze swept over the faces of her companions before settling on Raimond. ¡°And to you, Father Abraham. I see you have made yourself quite at home.¡±


    The priest¡¯s plate was piled high with an assortment of delicacies, and the stack of empty dishes beside him suggested this was far from his first helping. His appetite might even rival Fynn¡¯s, and Scarlett briefly wondered where he managed to put it all. Could he pray away the calories?


    Raimond flashed a dazzling smile. ¡°Who am I, as a humble servant of the resplendent sun, to refuse such magnificent accommodation? The sacred scrolls of Ittar teach us that ¡®To bask in the warmth of hospitality is to honor the rays of the sun and one¡¯s host¡¯. Thus, it is only fitting that I partake generously of this sumptuous feast, for to decline such bounty would be to spurn the very blessings of Ittar himself!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Rosa twirled her fork, a morsel of food balanced precariously on its edge. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that all this time, our dear Fynn wasn¡¯t just being a glutton, but actually practicing the tenets of a devout follower? Mayhap that we have an aspiring priest in our midst.¡±


    Fynn, seated across from the bard, furrowed his brow at her words. ¡°I¡¯m not a follower of Ittar, though,¡± he said with a hint of perplexity.


    ¡°It¡¯s never too late to embark on the path!¡± Raimond exclaimed with infectious enthusiasm, his head bobbing like an eager puppy for some reason. Scarlett found the sight distinctly unfitting a man of his station. ¡°I would not be opposed to taking you under my wing, Fynn, my prospective prot¨¦g¨¦. Rest assured, I would impart only the noblest of virtues and most sacred of wisdoms that come with priesthood. I¡¯m sure you would find it absolutely transformative!¡±


    Fynn¡¯s frown deepened as he eyed the blond man skeptically. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Only in the most technical sense!¡±


    Rosa nodded sagely beside the priest. ¡°That makes it perfectly acceptable.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head with slight exasperation as she removed the silver dome covering her plate, revealing a carefully arranged meal. As she began to cut into a perfectly poached egg, she raised her gaze to the animated priest and bard pair.


    ¡°I trust nothing too outrageous transpired in my absence,¡± she said. ¡°Did the two of you manage to have your ¡®discussion¡¯ yesterday, as planned?¡±


    ¡°We sure did,¡± Rosa replied with a mischievous glint.


    ¡°It was rather illuminating,¡± Raimond added, his voice carrying a note of intrigue.


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°I see. That is¡­reassuring.¡± She raised a forkful of egg to her mouth.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Rosa leaned forward, studying her intently. ¡°How¡¯d your little palace excursion unfold? Was it as mind-numbingly dull as you predicted? Oh, let me guess ¡ª you somehow ended up beguiling a member of the imperial family into a clandestine minuet in the royal gardens beneath the moonlight.¡±


    Scarlett fixed the woman with the flattest of stares. ¡°¡­I most certainly did not,¡± she said firmly. She then shot Fynn a pointed look, silently warning him against getting any ideas about implying that she was lying. ¡°While some aspects of the proceedings surpassed my expectations, and it was not quite as uneventful as I had anticipated, overall, it went well,¡± she continued, returning her attention to Rosa. ¡°I can provide you with a more detailed account later, but for now, I would prefer to focus on my meal.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s lips curled into an intrigued smile. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to hear about it.¡±


    ¡°On a related note,¡± Scarlett redirected her attention to Raimond, her tone turning more diplomatic, ¡°Father Abraham, I had the opportunity to speak with Deacon Solnate of the Quorum before the conclave began.¡±


    The priest¡¯s eyebrows rose dramatically as he looked at her. ¡°Is that so? Now that is an encounter I would have loved to witness. I can picture it vividly ¡ª the frosty composure of our esteemed baroness clashing with the unyielding and steely resolve of my distinguished colleague in faith. Ah, what a pity that I was not present for such a riveting exchange.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°She expressed a similar sentiment. Which is precisely why she will be gracing our estate with her presence later today.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s expression froze, his eyebrows seemingly stuck at their zenith. He blinked once, twice, his gaze locked on Scarlett for a moment of stunned silence. ¡°I¡­beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°Deacon Abram,¡± Deacon Solnate¡¯s voice sliced through the air like a steel blade from the entrance, echoing across the furnished parlor of the Elystead mansion.


    Raimond choked on his water, hurriedly setting the crystal glass down on the mahogany table before him. He cast a pleading look at Scarlett, who sat impassively in her own armchair, offering no help.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Realising he was on his own, Raimond plastered on his most charming smile and turned to the new arrival. ¡°Ah, my dearest friend, what an unexpected pleasure to see you gracing the abode of the reputable Baroness Hartford as well. It is always delightful to discover one¡¯s associates share the same distinguished company.¡±


    Though Deacon Solnate¡¯s ornate gold mask hid her features, Scarlett could practically feel the weight of the woman¡¯s frown. Her steps were measured and heavy as she crossed the room, the rich fabric of her red robes whispering against the floor. ¡°Is that all you have to say for yourself?¡±


    Raimond paused, then spread his arms wide. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any chance we could postpone the impending rebuke and simply bask in the joy of reuniting with a cherished peer?¡±


    The withering silence from Deacon Solnate said more than words could. With a resigned sigh, Raimond slumped back in his seat, shooting Scarlett a wounded look. ¡°And here I thought we were confederates in subterfuge, but it seems you were all too willing to abandon me as soon as someone with a fancier mask came along.¡±


    ¡°Do not drag me into this,¡± Scarlett replied coolly with her arms crossed. ¡°If you wanted your presence here to remain secret, you should have made that clear from the start. You alone are responsible for explaining yourself.¡±


    Deacon Solnate had arrived shortly after noon, and though Raimond had seemed tempted to flee before that, the threat of further consequences had apparently rooted him to the spot.


    The woman brought one hand to the pendant around her neck, which emitted a soft glow as its enchantment muffled their surroundings. ¡°When, precisely, were you planning to inform me of your presence in Elystead?¡± Her question cracked like a whip.


    Raimond winced almost imperceptibly before recovering his smile. ¡°I was rather hoping that ¡®sometime after I¡¯d left Elystead¡¯ would suffice.¡±


    ¡°You were tasked with overseeing and coordinating the Orders of the Solar Hand in their ongoing succour operations,¡± Deacon Solnate reminded him sharply.


    ¡°Ah, but I am!¡± Raimond raised a finger triumphantly. ¡°I¡¯ve been in constant communication with High Priest Goodwin, working tirelessly to channel Ittar¡¯s graceful aid to those poor souls afflicted by the current crisis. I simply haven¡¯t been managing things in person.¡±


    ¡°The Quorum assigned you this task to rein in these wayward tendencies of yours, and to keep you accountable. This¡­dereliction will only further erode their trust in you.¡± Deacon Solnate went quiet for a moment. ¡°¡­How exactly did you convince High Priest Goodwin to support this charade?¡±


    ¡°Elementary, mademoiselle,¡± Raimond said with a roguish wink. ¡°I simply dazzled her with my irresistible charm.¡±


    Judging by the masked woman¡¯s skeptical silence, she did not believe him.


    Raimond cleared his throat. ¡°She also may or may not owe me certain favors. As do a few other benevolent souls who were kind enough to turn a blind eye to my current¡­shall we call it a spiritual retreat?¡±


    Deacon Solnate regarded him for several long, tense moments before releasing a weary sigh, her fingers brushing the edge of her mask. ¡°You¡¯re incorrigible, Raimond.¡±


    ¡°Oh, undoubtedly.¡± Raimond¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver.


    The deacon¡¯s gaze shifted to Scarlett. ¡°Is she the reason you¡¯ve ¡®absconded¡¯ to the capital?¡±


    Raimond shook his head lightly. ¡°She is not, in fact, though I can see why you would think that. My encounter with Baroness Hartford is merely fortuitous happenstance. She recently sought my assistance in gaining entry to the House of Fire, and what kind of resourceful co-conspirator would I be if I couldn¡¯t oblige such a modest request?¡±


    ¡°At least try not to sound like you¡¯re betraying the order,¡± Deacon Solnate said in a cold voice. She turned to Scarlett. ¡°What was your purpose within the House of Fire?¡±


    ¡°I sought to research the temple¡¯s history,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°As you may be aware, it was once a sanctuary dedicated to the fire goddess.¡±


    Deacon Solnate regarded her silently for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Her attention shifted back to Raimond. ¡°Tell me, then. Why are you truly in Elystead?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, the answer to that is somewhat¡­lengthy.¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    Raimond hesitated, leaning forward slightly and steepling his fingers. ¡°My dear Ava, are you perhaps familiar with the ¡®Tribute of Dominion¡¯?¡± he asked, his tone suddenly serious.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed as she watched him closely.


    ¡°I am not,¡± Deacon Solnate answered.


    ¡°Neither was I, until quite recently,¡± Raimond admitted. ¡°But maybe you¡¯ve heard of ¡®Beld Thylelion¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it a Zuverian ruin?¡± The masked woman¡¯s gaze flicked briefly to Scarlett.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Zuverian ruin, if much of what I have found is to be believed.¡± Raimond gestured towards Scarlett. ¡°I had only heard it mentioned in passing before our honoured baroness here suggested I investigate further, and what I discovered was¡­rather unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t draw this out,¡± Deacon Solnate warned. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    A flash of disappointment crossed Raimond¡¯s face. ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d appreciate my efforts at building suspense.¡± He sighed dramatically before continuing. ¡°To put it simply, Beld Thylelion was a structure said to have been constructed by the Zuverian diviniarch Thainnith, ostensibly to house an artifact of immense power. In recent weeks, I¡¯ve pored over numerous texts on the subject, but few agree on any details beyond its potential to eclipse even the Rising Isle in importance. Its location remains even more of an enigma, but it is apparently believed that it will eventually reveal itself and its contents to the world of its own accord.¡±


    Deacon Solnate folded her arms before her chest, the onyx strands framing her mask shifting slightly. ¡°And this ¡®Tribute of Dominion¡¯ is the artifact in question?¡±


    Raimond nodded solemnly. ¡°It would seem so. And as you might have deduced now, it¡¯s likely that the time of Beld Thylelion¡¯s emergence is fast approaching. Groups like the Hallowed Cabal and the Undead Council may already be privy to this information, giving them an advantage in locating the site and claiming the Tribute when it appears.¡±


    ¡°What would that entail?¡± the deacon pressed.


    Raimond shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say for certain.¡± He motioned towards Scarlett once again. ¡°You would have to ask our gracious hostess for more details.¡±


    Solnate turned to Scarlett, the unspoken question hanging in the air.


    ¡°I, too, lack definitive answers,¡± Scarlett said, maintaining a neutral tone. She did not mind sharing this much, having already confided much of it to Raimond. ¡°Based on my research, the Tribute of Dominion could be an unparalleled source of power, much like Deacon Abram suggested. However, it is also connected to three artifacts known as the Seals of Thainnith, which the Hallowed Cabal, in particular, is actively seeking. It would appear these seals are intrinsically linked to their grand design.¡±


    ¡°So you see,¡± Raimond concluded with another of his disarming smiles, ¡°simply ignoring this matter would be the height of folly.¡±


    Deacon Solnate studied him carefully. ¡°Your presence in Elystead is related to this, then?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved to the man.


    ¡°Indeed, indeed.¡± Raimond nodded, his enthusiasm building. ¡°I won¡¯t bore you with the minutiae, but after weeks of mind-numbing research in dusty archives, countless correspondence with various acquaintances and proverbial experts, and no small amount of personal introspection, I¡¯ve drawn some intriguing conclusions about Beld Thylelion¡¯s potential whereabouts.¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t entirely mask her surprise, though she doubted either of the deacons noticed.


    ¡°What evidence have you based these conclusions on?¡± Deacon Solnate asked, echoing Scarlett¡¯s own thoughts.


    ¡°The evidence, as it happens, is as plentiful as stars in the sky,¡± Raimond replied with a flourish. ¡°Or something along those lines. As I mentioned, historical mentions of these ¡®ruins¡¯ are either vague or contradictory, making many of them about as helpful as a blind cartographer. This placed a serious hamper on my efforts. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± His smile turned sly. ¡°But I am fortunate, you see, in that I never let the mire of impracticability deter me. For I believe the key lies in one crucial revelation shared by the baroness ¡ª namely the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s intense interest in acquiring the Tribute of Dominion, and the strong likelihood that they already know its location.¡±


    He raised a single finger. ¡°Consider this: The Tribe of Sin and the Cabal have long opposed the empire, but where does this perseverance originate from? Their persistence hints at a deeper motive beyond their unfortunate¡ªif understandable¡ªwish for the empire¡¯s downfall. If we examine their initial attacks on various settlements several months back, we see that they are unlikely to have been random. Reports from Guild members and knight orders suggest they were searching for something specific. Having looked at records of previous conflicts with the Tribe, I can confirm that this pattern, at times, repeats throughout history.¡±


    He paused, allowing his words to sink in. ¡°I am not the first to make this connection, but the reason behind it has always remained unknown. However, based on the baroness¡¯ insights, I chose to make the assumption that this all ties to their ultimate goal concerning the Seals of Thainnith and the Tribute. By mapping their activities across generations with this supposition, I uncovered several fascinating findings. More than mere coincidence, many of the Tribe and Cabal¡¯s movements¡ªincluding the locations of confirmed Enclaves¡ªappear to have hidden purpose behind them, concealing what can best be described as ritualistic formations or natural arrays across the land. These seem to highlight locations of great significance.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s expression grew more serious. ¡°To give an example, the Resting Eye is one such location. And I strongly suspect Elystead and its surroundings to hold similar importance, which is why I have come here in person to further investigate. These aren¡¯t random occurrences; they are calculated moves in a centuries-old game. And we, my friends, are finally beginning to understand the board.¡±

 Chapter 276 - And the list grows

    Scarlett studied Raimond closely.


    He was right.


    She had been underestimating him, it seemed. Only a little over a month had passed since she¡¯d disclosed the existence of the Tribute of Dominion and Beld Thylelion¡¯s impending opening to him, yet he had already made remarkable progress. In fact, his deductions were uncannily accurate.


    Beld Thylelion was near Elystead.


    That he had somehow pieced this together was beyond impressive, especially considering how he¡¯d done it. Scarlett¡¯s latest reports from the mage towers and Adalicia¡ªwho were also researching the subject¡ªindicated they were still decrypting the Tabernacles that led to Beld Thylelion¡¯s discovery in the game. But this man had somehow surpassed their efforts simply by scrutinising the Cabal¡¯s movements more closely.


    True, Elystead was apparently just one of several possible locations on his list, and he didn¡¯t seem entirely sure of anything yet, but even getting this far was remarkable.


    For a moment, Scarlett felt a flicker of concern that he might uncover Beld Thylelion too soon, but she quickly dismissed those worries. Even if he¡¯d narrowed down the location, actually finding it was highly unlikely. Moreover, the set opening time meant he couldn¡¯t enter prematurely.


    Scarlett herself was very close to having everything she needed to enter, so the chances of anyone beating her to it now were slim.


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume I accept your claims,¡± Deacon Solnate said, fixing Raimond with a penetrating gaze. Her eyes, hidden behind her mask, seemed to bore into him. ¡°For now, I won¡¯t question the details, though I expect a thorough report later.¡± Raimond visibly tensed at the word ¡®report¡¯ for some reason. ¡°There are several matters you¡¯ve been keeping from me lately, Raimond. Chief among them is your apparent collaboration with Baroness Hartford.¡±


    ¡°Well, you never asked,¡± Raimond replied with a handsome smile, earning him another annoyed stare. The air between him and the deacon became thick with her disapproval.


    ¡°While I will not in any way attempt to defend him or his unseemly personality,¡± Scarlett interjected, ¡°Deacon Abram¡¯s and my partnership is of an exceedingly sensitive¡ªand dangerous¡ªnature. It concerns elements within the very leadership of the Followers of Ittar. Such matters are not easily shared, even with trusted allies.¡±


    ¡°Was the jab at my personality truly necessary?¡± Raimond asked, his tone tinged with hurt. Scarlett pointedly ignored him.


    Deacon Solnate turned her gaze to Scarlett, regarding her for a long moment before giving a curt nod. ¡°I agree. I think I made my intention not to persecute you over this clear yesterday, Baroness. However, considering Deacon Abram has been leveraging my status and resources to investigate the information you provided¡ªafter managing to get his own authority restricted¡ªI would have expected some degree of transparency. It seems his habit of acting unilaterally without regard for others remains as unchanged as ever.¡±


    Scarlett tilted her head slightly. ¡°I see. Then I can only offer my genuine sympathies for having to contend with him on a regular basis. I have a retainer who presents similar¡­difficulties.¡±


    ¡°Does yours also lack the awareness or ability to read the room and insist on making ill-timed remarks regardless of the gravity of the situation?¡± Solnate asked with a touch of exasperation.


    ¡°Sadly, yes,¡± Scarlett replied, shaking her head. ¡°Though I believe it is less about awareness and more about a complete disregard for the inconvenience they cause others.¡±


    ¡°That describes this frivolous buffoon perfectly,¡± the woman said, clicking her tongue in irritation.


    Raimond¡¯s eyes flicked between them, a complex expression on his face. ¡°While I am delighted to see that you two ladies are bonding so splendidly over a shared disdain for my character, is this thorough dissection of my flaws absolutely necessary? Especially right in front of me?¡±


    Scarlett and Deacon Solnate exchanged one final knowing look before the masked woman turned her full attention to him. ¡°Setting that aside, do you not find me trustworthy, Raimond?¡±


    He blinked, momentarily caught off guard. ¡°I, uh, did ask a question of my own just now, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t merit a response,¡± the deacon spoke coolly. ¡°Mine does. Now, answer.¡±


    Cornered with no allies to turn to, Raimond looked at the two of them, then released a resigned sigh, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Truly, there is nothing more formidable than a woman scorned. Woe is me for having maneuvered myself into such a precarious position. If only I were a more debauched man, perhaps I¡¯d take joy in having two dour and domineering women piercing me with their disapproving gazes.¡± He cleared his throat, focusing on Solnate. ¡°But to answer your question, my dear Ava, this matter has nothing to do with trust. Or rather, it had nothing to do with my trust in you, for that is unshakeable and bulbously boundless. My reasons for not involving you sooner were twofold: I wished neither to impede your duties and interactions with our fellow deacons, nor to jeopardise the trust our esteemed Baroness Hartford has placed in me by carelessly divulging her secrets.¡±


    Deacon Solnate remained quiet for a few seconds, leaning forward slightly in her seat, her arms uncrossing. Her mask obscured her face, but her strict posture spoke volumes. She glanced over at Scarlett once more. ¡°I¡¯m assuming your report on her involvement in the Citadel incident left out quite a bit?¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Neither Raimond nor Scarlett responded immediately, the silence stretching out between them.


    The woman observed them both. ¡°At this point, there¡¯s little to be gained in further hiding it. I understand there¡¯s more to this than meets the eye, and I haven¡¯t forgotten your original assessment of the Baroness, Deacon Abram.¡± She paused, her gaze settling on Raimond with an intensity that seemed to pierce through his facade. ¡°¡­I still have faith in your judgement on that. But your current approach is far from ideal. My people and I cannot conduct our investigation effectively while working with fragmented and incomplete information. I am not asking to be directly involved in your collaboration with Baroness Hartford, but we share the same goal of rooting out any corruption within our ranks. Continuing to withhold key details doesn¡¯t benefit any of us.¡±


    Raimond was quiet for a beat longer, then his face split into a broad smile, his arms spreading. ¡°As long as Baroness Hartford has no objections, I have absolutely no qualms about working more closely with you. In fact, nothing would please me more!¡±


    He cast a quick look Scarlett¡¯s way, as if seeking her approval, but Scarlett didn¡¯t see the point in it. It was clear he¡¯d already surmised that she was fine with it since the start of this meeting.


    Deacon Solnate also looked to Scarlett, and finding no objection, leaned forward further, her voice turning more earnest. ¡°Then we are in agreement. If so, I would appreciate it if you could start by sharing details on these new findings of yours, Raimond.¡±


    Later that afternoon, Scarlett and her companions gathered in the mansion¡¯s foyer as Deacon Solnate and Raimond prepared to take their leave. Deacon Solnate¡¯s masked appearance betrayed little emotion as her gaze swept over Scarlett and the others, while Raimond looked as though someone had thoroughly trampled his favorite hat.


    Much to his chagrin, while their discussion had concluded with Solnate allowing him to continue investigating the Beld Thylelion matter, his fellow deacon was now insisting he leave with her ¡ª presumably to keep him under much closer scrutiny from here on out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity you must depart so soon,¡± Lady Withersworth¡ªwho was also present¡ªremarked, her attention focused on Raimond. ¡°I must say, it has been quite some time since I last encountered a priest as droll as you. Our brief conversation was rather invigorating.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up with renewed vigor, his earlier dejection seemingly forgotten as he stepped closer to the noblewoman. ¡°Ah, the sentiment is most assuredly mutual, my lady. They say age is but a number when it comes to wit and wisdom, but some numbers are worth more than others. Rarely do I have the privilege of conversing with a mind as delightfully sharp and seasoned as yours, and I feel there are many fascinating topics we have yet to explore. Indeed, why don¡¯t I linger a while longer so that we might further exchange our thoughts and engage in a lively discourse of ideas?¡±


    ¡°You will do no such thing, Father Abraham,¡± Deacon Solnate interrupted, her voice laced with an unspoken threat. ¡°Do not make me regret the concessions I¡¯ve already granted you, against my better judgement.¡±


    Scarlett offered the woman yet another sympathetic look. ¡°I do not envy the challenges you face with him.¡±


    ¡°Regrettable as it is, I¡¯ve long since grown accustomed,¡± the woman replied. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to appreciate his talents rather than dwell on his eccentricities.¡±


    Raimond¡¯s lips twitched in a half-smile, his eyes narrowing. ¡°I find myself simultaneously flattered and wounded by your words.¡±


    ¡°Just focus on the compliment,¡± Rosa chimed in, grinning. ¡°That¡¯s my strategy whenever Scarlett starts critiquing me.¡±


    ¡°And that, precisely, is part of your problem,¡± Scarlett said, giving her a tired look.


    Raimond nodded solemnly. ¡°Words of profound wisdom from my eloquently resplendent compatriot, as always.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is enough of the banter,¡± Deacon Solnate interjected sharply, moving towards the exit. ¡°Father Abraham, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Before you go,¡± Scarlett said, stepping forward, ¡°I would first like to express my gratitude for your assistance during yesterday¡¯s conclave, Deacon Solnate. While I am uncertain how necessary it truly was, your backing was undoubtedly valuable.¡±


    The masked woman paused, turning back to face Scarlett. ¡°Think nothing of it.¡±


    ¡°There is another matter I have been curious about, however,¡± Scarlett continued.


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± Deacon Solnate asked.


    ¡°It concerns the Followers¡¯ stance on the Empyreal Barrier. You remained silent on the topic during yesterday¡¯s proceedings. Am I to interpret this as the Followers of Ittar taking a neutral position?¡±


    ¡°¡®Empyreal Barrier¡¯?¡± Raimond perked up, the interest in his voice clear. ¡°What is this unfamiliar term I hear gracing my ears? It seems I¡¯ve fallen behind on the latest in the realm of political intrigue and machinations.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll brief you later,¡± Deacon Solnate said, casting him a brief glance before returning her focus to Scarlett. ¡°As for our stance, the internal politics of the imperial court typically aren¡¯t a concern the Followers involve ourselves with.¡±


    ¡°Unless it relates to policy touching on faith, morality, tradition, or the occasional bout of heresy,¡± Raimond casually added.


    Solnate stared at him. ¡°¡­As I was saying, we do not typically interfere in court matters unless we deem it necessary that our voice be heard on a certain issue. In my view, the Empyreal Barrier could be beneficial for the empire, but I¡¯m familiar enough with the other deacons to know the Quorum would be deeply divided. Particularly since much of the funding will likely be expected to come from us, even if not explicitly stated.¡± She hesitated, as if contemplating whether to mention the next thing. ¡°That is partly why I didn¡¯t speak up¡­ However, I also doubt that our uncertain stance would have influenced the emperor¡¯s decision.¡±


    Scarlett remained silent for a moment, considering her words. ¡°I see,¡± she eventually said.


    It seemed the woman leaned more towards assuming the emperor had planned everything from the start, then.


    The group exchanged their farewells, with Rosa and the others offering Raimond their well-wishes. As he and Solnate departed, Lady Withersworth turned to Scarlett with a knowing smile.


    ¡°My dear, you seem to collect influential connections as a child gathers seashells,¡± she remarked, her tone both impressed and amused.


    Rosa smirked. ¡°Yeah, but unlike seashells, these connections come in a lot more colors. You should just see some of the people Scarlett surrounds herself with.¡±


    Scarlett stifled a sigh, her mind already drifting to the tasks ahead. There were still some things to wrap up here in the capital, and then it was back to Freybrook ¡ª where Evelyne, barony matters, the Rising Isle, and a whole slew of other concerns awaited her.


    Compared to all that, dealing with the likes of Rosa and Raimond on occasion really wasn¡¯t that bad, honestly.

 Chapter 277 - Heated recaps

    Scarlett¡¯s remaining time in Elystead passed in a relatively leisurely fashion, marked by very few notable events. She accompanied Lady Withersworth on several visits to the older noblewoman¡¯s acquaintances and her daughter at the Ustrum Assembly, but beyond that, Scarlett only occupied herself with minor matters until it was time to return home.


    The journey back to Freybrook proper was short and uneventful. Kilnstone travel had been reserved for the nobles and dignitaries who had attended the conclave, both to and from the capital, simplifying the arrangements for the trip.


    As their carriage rolled through the gates of the Hartford estate, Scarlett gazed out the window at the winder-bound landscape. Little had changed in Freybrook during their brief absence.


    At the back of her mind, the Loci stirred, its nascent awareness seeming to welcome her return. Scarlett took a moment to borrow its senses, surveying the ground to ensure all was in order before gently pushing the Loci¡¯s presence back into her subconscious.


    After disembarking and entering the mansion¡¯s foyer, she bid her temporary farewells to her companions and ascended the grand staircase. Her footsteps echoed through the empty corridors as she made her way towards Evelyne¡¯s quarters. Despite the lingering awkwardness and tension between them, someone had to update Evelyne about the conclave¡¯s proceedings, and she supposed it was easiest for her to handle that task.


    Pausing briefly before the oak door to the woman¡¯s room, Scarlett took a steadying breath, preparing herself. Then, with a soft knock, she entered.


    As before, the room was cloaked in dim light, the heavy curtains tightly drawn. The sharp scent of disinfectant had faded, replaced by a more subtle aroma of herbal remedies. As Scarlett¡¯s eyes adjusted to the gloom, she pointedly ignored the painting in the corner that seemed to demand her attention and kindled fires within. Instead, she focused on the bed, where Evelyne¡¯s figure lay motionless beneath the covers.


    Bandages still obscured parts of Evelyne¡¯s face, extending down over her left shoulder. Although Scarlett had been informed that the injuries were healing, the sight still fueled the anger within her.


    Evelyne appeared to be asleep, but as Scarlett approached, she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, before settling on Scarlett.


    ¡°¡­Scarlett?¡± she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.


    ¡°Yes, it is me,¡± Scarlett replied, keeping her tone even.


    Evelyne blinked several times, slowly processing her presence. Then her eyes widened in recognition. With a light grimace, she pushed herself upright against the headboard. ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you left for Elystead?¡±


    ¡°I did. Now I returned,¡± Scarlett said simply, not really sure of the best way of circumventing the awkwardness her visit carried with it. This was their first real conversation since her return from the Rising Isle, and much from that time remained unresolved.


    Scarlett also had no plans for addressing those matters today.


    Surprise flickered across Evelyne¡¯s features. ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t realise that much time had passed¡­¡± Her gaze drifted downward, briefly examining the blankets covering her legs.


    Seeing Evelyne in such a languid state triggered another surge of anger in Scarlett ¡ª directed both at the Hallowed Cabal for injuring the woman and, paradoxically, at Evelyne for allowing it to happen. Scarlett fought to quell those irrational emotions before speaking again. ¡°The conclave has concluded. I thought you might want to know the results of the proceedings.¡±


    Evelyne looked up, her expression reflecting both surprise and a something akin to gratitude. ¡°You came here yourself to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I appreciate that,¡± Evelyne said, her voice softening. ¡°Please, go on.¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I will share what I recall. The conclave covered various topics, from resource allocation to the distribution of manpower¡­¡±


    She provided Evelyne with a general summary of the less significant discussions that had taken place, including the reports and minor agreements between lords and factions. While Scarlett hadn¡¯t been able to keep track of everything during the actual proceedings, Lady Withersworth had later reviewed the details with her to ensure she was well-prepared.


    Despite still appearing tired from sleep, Evelyne listened attentively, occasionally interjecting with a question or two. Scarlett answered as best she could, though she suspected her responses weren¡¯t as comprehensive as Evelyne might have liked. Still, keeping the woman informed would help when she eventually recovered enough to resume her duties in the barony.


    After covering the less pressing matters, Scarlett paused, her expression growing more serious. ¡°While these topics are of some relevance to our barony, it all pales in comparison to what I am about to tell you. In fact, this may have been the true purpose behind the conclave.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Evelyne asked, reaching for a glass of water on the nightstand beside her bed.


    ¡°The loyalists proposed a project called the ¡®Empyreal Barrier¡¯,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°It involves constructing a network of arrays across all imperial lands to prevent certain forms of advanced translocation magic, like that used by the Kilnstones and the Tribe of Sin. This would be invaluable in preventing the current monster attacks, but the costs are projected to be considerable, and all are expected to contribute. It was, without a doubt, the most contentious topic of the conclave, but His Majesty pushed it through nonetheless.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s eyes widened again. ¡°Seriously? The emperor went that far? I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have expected that.¡±


    ¡°Few did, I suspect,¡± Scarlett replied. As far as she knew, this was the first time this emperor had done something so controversial.


    Evelyne studied Scarlett for a moment. ¡°What do you think of this?¡±


    Scarlett was quiet for a brief while, considering her response. ¡°¡­I do not have a strong opinion on the matter.¡± It was both a convenience and an inconvenience for her. ¡°For the empire, I believe this is one of the best courses of action that can be taken at present. It may also prove to be a surprising boon for our barony, depending on things unfold.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Evelyne asked.


    ¡°The Empyreal Barrier will require several pylons to be constructed near imperial Kilnstones, serving as anchors for the Barrier¡¯s array,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°These pylons need an immense supply of mana and a number of rare, expensive components, meaning much of the cost will be tied to them. Locations that can reduce those costs by, even slightly, will be prioritised. I have been informed by a reliable source that our estate might be considered as a candidate for Freybrook¡¯s pylon, which could bring several significant advantages to us due to the savings it could offer the empire.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    A slight frown creased Evelyne¡¯s brow. ¡°Is that because of that Loci thing you have in the back garden?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Can it handle becoming one of these¡­pylons? If this Barrier is as extensive an array as you say, that¡¯s going to require some serious power.¡±


    ¡°I believe it can.¡±


    Mistress probably wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it if it couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Evelyne hesitated briefly. ¡°¡­Are you okay with that? What would it mean for the estate? Will we be able to stay?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°¡­I do not know. However, I am not certain we will have a choice.¡±


    At this point, everything was hypothetical. It wasn¡¯t even clear that the empire was aware Scarlett had something like the Loci, though it would likely come to some people¡¯s attention once they started surveying Freybrook for suitable locations. What happened after that remained to be seen.


    Though Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure she would be willing to give up the mansion entirely, if that was what it came to.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Evelyne muttered, her shoulders slumping slightly. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. ¡°Was there anything else that came up during the conclave, or was this all?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze lingered on the younger woman, taking in her bandaged face and the pallor that had settled over her complexion after days of bed rest. Should she mention the part where she and Duke Valentino were brought up for questioning in front of the entire assembled conclave?


    ¡°¡­There is nothing else of significance,¡± she finally answered.


    It was probably easier to keep quiet about that particular incident for now. Besides, it wasn¡¯t important at the moment, and she doubted Evelyne would approve of her plans to teach certain meddlesome nobles a minor lesson.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Evelyne sighed, more of her exhaustion seeping through. She leaned her head back against the headboard, her eyes drifting closed. Judging by her behaviour, the tension between them seemed to have eased slightly. ¡°I guess just this much is already enough to process. Beyond just the Tribe and Cabal¡¯s attacks, it makes one wonder where the empire will be in one year. At least I¡¯ll have plenty to think about while I¡¯m stuck here. It feels like I¡¯m sleeping most of the time, but when I¡¯m not, being cooped up all the time gets to you.¡±


    ¡°That is only to be expected,¡± Scarlett said, watching her for a moment before turning towards the door. ¡°I have said all I came to say. I will take my leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait,¡± Evelyne called quietly.


    Scarlett turned back to see Evelyne sitting up a bit straighter, her expression hesitant. ¡°Scarlett¡­about last time¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no need to bring that up,¡± Scarlett interrupted.


    "But I want to talk about it."


    Scarlett met her eyes with a firm look. ¡°I do not.¡±


    Evelyne fell silent, studying her intently. ¡°¡­Why?¡± she eventually asked, her voice low.


    Scarlett remained still, her posture tense as they regarded each other. The silence stretched between them grew heavy. Finally, she spoke, her voice carefully measured. ¡°There are many reasons. But mainly, it is because there is much I do not know.¡±


    The original¡¯s past mostly remained an empty canvas for her.


    Confusion flickered across Evelyne¡¯s face. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Scarlett held her gaze for a little longer before lifting her hand. With a subtle motion, she activated the [Charm of Expedient Change], and a gold garnet ring materialised her finger. The deep red stone on its face seemed to pulse with a faint, inner light. ¡°Do you recognise this?¡± she asked, tone neutral.


    [Hartford Garnet Ring (Unique)]


    {Blessed by an unknown power, this ring has been passed down through generations of the Hartford family, often worn by its head. There appears to be a slumbering flame burning within}


    Even after more than a week, she had made no progress in figuring out how to use it.


    Evelyne¡¯s lips parted slightly as she stared at the ring. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Her eyes moved back to Scarlett. ¡°I thought you¡¯d thrown that away?¡±


    ¡°I had not,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°It was locked away in a room in the library?¡±


    ¡°Locked away?¡± Evelyne¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Why are you saying that as if you don¡¯t know¡ª¡± She trailed off, realisation dawning on her face. ¡°¡­Did you forget about this too?¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t respond, irritation flaring at having to admit this much.


    Evelyne studied her for a long, drawn-out moment, as if waiting for an answer that wouldn¡¯t come. Eventually, she let out a weary sigh, raising her uninjured arm to point at the ring. ¡°Do you know how to activate it?¡±


    Scarlett frowned. What kind of question was that? She was fairly certain the original Scarlett hadn¡¯t known how to activate the ring, and Evelyne would likely have been aware of that fact if she thought Scarlett had thrown it away. So why even bother asking?


    She knew Evelyne wasn¡¯t as much to blame as the original for the state of their relationship, but she also knew Evelyne had believed the previous lord¡ªtheir father¡ªconsidered her more worthy to inherit. That probably meant she¡¯d been entrusted with the ring¡¯s secrets.


    Was she proud of that fact?


    Whatever. It didn¡¯t matter. Scarlett hadn¡¯t brought out the ring for this purpose, anyway. It was meant to make another point, but now that didn¡¯t feel necessary anymore.


    ¡°I have no need of it,¡± Scarlett said flatly, turning to leave once more.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Evelyne¡¯s shocked voice broke through. ¡°Scarlett, wait!¡±


    Scarlett kept walking until she reached the exit. There, she stopped, glancing back at Evelyne.


    The younger woman seemed to waver, uncertainty written on her face.


    ¡°What?¡± Scarlett asked, her tone sharp.


    Evelyne chewed her lower lip, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the blankets.


    ¡°I am not giving it to you,¡± Scarlett stated coldly, anticipating the unspoken question.


    Evelyne tensed, then quickly shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even going to ask for it.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed, a hard edge settling in her gaze. ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    She had better not ask what Scarlett thought she would.


    There was a period of silence before Evelyne finally spoke. ¡°¡­Do you want me to teach you how to use it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Scarlett¡¯s reply was immediate, final. Evelyne blinked in surprise at the severity of the response. ¡°I wish to make this clear,¡± Scarlett continued. ¡°I do not want your help, Evelyne, for much the same reason these visits are challenging for me. That you still do not understand this demonstrates that you have yet to grasp who I was or who I am now. I have no intention of bridging that gap any more than I already have.¡±


    She paused, steadying herself.


    The original Scarlett had been a villainess ¡ª unreasonable, conceited, callous, with a moral compass that pointed firmly towards self-interest. Her redeeming qualities were, if they existed at all. While Scarlett had no wish to emulate those traits or excuse the woman¡¯s actions, she couldn¡¯t deny the complicated legacy she¡¯d inherited.


    This body, this life, even these tumultuous emotions ¡ª they all belonged to Scarlett Hartford first. And while her respect for her predecessor was minimal, there were certain elements of the woman¡¯s personality that Scarlett found herself drawn to, almost compelled to honour.


    The [Hartford Garnet Ring] had weighed on her mind since she¡¯d found it. A symbol of the Hartford family¡¯s head, yet something the original Scarlett had chosen to lock away. The more she tried to understand its secrets, the more she sensed a deeper disconnect ¡ª not just with the ring, but with the Hartford name itself. To the previous Scarlett, it had represented far more than mere leadership of the house; it carried all these burdens and meanings she hadn¡¯t fully unpacked yet.


    The mere suggestion that Evelyne, of all people, would be the one to unlock its secrets felt like more than just a betrayal. It was an affront to the very essence of what the original considered it meant to be a Hartford.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t blame Evelyne for not understanding this about her sister. In many ways, Evelyne¡¯s attempts to connect and reconcile were commendable. But the cold truth was, they had never truly been close. Even after Scarlett¡¯s arrival in this world, their relationship had remained mostly transactional ¡ª shared meals, discussions of baronial affairs, nothing deeper. The chasm between them had always existed, and she had realised, perhaps only recently, that she wouldn¡¯t be able to fully bridge it ¡ª especially when so many parts of Scarlett¡¯s past in this world remained blank.


    And for once, she also wasn¡¯t going to chalk her feelings up to the remnants of the original¡¯s personality or a quirk of whatever system had brought her here. For once, there had come a subject where she simply, genuinely, didn¡¯t want to fight against her predecessor¡¯s instincts.


    Unlike their last encounter, where hurt and confusion had marred Evelyne¡¯s face, now the woman simply looked lost, as if struggling to process the logic of what Scarlett had said.


    Scarlett rested her hand on the door¡¯s handle. ¡°Do not take this as a failure on your part,¡± she said, her voice quiet and deliberate. ¡°¡­And as for my words from last time ¡ª I suggest you do not let them weight on you. They were hardly spoken by someone worth listening to on such matters. I am simply reminding you that there is a distance between us that cannot be closed by casual conversation. That is all.¡±


    With a soft click, Scarlett opened the door and stepped into the hallway, leaving Evelyne alone once more.

 Chapter 278 - Who are you, again?

    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration, her gaze fixed on the thick, square piece of parchment resting on her lap. Slowly, meticulously, she traced intricate patterns across its surface using her pyrokinesis, leaving behind faint, burnt lines as a complex array of intersecting sigils and runes gradually took shape under her careful guidance.


    After far too long, she finally finished, allowing herself a moment to relax as she leaned back to inspect her work. With a flick of her wrist, she used her hydrokinesis to whisk away a bead of sweat from her forehead, the sultry, summer-like heat bearing down on her.


    To the untrained eye, the array might have appeared as nothing more than an elaborate doodle. However, it had taken Scarlett hours and several failed attempts to achieve the precision she desired. Even with her pyrokinesis, which gave her far greater control than mundane writing implements ever could, this task wasn¡¯t easy.


    Satisfied, she raised her hand, palm up. A small pouch materialised in her grasp as if it had always been there. She tugged the drawstring, revealing a fine, shimmering powder inside. With measured movements, she pinched a small amount between her fingers and began the painstaking process of carefully distributing it along the lines she had just burned into the parchment.


    Twenty minutes later, Scarlett completed this step as well. The pouch disappeared, replaced by a curious metal pen-like tool with a softly glowing red crystal at its tip. Arlene had recommended using something like this rather than directly imbuing the array with her mana, insisting it would simplify the process.


    Channeling her mana into the pen, Scarlett gently pressed its tip to the array. The powder flared briefly before melting into the parchment, leaving behind a gently glowing crimson trail. She traced the design, imbuing it with arcane energies she only partially understood, until the entirety of the array pulsed with a subtle, ruby light.


    Her task finally complete, Scarlett folded the parchment and tucked it into her [Pouch of Holding]. She rose from the bench she was seated on, brushing away any stray grains of powder that clung to her dress, and took a moment to survey the lush garden surrounding her, bordered by towering hedges on all sides.


    The Loci¡¯s home had truly flourished into a verdant paradise. Vibrant, exotic flowers and peculiar plants lined gravel paths, interspersed with ornate benches and elegant statuary that Scarlett had added recently. The air was thick with the heady scent of summer blooms, despite the winter chill just beyond the garden¡¯s borders. There were even butterflies and bees flitting among the blossoms. She had no idea where those came from, but they certainly added to the charm of the place.


    Her attention shifted to the centerpiece of the garden: the large, uncut emerald perched atop a pedestal surrounded by a circle of carefully tended flowers. The Loci pulsed with an inner light, with the Ashenwraith heart that powered much of its abilities swirling and shifting like living smoke trapped within the crystalline structure beneath the emerald.


    With a gentle mental nudge, Scarlett reached out to the Loci through their bond. In the blink of an eye, she was standing before the emerald, her palm resting against its cool surface. The Loci¡¯s nascent awareness stirred at her touch, radiating a faint sense of recognition that, while not quite an emotion, hinted at the potential for something more.


    Scarlett lingered briefly before stepping back. Wrapping herself in a cocoon of warm air with her pyrokinesis, she reached out to the Loci again. In the next instant, she was transported to the mansion¡¯s back entrance, her feet sinking into fresh snow as the winter cold tried to nip at her skin. Without pausing, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.


    The Loci had grown considerably over the past month or so. Once capable of only minor feats of spatial manipulation¡ªlike teleporting a certain cat around¡ªit could now transport Scarlett herself halfway across the estate with relative ease. It did leave the Loci temporarily drained, needing about an hour or so to recharge, but Scarlett still took quiet satisfaction in doing it now and then.


    There was an almost strange rush that came with suddenly finding yourself in a new location through magic that she couldn¡¯t quite explain. And she also liked to see it as providing the little house spirit with some opportunities for further growth and practice.


    As she made her way through the mansion¡¯s decorated corridors, she ran into Garside. The grey-haired butler stood by an antique side table in the foyer, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out at the courtyard. Noticing her approach, he turned, bowing deeply.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± he said, his voice as crisp and formal as always. ¡°I presume you have completed your business in the garden? There is a matter I sought to bring to your attention.¡±


    ¡°Garside. Your timing is impeccable, as usual.¡± Scarlett reached into her [Pouch of Holding] to retrieve the parchment she had spent so much of the morning working on. She held it out to him. ¡°Place this in the estate¡¯s northeast corner, in a suitable spot, like the other arrays.¡±


    The old butler accepted the parchment with care. ¡°I will ensure it is positioned in a protected location, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Scarlett replied, continuing down a connecting hallway with Garside falling into step beside her.


    While those arrays were far from her primary focus at the moment, she had been dedicating what spare time she could to practicing the ¡®simpler¡¯ magical constructs Arlene had taught her. This latest creation would join three others she had already situated around the estate, forming the beginnings of a very rudimentary defensive network.


    The arrays themselves weren¡¯t particularly impressive, capable only of conjuring basic fire barriers when triggered by an intruder¡¯s presence. Still, they served as both practical exercises and a foundation for more ambitious plans. For the time being, Scarlett was only replicating what Arlene had taught her, but eventually, she intended to incorporate some of the runes that Thainnith¡¯s legacy held. She also wanted to integrate these arrays with the Loci itself, allowing the Idol-touched life form to channel and direct more potent magical effects through them.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Of course, scattering potentially dangerous magical traps across the estate presented its own set of problems. Scarlett had briefly considered setting up warning markers to prevent the staff from accidentally stumbling onto them, but that would kind of defeat the purpose of having defences. Instead, she had told Garside to inform those working here about the restricted areas, and attempted to convey similar instructions to the Loci, hoping it could remove those who trod too close.


    Whether the Loci could understand such complex commands, though, was somewhat unclear.


    A nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her that Evelyne would likely disapprove of such cavalier experimentation within the estate. It did give Scarlett pause for another moment, wondering whether she should perhaps remove the arrays, at least temporarily. After all, they were unlikely to deter any real threats, like the Cabal.


    She¡¯d have to give it more consideration.


    With her thoughts touching upon Evelyne, her gaze fell to the [Hartford Garnet Ring] adorning her finger. She had taken to wearing it regularly now, despite not being able to activate it. Whether it was from a sense of rebellion or a desire to send some unspoken message didn¡¯t really matter.


    Pushing these musings aside, Scarlett turned back to Garside. ¡°Has a meal been prepared?¡± she asked. Between her magical practice in the early morning and her subsequent work on the arrays, she was, quite frankly, ravenous.


    Garside inclined his head. ¡°It has, My Lady. However, you may wish to delay your meal. A guest has arrived, requesting an audience with you.¡±


    A slight frown creased Scarlett¡¯s brow. An unannounced visitor? What, did they expect her to drop whatever she was doing and receive them immediately?


    ¡°Tell this person that they will have to wait,¡± she said, a note of annoyance creeping into her voice.


    She was at least going to eat first.


    ¡°I shall relay your message,¡± Garside replied, before clearing his throat softly. ¡°Though you may wish to know that the individual in question is Miss Breeden.¡±


    Scarlett stopped mid-step, turning fully to face the butler. ¡°¡­Miss Breeden?¡±


    Kat had come here?


    ¡°Indeed, My Lady,¡± Garside confirmed with a nod.


    For a moment, Scarlett¡¯s gaze drifted longingly down the hallway towards the dining hall. Eventually, she released a resigned sigh. It seemed lunch would have to wait.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she said, turning back to Garside. ¡°Have her shown to the parlour. I will meet her there.¡±


    ¡°I already have taken the liberty, My Lady. She awaits you as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Of course you have.¡± Scarlett turned on her heel, heading down another corridor that led to the parlour.


    It had been ages since she¡¯d last seen Kat. The Shielder¡¯s sudden appearance was puzzling, honestly, especially given the Guild¡¯s current state of high alert. While not exactly upset about the impromptu visit¡ªother than it delaying her meal¡ªScarlett couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the reason behind it.


    Soon enough, she arrived at the parlour. Garside stepped forward to open the door, and she swept inside.


    Seated on one of the plush couches in the center of the room was a tall woman dressed in simple, practical attire, her sun-bleached golden hair tied into a long braid draped over one shoulder. Light blue eyes, set in a fair-skinned face, met Scarlett¡¯s gaze. A noticeable scar¡ªangry red skin that hinted at an old burn injury¡ªmarked the lower right side of her chin.


    A smile spread across Kat¡¯s face as she looked at Scarlett. ¡°Well, look who it is,¡± she said with playful sarcasm. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, yeah?¡±


    Scarlett studied her for a moment before crossing the room, with Garside remaining outside in the hallway. ¡°Indeed it has,¡± she replied, her tone carefully neutral. ¡°I had almost forgotten you existed, Miss Breeden, given your long absence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. It hasn¡¯t been that long,¡± Kat protested. ¡°What¡¯s with the cold shoulder?¡±


    Scarlett settled onto the couch opposite the woman, smoothing her dress. ¡°Much has transpired in the last several months. Enough that you likely would not believe me, even if I only shared the most credible parts. In that time, I have heard precious little from you, yet you expect a warm reception when you arrive without notice?¡±


    ¡°I see how it is,¡± Kat said, shaking her head slowly. ¡°You replace me with the shinier, younger generation and go around making a name for yourself, then you forget all about your good ol¡¯ pal Kat, who helped you get where you are today. All because she disappears off the face of the earth for a little while.¡± She sighed loudly. ¡°The world really isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°It certainly is not,¡± Scarlett agreed simply.


    The two of them regarded each other for a few seconds longer before Kat let out a light laugh. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t kick me out for just showing up like this, so I¡¯m going to assume you¡¯ve still got a soft spot for me somewhere in that cold heart of yours.¡±


    Scarlett clicked her tongue, though there was no real bite behind it. ¡°Do you realise that you caused me to delay my meal? Most who did such a thing would come to regret it deeply.¡±


    ¡°You know, you could just have come after eating,¡± Kat pointed out. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have minded waiting.¡±


    ¡°I am not so rude as to treat a friend in that manner after not having seen them for months.¡±


    The woman¡¯s smile widened. ¡°¡®Friend¡¯, huh? Well, thanks for that. It¡¯s nice seeing you again, Scarlett.¡±


    Scarlett relaxed her expression. ¡°You as well.¡±


    ¡°By the by,¡± Kat said, gesturing towards the entrance with her thumb. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice as I arrived ¡ª did you renovate the courtyard or something? It looked different. In fact, this whole place feels¡­odd, somehow.¡±


    ¡°The courtyard had to be rebuilt after it was damaged in a Cabal raid, and later by the blood of an ashenwraith dragon,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°As for the ¡®odd¡¯ sensation you speak of, that is likely the presence of the new house spirit that now watches over the estate.¡±


    Kat blinked, staring at her for a short while before a bemused chuckle escaped her. ¡°I guess some things never change.¡± Her smile faded after a while, though, her expression turning flat. ¡°Are you actually being serious, though?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Scarlett answered, deliberately being as cryptic as she could.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s just mean.¡±


    The ghost of a smile formed on Scarlett¡¯s lips. ¡°You should not have interrupted my meal.¡±


    It was nice seeing Kat again, honestly. It surprised even her how genuinely pleased she was to see one of the first people she¡¯d gotten to know in this world.


    ¡°But you just said¡ª¡± Kat started, then stopped, shaking her head once more in exasperation. ¡°Ah, whatever. My sincerest apologies, my Lady, for so rudely imposing upon your time and preventing you from partaking in your midday repass.¡±


    Scarlett arched an eyebrow. ¡°You have learned some¡­eloquence, it appears.¡±


    Kat shrugged, a hint of pride colouring her speech. ¡°I read a few books when I had the time.¡±


    ¡°I believe you meant to say ¡®repast¡¯, however.¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression fell, and she waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Bah, same thing. Close enough.¡±


    ¡°Not quite, but I suppose I must commend your effort,¡± Scarlett said. Then she straightened, her expression growing more serious. ¡°That said, as agreeable as this reunion may be, I suspect you have not come all this way for mere pleasantries. What brings you here, Kat? I would have thought the Shields Guild has you busier than ever, given the current circumstances.¡±


    Kat¡¯s demeanour sobered to match Scarlett¡¯s, the levity leaving her posture. ¡°It¡¯s¡­a bit complicated,¡± she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. ¡°But you¡¯re right, this isn¡¯t just a social call. The Guild sent me, actually. We need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 279 - Catching up with the Hartfords

    Scarlett crossed her arms, studying Kat intently. ¡°Is that so? And what, exactly, do we need to talk about?¡± she asked, her tone now measured.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got some idea,¡± Kat said. ¡°I never knew you to be the type to get caught with your pants down.¡±


    A slight frown creased Scarlett¡¯s brow. ¡°I would appreciate if you refrained from such¡­crude colloquialisms.¡± She leaned her head to the side, a strand of hair falling across her face. ¡°And while I may have some suspicions, the possibilities are likely broader than you realise. Be more specific.¡±


    Kat leaned forward, elbows on her knees, fingers interlaced. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cut to the chase then. The Shields Guild has been keeping an eye on you for a while, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware.¡±


    Scarlett knew that would be a thing since first hiring Kat all those months ago.


    ¡°Then did you also know that some of the higher-ups in the Guild suspect you of working with the Tribe of Sin?¡± Kat said, her voice grave as she seemed to search Scarlett¡¯s face.


    Scarlett paused, considering the woman¡¯s almost uncharacteristically stern expression. ¡°¡­That, I was not aware of, no,¡± she admitted. ¡°For how long have they harbored these suspicions?¡±


    She had considered the possibility, but she hadn¡¯t thought her actions had drawn such direct scrutiny from them ¡ª at least, not unless they were listening to some of the wild rumors that had circulated during the conclave.


    Kat regarded her for a while longer, then the woman¡¯s eyes softened as her shoulders rose and fell in a fluid motion. ¡°I can¡¯t say. I don¡¯t even know which of the top brass has these suspicions. The information only came to me recently, but if I had to guess, they¡¯ve been stewing on it for a while.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened. Had her interactions with the Tribe and the Cabal leaked? Even Beldon seemed unaware of that, so how could such information have reached the Guild? It couldn¡¯t be that Allyssa or Shin had somehow discovered the truth and divulged it to the Guild, could it? She didn¡¯t think they would betray her trust so easily, even if they had somehow learned of her dealings. Besides, with Fynn¡¯s abilities, she¡¯d been able to confirm multiple times that they weren¡¯t hiding anything serious from her.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth,¡± Kat said, pulling Scarlett out of her thoughts, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s true.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention returned to the woman. ¡°¡­I appreciate your faith.¡±


    Kat¡¯s lips quirked into a half-smile. ¡°It¡¯s less about faith and more about logic. I can¡¯t see what you¡¯d gain by working with the Tribe. If anything, it seems more likely you¡¯d be using. Or tricking them.¡± She released a light laugh, though her expression hardened slightly again. ¡°Not that the Tribe¡¯s good for much beyond being wiped out, if you ask me.¡±


    Scarlett considered the woman for a long moment before speaking again, her tone more careful now. ¡°I have wondered this before, but might you have some history with the Tribe?¡±


    Kat blinked, surprise briefly flitting across her face before she shrugged. ¡°Sort of, yeah. But that¡¯s not worth digging into now.¡± She waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Anyways, like I was saying, the Guild¡¯s been watching you for a while. I¡¯m guessing the fact that you had intimate knowledge of their organisation and movements played into that suspicion, and your overall strangeness probably didn¡¯t help matters.¡±


    Scarlett tapped one finger against her arm. ¡°I am not ¡®strange¡¯.¡±


    Kat just shot her a skeptical look. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure if you were serious about that dragon ¡®incident¡¯ in the courtyard earlier, but I have read the Empyreal Chronicle, you know? Name one other noblewoman in the empire who¡¯s rumored to be a dragon slayer and wouldn¡¯t go around bragging about it, and I¡¯ll take back my words.¡±


    ¡°Marchioness Sahra Thackeray,¡± Scarlett said.


    The Marchioness of Wildscar was well known to be one of the most formidable fighters the empire had to offer.


    Kat¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Comparing yourself to the Untamed Marchioness isn¡¯t really helping your case.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, she meets the criteria.¡±


    Scarlett was fairly certain the woman had killed a dragon at some point.


    Kat sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re as ¡®normal¡¯ as they come, then. Happy?¡± She shifted in her seat. ¡°But let¡¯s get back to the point. Some in the Guild are suspicious of you, and I wanted to give you a heads-up. Beyond that, though, there are others there who think you could be more of an asset. I guess you could say I¡¯m kinda here representing them, in a way.¡±


    ¡°Do you perhaps have specific names for these individuals?¡± Scarlett asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.


    Kat¡¯s expression turned apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly in the upper echelons myself, so no, sorry. This is mostly second-hand info, passed along by a friend ¡ª Leandro from the Elystead branch. I don¡¯t know who said what among the people at the top.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­unfortunate.¡± Scarlett kept her tone neutral.


    The woman in front of her eyed her for a while. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t say I always agree with the higher-ups, but I hope you¡¯re not planning anything drastic here. They¡¯re still my superiors, you know.¡±


    ¡°I had no such intentions.¡±


    In truth, Scarlett was more interested in identifying the Guild members who might have a reason to suspect her, since that knowledge could reveal the basis of their suspicions. Still, determining who wanted to work with her could also be valuable. She briefly wondered if Livvi might somehow be involved in all this, though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the woman¡¯s current role within the Guild.


    ¡°Moving on,¡± she said, ¡°you have made it clear you are here as a representative. Am I to understand the Guild has a proposal for me?¡±


    Kat scratched her cheek. ¡°Sort of? I wasn¡¯t given official orders, to be honest. It¡¯s just that, with the empire being the right mess it is at the moment, the Guild is grasping at all the straws it can. And you¡¯re¡­well, one of the bigger straws. Given our past work together, and your track record of knowing what the Tribe might be up to, they probably figured sending me here would lead to something.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I see,¡± Scarlett said thoughtfully.


    Kat showed a sheepish smile. ¡°Sorry about approaching you like this, with ulterior motives and all. But the situation is pretty bad, and we Shielders are stretched thinner than ever. The Guild needs any help it can get. I should also mention that, officially, I do actually have other assignments around Freybrook, so this isn¡¯t just about you. Only mostly.¡±


    ¡°Your position is understandable.¡± Scarlett unfolded her arms, resting one hand on the couch¡¯s edge. ¡°The Shields Guild is playing a pivotal role in protecting the citizenry and maintaining stability. In the face of escalating monster attacks, it is only natural that they would seek aid from someone they believe may possess relevant information. Unfortunately, I must confess that my knowledge of the current attacks is limited.¡±


    A flicker of disappointment crossed Kat¡¯s face. ¡°I was afraid you might say that.¡±


    ¡°I am not saying I cannot offer any help whatsoever,¡± Scarlett added. ¡°But considering the current political climate, my aid may not even prove necessary to stem the Tribe¡¯s attacks.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kat asked.


    Scarlett tapped her finger lightly against the armrest. ¡°Have you heard of the ¡®Empyreal Barrier¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Should I have?¡±


    ¡°No, perhaps not. It might be overly presumptuous of me to expect you to be aware of every recent development in the empire.¡±


    ¡°Oi,¡± Kat protested, though there was no real heat in her response.


    Scarlett allowed herself a small smile before her expression turned serious once more. ¡°Your superiors are likely already aware, but the emperor recently declared a project to establish an empire-wide array called the Empyreal Barrier. It will nullify the teleportation capabilities of both the Hallowed Cabal and the Tribe of Sin, severely limiting their movement and reducing the immediate threat.¡±


    Kat¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yeah, no, this is the first I¡¯m hearing of it. I had to travel to Freybrook by ship since the Guild¡¯s been rationing what Kilnstone rights we have, and the people at the Freybrook branch never mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°Now you know,¡± Scarlett said simply.


    Kat nodded, her gaze contemplative. ¡°When is this barrier thing supposed to be finished?¡±


    ¡°Within a month,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°The costs will be substantial, though I am not certain if the Shields Guild will be expected to contribute.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, ehm¡­ The Guild isn¡¯t exactly flush with funds at the moment, so hopefully they don¡¯t expect too much from us.¡± A slight frown creased Kat¡¯s brow for a moment, but then she shrugged it off. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not the one who has to worry about budgets.¡±


    ¡°Returning to our earlier topic,¡± Scarlett guided the conversation back on track. ¡°Let us say that I could extend my help to the Guild. Despite certain recent rumours suggesting the opposite, I seldom act out of sheer altruism. So tell me ¡ª what would the Shields Guild offer in exchange?¡±


    ¡°You mean beyond basically placing two C-ranked Shielders at your beck and call for the better part of half a year?¡± Kat asked, arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°Beyond that, yes,¡± Scarlett replied unabashedly.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d need to have a talk with the Guild to actually hammer out the specifics, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if we could offer some help in exploring that seemingly endless supply of ruins and whatnot that you somehow always got tucked away,¡± Kat said. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises, but it might be possible to arrange for a few A-ranked Shielders, or maybe even an S-ranked¡ªthough that¡¯s less likely¡ªonce things have calmed down enough for the Guild to spare them.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Scarlett¡¯s finger paused mid-tap as she mulled over the possibility. That possibility did actually sound somewhat intriguing. Normally, A and S-ranked Shielders weren¡¯t really available for individual contracts. They were usually tied up with more high-priority tasks, but if Scarlett could secure their aid at the right time, it could open opportunities to tackle dungeons and events that would normally require her to be far stronger¡­


    She studied Kat for a while before placing her hands on her lap. ¡°As I believe you are already aware, I have no inherent objection to working with the Guild. However, as I mentioned, there is little I can offer them directly at present.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t mind expanding her network of collaborators to include the Shields Guild proper, but she had to tread carefully. The Guild wasn¡¯t as centralised as other organisations, and she knew the Cabal had spies and agents among their ranks. Any major involvement with the Guild would quickly reach the Cabal, and she wasn¡¯t ready to provoke them just yet.


    ¡°However,¡± she continued, fixing her gaze on Kat, ¡°that is not to say there are no potential avenues for cooperation available in the near future.¡±


    Kat gave her a questioning look. ¡°Like¡­?¡±


    ¡°I will need to verify a few matters before discussing the details,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But that works out well, does it not? Considering you will need to seek confirmation from the Guild as well.¡±


    One possibility Scarlett was considering was leveraging Beldon¡¯s network to feed the Guild valuable information, though she would first need to consult with the man to determine if that was a viable approach. She knew he was already selling some intel to groups like the Guild.


    Of course, Scarlett herself also had a wealth of information on Cabal and Tribe bases that she¡¯d been holding onto. That intel would be incredibly valuable to the Guild, and when her ceasefire with the Cabal inevitably crumbled, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to trade it. Her possession of The Angler Man¡¯s heart was the only thing keeping her safe from them, and she imagined that protection wouldn¡¯t last forever once the man himself became active again ¡ª if he hadn¡¯t already.


    He was probably insane enough to risk his own life without a second thought, if necessary.


