Chapter 102: 87: A decision…

Auratic

Alicia was called to a rather unusual place, the small hamlet that was built at the edge of the forest to receive outsiders. It mostly saw comings and goings from vendors and merchants associated with Albertini’s firm along with the occasional peddlers seeking the unique products solely produced by Velauhart - Magna apis Mellifera honey and extraordinary silk that stretches without tearing or losing shape - unknowingly or not attempting to secure some for themselves and troubadours seeking shelter. It was mostly inhabited by the former slaves Alicia freed with frequent visits from “Elves of the Black Forest” - or so they have been dubbed by the outsiders that stay for the brief - were vastly different from the usual half-elven tarts closer to humans that they ogled, namely longer ears, sharp senses, sharper wit and, it going without saying, the sharpest being their arrowheads. Few scoundrel stowaways often learned the last point first hand. Those qualities, combined with them moving quieter than a owl’s down on grass, attracted followers by their own right, be it as admirers or challengers. With their judgement being dealt swiftly without pretence, usually in the form of an arrow to the neck, they were quickly established as the sentries of the hamlet.

Groundless rumours and gossip borne from the implausible settlement in the forest were carried far and beyond the small confines of the hamlet, retold each time with fewer and fewer facts, and more and more fantasy. It was a given though, that few things remained a staple, of which the mysterious woman in white, known only as the Mistress that revealed only to greet those bearing esoteric offerings from distant lands and spending loosening her coinpurse generously to buy miscellaneous paraphernalia should it catch her fancy. And one was considered exceedingly fortunate if they could bear witness to magicals feats of wondrous proportions that she may perform. Some real, some imagined, all the more enticing for bored middle-class, glory seeking knight-errants and curious travellers. The person in question however had no clue of the peculiar notoriety she had amassed.

This time however she was not here to browse vendibles. Though that did little to deter her from taking in her surroundings at her leisure. She had almost no involvement in the design and construction of the growing vill. As she often made her visits when it was crowded with merchants and busy overall, she hadn’t quite found the time to inspect the construction aspects seriously. But now it seemed like the perfect opportunity she was looking for without much traffic. Picking the largest building she could find, which happened to be the caravansery guesthouse with a sizable stable at its side, she started circling it around looking for any obvious errors, damages or potential issues. With a glossary look from the outside showing no signs of stress, she started digging at the side building with her hands, enough to reveal its cobblestone foundation. Kneeling down, placing her palm against it to examine the foundation with magic, she felt that there were far more people inside than she expected, but she thought nothing of it since it wasn’t rare for some travellers to stop by, and carried on with her original intent.

Her magical energy permeated through the stone substructure, divulging her of its minutiae.

‘Raft foundation… no cracks… The soil is packed nicely beneath it but doesn't reach the hard strata… Unlikely to settle unevenly, must’ve compressed the soil with magic… quick and dirty but it will work. I don’t think this thing has a drainage system, not like we have some plastic pipes that I can stab holes into…’

‘…Almost nothing… not a lot of moisture… won’t be wearing out to water damage anytime soon. Still, it needs a foundation drain, a weeping tile perhaps. The old fashioned way, with fired clay… rain and snow is going to be mean without it. Just gotta dig a trench, fill it with gravel, give it a nice filter mesh sock and it will be all good. In the worst case, someone with water affinity can force the humidity away from the footing with magic. Eh… good enough, they get a passing grade.’

Satisfied with the work of her Araneae put into the construction she stepped away, just in time too as Alfred had come to receive her.

Holding her head low she answered.

The strange emphasis on the word guests made Alicia curious. Furthermore, there were no visits scheduled from Albertini’s firm for at least two weeks.

‘Oookay… First a moth with Goldia. I expected a puppy, or a kitten from Anna but not humans… from Erwin no less.’

‘She’s been busy counting heads I see…’

Her head turned to look up at the building beside her momentarily before answering.

‘Ah, so they were the ones who I sensed on the inside.’

Alfred’s face turned to one of proud satisfaction for but a fleeting moment as she replied.

Alicia, wise to Alfred’s mischievousness, suspected something was up.

Alfred’s face had slowly twisted into an unrestrained, smug smile, like that of someone about to deliver the punchline of their greatest joke.

