Chapter 117: Revelations – Chapter 114: Cake and Conversation

Aperio wanted to wrap her wing around Caethya as they appeared outside Mayeia's temple, but realized a moment later that she had hidden them on purpose. With a silent sigh, she offered her hand to the Elf. It would have to suffice.

Caethya happily placed her hand in Aperio's own, smiling at the Goddess as she did. "So," she began, "where are we going?"

"I don't know," the All-Mother replied with a small shrug. "I would like to try the food here, but I don't have any coins on me. I could probably make some, but that seems like a bad idea." And I'd have to figure out what they make their money out of.

A small leather pouch appeared in Caethya's free hand. "Then I shall treat you to dinner. Being a high-level Adventurer pays quite well."

"Thank you," Aperio replied with a smile, a part of her mind already looking through every establishment in Foderys to find something both of them might enjoy. The most immediate problem she encountered was that she did not actually know what Caethya liked. "Is there anything you would want to try?"

"Anything you wish to eat is fine with me," she replied with a smile. "I'm not the one who had not had any food in millennia."

"I had some," Aperio replied, tilting her head slightly. "Even though it was better than what I had before, most of it was... boring." Perhaps I just don't know what normal food is supposed to be like?

She had only ever eaten some formless gruel as a slave, and that was when she got food. Sometimes they had simply been given a cheap potion that would keep them alive for the day. Aperio's face twisted into a grimace at the memory of the taste. Disgusting.

Caethya gave a nod at Aperio's words, starting to hum lightly as she started to walk. The All-Mother followed, easily falling into step with the Elf. "You have a place in mind?"

"No," Caethya said, moving a little closer. "We can just stop if we find something interesting. It's better that way, no?"

"Perhaps," Aperio replied, her eyes wandering from mortal to mortal. Mayeia's temple was surrounded by a small park that saw little use. But, beyond its walls, the city was packed with people.

The two of them did not necessarily blend in with the crowds, but neither did they stand out. A good number of the mortals were as tall as Aperio, and some even managed to be taller. Elves were common enough, too, though the All-Mother still garnered some curious looks — some of which showed a little too much interest for her tastes — from those who felt a little stronger than the average mortal.

Perhaps they can sense my aura still? She had been employing the same trick she had used before, trying to weave her mana beyond the fabric of reality and purposefully muddling it with the ambient mana. It seemed to work well enough, as most people didn’t pay her any more mind than Caethya. Just those few…

A small mental query directed at Caethya revealed that it was not only her aura that drew people's attention, but also the way she held herself when she walked. The floating gait Aperio preferred had apparently evolved into something more warrior-like without her noticing. She could only scrunch her brows at the revelation as it made little sense to her.

"It doesn't matter though, does it?" Caethya asked, her voice crystal clear to Aperio's ears despite the buzz of the city. At least that got better…

"It does not," she replied. "I simply went through great pains to be able to do it, and not noticing a change seems… weird."

"You don't notice a great many things about yourself." Her disciple smiled at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Oh? What else do I do without knowing it?"

"Command any room you enter, for example," Caethya replied, gently nudging Aperio around a corner and towards what the All-Mother instinctively classed as a tavern, though upon second glance it was obviously a lot higher in class.

"I think that just comes with what I am," Aperio replied, a touch of her magic ensuring only Caethya heard the words. "The amount of mana I carry within me far exceeds that of all the mortals here combined, after all."

Her disciple nodded. "You got pretty good at that, though. I can still feel some of it, sure, but it's pretty hard to find." She paused for a moment, looking at Aperio as she contemplated her next words. "Perhaps it also helps that you are… settling in, for a lack of a better term."

"In the world? My body? …Being with you?" Aperio was not quite sure which of these Caethya had meant, but knew that all of them were true to a degree. Despite the worries that had been shoved at her mind, the All-Mother had, of late, felt more at home in the world as well as her own flesh. She had also acknowledged her feelings for Caethya, which might have been the biggest change in itself had she not also begun acting upon those feelings as well.

"All of them," her disciple replied, stopping before she walked into the midst of the tables and chairs laid out in front of the fancy-tavern. "Have you ever been to a cafe?"

"No," Aperio replied with a small shake of her head. "What makes it different from a normal tavern?"

"They focus on other drinks, not just ale," Caethya replied, spotting an empty table and guiding Aperio to a seat. "I am also pretty sure they were brought here by someone from Earth."

"Earth?"

"The world Adam and Kiro come from." Caethya shrugged. "Apparently they have a lot of these, and less taverns and bars."

The All-Mother raised an eyebrow at the words but did not comment. Instead, she picked up the booklet that sat in the middle of their table. Flipping through it revealed that it was filled with small pictures of the things they sold, as well as helpful descriptions to explain what you might be potentially ordering. Seems a bit much for such a small place.

The images of the various foods and drinks didn't appear that appetizing to her, and nothing elicited enough of a response to be worthy of choosing. "Did Adam give you any recommendations as to what we should try?"

"No," Caethya replied, taking the small booklet Aperio offered her. "But I am sure I can find something good."

A smile spread across the All-Mother's lips as she watched her disciple flip through the menu. She had not stopped her search for Moria, but just being here with Caethya had helped to lessen her worry. They hadn't even done much yet, just some talking and now a pause to sit down for something unnecessary, but it didn't really matter what she did as long as Caethya was there. She was still worried about Moira's answer, of course, but somehow the potential of her having just pretended to be her friend didn't seem so devastating anymore.