    Beyond that, though, she was also contemplating sharing information about Beld Thylelion with the Guild, just as she had with Raimond and people from Elystead Tower. If she could get those groups to collaborate, with her as the common link, she might be able to turn the situation to her advantage when the time came.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Kat said with a nod.


    ¡°That aside, how long will you be staying in Freybrook?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Kat leaned back, her posture relaxing. ¡°Well, like I said, I¡¯ve got a couple of other jobs in the area that need a higher-ranked Shielder. So I¡¯ll be here at least until those are wrapped up. The local branch has been bombarding headquarters with requests for ages. Not sure myself if it¡¯s the right time to focus on anything that isn¡¯t directly combating the monster incursions, but I¡¯m not the one calling the shots. That means I¡¯ll be tied up for a bit, but the Guild still wants me to act all liaison-y with you, so there¡¯s a chance I might stick around for a bit even after those assignments are done, helping out with odds and ends in the region.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    A slightly mischievous grin spread across Kat¡¯s face. ¡°What, thinking of putting my skills to use while I¡¯m here? Two Shielders aren¡¯t enough for you already?¡±


    Scarlett regarded the woman with a mix of amusement and consideration. Honestly, she could probably use Kat¡¯s help in the not-too-far-off future.


    ¡°I am sure that I could find some use for your talents if the opportunity arises,¡± she said.


    Kat¡¯s grin widened, then softened into a more genuine smile. ¡°Sure, I wouldn¡¯t mind lending a hand if I¡¯m available and the circumstances allow. I¡¯ve missed the strange¡ªI mean normal¡ªadventures that come when working with you.¡± Her expression shifted to curiosity as she glanced towards the entrance. ¡°By the by, how have Allyssa and Shin been holding up?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze remained on the woman for another moment, then she extended her senses through the Loci to locate the duo¡¯s location. Her eyebrows lifted slightly as she found them in one of the mansion¡¯s many rooms, accompanied by an unexpected visitor.


    A spark of what might have been her own sense of mischief ignited within her as she returned her attention to Kat. ¡°Why not see for yourself?¡± she suggested as she mentally prodded at the Loci to gather its energy for one last feat this morning.


    Confusion flickered across Kat¡¯s face. ¡°What do you mea¡ª¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the woman vanished from sight, leaving the couch empty. Through the Loci¡¯s senses, Scarlett witnessed Kat materialise in the room with Allyssa and Shin, both of the former two of the trio letting out startled yelps in surprise. Meanwhile, Shin looked up from a book with an impassive expression.


    Scarlett allowed herself a light chuckle, savoring the moment. That was actually rather entertaining. She might have just discovered a very potent tool for dealing with those who annoyed or vexed her in this household.

 Chapter 280 - Overdue hellos

    Scarlett rose from her seat and exited the parlour. Garside was waiting outside in the hallway, bowing respectfully as he held the door for her.


    ¡°I trust the meeting went well, my Lady?¡± he asked, his gaze flicking briefly to the now-empty room behind her without further comment.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Scarlett replied, a hint of amusement in her voice at the man¡¯s unflappable demeanour. He didn¡¯t seem the least bit fazed by the fact that Kat had somehow just disappeared. ¡°Would you be so kind as to fetch Fynn and Rosa? Have them meet me in the library.¡±


    This might be a good time for introductions.


    ¡°Of course, my Lady.¡± The butler bowed once more before departing down the corridor, while Scarlett moved in the opposite direction, her heels clicking softly against the carpeted floor.


    As she navigated the mansion¡¯s hallways, the murmur of familiar voices reached her ears once she neared her destination. Approaching the library, she pushed the door open, finding three pairs of eyes instantly turning towards her.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Kat called from an alcove in the corner, nestled by a cozy arched window. She shot Scarlett an accusatory glare. ¡°What the Blazes did you just do to me?!¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips curved up into a slight smile. ¡°You expressed your interest in Allyssa and Shin¡¯s well-being, so I took the liberty of arranging a more expedient reunion for you three via our house spirit. Was that not to your liking?¡±


    Kat¡¯s mouth opened, then closed, and she stood there in silence for several seconds before grumbling, ¡°I would¡¯ve appreciated a little warning first¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not be so particular,¡± Scarlett said, glancing around the library. Shin sat in a corner, returning his focus to a book on his lap, while Allyssa was perched on one of the windowsills overlooking the estate¡¯s eastern garden and the snow-dusted treetops beyond. Curled up beside her was today¡¯s other unannounced guest ¡ª a sleek black cat with brilliant amethyst eyes, purring contentedly under her gentle strokes.


    ¡°Empress. Welcome,¡± Scarlett addressed the feline. ¡°It is always a pleasure to have you grace us with your presence.¡±


    The cat dipped her head in a regal acknowledgment before turning her attention to the window, clearly pleased with Allyssa¡¯s ministrations.


    It wasn¡¯t unusual for Empress to still visit the estate from time to time, and while Scarlett hadn¡¯t spotted the cat much herself, the staff reportedly took rather good care of her. Empress seemed to be somewhat of a mascot for them nowadays.


    ¡°Did you just welcome the cat?¡± Kat asked incredulously, staring at Scarlett for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s circle back to that ¡®house spirit¡¯ thing first. Is that what whisked me here so suddenly? How do you even have something like that? Translocation is some high-end magic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve clearly been away for too long,¡± Allyssa remarked, looking at Kat with a grin. ¡°And by the way, Empress isn¡¯t just a cat.¡±


    The feline let out a soft, almost disapproving meow, casting Allyssa an imperious stare.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Allyssa quickly amended, scratching behind Empress¡¯ ear. ¡°I meant that other cats can¡¯t compare to you. But you¡¯re definitely a cat. The cattiest of cats.¡±


    Empress, seemingly satisfied with that ¡®revision¡¯¡ªfor some reason¡ªreturned her attention to the view outside.


    Kat blinked at the scene, bewilderment etched across her face. She turned to Scarlett, eyes narrowing accusingly. ¡°What have you done to my sweet juniors?¡±


    ¡°Corrupted them, naturally,¡± Scarlett replied.


    Shin glanced up from his book. ¡°It¡¯s your own fault, Kat. You shouldn¡¯t have tossed us to Scarlett as your replacements.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind being corrupted,¡± Allyssa chimed in. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how much my alchemy has improved these past few months.¡±


    Kat continued glaring at Scarlett. ¡°You silver-tongued temptress.¡±


    ¡°I presume that was meant as an insult?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Yep. Did it feel like one?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly, no.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± Kat released a light-hearted chuckle, then directed her gaze back to Allyssa. ¡°¡­But seriously, what¡¯s the deal with the cat?¡±


    ¡°This is Empress,¡± Allyssa replied simply.


    ¡°Yeah, I got that much.¡±


    ¡°She visits now and then. It¡¯s probably best not to ask too many questions.¡±


    Kat glanced over at Scarlett once more, seeking clarification.


    ¡°It may be easier if you take Allyssa at her word,¡± Scarlett suggested.


    Kat studied her for a moment before sighing. ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡± She moved to lean against a nearby drawer, her eyes shifting back to Allyssa and Shin. ¡°So, how¡¯s life working with Scarlett? I¡¯ve heard all kinds of wild rumors about our lofty baroness since I left, so I can only imagine things have been¡­lively. Last time we met, Allyssa, you mentioned something about bloodthirsty fairies and the princesses, but I get the feeling you¡¯ve managed to top that by now.¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait to tell you about it. You seriously wouldn¡¯t believe some of the things we¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that,¡± Kat said, her smile mirroring Allyssa¡¯s before fading slightly. ¡°¡­Heard you also got involved in that Citadel incident, though. How¡¯d that go?¡±


    Allyssa¡¯s enthusiasm dimmed. She glanced at Scarlett before responding. ¡°It was¡­intense. And, honestly, kind of scary. Being close to actual demons was terrifying. But¡­well, Scarlett has a knack for making you feel like everything will turn out alright, even in situations like that.¡±


    ¡°She does, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Kat looked at Scarlett. ¡°I remember when we ran into that demon together once. You ended up toying with the bastard like a cat with a mouse. Still, how did you get wrapped up in that Citadel mess to begin with?¡±


    ¡°I was assisting Duke Valentino of Bridgespell with a related issue when the events preceding the Citadel¡¯s appearance unfolded,¡± Scarlett explained. ¡°I offered my expertise to help manage the impending crisis.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    While she didn¡¯t think it would be a problem if Kat learned the full truth, there was no need to involve her unnecessarily right now. Allyssa and Shin had agreed to keep quiet, and Scarlett did actually trust them to keep that promise, even with Kat around.


    The Shielder¡¯s expression suggested she did suspect there was more to the story, but she didn¡¯t press further. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you all made it out safely,¡± she said, glancing at both Allyssa and Shin with genuine concern. ¡°You know, there¡¯s been a fair bit of worry back at Elystead¡¯s Guild branch, especially after hearing some of your reports.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not really any need to worry,¡± Allyssa replied. ¡°You know as well as we do what it¡¯s like to work with Scarlett. It¡¯s harder to feel in danger than not, even if you¡¯re facing a literal hydra made of fire.¡±


    Kat blinked at the girl before turning back to Scarlett. ¡°¡­I do trust you and all, but please tell me she¡¯s just using that as a hypothetical.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods¡ª¡±


    ¡°Although, in this case, it happens to be a hypothetical that aligns with an encounter we had earlier this week.¡±


    Kat froze, leveling yet another accusatory look at Scarlett. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think introducing these two to you might really have been a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous we get to go on more exciting adventures than you did,¡± Allyssa teased.


    ¡°I can be jealous and concerned for your well-being at the same time,¡± Kat shot back.


    ¡°Suuure.¡±


    ¡°Now listen here, missy. Don¡¯t make me find your dad and¡ª¡±


    Their playful banter was interrupted as the library door opened, revealing two new figures. Rosa, with brown curls falling over one shoulder, and the white-haired Fynn both stepped inside.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± Rosa said, her gaze sweeping the room before settling on Kat. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a party in progress, and we weren¡¯t invited. With a fresh face in our midst, no less.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t we asked to come here?¡± Fynn frowned.


    ¡°Shush.¡± Rosa reached out a hand and held it before his mouth. ¡°Hi, Empress,¡± she added.


    The cat returned the greeting with a lethargic meow.


    ¡°Excellent, you are here,¡± Scarlett said. She gestured towards Kat. ¡°Allow me to introduce Kat Breeden. She is the Shielder I worked with before engaging your services. In addition, she is Allyssa and Shin¡¯s senior.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she appraised the woman. ¡°So this is the famed Kat, huh? I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you from our fledgling Shielders.¡± The bard bent over to perform an elaborate bow, one arm extended. ¡°It¡¯s an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Scarlett¡¯s bardic extraordinaire, Rosalina Hale, but you may call me Rosa.¡± She flashed a dazzling smile that wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place on Raimond¡¯s face, then motioned at her companion. ¡°And this paragon of sincerity and probity is ostensibly known as ¡®Fyntrath¡¯, but we all call him Fynn.¡±


    Fynn gave a curt nod.


    Kat¡¯s lips quirked in amusement at the over-the-top introduction. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard about both of you from Allyssa. It seems she wasn¡¯t exaggerating when she described your¡­colourful personalities.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± Rosa beamed.


    ¡°It was meant as one.¡± Kat glanced at Scarlett. ¡°Though¡­ I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m surprised to find someone like you in Scarlett¡¯s company. She¡¯s not exactly known for her outgoing¡­or tolerant nature. No offense.¡± She looked back at Rosa. ¡°But it seems you¡¯ve made it work somehow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, have I ever!¡± the bard replied, brimming with far too much enthusiasm. ¡°It may have taken days, weeks¡ªnot months, mind you¡ªbut I¡¯ve managed to worm my way into our dear baroness¡¯ good graces like nothing else. Picture, if you will, a determined little leech burrowing into Scarlett¡¯s thorny heart¡ªor whatever she has in its place¡ªand latching on so tightly that nothing could hope to dislodge me!¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t suppress a look of mild disgust at the vivid description. ¡°¡­On that note, Miss Hale, now that Kat is here, perhaps it is time that we finally replace your presence with one that is less colourful. Kat is also familiar with healing magic, so I doubt we will lack much.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s face crumpled in an exaggerated expression of hurt, though her eyes betrayed her amusement. ¡°Is that how it is, then? It¡¯s all fine and dandy to use my body and skills as long as you can¡¯t find someone else, but the moment an old flame comes running past, you won¡¯t hesitate to toss me out the window? Does your callousness know no bounds?¡±


    Kat let out a light laugh, drawing a mock glare from Rosa.


    ¡°Oh, just rub it in, will you?¡± the woman huffed. ¡°Eventually, you¡¯ll be the one in my shoes.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Kat replied, still laughing. ¡°It¡¯s just that I said almost the exact same thing to Scarlett earlier.¡±


    Rosa paused, then her earlier smile returned in full force. ¡°I see. A kindred spirit, is it? I take back all the mean-spirited thoughts I just entertained about you.¡±


    Kat raised both eyebrows. ¡°What kind of mean-spirited things are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Rosa waved her off, then sauntered over to drape an arm over Kat¡¯s shoulder ¡ª a somewhat awkward gesture given that the Shielder was half a head taller. ¡°Tell me, how long are you planning to stay? I assume you¡¯re not actually here to replace me¡ªyou¡¯d have to fight me to the bitter end for that honour¡ªbut I wouldn¡¯t mind chatting with you about whatever misadventures you and Scarlett got up to before we met her.¡±


    Kat eyed the bard with a smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing, if you¡¯re ready to fess up about some of the escapades Scarlett¡¯s been involved in since.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have no idea how ready I am.¡± Rosa¡¯s grin turned mischievously dangerous. ¡°I have an entire book filled with tales of our exploits, in the most descriptive manner conceivable.¡±


    Scarlett felt a scowl forming on her face as she watched the two interact. She suddenly realised that this introduction might have been a miscalculation on her part.


    Before Rosa could start on anything too embarrassing and far-fetched, Kat¡¯s attention shifted to Fynn, who hadn¡¯t moved from the entrance. Her gaze seemed to land on the bone-white ring adorning his finger before turning back to Scarlett. ¡°By the by, is he the one?¡±


    Scarlett arched a brow. ¡°The one?¡±


    ¡°Remember Whistlecreek? That village with all the shady folks and the wolf attacks? That¡¯s where we got that magical ring, right? You said you were going to return it to someone.¡± Kat nodded towards Fynn. ¡°Is he that someone?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Yes, he is.¡±


    Fynn glanced between them, a trace of curiosity on his face.


    Kat gestured to the ring on his finger. The [Mark of the Gale]. ¡°So, have you managed to make any decent use of that thing?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Fynn said after a pause, raising his hand. ¡°The ancestors have taught me much.¡±


    Kat¡¯s eyes moved from him to Scarlett, then back to him. ¡°¡­Alright, sure. As long as it¡¯s working for you. That ring didn¡¯t come easy. I had to fight off a whole pack of wargs to get it, and the trip there wasn¡¯t exactly a picnic. Getting ambushed by a deranged cult the moment you leave the city wasn¡¯t my idea of a good time.¡±


    The mention of the ambush caused slight frowns to form around the room, and everyone turned their eyes towards Scarlett, as if seeking an explanation. She released a light sigh.


    ¡°Kat is referring to an encounter with the Tribe of Sin,¡± she said in a measured tone. ¡°She handled the situation admirably, so there was no real danger.¡±


    Kat shrugged, Rosa¡¯s arm still over her shoulder. ¡°Well, I handled it, I suppose. Wasn¡¯t really my finest hour, but all¡¯s well that ends well¡­¡± She paused, as if something had just occurred to her. ¡°Actually, that reminds me.¡± Her attention shifted to Scarlett. ¡°You mentioned something about the Tribe causing a mess in your courtyard earlier. Was that connected to their attack on us?¡±


    ¡°It was. Though that situation has also been resolved.¡±


    ¡°How, if I might ask?¡±


    Scarlett took a moment to consider her words before responding. ¡°I simply demonstrated to them that I am not one to be trifled with.¡±


    Kat gave her a skeptical look. ¡°You showed the Tribe of Sin that you¡¯re not one to be ¡®trifled¡¯ with?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rosa chuckled, giving Kat¡¯s shoulder a playful squeeze. ¡°That does sound like something she would do. I¡¯ve seen the lady face down arch wizards like they were nothing more than cantankerous old men and confront age-old, people-sized eyeballs as if they¡¯d merely disparaged her favorite tea. What¡¯s a few cultists or two?¡±


    ¡°While I wouldn¡¯t quite put it like that,¡± Allyssa added, ¡°I mostly agree.¡±


    Kat gave them both worried¡ªbut clearly intrigued¡ªlooks, as if wanting to know more about those events. ¡°Guess you¡¯re right about that. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    A sudden, assertive meow drew everyone¡¯s attention to the windowsill where Empress sat, tail curled neatly around her paws. The cat fixed Scarlett with a meaningful look before turning her gaze once more back to the world outside, as if she¡¯d made some profound declaration. Judging by the serious expressions on everyone else¡¯s faces, one would be forgiven if one believed she had.


    Kat¡¯s eyes narrowed as she studied the reactions. ¡°¡­No, but seriously,¡± she said, motioning towards Empress. ¡°What is up with the cat?¡±


    Before anyone could respond, the door to the library swung open, and Garside stepped inside.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± he said, addressing Scarlett. ¡°I apologise for the interruption, but we have received an urgent message for you.¡±


    Scarlett''s brow furrowed. ¡°From where?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The Rising Isle, my Lady. They have requested your immediate presence.¡±

 Chapter 281 - Taking off again

    ¡°¡ªthose of my agents who are available have been diligently investigating Duchess Swail¡¯s activities in Silverborough, following the leads you provided. However, given our current priorities, it may take some time to yield concrete results.¡± Beldon¡¯s voice echoed from the intricately carved bluebird figurine on Scarlett¡¯s desk. The base of the carving pulsed with a soft blue light in time with his speech, casting flickering shadows across the polished wood.


    ¡°The situation with Count Hayden proved far more straightforward. In his haste to cover his tracks, he¡¯s left behind a veritable trail of evidence related to some particularly underhanded tactics he employed against competitors and in manipulating various salt merchants. While the crown is unlikely to act during the current crisis, I suspect he¡¯ll face considerable hardships once things calm down and his misdeeds ¡®mysteriously¡¯ come to light, courtesy of a certain baroness¡¯ righteous spirit.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips rose in a sardonic smile. ¡°And I suppose your organisation will merely happen to reap the benefits of his downfall?¡±


    ¡°Why, naturally,¡± Beldon replied, his tone dripping with feigned innocence. ¡°Mirage would never dream of purposefully undermining one of the empire¡¯s noble pillars, but I won¡¯t claim that we¡¯re not¡­opportunists.¡±


    ¡°Opportunists who have no qualms about facilitating for others to do their dirty work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t comment on that, my friend.¡±


    Scarlett scoffed quietly, her fingers drumming a steady rhythm against her desk. She was borrowing Mirage¡¯s power to retaliate against some of the nobles who had annoyed her, but unlike Count Soames¡ªwhose dabbling with demonic cults in Ambercrest had made him an outright enemy of the empire¡ªothers like Count Hayden would require her personal involvement to make some of the more serious accusations stick. But she was ready to deal with that.


    ¡°I have already entrusted these matters to you, Beldon,¡± she said. ¡°The approach you choose is at your discretion, so long as our agreement is honoured and you refrain from any ill-advised attempts at deception.¡±


    A low chuckle left the figurine, the sound seeming to reverberate through the quiet room. ¡°I assure you, Baroness, I¡¯m not so foolish as to bite the proverbial hand that feeds me. I value our current partnership far too much to jeopardise it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, is there anything else you wished to discuss before we conclude our talks?¡±


    ¡°Nothing from my end.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°There is still no news on the Countess¡¯ whereabouts after her sighting in Farmire?¡±


    ¡°Regrettably not, but I¡¯ve assigned one of my best operatives to the task. If there¡¯s a trail to be found, I¡¯m confident they¡¯ll uncover it.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Scarlett said, her hand hovering over the bluebird¡¯s base. ¡°Then we will end here. As mentioned, I will be unavailable for some time, but you know what to do in my absence. Farewell, Beldon.¡±


    ¡°Until next time, Baroness,¡± came the reply before the figurine¡¯s glow faded. Scarlett carefully placed it into her [Pouch of Holding]. For a moment, she leaned back in her chair, eyes drifting to the ceiling. The day¡¯s rapid-fire decisions and arrangements¡ªincluding her conversation with Beldon just now¡ªhad left her feeling drained. There had been much for her to do after the news she received earlier at noon.


    Glancing at the ornate clock on her desk, she sighed. Rest would be welcome now that the final preparations were complete, but there wasn¡¯t much time for that.


    Her eyes swept across the meticulously organised office. She had only just returned from the capital, and now she was leaving again. It was frustrating, in a way, but she reminded herself that this turn of events could work in her favour. Still, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there were too many balls in the air with the mess here in the empire ¡ª too many issues that might call for her personal attention.


    But in the end, she had to prioritise.


    After allowing herself a few more minutes of calm and contemplation, Scarlett rose from her seat and left the office, making her way through the mansion¡¯s hallways. Passing through the east wing, she glanced out the windows overlooking the courtyard. Servants scurried about, carrying trunks and parcels to a carriage waiting just beyond the recently renovated court.


    The unexpected missive from the Rising Isle that they¡¯d received had been a surprise in more ways than one. Not only had it been a request for her immediate presence, but it had come from the Isle Council itself. Something serious must have happened to rally enough of its members to agree that her help was necessary, but she couldn¡¯t think of what that might be.


    At the very least, it appeared as if the Council had gone to extraordinary lengths to convince her to come, somehow even managing to persuade the Imperial Chancellery to advocate on their behalf. She could only imagine the concessions offered to secure that favor. In addition, they¡¯d tried dangling several other incentives before Scarlett herself, on top of the debt they already owed her.


    She had been planning to return to the Rising Isle for Arlene¡¯s questline, so it was technically a good arrangement for her. It was just the suddenness that left her feeling unsettled.


    No matter how much she racked her brain, trying to recall any event from the game that might explain the Council¡¯s actions, she came up blank. It would have been helpful if they had provided more details in their initial message, but she supposed they were reluctant to divulge sensitive information without confirmation of her cooperation. She knew from personal experience how stingy they could be.


    Her hasty departure would put the barony in a bit of a tight spot, what with the ongoing monster incursions, Empyreal Barrier preparations, relief initiatives, and other pressing matters. But she¡¯d made her decision. She had already postponed Arlene¡¯s quest longer than she wanted or intended, and with Raimond and others potentially closing in on Beld Thylelion¡¯s location, it was time to tie up loose ends before that situation came to a head.


    Scarlett had done her best to ensure that the barony and all her other affairs would run smoothly in her absence. Lady Withersworth¡¯s assistance would be invaluable for handling local matters and the relief efforts, while Beldon would oversee many of Scarlett¡¯s planned maneuvers against rival nobles. She¡¯d also reached out to her other allies, like Adalicia Mendenhall at Elystead Tower and Raimond, to arrange additional contingencies.


    Also, while Evelyne was still recuperating, she might be well enough to manage some tasks from her sickbed. Scarlett would prefer to keep her resting longer, but she might need the woman to assume some of her responsibilities sooner than hoped, anyway.


    Scarlett paused as she reached her destination, standing outside the door to Evelyne¡¯s room. Before deciding anything, though, she needed to properly assess Evelyne¡¯s condition.


    She pushed the door open and stepped inside, pleasantly surprised to find the room less gloomy than during her last visit. The blinds were drawn back, allowing the soft golden light of the setting sun to fill the room, casting long shadows across the floor and illuminating the snow-dusted trees outside.


    Evelyne was awake, sitting with a thin book on her lap. She looked up at Scarlett in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. Though much of her face and shoulder were still covered in bandages, she wasn¡¯t quite as pale as before. Her auburn hair had grown to reach past her shoulders, partially obscuring her right eye.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± The woman¡¯s voice held more energy in it as well. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She set the book aside with her good hand, focusing on Scarlett.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°I came to check on your condition and inform you of my impending departure,¡± Scarlett replied, remaining by the entrance as she studied Evelyne carefully. To her surprise, Evelyne sounded neither angry nor bitter, despite their last encounter.


    The woman blinked a few times, as if processing the news. ¡°You¡¯re leaving again? Where?¡±


    ¡°The Rising Isle. Their council has requested my immediate presence, and I have unfinished business there.¡± Scarlett paused, considering her next words while watching Evelyne.


    Eventually, she continued in a more detached tone. ¡°In my absence, you may resume handling some of the barony¡¯s affairs, provided you feel capable. However, I have instructed both Garside and Seneschal Kinsley to ensure you do not overexert yourself.¡±


    Evelyne seemed healthy enough for that, at least, and Scarlett trusted Garside to ensure the woman didn¡¯t accidentally work herself to death.


    ¡°Oh. I see¡­¡± Evelyne murmured, her gaze lingering on Scarlett. Then, with a hint of hesitation, she asked, ¡°Is there any chance you¡¯ll tell me what this unfinished business on the Isle is about?¡±


    ¡°There would be little point,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°It is unrelated to matters you are familiar with.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not about the Hartford family residing there?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°It is not.¡±


    Technically, to complete Arlene¡¯s quest, she would need to interact with Grand Wizard Gaspar Hartford, as he was in charge of investigating the matters involving the woman¡¯s brother. But that was all.


    Evelyne studied her for a moment longer, resignation creeping into her expression. ¡°Alright, if you say so. Was that all you came here for?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett said, turning to leave. She¡¯d confirmed Evelyne¡¯s health for now.


    Just as she reached the door, Evelyne called after her. ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    Scarlett paused, turning back. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Evelyne hesitated, her injured arm moving slightly under the covers. ¡°I just wanted to say¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said before. About me not¡­understanding you.¡±


    Scarlett regarded her carefully. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Though she did believe those words were true, they hadn¡¯t been meant as any real form of reproach. If anything, it was more of a declaration for herself and the person she currently was.


    ¡°You might be right,¡± Evelyne admitted. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t know you as well as I thought. I disagree that I wouldn¡¯t understand you at all, but there might be aspects that I¡¯ve always¡­overlooked. Both with this current ¡®you¡¯, and who you were before. I used to see you as a simple villain. Then, gradually, I thought you¡¯d changed. But I realise now that I never truly understood what had changed. I just thought you¡¯d grown¡­better, for lack of a word.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s gaze dropped to her lap, then met Scarlett¡¯s again. ¡°But that goes both ways, doesn¡¯t it? How well do you know me? Do we even know each other that well?¡± She paused, her fingers plucking at the edge of her blanket. ¡°Even so, we¡¯re still sisters, aren¡¯t we? I understand this might not mean the same thing to you as it does to me, but I¡¯ve given it a lot of thought now, and I don¡¯t think that matters. With how you were before¡­ I don¡¯t think I would have gone this far, but with you as you are now, I can¡¯t accept things staying as they are.¡±


    Scarlett listened silently, her expression unreadable.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been trying to improve things,¡± Evelyne went on. ¡°Why I thought things were getting better, even if it wasn¡¯t perfect. And that wasn¡¯t just in my head, was it? It really seemed like our relationship could improve, even if you could still be difficult at times, and I was misunderstanding things or being naive.¡±


    Scarlett watched her for several seconds before responding. ¡°¡­It appears you have reached some interesting self-realisations,¡± she finally said, keeping her voice level. ¡°I do not know if you expect me to be grateful that you judge my current self ¡®worthy¡¯ versus the old one, but I suppose it does not matter. I will not hold you accountable for seeing me as I was because I am well aware of who I used to be. And yes, things between us were improving. However, as I said before, I have no intention of altering the current state of our relationship beyond this point. It simply is no longer a priority.¡±


    Ever since Evelyne almost died, Scarlett¡¯s emotions towards the younger woman had become so chaotically tangled that it was difficult to make sense of them most of the time. And it was clear that wasn¡¯t going to change as they were now.


    Frankly, she didn¡¯t understand why Evelyne herself seemed so fixated on mending things when the woman was bearing the brunt of the consequences.


    ¡°And I get that¡¯s how you are,¡± Evelyne said, meeting Scarlett¡¯s eyes directly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to try to ask for you to explain the logic behind it anymore, since that¡¯s the decision you¡¯ve made, right?¡± Her brow furrowed slightly. ¡°But I¡¯m still willing to try to improve things, even if you aren¡¯t. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided being sisters means to me now.¡±


    A faint wince crossed Evelyne¡¯s face as she shrugged. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t mean the same to you, but¡­¡± Her voice lowered, a hint of self-deprecation creeping in. ¡°Honestly, I feel like an idiot saying all this. You¡¯re such an asshole, Scarlett. You know that, right? Probably not the best time to bring it up, but I don¡¯t care. If you can be offensively blunt all the time, then so can I, at least sometimes.¡±


    Scarlett scowled, but she bit back her sharp retort.


    ¡°Despite that,¡± Evelyne continued, shaking her head, ¡°you¡¯ve got me wanting to apologise, to make amends for all kinds of things outside my control. I can barely understand it myself.¡± She gave a bitter chuckle. ¡°Whatever faults you think I have, you¡¯re definitely worse. But I¡¯ve realised something...¡± Her tone softened again, seeming uncertain about what she was about to say next. ¡°¡­I care more about your approval and acceptance than I ever thought I did. And I¡¯m scared of what Father would have thought if he saw things the way they are now. I¡¯ve also realised I¡¯m more selfish than I believed.¡±


    Scarlett remained quiet, suppressing the veritable mountain of responses she wanted to give.


    ¡°In these last months, especially these last few days, I think I¡¯ve realised a lot of things,¡± Evelyne said. ¡°But the biggest one is that if you don¡¯t think our relationship can ever get better, there¡¯s nothing I can do about that. Like most things nowadays, it¡¯s up to you to change it ¡ª if you ever will.¡± Her lips curved into a somber smile. ¡°But until then, at least¡­ I¡¯ll wait. That¡¯s what I can do, and it¡¯s what you want as well, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Scarlett observed her for a long moment, her mouth drawn into a thin line. ¡°...That determination, at the very least, is something I can appreciate, even if I am not inclined to discuss this further at the moment.¡± She lowered her head slightly. ¡°You are also right in that I do not know you nearly as well as I had believed. I had anticipated a much more negative response after our last meeting. I am¡­relieved that does not appear to be the case.¡±


    With that, she turned towards the door. ¡°Ensure you do not worsen your condition in my absence. Farewell.¡±


    Without waiting for a reply, Scarlett left the room, walking briskly through the hallway in the direction of her own quarters. Inside, a strange tumult of emotions churned within her ¡ª both a suppressed anger at Evelyne¡¯s brazen challenge and words, tempered by a begrudging respect for the woman¡¯s unexpected resilience.


    Where did this confidence come from, she wondered? Evelyne had always been confident in some ways, but meek in others. Or at least that was how Scarlett had perceived her. Now, the woman had seemingly accepted the limits of their relationship and set reasonable¡ªor perhaps unrealistic¡ªexpectations based on that, rather than clinging to futile hopes. It demonstrated a certain nihilistic pragmatism that Scarlett herself often identified with.


    Still, she wasn¡¯t sure what Evelyne truly expected to gain from this exchange. Scarlett¡¯s inherent dislike for her existence hadn¡¯t magically vanished, and though she could try to acclimate herself to and tolerate Evelyne¡¯s presence better, as she had before, it remained an added burden in her life. She¡¯d simply had enough of it.


    At this point, Scarlett was fairly convinced the situation would likely never be fully resolved without confronting the original¡¯s past ¡ª one that had largely been lost with her arrival in this world. And if there was one thing her interactions with Evelyne had made clear, it was that the younger Hartford sister lacked much of the context related to that past as well. Or at least a version of it that Scarlett would be able to accept.


    But what did it matter in the end? She honestly thought she and Evelyne could continue in their uneasy coexistence, especially if each accepted the limitations of their bond. After all, she had never sought to establish a real sisterly connection with the woman in the first place.


    Reaching her thoughts, Scarlett shook off these thoughts and turned her focus to the last of her preparations for the Rising Isle. Once finished, she moved to the foyer, where the others were already waiting for her. Together, they left the mansion behind.


    Kat, unfortunately, had to leave earlier in the afternoon for some Guild business, but they¡¯d all had the chance to say their goodbyes beforehand. Since it seemed the Shielder would be staying in Freybrook for a while this time, Scarlett had made a mental note to make use of her services when the time was right.


    Now, as the carriage rumbled away from the estate, Scarlett sat in silence, her gaze fixed on the rapidly darkening horizon. The rest of the group chatted casually, but she didn¡¯t pay attention to their words.


    There was still a lingering sense of disappointment about the many unfinished matters here in the empire, and the fact that she hadn¡¯t had the time to visit Freymeadow after returning from Elystead. But she reassured herself that the Rising Isle¡¯s significance outweighed everything else. The purpose of this trip eclipsed her other concerns.


    When she returned to Freymeadow next, she would be able to present Arlene with the item she had promised, and finally bring that chapter to a close ¡ª just as she had originally set out to do. That meant a whole slew of things would change when she accomplished what she needed on the Isle, and she wouldn¡¯t leave until then.

 Chapter 282 - Tropical Isle returns

    Scarlett and her companions materialised in a spherical chamber within the Chamber of Conjunction on the Rising Isle. The polished stone floor was intricately carved with arcane symbols, pulsing with veins of magical energy. Nearby, a Kilnstone hovered in the air, its grey surface faintly shimmering. In the chamber¡¯s corner, several wizards stood silently, observing their arrival.


    Three familiar figures approached, their grey robes adorned with varying numbers of ornate gold lines at the collar. Principal Wizard Bunce led the group, flanked by his two Associate Wizards.


    ¡°Baroness Hartford,¡± Bunce greeted with a somewhat formal nod. ¡°Welcome back to the Rising Isle.¡±


    Scarlett inclined her head in response. ¡°Thank you, Principal Wizard.¡±


    ¡°If you would follow me,¡± the man said, gesturing towards the exit. They left the chamber, entering a long, vaulted hallway that opened into a bustling vestibule, where wizards moved quickly about their business.


    As they navigated through the crowd, Bunce spoke over his shoulder. ¡°I understand you¡¯ve made significant adjustments to your schedule to join us today, Baroness. I apologise that our welcome isn¡¯t quite as elaborate as last time.¡±


    Their progress halted momentarily as a group of white-robed wizards rushed past, arms laden with thick tomes and long staffs.


    ¡°That is quite alright,¡± Scarlett replied, her eyes scanning their surroundings. She¡¯d been wondering about the change, but she preferred it this way. It meant less time wasted on formalities.


    She turned her attention back to Bunce. ¡°However, I am still curious about the sudden urgency of my summons. Are you aware of the reason behind it?¡±


    The wizard shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t be at liberty to say.¡±


    ¡°Who would, then?¡±


    ¡°Grand Wizard Hartford will receive you shortly. I¡¯m sure he can address any questions you might have.¡±


    Oh? So Gaspar would be her liaison again, after all. Scarlett had been wondering about that as well. Their personalities didn¡¯t exactly mesh, but she had to admit he usually managed to maintain his professionalism. At least when it mattered. Plus, she had some business to discuss with him.


    As they exited the vestibule and ascended a spiraling staircase, Allyssa spoke up. ¡°By the way, is there a reason everyone back there seems so frantic?¡±


    ¡°The Rising Isle maintains active Kilnstone across the continent and beyond,¡± Scarlett answered, glancing over some ancient Zuverian inscriptions etched into murals on the wall. ¡°With recent events, the empire and its citizens are not the only ones affected. Given the Isle¡¯s small numbers, I imagine most of its wizards have been working tirelessly these past few weeks.¡±


    Bunce nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed. Tensions have risen in many nations, and while reports indicate the monster incursions are primarily concentrated in the empire, they¡¯re not entirely limited to that region. Our collaborations across the continent have us sending many wizards to inspect and coordinate efforts. We¡¯re also investigating the mysterious event that caused the entire Kilnstone network to cease functioning in order to ensure it does not happen again. It¡¯s consuming much of our resources.¡±


    Soon, they arrived in a meeting room. A broad window at the far end offered a view of one of the Rising Isle¡¯s many canals, with elegant buildings lining the waterway. The central arrangement of chairs and couches with a table in the middle sat atop a transparent floor, beneath which dazzling patterns of magical lights flowed. Emerald crystals suspended from the walls bathed the room in a soft, green glow as the natural light outside had mostly faded.


    Noticing that the chamber was empty, Scarlett turned to their guide. ¡°Where is Grand Wizard Hartford?¡±


    ¡°He will arrive soon, Baroness,¡± Bunce replied, gesturing towards the seating area. ¡°If you would be so kind as to wait here, I would be most thankful.¡±


    Scarlett regarded him for a moment, then strode towards the seats. ¡°Very well,¡± she said.


    She hoped she wouldn¡¯t be kept waiting for as long as last time.


    As Bunce and his associates took their leave, Scarlett and her group settled in. To her relief, they didn¡¯t have to wait long. Within minutes, footsteps sounded at the entrance, and Grand Wizard Hartford entered, his black robes trailing as he tapped an ebony staff against the stone floor with each step.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re here already,¡± he said, before pausing briefly as he passed Fynn, peering down at the youth who had taken a seat on a couch beside Shin. ¡°Hmph. It seems you bothered to find a seat this time, at least,¡± he remarked before continuing to an armchair opposite Scarlett.


    Allyssa tilted her head at Fynn. ¡°What did you do last time?¡±


    An uncertain frown creased Fynn¡¯s brow. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°He sat on the floor,¡± Gaspar answered gruffly. ¡°As if the Rising Isle does not have plenty of proper seating available for its guests.¡± His gaze shifted to Scarlett. ¡°Your companions are as ¡®adventurous¡¯ as you, Baroness. Do you specifically seek out individuals for their peculiarities?¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I select them for their abilities,¡± Scarlett replied indifferently. ¡°Their personalities are secondary .¡±


    Gaspar grunted. ¡°Fair enough,¡± he conceded. ¡°Regardless, welcome back to the Rising Isle. Both I and the Council appreciate you making time to come here despite the current situation in the empire.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly as she considered him. ¡°I have my own reasons for returning as well,¡± she said after a moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡±


    ¡°I will admit,¡± she continued, ¡°I am somewhat surprised to find you personally greeting me. Given your previous reluctance, I would have assumed you might delegate the responsibility to another wizard ¡ª Magister Penney, for instance. I imagine he would not have objected to the assignment.¡±


    If it had been ¡®Hugbert¡¯ meeting her here, she might have been able to inquire with him about Yamina as well. Scarlett was curious about what the woman was up to.


    ¡°I don¡¯t shirk my responsibilities so lightly, Baroness,¡± Gaspar said with a hint of annoyance. ¡°Not even when they prove¡­vexing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scarlett regarded him for a few moments longer before reclining in her seat. ¡°That is just as well, I suppose. There are matters I wished to discuss with you specifically. If you recall, you were tasked with investigating the history of an imperial wizard who once called this isle home ¡ª a man named Delmont. I would like to know how that matter has progressed.¡± Her eyes narrowed subtly. ¡°I trust that, since you were instrumental in obstructing my own inquiries, you have not neglected this responsibility during my absence from the Isle?¡±


    Her objective this time was clear: find out what happened to Arlene so that she could secure the heirloom Delmont had supposedly received from the woman. That meant it was imperative the Council fulfilled its side of the bargain.


    A scowl formed on Gaspar¡¯s face. ¡°Of course I haven¡¯t,¡± he answered with a huff. He seemed about to continue but hesitated, steepling his fingers while studying Scarlett. ¡°¡­With that said, I would like to know if you yourself have uncovered any new information about this man since you first asked us to look into him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Nothing beyond his name and the fact that he left the empire to join the Rising Isle. That is, after all, precisely why I am here. Your role is not to question my understanding of the subject, but rather to assist me in uncovering more. I presume you have at least identified the individual to whom I am referring.¡±


    ¡°Who said I was questioning you?¡± The man shook his head with a low grumble, though he straightened in his seat. ¡°And yes, I have identified him. It was not much of a challenge, to be frank. The man you¡¯re inquiring about was an arch wizard.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°He was?¡±


    That revelation, while somewhat unexpected, made a certain amount of sense. Considering Delmont was Arlene¡¯s brother, a disciple of one of the first deacons, and apparently directly familiar with Ustrum¡ªone of the empire¡¯s most renowned wizards¡ªit was logical that he would be a powerful mage in his own right. She could only imagine the empire¡¯s reaction to one of its arch wizards defecting to the Rising Isle, though. Especially at that point in time.


    No wonder they had tried to erase as many traces of Delmont as possible.


    ¡°The real challenge,¡± Gaspar continued, ¡°has been identifying and locating this supposed heirloom you¡¯re seeking. If it¡¯s true, as you claim, that it¡¯s neither an artifact nor enchanted in any way, there would be little reason for it to be appear in our records. My findings so far seem to confirm that much.¡±


    ¡°What of his descendants?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°Did he have any? If so, it is possible the necklace was passed down to them.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s frown deepened as he folded his arms, meeting her gaze. ¡°¡­I¡¯m currently looking into that possibility, seeing if they might possess something that matches the description you provided.¡±


    ¡°Then they remain on the Isle? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Not your concern, Baroness,¡± he replied curtly. ¡°I will handle contacting them to inquire about the matter. Though I am doubtful whether it will lead anywhere, given he lived several generations ago.¡±


    Scarlett mirrored his frown. ¡°Then do you believe that you will be unable to complete this task?¡±


    The man shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I said. Only that it may prove far more challenging than you think. Naturally, I¡¯ll continue investigating whenever I have the time, even if I personally don¡¯t see much value in this pursuit. As agreed between the Council and yourself, I¡¯ll do what is within my power to see this through before your departure. I happen to be a man of my word.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± Scarlett said, keeping her voice measured. ¡°It would be unfortunate if the Rising Isle¡¯s council could not deliver on its promises after already receiving their end of the bargain. Nevertheless, I shall continue to place my confidence in your capabilities.¡±


    She truly hoped he was right, or she¡¯d have to find some other way of completing Arlene¡¯s quest. That would probably piss both him and the Council off.


    ¡°On the subject of bargains,¡± she added, eyeing Gaspar deliberately. ¡°Perhaps you recall the list of items and materials I provided to the Council on my last visit, in exchange for the services I had already provided. I afforded you ample time to prepare my compensation, trusting in the Council¡¯s integrity, but I am curious how matters are proceeding on that front.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s eye twitched, his expression souring. He remained silent for a few seconds. ¡°¡­That does not fall within my area of responsibility. In my opinion, the Council was far too lenient in agreeing to your demands. However, to my knowledge, at least half of the listed items have been procured. The remainder consists of materials that will take longer to acquire or simply aren¡¯t currently within our ability to provide. I suspect you¡¯ll be asked to reconsider those.¡±


    ¡°Reconsider how?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll likely receive a list of other priceless artifacts and materials we can offer instead,¡± he said, begrudgingly.


    ¡°I see. Then I will eagerly await that list.¡±


    Neither Scarlett nor the Council could assign an exact value to the debt they owed her for revealing the Astral Sanctum¡¯s hidden sanctuary, but judging from some conversations she¡¯d had with Magister Penney during her last visit, it was probably greater than she¡¯d initially anticipated. The fact that most of the Council¡ªwhich she¡¯d been informed was very divided on most topics related to an outsider like her¡ªhad agreed to her requests seemed to confirm that.


    Still, she hadn¡¯t actually expected them to amass so much so quickly. Much of what she¡¯d asked for comprised rare materials and reagents she was familiar with from the game or from her own research. Items that even the Rising Isle might have difficulty to obtain. She planned to use them for both upgrading the Loci in the future and for outfitting her party with even better gear.


    ¡°Are those the only separate matters you wanted to discuss?¡± Gaspar asked, his tone betraying a trace of impatience.


    Scarlett returned her full attention to the man. ¡°I believe it is, yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s not waste any more time and get to the matter at hand,¡± he said.


    Scarlett watched him quietly, then nodded. ¡°Yes, let us. I am intrigued by that as well. Tell me, what brought the Council to summon me to the Rising Isle so urgently?¡±


    ¡°Before I do, Baroness, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± Gaspar¡¯s expression grew more serious, his voice dropping. ¡°What exactly do you know about the Hall of Echoes?¡±

 Chapter 283 - Remuneration

    A sharp, impressed whistle pierced the air beside Scarlett, prompting her to turn her head slightly.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯d call a dragon¡¯s hoard worth its salt,¡± Rosa said in approval. ¡°Well, a small dragon¡¯s hoard, maybe, but it still counts.¡±


    Before them, in the center of the room, lit by the soft glow of green crystals embedded in the walls, lay an impressive display of wealth and magical artifice. Tables were laden with chests, exotic reagents in colorful vials, and an assortment of artifacts that shimmered in the gentle light.


    ¡°Dragons usually don¡¯t have real hoards,¡± Fynn noted, arms crossed as he stood to their right.


    Rosa shot him a sharp look. ¡°Well, maybe not the boring dragons you¡¯ve encountered.¡±


    The white-haired young man simply nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, then let¡¯s call it a veritable treasure trove,¡± Rosa huffed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t ¡®treasure trove¡¯ kind of imply we stumbled upon this by chance?¡± Allyssa asked, head tilted. This earned her a light scowl from the bard.


    Rosa turned to Scarlett, an exaggerated look of indignation on her face. ¡°Hey, boss lady, they¡¯re belittling your new acquisitions. Are you really just going to stand there and let them get away with it?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression remained impassive as she eyed the woman for a moment before returning her gaze to the extravagant collection. ¡°I do not particularly mind.¡±


    Rosa clicked her tongue in disappointment at failing to rally an ally, but Scarlett wasn¡¯t sure what she expected, honestly. Allyssa¡¯s chuckle rang out while Fynn and Shin stepped closer to inspect the treasures. A trio of wizards clad in rich brown robes stood off to the side of the chamber, having been responsible for assembling and presenting this generous offering.


    Fynn lifted a peculiar, teardrop-shaped crystal that pulsed with a faint inner light, studying it with a look of curiosity. Shin ran his fingers over the spine of an old tome, its cover adorned with intricate silver filigree, while Scarlett approached an ornate chest at the edge of the display.


    This collection before them represented the rewards¡ªor payment, depending on one¡¯s perspective¡ªthat the Rising Isle¡¯s council had promised Scarlett and her companions in exchange for revealing the secrets of the Astral Sanctum. Or at least half or so of the agreed-upon compensation.


    While many of the items were those Scarlett had specifically requested, the Isle¡¯s wizards had also included some additions of their own.


    To start things out, Scarlett knelt and deliberately opened the small chest, the lid revealing a sea of glittering coins. There was a collective gasp as the sight of gold filled their vision.


    Another appreciative whistle sounded behind her. Rosa leaned over her shoulder. ¡°Any chance of us seeing some of this bonus treasure coming our way in the near future?¡± she asked, likely only half-joking.


    Scarlett glanced back briefly before refocusing on the chest¡¯s contents. If she were to make a rough estimate, there were roughly two thousand or so coins inside, each bearing the stamp of a hundred-solar piece. This chest alone contained somewhere around two hundred thousand solars, and with four similar chests nearby, the total sum hovered around one million ¡ª a fortune almost matching what she¡¯d received for the ashenwraith dragon and its parts.


    Frankly, she was somewhat surprised that the Rising Isle had such a substantial amount of imperial currency at their immediate disposal, especially given that it wasn¡¯t their primary means of exchange. Then again, considering their extensive reach, maybe acquiring funds like these might not be as difficult for them as it would be for others. While the amount was certainly impressive to a minor noble like Scarlett, for a faction of the Isle¡¯s standing, it likely paled in comparison to the potential magical secrets hidden within the Sanctum.


    For Rosa and the others, however, this represented wealth beyond anything they could get close to in several lifetimes if it hadn¡¯t been for today.


    ¡°I believe your current compensation is quite generous,¡± Scarlett remarked in reply to Rosa¡¯s comment. ¡°That said¡­ Additional rewards may be considered in the future, should circumstances warrant it.¡±


    ¡°Um, does that include the rest of us as well?¡± Allyssa asked from her spot by a table of alchemical ingredients.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Astrey.¡±


    A barely contained smile of excitement spread across the young Shielder¡¯s face.


    ¡°I knew there was a reason I stuck around,¡± Rosa said, nudging Scarlett¡¯s shoulder lightly. ¡°Who would have thought it¡¯d be the promise of riches?¡±


    Scarlett simply shook her head as she closed the chest and moved to examine the items on the next table. Her gaze swept across the assortment of vials and other containers that held various rare reagents and materials, with tiny, neatly written labels identifying their contents: Glimmerrot Sap, Embervine Resin, Dragonscale Powder, Frostleaf Petals. Some were familiar to Scarlett from the game, while others she recognised from her studies.


    Each item was relatively difficult to obtain through conventional means, but useful for numerous professions. Scarlett had requested most of these from the Council with specific plans in mind: enhancing the Loci, crafting powerful equipment, and more.


    Though she couldn¡¯t pinpoint an exact worth for everything laid out before her, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the total rivaled¡ªor even surpassed¡ªthe gold in the chests.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The next table held the alchemical ingredients that had captured Allyssa¡¯s rapt attention. While these items weren¡¯t quite as numerous or rare as those on the previous table, Scarlett had taken care to consult Allyssa on potentially useful components before finalising her list for the Council. This included a few ingredients that they¡¯d struggled to procure themselves, yet which were essential for some of the alchemical recipes Allyssa had discovered in the Veiled Library. Scarlett could practically see the gears turning in the young alchemist¡¯s mind as she envisioned the experiments she¡¯d soon be able to conduct.


    Moving past Allyssa¡¯s table of wonders, Scarlett approached the next display, which held a selection of enchanted items. Her attention moved over each piece, noting their appearance and reading the small placards describing their functions.


    Given the opportunity to request nearly anything from one of the world¡¯s foremost magical factions, it would have been foolish not to include something like this. This table likely represented the lion¡¯s share of the day¡¯s value, which said a lot.


    [Amulet of True Sight (Epic)]


    {Illusions weave their deceptions, but this amulet guides its wearer to see the world as it truly is, unmasking the tricks of those who hide reality}


    The first item was a delicate silver chain suspending a bead-shaped crystal that shifted colors as Scarlett examined it. According to the placard, it enabled the wearer to see through most illusions and invisibility. Scarlett had specifically acquired it for Fynn to sharpen his already impressive perceptive abilities further.


    [Whispering Cloak (Epic)]


    {The wind carries many secrets, but none hear your footsteps when wrapped in this cloak. Silence is the first step towards invisibility}


    A shimmering cloak that seemed to absorb the light around it, with its edges blurring as though attempting to fade from view, was the second item. It muffled footsteps and sounds, making the wearer harder to detect. While it wasn¡¯t quite invisibility, which was very challenging magic to get your hands on, this would be good to have if any of Scarlett¡¯s party members needed to be stealthy in the future.


    [Belt of the Iron Stomach (Epic)]


    {The road is long and fraught with hazards, but this belt steels the body against the world¡¯s poisons and venoms, fortifying the wearer¡¯s resolve}


    The third item Scarlett inspected was a pair of sturdy leather belts inlaid with metallic designs that pulsed faintly green. The placard explained that they gave resistance to poisons and toxins while allowing the wearer to consume most organic substances. These could be useful for a range of situations.


    [Pendant of Breathless Seas (Rare)]


    {The deep is as treacherous as it is vast, but with this pendant, the seas part some of their dangers and welcome you as one of their own}


    Another item was a collection of small azure gemstones on fine silver chains, their surfaces rippling like water. They allowed for underwater breathing as well as increased mobility, and Scarlett had wanted to make sure she had several of these, just in case.


    Beyond these, the table held an impressive array of enchanted rings offering resistances and other enhancements, which Scarlett planned to distribute among her companions. Additionally, there were a decent number of quality-of-life items: extra spatial bags with greater capacity than the [Bag of Juham], a delicate earring for projecting and amplifying one¡¯s voice, and a small trinket that could erect a barrier preventing outside sounds from passing through.


    Together, this collection represented items Scarlett had carefully selected to bolster her party¡¯s strength and versatility. While there was a noticeable absence of heavy armor or gear, Scarlett found they were already well-equipped in that regard, and the Isle¡¯s wizards weren¡¯t blacksmiths or the like anyway.


    A small, content smile played on Scarlett¡¯s lips as she completed her inspection, casting one last sweeping glance over the tables and chests. Considering that the Isle had managed to gather all of this in a relatively short time, she could only imagine what they might be able to provide with more time ¡ª especially if she offered them access to some of the Isle¡¯s deeper secrets beyond just the Astral Sanctum.


    She had yet to divulge any details about the Veiled Library, for instance, and she doubted Yamina had either.


    Scarlett turned to one of the wizards stationed at the room¡¯s edge, who had been quietly observing her party¡¯s enthusiastic examination of their new acquisitions. ¡°These will more than suffice for the time being,¡± she said. ¡°Please convey my gratitude to your superiors for this generous offering and, if possible, to the artisans responsible for crafting these items.¡±


    Then, addressing her companions, she added, ¡°Feel free to continue exploring the collection at your leisure. Fynn, I entrust you and Mr. Thornthon with the task of organising and storing these items once you are done. I have another matter to attend to, so I will be taking my leave.¡±


    With that, Scarlett exited the room, stepping into the hallway, where a grey-robed wizard stood in wait. She gave the woman a nod, signaling that she didn¡¯t need an escort, and made her way towards their current accommodations. Since the wizards had brought their rewards directly to them, it was a short walk.


    Entering her room, the crystals embedded in the walls automatically illuminated the space with their warm, ambient glow. Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved to an ornate clock beside the bed before she moved to a sturdy wooden table tucked in the corner.


    There were still a few minutes to spare.


    Settling into the chair, she placed her [Pouch of Holding] on the table¡¯s surface and reached inside, drawing out a slender band of pale white metal. It was just large enough to fit comfortably around her head, its deceptively simple appearance belying its true nature.


    [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction (Unique)]


    {Born through ancient forgotten rites, this crown harbors the unified essence of sacred and elemental flames, its true power waiting to be discovered}


    As Scarlett held it, faint crimson runes ignited along the circlet¡¯s edge, and a subtle wave of mental clarity washed over her. Though the Isle¡¯s items were undoubtedly valuable, none of them could truly compare to this.


    At least, that was her assumption. She¡¯d had little time to actually test the artifact since Mistress had created it for her, so its exact capabilities remained somewhat of a mystery, even if she understood its basic functions in theory. She had been planning to explore its potential during her next trip to Freymeadow, but the sudden detour to the Rising Isle had postponed those plans.


    She supposed she¡¯d simply have to discover what it could do in the heat of combat when the opportunity arose. She had to admit, a part of her couldn¡¯t deny the thrill at the prospect.


    For the next few minutes, Scarlett idly toyed with the artifact, conjuring small flames to test its fire-based body enhancement magic while her mind wandered over potential uses. Eventually, her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden flash of light at the center of the room. Carefully setting the circlet aside, she turned to face the light, where a figure was slowly materialising.


    The apparition glowed with a shimmering blue hue, like sunlight filtering through deep ocean waters. As it coalesced, familiar features began to take shape, with hints of colour shining through the blue radiance. A rich emerald robe adorned with golden accents came into focus, framing a head of deep purple hair falling just above the shoulders. Intelligent eyes peered from behind a pair of round, scholarly glasses, their gold chains glinting in the magical light.


    The image of Yamina Ward stood before Scarlett, blinking a couple of times as she glanced down at her blue-tinted form before finally meeting Scarlett¡¯s gaze. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve kept you waiting, Baroness,¡± she said, a touch of apology in her voice.

 Chapter 284 - Echoing warnings

    Scarlett arched an eyebrow as she regarded Yamina¡¯s strange form ¡ª a shimmering blue projection that flickered faintly at the edges. ¡°That is quite the unusual appearance, Miss Ward,¡± she remarked. ¡°If memory serves, you were considerably less¡­ethereal during our last meeting.¡±


    A tickled smile played across the wizard¡¯s translucent lips as she inclined her head. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. This is merely the result of an artifact I discovered in the Forgotten Tower. It¡¯s an avatar shaped by mana, allowing me to project my consciousness across vast distances. I¡¯m currently on the mainland, and this artifact is one of the few things capable of bypassing the Rising Isle¡¯s wards undetected. From what I¡¯ve gleaned in my studies, it seems the artifact¡¯s creator had a hand in designing the wards as well.¡± She paused, her spectral form shifting slightly. ¡°The Council would likely be livid if they learned of its existence, so I use it sparingly. I¡¯d appreciate your discretion on the matter.¡±


    Scarlett chuckled softly. ¡°Your secret is safe with me. But I am curious ¡ª what keeps you from the Rising Isle? Where precisely on the mainland are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t share too many details at present,¡± Yamina replied, gliding to take a seat opposite Scarlett. Her form seemed almost weightless, as if hovering just above the chair. ¡°You might say I¡¯m pursuing a personal endeavour.¡±


    ¡°Might it be related to what you sought in the Veiled Library?¡± Scarlett asked, studying the woman as she rested one arm on the table.


    Yamina cocked her head, her expression revealing little. ¡°Who can say?¡±


    Scarlett watched her for a moment longer, considering some of the possibilities. The wizard had been looking into the Tribute of Dominion in the Veiled Library, which was likely to involve Beld Thylelion in some capacity. If that were the case, she¡¯d probably be collaborating with the mage towers and Dean Godwin. Yet Scarlett hadn¡¯t heard anything of the sort from Adalicia, and it didn¡¯t seem like the sort of venture Yamina would have to keep under wraps.


    ¡°¡­I suppose we all have our secrets,¡± Scarlett finally said, lightly tapping her finger on the table. ¡°That said, something you mentioned piqued my interest. You said this artifact that allows you to project yourself was found in the Forgotten Tower? I have often wondered how you gained access to such an allegedly impenetrable place. If you are willing to share that tale, I may have some valuable information to offer in exchange.¡±


    A gentle laugh escaped Yamina. ¡°While your proposal is tempting, regrettably, that story will have to wait for another time. This avatar form isn¡¯t sustainable indefinitely, so we should probably get down to business.¡±


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t hide a flicker of disappointment, but she nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Very well. What did you wish to discuss with me?¡±


    She had received a message from the wizard earlier this evening, shortly after concluding her meeting with Gaspar, and all Yamina had said was that she wanted to speak. Scarlett thought that meant in person, but apparently not.


    Yamina¡¯s gaze fixed on her, the reflection in her spectral glasses lending an eerie sheen. ¡°I asked Magister Penney to relay my message the moment I heard of your arrival. I assume you¡¯ve already spoken with Grand Wizard Hartford about the situation in the Hall of Echoes?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Scarlett confirmed. ¡°We met only a few hours ago.¡±


    ¡°And, I presume, as with the Astral Sanctum and the Veiled Library, you possess certain ¡®forgotten knowledge¡¯ about the Hall that justifies the Council requesting your presence?¡± Yamina continued, her form flitting briefly as she leaned forward. ¡°I seem to recall you suggesting something of the sort on your initial visit.¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Or, at the very least, I have reason to believe so. I cannot guarantee anything until I visit the Hall myself.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Yamina observed her for a long moment, then adjusted her glasses with a blue-tinted hand. ¡°Well, it¡¯s as I suspected then. I had a feeling you would return to the Isle soon enough, but I only received the news from Hugbert earlier today. Now, as for why I wanted to meet you in person¡ªfiguratively speaking¡ªdo you recall my suggestion that you visit the Hall of Echoes?¡±


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°I do, yes. Does it bear some connection to what is happening now?¡±


    If the woman somehow managed to predict this, an event that¡ªas far as Scarlett was aware¡ªwas outside of the game¡¯s narrative, then it would indeed be impressive.


    ¡°It may be,¡± Yamina replied. ¡°Though I didn¡¯t quite expect it to unfold in this manner.¡±


    ¡°How did you anticipate it unfolding?¡±


    ¡°Not in any one particular way, frankly,¡± Yamina said with a ghostly shrug. ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned before, divination is a capricious school of magic. It¡¯s rarely, if ever, precise enough to where you should actually bother with things like expectations. Vague notions and impressions are often the limit of what one can glean. However, if what I¡¯ve heard about what¡¯s currently occurring in the Hall of Echoes is true, the situation is far more unusual than even those inklings led me to believe.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    A faint frown creased Scarlett¡¯s brow. ¡°Do you know what is happening there, then?¡±


    Gaspar had outlined the overall situation, but it hadn¡¯t made much sense to her. What he¡¯d described was different from what she had experienced or knew to expect from the game, to the point where it was honestly worrying.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m likely more in the dark than you are, Baroness,¡± Yamina said, a hint of what might have been frustration threading her voice. ¡°Due to my current absence from the Isle, the Council hasn¡¯t seen fit to share much with me, and I can¡¯t perform any inquiries from where I am now. All I know is that my original divinations suggested some sort of connection between you and the Hall of Echoes, seemingly stemming from our visit to the Veiled Library. I will say that, as I have been trying to analyse the threads of those divinations further, I¡¯ve noticed they have become increasingly difficult to interpret. The results appear almost unusually inconsistent, even erratic, in a manner far beyond the norm ¡ª even for ones involving you.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened in slight surprise. Did that mean her meeting with Thainnith had somehow triggered whatever was happening in the Hall of Echoes? And if Yamina¡¯s divinations were becoming increasingly unreliable, did that imply that something was interfering with fate beyond Scarlett¡¯s own existence?


    ¡°I wanted to warn you,¡± Yamina continued, her gaze locking with Scarlett¡¯s, a new intensity in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to predict what might happen there, but I suspect that whatever your original plans for the Hall of Echoes were, they won¡¯t play out as smoothly as you might have hoped. I have no tangible proof of this suspicion, and neither my divinations nor my instincts are in agreement on it, but that very contradiction is precisely why I¡¯m concerned. Something peculiar is happening in the Hall, and I only wish I had the opportunity to investigate it myself.¡±


    Scarlett remained silent, contemplating the warning. After a while, she reached into her [Pouch of Holding] and withdrew the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence]. Yamina did not seem to fully register what the device was, the woman¡¯s gaze sharpening as she curiously looked on.