All of Alicia’s hair stood on its end.

As dry-wit as she was, Alpha was not one to mix personal amusement with her work, that Alicia knew as a fact from working with her. So why did she ask a question that she already knew the answer to… It was quite simple, Alicia wanted it to be a joke.

And with that, reality of the situation had set in. Never before did Alicia wished to disappear as the seafoam did. In accordance to her will, stealth took effect, obfuscating her already faint presence.

‘Echo! I would love to compliment you for your work but why in the name of hell did you make me into some sort of deity. I have one tribe too many already.’

With the previous topic too embarrassing to dwell on, Alicia gladly jumped at the opportunity to change the subject.

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Led by Alfred, the two arrived at a stable some distance away from the hamlet, as it was built to house the horses of visitors it was mostly empty most of the time. There, Erwin was feeding fruits to horses as she was stroking them, accompanied by two men. The mounts were quite different from ones that usually occupied the stables. Smaller build, quality saddles on their back, blinders on the reins, just from cursory look alone it was quite clear that they were not the sort of horse that a typical trader would bring along.

As they came closer, Erwin took notice and held her head low in reverence, the two men that were with her instead took a knee in an unexpectedly practised manner. Even the equines seemed to follow suit, somehow.

‘Horses too… I was doubtful of her, what was it? Hypnosis? No no, it's mesmerism, she was adamant about it not being hypnosis. Apparently it works on animals too. As for the men… empire’s soldiers. Defectors or… Echo’s new pets?’

Erwin’s look of serene calm disappeared as she cast a dismissive look to her side.

‘I can understand what he’s saying but it sounds… off? I think it's still the common tongue… maybe with a dialect? Also, how much influence does she have over them…?’

In lieu of answering directly, Erwin opted to demonstrate.

‘A lot… That’s the answer… Ugh… I thought Domination was excessive, meanwhile Erwin here is brainwashing people into some sort of religious nutcases. Just don’t think about it, just don’t think about it.’

Echo still wasn’t sure if the actions she had taken of her own accord were correct. She was hoping for a resolution, was it approval or reprimandation. Studying her beloved mistress’ expression, she couldn’t tell for sure, yet it may just have had just the modicum of displeasure, something she absolutely dreaded.

‘Of course… they’re not just going to bang their heads against stone walls and those vertical grate doors… whatever they’re called. Catapults, ladders, rams, those giant wood tower looking things yeah… should be something to see… from a distance that is.’

‘Army hm… modern militaries can field hundred thousands of soldiers easily if they wanted to, in this world, without the advancements in roads, transport logistics, chains of command and before the discovery of radio… organising an army is going to be hell. So I can low ball it quite a bit. But he did say it's enough to make someone stubborn concede, so they’re likely to utilise overwhelming numbers to their advantage… Tricksy, tricksy…’

‘There should be at least two forts in their way before they can even make it to the edges of Viveria. They’re acting as if it won’t even be an obstacle to them…’

Armed conflict, city siege, international politics, treachery and betrayals, things had escalated far beyond Alicia’s comfort zone. Although it was something she really wanted to stay as far away as possible, stowing away to herself in a quiet corner of this world, the world had already made its decretum.

An open question to everyone, but there was really only one that could give a satisfying answer among them. Alfred stopped to think, exhaustively considering all the possibilities and the hypotheticals, carefully picking her words. It was Alicia’s first time seeing her at her wits’ end.

‘Heh, so you’re not a supercomputer made by gods after all. That’s fine. The company of one is already enough.’

Alicia finally found an answer to the question that was plaguing her for a long time.

It came suddenly, but it was without a doubt an approval. Such a shock it was to her Erwin froze up, her luminous scales lost in discordant colours, a window to her mental state.

Now, take Delta with you, I need an accurate, topological map of the area just outside the forest. Remember to include the outskirts of Viveria. Take in more refugees, any that you can spare to save.”

She finally recovered from her stupefaction, and moved to carry out her new task with pep in her steps, something that was somehow shared to the two human soldiers that was under her thrall. Her hair and scales turned to bright yellow and teal as she went.

‘Huh… So that's her happy colour… Wait a minute, is she a goddamn chameleon?’

Auratic

most PSYCHOTIC female TARANTULA

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