Chapter 90: Chapter 88: Destination Outlands

“Are you sure you don’t want me or Pastor Faust to drive?” Marie asked, looking warily at the young girl in front of her. They were standing near the truck she had brought back from the church. Everyone was there, sans Jacob, who had decided to rest in his room, citing tiredness from his day’s work and the fact that the truck only sat six as his reasons for not coming.

“I’ll be faster.” Ellie said confidently. “And we’re a little strapped for time, so faster is important.”

“Why…you know what, I’m not going to question it.” Marie replied, tossing her the keys and making her way to the back. “I’ll sit in the bed so there’s room for you all up front.”

“It’s better if I sit in the bed.” Tess said. “I won’t be bothered by the wind or the temperature, and we’re going to be going much faster than normal, it’s not safe for you.”

Marie hesitated. “But I –”

“I’ve got magic, I’ll be significantly better for this.” Tess said. “Just trust me, okay?”

“Fine.” Marie relented, heading to the passenger side door. “I’ll sit up front with Ellie and Maven, the rest of you can be in the backseats.”

“Works for me.” Ellie said, twirling the keys around a finger. “Maven, you’ll be in the middle. I’ll help you buckle up if you need.”

“Thank you.” Maven replied, blushing slightly.

As everyone got into the truck, Marie took the time to reassess the situation. She…wasn’t exactly sure what to make of everything, if she was being honest; Tess was as much of an enigma as ever, and the story she and her friends were telling was almost unbelievable.

Almost. She had no doubts that Pastor Faust, Robert, and Lucia were even more skeptical than she was, but even discounting the fact that she had received a divine mandate to listen to Tess and Ellie, too many things just…added up for Marie to dismiss the idea.

First and foremost, it answered a question that had always been bothering her; why some myths and legends would become real monsters, and some wouldn’t. All monsters that Hunters faced were, in some way, reflections of the collective unconscious; there was always an urban legend, old story, or mythological basis that could be directly tied to a manifestation, but the reverse was not true.

It was well-known among the Hunters that, as a myth became more famous, their associated manifestations would increase, but there was a large category of creatures that simply never appeared. Angels, demons, centaurs, minotaurs, elves, dwarves…the list went on and on. Scholars among the Hunters were always trying to find the reason why in hopes that it would reveal some fundamental truth that would help them understand manifestations, but no one had ever been able to prove anything.

Some of the more radical scholars had even conducted experiments in which they purposefully manufactured relatively harmless legends, and often they had been able to influence future manifestations to become those legends, but for many well-known legends they just…couldn’t replicate it.

And, after Maven had revealed herself to be a demon, the gears had started to turn in Marie’s head; those species were people, not monsters. You could tell the difference if you took long enough to interact with them, and Marie had become pretty good at picking up the signs. Monsters, even those that imitated humans, were…robotic, in a sense. If you talked with them enough, and asked just the right questions, you could expose certain quirks that would immediately out the creature as inhuman.

Marie hadn’t spent enough time with Maven to really probe for that, but Tess and Ellie had introduced her as a person, and Marie would be much more surprised if it turned out that Maven was a monster, if only because she was an actual demon.

Ellie started up the truck, and Marie felt a pang of guilt as she looked back at Tess in the bed of the truck. Not only because she was out back in what was apparently going to be a very bumpy ride, but because Marie…probably could have realized Tess was a person if she actually spent some time to talk instead of going in guns blazing.

It had just seemed like such an open and shut case; there was video evidence of her doing distinctly monstrous things and hundreds of eyewitness accounts of the event. Marie would have bet her life savings on Tess being a monster before everything went down, and yet…here she was.

She had also, apparently, been a man not even six months ago? That felt strange, as Tess carried herself much more comfortably and confidently than Marie imagined she herself would, had she been in Tess’s situation.

She was broken out of her thoughts by Pastor Faust laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Marie, are you alright?” She asked. “You’re not responding.”

“What? Sorry, I got lost in thought. Certain things are beginning to make a lot more sense.”

“I’m not sure exactly what you’re referring to, but I’m not surprised they are.” Ellie said. “You’ve been missing a rather significant piece of the puzzle so far. I’m afraid you’ll have to unpack that later, though; I have some instructions and information to give you before we make it there.”

“Those thoughts can wait, so…please carry on.” Marie said.

“Right. So, first instruction, don’t tell anyone you’re from Mael.” Ellie said. “Not unless they seem trustworthy and figure it out on their own. We’re trying to keep things somewhat on the down-low, and going around telling everyone you’re from Mael is going to draw a lot of attention. It’s going to get out eventually, but the longer it takes to do so, the easier your lives are going to be.”

“How so?” Robert asked warily. “It’s not like they can come over here…right?”

“Maven is right there.” Pastor Faust pointed out. “And she has already said she’s not from Mael.”

“But she’s a special case.” Robert argued. “Not everyone will be able to.”