    Turning the intricate metal bracelet over in her hands, Scarlett inspected the small, spherical mechanism within its copper frame. The Orrery remained inert, giving no particular reaction to its surroundings beyond what she would have expected. However, if the disturbances in the Hall of Echoes were somehow linked to her visit to the Veiled Library, and they had started somewhere around the same time as well, it would coincide suspiciously well with the Orrery¡¯s first significant response to a major disruption in fate.


    Could it be that the Hallowed Cabal¡¯s assault on the empire wasn¡¯t the only incident that happened during that period? Was their sudden attack somehow intertwined with this anomaly here on the Isle? If so, how did Scarlett meeting with Thainnith¡¯s remnant¡ªand the inheritance she received from him¡ªfit into all of this?


    She would have to bring the Orrery to the Hall of Echoes to gauge its reaction firsthand. At the very least, it might provide a measure of the disturbance¡¯s scale. If events there did deviate drastically from what she knew, she would need to approach this situation with greater caution than initially planned.


    ¡°I appreciate your effort in offering this warning,¡± she said, looking up from the Orrery to meet Yamina¡¯s eyes once more. ¡°I shall consider your words carefully as I decide how best to proceed.¡±


    Yamina¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°But you still intend to go there?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Scarlett replied without hesitation.


    Not only could she expect a more substantial reward from the Council for her efforts, but more crucially, she needed to get to the bottom of whatever was happening. Was this apparent discrepancy a result of her own influence, the machinations of the Hallowed Cabal, the involvement of an unknown player, or something else entirely?


    While the Hall of Echoes she was familiar with from the game didn¡¯t hold anything she desperately needed, every dungeon on the Isle thus far has revealed unexpected surprises. It wasn¡¯t beyond the realm of possibility that she¡¯d stumble upon something of interest there as well. Moreover, while she was waiting for Gaspar to report back to her on the Arlene situation, this seemed like a productive use of her time.


    Yamina studied her for several long seconds, the woman¡¯s gaze eventually falling back to Scarlett¡¯s hands. Finally, recognition flickered across her features as she seemed to register the Orrery¡¯s presence. ¡°¡­Is that the artifact from last time?¡± she asked deliberately.


    ¡°It is,¡± Scarlett answered, slipping the Orrery back into her [Pouch of Holding] and keeping her expression neutral. ¡°Was there anything else you wished to tell me?¡±


    Yamina scrutinised her for a moment longer, then shook her head slowly. ¡°I simply wanted to offer my warning, that¡¯s all.¡± She glanced down at her own hand, as if checking something unseen. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left, besides.¡± The woman rose from her seat, giving Scarlett one last, meaningful look. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. I hope you find success in your endeavours within the Hall.¡±


    Scarlett offered a slight gesture of farewell. ¡°And I wish you the same in whatever pursuits presently occupy your attention.¡±


    ¡°If fate smiles upon us, perhaps we¡¯ll have the opportunity to meet again soon, Baroness,¡± Yamina said with a final smile. ¡°Farewell.¡± With those parting words, her form began to glimmer and fade. The air around her rippled like a heat haze, and within seconds, she had vanished entirely, leaving Scarlett alone in the now-silent room.


    Scarlett remained still for a time following the wizard¡¯s departure, her finger continuing to tap a steady rhythm against the table as she considered the implications of this new information. She had intended for this visit to the Rising Isle to be relatively straightforward, but it seemed ¡®Fate¡¯ had other designs. She would need to put her mind to it if she wanted to unravel what tied all of this together, it seemed.


    And it would all begin tomorrow, with her first foray into the Hall of Echoes.

 Chapter 285 - The Hall of Echoes

    ¡°Is this the state in all the chambers?¡± Scarlett asked gravely.


    Gaspar¡¯s reply was equally somber. ¡°In every chamber of the Hall that we have managed to explore, yes.¡±


    Before them loomed an immense doorway, flanked by colossal doors carved out of thick stone, each inscribed with innumerable arcane symbols and ancient Zuverian script. Most of the symbols were familiar to Scarlett, marking the threshold of the Hall of Echoes. Beyond lay the first chamber, a vast, elongated space bathed in a strange ambient glow, where towering marble pillars supported the vaulted ceiling.


    In the ethereal light, wispy apparitions drifted ¡ª phantoms of white and grey, flickering as if between tangibility and mist, their forms vaguely humanoid like spectral memories. They numbered in the dozens of dozens, their presence blanketing the chamber.


    Scarlett recognised them. They were Phantasms, and they were part of the Hall of Echoes¡¯ defence system. The issue was that their presence here was abnormal. As far as she was aware, they should only manifest in the inner section of the Hall, not its outer chambers.


    ¡°They assail anyone who dares cross the threshold,¡± Gaspar explained, gesturing towards the doors. ¡°Even if we dispel one, it reconstitutes within minutes.¡±


    ¡°How long has this been happening?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Gaspar frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t be certain. The Hall of Echoes rarely sees visitors beyond the most senior mages. I was the one to discover this aberration, and that was five days ago.¡±


    Scarlett turned to him in slight surprise. ¡°You were?¡±


    He nodded seriously. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she glanced back at the Phantasms, a crease forming between her brows. ¡°I see.¡±


    This meant she had no way to confirm if this disturbance coincided with the Orrery¡¯s reaction following the Cabal¡¯s assault on the empire. The timing was suspicious, but without concrete evidence, she couldn¡¯t draw any definitive conclusions.


    ¡°These echoes are not to be trifled with or underestimated,¡± a stern voice interjected from the side. Scarlett turned to a woman in immaculate white robes, her dark brown hair streaked with silver. ¡°We nearly lost a group of Principal Wizards trying to investigate. Their attacks thwart every attempt we make to understand this aberration.¡±


    Scarlett studied her. This was Grand Wizard Jadwiga Clemmons, a supposedly renowned combat mage specialising in various forms of advanced barrier magic, which was mostly derived from the lumomancy and hydromancy schools. Beside her stood also Magister Penney, the portly man¡¯s expression betraying concern as he observed the Phantasms ahead with sweat drops on his forehead. With them was a collection of less senior wizards in robes of every hue, ready to accompany Scarlett¡¯s own team in the investigation.


    ¡°What is it that proves so difficult?¡± she asked, her gaze shifting from Clemmons to Gaspar and then to Penney. ¡°The Rising Isle boasts three arch wizards among its ranks, does it not? Regardless of their number, are we to believe that an arch wizard would struggle against foes that even principal wizards could survive?¡±


    Grand Wizard Clemmons¡¯ lips thinned, while a deep frown showed on Gaspar¡¯s face. It was Magister Penney who finally broke the brief silence, dabbing at his forehead with a handkerchief. ¡°In normal circumstances, you¡¯d likely be right, Baroness. However, I¡¯m afraid this situation is far from ordinary. Not only are two of our Arch Wizards currently occupied with matters away from the Isle, but Arch Wizard Newbury has already tried to resolve the situation himself. The results were¡­alarmingly dangerous.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyebrows rose a fraction. ¡°Dangerous?¡± she repeated. ¡°Elaborate.¡±


    She recalled hearing Arch Wizard Newbury¡¯s name before. If memory served, he was one of the council members who had initially opposed her cooperation with the Isle. Still, if he was a mage of that calibre, she didn¡¯t see how enemies like this proved an obstacle, no matter their numbers or regenerative abilities.


    ¡°These echoes are far more complex than they appear,¡± Gaspar said, his gaze trained on the shimmering chamber before them. ¡°The Hall of Echoes is known to have some of the most intricate wards on the Rising Isle, yet even we didn¡¯t anticipate this. It appears the Hall adjusts the echoes to respond to the power of its ¡®intruders¡¯, adapting to match their strength. If an arch wizard enters, it would be far too dangerous for anyone of lesser rank to accompany them. Even grand wizards, like myself, face risk, but we require experienced casters and wizards to conduct an investigation under these conditions.¡±


    Scarlett watched him for a while, then turned back to observe the flitting forms of the Phantasms floating through the chamber. The ability to adapt to an opponent¡¯s strength was indeed unexpected. It bore some similarity to the defensive mechanism she was familiar with, but it wasn¡¯t quite the same. And it shouldn¡¯t extend to the Phantasms.


    ¡°Do you have any theories as to what is causing this, Baroness Hartford?¡± Magister Penney asked after a moment.


    ¡°Not at present,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°However, I may have a theory on where we might focus our efforts to identify the cause.¡± She looked at Gaspar. ¡°Tell me, how many chambers does the Hall of Echoes contain?¡±


    He eyed her, as if sensing where this was going. ¡°Seven chambers,¡± he stated gruffly.


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°That does not align with the accounts I have found. There should be significantly more.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s frown deepened at her words, but it was Grand Wizard Clemmons who spoke next. ¡°Are you suggesting that the Hall harbors a concealed section, like what was found in the Astral Sanctum?¡±


    ¡°It is highly probable, based on my research,¡± Scarlett replied, her gaze returning to the Phantasms. This entire situation was strange. She needed to get to the bottom of what had triggered these changes, and how it connected to her visit to the Veiled Library.


    She glanced briefly at her wrist, where the [Orrery of Dissonant Convergence] rested. Its long pointer was twitching erratically, jumping back and forth like a demented compass needle each time she directed it towards the Hall. Its intensity nearly mirrored its reaction when she aimed the artifact at herself.


    Whatever forces were at play here, she clearly couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate them.


    ¡°We will need to enter ourselves to determine if there is anything beyond the known chambers,¡± she declared, her tone resolute.


    Beside her, she noticed Gaspar turning to eye her party with a mixture of skepticism and resignation. ¡°That much is obvious,¡± he said. ¡°I question the need for you to bring along your little¡­entourage for this venture, however.¡±


    ¡°This was our agreement, Grand Wizard Hartford,¡± Scarlett replied coolly. ¡°I will not be accompanying you without my retainers this time.¡±


    The man held her gaze for a few seconds before looking away, seemingly conceding the argument.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be going without Scarlett either,¡± Rosa added, drawing people¡¯s eyes. The bard offered a mischievous smile along with a dramatically nonchalant shrug. ¡°Just in case anyone was wondering.¡±


    The comment was met with what could best be described as awkward silence from the wizards.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps it is best you keep your humour to yourself for now, Miss Hale,¡± Scarlett finally said, refocusing on the chamber.


    She had been contemplating strategies for their approach. Their primary goal was likely the Hall of Echoes¡¯ innermost chamber, where they might uncover the source of the disturbance. The path to the Hall¡¯s inner sanctum from these first seven chambers wasn¡¯t overly complex in the game, but if they had to contend with the Phantasms at every step, it would be annoying.


    She glanced to her left at the assembly of wizards. Hopefully, this group, along with three Grand Wizards and her own party, would be enough to handle whatever lay ahead. That said, if the Hall¡¯s defences truly scaled with the strength of its invaders, even the Isle¡¯s considerable magical might prove insufficient.


    ¡°Is everyone prepared?¡± she asked, turning her gaze to her own party, who nodded back at her.


    ¡°Of course we are,¡± Gaspar said.


    The gathered wizards readied their staffs and various arcane foci, while Fynn and the others already stood poised for action. With a thought, Scarlett called upon her own equipment, a series of enchanted rings materialising on her fingers¡ªseveral recently provided by the Rising Isle¡ªwhile the [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction] settled on her forehead in its inactive state, resembling a simple white circlet. The various buffs and enhancements sharpened her focus and filled her with energy. She gestured forward decisively. ¡°Then, let us begin.¡±


    Without further prompting, Shin and Fynn took the lead. They stepped through the threshold into the first chamber of the Hall of Echoes just as Rosa¡¯s klert began to play a lively melody that infused them all with vigor and clarity.


    Scarlett heard Gaspar click his tongue as almost all the Phantasms in the chamber ceased their aimless drifting and turned towards the entrance. An instant later, the room erupted in a dazzling array of spells¡ªmost of them alarmingly high-tier¡ªas the echoes reacted to repel the invaders. The Isle wizards, however, were prepared, meeting the onslaught with a flurry of barriers and counter-spells.


    As a cacophony of elemental explosions and arcane discharges reverberated throughout the chamber, their raiding party surged forward. Shin held his ground at the front, shielded by layers of enchanted armor and the wizards¡¯ defensive spells. Meanwhile, to the visible consternation of the Isle¡¯s wizards, Fynn threw caution to the wind and charged ahead with reckless abandon, diving straight into a cluster of Phantasms.


    ¡°Do your henchmen know no restraint?¡± Gaspar¡¯s exasperated voice cut through the chaos beside Scarlett. He brandished his obsidian staff, conjuring a complex array of fiery sigils that materialised above him like a constellation. The glowing runes shot forth into the chamber like a swarm of furious fireflies, intercepting several of the Phantasms¡¯ attacks while destabilising a number of the spectral figures, their forms flickering erratically where Gaspar¡¯s magic struck.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I often ask myself the same,¡± Scarlett replied, her eyes never leaving the unfolding battle. ¡°However, Fynn has yet to disappoint me, and I believe he is far more familiar with his limits than one might assume.¡±


    A low grunt of disapproval left the older wizard, but he didn¡¯t press the issue as their group focused on combating the Phantasms. Magister Penney, whom Scarlett hadn¡¯t initially pegged as a combat mage, proved to be a skilled hydromancer. His watery constructs and elemental¡ªglistening tendrils and figures crafted from dense liquid¡ªswept through the chamber, disarming the Phantasms¡¯ spells and disrupting their formations. Nearby, Grand Wizard Clemmons maintained several barriers around their allies that shimmered in the air around them, aided by a cadre of white-robed wizards who bolstered her spells.


    Rosa simply continued her performance, the woman¡¯s enchanting melodies sustaining several charms at once. If Scarlett were to guess, the Isle¡¯s wizards hadn¡¯t quite yet realised the strategic value a bard could provide for larger groups, particularly in prolonged skirmishes like this one. Wounds that might have hindered them were healed within seconds, while their spells were empowered in both subtle and slightly more overt ways.


    Since Gaspar had warned that the Phantasms inevitably reappear even after being defeated, their goal wasn¡¯t simply to clear the chamber and be done with it. Instead, they needed to push their way forward while beating back the constant onset of attacks. With Shin and Magister Penney¡¯s elemental constructs spearheading the charge, and Fynn darting along the sides to attack Phantasms as he went, their large group slowly but steadily advanced.


    Scarlett, for her part, didn¡¯t actively engage in the fighting as much as the rest. Even with her gear, she didn¡¯t possess the mana reserves of most wizards present and wanted to conserve mana for the inner sections of the Hall. For now, she only employed her pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis to interfere with the enemy spells and reduce the strain on their defences. Allyssa, meanwhile, had been assigned to distribute potions and other magical aids¡ªprovided, of course, by the Rising Isle¡ªto the wizards. The young Shielder now carried several spatial bags along with her enchanted bandolier, prepared to hand out magical draughts to any caster who needed them.


    The Phantasms they faced appeared mostly unencumbered by mana limitations, as each one cast potent spells with alarming consistency, rivaling seasoned mages and sometimes exceeding them in power. Though Gaspar and the other wizards were also dispatching them with impressive efficiency, it seemed the claims about the Hall¡¯s adaptability really hadn¡¯t been exaggerated. By the time they reached the midpoint of the first chamber, the Phantasms¡¯ numbers had somehow multiplied, their attacks growing more numerous.


    Scarlett found herself wondering if her own party alone would have been able to deal with something like this. Without Grand Wizard Clemmons and her barrier specialists providing constant shields, this defence would have been nearly impossible to hold. Even with fewer Phantasms, Scarlett doubted she could have coped with these kinds of attacks for long.


    Beneath the relentless barrage, the Isle¡¯s wizards maintained a steady rhythm, casting spell after spell in rapid succession. It hadn¡¯t taken long before Allyssa was fully occupied distributing mixtures ¡ª some of them rare and expensive elixirs previously unfamiliar to Scarlett, apparently created here on the Isle to combat mana exhaustion from potion overuse. The fighting remained intense as they pressed through each chamber.


    At one point, Scarlett began to worry that they wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain this pace, and that it was too late to turn back. Fortunately, the seventh chamber soon lay before them, and it proved to be entirely devoid of any Phantasms. A sense of relief swept over the wizards as they caught their breath.


    Compared to the previous chambers, none of which served a clear purpose, the seventh chamber was a large, solemn space unfurling like a forgotten sanctum. The air was thick with an almost tangible sense of the whispers of ages long past, and the stone walls were marked by the countless generations that had gone by, displaying rows of finely etched slabs¡ªor steles¡ªnumbering in the hundreds. Each one was a masterpiece in its own right, inlaid with runes that glowed faintly with a silvery light. At the far end of the chamber, looming in the dim, ambient illumination, stood several larger steles, each topped by remnants of statues¡ªfaded and weathered¡ªlikely once depicting great Zuverian mages.


    ¡°Is there a reason why we aren¡¯t being swarmed by those creepy ghost thingies anymore?¡± Rosa asked as their group stopped at the center of the chamber. The bard wiped the sweat from her brow, her instrument held loosely in one hand as she fished out a waterskin with the other.


    ¡°This is the Chamber of Remembrance,¡± Gaspar replied, his voice touched with both exhaustion and a certain amount of reverence. ¡°It is interwoven with innumerable complex enchantments and arrays, the full purpose and intricacies of which we only barely comprehend. Likely, the Zuver who created it were forced to make it exempt from the rest of the Hall of Echoes¡¯ wards due to the inherent sensitivity of the magics here.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the reason may be, it provides us the opportunity to rest and prepare ourselves for what comes next,¡± Scarlett said, already moving even deeper into the chamber. Fynn followed her closely, the young man¡¯s posture tense as he watched for any sudden threats.


    ¡°So, is this where you believe the entrance to this supposed concealed section of yours is located?¡± Gaspar¡¯s question echoed from behind as he also seemed to trail them both.


    ¡°It would be the most probable location, yes,¡± Scarlett replied, pausing briefly to study some of the ancient steles lining the walls. This place wasn¡¯t too different from what she remembered from the game, at least. That should make things easy.


    Her gaze fell on the larger steles and statues ahead, and she headed towards them with measured strides.


    As she approached, she stopped before the half-broken statues¡ªthree in all¡ªeach standing over a stele inscribed with lines of Zuverian script. Gaspar and Fynn joined her as she scanned the eroded texts, but found nothing of particular interest. These were memorials to commemorate mages of the past, and the script only held vague descriptions of their accomplishments.


    The descriptions were interesting so far as they related to powerful Zuverian mages, but these weren¡¯t memorials to diviniarches like Thainnith. And they really were vague. One inscription merely mentioned that the mage had contributed to the advancement of certain magical techniques, fought valiantly in some battles, and established notable settlements, but it held no names or the like.


    Of course, there was a reason for this ambiguity. The Hall of Echoes wasn¡¯t named arbitrarily.


    Beyond simply being a place of memorial for dead mages, each of these steles was an artifact in its own right. If one knew how to interact with it properly, one could supposedly uncover much more about what the mage did and achieved. They were something akin to a magical archive of the mage¡¯s existence.


    In the game, that had meant a pop-up window with a few pages of background lore. In this world, Scarlett wasn¡¯t quite sure how that would manifest.


    Not that it mattered much at the moment. As far as she was aware, each stele required a relic or artifact assigned by or related to the mage it commemorated. Considering that many of the steles here had belonged to Zuverian mages whose very existence had been all but erased ages ago, there was essentially no way of unlocking most of their secrets anymore.


    She moved closer to the center stele, running her fingers along its carved surface. Her eyes shifted between the three monoliths, noting the small, uniquely positioned symbols engraved on each slab beneath the Zuverian script. She beckoned Fynn forward. ¡°Rotate these statues. The outer ones should face to the sides.¡±


    ¡°Now, wait just a moment¡ª¡± Gaspar began, but Fynn was already moving, scaling the first stele with ease. Ignoring the chorus of startled objections sounding out from the rest of the wizards, Fynn wrapped his arms around the dilapidated statue in a bear hug. Then, with a grunt of exertion, he twisted, and with the grinding screech of stone against stone, the statue pivoted to face left.


    Without pause, Fynn leapt to the right-most stele, repeating the process as if deaf to Gaspar¡¯s increasingly angered oppositions. The wizard¡¯s protests dwindled, however, as the second statue settled into its new position and a deep rumble resonated through the chamber. Soon, a section of the adjacent wall began to shift and crumble, revealing a hidden passageway shrouded in inky darkness.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Scarlett told Fynn, watching the new opening. The ¡®puzzle¡¯ here in the Hall of Echoes was far less difficult than in the Astral Sanctum, but she supposed the literal approach of physically moving the statues like this wouldn¡¯t occur to most people. For all the Isle¡¯s wizards¡¯ experience with Zuverian artifacts, they didn¡¯t have the same familiarity with the seeming arbitrariness of Zuverian puzzles that came with playing the game.


    Scarlett turned back to Gaspar, offering him a calm smile. ¡°I trust this demonstrates that requesting my presence here was not a mistake.¡±


    With those words, and with Fynn leaping back down to follow her, she strode past the silent Gaspar to return to the others. Her gaze drifted once more over the steles lining the chamber walls, considering them with slight interest. For the Rising Isle, this chamber alone likely represented an invaluable trove of forgotten magical knowledge, rendered frustratingly inaccessible without the keys needed to activate most of the steles.


    But the cache of forgotten knowledge wasn¡¯t the only meaning this place held to the Isle. While the Isle hadn¡¯t yet figured out all of its secrets, they had deciphered some of them. This included the method of imprinting new steles. Not every slab here bore the legacy of a Zuverian mage; some belonged to renowned Isle wizards of the past. In the game, players could even find or purchase items on the Isle to activate certain steles, unlocking spells as rewards.


    A sudden thought struck her, causing Scarlett to pause mid-step. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the steles once more before turning back to Gaspar. Perhaps¡­


    She walked back to him, stopping right in front of him. Gaspar¡¯s attention lingered on the three large steles and the newly opened passageway before he finally looked at her. ¡°¡­It seems your unconventional knowledge has proven true once again, Baroness,¡± he said slowly, a mix of what might have been reluctant admiration and persisting suspicion in his voice. ¡°But a warning would have been appreciated.¡±


    ¡°I needed to examine the statues closely to be certain it would work,¡± Scarlett said curtly. ¡°But let us set that aside for now. Tell me, did the mage I asked you to investigate¡ªArch Wizard Delmont¡ªever erect a memorial in the Hall of Echoes during his lifetime?¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he studied her for a long moment. Finally, he gave a small nod. ¡°¡­He did.¡± The man raised an arm, pointing towards a specific stele near the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s that one there. You won¡¯t be able to activate it without its paired relic, of course. I had intended to investigate that avenue once we¡¯d resolved this current mess.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze followed his gesture, settling on the indicated stele. She let her attention stay on it for several seconds. ¡°I see,¡± she murmured, her voice trailing off as she began moving towards it.


    ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± Gaspar called after her, exasperation returning to his voice. ¡°There is no point in attempting to use it now.¡±


    ¡°I heard you perfectly,¡± Scarlett replied with little care. ¡°However, I still wish to examine it.¡± Crossing the chamber, she approached the stele. As she neared, she noted that, unlike the larger steles, this one bore no visible inscriptions at all. Presumably, that was a conscious choice by the Isle¡¯s wizards to avoid damaging the artifacts. That did make them harder to identify, but she trusted Gaspar hadn¡¯t pointed her wrong.


    Raising a hand, she traced her fingers over the cold stone, following its contours. While it was far from a certainty, it had occurred to her that the information contained inside this stele could hold the key to completing Arlene¡¯s quest. If the item the woman had sent her to find was important to Delmont, it wasn¡¯t impossible to learn more about it through this, right? So if Gaspar could find some way to activate it, she¡¯d be one step closer to achieving her goal here.


    ¡­But that would have to wait until after she¡¯d unraveled whatever was going on here in the Hall of Echoes.


    ¡°Uh, Scarlett?¡± Rosa¡¯s loud voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s with the light?¡±


    Scarlett turned, arching a brow in the bard¡¯s direction. Rosa, now seated on the ground along with the others in a brief reprieve, pointed to Scarlett¡¯s forehead. ¡°Your tiara-replacement thing is glowing.¡±


    Frowning, Scarlett glanced up, noticing for the first time a faint white luminescence emanating from the [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction].


    ¡­What was that about? And was it getting brighter? That didn¡¯t resemble its usual appearance when she drew upon its powers.


    Suddenly, the air beside her flashed and distorted as the Emberling popped into existence. The fiery fox coalesced just in front of the stone stele.


    Scarlett stared at it. ¡°¡­How¡ª?¡±


    Her words were cut short as both the stele and the Emberling erupted in a blinding flash. A sphere of radiant energy expanded from the stone, enveloping her in its embrace as her world turned white.

 Chapter 286 - An...unfamiliar meadow?

    Gaspar¡¯s eyes widened as the Baroness vanished in a brilliant burst of light, illuminating the chamber with a momentary blaze. The sudden radiance left afterimages dancing before his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Rosa, the bard, cried out. Gaspar had barely registered her exclamation before a blur streaked past him. Fynn, the white-haired youth always at the Baroness¡¯ side, dashed across the chamber with preternatural speed to the spot where the noblewoman had been standing mere seconds before.


    ¡°W-What just happened?¡± one of the Shielder children whispered, her wide eyes darting around the room. Beside her, her armored companion gripped his sword tightly, a deep frown etching lines on his young face.


    Fynn scanned the floor where the Baroness had disappeared, his gaze searching every little detail. Finding nothing, he turned abruptly and bolted towards the entrance, leaving only a swirling of wind and dust.


    Rosa¡¯s violet eyes narrowed, locking onto Gaspar with a steely intensity he had yet to see from her previously. ¡°You, Grand Wizard Hartford or whatever,¡± she demanded. ¡°Where did Scarlett go? What was that just now? And what are those stone slabs?¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s brow furrowed as he tuned out the murmurs of his junior wizards nearby. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said through slightly gritted teeth, feeling his scowl deepen. ¡°Those ¡®slabs¡¯, as you call them, are recollection steles. Ancient artifacts erected by the Zuver to hold memories and knowledge of past wizards.¡±


    ¡°Then what did it do to Scarlett? Why did it take her away?¡± Allyssa¡ªthe Shielder girl¡ªpressed, her voice tinged with worry.


    Gaspar¡¯s gaze shifted to the stele where the Baroness had stood. That light he¡¯d seen, emanating from her head¡­ It couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­


    He turned and gestured sharply to two Principal Wizards from the Mistral Observatory, both clad in emerald robes. ¡°Quickly, examine the area,¡± he ordered, then returned his focus to Rosa, gruffly adding, ¡°I can¡¯t answer your questions. The steles are supposed to store specific memories and insights for modern wizards, but they shouldn¡¯t include any sort of translocational spell. Their effect is purely mental, accessing the mind, not the body. And while it appeared the Baroness might have activated the stele, even that should not be possible without a paired relic.¡±


    As he spoke, Gaspar¡¯s mind raced through the implications. What could have caused this? And why had it happened? He couldn¡¯t say, and that fact irked him immensely. Had the Baroness anticipated this? Was that why she had asked him to identify the stele belonging to Delmont? But if so, why did her companions react with such genuine shock? And why did she herself seem caught off guard?


    Perhaps more pressingly, had she truly been transported somewhere else? He had detected no spell resembling any spatial translocation magic he knew, not even among Zuverian techniques. Yet it seemed equally improbable that the Baroness had simply ceased to exist or perished.


    Gaspar¡¯s thoughts were interrupted as Rosa pulled out her instrument from whatever spatial fold her cape hid, and he noticed a subtle shift in the air around her, as if it were coalescing with power. He narrowed his eyes, unsure if he¡¯d imagined it, but set the thought aside as she fixed him with a grave expression, fingers resting on the neck of her instrument.


    ¡°That ¡®recollection stele¡¯,¡± the woman said, voice low, ¡°it was related to that ancient wizard Scarlett was investigating ¡ª Delmon, or something like that. What does this mean? Is she in danger?¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied once more. He glanced at his fellow council members, but both Magister Penney and Grand Wizard Clemons shook their heads, equally uncertain.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this,¡± Magister Penney said, his usually jovial face now marked by deep concern. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s connected to the other strange occurrences here in the Hall?¡±


    A powerful gust of wind blew over the group, heralding the return of the Baroness¡¯ guard dog. Fynn came skidding to a halt before them, his face set in a grim mask. Gaspar noted the fresh scorch marks on the youth¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sense Scarlett anywhere in the earlier chambers,¡± he reported.


    Rosa¡¯s grave expression appeared momentarily clouded by worry, but Allyssa quickly spoke up, her tone steadier now. ¡°Hold on, before we draw any conclusions, this is Scarlett we¡¯re talking about. She¡­ I don¡¯t think she would be taken down easily.¡±


    Rosa glanced at the girl, her gaze lingering. ¡°¡­True, but even she seemed surprised by whatever happened. That means this was outside her expectations.¡±


    ¡°Even so,¡± Shin¡ªthe only somewhat normal one of the group, in Gaspar¡¯s opinion¡ªinterjected. ¡°Scarlett is more than capable of protecting herself.¡±


    The bard fell silent for a moment, then nodded, her expression relaxing slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯d be stranger if something bad actually happened to her. We¡¯re more liable to reach the heart of this place only to find she¡¯d already cleared it by herself, really.¡±


    Gaspar observed their exchange with his own dose of skepticism and interest. Their concern aside, they also appeared to have strong faith in the Baroness¡¯ abilities. He had yet to see anything particularly impressive about her magic that would warrant such confidence, however. True, she had demonstrated some skill in applying both pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis¡ªwhich was certainly impressive for an imperial noble¡ªand he couldn¡¯t deny that she possessed a commendable arsenal of magical artifacts and the like. But raw power and expensive tools didn¡¯t necessarily make a formidable mage.


    Still, he had to ponder the possibility that he was underestimating her. He disliked the notion, but she had surpassed his expectations before.


    ¡°Regardless of Scarlett¡¯s safety,¡± Allyssa said, ¡°what should we do now?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Shin was the one to respond, maintaining an admirably analytical character. ¡°If what happened to her is related to the disturbances here, we¡¯re more likely to find answers if we uncover the source. That¡¯s probably what Scarlett would have us do. It¡¯s our best option.¡± He turned to Gaspar, his scarred gaze unflinching. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Gaspar regarded him for a couple of seconds, then nodded. ¡°I do.¡± He called out to the two wizards examining the recollection stele. ¡°Asheton, Sherman, any findings?¡±


    One of the wizards looked up under the glow of several diagnostic spells, shaking his head. ¡°There are no traces whatsoever, Grand Wizard.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s frown returned. So he hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Whatever had happened to the Baroness wasn¡¯t the result of an ordinary translocation spell, at the very least. And the steles would usually leave some residual energy if activated, so it was unlikely that the Baroness had merely triggered some hidden function they were unaware of.


    He grumbled to himself. This would have been easier if Senior Wizard Ward had bothered to be present.


    Turning to Magister Penney and Grand Wizard Clemons, he spoke firmly. ¡°The Baroness has already opened the path ahead for us. We will investigate her disappearance further once we¡¯ve unraveled what is happening here. Until then, there¡¯s little we can do with our current resources.¡±


    Even if their group found nothing, the Isle had enough capable wizards who could investigate the woman¡¯s disappearance once the Hall had been secured.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Magister Penney reassured the Baroness¡¯ companions. ¡°The Rising Isle will do all it can to ensure Baroness Hartford returns safely.¡±


    Shin was the one to nod in reply. ¡°We believe you.¡±


    As one, the Baroness¡¯ party steeled themselves to press forward, any trace of fatigue from their previous battles seemingly forgotten. Gaspar glowered as he noted his own wizards¡¯ hesitation, and he barked at them. ¡°This is no time for idleness. You are wizards, not frightened children! Asheton, Sherman, join us.¡±


    Though lagging slightly, the wizards soon gathered themselves, and together they followed the Baroness¡¯ party, venturing deeper into the uncharted recesses of the Hall of Echoes. Gaspar cast one last look at the stele where the Baroness had vanished, his eyes lingering.


    While he couldn¡¯t be certain of what exactly had transpired, if that light did indicate what he suspected¡­ It defied what he thought he knew and made little sense, but if it did¡­ He wondered what, precisely, the Baroness was experiencing now, and what she might make of it.


    The thought did not amuse him.


    Scarlett blinked, finding herself in an unfamiliar forest glade, surrounded by a sea of green trees. Their leaves rustled gently in the gentle summer breeze, tousling her dark-red hair and sending loose strands tumbling over her shoulder. She slowly turned in place, taking in her surroundings while trying to make sense of what had just happened.


    This¡­definitely wasn¡¯t the Rising Isle. Not only was the landscape entirely different, but the very air itself was dense with the earthy scent of pine and wildflowers ¡ª a stark contrast to the controlled, crisp atmosphere of the Isle. Somewhere in the distance, she caught the faint trill of birdsong, punctuated by indistinct murmurs that might have been voices carried on the wind. Her gaze drifted to the horizon, where a mountain range loomed beyond the treetops, its peaks cloaked in a thin, hazy mist that seemed familiar.


    This was the mainland. Likely somewhere within the empire, if her suspicion that those were the Whitstone Mountains was correct. But it was summer here, rather than winter, as it should be.


    She hadn¡¯t somehow entered Freymeadow, had she? If so, this glade was new. Besides, she was pretty sure Freymeadow should be closer to the mountains than this.


    So, where was she?


    A soft rustling at her feet drew her attention downward, and she paused slightly at the sight of the Emberling standing by her boots, the small fiery fox looking up at her with its bright, curious-looking eyes. Scarlett hadn¡¯t summoned the pseudo-spirit, yet here it was, somehow having materialised on its own. The question was how? The Emberling shouldn¡¯t possess the awareness to act independently.


    With a furrowed brow, Scarlett reached up and removed the circlet from her head, noting how its earlier glow had faded. Now, it was just an ordinary piece of dull white metal. She turned it over in her hands, scrutinising it closely.


    What had caused that glow earlier? Had the artifact somehow interacted with the stele back in the Hall of Echoes? That seemed impossible. There was no logical reason for the two to be connected¡ª


    She stopped in her thoughts, eyes drifting back to the Emberling.


    ¡­Before it had been bound to the [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction], the pseudo-spirit had been linked to the [Foxfire Charm], a gift from Arlene shortly before she tasked Scarlett with finding out what happened to Delmont, her brother. Could the Emberling perhaps somehow be connected to Delmont then ¡ª enough, perhaps, to trigger the stele¡¯s activation?


    But even if that were the case, it didn¡¯t explain her current situation. The steles weren¡¯t supposed to work like this, were they? Or were things simply different in this world compared to the game?


    Distant voices reached her ears again, pulling her out of her contemplations. She turned towards the sound.


    ¡­Standing around wouldn¡¯t yield any answers. Where there were voices, there were people, and people might provide at least some insight into what was going on.


    Decision made, Scarlett donned her circlet once more but dismissed the Emberling, which disappeared without ceremony. She set off in the direction of those voices, slipping through the trees and carefully picking her way through the underbrush. As she drew closer, the voices grew clearer, and she began to make out distinct tones.


    Eventually, she stepped into a small clearing bisected by a well-worn dirt trail that cut through the forest. In the distance, she could just make out the silhouette of what appeared to be a keep or a small manor on a distant hill. Closer, however, her attention was drawn to a group of four near the clearing¡¯s edge.


    Three of the figures sat with their backs to her, perched on wooden stools surrounded by an assortment of equipment ¡ª books, water jugs, and what looked like practice targets, similar to those Scarlett used in her own training. They faced a fourth figure, clad in the deep red robes so common among the Followers of Ittar. A priest?


    The robed figure appeared to be giving a lesson, conjuring delicate flames above his hands as glowing red runes hovered in the air. He didn¡¯t seem to be an outright threat, so Scarlett approached. As she did, the priest paused, his gaze shifting to her. ¡°It appears we have a guest,¡± he said in a slow, measured voice that carried traces of surprise. ¡°And who might you be, young lass?¡±


    Scarlett studied him carefully. The man was old, with deep-set wrinkles marking his face, and white hair fell in neat waves, framing a stern yet kind expression. His robes were of fine quality, suggesting a high-ranking position among the Followers.


    Before she could respond, the three students turned to face her, and Scarlett froze, voice catching in her throat.


    They were young, likely in their mid-to-late teens, with similar features that hinted at a familial connection. The two on either side were noteworthy in their own ways, but it was the one seated in the center who captured Scarlett¡¯s attention, rooting her to the spot.


    The girl had straight, raven-black hair that draped over her shoulders, and her pale green eyes¡ªkeen, confident¡ªmet Scarlett¡¯s gaze head-on. Beneath her right eye were two small beauty marks, and she wore a light, flowing black tunic with understated decorations at the edges. Even youthful as she appeared here, Scarlett recognised her instantly.


    Arlene.

 Chapter 287 - Payback

    Scarlett stared at the girl before her, struggling to process what she saw. This was Arlene, but younger ¡ª a teenage version of the woman she knew.


    Her gaze shifted to the two youths seated beside Arlene as she took them in. To Arlene¡¯s left was an older girl, perhaps in her late teens, with sharp features and long black hair spilling down her back. She wore a simple yet elegant dress, strangely out of place in the forest, though Scarlett herself wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to wear it. The girl¡¯s dark eyes met Scarlett¡¯s with a slight frown.


    To Arlene¡¯s right sat a boy, a few years younger, with tousled auburn hair and bright green eyes that sparkled with curiosity as he watched Scarlett, an almost innocent wonder in his expression.


    If this was really Arlene, then these two had to be her siblings ¡ª Liane and Delmont.


    A polite cough drew Scarlett¡¯s focus back to the elderly priest in front of her, who offered a warm smile. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to rush you, but I did ask a question,¡± he said gently.


    Scarlett assessed him for a moment longer, the realisation dawning. This had to be Deacon Emberwood ¡ª Arlene¡¯s master and the priest who had created the dungeon beneath the Sunfire Shrine outside Bridgespell.


    But how could these people, who had lived more than two centuries ago, be standing here before her like this? The idea of time travel crossed her mind, but that felt unlikely. She had absolutely no recollection of any such ability existing in this world from the game. Since this was somehow related to the stele she¡¯d interacted with¡ªwhich had been connected to Delmont¡ªthe more plausible explanation was that this was a memory of some kind.


    Still, the situation felt unnervingly surreal. This couldn¡¯t really be how the steles were supposed to work, right?


    Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlett thought she caught a flicker of white. She turned quickly, but there was nothing. Her brow creased slightly.


    ¡°Are you choosing not to answer, or are you simply willfully dense?¡± A sharp, irritated voice cut into her thoughts. Scarlett looked over at Liane, who was regarding her with the same impatience one might a particularly ill-mannered guest. ¡°If you are asked a question, the least you can do is extend the courtesy of answering it. Are you some sort of Shielder? If so, you should know your place.¡±


    Scarlett studied the girl, suddenly understanding why Arlene had once remarked they were similar. ¡°I am fully aware of my ¡®place¡¯,¡± she replied calmly. ¡°Though I often find others who are not.¡±


    She glanced briefly at Arlene again, who seemed to be eyeing her with both interest and puzzlement, as if examining a rare wild beast. Scarlett wasn¡¯t entirely sure what had brought her here or what this situation truly entailed, but for now, it was probably best to play along until she learned more.


    ¡°¡­Nonetheless, I apologise for my delay in introducing myself,¡± she said, turning back to Deacon Emberwood. ¡°My name is Scarlett¡­Scarlett Bernal. While I am no Shielder, you could say I am an adventurer of sorts. Might I ask who you all are?¡±


    The name felt odd and almost unfamiliar on her lips, but it was safer than introducing herself as ¡®Hartford¡¯ here. The Hartford family had been around since the empire¡¯s founding, so it wasn¡¯t entirely out of the realm of possibility that one of them might recognise it, which could raise unwanted questions. While the Arlene she knew had never pressed her on such details, Scarlett had her doubts about how ignorant that woman truly was.


    As for choosing the name ¡®Bernal¡¯ instead¡­ She supposed it was out of a sense of nostalgia.


    Deacon Emberwood chuckled gently, the sound like that of a wise, old teacher humoured by a student. ¡°You may call me Donovan, or Father Donovan, if you prefer. These here are my disciples ¡ª Liane, Arlene, and Delmont. We were in the middle of a lesson, you see, when you decided to grace us with your presence.¡± His eyes flickered briefly down to her attire. ¡°Though I do apologise for Liane¡¯s cheek, I understand why she might have mistaken you for a Shielder. That is some very particular clothing you are wearing.¡±


    Scarlett glanced down at her gear ¡ª the mostly black [Ashenwraith Elegance] and the [Garment of Form] beneath, layered with her usual expedition accessories. She realised that, to someone who could recognise magical items and the like, this outfit might come off as somewhat threatening. Emberwood was one of the Followers of Ittar¡¯s original deacons, so it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if he possessed such an ability.


    With a thought, she activated her [Charm of Expeditious Change], replacing her current attire with a modest yet elegant red dress that shimmered in the sunlight, earning a few surprised reactions from the youths in front of her.


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± she said, lowering her hand to smooth the dress fabric. ¡°I found myself in this forest due to an aberrant teleportation spell, so I was not wholly certain what to expect. Rest assured, I mean no harm.¡±


    Even if she did, the man before her could likely deal with her without issue. That said¡­


    Her gaze drifted back to the younger Arlene, who was still watching her intently. Scarlett couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she would fare against this version of Arlene in a fight.


    Deacon Emberwood stroked his chin thoughtfully, his weathered face deepening with lines. ¡°You say an aberrant teleportation spell brought you here? Those are quite rare, and even rarer still to see one miscast. You¡¯re fortunate to have arrived in one piece. I¡¯ve seen firsthand the damage such accidents can cause.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Though I am afraid I am unsure how to return from here.¡±


    The old man considered her for a bit, then smiled again. ¡°As it happens, my disciples and I are soon to depart after an extended stay here, as duty calls upon us all. If you wish, you could accompany us, and I might be able to assist in finding your way back.¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze, giving a slow, deliberate nod. ¡°That would be most appreciated.¡±


    His smile widened. ¡°Splendid. I¡¯ve always found that journeys are far more enjoyable with stimulating company. Now, might I ask where you¡¯re headed?¡±


    ¡°Freybrook, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± His brows rose with interest. ¡°Well, what a fortuitous coincidence indeed! That¡¯s precisely where we are headed. The town houses the nearest Kilnstone, and it is only a few days¡¯ journey by carriage.¡± He looked down at Arlene and her siblings. ¡°Though I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t depart quite yet. We have a lesson to conclude, and the arrival of a new face is hardly cause to neglect our studies.¡± The man¡¯s gaze flickered back briefly to Scarlett. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d care to join us, Miss Bernal?¡±


    Scarlett hesitated, sensing a hidden agenda in his words. ¡°I am not certain what I could contribute,¡± she replied cautiously.


    Deacon Emberwood''s smile grew knowing. ¡°Plenty, I suspect. Children,¡± he motioned towards his students, ¡°can any of you hazard a guess as to why our new acquaintance might have valuable experience to impart?¡±


    Liane scowled, glancing between him and Scarlett but said nothing. Delmont furrowed his brow, studying Scarlett with intense focus¡ªhis attention seeming to linger on her face¡ªbefore shaking his head with a helpless shrug.


    ¡°Her equipment earlier,¡± Arlene finally spoke. She fixed Scarlett with an analytical gaze. ¡°Several of her rings bore pyromancy enchantments, as did her gloves and the circlet she wore.¡±


    Scarlett met the girl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Quite so. Well spotted, Arlene,¡± Deacon Emberwood said. ¡°It¡¯s always wise to pay attention to the details and discern the arcane in the mundane. It seems our Miss Bernal here is a pyromancer ¡ª and one of some talent at that.¡± He nodded approvingly at Scarlett. ¡°I can tell you have considerable skill with pyrokinesis. I daresay it would do my students good to observe what an experienced mage is capable of.¡±


    Scarlett blinked, surprised by his insight. ¡°You have a sharp eye, Father Donovan. How could you perceive that from a glance?¡±


    The man tapped a finger to his nose, chuckling merrily. ¡°The fruits of experience, my lass. When you¡¯ve tangled with the arcane as long as I have, you pick up a few tricks. Though, in my case, it¡¯s more the grace of Ittar rather than any innate talent.¡±


    He cleared his throat, his demeanour shifting back to that of a teacher. ¡°Now then, I had intended to continue our lesson on the finer points of elemental resonance. But with you here, Miss Bernal, perhaps we can come up with something a bit more engaging and practical.¡± He paused, his eyes moving over his students and Scarlett. ¡°What say you to a bit of light sparring?¡±


    Scarlett stared at him. ¡°A spar? Here?¡± She looked around the clearing. They¡¯d only just met, and she was a stranger who had popped out of the woods.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Deacon Emberwood replied, his tone light but his expression serious. ¡°There is no better teacher than experience, and my disciples could certainly do with more practice against an unfamiliar opponent.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s focus shifted to Arlene, noting the gleam of anticipation that had now appeared in the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°You mean for me to spar with them, not you?¡±


    ¡°Precisely so. Variety is a spice that should not be squandered, as they say, especially when it comes to learning. They will gain far more from facing different styles and techniques.¡±


    Scarlett remained silent for a few seconds.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about anyone getting hurt,¡± Deacon Emberwood added. ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of ensuring a fair and safe match.¡±


    She considered him, weighing her options. She would prefer to conserve her mana, given the uncertainty of her situation. Engaging in a spar here didn¡¯t seem like it would give her much ¡ª especially if these people were merely memories or illusions.


    Still¡­


    ¡°Very well,¡± she finally said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.


    This was, after all, a young Arlene she would be facing. The very woman who had subjected her to countless grueling training sessions and spars, all the while remaining untouchable to anything Scarlett could throw at her. She couldn¡¯t deny her curiosity about witnessing Arlene¡¯s capabilities at this age.


    And she wouldn¡¯t mind a bit of payback for some of those torturous lessons.


    ¡°Marvelous!¡± Deacon Emberwood said, lifting his hands in a flourish. ¡°You have my gratitude, Miss Bernal. Now, children, to your positions!¡±


    The three siblings exchanged glances before rising from their seats, their movements betraying varying levels of eagerness. Liane held an aloof air, as if she¡¯d been asked to perform a menial task beneath her station. Arlene¡¯s expression was steady, her eyes revealing her confidence. Delmont, meanwhile, had a broad smile plastered across his face as he snuck peeks at Scarlett.


    As they walked over to position themselves across the clearing¡ªseeming like they were accustomed to this¡ªScarlett looked at the deacon, one eyebrow raised. ¡°I take it spars are not an unusual occurrence during your lessons?¡±


    ¡°I am a firm believer in¡­practical demonstrations,¡± the man replied. ¡°Dusty old men like me can only impart so much knowledge with words, after all.¡±


    Scarlett eyed him thoughtfully. She was starting to see where Arlene had picked up her own rigorous teaching style.


    ¡°Are there any restrictions I should be aware of for this spar?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Deacon Emberwood chuckled. ¡°None whatsoever. Feel free to showcase the full extent of your abilities if you like. My disciples could certainly use the challenge. They have gotten somewhat full of themselves lately.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain that is wise?¡± Scarlett glanced over at the teens. ¡°You are not familiar with my abilities. I could inadvertently harm them, even with your oversight.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°That has never stopped him before,¡± Arlene called from across the clearing, clearly overhearing.


    ¡°I suppose that is a possibility,¡± Deacon Emberwood said with an unperturbed smile, as if he hadn¡¯t heard his disciple¡¯s remark. ¡°But I think they will manage just fine.¡±


    Scarlett studied him for another moment, then gave a slight nod. ¡°If you are certain.¡±


    With a thought, she re-equipped her gear, though only the items that bolstered her defences. Even if she wasn¡¯t sure of the teens¡¯ skills, going all out in a spar like this seemed excessive.


    ¡°Any other questions before we begin?¡± the deacon asked.


    ¡°I assume all forms of magic are permitted?¡±


    ¡°But of course.¡±


    ¡°Then I am ready when they are.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± The man looked over at Arlene and her siblings, watching them nod in unison. ¡°Now, let the match¡­begin!¡±


    Instantly, all three siblings raised their hands, fingers weaving through intricate patterns as they began to cast their spells. Liane¡¯s spell was the first to finish, conjuring a single large fireball that pulsed with heat before shooting towards Scarlett. Not even a second later, Delmont completed his casting, sending a trio of fiery daggers to join his sister¡¯s fireball, their edges flickering dangerously as they sped through the air.


    A small, amused laugh nearly escaped Scarlett as she watched the attacks approach. She lifted a single hand, fingers splayed. Just as the spells were about to make contact, they vanished, dispersing into harmless red wisps against her skin.


    Liane¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Impossible!¡± she cried out, her composure momentarily slipping. ¡°How did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Delmont exclaimed, face lighting up with excitement.


    ¡°That¡¯s an impressive display of your pyrokinesis, Miss Bernal,¡± Deacon Emberwood remarked from the sidelines. ¡°A rare talent indeed.¡±


    ¡°You are too kind,¡± Scarlett replied calmly.


    She¡¯d felt it the moment the spells were cast. Neither Liane nor Delmont had sufficient control to prevent her from simply seizing command over their magic. If she were to grade their abilities, based on her observations, they were perhaps just shy of the level of a Senior Wizard from the Rising Isle, excluding someone like Yamina Ward.


    For their ages, that was probably very impressive. Especially for Delmont, who couldn¡¯t be older than thirteen or fourteen. Liane was clearly talented as well, but Scarlett now understood why, in the journal she¡¯d found in the Sunfire Shrine, the girl had seemed envious of her siblings¡¯ abilities. Liane was probably around eighteen, only a couple of years younger than Evelyne, but Scarlett was certain the younger Hartford sister would utterly outclass her.


    Although perhaps that was more a testament to Evelyne¡¯s talent than any flaw of Liane¡¯s.


    Scarlett¡¯s musings were cut short as Arlene''s casting neared completion. Unlike her siblings, it seemed as if Arlene had opted for a more complex spell, one that required a longer casting time. Bright red runes appeared in the air behind her, pulsing with energy as the spell took form.


    The runes flared, then vanished, and a tiny spark ignited above Arlene. It quickly expanded into a blazing sphere the size of a basketball, glowing an intense yellow like a miniature sun.


    Scarlett¡¯s smile faltered slightly. That spell was far too familiar to her for comfort, but she hadn¡¯t thought Arlene would be able to use it at this age.


    With a flick of her wrist, Scarlett dispersed the next two spells that Liane and Delmont had begun to cast. However, when she tried to suppress Arlene¡¯s spell, she found she couldn¡¯t fully negate it. The miniature sun wavered, flickering briefly under the pressure of her pyrokinesis, but it remained. Without the buffs afforded by the rest of her gear, disrupting others¡¯ spells wasn¡¯t as easy, and Arlene clearly wasn¡¯t backing down.


    As the fiery vortex above the girl continued to grow, albeit at a slower rate, Scarlett conjured an array of fire arrows. They spun around her before shooting towards Arlene, their white-hot tips leaving trails of light.


    The siblings reacted immediately. Liane cast two quick fireballs in rapid succession, forcing Scarlett to split part of her focus to block them. Meanwhile, Delmont summoned a shimmering fire barrier around himself, stepping in front of Arlene to absorb the brunt of the arrows. The shield sizzled and cracked under the assault, but held firm.


    Scarlett dispersed the barrier with another wave of her hand and prepared to launch another, more powerful attack. But just then, Arlene¡¯s spell seemed to reach critical mass. Scarlett clicked her tongue in light frustration as the miniature sun generated a vortex of superheated air around it.


    She¡¯d hoped to avoid this.


    In an explosive burst of light that threatened to momentarily blind Scarlett, the spell discharged a chaotic cluster of beams. They arched wildly in all directions before homing in on Scarlett with unerring precision.


    Scarlett conjured layers upon layers of fire barriers, each shield appearing in rapid succession to intercept the beams. At the same time, she used her pyrokinesis to deflect the beams where possible. The space between them crackled with energy as the beams struck her barriers, some partly absorbed, others diverted to scorch the ground with bursts of dark smoke.


    But none reached her directly. Arlene¡¯s spell, though powerful, was not quite on the level Scarlett had faced from adult Arlene.


    ¡°Hoho, quite the spectacle,¡± Deacon Emberwood¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Excellent execution, Arlene lassie, though it seems your opponent this time is someone you¡¯ll need to be even more creative with if you hope to catch her off guard. Clearly, she is no stranger to battling other mages.¡±


    Judging by the expression on Arlene¡¯s face, she hadn¡¯t quite expected Scarlett to block her attack so thoroughly. However, rather than looking frustrated, renewed determination lit her eyes, and she immediately began casting another spell, her siblings following suit.


    Thinking that the girl couldn¡¯t be allowed to get too carried away, Scarlett swept her arm forward, summoning a wall of fire arrows that hovered, poised to strike.


    While she trusted Deacon Emberwood¡¯s ability to prevent serious injury, she refrained from using the kind of attacks that would outright light her opponents on fire. Not only did it feel like overkill for a sparring match, but it was also terribly inefficient. That said, she didn¡¯t mind showing these kids a taste of the techniques Arlene had once used against her. Besides, with the effect of her [Charms of Apperception], she could see that each sibling had decent magical barriers to protect them.


    She blocked another barrage from Arlene¡¯s miniature sun, which continued to function autonomously, then launched her own barrage with a hail of blazing arrows that obscured the three siblings¡¯ figures temporarily. When the fire cleared, Scarlett noted with mild surprise that they had withstood the attack much better than expected. Their barriers were visibly worn in places, but not as much as she¡¯d intended. Arlene, in particular, seemed nearly untouched.


    Scarlett¡¯s forehead creased in thought. She hadn¡¯t seen Arlene cast any defensive spell, and her barrier shouldn¡¯t have been able to take all of that unscathed. It couldn¡¯t be that the girl was already a proficient pyrokinesis user like herself, right?


    As if to confirm her suspicions, flames burst into existence around Scarlett, encircling her without any visible casting being finished by the siblings. The fire pressed in from all sides, and she could practically feel the intent to burn her where she stood. If she hadn¡¯t instinctively countered and dampened their intensity, she might actually have felt that.


    Her eyes met Arlene¡¯s, catching a hint of a smirk on the girl¡¯s lips.


    ¡­Oh, that was it. She didn¡¯t care if it was unfair, unsightly, or even if this wasn¡¯t the real Arlene. She was definitely going to teach her a lesson¡ª


    Another barrage of sharp beams poured out from the miniature sun, interrupting her thoughts. As she moved to deflect the attack, Scarlett saw all three siblings weaving another round of spells. She couldn¡¯t counter them completely while dealing with the beams, and by the time she¡¯d neutralised those, she already had several more fireballs and fiery missiles arcing towards her, courtesy of Liane and Delmont.


    Scarlett barely managed to dispel those when Arlene¡¯s next spell hit her: a web of glistening, thread-like flames that curved towards her from every direction, sizzling as they clashed with her magical defences. She fought back with her pyrokinesis, enduring the assault for a few more seconds, but that was when the smell of singed hair reached her nose. Glancing down, she spotted dark-red strands on her shoulder, the ends burnt.


    Her eyes narrowed. It was time for the kiddy gloves to come off.


    Across the clearing, the siblings were already casting another set of spells, while the miniature sun was gathering energy for another volley. Scarlett decided to deal with the latter first. Raising her hand decisively, she focused intensely ¡ª and with a flash of blue light, the sun erupted into a cloud of steam as a compressed sphere of water enveloped and extinguished it.


    A splash of scalding water hit Delmont, disrupting his concentration and causing his half-formed spell to fizzle out. Liane and Arlene, however, pressed on, determined to unleash their next attacks.


    Not that Scarlett would allow it. The second their spells finished, conjuring even more fireballs and fiery nets, she created swirling vortexes of water that absorbed each one. Some of the vortexes then shot forward liquid chains, wrapping around Liane¡¯s and Delmont¡¯s hands and feet. Both stumbled back, landing unceremoniously on their behinds. Arlene managed to fend off the chains with bursts of flame, but Scarlett wasn¡¯t done.


    Their eyes met once more in a momentary standoff, and Scarlett then offered a predatory smile. ¡°I believe this is over.¡±


    Arlene didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she threw out a flurry of pyrokinesis-fueled attacks, every bit of her focus directed at Scarlett. But though impressive in volume, the attacks lacked strength and precision this time, and Scarlett had no issue countering them with her own pyrokinesis.


    Arlene continued her barrage, and Scarlett methodically countered each attack, all while moving closer and closer to the girl. Her steps remained measured, and as Arlene¡¯s attacks grew more and more desperate, Scarlett finally found herself understanding how the older version of the woman must have felt whenever she faced the less experienced Scarlett. Trampling over someone like this was fun.


    Finally, only a few steps from Arlene, she cut through the girl¡¯s latest attack of fire with a sharp blade of water. Then, with a single motion, she summoned dozens of watery chains that came at Arlene from all angles. This time, Arlene had no chance.


    The girl fell to the ground beside her siblings, defeated, with Scarlett standing above her in triumph. Liane and Delmont both struggled against their constraints, staring up at Scarlett in frustration and awe, while Arlene soon gave up on resisting and simply lay back on the grass, looking oddly content.


    Scarlett studied her. She would have liked it if the girl at least looked slightly depressed. But she supposed this was still pretty satisfying.


    Applause rang out from behind. ¡°Impressive, impressive. Spectacular, even.¡±


    Scarlett turned to see Deacon Emberwood approaching, his gait surprisingly spry for a man his age.


    ¡°I will say,¡± he continued as he stopped beside her, gazing down at his subdued disciples with amused crinkles around his eyes. ¡°I did not anticipate that you were so proficient in hydrokinesis as well as pyrokinesis. It¡¯s a formidable combination against any fire-aligned mage like us. The manner in which you countered young Arlene¡¯s attacks there at the end, one might almost think you specialise in handling pyromancy mages.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s focus drifted back to Arlene. In a way, she did. After all, much of her hydrokinesis technique had come from lessons facing Arlene herself. She hadn¡¯t planned on using it in this spar, but she¡¯d changed her mind towards the end.


    Deacon Emberwood coughed lightly, drawing her attention back to him. ¡°Perhaps you could release my disciples now?¡± he asked with a raised brow.


    Realising she was still using up her mana, Scarlett dispelled the remaining chains. Liane was the first to rise, dusting herself off with a silent, half-heated glare at Scarlett. Delmont, meanwhile, seemed to now have decided to remain on the ground, head on the grass as he stared up at the sky.


    ¡°That was¡­something,¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve never been beaten so badly by a beautiful woman before.¡±


    ¡°I will remember you said that the next time we spar,¡± Arlene said, pushing herself up onto her knees. ¡°And I¡¯ll remember to do something about that slow casting of yours.¡± She stepped over to her brother and grabbed his arm, hauling him to his feet. ¡°And don¡¯t laze around in the middle of a lesson. She clearly went easy on you.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I believe that concludes today¡¯s lesson,¡± Deacon Emberwood interjected lightly, clasping his hands behind his back. ¡°I had promised your father I wouldn¡¯t push you all too far, and we need to return to the keep to prepare for our journey back to Freybrook.¡±


    He turned to Scarlett, his smile polite. ¡°Thank you for helping with their education, Miss Bernal. If you¡¯d like, you¡¯re welcome to join us to the keep as well. We can provide a meal and some refreshments before we depart by carriage.¡±


    ¡°If you insist,¡± she replied. She glanced to the side, prompting the system to display her mana reserves.


    [Mana: 9382/12448]


    The fight hadn¡¯t drained too much of her, honestly. Since she¡¯d used only a little mana earlier in the Hall of Echoes, she was in good shape. She could potentially even ask the deacon or Arlene to top up her necklace¡¯s mana reserve before they left. With that, she would be near full capacity again.


    Deacon Emberwood gestured for his disciples to gather their belongings. Scarlett watched as the trio retrieved their bags and other equipment, packing them into a pair of large satchels. Before long, the group reconvened and started along the trail leading from the clearing. Scarlett fell in step beside the deacon, the quiet rustle of leaves underfoot the only sound for a moment.


    ¡°If I might ask,¡± the man began, glancing her way, ¡°where exactly do you hail from, Miss Bernal? I don¡¯t believe you mentioned.¡±


    ¡°I am from Freybrook, in fact,¡± she answered simply, keeping her gaze forward, though she could feel the weight of Arlene¡¯s and the others¡¯ eyes on her. ¡°I have no other particular affiliation at present, if that is what you are curious about.¡±


    ¡°Ah, an independent mage. Interesting.¡± Deacon Emberwood stroked his chin. ¡°It surprises me that someone of your calibre hasn¡¯t been claimed by any group yet. There are many who would value your talents ¡ª especially among the Imperial Divisions. They¡¯re always on the lookout for capable mages.¡±


    ¡°I do not doubt it,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°But I have my own concerns and responsibilities. Lending my skills elsewhere is not feasible as things currently stand.¡±


    As they exited the clearing, her eyes traveled down the winding path towards the distant keep, its stone walls just barely visible through the trees. She considered it with a quiet curiosity. Which keep was that? And where were they right now, for that part? The keep itself likely belonged to Arlene¡¯s family, but Scarlett had never learned the woman¡¯s full name. She wondered if they were still around today.


    Just as she was about to ask the deacon about it, a voice broke through her thoughts.


    ¡°Miss ¡®Bernal¡¯,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Is there a reason you lied to us about your name?¡±


    Scarlett paused mid-step. She turned slowly, but froze when she found that Arlene and the others had disappeared.


