Chapter 15: Looking for Group

For the first time in days, I woke up alone. Lydia and Anna were both busy with a myriad of duties that I had no business interfering in. Lydia was solidifying her control over the various houses that conspired against her while Anna had to vet every single member of the castle staff to prevent an unexpected betrayal. Idyia was more of a boon than I was for this. Her deep connections to the Hasting conspiracy was a god-send for Lydia. With Idyia’s support, all of Hasting’s dirty laundry was coming to light, including those most involved with the coup. Lydia granted clemency to those that confessed, but those that didn’t were dragged out of their holes like rats by the tail and burned alive.

I wanted to argue that capital punishment like this was grotesque and inhumane, but I remembered that Lydia’s values weren’t exactly the same as mine. Moreover, Dragonheart influenced her personality in a way I could not comprehend. Would a dragon tolerate traitors in her roost? Probably not. I grew worried about what would happen if Dragonheart became stronger. Aspects could be developed - so what happened if Dragonheart ranked up? Would she become even more brutal?

“The Princess will always be the Princess,” was Anna’s response to my concerns. Anna’s dedication to Lydia was akin to a mother her daughter. It was so blindingly faithful I found it too beautiful to question. I wasn’t entirely objective about it all, either, so I had no right to criticize.

In the end, the courtyard smelt of burning flesh for a week straight before Lydia’s wrath was finally satisfied.

The general populace ate it up, though. Their whole lives revolved around the royal family, past and present. Renalis was once the roost of an ancient dragon who ruled over this region, so its people were conditioned to obey. Subservience was baked into their cultural identity. I found it fascinating and revolting. In some twisted sense, I empathized with Hasting. I now saw why he would think this status quo was intolerable. I couldn’t stomach living under the royal family’s thumb, either. If I weren’t in love with Lydia and Anna, I might have even supported the coup. In truth, I didn’t fight to free the people from monarchical tyranny, I fought because Lydia and Anna were two women I cared deeply for. Despite being called a Hero, I was just a man who chose the love of two women over the wellbeing of an entire country. When I looked at it from that lens, I had to ask myself: which one of us was the villain and the hero?

In the end, we were just men on different sides. I won. You lost. Rest in peace, Hasting.

I looked up at the window where I sniped Hasting through and gave it a lazy salute.

“Master,” Idyia’s voice jarred me out of my reverie. “You are surprised? Did I disturb you?”

“It’s fine. Did you find anyone worth bringing? And stop calling me that. Levin is fine.”

“No. The Queen was correct in her assessment: there is no one above 3rd Level in the capital aside from the Queen herself.” I noticed she didn’t acknowledge the second half of my statement.

Now that I had time to rest and recover, I sent Idyia to try and recruit volunteers to join me against the demon hordes. While there were many brave men and women who were inspired by my reputation and were willing to fight alongside me, almost all of them were only 1st Level. So far, only ten were 2nd Level. From what Idyia said, they would be deadweight to someone like me. Even she could barely keep up and our skill sets were pretty similar.

“You’re free today, right?”

“At your beck and call, Master Levin.”

“No, I meant did Lyd- the Queen, did she dismiss you?”

“No, but if necessary she will contact me through your Skill.”

I added Idyia to my Squad shortly after Lydia took the throne. She was astonished at how convenient and comprehensive my Movement and Tracking System was. I still didn’t have a frame of reference, but Idyia assured me that she had never seen or heard of a Skill quite like it. She correctly assumed it was why her surprise attack completely and utterly failed the night we met. In order to finalize Idyia’s loyalty, Lydia granted the Tethys Tribe enough Magic Crystals to survive for one human lifetime, as was requested. As a show of good faith, the Dark Elves swore loyalty to Lydia’s line and became citizens of Renalis. I saw Lydia had mixed feelings about that; Dark Elves were the descendants of demons and elves, so they were shunned and reviled all around the world. But Lydia needed as many loyalists as possible, so she couldn’t refuse them easily. Moreover, they had the Child of Darkness Aspect, so she could use them to rebuild an information and spy network.

“We’ll go form a Party, then.”

“As you command.”

“Stop that. I need a partner, not a subordinate.”

Idyia looked apprehensive but soon nodded.

“So, what’s your opinion on forming a Party, then?”

“I dislike the gods, Master Levin.”

My headspun. Every person I met so far were so faithful they could make the Pope look like a heretic. Anna’s faith in the Goddess of Fertility was so deep she was willing to bear me children and raise them herself.

“Dark Elves are pariahs, both culturally and religiously. No Demon Gods desire our worship and the Primaries despise us.”

“I think we’ll get along great, Idyia.”

“Most would consider my words heresy of the highest order, Master Levin. My very existence is blasphemy against the gods’ design.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m American. Whatever. Let’s go sell our souls to Seras and see what she wants us to do.”

Idyia appeared even more confused as I led her through the streets and into the small chapel dedicated to Seras. Unlike other gods, Seras didn’t have a very well defined form. She was often depicted as androgynous or as a floating sphere with white and black swirls that looked like a taijitu symbol. Neither did Seras have many worshipers. Idyia and I were the only two in the whole building. I couldn’t even find a clergyman.

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“Perhaps another time, Master Levin.” Idyia was obviously apprehensive about setting foot in any holy place.

“No. This is the best time.”

I stepped forward toward the empty altar. Overhead was one of those white and black spheres. They glowed as if alive and active. I wondered if it were some giant Magic Crystal or if Seras actually kept them powered, somehow.

I stared at it.

“Seras, wake up. It’s me.” I took the tone of a father calling his daughter to wake her up because she probably forgot her final exam was in three hours.

“Master Levin, I do not think taking such a tone is wise.” Idyia was flabbergasted as she reached up to my arm and tried to pull me off the altar. I held my ground and stared straight at the orb.

The sphere suddenly flashed and Idyia fell to her knees and prostrated herself along the floor.

“All right, let’s make this easy. One flash for no and two flashes for yes. Do you understand?”

Two flashes.

Idyia was choking on air but both Seras and I ignored her.

“Was Lydia right? Are you going to screw me over because of a fucking technicality in my wish syntax and diction? Or will you honor the spirit of the wish?”

Two flashes. God fucking damnit, was that yes to screwing me over or yes to honoring the spirit of the wish?

“Do I have any chance at killing a Demon God?”

One flash.

Well that was encouraging. Then again, the impossibility of my task didn’t phase me. But it definitely drew a reaction from Idyia judging by how loud she shrieked.

“Are you willing to change the terms of our agreement if I kill more than one Demon God?”

There was a long pause before the orb flashed twice. I think Idyia was catatonic by now. She stopped reacting, at least.

“I want the ability to traverse across this universe and another at-will. Can you grant me that?”

There was an even longer pause, but the orb didn’t stop glowing so I waited patiently.

Two flashes.

“Fuck yes!”

My explanation drew a yelp of surprise out of Idyia, but I continued my conversation with Seras.

“All right, I want to form a Party with Idyia. The goal will be earning that ability.”

The orb shot a beam of light down upon my body and spread to Idyia.

My Menu suddenly lit up with several alerts:

«You have created a Party.» 

«Idyia Tethrys has joined your Party.»

«Quest Received: In order to obtain the Dimension Walker Aspect, you must kill all three Demon Gods responsible for creating the Rift.»

There was also a Party option added to my Menu that allowed me to view Idyia’s Status.

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