“Give it anywhere from ten to forty years.” Ellie said lazily, slamming her foot on the gas as they left the city proper. “We’re going to be establishing permanent public access portals between here and the Outlands, just like every other plane. But that’s not why I’m saying it’ll make your life easier. I’m imagining you’ll want to spend much of your free time there, and being known as people who are unaware of how the world works is going to make you a target for people with less-than-pure intentions.”

“Why would we want to spend time there?” Lucia asked. “Our plates are full without going to an entirely different dimension every night.”

“Does eternal youth sound alluring to you at all?” Ellie asked. “Because if you work hard enough and get your level up to fifty, you stop aging.”

“What?” Marie asked, blinking. “That’s…unbelievable. Death comes for everyone in the end.”

“It is true.” Maven said. “Many of my distant ancestors are still alive. Large concentrations of Mana tend to slow or even reverse aging.”

“What was this about levels?” Pastor Faust asked. “Like…in the games the kids like to play?”

“Pretty much.” Ellie said. “You kill monsters, get EXP, and then level up and get more powerful.”

Marie frowned. “I never felt anything like that, and I’ve killed plenty of monsters.”

“The system’s functions are halted on Mael.” Ellie explained. “And levels and stats aren’t at full strength here, nor is the whole eternal youth schtick. Once we perform the merger, everyone here is going to get access to the system, the Mana density is going to get higher, and Mael is going to begin to look much more similar to the other planes. And, speaking of, we need to talk about culture and religion.

“As you no doubt have realized, there are many species other than humans on the other planes. There aren’t many more humans than there are any other species, meaning that the majority of people you see won’t be human. They may be different, but they’re in no way less of a person than you or I. This should go without saying, but you’re expected to treat them with the basic respect and dignity you would give any human.”

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They hit a particularly large bump in the road, and Marie almost unconsciously turned back to check on Tess. She not only looked unaffected by the jostling, but she looked bored, an arm on the edge of the truck’s bed as she stared out at the landscape blurring by them.

“Their cultures are likewise different than what you’re used to, but you shouldn’t need to worry too much about making a faux pas.” Ellie continued. “The Outlands is the largest melting pot in existence, so most people ignore any minor slights, considering them to be unintentional, unless the intent is obviously there. Do not, however, ask someone about their abilities unless it is directly related to work you will be doing with them in the future; that is considered universally rude, and will not make you any friends. Likewise, you are not expected to answer any such questions about your own abilities.”

She paused, casting a quick glance towards Pastor Faust and Marie. “And, finally, religion. Life and Death aside, there’s thirty or forty other gods. Life and Death are the patron gods of Mael, and aren’t particularly well-worshipped in the other planes, nor is there an organized religion. There are, however, many different religions for the various other gods, and those are just as valid as ours.

“Life and Death work in tandem with the other gods, and it’s important to know that their relationship is not in any way adversarial. They are not going to be upset if any of you decide to convert to another religion, just as the other gods would not be upset if people converted to Life and Death.”

Lucia gave a look to Pastor Faust that wasn’t nearly as subtle as she was intending it to be, and Pastor Faust gave her a look in return. “If she says so, it is almost certainly true.” Pastor Faust said carefully. “Unless Life or Death directly give instructions to the contrary, we should consider her words on topics of religion to be correct. The same applies for Tess.”

“Maven as well.” Ellie said. “You likely won’t see her as often, but she’s working closely with us on this matter.”

“If you end up with questions about the wider world, please do not hesitate to ask me.” Maven added, giving them a smile.

“That’s about everything, I think.” Ellie said, slowing down as she took a turn before speeding back up again.

Maven leaned over and whispered something to Ellie, who nodded. “Yeah, good call.” Ellie said. “One more thing, actually. If you spend any time digging into religion, and probably even if you don’t, you’re going to run into talk of a group of people called Appointed. Some gods have a person they name their Appointed, who serves as their direct mouthpiece and tool in the world.

“It’s sort of like…well, the Archpriest, or whatever they call the head of their church, they deal with administrative manners, and the day to day running of the faith. The Appointed deals with auditing the faith, serving as an assurance that mortal biases are not polluting the doctrine. They may make public announcements from time to time, but usually they go through the head of the religion.

“For the most part, though, they focus on boots on the ground work, punishing people who egregiously disregard the teachings of their god. For example, Hearth’s Appointed makes a point of personally dealing with child trafficking rings. That’s not something I think any of you are going to fall afoul of, but if you’re worried, as long as you’re not breaking any laws, you should generally be in the clear.”

“So…they’re kind of like the Hunters, but closer to their god?” Marie asked. “A separate arm of the religion that does work behind the scenes?”

“Sort of, except there’s only one Appointed per god.” Ellie said. “Calling them an arm of the religion is…perhaps not a little much, as they can definitely do the work of an entire arm if need be, but they’re more an extension of their god than anything.”