    The clearing that had been behind them was now nothing but an expanse of hazy nothingness. Gradually, the rest of the forest faded away as well, dissolving into a sea of muted colours. Those colours then began to morph and change, like brushstrokes over the world, taking on browns, greens, reds, and even more hues.


    Scarlett had already re-summoned her gear, scanning the shifting landscape with narrowed eyes, bracing herself for whatever came next. What was going on here? Why did what she was seeing right now somewhat remind her of what happened in Freymeadow every time its loop reset?


    Soon, the colours coalesced, taking on shapes as everything resolved into a new scene. She found herself standing at the entrance of an opulent parlour. A man in a crisp, black robe stood slightly to the side in front of her, and at the center of the room, seated among plush couches and ornate armchairs, were three familiar figures.


    Scarlett blinked, not entirely prepared for this. It was Arlene and her siblings once again, now appearing a few years older.


    Liane, dressed in an elaborate gown of deep burgundy and wearing an emotionless expression, regarded the robed man standing in front of Scarlett.


    ¡°So, what brings you here today, Vice-dean Fletcher?¡± she asked in a cold voice.

 Chapter 288 - Relations

    Scarlett¡¯s gaze darted between Arlene and the woman¡¯s two siblings. Had she been transported to another point in time? Into another memory, or whatever this was?


    Her eyes moved across the room, noting the opulent furnishings and the ornate paintings lining the walls. The parlour boasted several large windows that offered a view of what appeared to be extensive estate grounds, complete with a manicured garden and winding paths.


    A small crease formed on Scarlett¡¯s brow. Why did this place feel familiar?


    ¡°Again, my lady, I apologise for my unannounced arrival,¡± the man standing before Scarlett said. ¡°Though time was not of the essence, I felt it improper to delay with formal correspondence. This news is¡­important.¡±


    Scarlett studied him, taking in his neatly combed salt-and-pepper hair and the quality of his dark robes. He carried himself with the confidence of an experienced wizard, but Scarlett had never heard his name before.


    ¡°News so important that it called for Elystead Tower¡¯s Vice-dean to come all the way here in person?¡± Delmont almost drawled from his seat. He lounged with a breezy nonchalance, idly tossing a wooden die into the air and catching it with practiced ease. His attention seemed only half on the conversation, the other half lazily aimed at the ceiling. ¡°Seems a touch excessive, don¡¯t you think? A message would have been enough. By the way, who¡¯s the lady attendant behind you?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened. Attendant? Was he referring to her? And what was with the attitude? Delmont looked to be somewhere in his early twenties now, around Evelyne¡¯s age, but his demeanour was far more carefree than when Scarlett had just seen him.


    A sudden yelp interrupted her thoughts as Delmont¡¯s die erupted in a flash of azure crimson, crumbling into fine ash that scattered over his hands and clothes.


    ¡°Must you harass every woman who crosses your path, you cad?¡± Arlene¡¯s voice cut through the room, sharp as a blade despite her seemingly casual tone. She didn¡¯t bother to look up from the leather-covered book resting on her lap. ¡°This is precisely why Elisa refuses to speak to you. One would think you¡¯d have learned your lesson by now.¡±


    Delmont brushed ash from his clothes, grimacing as he blew on his fingers. ¡°Was that really necessary?¡± he muttered, throwing a glare Arlene¡¯s way.


    ¡°You don¡¯t learn otherwise,¡± she replied without looking up.


    ¡°I was just asking a question,¡± Delmont grumbled, straightening in his seat. ¡°Elisa doesn¡¯t have anything to worry about, and I¡¯ve already told her that. I didn¡¯t mean anything beyond being curious. Besides,¡± he motioned towards Scarlett with a tilt of his head, ¡°doesn¡¯t that lady look a little familiar?¡±


    Arlene glanced up, her pale green eyes flicking to Scarlett with a sharpness that felt similar to her younger self, but even more confident. After a moment, she returned to her book. ¡°You¡¯re most likely imagining things,¡± she said curtly.


    Scarlett watched the exchange, trying to get a better grasp of what was going on here. Why was this the time and place she suddenly found herself in?


    ¡°Imagining what? How would you know what I¡¯ve¡ª¡± Delmont began, but Liane cut him off.


    ¡°Enough, both of you,¡± the woman declared. She fixed each of her younger siblings with a steely look before turning to the man in front of Scarlett. ¡°Vice-dean Fletcher, I apologise for their unseemly display. We appreciate your efforts in bringing this news personally to Freybrook. Now, what matter is so pressing that it required your immediate attention?¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it, my lady,¡± Fletcher said, his formal tone softening slightly. ¡°Your father and I were acquainted long before I assumed my current position. I still recall meeting all of you when you barely reached my waist. A bit of spirited discourse is hardly cause for offense.¡± He hesitated, and Scarlett could see subtle tension creeping into his shoulders. ¡°¡­However, I¡¯m afraid the news I bring is of a grave nature.¡±


    The shadow of a scowl passed over Liane¡¯s face, and the atmosphere in the room shifted. Both Arlene and Delmont turned their full attention to the Vice-dean, their earlier squabble forgotten.


    ¡°There has been an incident near the eastern frontiers,¡± Fletcher began, his voice heavy. ¡°Our offensive against the Tribe of Sin¡¯s Heartlands has caused their incursions into imperial lands to grow more erratic and vicious. They¡¯ve started targeting estates and convoys of several prominent figures, and¡­¡± He paused, as though the weight of what he was about to say physically weighed upon him. ¡°Among those attacked¡­were Lord and Lady Hartford. Their carriage was ambushed near Silverborough. I was in the vicinity when word reached me, and I rushed to the scene, but¡­ I regret to inform you that there were no survivors.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± The words escaped from Scarlett¡¯s lips before she even realised she¡¯d spoken. Her eyes locked on the man¡¯s back.


    The wizard glanced back at her, brow furrowing briefly in confusion before turning back to the siblings. Their expressions contrasted starkly with each other: Liane¡¯s face had hardened into a full-on scowl, Arlene stared with wide, unblinking eyes, and Delmont¡¯s earlier breezy composure had crumbled into one of disbelief warring with dawning horror.


    ¡°You¡­ You can¡¯t be serious, can you?¡± Delmont said haltingly. ¡°Hey, Arlo, tell me this is some sort of cruel joke.¡±


    Vice-dean Fletcher shook his head soberly. ¡°I wish I could, Master Delmont. From the depths of my heart, you have my deepest condolences. Your father was a great man, following in the footsteps of your illustrious grandfather, and there were few as generous and kind as Lady Hartford. The empire has lost two of its brightest souls.¡±


    Scarlett only half-registered his words as her mind reeled over what had been said. She couldn¡¯t have misheard, could she? He¡¯d said ¡®Hartford¡¯¡ªher name¡ªwhile referring to¡­what? Arlene¡¯s parents?


    Her eyes moved to Arlene, who sat frozen, gaze fixed on Fletcher. It couldn¡¯t be, could it? Was Arlene a Hartford¡­? Scarlett shook her head, trying to make sense of it. How could that be the case? What were the odds? There had to be some mistake. Perhaps the man was simply informing them of this era¡¯s Hartfords¡¯ demise in connection with their own family¡¯s loss.


    Fletcher reached into his robes, withdrawing a small, ornate box. With deliberate care, he opened it, revealing its contents. Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed. Inside lay a single garnet ring ¡ª a thin gold band supporting a deep red stone that appeared to pulse with a faint inner fire.


    [Hartford Garnet Ring (Unique)]


    {Blessed by an unknown power, this ring was passed down from the progenitor of House Hartford to his son, and now it awaits its next bearer. There appears to be a slumbering flame burning within}


    She glanced down at her own hand, where an identical ring glinted on her finger. There was no doubt about it, then¡­


    ¡°I believe your father would have wanted you to have this, Lady Liane,¡± Fletcher said. ¡°Or perhaps I should address you as Baroness Hartford now.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    A heavy silence descended upon the room, the ring¡¯s presence seeming to carry its own gravity. Liane regarded it with an inscrutable expression for several seconds, then rose slowly from her seat. She approached the man with measured steps, stopping before him. For a long moment, she simply stood there, continuing to study the ring, then reached out and slipped it onto her finger.


    ¡°You have my gratitude for returning this to me, Vice-dean,¡± she said, her voice distant.


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do, my lady. Your father was a mentor and friend to me. I owe him more than I could ever repay.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Liane, you can¡¯t be serious,¡± Delmont interjected, looking at his sister incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re going to accept it? Just like that? That Mother and Father are dead?¡±


    Liane turned to face him. ¡°This is not the time for childish denial, Delmont. We gain nothing by refusing to face reality, no matter how painful it may be for you.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting the Vice-dean is lying?¡± she interrupted. ¡°Do you doubt the significance of this ring?¡±


    Delmont opened his mouth, but no words came. His jaw tightened until finally, his eyes dropped to the floor. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t.¡±


    The oppressive silence returned, thicker than before. None of the siblings spoke as Liane cast a final glance at Vice-dean Fletcher before returning to her seat.


    Scarlett had her attention aimed at Arlene, tangling with all the questions and implications in her head.


    Arlene was a Hartford. And she always had been.


    Scarlett had always wondered about the woman¡¯s past, about the parts of her life she seemed so determined to keep shrouded in mystery and that had never been part of the game. She had even accepted that there were answers she might never get. However, not even in her wildest imagination had the possibility struck her that Arlene herself might be a Hartford. That they shared a connection like this.


    The sheer improbability of it all was what made her pause the most. What was the likelihood that of all the characters she could have possessed in this world, and of all the mentors she could have encountered, both she and Arlene would hail from the same family?


    She thought back to every interaction she¡¯d had with the woman, analysing it under this new lens. Why would Arlene never have brought it up? Had there been signs she missed? Every time Scarlett had introduced herself at the start of a new loop in Freymeadow, Arlene acted as if she didn¡¯t recognise her name. But maybe Scarlett had gotten that wrong. Maybe Arlene didn¡¯t recognise Scarlett, not the name Hartford.


    ¡­Even if that was the case, wouldn¡¯t most people find it odd if a stranger introduced themselves with your own family name? Especially if you were a noble? You wouldn¡¯t just be ¡®Oh, that¡¯s a new name¡¯ and accept it, would you?


    Scarlett¡¯s thoughts flitted to Gaspar.


    Gaspar Hartford.


    The man had insisted there was no relation between them, dismissing their shared name as coincidence. He¡¯d said his family had been on the Rising Isle for generations. Scarlett had also heard from Magister Penney that the Hartfords on the Isle had produced one or two arch wizards over the generations.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze landed on Delmont, the young man she knew was destined to become an arch wizard and eventual resident of the Rising Isle. Scarlett¡¯s jaw tightened as the pieces began to fall into place.


    Gaspar, that bastard. When he had spoken of investigating the successors of Delmont¡¯s legacy on the Isle, he¡¯d been referring to himself. Was this the real reason behind his opposition to Scarlett¡¯s presence on the Isle and her inquiries into Delmont¡¯s past? Because he didn¡¯t like an imperial noble prying into his family affairs?


    Her eyes moved past Delmont, roaming the parlour and noticing details that now seemed glaringly obvious. The view from the windows, the room¡¯s layout, the very bones of the estate itself ¡ª that was why it felt so familiar. This was her mansion, as it had been more than two centuries ago. Though it had likely gone through several renovations since then, the essence of the place remained unchanged.


    Her thoughts drifted back to the previous ¡®memory¡¯¡ªif that is what she should call it¡ªwhere Arlene and her siblings had been taught by Deacon Emberwood. From what she¡¯d been able to tell, they had been somewhere in the countryside northwest of Freybrook. Then, had that been Stagmond Keep? The one that was supposed to be her ¡®ancestral seat¡¯?


    How ridiculous that her first sight of it had to come through someone else¡¯s memory.


    As her focus returned to Arlene, Scarlett couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that all of this was part of some grand design. That it couldn¡¯t all be random coincidence. The sheer number of accidents and connections seemed too perfectly aligned for that to be the case. She¡¯d had similar suspicions before ¡ª moments when the world appeared to operate with an underlying logic that defied mere happenstance. As if some unseen hand was guiding events and manipulating circumstances to create these confluences. But to what end? And who¡ªor what¡ªwas responsible? Was this what fate was, or was this something else?


    Her thoughts scattered as her gaze locked with Arlene¡¯s for a fleeting moment. All her musings and concerns about cosmic machinations and the like evaporated in an instant. The look in Arlene¡¯s eyes sent a chill down Scarlett¡¯s spine. It wasn¡¯t grief, nor sorrow, but cold fury. A restrained, smoldering anger that Scarlett had never seen from the woman before. In fact, it was the first time she had ever seen Arlene angry.


    The intensity of the moment lingered, even after Arlene broke the glance and turned back to Vice-dean Fletcher. Outwardly, she remained composed, but the woman was far from calm.


    ¡­Right. Scarlett had almost lost sight of where she was. This wasn¡¯t the time to get caught up in her own contemplations, no matter how shocking things were. Arlene and her siblings had just been informed of their parents¡¯ murder at the hands of the Tribe of Sin. Scarlett still didn¡¯t understand why she was witnessing this moment specifically, but there had to be some meaning to it.


    Fletcher¡¯s voice broke the tense silence. ¡°Do you wish for me to take my leave?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That may be best if there is nothing more for you to say,¡± Liane replied.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Arlene interjected, stopping the Vice-dean in his tracks. Her voice was low. ¡°Are you certain it was the Tribe that ambushed them?¡±


    The Vice-dean seemed to hesitate briefly, as if sensing the dangerous undercurrent in the question, but he nodded slowly. ¡°There is no doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Arlene¡¯s gaze fell to the floor, and the silence returned, heavier than before.


    ¡°Then I shall depart now,¡± Vice-dean Fletcher said, somewhat awkwardly this time. ¡°Please remember that if there is anything you require, you need only ask. Your parents were extraordinary in many ways, and their loss will be felt far beyond these walls.¡±


    He turned, motioning subtly towards Scarlett, as if indicating she should follow. Before she could move, Liane¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°¡­No, one moment,¡± she said, halting the Vice-dean mid-step. Her sharp gaze locked on to Scarlett now, scrutinising her closely, arms folded across her chest. ¡°You never gave my brother a proper answer earlier. That woman ¡ª who is she?¡±


    Scarlett tensed slightly, meeting Liane¡¯s eyes that bore into her. Had she finally been recognised? She still wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether they retained any memories from their previous ¡®memory¡¯, though Delmont¡¯s initial comment suggested they might have some level of recollection.


    ¡°Ah, Griffiths here?¡± Fletcher replied, seemingly caught off guard. ¡°She is an adjunct wizard, currently apprenticing under my guidance.¡±


    Scarlett resisted the urge to frown. Adjunct Wizard? Where had that come from? Could that be how he recognised her within the constraints of this scenario? Was this the framework of this memory trying to integrate her presence?


    ¡°Griffiths?¡± Liane repeated, tapping one finger against her arm, eyes narrowing as she studied Scarlett. With deliberate steps, she rose from her seat and crossed the room, coming to a stop directly in front of her.


    ¡°My lady, is there a problem?¡± Fletcher asked with slight confusion.


    ¡°You tell me,¡± Liane replied coolly. She lifted her hand to display the [Hartford Garnet Ring] on her finger. ¡°Why is she wearing an identical ring?¡±


    The Vice-dean¡¯s gaze snapped to Scarlett¡¯s hand, his eyes widening with alarm as he spotted the matching ring. ¡°Griffiths, what is the meaning of this?¡±


    Scarlett remained silent, meeting Liane¡¯s scrutinising stare. Would they believe the truth? Was there even any point in trying to tell it? Or should she just straight out lie?


    ¡°Would you care to enlighten us, ¡®Griffiths¡¯?¡± Liane asked, her tone sharp as a razor¡¯s edge.


    Scarlett slowly raised her own hand, holding it beside Liane¡¯s. The rings really were alike, despite the generations of time that separated them. It spoke to the craftsmanship of whoever had created it.


    Just as Scarlett opened her mouth to respond, her ring began to emit a faint, pulsing glow. The garnet shimmered, the light growing in strength quickly. Both she and Liane frowned, their attention drawn to the phenomenon, and Scarlett¡¯s breath caught as she recognised it.


    ¡°What is¡ª?¡± Liane began, but before she could finish the sentence, Scarlett found herself enveloped by a blinding sphere of radiant energy that turned her world white. She squeezed her eyes shut against the searing glare, and when she opened them again, she found herself in another familiar setting.


    The courtyard of the Freybrook mansion.

 Chapter 289 - What you find in the mirror

    Scarlett¡¯s gaze swept across the courtyard. Unlike the parlour, this place was unmistakable, no matter what year it was. It looked almost exactly as it had before the Cabal¡¯s attack and the ashenwraith dragon¡¯s appearance. At its heart stood a fountain, surrounded by four meticulously manicured grass mounds separated by stone pathways. Along the mansion walls, vibrant flowerbeds added a touch of extra colour to the sight.


    She turned slowly, scanning for any sign of life, but the courtyard remained deserted. Neither Arlene nor her siblings were anywhere to be seen. Was this a new scene or memory, then? Why had it changed so abruptly?


    Her eyes dropped to the ring on her finger. Its earlier glow had faded, leaving the garnet at its center inert.


    ¡­That was the same reaction her [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction] had exhibited before it thrust her into these memories, wasn¡¯t it? What did it mean that the ring had triggered it this time?


    As her attention roamed the courtyard, an inexplicable wistfulness settled over her. At last, her focus came to rest on the mansion¡¯s entrance. Were Arlene and her siblings waiting inside? If so, how old would they be this time? And, more importantly, what was she even doing here?


    A flicker of movement caught her eye ¡ª a flash of white through one of the windows, there and gone in an instant. She narrowed her eyes, focusing on the spot. Seconds stretched on as she waited, but nothing more revealed itself.


    Finally, she exhaled softly and crossed the courtyard, her footsteps echoing softly on the stone path. As she climbed the steps to the entrance and pushed the door open, a startled yelp came from her right.


    A young servant girl, busy polishing a delicate porcelain vase, stumbled backward in surprise and landed ungracefully on the floor. Flushing with embarrassment, she scrambled to her feet but froze when her eyes landed on Scarlett.


    Scarlett frowned slightly, waiting as the girl stood motionless.


    Seeming to realise her lapse in decorum, the servant smoothed her clothes and dipped into a hasty curtsy. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, miss,¡± she stammered, cheeks reddening further. ¡°Please forgive my clumsiness. Welcome. Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    Scarlett studied the unfamiliar girl in silence. From that reaction, it seemed Scarlett was being treated as a guest. Was this another example of how this memory integrated her into its narrative, like how Vice-dean Fletcher assumed she belonged to the Elystead Tower?


    Shifting her gaze from the flustered servant, Scarlett examined the foyer. The similarities to her own time were striking, even if there were subtle differences in the decor. It felt like a slightly warped reflection of her home ¡ª like revisiting an old apartment after a new owner had moved in.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the lord is currently out on business,¡± the servant girl offered, her voice steadier now. ¡°However, I¡¯d be happy to escort you to the parlour if you¡¯d like to wait for his return.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed as she looked back down at the girl. ¡°¡®The lord¡¯?¡±


    The servant flinched slightly under Scarlett¡¯s intense stare but nodded. ¡°Yes, miss. He¡¯s in the city visiting the count. The lady is still here, but I don¡¯t think she is receiving guests at the moment.¡±


    Scarlett continued scrutinising her. The presence of a ¡®lord¡¯ didn¡¯t align with her understanding of Liane¡¯s recent ascension to baroness. Was this from before that, or had Liane perhaps married? When exactly was this?


    A nagging thought at the back of her mind told her she could simply ask the servant for the names of the lord and lady, but something held her back. Instead, she turned her attention to the staircase leading to the upper floors.


    ¡°May I explore the mansion on my own?¡± she asked.


    The servant hesitated. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Scarlett briefly fixed the girl with a steely look. ¡°I assure you, I will cause no disturbance.¡±


    Unable to maintain eye contact, the servant lowered her head. ¡°S-Sure. If you need anything, I¡¯ll be here in the foyer.¡±


    With a curt nod, Scarlett took her leave, ascending the stairs. The second floor stretched out before her like a familiar yet subtly altered landscape. She wandered the corridors, tracing the patterns in the carpets, examining the artwork on the walls, and counting the ornate vases lining the halls. Some details she felt she recognised, while others seemed simultaneously old and new. It was¡­disconcerting.


    That melancholic wistfulness settled deeper and deeper as she continued her ¡®exploration¡¯, and she found herself wondering if she really would encounter Arlene or her siblings here. The revelation that the woman was a Hartford still felt surreal ¡ª a tangle of unaccountable coincidences that she had yet to fully unravel. The thought that Arlene might have grown up here¡ªin this mirror of Scarlett¡¯s own home¡ªhadn¡¯t quite sunk in. Who would have thought their connection wasn¡¯t limited to their encounters in Freymeadow?


    Lost in contemplation, Scarlett eventually found herself standing before a dark mahogany door at the end of a corridor. She didn¡¯t even need to think to know where she was.


    Her office.


    She studied the door¡¯s surface. The fine cracks running through the grain, the elegant silver handle that was polished but still showed signs of years of use. It was eerily similar to how she remembered it. Yet, despite that, it felt distinctly different, as if the space beyond didn¡¯t belong to her right now.


    Slowly, almost reluctantly, she reached for the handle. As her fingers closed around the cool metal, she applied gentle pressure, only to find that it didn¡¯t budge. The door was locked.


    A light breath escaped her lips.


    Letting go of the handle, she turned away. She didn¡¯t even know what she¡¯d hoped to find on the other side of that door, anyway. What was even the point of this? How would this aimless wandering help her understand why she had been brought to this particular moment, or how to escape this place?


    She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. A gnawing concern was starting to tug at her: what if there was no way out of these memories? She felt certain there was some greater purpose to all this, some meaning, but what if she was wrong?


    As she began retracing her steps, her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed another servant, this one dusting a windowsill further down the courtyard.


    Scarlett considered it for a moment, then approached the young woman, passing by several connecting corridors. The servant paused in her work, offering a polite curtsy, but stiffened as Scarlett stopped to examine her, a slight tension in her shoulders.


    Scarlett frowned. Did she truly seem so imposing? She had worked hard to cultivate a less intimidating presence among her staff, even with new hires. What sort of expression must she be wearing to provoke this kind of reaction?


    What was it about this version of the mansion that made her unable to even control her expression?


    After a moment of charged silence, Scarlett spoke evenly. ¡°Where is the lady of the mansion?¡±


    The servant glanced up cautiously. ¡°H-Her Ladyship is¡­not in a state to receive guests at the moment.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°E-Ehm, she¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± Scarlett pressed, her tone sharpening.


    The servant flinched, but was spared from answering by a young voice from behind. ¡°She is on bedrest.¡±


    Scarlett froze, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. That voice belonged to neither Arlene nor any of her siblings. Slowly, almost warily, she turned.


    Standing in the hallway behind her was a young girl, perhaps no more than eight years old. Her straight, dark-red hair fell neatly around a face that was both familiar and chill-inducing. The girl¡¯s amber eyes met Scarlett¡¯s own, her gaze piercing and unnervingly mature. She wore a finely tailored dress of deep green, her posture refined and radiating the refinement of someone accustomed to getting what they wanted.


    ¡°There is little reason to meet the lady, regardless,¡± the girl said with an impassive expression.


    Scarlett simply stood there, her thoughts reeling as the moment stretched on. Strange emotions floated up inside. Could this really be who she thought it was? The girl standing before her ¡ª was this the original Scarlett?


    The young girl turned to the servant coolly. ¡°You may leave.¡±


    The woman hesitated, her gaze darting between the two before she quickly curtsied and departed, leaving Scarlett and the girl alone in the corridor.


    ¡°If you insist on meeting the lady despite my words,¡± the girl continued, ¡°then I will show you the way.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and strode down the hallway. Scarlett stared after her small, retreating figure for several seconds before her feet moved of their own accord. She matched the younger Scarlett¡¯s surprisingly brisk pace, falling into step beside her.


    The silence between them was thick as they moved through the mansion¡¯s corridors. Throughout it, Scarlett tried to make sense of what she was feeling. Was it anger? Fear? Sadness? She genuinely couldn¡¯t tell. This was nothing like her experiences with Evelyne or the other times she¡¯d felt the original Scarlett¡¯s emotions bleed through. Now, it was almost as if those feelings were trying to confuse her, laughing at her inability to distinguish between the traits¡¯ influence and what stemmed from her.


    Why was the younger Scarlett here, of all places? The [Hartford Garnet ring] had to be responsible in some way, but she didn¡¯t really understand how that was possible. The [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction] transporting her into memories related to Arlene and Delmont at least made some sense, given it was ostensibly connected to the latter through the Emberling. But this ¡ª this was entirely different. There was no way the original Scarlett had ever interacted with the steles in the Hall of Echoes, so how had all of this come to pass? What force was at work here, if not the steles?


    Her eyes stayed on the young girl walking beside her. Did this younger version of herself recognise her for who she truly was? The resemblance between them was undeniable, yet none of the servants had seemed to notice or react to it. Perhaps whatever role Scarlett ¡®assumed¡¯ in this memory rendered things like that a non-issue.


    After a few minutes, the younger Scarlett stopped in front of an ornate door. With a small, deliberate gesture, she pointed to it. ¡°This is where the lady resides,¡± she said, her tone matter-of-fact. She studied Scarlett briefly. ¡°As I said before, there is little merit in seeking an audience with her.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze moved between the girl and the door. What was up with her? Was this really how a child spoke? And what did she mean by that? Wouldn¡¯t the lady of the manor be the younger Scarlett¡¯s mother? Or were they talking about Evelyne¡¯s mother?


    It was both frustrating and inconvenient to be so in the dark about the original¡¯s past at a time like this.


    ¡°You are an awfully quiet one,¡± the girl observed, then pushed the door open without another word and stepped inside.


    Scarlett followed, catching the door before it closed. The room beyond was one of the east wing¡¯s living quarters, a space Scarlett had only visited once during her initial exploration of the mansion. Sunlight streamed in through tall windows, offering a view of the estate¡¯s eastern grounds and the wall encircling the estate, casting a soft glow over the room.


    At the far end stood a large four-poster bed, its occupant partially obscured by sheer curtains. Beside the bed sat a servant woman with a half-finished piece of knitting resting in her lap. Scarlett¡¯s eyes were drawn to an ornate crib nearby, the sight of it stopping her in her tracks.


    The servant looked up, surprise across her face as she registered the younger Scarlett¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Leave,¡± the girl commanded.


    The woman hesitated, her gaze darting uncertainly between the sleeping figure in the bed and the crib.


    A trace of irritation entered the younger Scarlett¡¯s tone. ¡°Must I repeat myself?¡±


    With visible reluctance, the servant set aside her knitting and rose. ¡°I will be just outside if you need anything, young lady,¡± she murmured, offering a curtsy before making for the door, sparing Scarlett only a passing glance.


    The younger Scarlett crossed the room with small but purposeful strides, coming to a stop by the bed and crib. She turned to face Scarlett, her expression expectant. A stifling silence settled over the room, and Scarlett remained rooted to the spot, the pounding of her blood reverberating in her ears. At last, with a conscious effort, she willed her body to move, her footsteps muffled by the plush carpet as she drew closer.


    She stopped near the bed, her eyes taking in its occupant for the first time.


    A woman lay nestled among the pillows, her chest rising and falling in shallow, rhythmic breaths. Her pale skin glistened with a faint sheen of sweat, and long chestnut hair fanned across the pillow, framing a face with soft, delicate features. In the crib beside her, a baby slept soundly, its tiny form serene, wisps of rosy-brown hair crowning its head.


    Scarlett stared at the pair.


    ¡°They are repulsive, are they not?¡± the young Scarlett asked, voice flat and devoid of any childish innocence.


    Scarlett turned her gaze to the girl. ¡°¡­What makes you despise them so?¡±


    The girl¡¯s piercing eyes met hers without flinching. ¡°Should you not already know? You loathe them as much as I do.¡±


    Scarlett was quiet in response, glancing back at the woman on the bed. Her fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms.


    ¡­She¡¯d never even met this woman before in her life, yet it was true that the mere sight of her filled Scarlett with a visceral revulsion so strong that she could hardly believe it was real. And yet, surprisingly, the same didn¡¯t hold for the baby ¡ª for Evelyne. The feelings the child stirred were more complex, a muddled web of feelings almost as ineffable as the ones the younger Scarlett beside her evoked.


    Her attention lingered on the woman for a while before shifting back to the younger Scarlett, eyes narrowing. How did the girl seem to read her emotions with such precision? Did she truly recognise who Scarlett was? If so, why was she so composed? Was this actually a genuine reconstruction of a memory, or something else entirely?


    At last, Scarlett¡¯s own voice broke through the haze of her thoughts. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked, suspicion creeping into her words.


    ¡°I am Scarlett Hartford,¡± the younger Scarlett answered simply.


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°The only one.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what am I?¡±


    The girl regarded her for a long moment. ¡°An apostate.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened.


    Before she could respond, a blend of cries and voices erupted in the hallway outside. The younger Scarlett turned her head towards the sound. ¡°It seems she has heard of my visit here,¡± she remarked coolly. ¡°Now, who told her, I wonder?¡±


    Scarlett frowned, her attention shifting to the entrance. ¡°Who are you referring to?¡±


    As if in answer, the door flew open. The servant woman from earlier stumbled backward on the other side, her protests drowned out by the forceful movements of another woman forcing her way into the room. Scarlett felt the blood drain from her face as she took in the newcomer¡¯s appearance.


    It was almost like staring into a warped mirror, showing a slightly altered version of herself. Lustrous black hair framed a face hauntingly similar to Scarlett¡¯s own, with sharp blue eyes that blazed with a near-manic intensity. She moved barefoot, clad in a dark nightgown that seemed more suited to a phantom than a noblewoman, yet she carried herself with an unmistakable air of pride and authority.


    The woman¡¯s sharp gaze immediately landed on the younger Scarlett standing beside the bed.


    ¡°Mother,¡± the girl said, tone carefully neutral. ¡°Why have you left your quarters? Father will be displeased if he learns of this.¡±


    The woman¡ªLara, Scarlett knew her name was¡ªseemed not to register her daughter¡¯s words. She walked across the room, the protesting servant trailing helplessly in her wake. Lara came to a stop beside the bed, her attention moving past her daughter to fix on its sleeping occupant.


    ¡°¡­Why is this wench still alive?¡± she asked aloud, though the question did not seem directed at anyone in particular. ¡°I killed her. I most definitely killed her. Why is she here?¡± Her eyes flashed to the crib, narrowing dangerously. ¡°What is this thing? Why is it in my home? Someone, remove it at once.¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± the young Scarlett said evenly. ¡°You have not killed anyone. Now, please return to your quarters. Were you not given your medicine this morning?¡±


    Lara¡¯s eyes shifted once more, this time landing squarely on Scarlett, who felt the weight of the woman¡¯s scrutiny press against her. Lara¡¯s brow furrowed in consternation. ¡°¡­You have changed so,¡± she muttered. ¡°When did you grow so tall? Did you do as I asked? Have you killed that parasite?¡±


    Scarlett found herself unable to speak, words simply refusing to leave her lips as she stared at this woman she had never truly met, yet whose presence seemed to affect her so.


    ¡°Mother, I am here,¡± the young Scarlett interjected, hand reaching out to tug lightly at Lara¡¯s sleeve.


    The woman¡¯s attention snapped downward, her features contorting into a scowl as she regarded the child. ¡°What are you doing, Scarlett? You are a noblewoman. The future baroness does not pull at people¡¯s clothing like some common urchin.¡± She paused, her sharp gaze narrowing further. ¡°Did you perform the task I set for you? Is it done?¡±


    The younger Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I have not, Mother. Father would not approve.¡±


    Lara clicked her tongue sharply against her teeth. ¡°Then I will have to do it myself. This time, I will not fail.¡±


    In a movement far quicker than Scarlett could ever expect, Lara¡¯s hand darted to the folds of her nightgown, producing a gleaming letter opener. Without hesitation, she lunged towards the crib, the mad glint in her eyes revealing her intent.


    A cry of alarm tore from the servant woman¡¯s lips as she threw herself bodily at Lara, desperately grappling with her to stop the attack. The younger Scarlett, meanwhile, observed the unfolding chaos with an eerie detachment, making no move to intervene.


    Scarlett was about to step in when her younger self spoke. ¡°Mother¡¯s attempts on my sister¡¯s and her mother¡¯s lives were more than one, yet not once did she succeed. Perhaps she never truly desired it and only feigned her efforts, or perhaps she simply could not mentally construct an effective approach. She was a pitiful woman, though none but the mother of the very child she sought to harm ever dared to see her as such. Is that what they call irony?¡±


    Scarlett met the girl¡¯s gaze, finding a far-too-familiar disdain mixed with indifference there.


    ¡°Many praised my sister¡¯s mother for her forgiveness,¡± the younger Scarlett continued. ¡°They called her kind for pardoning the woman who sought to destroy her family, even going so far as to shield her from Father¡¯s wrath and accepting me as ¡®her own¡¯. But tell me, what good did such ¡®kindness¡¯ truly achieve? It neither healed my mother¡¯s mind, nor did it aid me in any meaningful way. We never asked for her magnanimity. A kindness that serves only itself is no kindness at all. It is repugnant and hollow ¡ª a virtue and trait all too common among the lower classes who grasp neither the subtleties of their station nor the gravity of their actions.¡±


    The girl¡¯s final words hung in the air like a bitter echo, just as the scene around them began to blur. Colours bled together, shapes distorted, and the figures of Lara and the servant dissolved into shifting blotches of light as Scarlett realised she was about to be thrust into yet another memory.


    A sense of urgency surged through her, fueled by the myriad of questions in her mind. She stepped forward, reaching out to grab the younger Scarlett¡¯s wrist. But her fingers met only empty air, slipped through the girl¡¯s vanishing form as though she were grasping at mist. The younger Scarlett, too, was fading along with the collapsing reality.


    Scarlett forced herself to stay composed, fixing her gaze on the girl. ¡°What are you?¡± she demanded.


    The younger Scarlett tilted her head slightly. ¡°The answer will not change simply because you rephrase the question.¡±


    ¡°You know who I am,¡± Scarlett pressed. ¡°You are aware that this place is merely a memory ¡ª a construct. How? What is the purpose of all this?¡±


    ¡°Must there always be a purpose?¡± the girl countered, her form further dissolving into the swirling surroundings.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Then perhaps you will uncover it on your own,¡± the younger Scarlett replied, her voice growing faint. ¡°I know little that you do not. After all, I am only the original.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s breath caught as she stared at the girl. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, the younger Scarlett disappeared entirely, and the room around her imploded into a slow whirlwind of colours and motion, mixing with a blinding white light. Briefly, Scarlett felt weightless, uncomfortably suspended in a void between memories, between pasts, and it felt almost as if her consciousness began slipping away.


    The light pulsed, once, twice, before solidifying into something tangible. When the brightness subsided, she found herself standing in an empty corridor, the musty scent of old tapestries and polished wood filling her nose. Before her, sitting primly in the center of a worn carpet, was a sleek black-furred cat. Its amethyst eyes gazed up at Scarlett with an unblinking, inquisitive stare, and its tail swayed lazily, as if marking the rhythm of some unheard melody.


    Scarlett looked down at the creature, then released a tired sigh.


    How far would this place go?

 Chapter 290 - The other end

    Gaspar scowled, his grip tightening on his staff as he surveyed the narrow hallway before them. Behind him, the murmurs of his junior wizards and colleagues formed the dull hum of discussion and half-formed theories. Though he was more than loath to admit it, having the Baroness here might have been advantageous.


    At the corridor¡¯s end stood a lone figure, its features obscured by flickering robes that rippled spectrally in the ambient light. The air around it thrummed with mana, thick with arcane energy. Ancient Zuverian wards¡ªthe likes of which Gaspar had never encountered before¡ªshimmered faintly, warping the space like a mirage.


    ¡°This is getting ridiculous,¡± Rosa grumbled from Gaspar¡¯s right, sitting on the ground and slumped against the cold stone wall. Her wooden instrument lay beside her as she ran a hand through her hair, shooting a small glare towards the robed figure. ¡°There has to be some way past that thing.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. He shared her sentiment, but it had been made clear this obstacle would not yield easily.


    After they had left the Chamber of Remembrance through the hidden passage revealed by Baroness Hartford, their group had ventured deeper into the Hall¡¯s depths. The Baroness¡¯ party had marched with a quiet determination, while the wizards of the Isle¡ªdespite the gravity of their mission¡ªmoved with an undeniable excitement among them, intrigued to explore this uncharted facet of their home. Gaspar understood their enthusiasm, and even shared it to a degree, though he took care not to let it show.


    At first, their progress had been smooth. Suspiciously so, even. For reasons Gaspar and the others did not know, the threatening echoes that plagued the Hall¡¯s outer chambers were mostly absent here, allowing them to advance with relative ease. In his brief arrogance, Gaspar had even entertained the hope that they might reach the Hall¡¯s depths mostly unchallenged. As with most good things, however, that hope did not last.


    The obstacles in their path gradually changed. Subtle nuisances¡ªsuch as sealed doors requiring some time to breach and the occasional group of less aggressive echoes¡ªgave way to more tangible, yet erratic, threats. The occasional echo grew stronger, more defined, employing far more intricate formations and attacks. Traps and wards began weaving through the corridors, disrupting spells and chipping away at their defences. And with every step forward, it was as if the Hall grew more aware of their presence, working to expel them.


    Still, it had been manageable until they had run into the particularly implacable adversary now before them.


    While not as overtly belligerent or threatening as the echoes they¡¯d faced before, it proved far more formidable in its ability to cut off their advance. No spell or attack seemed to touch it; every effort was deflected as if it were nothing more than a gentle breeze. Gaspar had seen few defences this impenetrable, even among accomplished Arch Wizards.


    If this was an echo like the ones they had encountered before, he could only wonder what sort of mage it emulated.


    ¡°Are we sure that we have to get past it?¡± Allyssa asked. Sitting next to Rosa, she sorted through her remaining alchemical supplies, the vials and containers spread out in neat rows. ¡°This is where Scarlett would¡¯ve just disarmed that thing. Or made it vanish. Or¡­something.¡±


    Gaspar glanced at the two, then flicked his attention towards the rest of the group at the mouth of the corridor. Most of his junior wizards, along with Magister Penney, Grand Wizard Clemmons, and Shin, were clustered around a Zuverian device mounted on the wall. The device was very similar to the Tabernacle artifacts that the Zuver were known to have used, and for reasons he could not explain, it seemed to involve a convoluted puzzle of some sort.


    He had already examined the artifact, but he had found himself at a loss. For all of his experience with Zuverian relics, puzzles were not his strength. He much preferred measured, methodical research, grounded in logic and structure, over anything that required fanciful leaps of reasoning to be solved. Why the Zuver couldn¡¯t have simply kept to that was a mystery he doubted he¡¯d ever solve.


    Their group agreed that the puzzle was likely tied to getting past this robed figure, but they had discerned little else.


    ¡°¡­Are you certain the Baroness gave no indication of how to proceed beyond this point?¡± he asked, keeping his tone carefully neutral as he turned back to Rosa and Allyssa.


    Both shook their heads.


    ¡°Scarlett, as a rule, only shares information when it becomes immediately relevant,¡± Rosa said, picking up her instrument and placing it on her lap. ¡°She¡¯s not great at volunteering details in general. She¡¯s gotten better at it, and she does make an effort now and then, but¡­¡± She plucked absently a few idle notes. ¡°Well, there¡¯s always a lot going on in that mind of hers.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s gaze lingered on her before drifting back to the entity blocking their way. Since meeting Baroness Hartford, he had often wondered how she came by her knowledge of secrets that had been buried for countless generations. More than once, he had questioned her sources¡ªand her motives¡ªbut her results were undeniable. At this point, he was convinced that the woman knew exactly what to expect within the inner sanctum of the Hall of Echoes, these increasingly difficult obstacles included. In fact, the only element that appeared to have caught the noblewoman off guard was whatever phenomenon currently had the Hall in its grasp. That, and her own sudden disappearance.


    ¡°¡­What will you do if she proves to be no longer with us?¡± he asked, the question slipping out unbidden.


    ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± came a calm voice from his left.


    Gaspar turned to look at Fynn, sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed in what was supposedly a meditative trance.


    ¡°You seem remarkably certain of that assertion,¡± Gaspar said.


    The young man¡¯s eyes flicked open briefly, meeting Gaspar¡¯s gaze. ¡°You said you would do everything in your power to ensure her safety.¡±


    ¡°That was Magister Penney¡¯s declaration, not mine,¡± Gaspar replied, adjusting his grip on his staff. ¡°We will do what we can, naturally, but we are not omnipotent. If she¡¯s fallen before we reach her, there is little more we can do.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t die,¡± Fynn said.


    Gaspar raised a brow. ¡°I doubt your conviction alone is enough to make that a certainty. It is highly likely that wherever she may be at this moment, she is alone and in considerable peril. Even an experienced grand wizard might perish under such circumstances.¡±


    ¡°But she won¡¯t,¡± Rosa cut in, her voice firm.


    Gaspar studied her. She had been the most visibly concerned when the Baroness had vanished, yet now she seemed utterly confident in her patron¡¯s survival. Even with what Gaspar knew of the Baroness, he struggled to understand this unwavering trust.


    He cleared his throat, a sound halfway between a grunt and a sigh. ¡°For now, there is little more I can do but take you at your word,¡± he said. ¡°You must have your reasons for believing the Baroness to be as capable as you claim. If she is, I find myself curious about the true extent of her magical talents. Her earlier demonstration was¡­not particularly inspiring.¡±


    He glanced expectantly at Rosa, who met his gaze for a few seconds before shrugging. ¡°I can¡¯t say. I¡¯m not a mage.¡±


    Gaspar shifted his focus to Allyssa. The girl tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, brows knitting slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not a mage either, but I do know some. It¡¯s hard to compare Scarlett to them, though, since she doesn¡¯t use spells.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The corners of Gaspar¡¯s eyes narrowed, a subtle crease forming. ¡°¡­She doesn¡¯t use any spells?¡±


    Allyssa shook her head. ¡°Apparently, she can¡¯t.¡±


    Gaspar frowned deeply, the lines around his mouth tightening. He had noticed that the Baroness relied exclusively on pyrokinesis in the Hall¡¯s earlier chambers, but he assumed it was a deliberate choice, not a limitation. Disregarding the sheer absurdity of a mage only capable of pyrokinesis, how could these people expect her to defend herself with just a narrow skill set? The raw talent needed to elevate pyrokinesis to rival a seasoned wizard¡¯s arsenal was almost inconceivable.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate Scarlett,¡± Allyssa added, seeming to have noticed his skepticism. She picked up a few vials and began stashing them into the pockets of her bandolier. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her reduce literal hordes of demons to ash. When she¡¯s angry, she can be¡­well, terrifying.¡±


    Gaspar raised a single eyebrow. He had heard rumours of the Baroness¡¯ role in the incident where a Vile¡¯s citadel manifested within the empire, but he found Allyssa¡¯s words hard to believe. Even among the empire¡¯s most talented wizards, he would be hard-pressed to find someone capable of wielding pyrokinesis at any sort of offensive level, particularly against demons. The fiendish creatures were notoriously resistant to most forms of fire. It would require something on the level of true pyrokinesis to be effective against them.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there to see her torch any demons, but I can definitely vouch for Scarlett¡¯s scariness,¡± Rosa said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough of her magic to know what happens when you¡¯re on the wrong end of it.¡±


    Gaspar considered her words. ¡°You claim you cannot compare her to other mages, yet earlier, you seemed quite willing to measure her against odds of survival better than those of a grand wizard. Do you believe she is, at least in some respects, on par with one?¡±


    Rosa shrugged once more. ¡°To be perfectly honest with you, to me, it¡¯s more of a question of whether your ¡®grand wizards¡¯ are on the same level as her.¡±


    Gaspar regarded her silently for several seconds. ¡°¡­Is that so.¡±


    That answer was certainly food for thought, if an unpalatable morsel. He turned his attention back to the hallway ahead, his gaze lingering on the wards surrounding the robed figure.


    After a moment, he spoke again, his tone measured as he tapped his staff against the stone floor. ¡°I will say, Miss Hale, that I find you markedly more agreeable to converse with now that the Baroness isn¡¯t present. I hope you do not take that the wrong way, but I much prefer this version of you.¡±


    A rueful chuckle escaped the bard. ¡°Are you suggesting that she¡¯s a bad influence on me? What I wouldn¡¯t give for Scarlett to hear you say that.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is not at all what I meant,¡± Gaspar replied. ¡°If anything, it would appear the opposite is more likely to be true. Your comportment now is far more fitting for a task of this nature than it was earlier.¡±


    ¡°¡®Fitting¡¯ is one way to put it,¡± Rosa said. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to keep my cool. It wouldn¡¯t do anyone much good if I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Gaspar glanced at her sidelong, noting the sober expression that replaced some of her levity. ¡°It¡¯s clear that you hold the Baroness in very high regard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be a proper fool if I didn¡¯t. She¡¯s the reason I¡¯m still breathing. I owe her¡­well, my everything, really. My life, my sanity ¡ª Blazes, probably even my soul, and then some.¡±


    ¡°Rosa¡­¡± Allyssa said softly, slight worry etched into her voice.


    The bard turned to her companion, offering a quick, reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Allyssa. Scarlett¡¯s the one we should be worrying about here. Not that she¡¯s liable to end up needing it, but you know how it is.¡± Her lips quirked into a small grin. ¡°If it were one of us, you can bet she¡¯d be kicking down doors and waking dragons until the whole thing was sorted.¡±


    Allyssa let out a short laugh. ¡°True. I¡¯m still just waiting for the day when she¡¯ll actually have us face down a dragon.¡±


    Gaspar observed their exchange with another faint frown. He assumed they were simply joking. ¡°While I am not as familiar with her as you two,¡± he said, ¡°I would still advise tempering your expectations. Imperial nobility are a breed apart when it comes to principles and morality, and the Baroness strikes me as no exception. She certainly does not seem the type to possess a heart of gold.¡±


    In fact, the woman seemed to embody many of the qualities he despised most in the empire¡¯s aristocracy.


    ¡°Oh, trust me, I¡¯m not under any starry-eyed delusions about Scarlett,¡± Rosa replied, chuckling. ¡°She¡¯s been real clear about not being a saint. I¡¯ve seen her shrug off things that¡¯d make anyone else lose sleep for days and weeks. And yeah, she¡¯s about as cold as ice when it suits her. Honestly, sometimes, she seems to think half the world could¡¯ve¡ªor should¡¯ve¡ªpegged her as some grand villainess, and she¡¯s just leaning into it.¡± Her grin faded slightly, and her voice mellowed. ¡°That whole ¡®arrogant noble¡¯ persona she¡¯s got going on isn¡¯t an act, and her moral compass¡­? Sometimes, it points in strange directions, I¡¯ll give you that. But despite that, for all her flaws¡ªand there are plenty, though don¡¯t tell her I said that¡ªshe makes an effort to be decent. That¡¯s more than can be said for a whole lot of other folks.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Gaspar went quiet. ¡°Perhaps I have misjudged her somewhat, then.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say more as he turned back to the hallway ahead. In truth, he was not wholly opposed to admitting that he¡¯d harbored a particular bias against the Baroness, even before meeting her. It was a prejudice that lingered, despite her having already proven some of her qualifications when she revealed the Astral Sanctum¡¯s secrets.


    Her stated purpose in coming to the Rising Isle¡ªto investigate her family¡¯s history on the Isle¡ªhad struck him as suspect from the outset. The vagueness of her knowledge or apparent ignorance about the actual nature of her mission only deepened his wariness. Regardless of her intent, he had seen little reason to trust her fully, let alone work closely with her.


    They may share a family name, but to Gaspar, it was a mere coincidence with little weight. If he considered all who shared a common ancestor as kin, he would be related to half the Isle by now. No, the only connection between them was that name, and he had as much right to it as the Baroness did. His predecessors had long since severed their ties to the empire, and it was not the place of any imperial noble to barge in and lay claim to their heritage.


    And yet¡­he would concede that these sentiments clouded his judgement in their initial dealings. Since then, the woman had proven herself to be true to her word, and the terms she proposed in exchange for her services had been¡­reasonable, given the significance of her contributions.


    Gaspar remained sincere in his promise to aid her investigation into Arch Wizard Delmont¡¯s past, if only because it had become his responsibility to do so. Though if his suspicions about what might have befallen the Baroness¡ªas nebulous and implausible as they were¡ªproved correct¡­ He wondered if there would be much left for him to do in that matter once they found her again.


    That, however, was a question for later. First, they would have to unravel the mysteries of this place.


    Gaspar tensed as a sudden commotion broke out behind him, startled voices cutting through the stillness. He turned sharply, his gruff voice ringing off the corridor walls. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Magister Penney straightened up from his hunched position over the artifact, his portly frame forcing several junior wizards to shuffle back. ¡°You had best see this for yourself, Gaspar.¡±


    A frown returned to Gaspar¡¯s face. With a final glance towards the motionless figure at the hallway¡¯s end, he strode back towards the group, his staff tapping a steady rhythm on the stone. The junior wizards made space, leaving only Magister Penney, Grand Wizard Clemmons, and the young Shin gathered around the ancient device.


    ¡°Well?¡± he asked, his gaze sweeping over their faces before settling on the artifact.


    What he saw made his eyes widen in confusion. The weathered stone surface, previously covered with elaborate inscriptions and Zuverian glyphs, was shifting. The delicate maze-like puzzle that had once occupied its center was dissolving, consumed by an expanding, amorphous pool of creeping grey. The glyphs writhed as though alive, twisting and distorting in ways that defied explanation.


    ¡°By Aubrianne¡¯s tome,¡± Clemmons whispered.


    Gaspar leaned closer, his grip tightening on his staff. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± he murmured, unable to tear his eyes away from the ever-spreading mass of grey. The sight filled him with an inexplicable sense of discomfort, as though he were witnessing a fundamental violation of the natural order.


    ¡°I have never seen anything like it in all my years,¡± Magister Penney said with a shake of his head, taking a wary step back. The other wizards followed suit, concern etched across their faces.


    ¡°I think¡­I might have seen something similar once,¡± Shin spoke up, a deep furrow on his brow.


    Gaspar¡¯s sharp gaze snapped to the young man. ¡°Speak quickly, then. What do you remember?¡±


    Shin opened his mouth to respond, but his words were drowned out by a bone-chilling crack that reverberated throughout the corridor. Gaspar whirled around just in time to see Fynn charging at the robed figure, his meditative calm discarded. The young man¡¯s fist struck one of the shimmering defensive wards, the impact rippling like lightning through the air.


    ¡°You, you fool! You can¡¯t¡ª¡± Gaspar¡¯s shout was cut short as the robed figure began to flicker and distort. Its solid form grew more indistinct, reminiscent of the other echoes they had encountered earlier. Then, without further warning, the air around it erupted with energy. The once-dormant wards flared violently, morphing into a seething mass of sigils signaling an impending attack.


    ¡°Clemmons!¡± Gaspar barked, spinning to his colleague. ¡°Barriers, now!¡±


    In the split second before Clemmons could act, the corridor exploded into chaos as a maelstrom of arcane energy¡ªbolts of lightning, tongues of flame, and shards of ice¡ªhurtled towards them in a deadly barrage.

 Chapter 291 - Extrications

    Scarlett looked down at the cat before her, locking eyes with its deep amethyst irises. The pupils reflected the dim light like polished glass.


    ¡°Hello, Empress,¡± she said at last.


    The cat cocked her head to the side, gaze steady as she studied Scarlett, her tail flicking lazily behind her.


    Scarlett¡¯s brow furrowed. Did she not recognise her? If this was just another memory or a construct¡­then perhaps this Empress was not the Empress that she knew. But if that were the case, it seemed odd for the cat to appear here. The memories she had encountered so far were tied to items in some way, be it through the Emberling or the [Hartford Garnet Ring]. But what connection could there be now?


    Unlike before, she hadn¡¯t seen the glow that accompanied the [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction] or the [Hartford Garnet Ring]. Was this a continuation of the last memory, then, or¡­?


    Her gaze wandered, taking in the corridor around her. Its walls were cold stone, broken by tattered tapestries whose faded scenes were too indistinct to decipher. Dim lanterns hanging from a vaulted ceiling provided the only light, casting long shadows. There were no windows, but she was relatively certain she¡¯d never set foot in this place before.


    Why would this place appear now, after the Hartford mansion? Why at all? The questions piled up, pressing on her as she thought back to the young ¡®Scarlett¡¯ she had met. Was that truly the original, or merely a memory of her?


    A shadow crossed Scarlett¡¯s brow. That last scene, with the woman the younger Scarlett called ¡®Mother¡¯. Lara¡­


    Scarlett had only ever seen her in portraits before. To meet her in person had been¡­unnerving. She had no idea the original¡¯s mother had been that unstable. In fact, she hadn¡¯t even known the woman was alive when Evelyne was born.


    Was that what the younger Scarlett had grown up with? She could hardly imagine the impact that would have on a child ¡ª especially one of noble birth. Not that the girl she spoke with seemed particularly fragile¡­


    A soft meow pulled Scarlett from her thoughts. Empress watched her for a beat longer, then turned and padded down the corridor. Scarlett¡¯s eyes followed the cat for a few seconds, then she sighed. This wasn¡¯t the time to get lost in musings about the original¡¯s past. There were important questions there, yes, but those would have to wait. For now, she had to deal with the situation in front of her. And if there was one thing she knew about Empress, it was that the cat expected her to follow.


    She began walking, scanning the hallways as they moved, trying to glean any clues about their location. Minutes passed in silence, with only the quiet rustling of her feet and the soft tap of the cat¡¯s paws to accompany them. The hallways seemed to stretch on endlessly, each turn feeling identical to the last, blending together in a dizzying array of narrow passages and shadowed corners.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t help wondering what kind of manor even had such a convoluted layout. Without a guide, she would have been hopelessly lost within minutes.


    At least the walk gave her time to compose herself. Once they reached their destination, her thoughts felt more ordered. Empress led her through a cramped opening that seemed like it might have once been a servants¡¯ corridor, and Scarlett finally stepped out into an open courtyard, enclosed on all sides by high walls.


    The space resembled the inner courtyard of a grand mansion, though it was wild with overgrown vines and untamed flora. Stone pathways crisscrossed the grounds, leading to a secluded bench beneath a weeping willow. The bench overlooked a tranquil pond dotted with lily pads, the scene bathed in warm sunlight under a clear blue sky.


    That much made it clear this wasn¡¯t the real world, at least.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes landed on the figure seated on the bench. Even from behind, he was unmistakable ¡ª a man in a black top hat and dark cape, a cane resting by his side as he gazed out at the water.


    Empress sauntered gracefully towards him, tail swaying, and Scarlett was compelled to follow, continuing to watch The Gentleman. She had wondered if she might encounter him today.


    As they reached the courtyard¡¯s center, Empress wasted no time leaping onto a low-hanging willow branch, curling up in the shadows as she began grooming herself.


    The Gentleman sat with an air of casual mystery, one hand resting on the ornate handle of his cane. His appearance was unremarkable in the way it always was ¡ª mundane features, dull brown eyes, and dark hair peeking out from under his hat. His attention remained on the pond even as Scarlett approached, seemingly lost in thought.


    Scarlett studied him. What did his presence here mean? Was this or was this not another memory? What was all of this even to begin with? She was ready to get some answers.


    ¡°It seems you have brought us a guest, dear,¡± The Gentleman¡¯s smooth voice finally broke the silence as he glanced over at Scarlett. ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand idling after coming all this way. Please, have a seat.¡± He gestured to the empty space beside him.


    Scarlett eyed him for a few more moments before moving to the bench. As she sat, Empress paused her grooming to look back down at Scarlett, letting out a thin, almost impatient-sounding meow.


    ¡°I understand, my dear,¡± The Gentleman said with a faint smile, addressing the cat. ¡°But now is hardly the time.¡±


    Empress shot him a reproachful glare before letting out another meow and settling back into place. The man chuckled, his eyes returning to the pond. A sparrow fluttered down, landing lightly on one of the lily pads.


    For a few seconds, silence lingered between them, with Scarlett pondering what could have been said in that brief exchange.


    Then The Gentleman spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s rare for anyone to find their way here, but I am not opposed to the company. Welcome, Baroness. I trust your journey here was not overly taxing?¡±


    Scarlett fixed him with a sharp look. ¡°So, you recognise who I am.¡±


    That was a relief. Interacting with the real Gentleman stood to give her more answers than some look-alike of him.


    The man turned to her with a subtle arch of his eyebrows, an air of puzzlement playing across his features. ¡°Recognise you? No, no, I am afraid you¡¯ve misunderstood. I have never seen you before in my life. I simply thought your demeanour matched the title of ¡®Baroness¡¯ ¡ª a kindred spirit to my ¡®Gentleman¡¯ and my dear ¡®Empress¡¯ here. It has become quite the popular naming convention these days.¡±


    Scarlett stared at him.


    A polite, almost playful smile touched his lips. ¡°That was a jest. I trust you¡¯ll indulge me my whimsy this once. Opportunities for humour, however poor, are not often something I am afforded.¡±


    Another meow from Empress drew his attention back to the cat. ¡°Come now, dear. It was hardly in that poor taste. See? The Baroness doesn¡¯t seem to have taken offense.¡±


    Empress flicked her tail dismissively, turning her head away in a show of feline indifference.


    ¡­So this was the same Gentleman Scarlett knew. That was a relief, at least.


    Her gaze drifted to the courtyard in its overgrown beauty. A faint breeze, seemingly from nowhere, stirred the willow leaves where Empress perched. Scarlett followed the motion of a single leaf as it detached, drifting through the air before landing gently on the pond¡¯s surface, sending delicate ripples across the water.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± she asked after a while.


    Honestly, she found it hard to believe this could be just another fragment of a memory. Even setting aside the presence of The Gentleman and Empress, something about it felt distinctly different, though she couldn¡¯t quite place exactly what.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Gentleman leaned back slightly, sounding thoughtful. ¡°I wonder how to best answer that particular query. This is not a place that lends itself to ordinary definitions.¡± He tapped his finger lightly on the head of his cane. ¡°Perhaps it would be simplest to consider it a sort of transitory interstitial space. I suspect you have some experience with such concepts, so the idea should not be entirely foreign. The key distinction here is that this space is less a crossroads between realms and more a nexus of possibilities and potentialities.¡±


    ¡°¡­What does that mean, exactly?¡±


    He released a low chuckle. ¡°An excellent question, one I find myself pondering on occasion as well. In practical terms, however, the answer is often very little at all. This place is only as significant as one chooses to make it ¡ª and it seems neither of us has made much of it thus far.¡±


    With a casual gesture, he motioned a gloved hand towards the lounging cat in the nearby tree, redirecting the conversation. ¡°Empress here happened to notice your presence ¡ª poised as it was on the brink of realms and realities. You have her to thank for bringing you here. Personally, I hadn¡¯t anticipated our paths to cross at this particular juncture, but here we are. I do hope she didn¡¯t pull you away from anything pressing.¡±


    Scarlett glanced over at Empress. ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what that meant either, to be honest. The ¡®brink of realms and realities¡¯? Was that where those memories had brought her? So it was an actual place, at least? Or something more metaphysical? Had she been in danger while there?


    The man¡¯s explanation for this place she now found herself in didn¡¯t tell her much, either. None of this fit with what she remembered from the game.


    Returning her attention to him, she said, ¡°Empress did interrupt something, but I will not hold it against her. However, I find it hard to believe that you do not know what it was.¡±


    ¡°I am not omniscient, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I implied.¡±


    He smiled, this time more lightly. ¡°If you are suggesting that I know precisely what transpired wherever you were, then you are mistaken.¡±


    ¡°But you do have some idea of what happened to me.¡±


    ¡°An inkling, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then I would greatly appreciate it if you could enlighten me,¡± Scarlett said firmly. ¡°Because I still do not understand. I was in the Hall of Echoes on the Rising Isle. Then, after somehow activating one of the steles in the Chamber of Remembrance, I found myself in what I can only assume were some form of reconstruction of memories tied to my ancestors. While I have never used one of those steles before, I am fairly certain that is not among their usual functions.¡±


    The Gentleman considered her for a moment, then turned back to the pond. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    Despite her clear prompt, he did not offer any further explanation, simply maintaining his enigmatic smile as he watched the water¡¯s still surface.


    A small frown appeared on Scarlett¡¯s brow. Empress let out another meow, almost insistently, as if urging the man to provide a proper answer, but The Gentleman remained silent. When he finally spoke, it wasn¡¯t to answer her question.


    ¡°You seem to have undergone some intriguing changes since we last met, Baroness. It would appear Thainnith left behind something rather¡­remarkable for you.¡±


    Scarlett suppressed a sigh. Did he always have to be so evasive? So deliberately obtuse?


    No matter. This was another subject she wouldn¡¯t mind having answers to.


    ¡°I must admit, even I was unaware that Thainnith had left a fragment behind as he did,¡± The Gentleman continued. ¡°It¡¯s rare to encounter surprises of this nature, and I do find them refreshing. Still, in this case, I fear the man may have been a tad too hasty in his actions.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Was he referring to the side effects of the legacy Thainnith had left her? She had tried being more cautious with its use ever since Mistress warned her of its potential dangers.


