Chapter 3: Chapter 3

A wave of magic, ancient and of likely bad intent, washed over Rika.

"ARGH, how stupid of me! Had I cast an appraisal spell beforehand, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"

"Mmm, so young and so~ full of spirit. You, little girl, must be a scion."

"Who are you, and what do you want of me?"

The voice was silent for a few moments, its aim likely to irritate Rika and make her commit a second mistake.

(Keep calm, keep calm. Deep breaths. Do not give yourself to anger or panic...)

Yet still no answer came.

"...Well? Did you not hear me? I have asked you a question and common courtesy would have you answer it."

"Oho, spirited indeed. Very well then; Wijdhajufukel is my name, and as for my desire... I wish to leave this place. Which is where you come in, my little scion. I shall borrow your body for a while until we are out of this pit."

Rika could not make head or tails of what he was saying since nothing else was happening.

"...So you wish of me to carry you out? Am I understanding you correctly?"

Silence reigned for some time once more, and it made Rika uncomfortable.

"Speak now, or I shall put the band back and leave you behind."

"Oh, no no no. I was just... hmmm, distracted. I do wish to leave of course, so if you would?"

"Ah? What could distract you so in a situation like this one?"

By now, Rika had become rather curious. The strange entity, whatever exactly it was, had become a topic of interest to the studious girl.

(But wait? What if this... being is also a part of the test? Certainly, helping someone in need would be an appreciable act, so... hmmm...)

"Do excuse me for what I am about to say, but... I have peered into your mind, and-"

"You have done what!?"

"Be calm, little Rika, it was not to harm you. I am in search of a, shall we say 'host' of a kind. I can imbue you with at least some of my power in return and help you with your, ah, problems. Like a certain fiancé?"

Rika did not exactly like the tone of the voice as it suggested this, but it did strike a vulnerable nerve - the one thing in her life she truly detested to her core was the prospect of one day being married to that pig of an elf Albert. If this voice could provide her with a satisfactory solution, why should she not accept? Minutes of silence passed as Rika thought it over and over. But the offer was plainly too tempting to ignore, and so...

"Very well. I accept being your... host, was it? As long as it entails carrying you around as an advisor? Someone to grant me power and a way to rid myself of Albert."

"Heh... You chose wisely. Now do hold still for a moment."

Something changed within Rika. The gem on the choker glowed in an odd reversal of light; as if shadow was sucking the illumination away. Yet as soon as the change started, it had already passed again... and Rika felt very, very different.

"Ohhhhhh, this feels so... grandiose. This is truly incredible!"

The lofty feeling of power was so unexpected, so overwhelming, she was unable to put the new sensations into proper words. While she had always been good at magic, it was still nothing compared to this!

[Test, test. You can hear me, can you not?]

The voice rang out again, but this time seemingly from inside her own head and with a more airy quality to it.

"I can hear you, but... it feels as if I am thinking in your voice now?"

[This is a form of telepathy. I can project my voice into your mind, although unfortunately it is one-way so you will have to respond by moving your head or speaking up. Not too loudly of course; other people might think you had one too many visits to the cuckoo nest if they see you mumbling to yourself all the time.]

"But you claimed you are able to read my mind when you mentioned Albert?"

[That's correct, but fleeting thoughts are different. They're much harder to grasp than long-term memories.]

Rika nodded in understanding, although not because she had been told to.

You are reading story Heiress of the Empire at novel35.com

[Good girl.]

"Ah, that was- *Cough* So, what do we do now? We still need to find our way out."

[Easy enough, girly. Just head backwards until I tell you to stop, then turn to the left wall and cast the spell to undo illusions. A hidden passage should be revealed to you that can bring us right back to the main chamber.]

"Very well. And thank you, err... do excuse me, would you please repeat your name?"

[Wijdhajufukel, but you may call me, ah, Jufu.]

"Then thank you, Jufu."

Rika tried doing another curtsy before remembering he probably could not see it and thus stopped herself.

 

As Jufu claimed, there really was a hidden passage and shortly after, Rika was already back outside, having fulfilled her trial in an amazingly quick time. However, something was rather strange. Even if she had taken longer than the few hours that it felt like, it should not have been night already... yet the starry sky above her head and the cold breeze disagreed with her quite strongly.

"How is it already night? And it's really- A-A-Achoo! Cold..."

[*Sigh* Fire Mantle!]

Hearing Jufu's mental shout, Rika underwent a motion to cast magic. She was then enveloped by a bright yet gentle flame that felt wonderfully pleasant rather than scorching hot.

"Wh-Wh-What!? How can you- Jufu, why did I do that!?"

[As I stated, you have become my host. What, do you not know what a host is? Of course I can exercise control over you; how silly would it be if I couldn't? But you needn't worry, I won't make your body do things that would be harmful; I do rely on your well-being.]

Rika was not convinced and motioned to rip the choker off right then and there, but it refused to budge.

[*Sigh*, don't bother. As my host, the choker - and thus also my essence - are bound to you. You cannot remove it on your own.]

Jufu was right, the choker proved perfectly tight enough that Rika did not notice it by just wearing it. On the other hand, she was also unable to get even her smallest finger under it; it was as if it had been glued to her skin.

"Fine... I guess we are stuck with each other for a little longer then, Jufu.", a resigned Rika quietly said, mostly to herself.

[I for one think you'll make for wonderful company. Also, check this out: Flight!]

Barely voiced so, Rika suddenly lost her balance and went afloat. Her short dress tried to reveal something bad, so she quickly grabbed it with one arm while flailing about with the other.

"Wh-Wh-Wha-!? I'm floating! This is at least mid-level magic! How can you just make me cast this without any training!?"

[This isn't some paltry Float, this is genuine FLIGHT! As for the how, simply by injecting my knowledge and mana into yours. My intent becomes yours and your body channels it to work it. Now do stop flailing about and focus on my instructions, girly. I assure you, your family will be amazed with this when you return.]

Initially unsure, Rika ended up doing as he said and within just over ten minutes she had already understood how to fly.

[Smart girl.]

"Thank you, but... ah, this is a very draining spell."

[Yeah, I figured that you would need several jumps. But look, I can already see the street leading to your hometown.]

He was right, the protective walls were already within Rika's sight as she was flying about.

Yet once more, things were not as they should be.

"...Jufu?"

[Yes, girly?]

"Why is there a massive plume of smoke rising just behind that hill?"

You can find story with these keywords: Heiress of the Empire, Read Heiress of the Empire, Heiress of the Empire novel, Heiress of the Empire book, Heiress of the Empire story, Heiress of the Empire full, Heiress of the Empire Latest Chapter