"Perhaps we should do this more often," Caethya said, lowering the booklet and looking at Aperio. She also waved a waiter over as she spoke, handing him the menu as he arrived and ordering two teas, and some cakes with names the All-Mother was sure were not from Verenier.

"Maybe," Aperio said, her shoulders slumping a little at the small wince of the waiter. She had forgone ensuring only Caethya could hear her and her voice had seemingly been a little much for the young Beastkin. "I am still not sure it is okay for me to just walk around like this."

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Her disciple tilted her head slightly. "Why would it not be okay for you to walk around? You stand out a little, certainly, but as you likely have noticed, as long as you keep your aura in check people don't seem to pay too much attention."

"I also can't talk to them," Aperio said, nodding towards the waiter moving away from their table a little faster than necessary. "He is scared because I spoke."

"I think he is going that fast to inform the proprietor of this business about a potentially important guest."

That wouldn't be wrong, Aperio thought to herself, a minuscule part of her mind following the waiter. He scribbled some unreadable words next to their order before handing them to another employee, then started to walk towards a heavy looking wooden door behind the counter.

"I hope that is the case,"Aperio said, observing the hapless employee handing their order over to a chef, and tilting her head slightly at the chaos that broke out in the kitchen. "I don't want to scare every mortal I encounter." Only some.

"You really have no idea how to live a normal life, do you?" Caethya asked after a moment of silence. "I knew that all of this would be new for you, but I keep forgetting. Before, you couldn't just go where you wanted or do what you wanted, and now you are… well, you."

"Normality is not something that begets me, it would seem."

Her disciple looked at her for a moment, tapping her finger against her chin. Aperio was not quite sure what Caethya expected her to do, and her only immediate response was to shift slightly in her chair. A touch of her magic ensured the wooden frame did not collapse under her weight. Whoever had made these had anticipated heavier people, but apparently not quite so significant a mass as what the All-Mother brought with her. Does mana weigh anything?

"Do you know what you will do after you find Moria?" the Elf finally asked. "Go after the other Gods that went against you?"

"Figure out what this [War in Heaven] is," Aperio replied. "I would like it if it solved itself and I could just take some time to live, but I doubt that will happen."

Further talk was cut short as a waitress brought their order. Unlike the other waiter, this one did not seem to be in much of a hurry to get away. Aperio knew why, of course; this waitress had been in the room with what she assumed to be the owner of the business when the first waiter had come in to report her presence.

"Thank you," Aperio said after the waitress had placed the last plate on the table and Caethya had thanked her. She seemed unaffected by her voice, simply bowing before leaving them to their meal.

Oyla Ki | [Devoted of the Veil] | Level: 222

Maybe that's why? Aperio thought to herself, dismissing the notification. This waitress was by far not the strongest person she had ever encountered, but it was certainly possible that the other Beastkin was much less leveled. Or maybe this Oyla is simply used to serving stronger mortals?

In the end, it mattered little, and the All-Mother returned most of her attention to the Elf sitting across from her. Caethya was looking at her intently, holding her steaming cup of tea in both of her hands and taking a sip every now and then.

Aperio followed suit and carefully picked up her cup to smell the tea. Perhaps it was her enhanced senses, but for the All-Mother, the smell of it was almost overwhelming. Not bad by any stretch, but still a little much.

She took a sip of the steaming beverage, savouring the scalding liquid as it flowed down her throat. Aperio could not name the flavours, or even describe them, but it was easy to determine that it was better than anything she had tried before.

"Do you like it?" Caethya asked, her eyes still fixed on the All-Mother.

"I do," Aperio replied, a touch of her magic bringing her slice of cake closer. "But it somehow lacks the ability to bring satiation. Or I lack the base needs to be sated."

"Perhaps that's because your body does not work like a mortal’s?" Caethya asked, watching the All-Mother take a bite of her cake.

Making sure the people surrounding them would not hear what they were not supposed to was rapidly becoming second nature to Aperio. Certainly helps that I can do it with my aura.

"Maybe," she replied, looking at the piece of cake before shifting her gaze towards Caethya. "I do not truly care for this, though. Being with you is what matters."

The Elf smiled at the words, her own food quickly vanishing as they sat in silence. Aperio did not mind, silently placing her plate in front of the Elf as she seemed to enjoy it much more than she herself had done. She also let a bit of her mana flow around Caethya, something she enjoyed doing and her disciple had not spoken out against, while a small part of her mind explored the city.

"Is there really nothing you would like to do?" Caethya asked after finishing both her own and Aperio's cake. 

"I would like to have a friendly bout of fighting, but there is nothing that would be enough of a challenge," Aperio replied, mentally acknowledging Mayeia's message. The Goddess had heard back from the [Ancestral Guard].

"Exploring is also enjoyable," Aperio added, shifting slightly in her chair and wordlessly informing Caethya of what Mayeia had just told her. "But, I am open for anything." Don't exactly know what I should do, either.

"I will think of something," her disciple replied, waving over a waiter and handing him a few coins before standing up. "But for now, we have a visit to make, do we not?"

The All-Mother nodded at the question and rose from her chair. She could not help but notice the grey-haired man behind the counter looking at her, nodding his head almost imperceptibly as a bit of Aperio’s mana flowed around him. He smiled at the two of them, offering a small wave as they left.

Who is that ? Aperio idly wondered, the System providing an answer a moment later.

Miguél Bianchi | [Walker of the Veil (Hidden)] | Level: 296

GamingWolf

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