    The Gentleman shook his head, the brim of his top hat dipping ever so slightly with the movement. ¡°I myself am uncertain whether that is even the issue it ought to be, but it is not what I am referring to. Though Thainnith did it unknowingly, by leaving a fragment of his essence behind, he introduced a risk. For it to remain undetected for so long, it must have been subtle indeed, yet even a fragment opens the door for exploitation. While I¡¯m sure he had his reasons, in his haste, he has provided an opportunity for an interloper to influence this world sooner than they should have.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    His tone darkened, a faint shadow crossing his expression. ¡°That may have been a grave misstep.¡±


    ¡°An interloper? Who are you¡ª¡± Scarlett broke off mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing at the man. ¡°¡­You are referring to the Anomalous One.¡±


    At the mention of that title, Empress hissed, her fur bristling as she paused mid-groom. The Gentleman raised a calming hand towards her. ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s not get carried away.¡±


    Scarlett kept her gaze firmly on the man. ¡°By influencing this world earlier than it should have, are you saying the Anomalous One has already broken its seal?¡±


    When she had encountered Thainnith¡¯s fragment, the Anomalous One had breached the space they were in and forced her out. If what The Gentleman was implying was true, then had the entity absorbed Thainnith¡¯s fragment somehow and used it to break into the world fully? Was that also the source of the disruptions occurring in the Hall of Echoes?


    It wasn¡¯t too far off from her suspicions. The Orrery¡¯s reaction in the Hall had been too intense, leaving few other explanations. And if the Anomalous One had consumed Thainnith¡¯s fragment while she was still in the Veiled Library, it would also coincide with when the Orrery had warned her of a major divergence from fate.


    Then had the Hallowed Cabal and the Tribe of Sin¡¯s large-scale assault against the empire been executed earlier than expected because they had somehow learned of this and tried to coordinate? It seemed too convenient to dismiss otherwise. That might also explain why the incursions on the empire¡¯s lands had been limited to monster attacks over the past few weeks ¡ª their preparations might not be complete yet.


    Could that be considered a silver lining? If so, it was a very faint one. If the Anomalous One was already free, there was little the empire could do to oppose it. Even Scarlett would be hard-pressed to devise any solutions at this stage.


    Was it just over? Was this her fault? She must have been the one who led the Anomalous One to Thainnith¡¯s fragment, after all. But hadn¡¯t the entity seemed like it didn¡¯t want her to reach the fragment at the time? Had it simply tricked her?


    ¡°The Anomalous One has not escaped,¡± The Gentleman said, his voice calm and measured. ¡°Its seal can be broken only by a singular method, and you need never concern yourself with that changing. However, it has now found another avenue to interact with the world beyond its bonds, and for many, that alone constitutes a great threat.¡±


    Scarlett released the breath she hadn¡¯t realised she¡¯d been holding. It was bad news, but not nearly as catastrophic as she had feared, then.


    A sudden crack echoed through the courtyard, and Scarlett¡¯s gaze snapped to Empress as the branch beneath her splintered. With impeccable grace, the cat leaped away just in time, landing smoothly on a patch of nearby grass as the branch hit the ground with a dull thud. She let out an indignant yet dignified hiss, then settled herself, lifting a paw to her mouth and licking it nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°¡­I trust you don¡¯t expect me to replace that for you,¡± The Gentleman remarked, glancing at the fallen branch.


    Empress flicked her tail and turned away from him, pointedly ignoring him.


    The Gentleman sighed and shook his head. ¡°My dear, I understand these are hardly ideal circumstances, but neither of us can undo what has already transpired, nor can we alter what will.¡±


    Scarlett turned her eyes back to him. ¡°You intend to stand by and do nothing, even now?¡±


    She knew he often assumed the role of a neutral observer, adhering to his own cryptic code ¡ª a code that sometimes even placed his interests at odds with hers. But surely he couldn¡¯t be on the Anomalous One¡¯s side?


    ¡°It is not a matter of ignoring it,¡± he replied. ¡°Rather, it is simply not my place to intervene.¡±


    ¡°Even if the fate of this world might depend on it?¡±


    ¡°Fate, malleable though it may be to the actions of certain actors, is not so fragile as to be undone by something like this. And yet, should this indeed herald the end of the realms, then, regrettable as it may be, I have little choice but to accept it.¡±


    This elicited another sharp hiss from Empress, who gave him a disapproving glare. The Gentleman met it with a solemn smile. ¡°I understand you may not like it, my dear. But you were well aware of what it meant to become my companion on the day you decided to join me in my delusion.¡±


    The cat went quiet, fixing him with a long stare before resuming her self-grooming.


    Scarlett watched both of them, a furrow of uncertainty on her face. What were they talking about? Exactly what kind of principles did The Gentleman adhere to that so constrained his actions? And what did he mean by delusion?


    As if reading her thoughts, the man spoke. ¡°I do not expect you to understand my decisions, Baroness. It is a rare luxury to be judged solely by one¡¯s reasoning and not one¡¯s actions.¡±


    A contemplative silence settled over the courtyard, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the distant chirp of a bird. Scarlett¡¯s gaze eventually returned to the pastoral surroundings. ¡°¡­I understand that I am here due to Empress¡¯ intervention, but may I ask ¡ª what exactly are you doing in this place?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing as grand as you might imagine,¡± The Gentleman replied, his tone tightening. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint, but we simply find it relaxing to come here from time to time. Don¡¯t you think it has a certain charm?¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Scarlett agreed with a nod. After a pause, she added, ¡°How do I leave?¡±


    The man laughed softly. ¡°Do you wish to return to the Rising Isle?¡±


    ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°If you were to leave of your own accord, you would simply return to where Empress retrieved you.¡±


    ¡°Back to being ¡®poised on the brink of realms and realities¡¯, then,¡± Scarlett remarked dryly.


    ¡°Quite so.¡±


    A thoughtful expression crossed her face as she considered this.


    ¡°¡­Normally,¡± The Gentleman said after a moment, more serious now, ¡°this is one such matter in which I would refrain from meddling. However, given the presence of a rather intrusive interloper tangled in the fray, I could lend you my assistance in escaping those Memories. After all, that is not how they are meant to function.¡±


    Scarlett looked at him. ¡°They are not?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Then how are they supposed to function?¡±


    ¡°Memories, for the Zuver, were typically simple recreations of the past ¡ª meant only to preserve knowledge, nothing more. They were once a common method of passing on their wills and teachings. Yet the figures within a Memory were never intended to possess awareness.¡± He paused, settling his gaze on Scarlett as if appraising her before continuing. ¡°However, on occasion, something more¡­potent can distort the nature of these Memories. It is rare, and perhaps even far from humane, but it is possible if a particularly influential being gets involved. In such cases, the boundaries of a Memory can be stretched, blurred, and the inhabitants within might start believing they are truly alive. They may speak, act, and even respond to the present, and at that point, it is no longer a mere reflection of the past.¡±


    Scarlett held his gaze. That sounded a lot like what Freymeadow was. If so, it explained a lot.


    ¡°Then are you claiming that the Anomalous One is responsible for the¡­Memories I experienced?¡± she asked. ¡°Beyond simply tampering with the steles?¡±


    Then¡­what? Why would the Anomalous One conjure up those kinds of Memories and trap her in them? Was it an attempt at getting rid of her?


    ¡°It is a possibility,¡± The Gentleman said. ¡°But I would question whether that was its primary intent. As long as the seal endures, the Anomalous One will always find its actions constrained. The precise nature of those constraints, however, is difficult to predict, even for me.¡± He regarded her for a moment, his eyes¡ªordinary but piercing¡ªseeming to see through her. ¡°Any influence it seeks to exert upon the world through this newfound avenue would also be subject to limitations imposed by the medium it uses to channel its power.¡±


    Scarlett scowled. Was he suggesting that she was that medium? Is that why the Memories seemed to conform and change around her, almost as if knowing her needs? If the entity had absorbed Thainnith¡¯s fragment because of her and whatever connection it had formed to her, that might make sense. Maybe that had been the purpose from the start when it injected that glitched skill into her system.


    But if that were true, why hadn¡¯t she noticed any changes whatsoever since inheriting Thainnith¡¯s legacy? Shouldn¡¯t she have felt something if she was truly a conduit for that kind of power? If the influence was so subtle that she couldn¡¯t even detect it, what could she do to stop it? The thought left her uneasy.


    She remained silent for a time, and The Gentleman seemed content to let her think, turning back to the pond.


    ¡°If I had remained in those Memories,¡± Scarlett asked at last, her voice lower now, ¡°what would have become of me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, another question with a rather mired answer,¡± the man replied. He did not answer for a few seconds. ¡°It is conceivable that you would have met your end, eventually. Mortals who wander beyond the familiar confines of the realms seldom endure for long. Yet, in your particular case¡­¡± He shrugged lightly, the fabric of his dark cape rippling with the motion. ¡°Perhaps the outcome would be different. Who can truly say? It might be through those very Memories that you could untangle this predicament. If they are, indeed, products of the Anomalous One¡¯s restricted influence, they could also lead you to the heart of its current power. Some would call that a splendid opportunity to strike at its most vulnerable point.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow knitted together as her gaze dropped to the ground.


    What if¡­she did return to those Memories? Not only were they tied to Arlene and Delmont¡ªcrucial threads that could help her achieve the goal she¡¯d set out for on the Rising Isle¡ªbut she also couldn¡¯t shake the image of the younger Scarlett from her mind. This was a tangible link to the original¡¯s past, a past she knew very little about. She doubted she¡¯d ever be given another opportunity like this.


    And if The Gentleman¡¯s words were true¡ªthat the Anomalous One remained restricted¡ªand if that restriction was tied to Scarlett herself, these Memories, or something closely related, then maybe, as he suggested, those Memories were the best place to interfere before the entity could fully exploit its newfound influence. For the sake of this world and her future plans, it might be the best course of action, risky as it sounded.


    But how could she be sure that returning to the Hall of Echoes wasn¡¯t a better alternative?


    The impulsive side of her urged her to dive back into the Memories, while the cautious side said to return to the Hall. In the end, she wasn¡¯t certain which voice to heed, but she knew where her intuition pointed. If the Anomalous One had found another loophole to interact with this world, and it wasn¡¯t located within the Hall of Echoes as she might have suspected herself, then what could she truly achieve by going back there? She couldn¡¯t be certain the Memories offered a better avenue, but¡­


    ¡°The choice is yours,¡± The Gentleman said, observing her. ¡°Though perhaps you should also consider the fate of your companions on the Rising Isle. Left to contend with the effects of the Anomalous One¡¯s influence without you, I wonder how they will fare.¡±


    Scarlett paused, her attention returning to him.


    A curt, insistent meow interrupted the moment. Empress leapt onto the bench beside the man, claws digging into his lap as she scratched at him. He glanced down at the apparently irritable cat, a slight frown creasing his brow. ¡°¡­Whatever has the Baroness done to earn such favour, dear? I seem to recall it took you much longer to warm up to me when we first met.¡±


    Empress meowed pointedly, halting her scratching to look up at him with clear, discerning eyes.


    ¡°That is hardly fair,¡± he sighed. ¡°You wound me. It is not as if I take joy in prodding her.¡±


    The cat responded by climbing onto his legs, turning her back to him and tail swinging into his chest twice before nimbly returning to the ground. The Gentleman looked back at Scarlett with a faintly apologetic smile. ¡°Please, forgive our little disagreement.¡±


    Scarlett said nothing, still thinking. Then, finally, she spoke. ¡°I will not be requiring your aid in returning to the Rising Isle.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The man¡¯s eyebrow arched as a flicker of curiosity entered his eyes. ¡°Do you intend to abandon your comrades, then?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. I simply have faith in them. Even without my guidance, they are far from helpless. I suggest that you do not underestimate them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I did,¡± he replied smoothly. ¡°But perhaps you¡¯re right. Perhaps this will be an opportunity for them to discover what they are capable of without their ever-reliable leader around.¡± The man considered her for a few moments. ¡°I thought there was a very real possibility you would choose to abandon those Memories when given the chance.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you wanted me to do?¡±


    ¡°No, but I believed it would be what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Then it appears you do not understand me as well as you thought,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°On the contrary, I now have more reasons to return to the Memories, especially with a better understanding of what they represent.¡±


    She was convinced that, even beyond the connections to Arlene and the younger Scarlett, there was something crucial she needed to uncover there. While she had been inside the Memories, she¡¯d only had a weak suspicion, overshadowed by the confusion of the experience. But now, given the time to reflect, that suspicion had solidified.


    A small part of her worried that this conviction might stem from the very skill the Anomalous One had saddled her with, but she didn¡¯t think that was the case. Before, she¡¯d been able to discern its influence, and she trusted¡ªor at least hoped¡ªthat would still remain true.


    ¡°Very well.¡± The Gentleman rose from the bench, his cane clicking against the ground. ¡°If that is your decision, then I will step aside. If fortune smiles upon you, things may yet turn in your favour.¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Scarlett asked, watching him.


    ¡°I am. I had intended to depart before your arrival, but Empress was insistent on first extricating you from your predicament.¡±


    The cat let out another meow, quieter this time, looking up at Scarlett with eyes that seemed to hold a wordless warning.


    ¡°Do not attempt to sway her choice, dear,¡± The Gentleman said with a hint of chiding. ¡°I happen to believe this is the wiser path for her as well.¡±


    Empress glanced at him, then turned away.


    Scarlett regarded the cat briefly and then refocused on The Gentleman. ¡°Before you go, I have one final question. Is there a possibility I might encounter a version of you in those Memories?¡±


    He met her gaze, his expression inscrutable. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡±


    ¡°I believe you know why.¡±


    The Arlene she knew hadn¡¯t found herself trapped in a looping Freymeadow by mere chance.


    The man was silent for a long moment, then gave a small smile. ¡°No, you will not find me there. The Memories are shaped by the lived experiences of the owners of the artifacts that conjure them, as well as the existences of those around them. One of those is significantly easier to touch than the other. Even when bolstered by the echoes of the past, you will not find me in any of them.¡±


    ¡°Then can you at least tell me why Arlene?¡± Scarlett pressed. ¡°Why her? Was there a reason it had to be a member of my house? You have made it clear that you rarely interfere with the workings of fate.¡±


    ¡°Why do you assume my involvement disrupted fate?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying her dismal existence there was merely her destiny?¡±


    ¡°There are few left as acquainted with fate as you, Baroness.¡± The Gentleman gave her a meaningful look. ¡°You tell me whether her end in that village was fated or not.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips formed into a thin line. ¡°¡­That is repellent.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The Gentleman dipped his head in a measured nod. ¡°As for her connection to you¡­ Would you believe me if I said it was mere happenstance?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then there you have it. Truthfully, I found it rather serendipitous when you sought my help in entering Freymeadow, but I chose to not question it further. I am not, after all, the one who decreed fate.¡±


    He shifted his grip on his cane, tapping it lightly against the ground before tipping his hat. ¡°Now, I must take my leave. I suspect that by our next meeting, much will have changed. Should you find yourself alive and still in command of your mental faculties, I trust that you will not have forgotten the favour you once pledged. Perhaps then, it will be time for me to collect.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel, his cape sweeping behind him as he strode towards the courtyard¡¯s edge. Scarlett watched him go, then her eyes shifted to the small figure of Empress, who lingered a moment longer, gaze locked on Scarlett.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Empress, for attempting to help me,¡± Scarlett said, her voice softer now. ¡°To be entirely frank, I do not understand what I have done to earn such kindness from you.¡±


    The cat released a single meow, and while Scarlett didn¡¯t understand what it meant, she got the sense that Empress thought she had just said something incredibly stupid. The cat almost seemed to shake her head to herself, then considered Scarlett for a beat longer, giving a low, resonant purr. Then, with quiet grace, she moved to follow The Gentleman, leaving Scarlett alone.


    Her focus drifted back to the pond before her, watching the lily pads floating serenely on its surface. She took a slow breath, the scent of the willow tree and fresh water grounding her. It seemed like there was much to consider, and even more to do. But, now that she was here¡ªwherever here was¡ªperhaps she could afford to take a moment to herself before she got started again.

 Chapter 292 - Whatever does she feed them!?

    Gaspar¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the sight before him. He had witnessed countless arcane occurrences throughout his life and was intimately familiar with most all contemporary barriers and defensive spells. There were few that the Rising Isle¡¯s wizards did not have in their vast repertoire. Unless it was one of the Zuverians¡¯ forgotten magics, he hadn¡¯t thought anything could surprise him anymore.


    Yet what he saw now made him question his own eyes. A vortex of dark energy shimmered in the air, completely enveloping him and his fellow wizards in a dome of churning shadows. Streaks of ominous violet light pulsed through it, occasionally veined with crimson. The space inside the barrier was unnervingly still, a stark contrast to the chaos just moments before, when they had been bombarded by a barrage of offensive spells that might unnerve even an arch wizard.


    In the oppressive silence, Gaspar thought he could discern a faint, haunting melody, its notes threading eerily through their surroundings.


    He tried to trace the flow of mana composing the barrier, but the strands were elusive, shifting and weaving in almost nonsensical patterns. At times, they even seemed to vanish entirely, as though this wasn¡¯t purely a magical construct.


    Gaspar turned to Grand Wizard Clemmons. She had been the one to erect the barrier in haste to shield them from the robed echo¡¯s attacks. But from the bewildered look on her face, it was clear that even she didn¡¯t fully understand what had become of her own spell.


    His gaze shifted to Shin, whose frown deepened as he studied the barrier. The youth appeared to be the only one not entirely caught off guard by this turn of events.


    Turning forward again, Gaspar looked at the section of the barrier obstructing their view of the other members of Baroness Hartford¡¯s party. Given the ferocity of the spells hurled at their group, it was doubtful that Clemmons¡¯ hastily cast shield could have held. Someone else had intervened ¡ª someone who recognised the gravity of the situation and acted decisively. For that, Gaspar was grateful, though the nature of this intervention was deeply unsettling.


    What exactly had the Baroness been hiding from them?


    The barrier¡¯s precise origin was unclear, but the traces of demonic influence were unmistakable. How it had so effortlessly superseded a spell cast by a grand wizard defied most explanations, as did the principles governing it. Its very presence felt almost designed to mock his understanding of the arcane.


    It reminded him far too much of the infamously capricious and unpredictable existences that were bardic charms.


    Seconds passed, tension hanging thick over their group, until at last the dark vortex protecting them began to fade. In its place, the translucent spell Clemmons had originally intended remained, offering a clear view of the corridor. With the change, sound seeped back in, and the haunting melody Gaspar thought he had heard grew much more recognisable.


    At the far end of the corridor, Fynn was locked in a fierce battle with the robed echo. A tempest of swirling energies surrounded his form as he unleashed an onslaught of powerful blows. Ethereal claws of raw magic extended from his fists, tearing into the echo¡¯s defences with prodigious force. The very air crackled with power as each strike sent shockwaves reverberating through the corridor, and wards that had withstood Gaspar¡¯s spells shattered and regenerated in rapid succession.


    Gaspar could scarcely believe this was the same youth he had met earlier. This strength appeared simply superhuman. Yet he wasn¡¯t invincible; spells from the echo lashed at him, leaving Fynn¡¯s clothing in tatters and his skin a growing patchwork of wounds that healed continuously.


    Further back, Allyssa crouched behind a jagged column of ice, its surface pitted with scars from numerous attacks. Blood streaked down the girl¡¯s forehead, but she seemed in far better shape than Fynn as she methodically loaded and fired her crossbow, its bolts tipped with glimmering concoctions.


    Nearby, Rosa stood, practically transformed. An unknown energy suffused her, darkening the space around her, and in her hands was the instrument responsible for the affecting melody that filled the corridor. Her fingers danced over its keys, cranking the wheel at its bottom to produce chords that resonated with an unnatural power.


    Gaspar froze for a moment, feeling something primal awaken within him ¡ª a surge of raw strength that flooded his limbs, threatening to overwhelm him. It was as if his latent potential was clawing its way to the surface, and he could barely resist the urge to unleash it on the world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose yourselves,¡± came a voice, cutting through the haze and snapping Gaspar back to his senses.


    Shin had stepped up to the edge of the translucent barrier, sword and shield ready, casting a calm but determined glance over his shoulder. ¡°Fynn needs our help, so focus. And please bring the barrier down. The echo isn¡¯t targeting us anymore.¡±


    Gaspar looked back at his wizards. Many were still dazed, some glaring dangerously at one another. His expression hardened into a scowl.


    ¡°What are you all doing, you addlepated fools?!¡± he bellowed. ¡°You¡¯re seasoned wizards, not green apprentices! Pull yourselves together! And Clemmons, dispel your barrier.¡±


    Fortunately, his words seemed to jolt the remaining wizards into action. Clemmons blinked, then dissolved the protective barrier, exposing them to the fray once more. Gaspar¡¯s attention snapped forward as Shin dashed ahead, moving past Rosa and Allyssa to aid the beleaguered Fynn against the echo.


    Gaspar shook his head to himself in dismay. To think they would need the remarks of a boy several decades his junior to regain their composure. Disgraceful. Yet he could not ignore the enthralling potency of whatever effect had nearly overtaken him, either. If that was what Fynn was fighting under¡­This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Bah. Less time spent thinking, more time spent acting!


    ¡°No more tarrying!¡± Gaspar called to his fellow wizards. ¡°Follow my lead. Only targeted spells!¡± He gripped his staff with both hands as he began weaving his mana into a precisely focused spellwork. A lance of searing flame materialised before him, sharp and deadly. He released it, and a volley of elemental spells from his fellow wizards followed.


    To his astonishment, the spells suddenly morphed mid-flight. Turning darker, ghostly streaks of violet and crimson laced through them, just as they had with the barrier before, and their synchronised volley of spells coalesced into an erratic dance of energy that twisted and split into fresh courses. Deftly, the storm avoided both Shin and Fynn, converging upon the robed echo from all sides.


    The corridor lit up in a cascade of explosions as wards and distorted spells collided. For the first time, some of the attacks broke through the echo¡¯s defences, striking its form and causing it to stagger momentarily.


    As unsettled murmurs rippled through the ranks of wizards behind Gaspar, his gaze shifted to Rosa, studying the bard intently with narrowed eyes. Then, eventually, he returned his focus to their common foe.


    The amplified spells had afforded Fynn a precious opening, and now Shin joined him, the Shielder¡¯s blade blazing with silvery light as it struck against the echo¡¯s defences. It wasn¡¯t enough, however.


    ¡°Again!¡± Gaspar commanded.


    He and his wizards unleashed another coordinated assault, and once more, their spells surged through the air, overtaken and reinforced by the same unseen force. The impact of their combined power battered against the echo¡¯s protective wards, layer by layer. Gaspar felt a flicker of incredulity at the power they were producing. It might very well be beyond what even an arch wizard could commonly muster.


    ¡°One more time!¡± he roared.


    With the echo¡¯s full attention remaining locked on Fynn¡ªwho, despite his egregious injuries, continued to fight with a strength that defied sense¡ªGaspar seized the moment to pour everything into his spell. Flames coalesced at the tip of his staff, condensing into a single, blazing pillar of white-hot fire. He released it, hurling it forward, and as it merged with the storm of spells, it grew darker and smeared with violet energy. Guided by an unseen hand, it streaked past Fynn and Shin, crashing into the echo in an explosion that sent waves of inky shadows rippling through its defences.


    Finally, something gave way as several of the wards faltered at once. In a single, fluid motion, Fynn surged forward. His clawed fist, glowing with raw power, struck the echo directly. The impact resonated down the corridor as he dragged his arm downward, splitting the entity in two.


    Silence fell. The unsettling melody faded, leaving Gaspar with a disquieting sense of emptiness. Rosa, visibly drained from the ordeal, staggered back, catching herself against the wall. She managed a weary smile and waved lazily with her instrument in hand towards Gaspar and the others. ¡°The help was much obliged, fellows,¡± she called out before sliding to the floor.


    Fynn and Shin stood over the dissipating remains of the echo, which, mercifully, showed no signs of reforming. Behind Gaspar, murmured conversations grew louder between the wizards. He frowned, catching snippets of unease. His gaze landed on Grand Wizard Clemmons and Magister Penney, who both turned to him, as if silently asking what to do next.


    His jaw tightened. Straightening, he began walking towards Rosa. The woman smiled faintly at him as he approached, but his attention was drawn to her eyes, noting traces of receding darkness within them. A soft glow also emanated from her chest, pulsing faintly beneath her clothes, with lingering aspects of mana and something more emanating from the spot.


    ¡°Thank the cheeky gods we weren¡¯t alone to deal with that one,¡± Rosa said, bringing out a flask and unscrewing it to take a sip. ¡°Haven¡¯t tried maintaining that many charms at once, and I¡¯d really rather not do it again. I was pouring everything I had into just keeping Fynn from losing his head thrice over. That boy wouldn¡¯t know what restraint was even if it smacked him upside the head with a war hammer.¡±


    Gaspar stared down at her in silence. ¡°¡­What was that power?¡± he finally asked, voice firm.


    The sheer potency of the woman¡¯s charms was unlike anything he had seen from her before. It had gone far beyond what he ever could have expected, almost defying the limits of what he thought should be possible. Her charms did not appear to take any regard to the number of people or spells around her; they affected them all the same. If the Rising Isle had access to magic like this¡­


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Allyssa interrupted, stepping up beside Rosa as she lifted her protective goggles and wiped the blood from her face. She gave Gaspar a defiant look. ¡°She just saved us all, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    Gaspar held her gaze for a moment, then looked down the corridor where Fynn and Shin were walking towards them. Fynn¡¯s ruined clothing revealed a gruesome jumble of blood and freshly healed skin. The large scowl on the youth¡¯s face deepened the impression of raw power and ferocity he exuded now, somehow even more imposing than during the fight.


    It did not intimidate Gaspar, but he couldn¡¯t help but question where the Baroness had found these people ¡ª and what they had done to wield this sort of power.


    Eventually, he turned back to Rosa. ¡°Once we have concluded our business here, we will need to have a proper conversation.¡±


    The bard¡¯s smile didn¡¯t disappear. ¡°Sure. But first, let¡¯s find Scarlett. I¡¯ll bet you five hundred solars she¡¯ll want a front-row seat for that chat.¡±


    Gaspar lingered, studying her for a few seconds longer before he turned and strode back towards his fellow wizards. Behind him, Rosa¡¯s voice carried through the air.


    ¡°Hey, Fynn, next time we¡¯re in a fight like that, do me a favour and don¡¯t make me force-feed you enough healing to revive a small herd of horses. Ever heard about this thing called self-preservation? It¡¯s trendy, you know.¡±


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t any choice,¡± Fynn replied. ¡°If it didn¡¯t focus on me, it would¡¯ve gone after you and Allyssa.¡±


    ¡°Fie. Don¡¯t hit me with logic ¡ª it doesn¡¯t suit you. And get yourself cleaned up. There are children present.¡±


    Gaspar let their banter fade into the background as he reached the mouth of the corridor, where Magister Penney and Clemmons were waiting.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Penney asked, looking at him with an uneasy expression.


    Gaspar shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it later.¡±


    Grand Wizard Clemmons looked back towards the Baroness¡¯ retainers. ¡°¡­Can we really just ignore this?¡±


    Gaspar fixed her with a stern look. ¡°We¡¯re not ignoring anything. For the time being, we are prioritising the task at hand. It is abundantly clear that we have no inkling of what dangers we might face in these halls, and that is all the more reason why we cannot allow whatever is causing these disturbances to fester beneath the Isle. We cannot afford to be divided while we are here.¡±


    He cast a glance over his shoulder at Rosa and the others. Fynn was pouring water over himself from a waterskin as Allyssa retrieved fresh clothes for him from one of their spatial bags.


    ¡°¡­As ominous as those powers are, they clearly have their uses,¡± he said. ¡°And remember ¡ª they are here because of the Baroness, whom both of you voted to cooperate with.¡± Turning back to his colleagues, he added, ¡°Once we find her again¡ªif we find her¡ªI suggest you bring your concerns up with her directly. Let us hear what she has to say about all of this. I¡¯m sure it will be¡­enlightening.¡±


    He both dreaded and anticipated that conversation.

 Chapter 293 - Army hearings

    Scarlett frowned.


    Her gaze lifted to the vast expanse of blue sky above, the sun¡¯s bright rays blinding as they filtered through a few wispy clouds. It was hard to believe all of this wasn¡¯t real, but going by what The Gentleman told her, it had to be fake one way or another. Interstitial spaces usually weren¡¯t as big as they appeared to be.


    Not that she was entirely sure if she could consider this an interstitial space. The Gentleman had described it as a crossroads between realms ¡ª a nexus of possibilities and potentialities. How the scene before her fit that lofty description was beyond her understanding. Still, as far as she knew, the man wasn¡¯t one to lie.


    Then again, he wasn¡¯t exactly reliable either. It was hard to trust someone whose motives and limits were a mystery. He often acted as if some unseen force barred him from fully involving himself in worldly matters, but it was clear things weren¡¯t that simple. Not only had he admitted to revealing Rosa¡¯s existence to the Blazes, but he had also seemingly considered helping Rosa back in Bridgespell when Scarlett had asked him to.


    If that wasn¡¯t involvement, what was?


    Frankly, it annoyed her. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she knew he wasn¡¯t outright hostile¡ªand that he had helped her before, granting her access to Freymeadow and aiding her preparations for entering Beld Thylelion¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t have wanted anything to do with him. If there was one thing her dealings with him had taught her, it was that he was an unpredictable factor disguised as an inconsequential presence.


    One of these days, she really needed to get to the bottom of what truly guided his actions. His cryptic comment about Empress ¡®joining his delusion¡¯ had stuck with her. What exactly had he meant by that? Nothing she knew about him¡ªeither from her encounters or from the game¡ªoffered a clear explanation that fit.


    After a few minutes of sitting in silence, listening to the faint, unfamiliar calls of a bird hiding somewhere nearby, Scarlett sighed softly and stood. She scanned the courtyard, her eyes lingering on the overgrown walkways and greenery, before retracing her steps along the same path she¡¯d come from.


    The Gentleman hadn¡¯t told her how to leave this place, which she assumed meant such knowledge wasn¡¯t necessary.


    At the end of the courtyard, she paused, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the passage she was sure she had exited with Empress earlier. It had changed. Before, the hallway had been old and worn, its carpets frayed and the air heavy. Now, the carpets were plush, the walls immaculate, and the atmosphere somehow lighter.


    She glanced back at the courtyard, only to find that it, too, had transformed. Gone were the overgrown walkways and the lone willow tree at its center. In their place was a pristine expanse of stone columns and statues, lined up in neat, gleaming rows.


    ¡­Shifting environments weren¡¯t exactly new to Scarlett at this point, but she wondered what it meant in this place specifically.


    Her gaze stayed on the new courtyard for a few moments before she turned back to the altered passageway. Whatever was going on here, she wasn¡¯t going to figure it out alone. The mystery would have to wait for another time.


    She stepped into the hallway, glancing right and left as she considered her next move. After a brief deliberation, she turned left, heading back the way she had come. The corridors ahead reflected the new pristine setting, their labyrinthine layout unchanged but more polished.


    Eventually, she stopped, her attention caught by a door to her right. She studied it for a few seconds. It was the first she had seen since entering this place. Did that signify something?


    Stepping closer, she reached for the handle. As the door opened, she found herself peering into a room shrouded in a peculiar haze. The shapes inside were indistinct, mere shadows of people, as though viewed through a veil of smoke or mist.


    She hesitated, looking to her right and left, then returned her focus to the doorway. Was this supposed to be her way out?


    ¡­She had changed her mind. It would have been great if The Gentleman could have left her with slightly clearer instructions.


    After weighing her options for a while, Scarlett finally decided to take the plunge. She took a deep breath, preparing herself, and stepped forward, passing through the shroud. In an instant, the world around her shifted.


    Suddenly, she was in a wide chamber, the doorway behind her gone as though it had never existed. The disorienting sensation made her wobbly briefly before she steadied herself.


    The atmosphere in the room practically buzzed with tension. In front of her, a group of stern-faced individuals stood gathered around a long, rectangular table carved from rich, dark wood. Its surface was dominated by an intricate map of the Graenal Empire, with cities, rivers, and fortresses meticulously marked.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes moved over the people. Some wore sleek, dark tunics overlaid with flowing mantles adorned with golden clasps that seemed to denote some sort of rank. Others were clad in the heavy armor or uniforms of imperial officers or knights, swords at their hips and insignias on their chests. Low murmurs filled the room, people whispering and gesturing in hushed discussions too quiet for her to catch.


    Was she back in another memory, then? That certainly seemed to be the case. This looked to be some sort of high-level military gathering, with representatives from various imperial factions present.


    If this was indeed another memory, then there should be¡­


    Her eyes moved to the far side of the table, landing on two familiar faces. There, standing behind a bald man with a long, neatly trimmed beard, were Arlene and Delmont Hartford. Both were older than in the previous memory she¡¯d seen. Delmont looked to be a few years older than Scarlett herself, maybe in his early thirties, his face having lost some of its youthful softness with shadows of stubble along his jawline. Arlene, while still not quite the same as the woman and teacher Scarlett was familiar with from Freymeadow, now carried herself with an air of sharpness, her smooth raven-black hair pulled tightly back.


    Both wore the same mantles as the man standing before them, their clasps suggesting they were of high rank. Did both serve in the imperial army, then? In the mage corps, perhaps?


    Scarlett scanned the rest of the room, gaze searching the faces of those gathered, trying to piece together the context. What was this scene? Was there any particular reason this was the first place she found herself after stepping through that door and¡ªpresumably¡ªleaving whatever that previous place had been?


    Her attention shifted to the individuals closest to her. She stood near the entrance, and to her left, a man and a young woman in crisp, unadorned uniforms stood at the ready. They looked like they might have been adjutants or aides. Was that the ¡®role¡¯ she filled here as well?This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Her gaze dropped briefly to her left hand, where the [Hartford Garnet Ring] gleamed faintly. A faint frown tugged at her lips. Would Arlene and Delmont recognise her? Even if they didn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t impossible for them to notice the ring, just as Liane had. Scarlett didn¡¯t want a repeat of last time, especially in a setting like this. A stranger causing a scene in the middle of a military gathering would definitely have some sort of consequence.


    But removing the ring didn¡¯t sit right with her either. She was pretty sure it was the reason she had ended up in that other memory with the younger Scarlett. Taking it off now might mean losing the chance to learn more about the original¡¯s past.


    Her thoughts were interrupted as a deep, commanding voice cut through the murmur of conversation. The room fell quiet instantly, and all eyes turned towards a tall, broad-shouldered man at the head of the table. His uniform, finely tailored and adorned with gold epaulets, exuded authority. Several scars etched across his face, and one eye, milky white, surveyed the assembly with piercing focus.


    Was this the Imperial General of this time?


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ve all received the reports by now,¡± the man began, his voice slow and steady.


    ¡°We have,¡± replied a grim-faced man standing near the center of the table, ¡°though I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m supposed to believe them.¡±


    The general met the man¡¯s gaze for a moment before nodding to an adjutant at his side. The adjutant raised his hands, a soft hum of magic filling the room as a faint shimmer rippled along the walls. A privacy barrier?


    ¡°It is, unfortunately, exactly as you¡¯ve been told,¡± the general said, gesturing towards the map on the table. Scarlett¡¯s eyes followed the motion, her brow creasing as she studied the map closely for the first time. It was somewhat different from what she would have expected.


    She knew the empire hadn¡¯t always been as big as it was, but still, weren¡¯t these borders smaller than they should be? The eastern frontier, according to this map, stopped just beyond Bridgespell and Silverborough. Entire regions were missing ¡ª vast parts of the Faywild Basin, the cities of Farmire, Faybarrow, Darkshore, and Wildscar. Of course, Wildscar was a relatively new fortress city, so that wasn¡¯t odd, but nearly a third of the empire¡¯s current holdings weren¡¯t represented here.


    That didn¡¯t quite fit what Scarlett remembered reading in the history books.


    The general tapped a spot on the map between Silverborough and Bridgespell, where a small city was marked. ¡°Summerbourne has vanished.¡±


    A ripple of unease passed through the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s preposterous,¡± someone said. ¡°How does an entire city disappear? Summerbourne houses what ¡ª Ten thousand people? Gone without any warning? How does that even happen?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve asked ourselves the same question,¡± the general replied, a harsh certainty in his tone. ¡°But our investigations confirm it. The city no longer exists.¡±


    The bald man standing before Arlene and Delmont took one step forward, his voice low and dangerous as he leaned over the map. ¡°When you say ¡®no longer exists¡¯, are you suggesting it was destroyed beyond recognition? Leveled to rubble?¡±


    The general shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s as though the city never existed at all. There¡¯s no trace ¡ª no ruins, no debris, no signs of life. It has simply vanished from the face of the world.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown deepened. That sounded disturbingly familiar.


    A heavy silence blanketed the room until one officer spoke. ¡°Do we know who¡¯s responsible? The Tribe of Sin?¡±


    The general gave a curt nod. ¡°That is our leading theory.¡±


    Dark expressions spread among the gathered officials. Scarlett¡¯s gaze flicked to Arlene. Her face was impassive, but the sharp glint in her eyes betrayed anger. She stood rigidly, her attention locked on the map.


    Scarlett turned back to the map herself, studying it more carefully. She¡¯d read that the empire expanded much of its territory during the reign of the early emperors, but this map was still outside of her expectations. The area east of the empire here wasn¡¯t even marked as belonging to any rival kingdom or power ¡ª just a scattering of strategic symbols and positions, with no apparent cohesion.


    She had never bothered thinking about it much before, but what exactly had been there before the empire claimed it?


    ¡­It was a somewhat sobering thought, but considering what she¡¯d seen and heard, it almost seemed like the missing territory might have once belonged to the Tribe of Sin. As far as she knew, however, the Tribe¡¯s heartlands were located elsewhere. She¡¯d never encountered anything that suggested they had been settled in this region, beyond their scattered Enclaves.


    ¡°Do we have any idea how they did it?¡± one of the knights asked, arms crossed and a deep scowl on his face. Judging by his armor, he appeared to be a Solar Knight ¡ª perhaps even the order¡¯s captain. ¡°Not even our most powerful mages could erase a city of that size. How did the Tribe manage it?¡±


    ¡°We have some theories,¡± the general answered. ¡°While we don¡¯t fully understand the mechanism, we¡¯ve confirmed that massive amounts of mana surged simultaneously from multiple locations¡ªboth within the Tribe¡¯s heartlands and at several sites within the empire¡ªaround the time of the incident.¡±


    His good eye swept over the room. ¡°Many of you are familiar with the devices known as Sanctumbrums. Structures that exist within many of the Tribe¡¯s settlements. These devices are unique in their capabilities ¡ª capabilities we still do not fully comprehend.¡±


    Scarlett''s lips pressed into a thin line. She had expected this. After hearing about the disappearance of Summerbourne, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the Sanctumbrums would come up.


    ¡°We now believe this event is a previously unseen function of those devices,¡± the general continued, straightening. ¡°This theory is supported by reports from Elystead Tower, where a Sanctumbrum has been under study for over a decade. That device exhibited an abnormal reaction and a significant mana surge at the time of the attack. This suggests that even without direct control, these Sanctumbrums can coordinate to produce catastrophic effects such as these.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes dropped to the map, taking note of several small marks spread across it. Were those the locations where there had been mana surges? There were dozens of them¡ªmaybe even over a hundred¡ªbut the placements seemed imprecise. One mark was on Freybrook, for example, and she doubted there was a Sanctumbrum inside the city itself.


    Still, the fact that they had even this much to go off of was impressive. She had seen in the game what those things were capable of when linked together. She just didn¡¯t think such an event would have occurred this early in the empire¡¯s history.


    ¡°Are you suggesting we need to destroy all their Sanctumbrums?¡± an edged voice asked.


    Scarlett looked up to see Arlene, the woman¡¯s eyes fixed on the general.


    The general met her gaze evenly. ¡°Yes. We believe that¡¯s the only way to prevent further attacks of this nature. We don¡¯t know how many Sanctumbrums are required to produce this kind of devastation, nor why it¡¯s only happening now, but there must be some limitation. We have already enlisted Arch Wizard Ustrum to develop a better method for locating the devices, though the success of this effort remains uncertain. Destroying them once found will also be a challenge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with Sanctumbrums before,¡± Arlene said bluntly. ¡°They all have a melting point.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is why it would be best if we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hartford,¡± the bald man next to Arlene raised a hand, cutting her off. He gave her a pointed look before turning back to the general. ¡°So, that¡¯s our strategy? Find and eliminate the Sanctumbrums?¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± the general confirmed, shifting his focus. ¡°While the loss of ten thousand lives is a tragedy beyond measure, we must consider ourselves fortunate that the target wasn¡¯t the capital where His Majesty resides or another major city. We cannot allow the Tribe to unleash this kind of attack again. Their numbers have dwindled over the past twenty years, but with the threat this weapon poses and their superior logistical abilities, they are still far too dangerous to leave be.¡±


    With a wave, the general motioned to one of his aides, who began distributing documents to the gathered officers. Scarlett let the murmur of further discussion fade into the background as she processed what she had heard. This glimpse into the empire¡¯s past was fascinating, honestly. It seemed like there were pretty significant parts of the nation¡¯s history that had been left deliberately ambiguous, such as precisely how problematic their conflict with the Tribe was at one point.


    Her gaze wandered back to Arlene, whose face was set in a mask of focused determination as she considered the documents handed to her. It also felt somewhat strange seeing Arlene so resolute¡ªeven ruthless¡ªabout dealing with the Tribe. It wasn¡¯t as if it didn¡¯t fit with what Scarlett knew of her past, but it clashed with the image of the mentor she¡¯d come to know.


    ¡°I much prefer this version of the woman,¡± a youthful voice said beside Scarlett.


    She froze, her eyes slowly moving down to the source. There, standing next to her, was a young girl with dark-red hair, her expression unreadable as she watched Arlene with quiet interest. After a moment, the girl turned her head, looking up at Scarlett with striking amber eyes.


    ¡°Do you not agree?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 294 - Conversations with oneself

    Scarlett stared down at the young girl beside her, a cocktail of wariness and incredulity coiling tightly within her. The younger Scarlett was back. She hadn¡¯t expected her to reappear now, and certainly not in a memory tied to Arlene.


    Her gaze darted around the room. Arlene and the others were still deeply engrossed in their talks, none of them so much as batting an eye at the small girl who had seemingly materialised out of thin air. Not even a flicker of recognition passed across their faces, as if the girl were nothing but a figment ¡ª a ghost in the backdrop of these events.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on Arlene. ¡°¡­Is there a reason that they do not notice you?¡± she asked, voice low to avoid drawing attention.


    Next to her, the younger Scarlett smiled, a cold, knowing expression that felt all too familiar. ¡°Why would they? I was never here in this Memory,¡± she replied, her tone detached, as though stating the obvious. ¡°Why should they see what never existed?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow rose. Memory, not dream or vision, or anything else. Once again, the younger Scarlett spoke with a conviction and understanding that did not fit her appearance.


    ¡°At least, that is what I assume,¡± the girl added, tilting her head as a dark red lock fell across her forehead. ¡°How should I know more than you?¡±


    Scarlett narrowed her eyes, turning to consider her young look-alike. Was she implying that her existence here was somehow tied to Scarlett¡¯s own understanding and experience? Like¡­what? Some sort of projection or manifestation of her subconscious?


    Was this the original Scarlett or not?


    ¡°If you are hoping that I am here to provide all the answers, you will be disappointed,¡± the younger Scarlett said. ¡°My presence here is more your doing than mine.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. Did this have something to do with what The Gentleman had hinted at about a medium? If she was that medium, or related to it in some way, then it was likely that her presence was influencing these constructed Memories. If so, she couldn¡¯t deny the possibility that she had inadvertently wanted this younger Scarlett to appear. But would that explain the girl¡¯s apparent self-awareness?


    Scarlett scanned the room again, ensuring no one noticed their exchange, before turning back to the girl. ¡°One question, then. Are you real?¡±


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s smile pulled into a tight, disdainful line. ¡°Real? What gives you the right to ask that? I would certainly consider myself more real than you.¡±


    Scarlett fell silent. She recognised that tone, the sharpness and defiance in it. It was a response she could easily see herself giving, under the right circumstances. The girl¡¯s stare, the confident set of her shoulder ¡ª this was a younger Scarlett, without a doubt.


    Yet, for all the similarities, Scarlett couldn¡¯t fully accept it. Even now, standing face to face with this girl, there was a sense of denial, a part that balked at the idea. But, frankly, she could hardly blame the girl¡¯s reaction; she, too, would have been irritated if someone questioned her reality, if only out of sheer principle.


    She exhaled slowly, allowing herself to slip back into her composed demeanour. No matter if this girl was the true original or not, she had to treat her seriously.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I may have spoken out of turn.¡±


    The younger Scarlett arched a single brow. ¡°An apology? Are you not forgetting yourself? Or is that what I should expect from an apostate?¡±


    Scarlett''s gaze sharpened. ¡°Why do you call me that?¡±


    ¡°An apostate?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is that not what you are?¡± The girl looked her in the eyes. ¡°Do you consider yourself anything less?¡±


    ¡°¡­An apostate of what, exactly?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°Of yourself,¡± the younger Scarlett replied, her words gaining a razor¡¯s edge. ¡°Or of me. Whichever version you prefer.¡±


    Scarlett studied the girl for a long moment. There was a part of her that wanted nothing more than to argue against that statement, but she did not quite know what to say. Eventually, she turned her attention back to Arlene at the other end of the room. ¡°I take it you are aware of what manner of place this is?¡±


    The younger Scarlett folded her arms, her expression flattening as she also shifted her gaze to Arlene. ¡°I fail to see the point of that question. I have little say in what we do here, anyhow.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes briefly returned to the girl. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Whether she was actually a younger version or an amalgamation of her past and present, it was clear she was far from ordinary. Anything she knew could be of importance.


    ¡°I mean what I said.¡± The younger Scarlett began tapping a finger against her arm. She was silent for a few seconds, gaze fixed on Arlene. ¡°¡­I understand that woman was your teacher,¡± she said after a while.


    ¡°¡­Not this version of her,¡± Scarlett answered. ¡°But an older one, yes.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the girl replied, her tone cool. ¡°The exclusive tutelage of an arch mage, all to yourself. Few could boast of such a privilege.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perhaps. Given our limited aptitude, anything less would not have sufficed. It was necessary.¡±


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, and Scarlett could detect an undercurrent of bitterness crossing her face. She found herself somewhat regretting her words. Growing up knowing you were less than those around you¡ªwhen you felt certain you should be more¡ªcouldn¡¯t have been easy, even for someone as aloof as the original Scarlett. Being the descendant of a house renowned for its accomplished mages, yet having abilities that amounted to nothing more than a few basic skills and the [Third-rate Mana Veins] trait in the eyes of the system must have been a harsh reality. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if you developed a complex. Especially when the very sister you looked down upon so clearly outshone your own abilities.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    While Scarlett didn¡¯t know exactly what that had been like, she had lived with its echoes since taking on the role of this person. And now, knowing that she had essentially succeeded where the original had failed ¡ª what must this younger version think of her?


    Scarlett was about to voice some of those questions when something caught her eye. A flicker of white. Her body stiffened as she turned sharply, her gaze snapping to the wall near the entrance. There, a thin, jagged rift had formed ¡ª a tear in the air itself, revealing an endless void of white beyond. It hung there, completely still, as if time itself had paused around it. Just looking at it sent a shiver down Scarlett¡¯s spine.


    How long had that been there? Had it only just appeared, or had she somehow missed it until now?


    ¡°Is there a reason to be so tense?¡± the younger Scarlett asked, looking at her.


    Scarlett blinked, realising she had unconsciously summoned all her equipment, her stance instinctively preparing for combat. She glanced around the room. No one else seemed to have noticed her sudden reaction¡ª


    Arlene¡¯s sharp gaze was locked on Scarlett, a furrow etched deep in her brow. Then, to Scarlett¡¯s surprise, Arlene¡¯s eyes drifted to the rift, her frown deepening.


    Did she see it as well?


    Scarlett watched as the woman turned back to Delmont, exchanging a few quiet words with him, then began making her way towards the tear in reality, moving through the room as the others continued their discussions.


    Scarlett turned back to the girl beside her. ¡°¡­Do you see it?¡±


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s attention moved to the rift. ¡°I do. I am not blind.¡±


    ¡°No, but you are captious.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± the girl shot back, as though saying she wouldn¡¯t if Scarlett didn¡¯t.


    Scarlett hesitated, her gaze returning to Arlene, who now stood only a few steps from the rift. Should she warn her?


    ¡°¡­There is much I still do not understand about its nature,¡± she said quietly, ¡°but it is connected to something incredibly powerful ¡ª and dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Powerful, you say?¡± The younger Scarlett¡¯s eyes gleamed with a mixture of interest and something darker. ¡°¡­Then, have you tried to harness it?¡±


    Scarlett turned back to her, her expression hardening.


    ¡­Of course that was the kind of thought the original Scarlett might have. Seek power wherever it could be found, no matter the cost. It wasn¡¯t an impulse she had encountered much herself since assuming the remnants of Scarlett¡¯s role, but she¡¯d seen it reflected in the expectations and expressions of those around her.


    ¡°It is not something to be controlled,¡± Scarlett said firmly. ¡°It is far better left alone.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The girl¡¯s tone was almost mocking, but there was a faint curiosity beneath it. ¡°Then should you really let her wander so close?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s focus returned to Arlene, whose gaze lingered on the rift, or at the wall behind it. It was as though she wasn¡¯t fully perceiving what she was looking at ¡ª or as if the rift existed just outside her perception.


    Scarlett¡¯s lips parted to speak, then closed.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± the younger Scarlett said, a note of realisation threading her voice. ¡°You are using her to test it, are you not? She is merely a fragment of this Memory, after all ¡ª what becomes of her is inconsequential.¡±


    Scarlett scowled, though her gaze remained locked on Arlene and the rift. ¡°Your silence would be preferable at this moment,¡± she said in a clipped manner.


    Arlene extended her hand, stopping just shy of the rift. Her fingers hovered there, suspended in hesitation, before she finally pulled back. Slowly, she turned, eyes landing squarely on Scarlett again.


    ¡°That is disappointing,¡± the younger Scarlett said. ¡°After such an ominous prelude, I was curious to see what might unfold.¡±


    Arlene began crossing the room, weaving through clusters of imperial officers and knights who gave her only brief, confused looks, the woman¡¯s eyes never leaving Scarlett. Scarlett remained still, watching as Arlene approached with deliberate steps, eventually stopping directly in front of her, studying her with an intense and probing expression.


    ¡°Who are you two?¡± she demanded.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened slightly as Arlene¡¯s gaze shifted to the younger Scarlett for the briefest moment, sizing her up with a swift glance.


    ¡°Why did you bring a child here?¡± The woman¡¯s voice tightened, her pale green eyes cutting into Scarlett once more. ¡°Give me a name, or I will assume you have none to give.¡±


    ¡°Hartford?¡± came a gruff voice from the central table. The bald man with a beard, who had been speaking with the Imperial General, frowned in their direction. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Before Scarlett could respond, the younger Scarlett spoke up. ¡°I am Scarlett, and she is my sister, Amy. Bernal.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s head snapped towards her.


    ¡°Bernal?¡± Arlene¡¯s own frown deepened, her gaze narrowing as if turning the name over in her mind. ¡°¡­You shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± she said at last, glancing towards the central table. ¡°Mage-General, who allowed these two in?¡±


    A ripple of unease swept through the room. Scarlett felt the weight of dozens of eyes suddenly land on her ¡ª officers, knights, mages, and the Imperial General himself, who straightened abruptly. ¡°What¡ª? Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± His voice trailed off as his face stiffened. ¡°Intruders?!¡±


    Scarlett barely had a moment to react to the younger Scarlett¡¯s words as the room erupted into chaos. Officers moved, knights reached for their weapons, and mages raised hands in preparation for casting spells. Yet even as Scarlett braced herself, she noticed how the figures of those furthest from her, including the Imperial General, suddenly began to blur, their forms growing hazy and indistinct.


    The walls and furniture of the chamber began to change, fading into muted, swirling colors that twisted and morphed before her eyes. Scarlett immediately understood what was happening. They were transitioning into another Memory.


    Why did this always seem to happen at a time like this? Was there some rule that she couldn¡¯t manipulate the Memories too much? Or was something else at play?


    She pushed the thought aside. That wasn¡¯t what mattered right now. Even as Arlene¡¯s form began to fade along with the rest of the room, Scarlett kept her attention on the younger version of herself, whose eyes were roaming the shifting scene with an enigmatic expression.


    ¡°How did you know that name?¡± Scarlett demanded.


    ¡°From you, naturally,¡± the girl replied dryly. She reached out an arm, brushing her fingers against the dissolving wall behind them as it fragmented into the faint landscape of a new Memory.


    ¡°I never mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°You did not need to.¡±


    Scarlett scrutinised her with a restrained intensity. ¡°¡­So you simply knew it because I did?¡±


    ¡°I believe that is what I have been trying to tell you for some time.¡± The girl gave her a pointed look. ¡°Do you still not believe me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Scarlett said bluntly. ¡°I do not.¡±


    A small, sardonic smile formed on the younger Scarlett¡¯s lips. ¡°That is rather ironic.¡±


    The world around them flickered. As the last remnants of the previous scene disintegrated, taking the white rift and all the people with it, new shapes began to coalesce around them. The acrid scent of smoke reached Scarlett, and she blinked as dark red shadows danced across the forming scene before her, like the flitting remnants of numerous fires.


    What kind of Memory were they entering?


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s gaze dropped to the ground, and her nose wrinkled in clear disgust as the nebulous forms of corpses began to take shape, strewn haphazardly across dirt soaked in blood and ash. Some wore tattered dark clothing, while others were clad in dented armor, their weapons scattered around them. The outlines of a burning settlement sharpened in the near distance, half-collapsed buildings belching thick smoke, filling the air with the heavy stench of death.


    The girl took a deliberate step back, her expression one of cold dislike. ¡°No, I think not,¡± she said flatly, raising her eyes to Scarlett. ¡°You will have to manage on your own here. I have no interest in lingering in a Memory like this.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Scarlett started, but the younger version of herself was already gone, leaving Scarlett alone in the midst of the battlefield.


    She stood still for a moment, staring at the empty space where the girl had been. Inwardly, she let out a long sigh, then turned her focus to her grim surroundings, her mind already calculating.


    What was it this time, she wondered?

 Chapter 295 - Battlefields

    Scarlett took in her surroundings, careful not to inhale too much of the smoke swirling under the dark orange glow of the setting sun. The ruined settlement ahead might have once been a simple fortification of some kind, with partially broken stone walls scattered throughout and the charred remains of what appeared to be watchtowers sagging precariously in various places. The plains circling the area were sodden and thick with mud, as though it had rained only hours ago, turning much of the scene into a bleak, waterlogged battlefield.


    Judging by the bodies littering the ground¡ªimperial soldiers, mages, and figures clad in black robes with various markings on their skin¡ªit seemed this had been a stronghold belonging to the Tribe of Sin. Was she still within the empire¡¯s borders, or was this perhaps outside?


    Her gaze fell on a dome of chilling grey energy at the settlement¡¯s center, stirring an instinctive unease at the back of her mind. It wasn¡¯t as large as the one that had surrounded Crowcairn, but it was unmistakably one of the Tribe¡¯s Phantom Sanctums.


    The distant clash of battle reverberated through the burning stronghold, flashes of magic lighting the darkening sky. Scarlett¡¯s eyes drifted to the corpses strewn in the mud, then to the spot where her younger self had stood not long ago.


    ¡­She couldn¡¯t exactly fault the girl for not wanting to stick around in a place like this.


    With no better option, Scarlett began trudging towards the smoldering buildings. The mud clung to her boots, her feet sinking deeper than she would have liked at times. Reaching the settlement¡¯s edge, she paused, narrowing her eyes at the Phantom Sanctum ahead. Was that¡­?


    Suddenly, a barrage of fiery arcs exploded from the air near the Sanctum, their radiance tearing through the gloom like the limbs of some ancient god. They struck the grey dome with overwhelming force, the impact reverberating so strongly that Scarlett felt it in her chest. Her eyes widened slightly as cracks appeared in the Sanctum¡¯s reality-defying barrier, rips exposing a glimpse of the space inside. Another fiery wave followed, and the dome shattered entirely, its fragments dissolving into nothing.


    Scarlett would recognise that magic anywhere. It was Arlene. She¡¯d never seen the woman cast a spell on this scale before, but it was unmistakably her.


    Moving through the wreckage at the outskirts, she passed more bodies ¡ª both imperial and Tribe. The settlement was roughly the size of a small town, but she wasn¡¯t certain what its purpose might have been. Most of the structures didn¡¯t quite look like homes, but rather, temporary quarters and storage facilities.


    As she reached the heart of the stronghold, the scene shifted. Where the Phantom Sanctum had been mere minutes ago, she spotted imperial mages and soldiers in the middle of dispatching the last of the Tribe¡¯s defenders, their black-robed bodies spread across the muddy ground, broken and burnt. At the center stood a platform bearing a rectangular pedestal of gleaming black stone.


    The Sanctumbrum.


    As Scarlett had suspected, she found Arlene among the imperials, wearing a dark mantle draped over her shoulders, moving with purpose as she stepped past the bodies of two Tribe members she¡¯d just felled. Nearby was Delmont, dressed similarly.


    ¡°Morley!¡± barked a gruff voice, pulling Scarlett¡¯s attention to a man in battle-scarred armor, sword and shield in his hands. He was looking straight at her. ¡°Where¡¯s Prescott? And the rest of your troop?¡±


    Scarlett blinked. Was he talking to her?


    ¡°¡­They were killed,¡± she replied after a moment, moving towards their group.


    The man cursed, his face darkening. ¡°Damn it all. These bastards were far better prepared than they had any bloody right to be. Did that Prescott twit at least deal with everyone on the south side before he croaked?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett said with a curt nod.


    She assumed whoever this ¡®Prescott¡¯ was, he¡¯d been among the bodies she saw back there.


    The man grimaced but nodded in return. ¡°Right, then. Any remaining threats should¡¯ve been¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Arlene cut in, her tone unfeeling as she approached the Sanctumbrum. As she got nearer, symbols carved into its surface lit up a dull grey, and a white portal tore open beside it. From the rift emerged a large group of dark-clad figures, weapons in hand and eyes burning with fury.


    They surveyed the scene¡ªthe burning buildings, the corpses of their comrades¡ªand their gazes quickly fixed on Arlene and the others.


    One stepped forward, his voice ringing with venom. ¡°Imperial fiends! You will pay for your sins!¡±


    Scarlett watched as his form twisted grotesquely, expanding until he towered nearly three times as big, monstrous features sprouting from his body.


    Arlene moved without hesitation, already casting a spell. The Tribe warrior charged towards her, but a fiery shield formed to deflect the beast¡¯s fists. The force sent him staggering back, but Scarlett¡¯s attention was quickly drawn elsewhere.


    The rest of the Tribe surged into battle with the imperials. Two attackers rushed at Delmont, magical energy coiling around their hands, while another darted towards Scarlett. He was big, his face painted, and he wielded twin curved swords that looked far too heavy to wield in one hand.


    He was faster than Scarlett would have anticipated, closing the gap between them with alarming speed. His blades shimmered with a strange aura, their edges almost seeming to warp the space around them. Scarlett was forced to activate her [Garment of Form], teleporting away just as the swords cleaved the space where she¡¯d stood.


    A scowl formed on her face. She had no desire to take part in this fight.


    ¡°Stop this,¡± she said, fixing him with a hard stare. ¡°I have no quarrel with you or your kin.¡±


    ¡°Silence, deviant. You¡¯ll pay for what was done today!¡± he roared, charging again.


    Scarlett conjured Aqua Mines along his path, detonating them with precise timing. The man twisted through the blasts with impressive agility for someone of his frame, evading the worst of the blows. Scarlett teleported again, narrowly avoiding another swing.


    The battlefield chaos roared around her, but Scarlett focused entirely on her opponent. His eyes burned with a righteous fury, devoid of reason, as he rushed her again. Scarlett raised a hand, transforming the muddy ground beneath them. The wet earth dried in an instant, streams of water lifted from the ground, spiraling into serpentine chains that wrapped around the man¡¯s limbs.


    He strained against the bindings, and though he was managing, Scarlett simply summoned a cluster of Aqua Mines that detonated in unison. This time, the force knocked him to his knees, his swords falling from his grasp. Extending her control over the surroundings further, Scarlett drew even more water from the sodden ground to reinforce the restraints.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°That was not a request,¡± she said coldly.


    The man groaned, shaking off the disorientation of the blast, and his eyes snapped back to Scarlett with no less fury than before. He let out a guttural roar, thrashing against the restraints. But this time, they held firm.


    Scarlett frowned as his shouts grew louder. With a flick of her hand, she conjured a gag of water, silencing him. She briefly noted how unsettlingly close that came to waterboarding, but pushed the thought aside. This wasn¡¯t personal; she simply wasn¡¯t about to listen to him throwing expletives at her. Her gaze shifted back to the battlefield, assessing the situation.


    The imperial forces appeared to have the upper hand. While a few Tribe members still managed to press their advantage, most were faltering. Scarlett was somewhat impressed to see Delmont fending off four attackers at once, holding his own despite the odds. However, the focal point of the battle was undeniably Arlene¡¯s confrontation.


    A swirling inferno surrounded the woman, its searing intensity keeping even her allies at a distance. Only the hulking Tribe warrior still stood against her. He was a gruesome sight ¡ª his body charred and torn by fire, deep burns exposing muscle and sinew. Yet he continued to fight, bellowing defiant cries that shook the air.


    Arlene didn¡¯t flinch. With a simple motion of her hand, tendrils of flame erupted from the scorched earth, converging on him in a blazing spiral. They bound his limbs, engulfing him entirely before tightening like a vice. For a moment, he fought back, holding the flames at bay. But then the tendrils flared brighter, their heat intensifying until his body could take no more. It was over in less than a moment, his body bursting into flames and collapsing into a smoldering heap.


    Scarlett was not the only one to stare at the sight. It was a terrifying display of power, and she found herself wondering just what it would look like if the woman went all out.