“Do Life and Death have Appointed?” Pastor Faust asked. “And…if so, does the Archpriest know?”

“Life and Death are unique in that they share an Appointed. I’ve talked with her once or twice, as she’s sort of in charge of this whole…integration operation, and yeah, the Archpriest knows about her. Don’t ask me who, Appointed make a point of keeping their identities secret, so I have no clue. I assume she’s one of the other ambassadors in other parts of Mael, but…that’s just speculation.”

Yeah, Marie didn’t buy that for a second. Ellie clearly knew exactly who this Appointed was, and Marie was almost certain it was Tess. She had certainly seemed like an incarnation of Death in the moment Marie had fought against her, and she had never felt her Goddess’s presence stronger than she had on Tess.

A silence Marie didn’t realize had fallen upon the group was broken by Pastor Faust. “Would…I be correct in assuming your grandfather knows about all of this?” She asked.

To Marie’s surprise, Maven was the one who answered. “Yes. Her grandfather is the one who was publicly leading relations with Mael before Life and Death named their Appointed. He leads the freelancer’s guild, is perhaps the single strongest person alive, and widely considered to be the most influential person alive as well. He is currently away, leading the guild on an expedition deep into the Outlands, so he sent us back to deal with this matter.”

“We’re supposed to be on that expedition as well, so keep the fact that you met with us quiet.” Ellie added. “In fact, probably better to not mention that you know us unless whoever you’re talking about knows you’re from Mael. It’ll probably be a dead giveaway. But it’s not like it’s going to come up in casual conversation, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Um…that’s all we had, though, any questions?”

“How did Te…Thomas end up transformed?” Pastor Faust asked. “And why does referring to her – I mean him as Tess feel so natural?”

“She’s fully embraced her identity as Tess, so please don’t feel forced to refer to her by her old name. As for how she ended up that way…it’s complicated.” Ellie said. “Long of the short of it is that she picked up a Class from a dungeon that transformed her, and accepted it before knowing what the consequences were. And the memory filter and associated lingering side effects were made with a little help from the gods. Such a noticeable change would blow our cover, and they wanted her to still be able to operate here on Mael. Such grandiose magic is out of the realm of…just about anyone, really.”

“Your grand – I mean, Gramps or Alberich likely could.” Maven said. “But those two aside, no other single person would be able to do something on this scale.”

“Evan is that capable?” Pastor Faust asked, taken aback.

“As I said, he is likely the strongest person alive.” Maven replied. “He and his party are perhaps the largest reason the Outlands remain as a self-governed territory. No one is eager to try and take it again after what happened the last time.”

Marie thought back to the brief moment she had seen the man. He had looked like a harmless older man, but…now that she was thinking about it, neither him nor the people around him had felt frightened by her presence. Aside from the dark-skinned woman, it had looked like they were…holding back, waiting to see how things progressed before stepping in. The woman…Alice, they had called her, had looked like she was about to storm in and was only being held back by the others.

“Are those the people that came with him to the funeral and your graduation?” Pastor Faust asked.

“Yes.” Ellie said. “And the other three who came with them to the graduation are our tutors, a high ranking party in the guild.”

“How strong are people, compared to Tess?” Marie asked. “I know it’s sudden, but you have me wondering.”

Maven chuckled. “That is a deceptively complicated question.” She said. “Tess is, in a sense, outside of the normal hierarchy of strength. But…you could consider her to be somewhere in the lower middle echelon in terms of strength, at least amongst people who are actively training, not civilians.

“If you’re indirectly wondering how you compare, my understanding is that your technique is significantly better than the majority of freelancers, but your stats are no better than a raw recruit. Given some time to level yourself up and accrue Classes and Skills, I have no doubt that you could break into the upper echelons of power fairly easily.”

“I…see.” Marie said. There was a long silence, during which Marie made a point of examining Pastor Faust, Robert, and Lucia more closely, trying to gauge their reactions. Robert and Lucia seemed to be in a state of shock, one that Marie had seen all too often. It was a sort of disbelief that came when people were faced with events that greatly shook their worldview. They were in for a rough night, but they would likely be back to normal in a while.

Pastor Faust, on the other hand, was far less surprised than Marie had expected her to be. It didn’t look like she had expected this, but it was clear that she had expected something; there was…almost more curiosity than surprise in her. Almost.

“Is there something on my face, Marie?” Pastor Faust asked. “You’re staring.”

“Sorry.” Marie mumbled. “I was trying to see how you three were taking things. But…you don’t seem nearly as surprised as I thought you would be, so I was thinking about it.”

Pastor Faust shrugged. “Ever since Evan began frequenting the church, I figured something big was going on, and after everything with Tess, I became even more certain. It was just a matter of what world shaking revelation would come.”

The vehicle began to slow down outside of an old, obviously abandoned warehouse. “We’re here.” Ellie said. “This is where our secret gateway between the worlds is set up. Hop out and we’ll show you the way, alright?”