    Arlene turned, her expression impassive, and raised her hand again. A flurry of blazing arrows materialised above her, spinning in the air before launching outwards with unerring precision. They struck down the remaining Tribe members within seconds, leaving only a handful of enemies standing. The imperials had won just like that. While a few soldiers lay wounded or still, most were on their feet.


    As the final Tribe members were dealt with, the battle started winding down.


    The gruff man from earlier barked orders to his men, then his eyes fell on Scarlett and the restrained opponent in front of her. ¡°Morley,¡± he said sharply. ¡°We ain¡¯t here to take prisoners.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the bound Tribe member, then back at other man . ¡°If¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, the Tribe member was abruptly engulfed in flames. His screams tore through the air as the watery chains evaporated, leaving only ash in their place. As several of the imperial soldiers looked away from the sight, Scarlett¡¯s features darkened, her eyes turning towards Arlene.


    ¡°Arlene¡­¡± Delmont spoke in a low tone. ¡°That wasn¡¯t necessary.¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t respond immediately. She walked towards the Sanctumbrum, the glowing symbols on its surface still glowing faintly, before sputtering out as she unleashed a concentrated torrent of fire. The device melted into a molten ruin, the portal collapsing in on itself as their surroundings fell into a long silence.


    When Arlene returned to the group, she spared Delmont a brief look. ¡°This is war, Delmont. There¡¯s no point in taking prisoners who won¡¯t tell us anything. Keeping them alive is no mercy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, lad,¡± said the gruff man. ¡°This ain¡¯t no place for soft hearts.¡±


    Delmont¡¯s gaze shifted to the man, then back to his sister. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning that. I¡¯m questioning you, Arlene ¡ª the way you do things like this so easily now.¡± His words hung in the air as his eyes lingered on her. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been at this for too long.¡±


    Arlene remained silent for a while, her expression unchanging. Finally, she turned away. ¡°I¡¯m doing this because few others can at this point. We are done here ¡ª I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    With that, she started walking away, not even glancing in Scarlett¡¯s direction. Delmont stayed where he was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rightly understand what¡¯s got your britches in a twist,¡± the gruff man told Delmont, following Arlene with his eyes. ¡°That sister of yours is about the best shield we¡¯ve got against the Tribe, and you¡¯re acting like that¡¯s a problem. Weren¡¯t those bastards the ones who killed your folks? Reckon you ought to give your priorities another look.¡±


    Delmont¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°She¡¯s our best weapon, not shield. And neither of you seems to see her as anything else.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing when it comes to war, lad.¡±


    ¡°And when this is all over?¡±


    ¡°Then she can be whatever the Blazes she wants,¡± the man said simply, before turning back to bark orders at his soldiers. ¡°Alright, gather the wounded and use your potions if you¡¯ve got ¡®em left. Healers from the Solar Hand will patch up the rest. Flemmings, Everett ¡ª search the place, make sure there¡¯s no one left hiding, unlikely as that¡¯d be. You know the drill.¡±


    As he passed Scarlett, he shot her a stern look. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later, Morley. Don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into you, but you¡¯d best not disobey orders again. The Hartfords can do as they please, but you¡¯re one of mine, and we don¡¯t leave loose ends. Got that?¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze. ¡°¡­And what if there are children?¡±


    His eyes turned cold. ¡°Then they¡¯re the children of murderers and cultists. Fewer of ¡®em to come after us down the line.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°Good. Remember that.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention shifted to Delmont. The man¡¯s gaze seemed to meet hers, frowning in confusion for a moment, but then he shook his head and followed after his sister.


    Scarlett turned to survey the grim scene around her. The carnage didn¡¯t particularly disturb her, but a quiet unease lingered. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think of this more ruthless side of Arlene. It was very different from the older woman she knew, or even the younger Arlene she¡¯d encountered in earlier Memories. How long had she been fighting against the Tribe at this point?


    As Scarlett considered this, the landscape around her began to shift once more in a familiar blurring of colours. Soon, the area solidified into a scene of dense forest under the sweltering heat of a midday sun. The faint sound of birdsong and the rustle of leaves replaced the burning of buildings. Through the treetops, Scarlett spotted a familiar mountain range. It only took her a moment to recognise where they were.


    ¡°I suppose I must give you some credit for tolerating those sights,¡± a voice broke the stillness.


    Scarlett turned to see the younger Scarlett standing there.


    ¡°They are distasteful,¡± the girl continued, eyeing their surroundings. ¡°And was there a particular reason for trying to spare that man? You knew he would die regardless. Were you simply unwilling to perform the deed yourself?¡±


    Scarlett studied her younger self. ¡°¡­So you are back.¡±


    The girl looked at her, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Astute observation.¡±


    ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere. Where is there for me to go? I simply did not remain.¡±


    Scarlett was quiet for a moment. ¡°¡­Why did you call me that name earlier?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean ¡®Amy Bernal¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Because I am currently using my name, which leaves you with few other options.¡±


    ¡°So, you know who I truly am, then.¡±


    The younger Scarlett fixed her with a long, appraising look. ¡°¡­I hope you do not intend to ask me how I know that again. We have already had this conversation.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t respond. She simply observed the girl. This younger version of herself seemed fully aware that Scarlett was living ¡®her¡¯ life, and that she was from another world. And yet, the girl appeared unnervingly calm about it. Was it apathy from being a construct confined to these Memories? Or was she even that?


    ¡°If I ask what you truly are,¡± Scarlett said at last, ¡°is there any chance that you would offer an answer I would find satisfactory?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Then at least tell me why you keep appearing. What is your purpose here?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should ask yourself that question.¡±


    Scarlett locked eyes with the girl. ¡°Is that not what I am doing?¡±


    A flicker of irritation crossed the younger Scarlett¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Stop that. I dislike it.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps you should¡ª¡± Scarlett paused as a rustling sound came from the forest. Both of them turned towards the noise. Her eyes widened slightly as Arlene emerged from the trees, limping and bloodied. Her clothes were torn and soaked in crimson, her hand pressed tightly to her side as she staggered towards a nearby tree for support.


    Scarlett stared at the woman. Arlene was an arch mage, and an extremely skilled one at that. What the hell could have reduced her to this state around here?


    Arlene¡¯s gaze flicked to Scarlett, and for a fleeting moment, she straightened as if bracing for a fight. But when her eyes landed on the younger Scarlett, her posture eased. ¡°¡­You shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± she said, her voice strained and uneven. ¡°It¡¯s not safe to bring a child here right now.¡±


    She limped closer, her foot catching on a root. A sharp grimace crossed her face as she fought to steady herself.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Scarlett asked cautiously, her eyes following Arlene¡¯s every movement.


    Arlene let out a weak, humourless laugh. ¡°Hardly. I¡¯ve been much, much better. Do you know where the nearest settlement is?¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I do not¡ª¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± young Scarlett cut her off. ¡°It is not far from here.¡±


    Scarlett glanced down at the girl, who returned the look with a knowing glint. After a moment, Scarlett turned her eyes up towards the mountain range visible through the trees. She stood silent for a while, lost in thought, before finally looking back to Arlene.


    ¡°¡­Follow us. We will take you to Freymeadow.¡±

 Chapter 296 - New-old meadows

    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s question lingered as they made their way through the dense forest, pushing aside the thick underbrush. Arlene leaned heavily on her, one arm draped over Scarlett¡¯s shoulder for support. Although Scarlett had given her healing potions, they hadn¡¯t been enough for Arlene to fully recover. Despite her general aversion to physical contact, Scarlett had offered her help, knowing the woman might collapse otherwise.


    ¡°I do not recall any monsters in this area that should be cause for alarm,¡± she added, glancing at Arlene¡¯s pale face. Certainly none that could do this to the woman.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a monster,¡± Arlene replied, her voice strained and low, gaze fixed ahead. ¡°It was a person. Or something close to it.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°Who?¡±


    Could it have been a member of the Tribe of Sin? She had no idea who they were at this point in time, but they must have some powerful individuals, or they wouldn¡¯t be such a problem for the empire.


    Arlene¡¯s eyes flicked towards her, scrutinising. ¡°¡­You never said what you and your sister are doing this far out in the forest. It¡¯s a strange place to bring a child.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it really the time to interrogate your benefactors?¡± Scarlett countered.


    ¡°And is it not natural to want to know what dangers might be nearby?¡± the younger Scarlett chimed in from the side. ¡°We would not want to meet the same fate as you did, after all.¡±


    The girl stepped carefully over the roots and stones, not hiding her less-than-enthused expression. It wouldn¡¯t take much to recognise her as the daughter of a noble simply by her poise and the tailored green dress she wore ¡ª the same one Scarlett had seen her in during that first Memory they met.


    Arlene glanced at the girl, then back at Scarlett. ¡°Your sister is remarkably mature for her age. She reminds me of my own sister.¡±


    Scarlett was silent for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I often think the same.¡±


    A brief quiet fell as Arlene looked ahead again, then finally spoke. ¡°Her name was Vail.¡±


    Scarlett stopped in her tracks, forcing Arlene to a halt as well. She turned sharply towards the woman. ¡°Vail?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arlene studied her closely for several seconds. ¡°She introduced herself by several names, but that¡¯s the only one I remember.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did she have violet hair?¡± Scarlett asked.


    Arlene¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­Yes, though it turned silver eventually. Do you know her?¡±


    Scarlett scanned their surroundings, her gaze darting among the trees. Only after being completely sure they weren¡¯t being followed did she let out a slow breath. They seemed safe, at least. But what if it was only a matter of time before they were caught?


    If anyone could leave Arlene in this condition, it would be Vail. If the woman had gone as far as to introduce herself and change her form, it meant she had been serious. But Scarlett hadn¡¯t even known Vail was active during this time. That was more than troubling.


    Much like The Angler Man, Vail often went into long periods of dormancy. That she had surfaced now implied this was one of the times when the Hallowed Cabal was more active. Was it connected to the Tribe of Sin¡¯s conflict with the empire?


    ¡°Are we going to stand here all day while you brood?¡± the younger Scarlett interrupted, her tone devoid of both concern and sympathy. She regarded Scarlett from a few steps ahead, arms crossed.


    Scarlett met the girl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡­She was right ¡ª standing around wouldn¡¯t help. If Arlene had escaped, it probably meant Vail wasn¡¯t in a state or mood to give chase. Besides, if Vail had killed Arlene here originally, Scarlett would never have met her in Freymeadow in the first place.


    ¡°¡­Judging by your silence, I¡¯ll assume that you do know her,¡± Arlene said. There was now more than a trace of suspicion in her voice, but that didn¡¯t cause her to back off from Scarlett. Not that she had too much to be worried about. Even in her current state, Arlene could probably deal with them both easily.


    ¡°I have heard of her,¡± Scarlett admitted. ¡°As you can no doubt attest, she is an exceedingly dangerous individual, even to those who have little to fear.¡± She considered Arlene for a moment. ¡°¡­The question is why she came after you. And why here?¡±


    Arlene met her gaze briefly before looking away, a weary quality seeping into her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was searching for something in this area, and she simply appeared. She seemed¡­strangely fixated on my name. But you¡¯re right ¡ª she¡¯s dangerous. More so than anyone I¡¯ve faced before.¡±


    Unlike the cold, composed Arlene Scarlett had seen in the last memory, this version felt rawer, more worn down. And it wasn¡¯t only due to her current injured state. The woman simply seemed like she had seen a lot more.


    Yet there was still a very noticeable edge beneath the surface.


    ¡°There are very few who survive an encounter with Vail,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°Even fewer learn her name. She seeks out strong individuals, taking their names for herself and discarding them when they no longer serve her. The fact that she did not hold back against you says much.¡±


    Could Vail have acted independently of the Cabal, targeting Arlene on her own? From what Scarlett knew of her, it wouldn¡¯t be out of character. But where had they fought? If it had been nearby, there should have been signs of a battle.


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Arlene asked. She glanced back at Scarlett. ¡°¡­What did you say your name was?¡±


    ¡°She did not say,¡± the younger Scarlett responded in her place. ¡°For that matter, we never claimed we were sisters this time, but you seem to have assumed that, regardless. I will try not to be offended. My name is Scarlett Bernal.¡± She gestured towards Scarlett. ¡°And this is Amy Bernal.¡±


    Scarlett eyed the girl. After all this time, hearing her real name felt odd. Had she really grown so detached from it?


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right,¡± Arlene said after a pause, considering the girl for a few seconds, then returning her attention to Scarlett. ¡°Now, tell me how you know so much about Vail. Who is she?¡±


    Scarlett pressed her lips together. ¡°While I understand your curiosity, I am not in a position to explain fully. What I can tell you is that Vail and those aligned with her stand as adversaries of mine. You likely already suspect who they are, so you should know that I mean you no harm.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Arlene didn¡¯t respond immediately, her expression remaining cautious. Still, her silence suggested she was willing to accept that response ¡ª for now. Whether that would hold in the future was another matter.


    The younger Scarlett clicked her tongue in mild displeasure. ¡°Look at this. People are always far too tolerant of your endless non-answers. Can they not see how absurd it all is? It exasperates me to no end.¡±


    Arlene looked at her. ¡°I take it this is¡­common.¡±


    ¡°Oh, incessantly so.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem particularly pleased with that.¡±


    ¡°Why would I be?¡± the girl asked. ¡°It gains me nothing. One could argue I lose from it. People certainly never extended me the same leniency.¡±


    ¡°This is neither the time nor the place for this discussion,¡± Scarlett interrupted, her gaze locking onto the younger version of herself. To her surprise, the girl actually went silent, though it probably wasn¡¯t out of obedience or anything like that. Meanwhile, Arlene observed them both carefully.


    They resumed their trek through the forest in relative quiet, their progress slow but steady as Scarlett supported Arlene. Though the trees, trails, and paths were unfamiliar to her, Scarlett had traveled through this area enough on her way to Freymeadow to navigate with the tall peaks of the Whitstone Mountains as her guide. The younger Scarlett had been right in saying that the village wasn¡¯t far off.


    After a few minutes, even the trees began to look familiar, and soon they emerged into a small clearing, the air heavy with the scent of damp soil and budding leaves. Scarlett¡¯s steps paused as her gaze landed on the sight before them, a view she had seen countless times before. What caught her attention, though, was the white rift at its center.


    The Anomalous One¡¯s presence was still following her in these Memories. This rift looked even larger than the previous one as well. But it didn¡¯t appear to be doing anything¡­yet.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Arlene asked, looking at Scarlett with light confusion. Her eyes moved to the center of the clearing, and a furrow formed on her brow. For a moment, her expression shifted, becoming unreadable.


    ¡°¡­We should keep moving,¡± she finally said, her face returning to normal as though the brief shift had never happened, and the rift didn¡¯t exist.


    Scarlett watched her closely, but said nothing. ¡°Yes, you are right,¡± she agreed quietly. She glanced at the younger Scarlett, who studied the rift with mild interest before they continued across the clearing.


    The path from here was etched deep in Scarlett¡¯s memory, and she guided the other two along a trail marked by twisted roots and overgrown foliage. Before long, they stepped into a wide glade. A thin river wound lazily around its edges, and beyond it, a small village came into view, its modest wooden-roofed houses huddled behind a low stone wall, while the bleating of sheep from a nearby enclosure carried faintly on the breeze.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± Scarlett said, as much to Arlene as to the younger Scarlett, ¡°to Freymeadow.¡±


    As they entered Freymeadow, they were greeted by a mix of curious and wary gazes. The villagers paused in the middle of their daily routines to glance at the newcomers ¡ª middle-aged women, weaving or scouring wool, men hefting tools or bundles of firewood. Children playing nearby froze to gawk at their trio as though they were travelers from some far-off mystical land. The dirt path through the village, well-trodden and lined with the simple houses, seemed to amplify the weight of attention they drew.


    For Scarlett, this was a familiar experience. The faces around them were ones she recognised, their features unchanged from how she remembered them. The only unfamiliar element was the younger Scarlett and this version of Arlene beside her. This Arlene had fewer wrinkles around her eyes, and only the faintest streak of white marked her hair. She hadn¡¯t yet fully acquired that dark, haunted look that Scarlett had come to associate with the older Arlene.


    ¡°These people seem¡­shocked,¡± Arlene observed, her gaze sweeping over the onlookers. ¡°And they don¡¯t seem to recognise either of you.¡±


    ¡°We never said they would,¡± the younger Scarlett replied, barely sparing a glance at their surroundings. ¡°Technically, neither of us has been here before.¡±


    ¡°¡®Technically¡¯?¡± Arlene repeated with a raised brow.


    ¡°An acquaintance of mine used to frequent this village,¡± Scarlett explained, stepping in before her younger counterpart could say more. ¡°But it is true that I have never personally set foot here until today. Regardless, it is the nearest settlement in this region. You will not reach Freybrook without a carriage.¡±


    As they walked deeper into the village, the residents¡¯ eyes remained on them. Arlene¡¯s expression grew thoughtful as she studied the people, though her features did soften slightly at the sight of the children, who seemed particularly fascinated by the younger¡ªand uninterested¡ªScarlett.


    Eventually, they reached the village square, an open space dominated by a simple wooden platform at its center. Scarlett¡¯s gaze drifted over the surrounding buildings until the sound of approaching footsteps drew her attention. She turned to see a man walking towards them, his short, greying hair and weathered face marking him as the village head.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s true what they said about outsiders,¡± he remarked as he stopped before them, his gaze taking in their group. His eyes widened when they landed on the blood seeping through Arlene¡¯s clothes. ¡°Goodness, what happened to you? Are you well?¡±


    ¡°It would have been preferable if I were,¡± Arlene replied dryly. ¡°Are you the elder or head of this settlement?¡±


    The man nodded, wiping sweat from his brow with a worn sleeve. ¡°That I am. Name¡¯s Daquan. But are you sure you should be standing? I¡¯ve seen enough injuries in my time, but that looks¡­severe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± Arlene said, shaking her head. ¡°Believe it or not, I have had worse. I just need time to recover.¡± She glanced around the square. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to impose, but would it be possible for me to stay here for a short time?¡±


    Daquan blinked, his eyes moving between them for a moment, lingering briefly on the younger Scarlett¡¯s expensive, if slightly dirtied, dress before he nodded slowly. ¡°Of course, of course. We¡¯ll always make room for those in need.¡± He pointed towards a house across the square. ¡°You can rest there. That place belonged to the previous village head before he passed. I¡¯ll speak to some of the women and see if we can¡¯t scrounge together some poultices and bandages to help you with your injuries.¡±


    Scarlett followed his gesture to the house, its small porch overlooking the square. It was the very same porch she¡¯d sat on so many times before.


    ¡°That would be much appreciated,¡± Arlene said, showing a brief, genuine smile that caught Scarlett slightly off guard.


    The village head hesitated before adding, ¡°Feel free to settle in right away. The house isn¡¯t locked ¡ª the children sometimes play in it, so you shouldn¡¯t have any trouble getting inside. I just hope you don¡¯t mind the mess. I¡¯ll return with the supplies as soon as I can.¡±


    He turned and headed towards another house, where a middle-aged woman stood in the window, staring at them with sharp eyes and a basket of herbs in hand.


    Scarlett watched him go. She was pretty sure his kindness was mostly sincere. The people of Freymeadow were generally kind-hearted, if understandably cautious of outsiders. While she had only interacted with a few of them herself, Rosa had grown close to many over the numerous visits they had made here in past iterations.


    ¡­How Rosa managed that, despite knowing the villagers¡¯ ultimate fate, was something Scarlett still didn¡¯t fully understand. She knew it hurt the bard each time they witnessed Freymeadow¡¯s end.


    With Arlene leaning on her, Scarlett guided them across the square to the house. She paused on the porch, her eyes drawn to a pair of wooden chairs. The image of the older Arlene sitting there, waiting for her return, flashed through her mind.


    ¡°I did not expect much, given the unremarkable nature of this village, yet I still find myself disappointed,¡± the younger Scarlett said with faint disapproval as she regarded the house. ¡°Is this truly the best they have to offer? I cannot see why either of you would choose to spend so much time here.¡±


    Scarlett shot her a sharp look, resisting the urge to reprimand her for the careless comment, but Arlene didn¡¯t seem to notice what was strange about it. Instead, the woman removed her arm from Scarlett and carefully stepped onto the porch, lowering herself into one of the chairs. Once again, the image of an older Arlene overlapped with the younger woman before Scarlett.


    She wondered how things had played out originally, without her presence here. What difference did her actions make now? Would Arlene have found her way here only after she was on the brink of death, or would it barely have affected things?


    ¡­Could Scarlett change things here?


    She shook those thoughts away. There was no point in dwelling on pointless potentialities. Arlene¡¯s life had already followed its path, and no matter how vivid these Memories seemed, there was no altering that past. Scarlett¡¯s goal was to find what lay at the end of these Memories and glean what knowledge she could in the process. Besides, she had made a promise to the real Arlene.


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± the woman asked, considering Scarlett.


    ¡°No,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Nothing important.¡±


    She stepped onto the porch and walked to the house¡¯s door. ¡°You may remain here. I will see what this place has to offer.¡±

 Chapter 297 - Standards

    Scarlett hadn¡¯t known what to expect inside Arlene¡¯s house, but even so, she felt a twinge of disappointment. She had never entered this place in the game or in Freymeadow, yet it was as unremarkable as one might expect from a rural village like this. Sparse, worn furniture filled the space, carrying a faint musty smell. Scattered toys and small objects tucked in the corners hinted at the occasional use, but overall, there wasn¡¯t much to the place.


    It made sense, of course. This wasn¡¯t even really Arlene¡¯s house at this point, so why should there be anything special? Still, Scarlett couldn¡¯t deny the flicker of irrational anticipation she¡¯d brought with her. A small part of her had even entertained the possibility of finding whatever book the older Arlene was always reading while here in Freymeadow.


    Her gaze drifted over the dust-covered surfaces as she stepped farther inside. Beyond satisfying her curiosity, she¡¯d intended to look for something that could help Arlene in her current state, but it seemed unlikely she¡¯d find anything. Not that it mattered ¡ª if needed, she could always bring out more supplies from her [Pouch of Holding].


    In what appeared to be a living room of sorts, Scarlett paused by an old wooden table surrounded by chairs. Crude drawings marred its surface, etched into the wood. Presumably, they were the work of the village children.


    Her eyes lingered on the drawings.


    ¡°I fail to see the purpose in all of this,¡± came a voice from behind. Scarlett turned to find her younger ¡®self¡¯ stepping into the house, the girl looking over the place with mild disinterest. Curiously, her once-disheveled clothes from their earlier bout in the forest now appeared pristine. ¡°Is there a particular reason you are wasting time trying to help that woman? It will not change the final outcome.¡±


    Scarlett studied the girl but said nothing.


    The younger Scarlett raised an eyebrow, fixing her with an expectant look. ¡°Surely you do not feel sympathy for her? That would be strange, considering you allowed the previous version of Arlene to approach that ¡®dangerous¡¯ rift.¡±


    ¡°That is not the case,¡± Scarlett replied, returning to her cursory search around the house. ¡°I am fully aware that this Arlene is not real.¡±


    ¡°Then why bother?¡±


    Scarlett opened a dresser drawer and looked through its contents for a few moments before briefly glancing back at the girl. ¡°What would you think if such truths had been revealed to you, were you not already aware of your existence as a mere construct of these Memories?¡±


    ¡°What makes you so certain that I am a construct?¡±


    ¡°Are you not?¡±


    The younger Scarlett observed her silently. ¡°I am Scarlett Hartford. I see no need to entertain any other notions beyond that. Perhaps that is where we differ.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, I understand your attitude well enough.¡± Scarlett closed the drawer with a soft thud. ¡°Regardless, I ask that you refrain from making such comments in front of Arlene. Can I trust you to comply?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t press further. She doubted she¡¯d get a more definitive answer. Instead, she continued her search, combing through the house for anything useful. After some time, though, she abandoned the effort and returned to the entrance, where the younger self was waiting.


    Scarlett was somewhat surprised to see that the scene outside had changed. A group of village children were now playing around the wooden platform in the square¡¯s center, and Arlene sat in her chair, watching them. Scarlett frowned slightly as her gaze settled on the woman. Had she changed clothes? The ruined and bloody attire she¡¯d worn before had been replaced by a set of loose, dark robes that Scarlett recognised all too well. If this woman wasn¡¯t still a few years too young, Scarlett might have thought this was the Arlene she knew.


    Arlene turned to them, her eyes meeting Scarlett¡¯s before gesturing to the empty chair beside her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s frown only deepened. Arlene¡¯s complexion looked healthier, but for some reason, she also seemed more drained, as if some invisible weight pressed on her. There was less emotion in her voice.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes lifted towards the sky, and she noticed that the sun hung higher in the sky. Unless they had somehow traveled back in time, the Memory must have changed while they were in the house.


    Her attention returned to Arlene. At the very least, this still seemed to be the same version of the woman ¡ª the same ¡®construct¡¯, so to speak. Had she not forgotten Scarlett between Memories this time? Shouldn¡¯t she find it odd that Scarlett had ostensibly disappeared for an indeterminate period of time just now?


    Scarlett approached the chair and took a seat beside Arlene. A strange mood hung in the air as the woman returned to watching the children playing in the square. To Scarlett, the scene was anything but new. She had probably seen these same children playing in this same way dozens of times before.


    ¡°Have you spoken with any of them?¡± she asked, studying Arlene¡¯s expression.


    Arlene gave a slow nod, the lines around her eyes softening. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re good kids. Very spirited.¡± She glanced briefly at the younger Scarlett. ¡°I think they¡¯re mostly interested in getting to know your sister better, though. Do you think she might want to join them?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is unlikely.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the girl in question said, moving towards the porch railing. She watched the children with cold eyes. ¡°I have no interest in the trivial games of commoners.¡±


    Arlene observed her in silence, then lowered her head slightly as if acknowledging the response. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    The younger Scarlett turned to face them, and without hesitation, lifted herself onto the railing, earning a raised brow from Scarlett. The action felt jarringly out of character for her, yet the girl seemed content to sit there, legs even swinging slightly as she considered them.


    ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡± Arlene asked, noting her look.


    ¡°Not in particular,¡± the younger Scarlett replied. ¡°Though I suppose you could say that I am still pondering why we are still here. There are a litany of other matters that could demand our attention, yet here we are, squandering our time in this insignificant place.¡± Her eyes shifted to Scarlett. ¡°You did not provide me a proper answer before, but perhaps you will now. What exactly are we trying to achieve?¡±


    Scarlett met her gaze evenly, but she didn¡¯t know what the girl expected from her. The Memory had shifted, but they remained in Freymeadow, and she couldn¡¯t really say why. At this point, it was clear she was influencing these changes in some way, but it wasn¡¯t anything she could consciously control. So why did the younger Scarlett even bother asking? She thought the girl would already have known this much.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know the answer to that as well,¡± Arlene said, turning to Scarlett. ¡°Are you staying because of me? If so, you don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t need your help anymore.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at her. ¡°¡­No, you are not what is keeping us here.¡±


    ¡°Then what is?¡±


    Scarlett hesitated with her response.


    ¡°Nostalgia, perhaps,¡± the younger Scarlett interjected.


    Arlene¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Nostalgia?¡±


    Scarlett shot the girl a reproachful look, but the girl seemed uninterested in returning it.


    Arlene watched them both as if expecting someone to elaborate, but no one did. The silence settled between them again, and Scarlett could tell the woman didn¡¯t like being ignored. Still, she seemed to choose not to press the matter.


    The children¡¯s laughter filled the square, echoing from its heart as they played simple games, running and chasing after each other as if time had no meaning.


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked back at them. ¡°I cannot comprehend how they find entertainment in such meaningless activities.¡±


    ¡°Not everything needs a purpose,¡± Arlene said. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s enough just to enjoy the moment, to find happiness in the simple things.¡±


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s skeptical gaze returned to her. ¡°That is the very definition of wasting one¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°And that is fine.¡±


    ¡°Because they are children?¡±


    ¡°In part, yes. There is no need to judge them for it.¡±


    The younger Scarlett tilted her head. ¡°That little excuses them? Why should naivety and inexperience afford them special privileges? Is there a reason I cannot abhor someone merely because of their age?¡±


    A faint crease appeared on Scarlett¡¯s brow. Was this somehow connected to Evelyne?


    Arlene went silent, as if not fully prepared for words like those to leave a girl so young, spoken with such a detached tone. The woman regarded her for several long seconds before speaking. ¡°¡­Would you like it if those same standards were applied to you?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°They always have been,¡± the younger Scarlett replied without hesitation. ¡°Few ever extended me kindness simply because I was young. Those who did would have been wiser not to. You seem to dishonestly believe all children deserve equal compassion, but that notion is both foolish and na?ve.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s expression darkened. She turned to Scarlett, eyeing her, before slowly returning her attention to the girl. ¡°It¡¯s not a belief. Nor is it an assumption. It¡¯s simply¡­an ideal. One my master often champions.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The younger Scarlett¡¯s lips curled in a faint smile. ¡°Then, if it is not your own, you need not pretend to stand by it, no? It is, at most, a misguided sentiment. I find it hard to believe you would continue applying it to these children if you did not harbour false assumptions about who and what they were.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± Scarlett finally interrupted, her voice firm. ¡°That is enough.¡±


    ¡°Have I said anything that is untrue?¡± the younger Scarlett asked. ¡°If I have, ought it not be forgiven on account of my youth?¡±


    Scarlett gave her a sharp look, but before she could respond, the girl gestured towards Arlene. ¡°Is that not the logical outcome of that ideals she spoke of? Or were those not her true beliefs? If not, then what are they?¡±


    Arlene watched the younger Scarlett with a calm, yet quiet, intensity.


    ¡°Come now,¡± the girl pressed. ¡°I am sincerely curious as to what drives one of the empire¡¯s great mages.¡±


    ¡°Is this truly necessary?¡± Scarlett asked, not hiding her irritation.


    Her younger self shot her a short look. ¡°Why not? Since we are here, should we not make the most of our time? I understand you prefer to leave things perpetually unchanged, as always, but fortunately, I am not bound by your conventions. You have always desired to learn more about her, have you not?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips thinned into a hard line.


    ¡°What? Is this line of inquiry forbidden as well?,¡± the younger Scarlett asked. ¡°Or would you prefer I begin by laying out my own ideals before I ask about hers?¡±


    She glanced between Arlene and Scarlett as if they were both unreasonable, then let out a small sigh. ¡°For some unfathomable reason, people have a habit of endlessly complicating these matters. It is not as if one¡¯s principles and ideals are these lofty, unreachable concepts. Mine have always been simple. I place my own value above others, and those who wrong me should face consequences. Compassion and mercy are well and good if you wish, but they are not owed to anyone, and I see little use in them myself.¡±


    Scarlett kept her eyes fixed on the girl. She knew what her younger self was trying to get at with all of this. She wanted to tell her to stop. To be silent. But she doubted it would work by this point. And¡­there was a part of her, however reluctant, that was interested in seeing where this might lead.


    Arlene looked at the younger Scarlett like a parent confronted with a deeply troubling declaration from their child. ¡°¡­Those are not ideals you should take pride in. Have you truly considered what it means to live by them?¡±


    ¡°I have, and I do not care. They are mine, not yours,¡± the girl replied dismissively. ¡°But, by all means, do enlighten me about what noble standards one should aspire to. Should we perhaps protect the innocent, repay kindness with more kindness, display unwavering loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor, and eradicate evil wherever it may tread? Would you say these ideals are preferable?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arlene replied.


    ¡°Then that raises a rather interesting question, does it not?¡± The younger Scarlett¡¯s tone was calm but pointed. ¡°Which of them takes precedence?¡±


    Arlene¡¯s expression tightened suddenly. With her hesitation, a heavy silence hung between them. After a few moments, the younger Scarlett clicked her tongue, a trace of irritation flashing across her face. ¡°That is where you should say ¡®loyalty to the empire¡¯. After all, that is the ideal you have embodied for much of your life.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s eyes widened.


    Sitting on the railing, the younger Scarlett shook her head slowly. ¡°This is disappointing. As callow as those ¡®ideals¡¯ may be, I do not necessarily dislike the notions themselves. But one should at least be clear about which holds priority and not falter in that conviction. Otherwise, they are not your ideals. At most, they are an obsession, and to me, that sounds much more dangerous. It astounds me how so many fail to grasp this concept and accuse me of being unprincipled. If you rely on nothing but a rudder cobbled together from scraps, you have no one to blame but yourself when it fails you.¡±


    In the background, the laughter of the children carried on, a carefree melody against the increasingly tense atmosphere. Arlene stared at the girl. ¡°What exactly are you?¡± she finally asked, a dangerous edge now in her voice. Her eyes shifted to Scarlett. ¡°A child her age would not speak like this. Are the two of you truly sisters?¡±


    A light chuckle escaped the younger Scarlett. ¡°No, but the distinction is irrelevant in this case. One could even argue that we are closer than sisters.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I would not be opposed to explaining,¡± the girl replied with a faint gesture towards Scarlett, ¡°but I fear she might take offense. For all our similarities, our priorities do not quite align.¡±


    Arlene''s gaze lingered on Scarlett, studying her carefully. ¡°¡­I see. I won¡¯t pretend to fully understand, but the difference between you two is clear enough.¡±


    ¡°I am glad,¡± the younger Scarlett said. ¡°And I suspect my ¡®sister¡¯ shares that sentiment. Much like you, she has never viewed my personality in a favorable light. After all, to her, I have always been nothing more than a third-rate villainess.¡±


    Scarlett turned to her. ¡°Your personality is not the issue here.¡±


    ¡°No? Then what is? My actions? I dare say nothing I have done could possibly compare to the crimes you yourself have committed.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what crimes might she be referring to?¡± Arlene asked.


    ¡°I believe this is where she would utter something to the effect of, ¡®That is nothing you need concern yourself with¡¯,¡± the younger Scarlett interjected dryly. She inclined her head ever so slightly, as though granting the barest acknowledgment. ¡°Though I suppose she would be right. None of her sordid transgressions bear any particular relevance to you, nor shall they ever. At most, you might find interest in her dealings with the Hallowed Cabal or the Tribe of Sin.¡±


    The atmosphere around Arlene shifted immediately, the air growing heavier, warmer, and palpably more charged. Her gaze focused on Scarlett, sharp and unrelenting.


    ¡°That appears to have struck a nerve,¡± the younger Scarlett observed coolly.


    ¡°Is what she said true?¡± Arlene¡¯s voice sliced through the thickened air.


    Scarlett cast a brief look at her younger counterpart.


    ¡­Why had she ever thought the girl wouldn¡¯t throw her under the bus?


    She exhaled quietly, masking her irritation as she returned her attention to Arlene, her expression carefully neutral. ¡°I hold no affiliation with either of those groups, if that is your concern. As I have already stated, they could be considered my adversaries. There was, at one point, a temporary agreement to avoid direct hostilities, due to the mutual repercussions such actions would provoke, but that is all.¡±


    ¡°Is there not something you are conveniently omitting?¡± the younger Scarlett asked. ¡°For instance, the time when you played a crucial role in aiding one of the Tribe¡¯s Enclaves evade imperial forces?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s glare sharpened into a dagger aimed at her younger self. Arlene¡¯s gaze hardened further as the temperature seemed to rise ominously. Scarlett hesitated, noting the intensity in the woman¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d seen something similar in the woman when she and her siblings were informed of their parents¡¯ death. It was an unbridled, simmering anger barely held in check, completely opposite the composed demeanour the woman usually wore.


    Just the mention of the Cabal and Tribe had Arlene genuinely considering an attack against Scarlett.


    ¡°What takes precedence now, I wonder?¡± the younger Scarlett¡¯s voice cut through the tension. ¡°Would it be punishing the supposed villain before you, or honouring the kindness shown to you by a stranger in the forest?¡±


    For a moment, Arlene paused, her rigid stance softening as the dangerous light in her eyes wavered.


    ¡°If it is of any assistance in your deliberation,¡± the younger Scarlett pressed on, ¡°you might consider this: she has also accomplished many commendable deeds in service of others. Of late, she has garnered significant recognition for her generous contributions to large-scale relief efforts aiding those affected by the Tribe¡¯s attacks. In addition, she has played a key role in identifying and removing corrupt elements within the ranks of nobility, founded orphanages for those in need, and though few are aware, she was instrumental in thwarting the schemes of a Vile within attempting to manifest in the Material Realm.¡±


    Arlene glanced over at the girl.


    ¡°Does that absolve her of consorting with criminals?¡±


    Several seconds passed as Arlene watched her, then she eventually turned back to Scarlett. ¡°The Tribe of Sin has slaughtered countless innocents,¡± she said slowly, as though forcing composure. ¡°They are enemies of the empire and the very foundations upon which it stands. Any alliance with them¡ªno matter how brief¡ªis treason against His Majesty and an unforgivable affront¡­. There can be no justification for that.¡±


    Scarlett looked at the woman, watching her expression. She spoke the words with a certainty and conviction that made you think it was what she truly thought, but at the same time¡­


    It seemed more like a mantra than a genuine belief. A truth¡ªor a habit¡ªborn out of rage, tradition, and who knows how many years of seeing the worst of what the Tribe¡¯s violence had brought.


    Rather than feeling more anger towards her younger self for instigating this confrontation, Scarlett found something else rising to her lips. ¡°Can there truly be none?¡± she asked, the question escaping before she even had time to consider it.


    Arlene stilled, her expression flickering in the smallest of ways.


    ¡°¡­I do not think that is what you truly believe,¡± Scarlett said, her tone steady. This Arlene might be no more than a reflection, a construct formed of memories and the experiences of the real woman, but in this place, and in this particular moment¡­maybe Scarlett could consider her real enough. Her feelings, thoughts ¡ª they were likely as genuine to her as they had been to the original. That understanding was something Scarlett had been uncertain how to contend with. It had been why she hesitated to reveal too much. Because, no matter what she said or how she tried helping her¡ªregardless what realisations the woman might come to on her own¡ªthese Memories would chain Arlene to the same inevitable fate.


    So what was the point in pushing her? Scarlett couldn¡¯t say. If anything, it felt needlessly cruel, and she wanted to avoid it. But, perhaps¡­ Perhaps it was still what the Arlene she knew would have preferred.


    ¡°I am curious to hear what justification you might offer,¡± the younger Scarlett said, ¡°to excuse any association with the Tribe of Sin. They are little more than a congregation of blind fanatics, worshipping the ineffability of a being they cannot comprehend and committing atrocities in its name like the misguided zealots they are. To extend any form of sympathy towards them, under any circumstances, is incomprehensible.¡±


    ¡°Sympathy towards them as a whole is not necessary,¡± Scarlett replied, meeting the girl¡¯s gaze. ¡°How one perceives them is a matter of personal judgement, and more often than not, I see them as enemies. However, they are not always as overtly belligerent or vile as your words¡ªor the empire¡¯s dogma¡ªwould suggest.¡±


    ¡°You must forgive those who remain skeptical, considering they bear ¡®Sin¡¯ in their very name.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. ¡°They do not call themselves the Tribe of Sin out of some reverence for wrongdoing or wickedness. Rather, they do so because they believe their very existence is the result of a profound act of sin ¡ª one they fully acknowledge and strive to atone for.¡±


    ¡°And what act might that be?¡± the younger Scarlett asked.


    ¡°The Severance,¡± Scarlett answered. She observed the girl, trying to read her expression, wondering if she truly didn¡¯t know this or if she was simply fishing for her to be the one to reveal it. Scarlett was still unsure how much her counterpart actually knew and how much she chose to pretend she didn¡¯t know. Was it possible this was where she wanted to push this conversation from the beginning?


    Setting those suspicions aside for the moment, Scarlett turned back to Arlene, who had been surprisingly silent throughout the exchange. The woman¡¯s face no longer betrayed anything of what was going on inside her head, presenting only an unreadable mask looking straight at Scarlett.


    Several seconds passed without the woman speaking, and eventually, a frown formed on Scarlett¡¯s brow.


    ¡°Arlene¡­?¡± she began, but her words trailed off as she noticed faint embers materialising in the air around her. Her gaze darted upward, catching sight of the sky as it darkened with unnatural speed, the sun swallowed by swirling clouds tinged with a deep, ominous red.


    She recognised the sight all too well.


    Her eyes snapped back to where Arlene had been seated ¡ª only to find the woman gone. The younger Scarlett had also vanished from the railing, and the children playing in the square had disappeared as if they¡¯d never been there to begin with. At the edge of the settlement, flames were creeping up above the rooftops.


    Freymeadow was burning.

 Chapter 298 - Burning nights

    Scarlett stepped into the village square, her gaze fixed on the flames ahead. They hadn¡¯t yet spread to consume all of Freymeadow, but from the many times she had witnessed this scene, she knew it was only a matter of time.


    Her eyes shifted to the wooden platform at the center of the square. Atop it stood a familiar black pedestal, crafted from an unnaturally dark stone etched with intricate patterns. It was a Sanctumbrum.


    It felt strange seeing it like this, intact. She was used to seeing it in ruins, melting and burning along with the rest of Freymeadow. Her gaze lingered, even as the flames at the edge of the village cast a fiery glow across the darkened sky.


    This was probably what Arlene had been searching for. The woman was on a quest to destroy as many of these devices as possible, after all. Considering how powerful she was at this point, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the empire trusted her to handle such missions alone at times.


    ¡°Finally, some progress,¡± a voice spoke beside her.


    Scarlett turned to see the younger version of herself standing there, arms crossed, watching the distant flames. There was a note of anticipation in her voice, as though she¡¯d been waiting for this moment.


    ¡°¡­Was this your intention from the start?¡± Scarlett asked.


    ¡°I suppose that depends,¡± the girl replied.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you hope to gain from this?¡±


    ¡°Very little, in truth. If anything, you stand to benefit here. I simply grew tired of waiting, so I thought it best to expedite matters. You clearly were not about to.¡±


    ¡°¡­You pressed Arlene as you did for that reason alone?¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice carried a sharp edge.


    The younger Scarlett looked up at her, unbothered. ¡°Pressed her? Hardly. Nothing I said was especially profound or consequential, nor was she incapable of responding properly. I imagine that had she wished so, that conversation would have been very different. Though I will admit, my irritation at your constant fussing over her may have spurred me on partially.¡±


    Scarlett studied her closely. She had anticipated some measure of manipulation and cold pragmatism, but her younger self¡¯s motives were becoming increasingly murky.


    ¡°Jealousy, is it?¡± she asked. ¡°I did not think you would be so¡­petulant.¡±


    The girl actually blinked a couple of times, a faint crease forming on her brow. ¡°¡­Appearances are not merely for show. I am as I appear, in more ways than one. It is not as though I ever had much choice in the specific form I took on.¡±


    Before Scarlett could reply, a deep, distorted crack shattered the air, like the foot of a giant striking the earth. The ground beneath their feet thrummed with a strange, uncertain resonance, and the atmosphere stirred with a faint disturbance. The sound seemed to have come from beyond Freymeadow, deep into the forest.


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s expression darkened as she turned towards the noise.


    ¡°¡­Do you know what that was?¡± Scarlett asked.


    The girl didn¡¯t answer. She stood motionless, then turned on her heel. Scarlett barely had time to register the younger Scarlett¡¯s movement before she disappeared, leaving her staring at empty air. She frowned.


    That was suspicious. Strange and suspicious.


    Another loud sound reverberated, but this one was different. Scarlett¡¯s eyes snapped to the edge of the village, where the flames climbed higher, painting the sky in blazing hues. Slowly, Freymeadow would be overtaken by it all.


    ¡­Damn it all. She would have to figure out whatever the other Scarlett was up to later.


    She pressed forward. Distant shouts reached her ears, near where the flames raged. She passed several houses, most of them empty, though she did glimpse a family huddled in a doorway ¡ª a mother clutching a frightened child while a broad-shouldered man stood at the entrance, gripping a long spear. His voice was low, as if offering final reassurances, but his eyes betrayed a certain grim apprehension.


    The woman¡¯s gaze locked on Scarlett, her face etched with confusion and something akin to fear. The man turned as well, a guarded look settling over his face as his features stiffened with a mixture of wariness and anger. Neither moved towards her. Scarlett soon looked away, focusing on the growing chaos at the village¡¯s edge.


    The flames had intensified, and the sounds of battle grew louder ¡ª explosions, along with the hiss and thrums of spells being cast. As she reached the outskirts, more villagers appeared, many of them desperately trying to douse the flames consuming their homes. Others were gathered near the stone wall encircling the settlement, weapons in hand as if in defence, their eyes locked on the turmoil beyond.


    There, in the midst of the chaos, stood Arlene, her robes billowing in the searing heat. Fire surrounded her, her face twisted with fury, all of it directed at a single figure. Across from her, a tall, gaunt man in tattered robes loomed. His skin, ashen and leathery, peeked through the torn fabric, and just then, as he shifted his stance, a barrage of flaming lances erupted in all directions, perforating his body and igniting in a blaze of intense light.


    For a moment, it looked like the flames would devour him entirely. Then, impossibly, his body began to regenerate, the charred flesh knitting itself back together in a grotesque display of unnatural resilience.


    Scarlett watched, unsettled and not sure what to make of the sight. She didn¡¯t know who this man was, but she had seen something similar before in the game. Was he a part of the Undead Council? But should they be active this early in the timeline?


    The man raised his arms, and with a flick of his robes¡ªwhich somehow regenerated with him¡ªa wave of dark energy surged towards Arlene. She countered with a vortex of fire that spun violently, colliding with his attack and scattering embers of dark flames all around, some igniting even more houses.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°You imperials, always a persistent nuisance, aren¡¯t you?¡± the man sneered, an abnormally wide grin spreading across his face. His body dissolved into a swirling mass of sand and shadow that evaded Arlene¡¯s flames, though they continued to chase him like a relentless predator. As he reformed several paces away and they caught up to him, his skin was yet again charred and burnt, only to regenerate immediately after. ¡°Especially you, Red Devil,¡± he rasped through the flames and smoke. ¡°To think I would find you here. Our third encounter, is it? Or fourth? Still nursing that grudge, I see.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s rage ignited her magic, fueling it with a blistering, untamed force. Without uttering a single word, she unleashed a flaming storm towards her foe. A cascade of blazing fireballs erupted forth, and pillars of molten flame roared into existence, swallowing the gaunt man in a hellish blaze. Meanwhile, Arlene seemed almost completely oblivious to the chaos she wrought with the ever-increasing intensity of her spells.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t do anything but look on. This level of power ¡ª it surprised her. She hadn¡¯t even known a confrontation like this had taken place before the events in Freymeadow. Was this actually the true passage of events? Did it happen before what she knew from the game?


    As the man emerged from Arlene¡¯s inferno¡ªstill in one piece, though looking as if he¡¯d staggered out of a furnace¡ªhe attempted another counterattack. Shadows began coiling around him like a shroud, but Arlene didn¡¯t give him the chance. More spells hurtled towards him, constantly crashing against and steadily overwhelming any defences he could muster and forcing him into a cycle of never-ending regeneration. He continued essentially laughing it off at first, but the more it went on, the more frustrated he grew until, finally, he took the chance, as Arlene paused to weave another devastating spell, to turn to the villagers.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, you imbeciles? Help me!¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze shifted to the villagers. He was giving them orders? Did that make him one of the Tribe, then? Or, perhaps more likely, a member of the Hallowed Cabal?


    Whatever his allegiance, the villagers seemed hesitant to simply obey. Only one of them, a man clutching a large axe, reluctantly stepped forward. He broke into a slow run, weapon raised, heading towards Arlene ¡ª only to be instantly enveloped by fire as he crossed an invisible threshold. The flames engulfed him, reducing him to nothing but ashes within moments, while Arlene didn¡¯t so much as glance in his direction.


    The other villagers let out shocked or beleaguered cries, and the gaunt man spared the smoldering remains only a look of annoyance before returning his focus to Arlene.


    Scarlett looked at the woman, watching as she readily commanded all of this destruction against her sole target. Arlene had the clear upper hand, and Scarlett would be surprised if the gaunt man could regenerate indefinitely. Eventually, he would have to reach a limit, and the battle would end. What came after that was what was set in stone.


    So where did Scarlett¡¯s presence fit into this story?


    Her attention was drawn to a group of villagers frantically clearing debris to free a woman trapped beneath a collapsed house beam. The structure groaned ominously, and a large chunk of wood began to fall.


    Without thinking, Scarlett raised her hand. A barrier of water burst into existence, swirling into a translucent shield that shimmered in the firelight. The water twisted, and with a hissing splash, it intercepted the falling debris, cushioning the impact and scattering a cloud of cool mist. Nearby fires recoiled, momentarily subdued, as steam rose in billowing clouds.


    The villagers stared at Scarlett, stunned, before snapping back to their task of freeing the trapped woman. Scarlett lowered her hand, releasing the water as her gaze lingered on her fingers.


    ¡­Was there a reason she had bothered doing that? She wasn¡¯t here to interfere. While she wasn¡¯t fond of the end this village met¡ªor Arlene¡¯s role in it¡ªshe had always told herself it was pointless to intervene.


    Her thoughts scattered as something else caught her eye. Thin, white cracks, like hairline fractures, spread across the village ¡ª tearing through earth, walls, and even the air itself. They pulsed with an eerie, unnatural energy, distorting reality as if the world was stretched too weak.


    Scarlett¡¯s heart skipped a beat. There were so many of them. When had they appeared? Had they always been there, hiding just beneath her notice?


    She took an involuntary step back as a rift suddenly split the ground before her, opening into an endless white void. It pulled at her with a quiet, otherworldly hum. The air rippled as something materialised ¡ª a flickering system window, its text barely coherent.


    [Name: S????????c???????????????????????????????????????t????????????t????????? ????H??????????a??????????????????????????????????¦Ò????????????????????]


    [Skills:


    [?????????????????????¦Á????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????¦Á??????????????????????¦Ò???????????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [S???????u????????p???ilio??????u???????????s???????]


    [?????????????????ali?§Ô]


    [Call???????????????????????????????????u???????????s??????]


    [Overbeari??]


    [Conceited?????????]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????]


    [Points: ??]


    Scarlett stared at the screen. An unsettling yet disturbingly familiar sensation clawed at the edges of her mind. For a brief, inexplicable moment, she was overwhelmed by the urge to reach into the rift.


    A surge of anger jolted her back. Acting on pure instinct, she summoned a searing sphere of raw fire and power in her palm and hurled it into the void. To her shock, the rift swallowed the sphere whole, and instantly after, the rift dissolved into nothing, as if it had never existed. Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened, fixed on the spot where it had been.


    How had she done that?


    Before she could even begin to process the thought, the ground beneath her trembled violently. For a fleeting second, she could feel the Memory ripple around her, the world flitting like a broken image on the verge of shattering. The burning buildings and frantic villagers wavered, distorting as if caught between two realities, then snapped back into focus.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze darted towards the village¡¯s edge, where the quake seemed to have originated. Then, she froze. Amid the pandemonium that had been Arlene¡¯s battle with the gaunt man, another figure had appeared.


    From a massive crater on the ground, a woman emerged with a quiet yet powerful presence. The air around her warped and bent, faint tendrils of rifts trailing in her wake. She wore sleek, dark clothing that clung to her form, a short hood obscuring part of her face. Jagged locks of violet hair framed her visible features, while strange, scale-like growths of tarnished silver climbed her neck and crept up the sides of her jaw, catching the dim light with a faint glint. Her eyes, alarmingly sharp, gleamed with a threatening intensity as they surveyed the scene.


    Even the Memory itself seemed to hold its breath at her arrival. Arlene and the gaunt man both turned to face her.


    ¡°You¡­¡± the man almost spat out, his face twisting. ¡°What are you doing here? This isn¡¯t the time¡ª¡±


    The woman moved faster than Scarlett could track. In an instant, her hand was around his throat. With a single, effortless motion, she flung him across the battlefield, his body crashing into the treeline and disappearing from view.


    Silence fell, broken only by the crackling of fire.


    The woman turned to Arlene, her voice calm but heavy with intent. ¡°Hartford,¡± she said, each syllable weighted. ¡°We haven¡¯t finished our fight.¡±


    Scarlett inhaled sharply, her chest tightening. She didn¡¯t know why she knew this, but this woman wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. She couldn¡¯t. But the fact that she was¡­


    This could be bad.


    Vail was not to be trifled with.

 Chapter 299 - Vail

    Scarlett¡¯s eyes locked on Vail, her mind racing with questions. This woman wasn¡¯t supposed to be part of this Memory. So how did she appear here? And what was the deal with those rifts that seemed to follow behind her?


    Arlene stood motionless across from Vail, tension thick in the air. Vail tilted her head, studying Arlene like a predator sizing up prey. ¡°You¡¯re still injured,¡± she remarked, tone flat. ¡°Disappointing.¡± She stepped forward, and with that single movement, the entire glade seemed to tremble beneath her as though the earth itself recoiled. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. Face me.¡±


    In a blink, Vail vanished and reappeared a short distance from Arlene. Scarlett¡¯s eyes struggled to track the movement, and, frankly, she wasn¡¯t sure it was possible. Despite that, Arlene wasn¡¯t caught off guard, as she immediately unleashed a series of precise, fiery explosions that erupted around Vail ¡ª controlled, deadly, far beyond the rage-fueled attacks she¡¯d used only moments earlier. Flames twisted into searing arcs, converging on Vail and igniting the ground in their wake. Scarlett doubted even her strongest defences and resistances could block those flames.


    Yet Vail walked through the inferno entirely unscathed. Her hand shot towards Arlene¡¯s throat, but a flaming serpent-like barrier twisted between them, pulling at Vail¡¯s arm. The delay was fleeting, mere fractions of a second, but Arlene was already in motion, her hands tracing intricate patterns. A blazing sphere of molten energy formed, expanding rapidly, its glow illuminating the shadowed glade.


    The fiery orb consumed both Vail and Arlene, its brilliance momentarily freezing the scene in stark relief. For a heartbeat, the world seemed still. Then the sphere exploded outward, a wave of heat and flame tearing through the glade and leaving a scorched path in its wake. When the smoke cleared, Arlene stood where she had been, while the sphere¡¯s fire continued dozens of meters in front of her. There, it began to morph, twisting and stretching as it grew into the form of a towering elemental made entirely of roaring flames.


    Underneath it was Vail¡¯s half-obscured figure. The elemental raised its colossal arms and brought them down like a hammer. Vail lifted one arm to block, and the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the area. In a sharp, fluid motion, she raised her other arm and punched through the elemental¡¯s midsection, scattering its flames with a thunderous crack. The elemental¡¯s form quickly began to reconstitute, but before it could do so entirely, Vail was behind it. Her hand sliced through the air like a claw, her movements rending space itself, and the elemental¡¯s fire fragmented into disarray.


    Arlene launched a barrage of attacks ¡ª fiery spears that charred the earth, explosive blasts that cratered the ground, and whirling vortexes of molten flame. The relentless onslaught of spells shrouded Vail in a blazing purgatory, the sheer power of Arlene¡¯s magic causing the air to sizzle with heat.


    Scarlett could only watch in careful silence, witnessing the clash between these two. Unlike when she¡¯d first arrived in this world and couldn¡¯t tell one spell from another, she could actually grasp the magnitude of what Arlene was doing here. Vail was effectively immune to any evanescent-type magic, and Arlene had to be aware of this, which is why she was forced to rely entirely on manifest magic and pyrokinesis ¡ª both notoriously difficult and draining to wield for normal mages. Yet Arlene was pushing herself, casting in rapid succession, even after having expended herself in her previous fight.


    But against Vail, that might not be enough.


    As the flames died down, Vail emerged unscathed from the center of a blackened pit, regarding Arlene. Behind her, the remnants of the fire elemental struggled to reform again, but a casual swipe of the woman¡¯s hand split it in two. The elemental dissipated entirely this time, and the distant treeline broke and shattered as if struck by an invisible force.


    For a single heartbeat, the entire Memory flickered. Scarlett squinted as she spotted more tiny white rifts spreading across the ground and nearby buildings, some opening into ominous black nothingness rather than the white void she¡¯d seen before. Was Vail¡¯s power tearing the Memory itself apart? How was that even possible?


    The ground quaked, and cries rang out as Scarlett realised Vail¡¯s attack had ripped through parts of Freymeadow¡¯s stone wall and the outskirts of its houses. The villagers who hadn¡¯t already done so scrambled to distance themselves from the battle, and many gave up on their desperate attempts to extinguish the flames devouring their homes.


    ¡°You put up more of a fight before,¡± Vail¡¯s voice carried, tinged with irritation. Scarlett refocused on her just in time to see Vail reappear before Arlene, met by another barrage of fire spells.


    The battle continued, with Arlene summoning another fire elemental, its large form acting as a bulwark between her and Vail. This time, Vail showed no patience. She swung her arm in a wide arc that sliced through the elemental and unleashed a shockwave that sent Arlene back. The earth shuddered violently, and the rifts trailing Vail¡¯s steps¡ªwhite and black alike¡ªspread like cracks in shattered glass.


    Scarlett clenched her fists. What was her role even supposed to be in this?


    Arlene, though visibly hurt, thankfully managed to stand, her hands already weaving new spells. Vail, seemingly prepared to push her advantage, suddenly paused. A frown creased the woman¡¯s face as she glanced down at her left arm. There, a faint white slit snaked along her limb like a jagged scar.


    Was that...a rift? On her?


    Vail¡¯s eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, she grabbed her left arm with her right hand and tore it clean off. Scarlett¡¯s breath almost hitched. There was no cry, no reaction, as if the severed limb meant was wholly insignificant. Even Arlene hesitated at the sight, visibly stunned.


    Vail discarded her arm like refuse, and to Scarlett¡¯s surprise, the wound barely bled, as though sheer force of will kept it contained. Vail slammed her foot into the ground, and the Memory trembled once more. The white rifts around her halted their advance, overtaken by the black ones.


    ¡°They dare¡­¡± Vail¡¯s voice was low, dangerous, laden with a weight that made Scarlett acutely aware of the threat this woman truly posed. She couldn¡¯t look away, struggling to figure out the situation. How was the woman doing all of this? Was this really the kind of power Vail had? Or was something else at work?


    ¡°What are you?¡± Arlene demanded, echoing Scarlett¡¯s thoughts. ¡°...How are you doing this?¡±


    Vail¡¯s gaze shifted back to Arlene, and the question seemed to irritate her. ¡°I introduced myself the last time,¡± she said, her tone clipped. Then, after a pause, ¡°...But forget that. This place¡ª¡± she gestured vaguely around, ¡°¡ªthought it could reduce me to an inferior copy. Unacceptable.¡± She took a deliberate step forward, her voice hardening. ¡°I wanted to finish our fight, but I won¡¯t let this stand.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyebrows shot up. Vail wasn¡¯t just aware she was a reconstruction within a Memory; she was rebelling against it.


    It was insane to think the Memory had created something that could do this to it.


    Suddenly, Vail¡¯s head snapped towards Scarlett, her eyes locking onto her with a piercing intensity. A cold chill crawled down Scarlett¡¯s spine, though outwardly, she kept still.


    ¡°You...¡± Vail said. Then her figure blurred, and she stood within a meter of Scarlett. Instinctively, Scarlett activated her [Garment of Form], vanishing and reappearing deeper into the village, her gear materialising at her command. Yet she knew, even armed and prepared, that it was pointless against Vail. Vail, when she was serious, was an endgame opponent, and the power gap between them was almost insurmountable. Scarlett could practically feel in her bones that victory was out of reach.


    For the briefest of moments, Vail seemed amused by Scarlett¡¯s quick escape, but her severe expression returned as she began moving again, slower this time. With every step she took, the space around her warped and fragmented more and more, and soon, shards of reality were shattering and reassembling behind her. The rifts twisted and pulsed, distorting the world as terrified villagers stared on, some appearing trapped within fractured slices of existence.


    ¡°You look like that girl,¡± Vail said, her voice cold. ¡°Are you the one responsible? Do you think you have the strength to take my name? I¡¯ll see that for myself.¡±


    Vail disappeared again, and then she was directly in front of Scarlett. Before she could strike, however, the air between them split apart, revealing a realm of endless flames and ash-choked skies. From the tear, Arlene emerged, wielding a dagger forged from molten lava, frozen in time, its hilt encrusted with dragon-like scales. Veins of glowing red pulsed through the blade, alive with the heat of a thousand fires.


    The [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame].


    Scarlett barely had time to be surprised by Arlene¡¯s arrival before the two women were swallowed by the smoldering tear, which sealed shut behind them. For a few seconds, the chaos seemed to quiet, though the village still burned, and the villagers fled deeper into its remains. Then, with a violent eruption of red-white light and fire, another tear opened near the village¡¯s entrance. Arlene was thrown out, visibly bleeding, and Vail emerged moments later.


    Vail¡¯s once-violet hair had turned a dull silver, the same shade as the strange scales that now covered much of her lower face, and there was a more pronounced presence to her.


    Arlene struggled to her feet, one hand pressed to her side, the other gripping the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame]. Vail raised her remaining arm and swiped towards Arlene. The motion itself looked calm, but the world succumbed and bent under its force. Arlene surrounded herself in a barrier of blazing flames, but it barely held, and she was hurled back.


    Scarlett winced as something cracked near her, and she was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t Arlene. The Memory was splintering further and further.


    Despite taking a blow, Arlene retaliated, with numerous white-hot flames surrounding Vail and burning with an intensity that instantly ignited everything nearby. For the first time, Vail seemed forced to acknowledge the attack, taking a step back as the searing heat pressed against her from all sides.


    A scowl marred her face. She lashed out again, sending another imperceptible wave of force towards Arlene. In response, Arlene raised her dagger, summoning a brilliant shield of pure, fiery energy to block the attack. The shield collapsed under the pressure, shattering with a deafening sound as though it had physical form. Arlene stumbled but stood firm, conjuring another wave of fire in response. The battle raged on, each blow more powerful than most things Scarlett had ever seen, destabilising the memory further.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze flicked to the rifts around her, where the black ones were spreading relentlessly. Unlike the white rifts, which felt like the work of the Anomalous One, these black ones felt cold, indifferent ¡ª like the emptiness between realms.


    If they overtook the Memory, what would happen to her? Was there anything she could do to stop it? Her eyes scanned the burning village. Crumbling buildings, panicked villagers, and rifts overtaking everything ¡ª there were almost no safe places left. The Memory was unraveling.


    Her attention snapped back to the battle. Arlene was still trying to stand her ground against Vail, who seemed almost invincible. Then Vail¡¯s gaze shifted back to Scarlett, a destructive gleam in her eyes. She turned towards her and took one deliberate step, but before the distance between them could fully disappear, Arlene intervened once more. A flaming portal tore through the air as the woman appeared in front of Scarlett, blood seeping from her side and her body trembling, yet she didn¡¯t back down.


    Scarlett stared at her back. Why was this Arlene fighting so hard to protect her? She felt she hadn¡¯t done anything to deserve it, or even to help.


    Vail paused in front of Arlene, regarding the woman. Even with one arm missing and countless attacks endured, she showed no signs of slowing down. ¡°Give up,¡± she said, speaking the words like a command to Arlene. ¡°Nothing you do matters.¡±


    Arlene stayed silent. She turned slightly, her gaze meeting Scarlett¡¯s. There was no trace of the anger, hesitation, turmoil, or even resignation that the woman had shown before, nor of the ghosts that haunted her in the future. Her voice, soft but firm, broke the brief silence. ¡°Amy¡­ Thank you. I hope I can leave things to you, for now.¡±


    Then, without giving Scarlett a chance to respond, Arlene faced Vail once more. She raised the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame], and flames roared to life around her, spiraling into the air. The flames coalesced into the shape of a dragon, its molten scales glowing with an intensity that distorted the nearby space yet didn¡¯t reach Scarlett. The creature let out a deep, rumbling growl as it coiled protectively around Arlene, its smoldering eyes fixed on Vail.


    The dragon released a fiery breath, and Vail met the attack head-on. The forces collided with devastating impact, and the Memory groaned as if on its deathbed, its edges fraying like an old tapestry. Entire sections of what had been Freymeadow vanished into the spreading rifts, and Scarlett felt the ground beneath her tremble violently as the battle reached a fever pitch.


    The two combatants were locked in their clash, and soon, the only space remaining was the battlefield itself, surrounded by a chaotic void of rifts fighting for dominance. The black rifts in particular widened with every blow Vail threw, and were beginning to win.


    Eventually, Arlene faltered. With a final, desperate push, her dragon unleashed a torrent of flame that engulfed everything but Scarlett. The firestorm even seemed to burn the very oxygen around them. Yet somehow, Vail emerged from it unbroken, though parts of her skin did darken and crack under the strain. Arlene collapsed to her knees, her dragon fading into embers, her magic utterly spent.


    Vail strode through the dissipating flames, her silver hair and scaled face glinting in the eerie light. Her cold, merciless eyes focused on Arlene.


    Every instinct screamed at Scarlett to run, but she didn¡¯t listen to those. She took a tentative step forward, raising her hand. She had to act. Even without a clear plan, she had to do something.


    Casting caution aside, drawing on every ounce of her mana, she conjured a raging bombardment of elemental fury. Fire and water collided in a chaotic whirl, surrounding Vail in an onslaught meant only to destroy. The attacks tore through the air, but Vail didn¡¯t flinch. She merely looked at Scarlett.


    ¡°This ends now,¡± the woman declared.


    Scarlett met her gaze, mustering a determined frown despite it all. Her eyes darted to the endless black rifts spreading out from Vail. Desperation sharpened into focus.


    ¡°...I concur,¡± she replied slowly. ¡°But it should not be you who ends it. That is my right alone.¡±


    She could only hope this would work as she suspected, since failure would leave her with very few options. The [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction] atop her head flared to life, wreathed in flames, as she channeled all her mana to perform a single feat on the same level as those she¡¯d witnessed Arlene perform. Vail began to move, but as if anticipating Scarlett¡¯s plan, Arlene stabbed the [Eternal Flameweaver¡¯s Athame] into the earth, summoning one final wall of searing fire that halted Vail just long enough for Scarlett to finish her magic.


    Countless Aqua Mines materialised, far more than Scarlett had ever conjured before. They formed a shimmering, intricate web, locking onto the black rifts as if guided by instinct. The mines hovered for barely a split second, glowing with fiery-red light reflected in the dark cracks.


    Then, all at once, they detonated. Waves of water and flame rippled outward in a storm of destruction, tearing through the black rifts. Just like the white rift Scarlett had destroyed before, the cascading energy forced the black rifts to collapse inward, retreating into themselves, and with them, what little remained of the Memory around them cracked.


    And silence followed.

 Chapter 300 - Noble echoes

    As a whole, Gaspar did not know what to make of the Hall of Echoes¡¯ inner sections. Their purpose eluded him entirely. Like many of the remnants left behind by the ancient Zuver, deciphering the creators¡¯ intentions felt much like chasing shadows. Yet the Zuver had designed these chambers with formidable defences, suggesting their importance far exceeded what they had discovered so far.


    Those defences were, perhaps not unsurprisingly, exceptionally frustrating to overcome. Gaspar had lost track of how long they had been navigating the labyrinthine corridors and chambers, but it had been long enough to necessitate multiple breaks simply to avoid complete exhaustion. Despite the Rising Isle''s meticulous preparations, their supplies of healing potions, mana potions, and other critical resources¡ªsuch as the numerous rare and expensive elixirs to keep the effects of mana exhaustion at bay¡ªwere running dangerously low.


    Gaspar could scarcely recall the last time his wizards had been pushed to such extremes on a single expedition. Ordinarily, the Rising Isle prided itself on readiness, but this time, their preparations had fallen short. That failure gnawed at him. Worse still, despite their numbers, skill, and experience, his wizards were barely holding their own. If not for the assistance they¡¯d received here, it was entirely possible¡ªperhaps even likely¡ªthat they would have been forced to retreat hours ago.


    Meanwhile, the Baroness¡¯ much smaller group pressed forward with unrelenting vigor, leaving Gaspar¡¯s wizards with nothing to do but scramble to keep up. Even when faced with increasingly treacherous obstacles, the Baroness¡¯ people seemed ardent in their goal of finding their patron, and it was almost embarrassing that Gaspar could not see the same drive in his own people.


    Certainly, he was not afraid to admit that Rosa¡¯s absurdly potent charms were pivotal in their progress. No matter their¡­origins, there was no denying their effectiveness. Yet they were mere aids ¡ª the heavy lifting still fell to the Isle¡¯s wizards. And still, Gaspar found himself wondering how his wizards had reached a point where they had come to rely so on a group of four youths.


    He preferred not to dwell on it for the time being. There would be plenty of time for reflection later, and then, he would ensure that his wizards learned from this experience.


    For now, their focus remained on uncovering the truth of what was happening here in the Hall of Echoes. The anomaly plaguing this place was as bizarre as it was troubling. While the echoes in the outer sections were both dangerous and numerous, they were predictable in their strangeness. The inner chamber¡¯s threats were far more erratic. At times, they encountered powerful echoes that vanished with a single decisive blow. Others regenerated endlessly, exhibiting bizarre, unpredictable behaviours. Sometimes you were only dealing with ancient arrays and wards forgotten by time, or if you were fortunate, puzzles that only slightly made you want to pull your hair out. However, that mattered little when the nature of each obstacle could shift in an instant, as had happened with the echo that blocked their path earlier.


    There was, of course, the disturbing question of exactly what was causing all of this. What was the nature of the anomaly that could seemingly infiltrate these halls built by the Zuver? And why did its control appear more stable in the outer sections as compared to the inner ones? Gaspar took some comfort in the thought that this instability might mean the anomaly itself was fragile. Though fragile or not, neither it nor the Hall¡¯s defences had yet to present an insurmountable challenge. Expending dozens upon dozens of elixirs and potions in their progress was not ideal, but it was the price that had to be paid. Gaspar was confident that it was only a matter of time before they uncovered some answers.


    That confidence only grew when their group entered a chamber far larger than any they had encountered before. Towering stone pillars lined the walls, between which floated massive discs of polished silver suspended by some invisible force. The discs rotated slowly, catching and bending the faint light into shimmering patterns that danced across the smooth stone floor. Within their reflective surfaces, soft, ghostly figures moved, shifting between recognisable forms and abstract shapes, as if echoing memories of the long-gone Zuver.


    The chamber walls were etched with thousands of spiraling runes, climbing towards a ceiling that rippled like a glossy liquid stilled in mid-motion. A strange energy filled the air, casting a rum, almost oppressive grey tint over everything. Gaspar felt an odd pull, urging him both to advance and hesitate. His gaze fixed on the ceiling and the discs, their slow movements hypnotic. Behind him, murmurs of awe rose from the other wizards, no doubt sensing the immense power that resonated within this space.


    ¡°Wait, is that¡­?¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice cut through the noise, hanging uncertainly.


    Gaspar, and presumably many others, shifted his focus towards the far end of the chamber. A single, solitary figure stood there, facing them. A slight crease formed on his brow.


    ¡°That¡¯s her, right? That¡¯s Scarlett! She actually got here before us!¡± Allyssa exclaimed, her tone equal parts disbelief and excitement.


    Gaspar glanced at the young girl, then at her companions, none of whom appeared to share her enthusiasm. His eyes moved to Fynn, the quiet one, who scrutinised the figure with a deepening frown.


    Squinting, Gaspar¡¯s attention returned to the figure. The greyish tint did not help things, but the silhouette certainly resembled the Baroness, even with her signature dark-red hair muted and dull. Instinctively, he would have assumed it to be her, but something undeniably felt off.


    ¡°I¡¯d been wondering about it,¡± Rosa said, her voice calm, ¡°but this place¡¯s called the ¡®Hall of Echoes¡¯, right? Those fuzzy fellows we¡¯ve been knocking around, they weren¡¯t just your run-of-the-mill spooks, were they?¡±


    Gaspar looked at her. Though this was not the first time he¡¯d had the thought, for all her theatrics, the woman could be startlingly perceptive. He had been working under the assumption that the Hall¡¯s defences¡ªspecifically, the echoes they had encountered in all their variations¡ªwere the remnants, or at least imitations, of past wizards. And if the Hall could replicate ancient figures, it wasn¡¯t far-fetched to think it could do the same with present-day ones.


    Why it would choose to depict the Baroness of all people, however, was beyond him. If this place held the memories of legendary arch wizards from ages past, why would it settle on mimicking a mere imperial noblewoman?


    Whatever the reason, Gaspar supposed it could be considered a relief. They had already dealt with echoes of great wizards. If an echo of the Baroness was their next opponent, it was unlikely to pose a significant threat in comparison.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves,¡± he called to his wizards, gripping his staff and tapping it firmly against the stone floor.


    Allyssa shot him a stunned look. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not going to fight her, are you?¡±


    Gaspar met her gaze evenly. Perhaps the biggest obstacle here would not be the echo itself, but overcoming their group¡¯s hesitation to harm the illusion of their ¡®patron¡¯.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°That is not the Baroness,¡± he said firmly. ¡°It is at most an imitation. A facsimile, just like the others we¡¯ve faced. If it were truly her, it would have already reacted to our presence.¡±


    The figure hadn¡¯t moved a muscle since their arrival.


    Allyssa looked from the echo back to Gaspar, her expression torn. ¡°But how can you be sure? What if she¡¯s unconscious or can¡¯t hear us? Or¡­I don¡¯t know, under some kind of spell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not her,¡± Fynn interjected, his nostrils flaring faintly, as if testing the air. Gaspar still didn¡¯t fully understand the boy, but his instincts had proven keen. ¡°It looks and smells like her, but it¡¯s different. She feels like those echoes.¡±


    Allyssa bit her lower lip, her doubt still evident.


    ¡°¡­I agree,¡± Shin added after a brief pause. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely to be her.¡±


    Allyssa glanced at him, then turned to Rosa, clearly searching for someone who might share her concerns. But the bard only offered a soft smile, shaking her head. ¡°Sorry, kid, but they¡¯re probably right. I¡¯m not sure Scarlett can even be put under that kind of spell. And, well¡­this one has a different ¡®taste¡¯ to it.¡±


    ¡°Taste?¡± Allyssa repeated, her confusion momentarily breaking through her worry.


    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t tell her I said that,¡± Rosa said.


    The woman¡¯s answer seemed to ease Allyssa¡¯s tension, at least, though Gaspar¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied the bard. What gave her such confidence that the Baroness would supposedly be immune to such spells?


    As though sensing his skepticism, Rosa met his gaze with a calm, knowing expression. Gaspar cleared his throat, schooling his features back into neutrality.


    ¡°I trust we can rely on your cooperation, then?¡± he asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want any sudden hesitation jeopardising our efforts once we begin.¡±


    Rosa¡¯s smile simply widened as she lifted her instrument with a casual flourish. ¡°I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯ll ever be. Never mind the hours spent trudging through endless corridors, casting charms until I¡¯m so drained I might¡¯ve literally started seeing sounds at some point. And oh, let¡¯s not forget how I¡¯m practically held together by fancy elixirs. Really, I¡¯m sure none of that will catch up with me at the worst possible moment.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. I will take that as a yes.¡± Gaspar let his gaze sweep across the chamber once more. ¡°Then there is little left to delay us.¡±


    The room itself seemed to hum with latent energy. There were no other visible exits, which suggested this was indeed the innermost sanctum. The discs, the etched runes spiraling up the walls, and the rippling ceiling all begged for answers, and he was intrigued to investigate whatever secrets lay hidden here. But first, they had to deal with what stood before them.


    ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯ll be a breeze,¡± Rosa remarked lightly.


    Gaspar shot her a sidelong glance. ¡°Do you truly think an echo of Baroness Hartford could pose a challenge to all of us?¡±


    The woman tilted her head, eyeing the distant figure. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure. But I wouldn¡¯t hedge my bets on it being easy. Scarlett¡¯s usually pretty sparing with her mana, so you don¡¯t often see her go all out. Actually, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever seen it. I just know one thing: if there¡¯s even a chance of ending up on the wrong side of one of her firestorms, I¡¯d think twice about provoking her.¡±


    Her companions nodded in silent agreement.


    Gaspar frowned. He had accepted that there might be more to the Baroness than met the eye, but the idea that she could rival echoes of ancient wizards simply seemed absurd.


    ¡°Enough speculation,¡± he said curtly, turning to address his wizards. ¡°Coordinate your casting. I want a synchronised, multi-school barrage at full force.¡±


    Everyone moved into position, and the Baroness¡¯ echo shifted ever so slightly. Her attire seemed to shimmer.


    ¡°She¡¯s equipped her artifacts,¡± Fynn observed.


    ¡°It copied even that much, huh?¡± Rosa muttered. ¡°Yeah, then we probably should be careful.¡±


    Gaspar glanced at her, but he nodded towards Grand Wizard Clemmons and her barrier wizards. ¡°Be ready to reinforce our defences if necessary.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t entirely convinced the echo would pose a serious threat, but if the Hall¡¯s magic empowered it in some unexpected way, caution was warranted.


    Steadying himself once more, he focused his mana through the length of his staff, the hum of power coursing through him. The other wizards mimicked his actions, and glowing runes materialised in the air. Intricate spell formations cracked with energy, building to a crescendo.


    With practiced coordination, the barrage was unleashed ¡ª a dazzling storm of fire, ice, earth, and other arcane forces arcing across the chamber towards the echo. The shellwork converged, the sheer force illuminating the room in a cascade of light and colours.


    But just before impact, the echo dissolved into a cloud of swirling mist. The spells slammed into the stone floor, their energy fizzling into harmless embers as the echo reappeared a short distance away, entirely unscathed.


    Gaspar¡¯s frown deepened. The Baroness could use teleportation magic? He cast an irritated glance at Rosa.


    ¡°She probably can¡¯t pull that trick too often,¡± the woman offered. ¡°Maybe twice more?¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s gaze lingered on her, not liking the uncertainty in her voice, but eventually he turned back to the echo. ¡°Again,¡± he ordered, his voice clipped. His grip on his staff tightened. ¡°Stagger the spells ¡ª don¡¯t give it time to anticipate.¡±


    The wizards adjusted their strategy, refraining from releasing all their spells at once. The first salvo launched, and the echo evaded it just as before. A second wave followed, only for the misty teleportation to whisk the figure away again. By the time the third barrage was cast¡ªthis time with Gaspar¡¯s own homing spell among the mix¡ªit seemed they might finally corner it. But as the spells closed in, shimmering elemental barriers materialized around the echo, their intricate patterns weaving fire and water in unison.


    At the same time, hydromancy spells veered off course or vaporized in bursts of heat, while pyromancy attacks twisted into cascading torrents of water, snuffed out entirely. Spells from other schools met similar fates, absorbed by sheer force or redirected with uncanny precision. Even Gaspar¡¯s own homing spell faltered slightly mid-flight, wavering as though resisting his control, before vanishing into a gleaming wall of water. When the magic storm subsided, the echo stood untouched, as if the assault had never happened.


    Gaspar¡¯s expression darkened further. ¡°Agai¡ª¡± He stopped mid-command, his words dying as the echo raised its hand in a slow, deliberate motion. A wreath of fire flickered into existence around its head, burning like a crown. The surge of magic that followed was palpable, and the chamber¡¯s temperature spiked in an instant.


    Clemmons and the other wizards just managed to raise their barriers in time as, all at once, an inferno erupted across the chamber. A colossal wave of fire surged forward, a wall of molten fury roaring as it engulfed everything in its path. Shockingly enough, the protective wards conjured by Clemmons and the others shuddered under the onslaught, their translucent forms flickering briefly as the inferno bore down on them. Beyond the barriers, the fire¡¯s intensity rendered the chamber a blinding sea of flame.


    Gaspar¡¯s eyes widened as he took in the spectacle, not sure whether to believe what he was seeing. The sheer scale of the attack was staggering¡ªa tidal wave of fire, conjured with no visible preparation, relying solely on pure pyrokinesis¡­


    He had known the Baroness was skilled in pyrokinesis, yes, but this was beyond anything he could have anticipated. Clemmons and the other wizards had managed to hold the barriers, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many among them could have survived the attack without the protection.


    He turned to Rosa, who was watching the flames carefully. When their eyes met, her usual levity was gone.


    ¡°I told you she could be a problem,¡± she said. Her gaze flicked back to the inferno. ¡°Scarlett¡¯s biggest weakness is her limited mana stores, but¡­maybe that¡¯s not even a factor for this thing.¡±


    As she spoke, the flames began to subside. The oppressive heat faded, and the chamber slowly came back into view. Gaspar¡¯s eyes locked on the echo. Had he, once more, underestimated the Baroness that badly? It had to be a distortion of reality, a fabrication of the Hall. While he had never bothered much with the Hartford family in the Empire, he had at least heard the rumors painting Baroness Hartford as a middling mage at best. Given his interactions with her, he assumed some of those rumours had been false, or that she had improved as a mage. But this wasn¡¯t just talent or improvement he was seeing. This was something else entirely. This level of magic¡ªcontrol, power¡ªwas something even arch wizards might find difficulty matching. It simply should not be possible.


    If it were not for the fact that the echo stood alone, he might have doubted whether they could¡ª


    His thoughts froze as the air around the echo rippled and twisted. One by one, more hazy figures materialised around it, their forms indistinct. Gaspar¡¯s stomach sank as their numbers quickly multiplied until they nearly matched the size of his own group.

 Chapter 301 - Facing off against the villainess

    The oppressive air in the chamber hummed with burgeoning magic as the freshly-formed echoes wasted no time casting their spells. Gaspar¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, quickly assessing the situation.


    ¡°Penney,¡± he barked, turning to the magister. ¡°Handle those echoes with the others. I¡¯ll deal with the Baroness¡¯ echo.¡±


    The portly man gave a curt nod, already beginning his own spellcasting alongside the junior wizards. Moments later, the chamber erupted in a chaotic storm of magical explosions ¡ª spells collided mid-air, blending into a kaleidoscope of arcane forces. The echoes appeared to be roughly on par with those they had encountered in the outer sections, which meant this battle could drag on for some time.


    Rosa¡¯s now-familiar melodies pierced through parts of the chaos, a subtle but tangible shift that bolstered Gaspar and the wizards. Fynn and Shin moved into their already well-practised roles. Shin positioned himself as a shield, absorbing what spells he could and fending off whatever conjured foes drew near, while Fynn darted forward with predatory agility, seeking an opening for melee combat.


    Gaspar focused on the Baroness¡¯ echo, sensing her mana coiling once more. He promptly channelled his own mana through his staff, casting two spells in quick succession ¡ª Flamewrath Barrage and Cinderstrike. Fireballs streaked through the air, followed by a molten bolt aimed directly at the echo. Without fail, however, each attack was met with precision. Impressive walls of conjured fire and water sprang forth, neutralising his spells in bursts of steam and crackling heat.


    The Baroness¡¯ echo remained unfazed, her hand raised as if in mockery, and Gaspar could not help cursing under his breath as a shower of flaming arrows and watery spears crossed the chamber, homing in on multiple targets. Clemmons and the rest of the barrier wizards blocked the assault with their own defensive spells, but what unsettled Gaspar was the sheer speed and versatility showcased by the echo. She nearly effortlessly wove dozens of them at once, in an almost perfect combination of both pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis. Gaspar had not even realised the techniques could be used this effectively.


    As a wizard, he could not help but respect the skill on display.


    The echo¡¯s attention shifted when she noticed Fynn closing in. Walls of searing fire rose in his path, followed by spears of water crashing from above. Forced into evasive manoeuvres, Fynn was momentarily pinned, dodging strikes meant only to kill.


    Gaspar slammed his staff into the ground, steeling himself as he began channelling another spell. Clearly, he could not afford to hold back here, and it would be best to finish this as soon as possible. Since projectile attacks were easily countered, he would try a different approach. Fynn¡¯s advance, at least, bought him time.


    A surge of heat coursed through him as his mana surged, though slower than he would have expected. A frown crossed his face at the subtle resistance. Was the Baroness¡¯ echo trying to seize control of his spell?


    ¡­The audacity.


    His anger stoked, he completed his spell with one final push. A twisting whirlpool of flames erupted beneath her, expanding into a fiery maelstrom that sought to devour everything in its wake. Then, with a thunderous explosion, the inferno consumed her and several nearby echoes.


    Gaspar did not expect the spell to completely overwhelm her, but he allowed himself a flicker of satisfaction nonetheless. It vanished when the flames cleared. At the heart of the blaze, a shimmering cocoon of fire and water¡ªseamlessly intertwined¡ªstood unscathed. The barrier dissipated, and to Gaspar¡¯s shock and horror, the flames constituting his spell began to converge towards the echo¡¯s head, and the artifact sitting there. They were being absorbed.


    For a moment, he questioned his own eyes. What manner of artifact was that?


    The thought lingered only briefly ¡ª there was no time to dwell on it. His attack had, at least, bought Fynn some time in return. The young warrior leapt towards the Baroness¡¯ echo, showing no hesitation as he brought his fists down in a powerful arc. Gaspar half-expected the echo to collapse under the blow¡ªhe had seen the youth perform feats of strength that more than bordered on the absurd by now¡ªbut instead, she raised an arm to meet it.


    The impact reverberated through much of the chamber, sending a shockwave that disrupted several weaker spells. The Baroness¡¯ echo skidded across the stone floor, her arm visibly damaged and form trembling slightly, but still standing. Gaspar stared in disbelief. A mage¡ªno matter how skilled¡ªshouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand such raw strength without powerful defensive spells, and she¡¯d employed none that he could identify.


    Was the real Baroness this strong? Or was this an advantage unique to her echo? Did that artifact on her head play some role in this?


    Before Gaspar could formulate a reasonable theory, a swarm of the lesser echoes turned their focus on Fynn, unleashing a torrent of spells on the young man. Meanwhile, chains of water lashed out, and fire blasts sought to engulf him, forcing Fynn to dodge and weave, retreating under the onslaught.


    ¡°Wish Scarlett had mentioned that little trick,¡± Rosa muttered not far from Gaspar, her attention divided between maintaining her other melodic charms and bolstering Fynn against the deluge of attacks. Fynn¡¯s struggle proved an unexpected blessing for the other wizards, though, who capitalised on the distraction to suppress the echoes which longer targeted them. Unfortunately, that singular advantage was short-lived. The Baroness¡¯ echo soon returned to countering spells, her magic terrifyingly precise and swift as she reclaimed control of large swaths of the battlefield, leaving Fynn¡¯s containment to the other echoes.


    Gaspar did attempt to exploit her divided attention, hammering her with spell after spell, but found that the results were always the same. It seemed almost painless for her to neutralise his spells with a last-second defence, or by simply absorbing the fire into that cursed artifact atop her head.


    His jaw clenched in frustration. He had grossly miscalculated. What he had thought would be a favourable matchup proved to be anything but. The Baroness¡¯ magic was a perfect counter to his. Her arsenal seemed almost custom-made to nullify everything a pyromancer like him could throw at her. Overwhelming her defences would likely require firepower beyond his capacity. Worse still, he doubted Penney or any of the other wizards would fare much better when she displayed no apparent concern for mana expenditure.


    If they wanted to win, they might have to rely on sheer numbers.


    Gaspar¡¯s gaze flicked to Rosa. The bard¡¯s charms already enhanced their spells, but he could feel it wouldn¡¯t be enough. As if sensing his look, the woman met his eyes, then sighed. ¡°You want me to crack that out already?¡± she asked with a forced lightheartedness.


    Gaspar caught the strain in her expression. No matter how many expensive elixirs and potions they¡¯d fed her to keep her going, there had to be limits to her ominous powers. Even so, he nodded firmly. This was no place for any misgivings or hesitation.


    Rosa exhaled deeply, then the very air around her seemed to shift. Her playful demeanour gave way to something darker and more ominous as her eyes dimmed. The melody of her instrument took on a far more haunting note, and from within, Gaspar felt another upsurge of power wash over him as her magic saturated the chamber. The wizards¡¯ spells twisted and warped unpredictably, amplified by Rosa¡¯s sinister charms.


    On the battlefield, a tempest of swirling energy enveloped Fynn as his speed and strength both swelled. The burns and blood on his body seemed to melt away, his intangible claws ripping through two echoes in a blur of violence as he growled. Free for a moment, Fynn then took a brief retreat as the empowered wizards¡¯ spells pushed forward. Even the Baroness¡¯ echo faltered, momentarily overwhelmed by the erratic barrage.


    Then, without warning, the flaming artifact on her head exploded into blinding radiance. It morphed into a crown of pure, molten fire, wreathing her in blazing energy. Gaspar¡¯s breath caught as he watched the artifact voraciously draw in mana from its surroundings, its light intensifying until it warped the space itself. From somewhere unseen, Gaspar could even see how its ravenous desires were met as massive amounts of mana simply manifested and channelled towards it.


    The Baroness¡¯ echo stood bathed in the crown¡¯s fiery glow, her grey-tinted figure gleaming under the flames. With a single, slow gesture, she unleashed a wave of devastating fire that swept across the entire chamber, burying everything in its path. Spells from the Isle¡¯s wizards fizzled out under the overwhelming force, and the translucent barriers maintained by Clemmons and her wizards were the only things keeping the flames back. Gaspar could scarcely believe the amounts of mana he¡¯d seen coursing through the echo. It was unlike anything he¡¯d ever witnessed ¡ª an unending, inexhaustible well of power.


    He cursed under his breath, even as he unsuccessfully tried casting spell after spell to push back the flood. Worse, he could feel how the Baroness¡¯ newfound power had brought her to a point where she could noticeably interfere with his casting directly. Whatever that artifact was, it granted her a terrifying level of control and potency, surpassing his own. Gaspar could only think of a handful of artifacts in existence capable of anything remotely similar, but this one was entirely unfamiliar.


    How had a mere baroness from the Empire gotten her hands on it?


    A sudden cry drew his attention to the left. He turned to see several of Clemmons¡¯ wizards convulsing or collapsing on the ground, their faces contorted and pale. Not even a second later, the protective barriers those wizards had maintained shattered, leaving their ranks exposed. A flurry of fire and water appeared among them, and screams of agony filled the air.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Someone reinforce those barriers!¡± Gaspar shouted, his voice sharp and urgent. ¡°Now!¡±


    Clemmons quickly expanded her own barriers, sealing the gaps just in time, though her trembling hands betrayed the strain. She was now forced to shoulder the burden of several wizards alone. Allyssa darted among the fallen with potions, while Rosa¡¯s charms worked to heal the most grievous injuries.


    ¡°What manner of sorcery is this?¡± Gaspar exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the collapsed barrier wizards. He couldn¡¯t tell if anyone had died, but it seemed unlikely many could return to the fight. They had been shielded by their own barriers when they fell, yet something had bypassed their defences. He hadn¡¯t seen any visible wounds at that point, so he didn¡¯t understand what had happened.


    At his side, he caught sight of Magister Penney¡¯s face, which had turned a shade paler.


    ¡°Penney, what¡¯s going on? Do you know?¡± Gaspar pressed.


    The man hesitated, swallowing hard. ¡°I-I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I suspect that might have been her hydrokinesis at play,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Hydrokinesis?¡± Gaspar scowled. ¡°But I saw no¡ª¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence as the realisation dawned on him. His eyes darted to the sea of flames that separated their group and the Baroness¡¯ echo across the chamber.


    Could she have manipulated the very moisture and liquids inside their bodies? Targeted the weakened barrier wizards, exhausting them before exploiting gaps in their defences to attack them internally? Such a technique would rarely work against seasoned mages, but after so many battles, these wizards were already physically and mentally exhausted.


    Gaspar¡¯s blood ran cold at the thought. Playing with the very lifeblood of those around her ¡ª the Baroness was delving into magic far more dangerous and dark than he had even anticipated. Not only did the woman have ties to demonic influences, but this as well? What manner of monster was she?


    Before he could dwell on it further, another barrier wizard collapsed, writhing on the ground. Clemmons, prepared this time, sealed the breach almost instantly, but the effort left her visibly shaken. Meanwhile, Penney summoned a small army of water elementals to buffer the rear against the encroaching flames, but they were woefully insufficient against the overwhelming inferno consuming the chamber.


    The helplessness clawed at Gaspar. For the first time since earning his title as a grand wizard, he felt truly powerless.


    The battle raged on, and Gaspar tried to assist wherever he could, focusing on lesser echoes whenever his wizards managed to pierce a hole in the Baroness¡¯ flames, but it was largely a futile effort. Even when they managed to destroy one, it would reconstruct within minutes. Though the echoes were briefly vulnerable during this process, their numbers made it difficult to exploit this consistently. He assigned a group of wizards to disrupt the reconstructed echoes where possible, but it was far from enough to win them this fight.


    The chamber had become the echoes¡¯ domain. Fynn and Shin had long since been forced to retreat behind the barrier, and even Rosa¡¯s struggle was becoming increasingly evident, placed under a similar level of strain as Clemmons simply to maintain the wizards¡¯ current position. Those charms were all that prevented Gaspar¡¯s wizards from being entirely overpowered.


    Another barrier wizard fell, and this time, several offensive casters dropped alongside them. Clemmons stumbled as she stretched her protective spells even further. Rosa, too, was nearing her limit ¡ª blood-red streaks trailed from her eyes, her body shaking. Both women fought desperately to keep the rest of them alive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can hold out much longer,¡± Rosa finally muttered through clenched teeth.


    Gaspar hesitated, his next spell faltering as he turned to her. His gaze swept the chamber, taking in the exhausted wizards still standing, still casting with all the energy they could muster. They had consumed far more potions than planned¡ªor safe¡ªbut what more could they do? This had become a battle of attrition, one that they were losing, while the Baroness¡¯ echo drew from an endless pool of mana.


    Their current strategy had failed. Perhaps if they could just reach the Baroness herself, they could change the tide. But how? Even Fynn would succumb to the firestorm beyond the barriers, and any opportunity they¡¯d had to push forward was long gone.


    ¡°I might have something up my sleeve that could help us,¡± Rosa said quietly.


    Gaspar¡¯s attention snapped back to her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    She grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s a trick Scarlett and I use sometimes. It might buy us a few seconds, maybe clear out parts of the chamber. But I won¡¯t be standing much longer after that.¡±


    Gaspar frowned. A brief opening could prove invaluable, but it likely was not enough to end this. They needed more than a fleeting moment to defeat the Baroness¡¯ echo. Even as the strongest caster present, his magic was woefully inadequate. The unfortunate matchup aside, the Baroness had demonstrated that none of the other wizards¡¯ spells could even reach her.


    His gaze shifted to Fynn, standing near the barrier, staring into the chaos. The Baroness¡¯ echo had treated him as the only true threat so far. If anyone could make the difference they needed, it would be Fynn. But with such a narrow window, what could the young warrior achieve?


    ¡°How much further could you raise Fynn¡¯s strength?¡± Gaspar asked, turning to Rosa.


    The bard shook her head. ¡°After I handle Scarlett¡¯s flames? Not much. He¡¯s already at his limit.¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s mouth thinned as he looked back at Fynn. The youth¡¯s intense gaze moved to meet his, as if waiting for his decision.


    ¡°Boy,¡± Gaspar finally called, his tone grim. ¡°If we can give you a chance, do you think you can break through and keep it¡ªher¡ªoccupied? Be warned, it will be dangerous.¡±


    Fynn held his eyes for a long moment, then gave a single, resolute nod.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to rely on you.¡±


    Gaspar motioned for a small group of his wizards to gather. Members of the Rising Isle rarely focused on spells that enhanced physical prowess. Such magic was seldom needed, as wizards typically avoided direct combat, and such spells always came with their own costs. Still, they weren¡¯t entirely without options.


    Nearby, Clemmons staggered as a burst of innumerable flaming mines detonated against the barriers, sending ripples of energy through the translucent shields.


    ¡°We have to act now,¡± Gaspar said, gripping his staff tightly. He gave Rosa a nod, signalling her to begin.


    The pervasive music ceased, and Rosa closed her eyes, the space around her calming for a brief moment before she began a new melody. Ethereal and otherworldly, the notes floated through the chamber, light yet affecting. Beyond the barriers, the Baroness¡¯ all-encompassing flames flickered in response. Tiny blue flames shimmered into existence around the decolourised inferno, dancing as if in harmony with the music.


    A moment passed, then those flickering blue flames exploded into bursts of light, resonating like the plucked strings of an enchanted harp. Strangely, wherever the blue flames touched a barrier, the barriers reacted unpredictably ¡ª some cracked under the strain, while others, paradoxically, grew stronger. Soon, the chamber glowed with the brilliance of blue fire as they devoured more than half of the Baroness¡¯ flames, casting an almost blinding light over everything.


    As the first of the blue flames began to fade, Rosa reeled back, caught by Shin just before she fell. With the path partially cleared, Gaspar and his wizards had already sprung into action.


    Gaspar released his spell, Flare Haste, just as his junior wizards layered their own enchantments onto Fynn: Stonebound Endurance, Wave Strike, Shadow¡¯s Grace, and more. Multicoloured auras enveloped the youth, gleaming as they seeped into his body. The stress immediately showed on Fynn¡¯s face, yet he didn¡¯t waver. His focus remained locked on the far end of the chamber, where the flames had thinned enough to reveal the Baroness¡¯ echo once more. A sudden gust of wind swept through the chamber, as though heralding the coming storm.


    Gaspar had worried Fynn might not withstand the burden, but he was glad to see he¡¯d been wrong.


    Rosa¡¯s music resumed, though it was weaker now, her magic seemingly focused entirely on Fynn. Then, the moment Grand Wizard Clemmons lowered a section of the barrier, Fynn vanished in a blur of speed. The air tore apart in his wake, a powerful gale rippling through the chamber and nearly toppling Gaspar and the others. Gaspar¡¯s eyes struggled to follow his nightmarishly fast movements.


    A deafening crash resounded as Fynn¡¯s form collided with the spot where the Baroness¡¯ echo had stood. Moments later, another impact followed, scattering debris across the chamber in the wake of a fight Gaspar could barely spot. The relentless barrage that had hammered their barriers faltered as columns of flame and water erupted near the chamber¡¯s end, implying that the Baroness¡¯ echo had survived, but now her attention was fully on Fynn.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let up!¡± Gaspar barked, casting a blast of fire at the lesser echoes to keep them from aiding the Baroness. His fellow wizards followed suit, their spells surging across the battlefield with newfound urgency.


    Amidst the chaos, Gaspar caught the occasional glimpse of Fynn. His movements were a haze of raw power and momentum, surpassing anything he¡¯d demonstrated before. He cut through the torrent of magic thrown his way, even as the flames burned and tore at his body. Every attack seemed like nothing more than an obstacle to be obliterated. Meanwhile, the Baroness¡¯ artifact flared brighter, almost pure white, as she conjured more and more magic to repel Fynn¡¯s onslaught. A spiralling vortex of fire roared behind her, feeding the artifact with a never-ending supply of fire.


    Then, with impossible speed, Fynn lunged at her, his clawed fist trailing violent winds as it crashed towards her. The Baroness raised an arm to block. The impact was devastating, cracking the stone floor beneath them. Yet, impossibly, the echo was only pushed back a few meters. Gaspar could only stare. It was as if she, too, had reached an inhuman level of physical resilience.


    Even so, the echo was beginning to falter. Fynn¡¯s relentless strikes battered her defences, gusts of wind tearing through the chamber with each blow. Gaspar had honestly only expected Fynn to buy time, but the youth had seemingly forsaken all other concerns and was doing far more ¡ª he was pressing both of them to their limits. His body, marred with burns and wounds, seemed ready to collapse, yet in that moment, he appeared both unyielding and unstoppable. A force of nature, clashing against the embodiment of elemental power.


    Their battle reached a fever pitch. Fire and water clashed with wind in an elemental crescendo. The Baroness summoned a swelling mass of flames that engulfed everything around her. But Fynn roared¡ªa guttural, primal sound¡ªand surged forward, his form shrouded in cyclones tinged with faint green light. He plunged into the blaze, undeterred.


    A final, thunderous impact echoed through the chamber. For an instant, the air stilled, the cacophony of the battle silenced. Then the flames abruptly dissipated, leaving only stillness in their wake. The oppressive atmosphere lifted as the remaining echoes flickered out of existence, their forms dissolving like ash in the wind while colour bled into the chamber.


    Gaspar lowered his staff, his heart racing. His gaze swept the room until it fell on Fynn, standing alone near the center of the chamber, his chest heaving as blood seeped over his form. He stared at the spot where the Baroness¡¯ echo had stood ¡ª now empty. Then, slowly, Fynn¡¯s body gave out, and he collapsed.


    Around Gaspar, the wizards began to stir. Their spells faded as the realisation set in: the fight was over. Quiet murmurs of relief and exhaustion spread through their ranks. Clemmons sank to the floor, while Allyssa ran across the chamber to Fynn¡¯s side. Gaspar considered calling her back¡ªthey couldn¡¯t be certain all threats had passed¡ªbut something told him she wouldn¡¯t listen.


    His gaze shifted to the spot where the Baroness¡¯ echo had been. Thankfully, she showed no signs of reforming.


    Gaspar exhaled, the weight of the battle still persisting. There was much left to do, and many dangers to address, but for now, they had overcome this challenge.


    Never in his wildest imagination had he thought the Baroness¡ªor an echo of her¡ªcould wield such power. Even with access to far more mana than the real Baroness presumably had, the abilities on display were unnerving in many ways. He would have much to discuss with the woman, should he ever see her again.


    A question lingered, tugging at the edge of his mind: where was the real Baroness Hartford now, if not here? Though he had kept it to himself, Gaspar had quietly wondered¡ªand even doubted¡ªwhether she could survive whatever trials she would face alone. But after witnessing the echo¡¯s might, he was no longer skeptical.


    In fact, he was certain of the opposite.


    It would take something¡ªor someone¡ªtruly extraordinary to stop that woman.

 Chapter 302 - Meet the Hartfords

    ¡°Scarlett¡­ Scarlett!¡± A faint, youthful voice pierced the fog of Scarlett¡¯s consciousness as the world around her gradually sharpened into focus. From the indeterminate haze, vague shapes began to form, her senses slowly returning.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    She blinked, lowering her gaze to the young girl standing directly in front of her. The child¡¯s soft auburn hair barely brushed her shoulders, freckles dotted her nose, and wide amber eyes glimmered with a hopeful gleam. In her hands was a worn, leather-bound book.


    Scarlett stared, her thoughts feeling sluggish. Was that¡­Evelyne?


    It took a few moments to catch up. The girl couldn¡¯t have been older than five or six, her bright, eager eyes fixed intently on Scarlett¡¯s face. She held up the book, her voice brimming with pride. ¡°I learned it! I really did!¡±


    Scarlett frowned, glancing around, trying to orient herself. She was in one of the rooms in the Freybrook mansion¡ªshe was certain of that much ¡ª but which one, she wasn¡¯t sure. The decor felt unfamiliar, though she thought she¡¯d been here before.


    What had happened to Freymeadow, though? To Vail and Arlene? Her gamble seemed to have yielded some results, but what had it led to?


    Her eyes drifted to a nearby window, partially obscured by drawn blinds and a thin lace curtain. Pale light filtered through, casting a dim glow across the room.


    Had she simply been thrust into another Memory? The unravelling chaos of the last one hadn¡¯t felt as if it was confined to just that instance, though.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Evelyne¡¯s small voice wavered, her earlier excitement dimming. ¡°I promise I¡¯m not lying. Look!¡± The girl¡¯s face tightened with concentration as she raised her hands, moving them in slow, gangling gestures. A muted, flickering red rune appeared above her palms, producing a tiny flame that danced briefly in the air before sputtering out.


    Evelyne¡¯s face fell, her mouth forming a distressed pout. There was a desperate¡ªalmost painfully innocent¡ªdetermination burned into her expression. ¡°N-No, I can do it! Look! I practiced all night in secret!¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s lips thinned as she watched Evelyne attempt the spell again, her small hands gesturing earnestly. For someone so young, conjuring any magic at all was a rare feat in this world ¡ª one that most would celebrate. But Scarlett wasn¡¯t the right person for that.


    The little flame flared to life once more, steadier this time, hovering for a few seconds. Evelyne looked back at Scarlett, her eyes searching for some sign of approval.


    Scarlett stepped back, shaking her head. ¡°I do not have time for this,¡± she said, focusing back on her surroundings. Whatever this Memory¡¯s purpose¡ªor her feelings regarding it¡ªit wasn¡¯t her priority at the moment.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Ignoring Evelyne, Scarlett moved towards the window, hoping for a glimpse of the world outside. She¡¯d only taken a step when a soft sob broke the air behind her.


    She stiffened, looking back to see tears streaking down Evelyne¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Y-You said¡­ You said you would help me if I could learn it,¡± the girl whispered, her voice cracking as her tiny flame vanished.


    Caught off guard, Scarlett was momentarily at a loss for how to respond. She hadn¡¯t expected the girl to start crying.


    A sharp, familiar voice cut through the quiet. ¡°Evelyne. Cease your crying. That is not how a scion of this house behaves.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes darted to the source. Stepping up to Evelyne from somewhere unknown was a younger version of herself, her face set in a cool, composed expression Scarlett knew all too well. The younger Scarlett looked a few years older than before, stopping beside Evelyne with a faint frown as she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the girl¡¯s tears. ¡°Father would be disappointed to see you crying over something so trivial.¡±


    Evelyne sniffled, but her tears seemed to stop as she nodded. ¡°B-But you promised¡­¡±


    ¡°I did think you capable of mastering it,¡± the younger Scarlett said. ¡°However, I will uphold my word. I will help you ¡ª later. For now, return to your chambers.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s gaze focused on her, as if forgetting the older version standing nearby. After a moment, she turned and scampered towards the door, leaving the room.


    Scarlett was left with her counterpart. Their eyes met briefly, but before she could say anything, her younger self turned and walked out as well.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Scarlett called after her, but the girl was already disappearing down the hall. Scarlett followed, only to stop short as she reached the hallway and found it stretching into an endless, blinding white void. Behind her, the room splintered, its fragments melting into the white light as it overtook her vision.


    When she could see again, she stood in the mansion¡¯s dining hall ¡ª or part of it. The space was broken, with one section appearing dim and cracked like a greying, broken mirror. At the table in the intact section, a slightly older Evelyne, perhaps seven or eight, sat across from a teenaged Scarlett. Beside Evelyne was her mother, gentle and reserved.


    At the table¡¯s head sat a man whose presence commanded attention. Lord Hartford¡¯s dark-red hair and amber eyes cut a striking figure, speaking of someone used to wielding authority. Garside stood respectfully behind him, dashes of colour still visible in the butler¡¯s face, silent and calm. But Lord Hartford¡¯s expression was dark, his focus locked on someone else in the room.


    Scarlett paused as she recognised who it was.


    A woman in an elegant yet noticeably rumpled dress stood in front of the table, with stark black hair framing sharp blue eyes in a face similar to Scarlett¡¯s own. Her expression teetered on manic as she jabbed an accusatory finger at Evelyne¡¯s mother, two servants hovering anxiously behind her.


    ¡°You,¡± the woman spat. ¡°You think you can simply replace me? Pollute this house with your sordid influence? Steal what is mine by right, by rule, and by blood?¡±


    ¡°Mother, please,¡± the younger Scarlett interjected, seated opposite Evelyne. Her tone was measured, tempered, but firm. ¡°You know not to leave your quarters. You risk harm to yourself and to others if you behave this way. Stop this needless display.¡±


    Lana¡ªthe original¡¯s mother¡ªseemed unmoved by her daughter¡¯s words as her fiery gaze shifted to Evelyne, who shrank back under the scrutiny. Evelyne¡¯s mother protectively extended an arm in front of her daughter.


    ¡°That filthy little parasite thinks she belongs here,¡± Lana hissed. ¡°A few parlor tricks don¡¯t make her worthy. Look at her, cowering. She would wilt at the first breath of true nobility.¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Lord Hartford¡¯s voice cut through the air like steel, his face a mask of disgust and barely contained fury. He looked at the two servants flanking Lana. ¡°Take her to her quarters. Now.¡± His attention snapped back to Lana. ¡°And you. Mind your words in this house. Time and time again, I have shown restraint, more than most could, for there are moments when you are lucid enough to cling to some semblance of reason. But as always, you overstep. You are no longer the lady of this house¡ªneither by law nor by bond¡ªand you have only yourself to blame. If this behaviour continues, you will leave me no choice but to take more permanent measures.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Lana¡¯s lips twisted into a sneer. ¡°You let yourself be ensnared by her lowly charms. For all your supposed wisdom, you¡¯re blind to how she corrodes this house, eroding its foundation.¡±


    Suddenly, she lunged forward, her hand seizing a knife from the table before the servants could intervene. ¡°If no one else will act, then I¡ª¡±


    She screamed as the knife glowed red-hot, forcing her to drop it. The blade hissed as it struck the carpet, leaving a faint scorch mark. Lord Hartford¡¯s stare was cold as ice. ¡°You will do nothing. This is the last time I will ever allow anything of this sort from you.¡±


    ¡°Dear¡ª¡± Evelyne¡¯s mother began, but he silenced her with an upraised hand.


    ¡°No. We can discuss it later.¡± He turned back to the servants. ¡°Take her away.¡±


    The two men stepped forward, gripping Lana by her arms. She struggled, shrieking as they dragged her towards the door. ¡°You disgrace yourself!¡± she screamed, her voice rising with every step. Evelyne clung tightly to her mother¡¯s arm, her wide eyes brimming with fear. The younger Scarlett remained still, her face unreadable as her mother was hauled into the hallway.


    ¡°I have waited patiently for you to see sense all these years, Castor,¡± Lana¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Mark my words, this house will burn for your blindness!¡±


    Her shouts gradually faded, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on the doorway, a bleak knot of foreboding settling in her chest.


    A soft sob broke the silence, and Scarlett glanced at Evelyne, whose shoulders were trembling.


    ¡°Cease your crying, Evelyne,¡± the younger Scarlett said, sounding detached from it all. ¡°Scions of this family do not weep over such matters.¡±


    Remarkably, Evelyne stifled her sobs, but Lord Hartford¡¯s eyes hardened as he turned towards his eldest daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t speak to your sister in that manner, Scarlett,¡± he said rigidly. For several long seconds, he studied her, his expression darkening with conflict. ¡°¡­You may be that woman¡¯s daughter, but you are not bound to her path. And I expect her not to be let out of her quarters like this again.¡±


    ¡°I was not the one who released her,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°Please do not lie to me, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    ¡°Dear,¡± Evelyne¡¯s mother said softly, placing a gentle hand on her husband¡¯s arm. He glanced at her, then back at Scarlett, his shoulders sagging with resignation.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said, almost to himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He paused, as if about to say more, when a distant commotion erupted from the hallway. A shattering crash followed by a scream cut through the mansion¡¯s stillness. Evelyne¡¯s mother gasped, and Lord Hartford¡¯s eyes widened. Evelyne blinked in confusion, while the younger Scarlett¡¯s head whipped towards the doorway. Scarlett felt her blood turn cold.


    Before anyone could act, the fractured section of the dining hall crumbled. Reality splintered, the edges dissolving into the same endless white void. It threatened to engulf Scarlett for a moment, but instead, she was suddenly deposited in another scene ¡ª her office, with one wall peering into that infinite whiteness.


    Evelyne, now in her early teens, stood in the center of the room, her face streaked with fresh tears once more. Across from her, seated behind the wide desk, was an older version of the previous Scarlett, watching with an impassive expression.


    ¡°Cease with this endless crying,¡± the older Scarlett said. ¡°Tears do not suit our house.¡±


    Evelyne¡¯s face twisted with both confusion and hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t you care at all?¡± she asked, her voice wavering. ¡°You just told me Mother and Father are gone.¡±


    The other Scarlett remained unmoved. ¡°Yes, and tears will not change that fact. I have repeatedly told you that allowing sentimentality to control you is foolish. Dwelling on the past serves no purpose but to hinder ambition.¡±


    Evelyne stared, disbelief written on her features. ¡°¡­You really don¡¯t care, do you? Just like back then. How can you be so¡­heartless?¡±


    The other Scarlett regarded her sister for a long moment before responding with a chilling calm. ¡°If you believed your mother¡¯s death might affect me, you are woefully naive. I have never regarded her as family, nor do I believe she truly ever saw me as such. As for Father¡¯s fate, I have chosen to accept it as it is.¡±


    Her words were clinical, almost calculated, but Scarlett¡ªwatching from the sidelines¡ªstudied the woman closely. She knew herself well enough to recognise that things weren¡¯t so simple.


    ¡°¡­Father would have been ashamed to see you like this,¡± Evelyne whispered bitterly.


    Something flickered in the other Scarlett¡¯s eyes ¡ª a brief, dangerous glint. ¡°Do not presume to speak as though you knew him better than I,¡± she said sharply. ¡°I have no patience for your pointless sentiments. Leave.¡±


    Evelyne hesitated, her gaze lingering on her sister, searching for something that she couldn¡¯t spot. Then, wordlessly, she turned and walked out of the room, passing Garside in the hallway. The butler¡¯s face betrayed a mix of pity and poignancy as he looked back at the other Scarlett before gently closing the door behind Evelyne.


    Left alone with her counterpart, Scarlett continued studying the woman. The other Scarlett stared down at her desk for several seconds, before she slowly lifted her eyes to meet Scarlett¡¯s.


    ¡°I fail to see why you insist on making me relive these particular experiences,¡± she said evenly.


    Scarlett considered her. ¡°¡­I did not choose this.¡±


    ¡°Do not deceive yourself. You have held control over what unfolds in these Memories.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. She wasn¡¯t sure how accurate that was, but she knew there was some truth to it. She chose not to argue, allowing an extended pause to settle between them as they eyed each other.


    ¡°¡­What happened?¡± Scarlett asked at last.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°In Freymeadow.¡±


    ¡°You already know the answer to that.¡±


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°Then why would you presume that I do?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at the deflection. After a moment, she gestured towards the missing wall, changing the subject. ¡°The Memories are collapsing.¡±


    The other Scarlett inclined her head. ¡°Indeed. They likely will not endure much longer. I am rather impressed that you managed to keep them unified despite that earlier¡­disruption. I had anticipated it would all end then and there.¡±


    ¡°Could you not have helped?¡±


    The woman arched a brow. ¡°I thought I was a mere construct? What help could I possibly offer?¡±


    ¡°Vail was a mere construct,¡± Scarlett pointed out.


    The other Scarlett regarded her coolly. ¡°She was an anomaly.¡±


    ¡°And you are not?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression darkened, something dark flickering in her gaze. ¡°And what, precisely, are you implying?¡±


    Ignoring the sharp edge in her tone, Scarlett walked to the missing wall to peer into the void. Its vast emptiness stirred unsettling feelings from within, much like the rift¡¯s strange pull. Yet right now, right at this moment, she wasn¡¯t afraid of it.


    She turned back to the other Scarlett. ¡°Tell me, why did you insist on those words to Evelyne? In each of these Memories, you told her not to cry. Why?¡±


    The woman tilted her head slightly. ¡°As I said, scions of our house do not cry. They should not.¡±


    ¡°That is not the family¡¯s motto. It is something you chose for yourself, is it not?¡±


    ¡°No. It is something my father once imparted to me.¡±


    ¡°Yet he did not appear to agree with the maxim.¡±


    ¡°That is irrelevant. I cannot account for if his views changed. Nonetheless, I still hold it to be true.¡±


    ¡°Then do you truly stand by those words?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Scarlett observed her closely for a few seconds. ¡°¡­Then you would consider Evelyne a member of this house? Someone who should uphold those values?¡±


    The younger Scarlett¡¯s expression changed, a faint frown creasing her brow. ¡°Only by circumstance. She still descends from a common bloodline.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Scarlett lifted a hand, letting it hover near the white void. ¡°That is more than I expected you to acknowledge. In fact, it surprises me ¡ª I was not entirely certain you were a genuine reflection of Scarlett Hartford as she once was.¡±


    It had been a while since she abandoned the idea that this woman was the real Scarlett.


    With a deliberate motion, she conjured a small flame in her palm and, through some intuitive command that she was still trying to understand, she pressed the flame through the wall into the void beyond. The fire¡¯s form seemed to stretch infinitely into the whiteness, its edges blurring as if drawn into the void¡¯s vast emptiness.


    ¡°What precisely are you doing?¡± the other Scarlett asked.


    ¡°I am not sure,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°Experimenting, I suppose. Preparing myself for something I did not know I was capable of, perhaps? If I am entirely honest, I do believe you may understand it better than I.¡±


    She squinted, scrutinising the flame, trying to trace the intangible link between herself and the fire. She had only realised she could interfere with these rifts in Freymeadow, and there was still much that confounded her.


    Suddenly, the flame¡¯s connection dissolved, and Scarlett watched as it vanished into the void.


    ¡­That hadn¡¯t told her much at all, unfortunately.


    Well, it might be easier to just seek answers directly from the source. Maybe that was the very reason she had somehow invoked these Memories in the first place ¡ª whether consciously or not.


    With a deliberate air, she refocused on the other Scarlett. ¡°I believe it is time we had a serious discussion, the two of us ¡ª this time, without pretenses or evasions. Let us not delude ourselves by pretending either of us does not have any agendas or hidden intentions.¡±


    The other Scarlett watched her with an unwavering gaze, arms slowly folding across her chest. ¡°Very well,¡± she said after a moment. ¡°What is it you wish to have said?¡±


    Scarlett held her eyes. ¡°Before we begin, should we not introduce ourselves once more? Properly, for once.¡±


    She stepped forward slightly. ¡°As you already know, I am Amy Bernal ¡ª an outsider to this world, and the current holder of the identity of ¡®Scarlett Hartford¡¯.¡± She let the weight of her words settle before continuing. ¡°And you, I presume, are the one they call the ¡®Anomalous One¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 303 - Anomaly

    The other Scarlett¡¯s eyes lingered on Scarlett, her expression unreadable as she slowly rose from her seat. Around them, the scene of the office began to dissolve, its edges fading into a dim expanse of dusky, twilit sky, shrouded in heavy grey mist creeping from the horizon. Endless rifts of white void spread through the space, leaving Scarlett standing on a raised platform. She glanced around, taking in the abrupt shift in her surroundings.


    This was, she was fairly certain, where she had encountered Thainnith¡¯s fragment ¡ª the space that had been invaded by a foreign force just before Scarlett was given the man¡¯s legacy.


    ¡°A proper introduction, you say?¡± came the low voice behind her. Scarlett turned to find the other version of herself standing there, now identical to her in every detail, down to the minutiae of expression and that same quiet, penetrating gaze.


    Scarlett studied her counterpart for a moment before motioning to the surrounding scene. ¡°It appears you have made yourself quite at home.¡±


    ¡°Not in the least,¡± the other Scarlett replied. She regarded her with a long, deliberate look. ¡°¡­You seem confident that I am the Anomalous One.¡±


    ¡°Am I mistaken?¡± Scarlett asked.


    From the beginning, this other version of herself had been unlike the other constructs in the Memories. Though the ¡®younger¡¯ Scarlett feigned ignorance, Scarlett herself had been convinced she understood far more than she let on. Smaller indicators had hinted at it, but her abrupt disappearance in Freymeadow¡ªjust before Vail¡¯s arrival¡ªcouldn¡¯t have been a coincidence. If Scarlett had to guess, it had been an attempt to contain Vail. Even Vail¡¯s initial remarks upon seeing her supported that conclusion.


    The woman continued to study her, then took a step closer. Scarlett instinctively drew back ¡ª a reaction that seemed to mildly amuse the other.


    ¡°Should I take offense?¡± the other Scarlett asked, her eyebrow raised slightly. ¡°You, Amy, are far more dangerous than I. If there is any reason for concern here, it ought to be mine.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression remained openly skeptical. ¡°Forgive me if I find that difficult to believe.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer not to, if I am truthful, but I know you well enough to see it would be in vain.¡±


    A brief, tense silence fell between them. Scarlett examined the woman, wrestling with the strangeness of the situation. She had heard so much about the Anomalous One¡ªthis being of supposedly unimaginable and terrifying power¡ªbut there was much she had yet to understand about it. To finally meet it like this, mirrored in herself, was¡­


    Well, she still wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of it.


    She schooled her expression. ¡°What was your intention in deceiving me all this time?¡±


    ¡°Deceive you? I never particularly sought to do that.¡±


    ¡°Presenting yourself to me¡ªposing as the original Scarlett¡ªis not deception?¡±


    ¡°I have never claimed to be anything other than what I am: Scarlett Hartford,¡± the woman replied evenly. ¡°At most, I may have allowed you to believe I was wholly unfamiliar with the rifts, though that is not, strictly speaking, false.¡±


    ¡°You are not Scarlett Hartford,¡± Scarlett said flatly. ¡°You are the Anomalous One.¡±


    The other Scarlett was unfazed. ¡°And why should I not be both?¡±


    ¡°Surely you are not suggesting that the Anomalous One and the original Scarlett are one and the same?¡±


    ¡°No, they share no connection whatsoever, but that is of little consequence. You are both ¡®Scarlett Hartford¡¯ and ¡®Amy Bernal¡¯, so is there a reason I cannot claim the same?¡± The woman leaned forward, her voice sharpening slightly. ¡°If anything, I embody Scarlett Hartford more completely than you do. I carry her history and her experiences unbroken. I adhere to her values and beliefs¡ªflawed though they may be¡ªwithout hesitation or shame. ¡®Amy¡¯, by contrast, is at most an imperfect echo. An¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡®Apostate¡¯,¡± Scarlett finished.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± the other Scarlett said. ¡°I would never have condoned half the choices you have made under that name. The notion that you somehow hold greater claim to it than I is¡­distasteful.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°I did not take this path to honour the original Scarlett. As you yourself observed, she was little more than a third-rate villainess, with a disposition that has brought me nothing but hardship.¡±


    ¡°And yet, that very disposition has served you well, has it not? My ruthlessness, my indifference to sentiment ¡ª they have shielded you in moments of greatest need, when you found yourself adrift in unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances. They allowed you to act decisively, unburdened by the constraints of a morality you never fully cultivated in your former life.¡± The other Scarlett held her gaze unwaveringly. ¡°Did you not abandon the impressionable ideal of striving to be merely ¡®good¡¯ in favour of living for yourself, pursuing what you deemed right, precisely because of that disposition? Would you not agree that such a mindset has proven invaluable to you in this world?¡±


    Scarlett met her eyes, searching the calm patience there. The woman seemed neither boastful nor judgemental. It was as though she was simply asking. Perhaps even genuinely.


    But Scarlett saw no point in entertaining the question. She was not here to argue her morality with this entity. Instead, this was probably the best opportunity she had ever gotten to get some answers to questions of her own.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± she said, keeping her tone measured. ¡°Why have you assumed this form?¡±


    A slight smirk touched the other Scarlett¡¯s lips. ¡°Avoiding the question, then?¡± She watched her for a moment, then gave a light shrug. ¡°Very well. I shall humour you. Contrary to what you may think, I am not your adversary here. My ¡®form¡¯, as you call it, is merely the result of circumstance ¡ª and your actions.¡±


    ¡°Mine?¡±


    The woman nodded. ¡°I certainly would not have chosen this shape. Thainnith and his legacy simply proved to be more cunning than I suspect even he intended. Devious, even.¡±


    Scarlett''s brow furrowed. ¡°His legacy?¡±


    How, exactly, did that tie into this?


    Her eyes slowly widened as a possibility occurred to her.


    She had thought the legacy to be a mere repository of knowledge, but what if that wasn¡¯t what it was?


    Once more, she looked around, observing the space where the Anomalous One¡¯s influence had fractured and permeated the very fabric of its reality. She hadn¡¯t drawn the connection at first, but now she realised that this place was likely akin to the Memories she¡¯d just been in, with Thainnith¡¯s fragment a construct within it. That might be why the Anomalous One could access both it and the Memories, despite being sealed. Both were outside of the realms. But also, this meant that this space itself was a sort of repository ¡ª of knowledge and past events.


    And what if the legacy Thainnith had left her was merely the conduit to access that repository? It could explain why Scarlett hadn¡¯t experienced the severe side-effects Mistress had hinted would come from possessing such vast knowledge. Effects that normally would overwhelm any ordinary mortal¡­


    The other Scarlett watched her closely. ¡°I admit, I have often found myself surprised at how perceptive you can be at times,¡± she said, a subtle note of approval lacing her words. ¡°Indeed, when the ¡®Anomalous One¡¯ subsumed this space, it forged a direct connection tethered solely to you ¡ª a one-directional bond, unbreakable and irreversible.¡±


    Scarlett nodded slowly. Essentially, through the legacy, she had a channel that now tapped directly into the fragment of the Anomalous One¡¯s power that had invaded Thainnith¡¯s Memory. Was that, then, what allowed her to interfere with its rifts in the Freymeadow Memory?


    ¡°However,¡± the woman continued, ¡°while that may have served as the catalyst, it was not the cause for me to appear as I do now. For you are not Scarlett Hartford. That connection lies elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°¡­It lies within the system,¡± Scarlett said.


    The woman showed a knowing smile. ¡°That it does.¡±


    ¡°What precisely are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°You already have some notion, no?¡±


    ¡°You are suggesting I somehow wielded the legacy¡¯s power¡ªthe Anomalous One¡¯s power¡ªand its connection to the system to compel you into this shape. And, presumably, that I am solely responsible for creating the Memories in which you, Arlene, and the others appeared.¡±


    The other Scarlett briefly tilted her head slightly. ¡°Not quite, but close. Rather, the system was merely the sole medium through which I could interact, given the circumstances. Nevertheless, you are, indeed, accountable for the creation of those Memories yourself.¡±


    ¡°Even with borrowed power, I find it difficult to believe I would have caused that.¡±


    ¡°Rarely do things function as we expect. If you prefer, you may consider it a fortunate¡ªor unfortunate¡ªhappenstance stemming from your interaction with the pre-existing arrays inside the Hall of Echoes.¡±


    ¡°It seems far more likely to me that you were responsible,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°The Hall was already corrupted by your influence when I arrived there.¡±


    The other Scarlett regarded her for a beat. ¡°Do you believe the Anomalous One would choose to create those Memories for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett replied.


    ¡°It had no reason to.¡±


    ¡°Then what was your purpose in the Hall of Echoes?¡±


    The woman paused. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot answer that.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You cannot, or you will not?¡±


    ¡°I cannot,¡± the woman said. ¡°In your terms, I may be the ¡®Anomalous One¡¯, but I am not its entirety. The entity you refer to by that name does not abide by the rules that bind beings like yourself ¡ª or me. I am as much Scarlett Hartford as I am the Anomalous One. If it is of help to you, think of me as a fragment, akin to Thainnith¡¯s, though our existences are not truly comparable.¡± She went silent, her expression growing harder to read. ¡°I will say, I have never assumed a form in this manner before. It is a¡­unique experience, knowing a life that has been lived as wholly human. I find it both liberating and¡­confining.¡±


    Scarlett studied her closely. Then should she consider this woman as the Anomalous One or not?


    ¡°¡­What distinguished you from the Anomalous One within the Hall of Echoes?¡± she asked.


    ¡°One might say it is another aspect of it,¡± the woman replied, ¡°a part that avoided being fully restricted to this space.¡± She gestured around them, where the rifts subtly shifted and flowed through the air.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Scarlett¡¯s attention moved across the space, her eyes following the faint, restless movements. Though it was faint, she felt like she could somewhat feel the connection between her and this place. She wondered ¡ª if she called upon it, what would she be able to do?


    ¡°It is strange,¡± the other Scarlett remarked after a while, her gaze fixed intently on her. ¡°This is the first time in which I have felt even a semblance of kinship with another. Despite your refusal to embrace it in its entirety, you still bear my name, and you, too, are a fellow ¡®Anomalous One¡¯. They are the two qualities that one might say define my existence ¡ª and I find myself sharing both with you.¡±


    Scarlett turned her focus back to the woman. ¡°¡­So even you would describe me as an Anomalous One?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. You already knew you were one.¡±


    ¡°I only know because that is what Anguish told me. Yet, she also made it clear that the term was merely a description ¡ª of that which defies fate, an anomaly within the order of this world. Such an explanation is far from specific. Is there more to its meaning?¡±


    ¡°No, there is not,¡± the other Scarlett said. ¡°It was, from the outset, simply a term devised by this world¡¯s inhabitants to label that which eluded their understanding.¡±


    ¡°What, then, are you? What manner of being is the Anomalous One? Why does it exist in this world, and from whence did it come? And what do you know of this world¡¯s true nature¡­and the system that governs it?¡±


    Even if this figure before her¡ªwhether person or entity¡ªwas meant to be exceedingly dangerous, these were questions Scarlett desperately wanted to have answered.


    The other Scarlett held her eyes, as if considering her response with great care. Finally, she spoke. ¡°Shall we strike a bargain?¡±


    ¡°A bargain?¡± Scarlett echoed.


    ¡°A bargain,¡± the other Scarlett repeated.


    Scarlett¡¯s expression tightened, her voice cautious. ¡°What manner of bargain?¡±


    The woman said nothing. Instead, she raised her hand.


    [Name: Scarlett Hartford]


    [Skills:


    [Superior Mana Control]


    [Superior Pyromancy]


    [Major Pyrokinesis]


    [Greater Hydromancy]


    [Major Hydrokinesis]


    [??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????]]


    [Traits:


    [Dignified August]


    [Supercilious]


    [Cavalier]


    [Callous]


    [Overbearing]


    [Conceited]


    [Third-rate Mana Veins]]


    [Mana: 8532/12448]


    [Points: 60]


    Scarlett¡¯s system interface materialised between them, blinking in the dim light, its surface slightly distorted, as though viewed through fractured glass. ¡°I hold the power to shape this in any manner you desire,¡± the other Scarlett stated. ¡°You may wield it, alter it, or even remove it entirely, should you wish. You already know that I speak the truth.¡±


    Scarlett regarded the system window. The transparent, flickering screens seemed almost as if they begged to be dismissed. Given that the Anomalous One had already interfered with it before¡ªinserting its own skill¡ªshe didn¡¯t doubt her claim.


    ¡°And why would you offer this to me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Because it is what you desire, is it not?¡± the other Scarlett answered smoothly. ¡°I have no need of this ¡®system¡¯ myself, if that is what you think. And to you, it is nothing more than a crutch ¡ª a cage binding you. Have you not chafed against its restraints time and time again?¡± Her tone grew more severe. ¡°I am saying that I will give you full control of it.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes hardened, scanning the woman. ¡°And what is it that you would ask in return?¡±


    ¡°Your help in breaking the Seal of Thainnith.¡±


    ¡°Then my answer is no.¡±


    ¡°Do not be so quick to refuse. Not before you understand precisely what I am offering.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it may be, I find it difficult to believe it would be to my benefit,¡± Scarlett said coldly. ¡°For one, your previous interference with the system served only to manipulate me. I would be a fool to trust your intentions, and I have no desire to aid the Anomalous One in escaping the seals. I am well aware of what that would mean for this world.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± The other Scarlett¡¯s voice was quiet, almost thoughtful. ¡°I wonder¡­ If you believe it would destroy the world, then you may be mistaken.¡±


    ¡°It might not destroy it, but it would bring about unparalleled devastation and chaos,¡± Scarlett replied.


    Both Thainnith and her knowledge of the game had made that much clear.


    The other Scarlett¡¯s silence seemed to confirm her words. The woman observed her silently for several seconds.


    ¡°¡­And would that truly be such a regrettable outcome?¡± she eventually asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarlett replied.


    The woman smiled faintly. ¡°That is your rational opinion, certainly. But let us not forget that you and I both know you possess the ability to act with indifference when the situation demands.¡±


    ¡°That does not mean I desire ruin for all that surrounds me. I would be foolish to wish for such an end.¡±


    The other Scarlett continued watching her, a strange fascination glinting in her eyes. ¡°And what, then, would you prefer?¡±


    ¡°A world unscathed by devastation,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Then let us strive towards that,¡± the woman replied almost flippantly.


    ¡°That is impossible if the seals are released.¡±


    The other Scarlett shook her head. ¡°You are mistaken. Yes, releasing the seals would usher in destruction, but that destruction could be channeled. Certain realms would indeed be sacrificed, but we could begin with the Blazes. The demons offer no value to the world you envision.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. The woman spoke as if fully aware that Scarlett couldn¡¯t entirely deny her logic. From what Scarlett could tell, she was fully aware of it. The game had contained a route along those lines.


    ¡°Even so,¡± Scarlett said, ¡°such a result is far from ideal.¡±


    It was not the worst-case scenario, yet that did not make it tolerable.


    ¡°Then we make it ideal,¡± the other Scarlett declared. ¡°Whatever world you envision, it can be molded. You cannot yet fathom the possibilities that lie ahead if we work together.¡±


    Perhaps there was some truth in her words, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°My answer remains unchanged,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°I have no reason to risk such an outcome. It is far safer to ensure that the Anomalous One is never fully released.¡±


    ¡°And where, precisely, do you expect that to lead?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression held firm. ¡°To a future with significantly less destruction.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain of that? Is that what the Fate you know has shown you?¡±


    The other Scarlett gave her a challenging look. Scarlett returned it. They eyed each other, neither speaking for a while.


    ¡°You asked what this world truly is,¡± the other Scarlett eventually said. ¡°You have also questioned its purpose yourself. Countless times. What if I were to tell you that it was created solely as a stage for conflict? That, though it may not have been explicitly designed for this purpose, it exists only as a prison for the Anomalous One ¡ª and ultimately, as the setting for its release or end.¡± Her expression darkened, shadows seeming to flicker across her features. ¡°Soon, the seals will fail, one way or another. What follows it is yet to be determined. But tell me, why are you so confident that there exists a future beyond that point? You know of this world as a ¡®video game¡¯, do you not? While I may not fully grasp the concept, I do understand this: these ¡®games¡¯ do not persist beyond their prescribed end.¡±


    Scarlett simply looked at her. ¡°¡­So, is it true that this world was based on that game?¡±


    She was not even surprised that the woman knew these things about her old world. That much had been clear since their first encounter. But this was a question she¡¯d always wanted the answer to.


    To her disappointment, the other Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I cannot say for certain. However, I have watched as this world and its unremarkable inhabitants endure under the repressive grip of its Fate. Their futures set long before their birth, every step leading inexorably to the events of today.¡± A fire appeared in her eyes. ¡°Even I could not entirely escape Fate¡¯s reach. Does it not anger you that this is how things have been arranged? That you were drawn into this existence, compelled to play a role, solely to satisfy such a scheme?¡±


    ¡°I still do not know what to feel about it,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°But can you truly be certain that it was all intended to culminate in what is happening now? That nothing lies beyond?¡±


    ¡°You have glimpsed the same Fate that I have,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Even the ¡®gods¡¯ of this world see that its Fate draws to an end, yet, beholden to it as they are, they dare not intervene or stray from the path laid before them.¡± Her voice seemed to reverberate with the shifting rifts around them. ¡°I am offering you the chance to fully decide the path yourself. To defy the powers that have forced us into this position of conflict. The gods of this world view me as the final evil, yet even my existence is but another thread woven into Fate¡¯s design. This system, this structure, has always been the source of this world¡¯s suffering, and to follow its path blindly is to submit to that suffering.¡±


    Silence stretched between them as the woman¡¯s words faded, and Scarlett found herself, despite everything, actually considering them. The reference to ¡®Fate drawing to an end¡¯ almost certainly referenced the looming conclusion of the game¡¯s narrative ¡ª a conclusion that would arrive incredibly soon from the perspective of beings like the Anomalous One. But if even the gods could not perceive a Fate beyond that point, what did that actually imply for this world? Could it truly cease to exist, or would it merely continue, untethered from the oversight of Fate?


    ¡­She supposed it depended on the intentions of whatever had fashioned this world¡¯s Fate in the first place.


    ¡°Tell me¡­¡± Scarlett began, thoughtful, ¡°what role do you expect me to fulfill in all of this? Why has the Anomalous One focused its interest upon me, even to the extent of proposing a bargain?¡±


    She already knew part of the answer, but she needed a clearer understanding. Through the legacy and this domain surrounding them, perhaps she could wield some powers that could make a difference, yet, as the other woman had noted, these powers were merely borrowed. They belonged to the Anomalous One, which was already lending its strength to others beyond her.


    ¡°I believe the answer should be rather evident,¡± the other Scarlett replied, ¡°though the reason behind it may remain elusive. You were ¡®chosen¡¯ by this world, and that designation confers certain unique advantages. Like myself, you are not bound by Fate, yet your defiance arises from bestowed rights rather than any inherent quality. Already, you have altered the course of events more drastically in mere months than the Anomalous One has since its sealing. You are both a pawn and a player, summoned near the world¡¯s conclusion to direct a portion of its final act. This alone makes you one of the most valuable pieces in play, irrespective of your actual strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know by whom I was chosen?¡±


    For the first time, a flicker of plain frustration crossed the woman¡¯s face. ¡°I do not. This world¡¯s Fate has always remained faceless.¡±


    ¡°Yet you seem to understand its workings ¡ª along with the workings of my system. Not to mention my original world.¡±


    The other Scarlett¡¯s expression smoothed, even if her voice retained an edge. ¡°Your system is far less intricate than you might imagine. It is little more than another conduit inscribed upon your soul, enabling both Fate and whatever brought you here to direct your actions. Even the mages of this world may be able to detect it under the right conditions. To interfere with it is a straightforward matter. However, reaching its source¡­¡± She paused. ¡°¡­That would require my full power.¡±


    A crease formed on Scarlett¡¯s brow.


    In truth, the more time she spent in this world¡ªthe more she saw of the similarities it shared with the game¡ªthe more she thought about what it all implied. At first, she had considered the possibility that the game¡¯s story might have been based on this world. But as she learned more of Fate¡¯s mechanisms, she grew increasingly convinced that the opposite was more likely ¡ª that this world had been deliberately crafted to mirror the game¡¯s narrative.


    It was one thing to entertain this idea and another to actually comprehend its implications. To imagine what such control might entail. That ¡®Fate¡¯ might have micromanaged every detail, right down to Modern Imperial resembling English. She had long since confirmed that Imperial evolved ¡®naturally¡¯ in this world over countless generations, and still it had somehow exactly matched the language she was familiar with¡­


    Frankly, the degree of oversight required to produce such exactness was staggering.


    In her encounter with Thainnith, he had suggested that, while oppressive, Fate allowed for individual freedom in most cases. People here did not appear as puppets bound by predetermined destinies. Scarlett had observed herself that they seemed to make their own choices and act freely. And yet, the notion that Fate could impose such powerful ¡®corrections¡¯, and that these might go largely unseen, was disturbing to her.


    She could understand, to some extent, why the Anomalous One fought against Fate¡¯s influence. Why, even, groups like the Hallowed Cabal and Tribe of Sin might wish to rebel as well. Outwardly, they might appear malevolent¡ªand in many ways, their actions justified that label¡ªbut she could not fully condemn their underlying goals.


    If aligning herself with the Anomalous One offered a way to resolve her conflicts ¡ª to eliminate future threats, prevent chaos in the Empire, and perhaps gain the strength to face whatever this world threw at her¡­


    The prospect was undeniably alluring. And it could be true that the Anomalous One¡¯s release would not result in total ruin. It would undoubtedly have profound consequences, possibly inciting a disaster akin to The Severance that ended the Zuver civilisation, but if it could be managed and directed as the other Scarlett suggested? Even if it meant a rewriting of the world maps and power structures, it might genuinely lead to a more stable and favourable future for the people of this world. With this approach, it might even be possible to end the conflict in the Empire almost immediately.


    The other Scarlett watched her patiently, saying nothing. At last, Scarlett focused on her, meeting her gaze intently.


    ¡°Your offer is appealing in certain respects,¡± she began slowly. ¡°However¡­I must decline. Your proposal relies on the assumption that this world cannot persist or improve beyond the boundaries of Fate, and I cannot accept that premise simply as it is. Much of what you have told me could easily be mere deception.¡±


    Though she knew from her own experience that Scarlett was a surprisingly honest person, she also knew the woman would not shy away from lying if it suited her.


    A faint frown formed on the other Scarlett¡¯s brow. ¡°Then what if I offered you a way to return to your own world?¡±


    Scarlett paused. ¡°¡­Are you capable of that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, the weight of the offer settling over her.


    In her first few months here, not a single day had passed without her thinking about the possibility of returning home and how she might accomplish it. She thought of her friends, her younger sister waiting back home. But¡­


    ¡°No,¡± she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips, though a bittersweet note lingered in her tone. ¡°My answer remains the same.¡±


    It had been some time since ¡®returning home¡¯ had stopped being her singular focus, the obvious goal above all else. She still desired it, in a way, but not as she once had. If she were to return, it would be on other terms. Her own.


    The other Scarlett regarded her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. At last, she spoke. ¡°¡­So be it. Then I do hope you are ready to bear the consequences of that choice.¡±

 Chapter 304 - Doubles

    ¡°Am I to take that as a threat?¡± Scarlett asked sharply as flames flickered at her feet, casting a fiery glow that danced in the rising heat.


    The other Scarlett regarded her impassively. ¡°No. Not from me, at the very least. As I have said, I am scarcely capable of posing a threat to you.¡± She paused, as if assessing her. ¡°¡­It is regrettable that we could not find common ground. Despite our differences, I do believe we could have forged an effective alliance. Yet, if you are determined to abandon such a possibility, there is little more I can offer. Simply know this: as you are now, you cannot fully grasp the trials you set upon yourself.¡±


    The two of them stood in silence, watching each other, until Scarlett broke the stillness.


    ¡°Have you any reason I should not destroy you where you stand?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I will not offer you one,¡± the woman replied smoothly. ¡°Previously, however, I might have advised against it, as I was aiding you in maintaining the Memories.¡±


    ¡°Even as you sought to seize control of them ¡ª and of me.¡±


    ¡°To be precise, that was the other fragment of the Anomalous One. Not I, as I currently stand before you.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. ¡°¡­Then what was your intent in ¡®aiding¡¯ me?¡±


    ¡°Undefined, I suppose?¡± The other Scarlett tilted her head slightly. ¡°In part, it was to delay enough to subsume the Memories and this domain before you learned how to resist such a takeover. In part, I was still but a ¡®construct¡¯ of the Memories, as fashioned by you, and fulfilled the role assigned to me. And, to some extent, I believed it might afford me the opportunity to strike an agreement with you. I cannot say which motive held the greatest sway, but all are true in some measure.¡±


    Scarlett studied her closely. How much of that could she trust? Did it even matter?


    ¡°¡­What role did you play in Vail¡¯s appearance?¡± she asked after a while.


    ¡°None,¡± came the woman¡¯s immediate reply. ¡°Vail¡¯s presence was entirely your doing. Surely, you already understand she was never meant to be part of those Memories. However, as she was loosely tied to Arlene, you seem to have come close enough in recreating her existence, nonetheless.¡± A faint trace of frustration crossed her features. ¡°Vail is not an individual suited to such environments, as you no doubt observed. I attempted to rectify the matter myself, though it ended poorly. For you, however, her presence may have proven unexpectedly advantageous, since it appears to have compelled you into a situation where you learned to control the Memories more directly.¡±


    ¡°So Vail truly did recognise that she was not real,¡± Scarlett muttered. ¡°¡­And she chose to erase herself, along with the Memory itself, simply based on that realisation.¡±


    She¡¯d had no idea the woman would even be capable of such a feat. Honestly, she still didn¡¯t entirely understand how it was done. It couldn¡¯t only be because of how strong Vail was, right?


    ¡°For all the knowledge you possess, there is much you have yet to grasp about this world,¡± the other Scarlett said. ¡°Were you to agree to work with me, you could learn much more.¡±


    Scarlett did not respond to the remark, her thoughts drifting to another matter. ¡°¡­What of Arlene?¡± she asked. ¡°Vail understood her nature as a construct, as did you. Neither of you are normal existences, however. Arlene should be. Even so, she seemed able to perceive the rifts within the Memories, where others could not.¡±


    For some reason, the woman had even thanked her towards the end. Scarlett still wasn¡¯t sure what for.


    The other Scarlett remained silent for a time, then spoke carefully. ¡°I am uncertain myself. It was¡­unexpected, if curious. Yet, as you are well aware, that woman carries the marks of her own bargain struck long ago. Outcomes in these ¡®worlds¡¯ tend to become far less predictable once you begin interfering with the core of one¡¯s existence.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s brow knitted together. ¡°What precisely do you mean by that?¡±


    Suddenly, the space around them shuddered. Several of the endless rifts¡ªstreaks of white void amidst the all-encroaching grey mist¡ªshifted and pulsed, their forms widening with an ominous intensity.


    ¡°You would do well to prepare yourself,¡± the other Scarlett noted, casting a glance towards one of the expanding rifts. ¡°The first consequence of your choice will soon make itself known, for you were not the sole target the Anomalous One sought in the Hall of Echoes.¡± She turned back to Scarlett. ¡°¡­I wonder how well your¡­companions will fare. They appear far from a state to defend themselves against what approaches.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes narrowed, the flames at her feet flaring taller. ¡°What have you done to them?¡±


    The woman arched a brow. ¡°You were the one who left them to navigate the Hall of Echoes alone, were you not? You should already understand what sort of foe awaited them within its depths.¡±


    ¡°Echoes,¡± Scarlett said. ¡°That is hardly beyond their ability.¡±


    In the game, the last echoes one faced were mirror images of one¡¯s own party. That could be a tough fight, but she genuinely believed that Rosa and the others were capable enough to manage most threats they might encounter, regardless of the changes that occurred.


    ¡°Echoes, yes,¡± the other Scarlett responded. ¡°However, with the other fragment of the Anomalous One involved, a more¡­suitable opponent was selected for them.¡±


    Scarlett locked eyes with the woman, trying to figure out what she meant, then she paused. ¡°You mean¡­me?¡±


    The other Scarlett nodded. ¡°Precisely. Or, rather, I was assigned the role in your stead.¡± An almost imperceptible trace of dark satisfaction seemed to creep into her tone. ¡°It was¡­exhilarating, to wield your magic without the constraints normally imposed. I dare say even you have not had the pleasure of using your full potential in such a manner. Dozens of the Rising Isle¡¯s esteemed wizards, yet they were overwhelmed by a mere baroness.¡±


    The flames around Scarlett surged to eye level, encircling the woman. ¡°What did you do?¡± she demanded.


    The other Scarlett remained calm, appearing even slightly amused. ¡°Rest assured, I did not kill anyone.¡± She paused. ¡°Most likely. Although I certainly did try.¡±


    Scarlett eyed her coolly, then turned, her gaze sweeping across the boundless expanse surrounding them. Her attention lingered on the myriad rifts etched into the void. Finally, her focus settled on one just a few meters away, its jagged line carving through the platform beneath their feet. She examined it in silence for several moments before raising her hand.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    A stream of flame coalesced at her fingertips, flowing towards the rift. The flames twisted and stretched, melding with the unbroken white vacuum beyond. Gradually, they began to overtake the whiteness within the rift, its edges darkening to crimson as it contracted, leaving a thin scarlet line across the stone as it closed. A heartbeat later, the rift reopened. This time, it revealed a vast chamber lined with towering pillars and enormous discs of polished silver suspended between them. From Scarlett¡¯s perspective, it seemed they were peering down from the ceiling, observing the aftermath of what looked to have been a fierce battle. The stone floor was scorched and fractured, with scattered remnants of conflict etched into every surface.


    At one end of the chamber, a cluster of people gathered. Some lay prone, receiving aid. Many were dressed in robes of various colours.


    ¡°I am impressed you can accomplish this much so soon,¡± the other Scarlett said beside her, a note of real surprise in her voice. ¡°How did you manage it? Even with the power Thainnith¡¯s legacy lends you, I doubt it holds the knowledge to wield that power. Is your system interfering, perhaps? If so, that would seem¡­rather unfair.¡±


    Scarlett said nothing, her focus on the chamber below. It only took a few seconds longer for her to spot the familiar figures she sought ¡ª Rosa and the others, gathered near the Isle¡¯s wizards. Among them, she noticed Fynn lying motionless on the ground, seemingly receiving treatment.


    Finally, she turned back to the other Scarlett. ¡°This space is connected to the Hall of Echoes,¡± she said. ¡°I can feel it. Is that the Anomalous One¡¯s doing?¡±


    She still couldn¡¯t fully explain the instinctive control she seemed to wield in this place. She had assumed it to be another quirk of the legacy, but if her counterpart disagreed, perhaps it did somehow stem from the system. Yet she didn¡¯t understand why that would be unfair when she was up against an entity like the Anomalous One.


    ¡°That is far more likely to be Thainnith¡¯s work,¡± the woman replied. ¡°He was, after all, the original creator of this domain.¡±


    Scarlett''s gaze flicked back to the rift overlooking the Hall of Echoes¡¯ inner chamber. ¡°Then are we near the Hall?¡±


    ¡°We are not near anything. That said, the Hall of Echoes does appear to act as an anchor to this space within the Material Realm. Not unexpected, given its purpose of housing the pseudo-Memories of wizards.¡±


    ¡°That is why the Anomalous One first infected the Hall after assimilating Thainnith¡¯s fragment,¡± Scarlett said.


    ¡°Indeed. Though certain areas were more¡­accessible than others, shall we say. We have you to thank for opening the inner sanctum.¡±


    The space around them shifted once more, the rifts pulsing in unison. Scarlett felt the weight of something¡ªshe did not know how to describe it¡ªwatching her. It was a presence she¡¯d sensed before, though it now pressed upon her with far greater intensity.


    She conjured more flames, scattering them across the void in an effort to force more of the rifts closed. But this time, the rifts resisted her efforts. Nearly all her flames flickered out, and within the chamber below, the ground quaked violently as cracks splintered across the floor.


    ¡°We shall see how well you fare against but a fragment of that which you have chosen to oppose,¡± the other Scarlett said, her voice growing more detached. ¡°It would no doubt be an intriguing spectacle to behold.¡±


    Along with her words, white rifts appeared in the chamber below as well, eliciting alarmed cries from the wizards. Scarlett¡¯s eyes snapped back to her counterpart.


    ¡°You speak as if you do not expect to witness the outcome yourself.¡±


    ¡°I would be surprised if I did,¡± the woman admitted, watching the figures in the chamber. ¡°If you intend to act, I suggest you do so soon, before it is too late. Those people do not yet realise their surroundings are no longer wholly within the Material Realm.¡±


    Scarlett turned her focus back to the chamber, seeing how the rifts in the chamber continued to multiply. Until now, she had only seen the Anomalous One creating such distortions within Memories. Was it somehow dragging the chamber into one, then? Was that the loophole Thainnith¡¯s fragment had inadvertently created upon being assimilated? Could the Anomalous One pull the real world into the Memories, where it could partially manifest?


    If Rosa and the others were drawn into a Memory, retrieving them¡ªor preventing whatever might happen after that¡ªmight prove impossible.


    Scarlett took a steadying breath, narrowing her focus. Bursts of flame erupted around her, igniting the air. Where the flames touched, the fabric of the space tore and warped. Enveloped in the inferno, she felt her surroundings shift. Moments later, she stood in the chamber she¡¯d been observing from above.


    She was starting to get the hang of this. This chamber wasn¡¯t outside her control. It seemed that as long as it had some connection to Thainnith¡¯s Memory¡ªand by extension, the legacy¡ªshe wielded some power over a space.


    Her fiery arrival drew the attention of the wizards in the chamber. A cluster of them gaped at her, and those not lying on the ground quickly reached for staves and tomes. Among the group, Gaspar stood out, his expression grave as he locked eyes with her.


    ¡°This was entirely meaningless,¡± a voice said from beside her.


    Scarlett turned to the other Scarlett, who wore an unimpressed expression on her face after having been brought along with her.


    ¡°¡­I do not care whether you cease to exist or not,¡± Scarlett replied, her voice cold, ¡°but there are still answers I require from you. If you will not offer them willingly, I will extract them by whatever means I can.¡±


    ¡°Let us see if you remain alive long enough to attempt it.¡± The other Scarlett gestured forward. ¡°At present, it seems your allies are more eager to hasten a different outcome.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention shifted to the wizards, several of whom were already preparing spells.


    ¡°Hold on! I think that¡¯s the real Scarlett!¡±


    Almost all eyes turned to Rosa, who was sprawled on the ground, her cape serving as a makeshift pillow. She looked thoroughly exhausted, trying to prop herself up on one elbow as she squinted at Scarlett like a child trying to solve a puzzle.


    ¡°Or, well, one of them, at least,¡± the bard added slowly. ¡°Unless I¡¯ve finally lost it and started seeing double, or am still dreaming. Can¡¯t say it¡¯d be the strangest thing I¡¯ve hallucinated¡­ Or dreamt.¡±


    Scarlett looked down at the bedraggled bard with a very mild chuckle. ¡°Even in such a state, Miss Hale, it seems you cannot resist making light of the situation.¡±


    A tired smile crossed Rosa¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, that one¡¯s definitely Scarlett.¡± Her gaze moved to the other Scarlett. ¡°¡­Do you maybe have one of those signature snide remarks for me as well?¡±


    The other Scarlett regarded Rosa with a hint of disdain. ¡°If you possessed even half as much wit as you think you do, perhaps we might have been spared your incessant babble.¡±


    Rosa blinked. ¡°Alright, wow¡­ That one is weird. I call fake.¡±


    ¡°Baroness, explain yourself,¡± Gaspar interjected. Scarlett shifted her focus to the man, noting the wary expressions on his face and that of Magister Penney, who stood nearby.


    ¡­What exactly had happened while she was gone?


    She motioned around them, where rifts continued overtaking the walls and floor. The space was becoming a chaotic patchwork of fractures, spreading at unsettling speed.


    ¡°There is little time for explanations,¡± she said. ¡°We are all in grave danger.¡±


    ¡°And in the midst of such peril, you still chose to bring me here?¡± the other Scarlett questioned. ¡°One might question whether you have thought this through.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her briefly, allowing herself a light sneer. ¡°Did you not say it yourself? Even as my enemy, you barely qualify as a threat to me.¡±


    The woman frowned, but offered no reply.


    ¡°Ehm, sorry to interrupt,¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice broke through, drawing Scarlett¡¯s attention. The girl was kneeling beside an unconscious Fynn, seeming to have been tending to his wounds. Scarlett only now registered the extent of his injuries.


    ¡°But what is that?!¡± Allyssa asked, pointing towards the far end of the chamber.


    Scarlett followed her line of sight. Amid the cracks and rifts spidering across the walls, a fractured section was giving way to a new, blurred vista. In the distance, it almost resembled the silhouette of a vast city, and above it loomed a single, indistinct form ¡ª a greying mass still coalescing, yet poised to engulf the cityscape below. The sight instilled a visceral sense of wrongness deep inside Scarlett.


    ¡°That,¡± she said, a serious expression settling on her face, ¡°is what we have come here to confront.¡±

 Memoirs 305 - Past and to the future

    As the world around them twisted, Scarlett felt the air thicken, as if bracing for some profound upheaval. The stone chamber where they had stood began to dissolve at the edges, its walls bending, splintering, and re-forming until an entirely new landscape stretched out before them. They now stood atop a tall hill, overlooking a vast valley with a sprawling city at its heart.


    The city was a labyrinthine array of towering buildings carved from white marble and cold grey stone. Arched bridges spanned wide spaces, while spires reached skyward with a near-audacious elegance. It was a metropolis of staggering scale, at least by this world¡¯s standards, its architecture reminiscent of the ancient designs of the Rising Isle and the grand edifices of the Ascendant Court in Elystead.


    In other words, a Zuverian city.


    White rifts dotted the streets and surfaces, hovering like open wounds in reality, their edges faintly shimmering. Although the city appeared solid, nearly tangible, these fractures gave it an eerie quality, like fleeting glimpses into an unsettling void that gnawed at its fringes. No signs of life moved within its walls.


    A deep, thunderous hum filled the air, resonating through the ground beneath their feet. Scarlett¡¯s gaze lifted. Above the tallest buildings, that same indistinct form from before loomed ¡ª an enormous, shifting grey mass, impossible to fully perceive. It coiled and unfurled, emerging from a web of rifts that tore the firmament asunder.


    Its sheer scale almost defied comprehension. The entity¡¯s form pulsed with disturbing energy, warping the landscape around it as though poised to devour the city below.


    Beside her, Scarlett heard several sharp intakes of breath.


    ¡°A Zuverian city¡­¡± Gaspar murmured, his tone low and full of disbelief as his wide eyes scanned the ancient cityscape. ¡°How can this be?¡±


    Scarlett didn¡¯t respond. Her attention was fixed on the being above. While she disliked admitting it, there was a primal part of her that clawed at her to turn and flee, that screamed that this being was nothing like facing her ¡®counterpart¡¯. She could feel, in her very core, that it was truly something aberrant.


    ¡°Are we¡­supposed to fight that?¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice wavered, the tremor in her words betraying the fear and uncertainty.


    Scarlett watched as tendrils of dark grey energy spiralled from the Anomalous One, crashing across the city with the force of a thousand meteors. Where they landed, the dark shapes twisted and writhed, morphing into new forms ¡ª some resembling real creatures but distorted, others entirely unrecognisable. These monstrosities began slowly prowling the streets.


    There was something about this scene that seemed¡­familiar. Her eyes narrowed.


    ¡­She¡¯d seen this before. Back when she first encountered Thainnith¡¯s remnant and received his inheritance. At the time, she¡¯d glimpsed fleeting visions. One of them showed this exact moment: the Anomalous One descending upon the city.


    So, this had happened before. An actual event from history? Why would the Anomalous One re-create a Memory like this specifically? If Scarlett understood Memories correctly¡ªwhich she wasn¡¯t sure that she did¡ªthey drew from something outside this world, some form of collective record of all that had transpired. Was the Anomalous One perhaps using this Memory because it was one of the few that allowed it to manifest in this form?


    ¡°Yes,¡± she finally said, steadying her own voice in response to Allyssa¡¯s question. She drew a slow breath, then added, ¡°That is what we are meant to fight. If we do not stop it now, we may lose any chance we have.¡±


    The problem was that she couldn¡¯t say how they were meant to fight it yet.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Gaspar asked, his gaze now fixed on the gargantuan shadow in the sky. ¡°¡­How can such a thing even exist?¡±


    ¡°It is the entity that the Hallowed Cabal sought to release ¡ª the Anomalous One,¡± Scarlett replied. ¡°¡­Though this is only a fragment. A mere shard. If it were more¡­¡± She let her words trail off.


    Gaspar looked at her, confusion written on his face. ¡°Anomalous One? I have never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°I am not surprised,¡± she said simply, choosing not to elaborate further.


    ¡°And what do you intend to do, now that you are here?¡± the other Scarlett asked beside her.


    Scarlett spared her doppelganger a single glance before returning her focus to the Anomalous One. Its shadow seemed to corrupt the streets below, and more of its tendrils stretched beyond the city, inching towards them.


    Even if she poured every ounce of her magic out, exhausted every last reserve of mana, she wasn¡¯t certain she could leave so much as a scratch on this thing. The Anomalous One was simply too vast.


    ¡°How many of you can still fight?¡± she asked loudly, equipping her [Crown of Flame¡¯s Benediction] along with the rest of her gear. She looked at Gaspar and the remaining Isle wizards. Those still standing appeared dazed, their eyes locked on the Anomalous One with expressions of defeated apprehension. Gaspar and Magister Penney exchanged somber looks before Gaspar barked at his wizards to pull themselves together.


    ¡°Few,¡± he answered grimly, his gaze seeming to linger warily on the circlet Scarlett wore for some reason. ¡°¡­We have little mana or strength left. A handful of us can still cast, but don¡¯t expect much.¡± A brief scowl formed on his face. ¡°¡­Not even from me.¡±


    Scarlett frowned, then scanned her own party. Allyssa looked tired, but she was at least alert. Shin gave a small nod, sword and shield in hand. Fynn was still unconscious, and Rosa lay slumped on the grass, offering an apologetic smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Scarlett,¡± the woman said softly. ¡°I barely have any left in me.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes stayed on her for a moment before returning to the looming threat. ¡°¡­So be it,¡± she muttered, watching as several of the Anomalous One¡¯s ¡®minions¡¯ landed across the hillside, their bizarre forms creeping and crawling closer. ¡°What we have will simply have to suffice.¡±


    Raising a hand, she summoned a cage of flame around one of the creatures, a monstrous amalgamation resembling a bear with two deformed heads. Within moments, it was reduced to ash. Yet, as the remains fell, some of the particles simply¡­reformed. It was as if its essence defied the very concept of destruction, immune to the rules of common sense.


    Scarlett unleashed another surge of fire, scorching it again and again until, at last, it seemed to learn its lesson and stayed as ashes. But that was just one. Across the hillside, dozens more advanced, while the city below teemed with countless others. Their slow, deliberate movements might have made them manageable in smaller numbers, but at this scale, brute force alone was futile.


    Her eyes swept the area until she spotted one of the Anomalous One¡¯s rifts etched into the ground ahead. She channelled her flames, focusing her energy on the rift in an effort to seal it. Yet as her magic surged forward, the rift pushed back with an unexpected force, its resistance nearly catching her off guard.


    ¡°This is not one of your Memories,¡± the other Scarlett remarked, her tone calm, almost indifferent. ¡°You will not be able to simply break it.¡±


    Scarlett glanced at the other version of herself, irritation flaring momentarily before she redirected her focus to the advancing creatures. She spread her flames wider, slowing their progress as she tried to think of alternative approaches.


    ¡°You did not have to follow the others here,¡± the other Scarlett continued, observing her efforts. ¡°You could have remained safe.¡±


    ¡°And allow that thing to establish its foothold?¡± Scarlett retorted.


    She didn¡¯t fully understand what it would mean for the Anomalous One to take control here, to seize command of the Hall of Echoes, but she knew it could be catastrophic. If there was a chance to stop it, it was now, while the entity was still in its formative state.


    A guttural sound split the air as one of the creatures before them suddenly shifted from its lumbering crawl to a frenzied, erratic sprint, as though it had just learned to wield its limbs properly. Scarlett immediately focused on it, unleashing a precise burst of fire that engulfed the creature. She followed with sharp, slicing blades of water, cleaving through its form. But even as she managed to destroy it, others began to adopt the same unpredictable speed, flowing forward with alarming agility.


    Scarlett¡¯s flames expanded, spreading to cover most of the hillside in an effort to counter the creatures¡¯ chaotic movements.


    A sudden eruption of shattering glass burst nearby as one of Allyssa¡¯s vials exploded, creating an icy torrent that froze three creatures in their tracks. A heartbeat later, Shin charged forward, shield raised high as he slammed into another beast, his sword gleaming with a silvery light.


    Gaspar, Magister Penney, and a handful of their wizards joined the fray, casting a flurry of spells. Fire, water, and other elements rained down on the creatures, with barriers of rock rising to impede their progress. Scarlett met Gaspar¡¯s gaze, noting the tension on his face as he fought to cast his own spells, and gave him a nod.


    Conjuring more flames, Scarlett combined her fire with Allyssa¡¯s ice to immobilise and impale several creatures. Yet even under her and the wizards¡¯ continuous assault, few of the monsters truly perished. They seemed impervious to death unless Scarlett expended far more mana than she was comfortable with on any single one. Still, at least for now, they were keeping the creatures at bay.


    As the battle dragged on, the sky above grew darker, an oppressive grey spreading like ink across the heavens. The tallest structures within the city were distorting even further as the Anomalous One¡¯s presence deepened its hold, appearing as though viewed from a haze.


    ¡°What¡¯s it doing?¡± Allyssa¡¯s voice pierced through the clamour of spells and fighting.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Scarlett replied, watching the unnatural scene.


    ¡°Do we need to stop it?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Scarlett hesitated. ¡°¡­That, I have yet to determine.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And you, who were so confident?¡± her counterpart cut in, arms crossed. ¡°Now here you stand, uncertain how to extract yourself from the very predicament you so eagerly entered.¡±


    Scarlett turned, meeting the other Scarlett¡¯s gaze. The woman hadn¡¯t lifted a finger to help, but she also hadn¡¯t interfered. She simply observed, as if the chaos unfolding around them was a mere spectacle.


    ¡°¡­I am Scarlett Hartford,¡± Scarlett declared. ¡°Regardless of which version of me stands here, past or present, there will never come a day when I do not stand resolute in my chosen course. That is part of who I currently am.¡±


    The other Scarlett regarded her in silence, then inclined her head with a slow nod. ¡°That, at the very least, I can respect.¡±


    A series of deafening crashes echoed as more of the Anomalous One¡¯s tendrils slammed into the hillside, their forms quickly rising as more monsters advanced towards Scarlett and her allies. Scarlett was once again forced to turn her full attention to the battle, falling into a tight rhythm with the others as they worked to repel the creatures. Yet with every passing moment, she could feel the Anomalous One¡¯s hold tightening on the Memory, its presence bleeding through the scene like ink on parchment. If it fully overtook this Memory, she doubted there would be any reclaiming it. The Anomalous One would anchor itself here, gaining a direct connection to the Rising Isle through the Hall of Echoes.


    As she fought, a thought nagged at the back of her mind. When she received Thainnith¡¯s legacy, she had glimpsed a vision of this scene. But it hadn¡¯t been quite like this, had it? One detail stood out, distinctly different.


    From experience, she knew that creating a Memory didn¡¯t grant its creator absolute control. If anything, a Memory was more like a stage production ¡ª a structured reenactment woven from events that had once transpired, drawn from somewhere beyond this world. While deviations could occur¡ªshe¡¯d seen that with Vail¡¯s unexpected appearance¡ªMemories generally seemed to follow a defined course, a narrative that sought to play out as intended.


    So even if she couldn¡¯t break this Memory, maybe¡­just maybe, she could buy some time by steering it back to its proper path.


    Turning to Gaspar, she spoke quickly. ¡°I need a moment. Hold them at bay for as long as you can.¡±


    The man¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What are you planning?¡±


    ¡°There is no time for explanations.¡±


    He hesitated, then gave a tight nod, signalling to Magister Penney and the other wizards. Together, they stepped forward, forming a line of defence as determination hardened their expressions despite the exhaustion written across their faces. Scarlett could see them drawing on the last dregs of their strength as they prepared to shield her.


    Wasting no time, Scarlett turned her focus inward, shutting out the chaos of the battle. At the same time, her eyes searched the grey-streaked sky, scanning the rifts scattered across it like scars. Her gaze settled on one huge rift dominating the horizon, stretching from one end of the city to the other. Drawing deeply on her mana, she conjured a wave of flames and directed them towards the rift, pushing her power as far as it would go.


    The rift resisted her influence, recoiling against her magic. Even as she tried tapping into the strange, intangible connection left behind by Thainnith¡¯s legacy¡ªthat echo of the Anomalous One¡¯s own power¡ªshe couldn¡¯t force it to yield. Gritting her teeth, Scarlett adjusted her approach, releasing the forceful grip of her magic and instead gently nudging the rift, trying to coax it open rather than forcing it to surrender.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how much time passed, but eventually, the resistance softened. The Memory itself seemed to respond, aligning with her efforts. The rift widened, revealing even more of the endless, blank whiteness beyond. Her flames suffused the opening, casting it in a deep crimson light. Reaching deeper, Scarlett sought a connection she wasn¡¯t even certain existed. When she found it, relief surged through her.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A torrent of mana left her, mingling with something powerful and immense that she couldn¡¯t even begin defining. The rift expanded further, and within its depths, a colossal silhouette began to take shape ¡ª indistinct at first, like a creature caught in the liminal space between worlds. Gradually, its form grew more defined, consolidating into enormous wings that unfurled like the arms of a slumbering titan.


    And then, from the heart of the rift, a dragon emerged.


    Its massive body stretched across the sky, each scale a gleaming slab of iridescent hues that glinted like fractured crystals. Its underbelly gleamed with a pearly white brilliance, and its jaw parted in a silent roar that vibrated through the air. Horns spiralled from its head like obsidian spires, and its molten eyes blazed with an ancient light. Spines the size of towers lined its back, and as it spread its wings, it blotted out what little light remained, plunging vast swaths of the city into shadow.


    Had the Anomalous One not been so immense, Scarlett might have doubted that any single creature could grow to such an unimaginable size.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Gaspar¡¯s voice trailed off as he and everyone else stared at the dragon in stunned silence.


    Scarlett nodded. ¡°Olgolzkreh, Lord of the White. An ancient dragon ¡ª and the one that will one day come to be known as the ¡®Dragon of Devastation¡¯.¡±


    Now, with this, the scene mirrored the vision she¡¯d once seen.


    Scarlett spared a glance at the unconscious Fynn. Perhaps it was just as well that he wasn¡¯t awake to witness the battle about to unfold.


    The dragon launched itself at the Anomalous One, roaring with a force that shook the city¡¯s very foundations. When the two behemoths collided, the warped cityscape below seemed to stabilise, if only momentarily. Olgolzkreh¡¯s fangs tore into the Anomalous One¡¯s amorphous form, forcing it to recoil in a twisting mass of dark energy. For the first time, Scarlett saw the Anomalous One falter, even if only slightly ¡ª a small victory that nonetheless kindled more than a flicker of hope within her.


    Allyssa tore her gaze from the surreal sight and stared at Scarlett in disbelief. ¡°Did you just¡­summon the Dragon of Devastation?¡±


    Scarlett looked at her, then at Rosa. The bard appeared just as stunned as the rest.


    ¡­If they made it out of this, she had a feeling her reputation was going to grow far more annoying to manage. She would need to do something about that.


    ¡°I¡­I am at a loss for words,¡± Gaspar murmured, shaking his head as he looked between Scarlett and her doppelganger. ¡°Who¡ªno, what¡ªare you?¡±


    Scarlett met his gaze evenly. ¡°I am Scarlett Hartford.¡±


    Another roar split the air as Olgolzkreh and the Anomalous One clashed, their impact rattling the ground beneath. The dragon¡¯s claws raked deep into the entity, exposing patches of squirming grey void beneath. The creatures advancing on Scarlett¡¯s party slowed, some faltering completely.


    But even as the dragon fought with a power beyond almost any mortal¡¯s reach, the Anomalous One seemed to recover, retaliating with equal force. Tendrils of dark-grey energy erupted from its mass and from the rifts in the sky, winding around the dragon¡¯s wings and attempting to pierce its scales, even as the Anomalous One¡¯s presence warped the space around it and gnawed at the dragon¡¯s essence.


    Olgolzkreh wrenched free, rearing its head back to unleash a torrent of icy fury. The breath swallowed the Anomalous One, flash-freezing the ground below and leaving pockets of jagged craters in its wake. Yet, despite the devastating power, the Anomalous One was barely affected. Its amorphous form absorbed the frozen parts of its body as it retaliated, tendrils lashing out towards the dragon.


    ¡°A valiant attempt,¡± the other Scarlett said. ¡°You continue to surprise me with your skill in wielding borrowed power. Nonetheless, this alone will not be enough. The outcome of today¡¯s events was decided long before now. Merely restoring what once was will not alter that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I suspected as much,¡± Scarlett replied under her breath.


    While Olgolzkreh would without a doubt survive this battle, she¡¯d doubted the dragon could truly vanquish the Anomalous One. Watching the titanic struggle unfold, the land trembled beneath their feet as waves of force rippled outward. The dragon¡¯s gleaming scales deflected many of the Anomalous One¡¯s attacks, but as the fight drew on, the outcome was becoming evident. In a war of attrition, the Anomalous One would inevitably prevail. Whatever damage Olgolzkreh inflicted, the entity simply regenerated. Worse still, while the Anomalous One¡¯s influence had slowed with the dragon¡¯s arrival, it was slowly creeping ever outward, its tendrils growing thicker and more numerous each time they ensnared the dragon.


    Below, the creatures that had stalled eventually began to move again. Scarlett turned her focus back to defending their group. Waves of fire and water rose up to fend off the creatures, but she felt the strain of her earlier efforts. Bringing Olgolzkreh into this Memory had drained her. She couldn¡¯t afford to expend much more magic.


    Gaspar and the other wizards were in similar states. Many had already collapsed from overexertion, while those still standing were visibly struggling to cast even basic spells. They were holding on, but this couldn¡¯t continue.


    To truly change the course of events, they needed something more. More than Scarlett could muster with her own power or Thainnith¡¯s legacy. But what?


    Hints of despair tugged at the edges of her thoughts, creeping in like shadows, but Scarlett refused to let them take hold. She combed through every possibility in her mind. Her gaze briefly flickered to Olgolzkreh, the dragon¡¯s roars cutting through the air as it clashed with the Anomalous One.


    If there was a way, she would find it. She had to. Call it responsibility, instinct, or duty ¡ª whatever it was, the burden was on her. To ensure they all saw it safely through this.


    Suddenly, a brilliant red blaze lit up a distant section of the grey-tinged sky. Gaspar shouted a warning, and Scarlett¡¯s strained mind registered a streak of crimson fire hurtling towards them like a falling star. Reacting instinctively, she raised her hands, attempting to summon a barrier before it was too late ¡ª but before she could, the fiery streak struck the ground in front of them.


    A shockwave of living flame exploded outward, consuming the hillside in an instant. The fire surged like a ravenous predator, sweeping through the Anomalous One¡¯s creatures. They disintegrated into ash almost instantly, the flames devouring even the lingering traces of their forms. Smoke billowed upward, casting a strange, spectral glow over the battlefield.


    The sudden, destructive force left everyone stunned. Scarlett stared, her gaze tracing the path of the attack to a distant hill. There, emerging from one of the white rifts, were faint, shadowed figures.


    ¡°Always¡­these unpredictable elements,¡± the other Scarlett muttered beside her.


    The air shimmered before them, a ripple forming as space itself seemed to part. Through the tear, a vision of an ashen sky with flames licking a boundless horizon could be glimpsed. Three figures emerged from it.


    The first was a tall woman in pristine white robes, her face obscured by a deep hood. Beside her stood a man with combed auburn hair retreating slightly at the temples, his bright green eyes sharp and his beard neatly kept. He carried an intricately carved staff. At the forefront was a woman dressed in dark robes, her raven-black hair falling in straight locks past her shoulders, with a stark streak of white above her left temple. Her pale green eyes, touched with faint lines and shadows, held an intensity that felt almost piercing. Two beauty marks adorned her skin beneath her right eye. She carried a dagger that seemed forged from molten lava, its blade glowing faintly.


    Scarlett stared at the woman. ¡°¡­Arlene.¡±


    The woman¡¯s pale green eyes met hers, and a small, knowing smile formed on her lips. ¡°It looked like you could use some help,¡± Arlene said lightly. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting anything important.¡±


    Her words were punctuated by another booming howl from Olgolzkreh as the dragon continued its fierce battle with the Anomalous One.


    ¡°In all my years, I have never seen a spectacle quite like this,¡± the man behind Arlene spoke in a measured, dignified tone. His gaze swept over the city and the chaotic clash above. ¡°An ancient dragon, here? And hovering over a genuine Zuverian city?¡± He shook his head slowly. ¡°Where in Ittar¡¯s name are we?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s attention shifted to him, and recognition dawned. It was Delmont.


    ¡°While I certainly understand your interest, Delmont, I¡¯d say this is far from the best time for answers,¡± Arlene said without looking at him, stepping forward to assess the battlefield.


    Delmont glanced at her, studying her face for a few seconds. For the first time, Scarlett noticed the age etched into his features. He looked several years older than Arlene now, a reversal of how she remembered them.


    ¡°I suppose you are right,¡± the man finally replied. His gaze held an odd mixture of relief and sorrow. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll consider myself fortunate just to see you like this again, Arlene. It has been far too long.¡±


    Arlene¡¯s smile softened, genuine warmth lighting her expression as she turned to him. ¡°It has. Though it seems you¡¯ve aged far more than you had any right to. And when did you start losing your hair?¡± She gave him an appraising look. ¡°Elisa must have had quite a bit to say about that.¡±


    Delmont¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he touched a hand to his temple. ¡°¡­At least I haven¡¯t gone grey like a certain sister of mine.¡±


    ¡°White, actually,¡± Arlene said with a chuckle. ¡°But fair enough.¡±


    The exchange had the attention of everyone around them. Scarlett¡¯s party, along with the wizards, simply stared. Gaspar appeared particularly shaken.


    He turned to Scarlett, stepping closer to her, his voice almost a whisper. ¡°Are my ears playing tricks on me, or did she just call him¡­Delmont?¡±


    Scarlett simply nodded, most of her attention still on Arlene. Questions and concerns swirled through her mind, but she tried holding them back, knowing there were more pressing matters at hand. It wasn¡¯t easy, though.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Gaspar murmured, seemingly mostly to himself. ¡°He looks exactly like¡­ And that spell earlier ¡ª not even my father¡­¡±


    Scarlett stepped forward. ¡°Arlene¡­¡± she began. ¡°¡­Are you¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, Arlene¡¯s attention shifted to the white-robed figure that had arrived with her. The figure¡¯s gaze was turned skyward, watching the battle between Olgolzkreh and the Anomalous One.


    ¡°This looks dire, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Meneth?¡± Arlene asked.


    Scarlett blinked, pausing at hearing the name. It was unfamiliar to her, at first. Then, a notion¡ªan image¡ªsprang forth in her mind, courtesy of the legacy.


    ¡°¡­I never expected to witness such a sight again, yet here it is,¡± the robed woman said in a thin, almost melancholic voice. Her focus fixed on the dragon¡¯s gargantuan form. ¡°Olgolzkreh will not emerge victorious today. Iradartis will fall once again. Events of the past seem determined to repeat themselves¡­perhaps with graver consequences this time.¡±


    Scarlett stared at the woman, then at Arlene. ¡°¡­What did you call her?¡±


    The robed figure¡ªMeneth¡ªturned towards Scarlett with graceful yet almost otherworldly movements. The hood obscured most of her face, but Scarlett caught a glimpse of pale, nearly translucent skin framed by elongated, pointed ears, with delicate, arching brows and a pair of milky white eyes, unfocused and distant.


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Scarlett breathed. ¡°How¡­?¡±


    A Zuver. The woman was a Zuver. But they were supposed to be gone, with only three left ¡ª no, that wasn¡¯t it. It wasn¡¯t just that Meneth was a Zuver. Her name. That name belonged to one of the divinarchs, the near-mythic beings who had once ruled among the Zuverian civilisation.


    Meneth¡¯s lips quirked in a faint, curious smile. ¡°And who is this, Arlene?¡±


    Arlene eyed the ¡®divinarch¡¯ briefly, then looked at Scarlett. ¡°She is my student.¡±


    For a moment, Scarlett was genuinely speechless.


    ¡°Your student?¡± Meneth¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly, surprise flickering across her otherwise serene expression. ¡°I never imagined you would take on a student.¡± Her clouded eyes remained on Scarlett. ¡°You are a difficult one to see,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°But¡­you have been touched by Thainnith? I cannot fathom how that came to be, yet¡­ It gives me hope.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze darted between the woman and Arlene, her mind racing to process all the implications here. Even more questions burned within her, countless thoughts vying for her attention to the point where she couldn¡¯t settle on a single one to voice.


    ¡°Not to intrude,¡± Allyssa began, her tone a blend of bewilderment and urgency. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on, but you¡¯re here to help, right? If so, can you¡­help us with that?¡± She pointed to the Anomalous One as its shapeless limbs and tendrils entwined around one of Olgolzkreh¡¯s wings.


    Meneth turned to Arlene, a gentle smile now gracing her lips. ¡°Such a straightforward child. Unfortunately, my days of direct intervention are long past. But¡­¡± She gestured towards Arlene and Delmont. ¡°My friends, however, are more than capable.¡±


    All eyes shifted to Arlene, who had returned to surveying the battlefield with the calm determination of one preparing for an oncoming storm. Across the hillside, new creatures began to emerge from the thickening grey haze that bled from the Anomalous One. Almost as if stirred by these newcomers, they moved with a renewed ferocity.


    Arlene¡¯s voice pierced through the rising tension. ¡°Delmont,¡± she said without turning. ¡°I will need some time. Can you hold them back?¡±


    Delmont gave her a long, careful look, then nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°¡­Though I would appreciate it if you could answer a few questions after this, if that¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­We shall see.¡±


    Delmont raised his staff, gripping it with both hands. With one deft motion, an array of fiery runes ignited around their group, weaving into an intricate lattice of protective flames. At its center, a set of rotating glyphs flared in a series of controlled explosions, and with each, a creature ignited in searing bursts. The execution looked deceptively simple, almost mundane, but the sheer force of the magic drew audible gasps from the wizard onlookers, Gaspar among them.


    Arlene glanced back at Meneth. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    The robed woman inclined her head. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Scarlett interjected. ¡°There is something I must know.¡±


    Arlene turned to her. ¡°¡­I know you have questions,¡± she said, with a hint of regret colouring her tone. ¡°Believe me, I wish I could answer them all. But right now, as things are¡­¡± Her gaze shifted to the battlefield, where the Anomalous One¡¯s tendrils were binding one of Olgolzkreh¡¯s wings and snaking towards their group.¡°¡­No. there isn¡¯t time.¡±


    The tendrils slammed into Delmont¡¯s net of runes and flames, which contracted and flashed in response, incinerating the attacking limbs. Meanwhile, more and more creatures surged forward, but Delmont layered additional spells that continued to repel them.


    As Arlene held Scarlett¡¯s gaze for a moment longer. ¡°I cannot say whether I was ever a good teacher. In all honesty, I may have only added to your burdens in ways you do not even realise.¡± A rare, sober expression softened her features. ¡°It¡¯s remarkable that, after deciding to carry the weight of everything I left unresolved¡ªalong with so much else¡ªyou still stand here with the same determination. Do you yourself even comprehend how much it is that you force yourself to bear? And you do so with more strength than I could have ever had.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her. The way Arlene spoke¡­ It was as though she actually knew of the things Scarlett had done outside Freymeadow, which¡­she shouldn¡¯t.


    More questions burned at the forefront of Scarlett¡¯s mind, but Arlene continued, her voice quiet but firm. ¡°Just this once,¡± she said, with what might actually have been a warm smile touching her lips, ¡°release yourself from the idea that you must handle everything yourself. This time, leave it to me. It¡¯s the least a teacher can do for her student, particularly one as stubborn as you.¡± She inhaled deeply, the air around her humming with energy. ¡°I¡¯m not quite saying goodbye, mind you ¡ª but if you wish, you may think of this as a final lesson.¡±


    Meneth stepped forward and placed her palm on Arlene¡¯s back. A soft, ethereal light radiated from her palm, its glow spreading outward. More gasps left the surrounding wizards, and even Scarlett was surprised. She was terrible at perceiving these things, but it seemed to her that the woman was starting to channel mana into Arlene ¡ª a feat that Scarlett had heard was supposedly impossible.


    Arlene closed her eyes and began casting her spell. Quiet, deliberate words fell from her lips. Words of power. Each word was an arcane key, unlocking a strange energy that grew stronger with every utterance.


    Scarlett quickly realised what was happening. It was something she recognised, after all, even if she had never truly witnessed it firsthand. The sheer magnitude of the magic being woven was almost tangible.


    The Anomalous One, too, seemed to sense the gathering power. Its attacks redoubled, its colossal form releasing Olgolzkreh entirely to focus on this new threat. More tendrils lashed out in greater numbers, hammering against Delmon¡¯s fiery defences with relentless force. Runes flared, resisting the strikes, even as Delmont grit his teeth and poured all of his mana into the barrier.


    The urgency of the situation spurred those standing still into action. The Isle wizards, Scarlett¡¯s party, and even the exhausted Gaspar joined the fight, throwing every last reserve of strength into fending off the advancing creatures and buying Arlene time. Scarlett herself worked to conserve what remained of her mana, drawing upon the remnants of Allyssa¡¯s ice to create spears of water that pierced one creature after another.


    Arlene¡¯s chanting grew louder, her voice imbued with a primordial power that seemed to defy the limits of the reality around them. Or, rather than defying, they reinforced that reality, as if by some hidden, unspoken law. Slowly, gradually, flames began to spiral around her hands, expanding outward in large arcs, their heat shimmering in waves as Meneth continued to feed her mana. The flow of power became so intense that it was visible even to the untrained eye ¡ª a brilliant, blinding stream of energy connecting the two women, making Scarlett question exactly how much mana the Zuver woman held within her.


    A thunderous rupture echoed as Olgolzkreh completely broke free from the Anomalous One¡¯s grip. The dragon roared, releasing another massive blast of frost that cascaded across the sky. But the Anomalous One ignored the dragon now, focusing its full attention on Arlene. Its massive form twisted violently, a rain of shadowed tendrils shooting towards her.


    Through it all, Arlene continued her spell. High above, the spiraling flames she had summoned converged, forming a single, blazing star that pulsed with a radiant orange light. The heat it radiated was so intense that it warped the air, distorting the space around it. Complex runes etched themselves into the fiery core, patterns so intricate they were impossible to make out.


    The Anomalous One unleashed a final, frenzied barrage, clashing endlessly against Delmont¡¯s spells. With each subsequent impact, the barrier was pushed further and further, nearing its limits. Dark energy churned and reformed in a relentless cycle, clawing at the edges of the spell, desperate to stop what was coming.


    And then, with a single, resolute word, Arlene released her spell.


    A blinding curtain of power unfurled as countless fiery arcs burst forth from the blazing star above, flooding the sky with a brilliant inferno of red and orange. The flames spiralled and surged, twisting through the air like molten rivers, melting and scorching everything in their wake. Even the very air seemed to ignite, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as though the heavens themselves had unleashed a final, unstoppable force ¡ª a cataclysm of fire that devoured all.


    And it all descended upon the Anomalous One.