Chapter 27: Chapter 24: Rewards

They traveled back to the palace in silence, both of them too ingrained in their own thoughts to bother entering into conversation. Chris was powering through a slew of notifications.

[Notice: Host has cleared the Domain “Amphitrite’s Garden”.]

[Primary objective: Retrieve the individual Ilias Chaernenbolg from self imposed confinement has been completed. Secondary objective: Free individual Amphitrite Lorien Rex from bound soul state has been completed. Host is eligible for bonus rewards on top of the original. Processing…]

[Notice: As a reward for completing the primary objective, information on Ilias Chaernenbolg is now available for viewing.] Chris supposed that the Affection Level feature would no longer show a string of errors now, which would be helpful if she wanted to know more about Ilias.

[Notice: Progress made in the “Righteous Wind” path. Host has reached an acceptable level of strength, and has remained steadfast in the face of adversity. Now removing restrictions on the first form, “Rending Retribution” skill.] She almost leaped in joy at the message; it took no small amount of effort to master the move in her soulscape under Raisendel’s guidance, and she was glad to be able to safely handle it again. 

Ultimately, she’d become better off from the ordeal. Her mana was like a muscle, and after almost depleting it several times in a row she’d strengthened her body and magic as a whole. Ever since ‘awakening’ her mana during Bestowal, this was the first time she felt this close towards breaking a similar bottleneck.

[Notice: Conditions have been met. Host has unlocked the “Law of Lightning” path. Caution is advised in progressing skill trees of opposing natures. Failure to maintain balance may induce harmful effects.] At first confused about the notification, Chris guessed that it had something to do with the rush of power that came to her when she first resisted Ilias. a

Then again, I think I made a contract with that dragon too. This might have something to do with him. But Raisendel told me that he was in a dormant state last time, so that’s a bit odd… something’s fishy.

She would just have to ask about it later, especially since the System mentioned possible harm. And like always, it failed to elaborate on any of the important details.

[Notice: As a reward for completing the secondary objective, the host has inherited the relic “Tidal Ordainer” from the individual Amphitrite Lorien Rex.] A beautiful locket fell into her grasp (she didn’t bother asking from where it materialized). The chain was pure silver, with a large blue gem inlaid in the center. There was a noticeable seam along the case, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get the locket to open.

System, would you mind explaining what this is?

[The head administrator suggests that the host find out for themselves. Investigate the relic and its origins to unlock more of its power.]

Probably some more bullcrap on it being necessary for my growth or whatever. She inwardly groaned. Too bad the Affection Level feature only works on living people… unless this thing is sentient. Chris gave one last cursory glance at the relic in her hand before shoving it in her pocket. turning to Ilias, who was walking beside her while casting a lost gaze at the darkening orange sky. 

“Now that I’m out and about, it feels weird to see the world as it is.” The weary demon said.

“Wasn’t there a sky back in the Domain? It looked pretty realistic to me.”

“There’s just something special about the actual thing, you know? To really feel the vastness of the earth and sky. To actually taste the air. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you learn to appreciate the smaller things in life.” Ilias let out a deep sigh. “This is a nice sunset.”

Chris couldn’t help but agree.

The side entrance to the palace came into view, with no one there to greet the princess and her visitor. All the knights had long since finished their training, and most servants had retired for evening tea, making it easy for the two of them to slip in unnoticed.

“Are you coming in with me?” Chris asked.

Ilias didn’t take long to contemplate.

“I’ll need a change of clothes.” She said, looking in distaste at the white robes she still wore, for lack of better alternatives at that moment. She may be a demons, but even she wouldn’t go streaking in broad daylight.

Chris grinned.

“I’ve got plenty.”

It was a simple matter to sneak into the heart of the palace without people noticing. All they had to do was rely on Ilias’s undeniably handy space magic. When Chris asked if anyone could notice the intrusion of unknown mana, the demon simply raised an eyebrow at her.

“Who do you think I am?” Ilias asked in an exaggerated tone. Chris avoided questioning her magical prowess after that. 

Her bedroom, in hindsight, didn’t look as appealing as she thought it did. They arrived to find a dozen books (the steamy kind) laying haphazardly on the floor, some of them sprawled in ways that could make a librarian more than a little ticked off. 

The Belrhast dragon knight figure that Father Maxwell gifted her proudly stood on a shelf, a sheen of paint differentiating it from other work in progress models that she’d collected in the past month. 

“Interesting hobbies.” Ilias looked towards her with a raised eyebrow.

“Haha…” Chris looked away in embarrassment, ushering Ilias in. “Please just ignore the mess.” Her room had definitely seen better days. “Come on, let’s see if I have anything new for you to wear in my closet!” She said in a hurry. “As for that cursed robe thing…”

“It’s as dangerous as any other piece of fabric now.” Ilias said. “Just still packed full of all sorts of volatile magic circuits and the like.” She frowned. “I guess it’s still pretty dangerous. I’ll just throw it into a pocket space later.” 

“How do you like this?” Chris said, holding up one dress in particular. It had a genuine goth-girl feel to it, likely a leftover from one of Elenoa’s crazed dress up sessions.

Ilias’s red eyes brightened in glee. 

“Perfect.” She gave a shark toothed grin.

_______________________________________

“She still hasn’t come back yet.” Edward said to his younger brother. The two of them sat in the palace library, with no attendants in the vicinity. The eldest sibling had his legs crossed rudely on a table, leaning back in his chair so that it teetered in a precarious balance.

James adjusted his glasses, his eyes glued to a book.

“Christiana’s old enough already to make her own decisions on where to spend her time.” He replied. “She’s going to Aesir eventually, and her responsibilities will only pile up from there. Having a brute like you looking over her shoulder wouldn’t do anyone any good.”

“Today’s supposed to be my day off, I wanted to spend time with her.” Edward whined. “It’s been so long since I sparred with anyone in our family. Now that lil sis’s getting stronger, I’ve been itching for a round.”

“Go have a match with mother in that case.”

Edward chuckled at that statement.

“No way. I’d actually die. And besides, she told me she’s making an out of the blue trip to our grandparents at the moment. More scheming, I bet.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Sevvy is spending some time training Griselda, and father is preoccupied with handling other matters.” He shuddered. “Foreign policy,” he said with distaste. “Apparently he’s also to travel to Silvine for a meeting, somewhere around when Aesir begins their first-year orientations.”

“Why are you bothering me then?”

“Come on, James. Can’t we have a little tussle, just like old times? A single round out in the sand will do.” 

A flash of cold annoyance passed through James’s eyes. 

“No.” He looked away from his book to glare at his older brother.

“You’re gonna get wrinkles if you keep giving me that look, James,” Edward teased.

“Will you quit—” He was about to exclaim, before the doors to the library creaked open. They turned their heads to see their subject of conversation peeking through the doorway.

“Oh, hi guys.” Chris greeted the two. “I’m just showing someone around.” She turned to a person behind her. “Wanna see what’s inside? This is one of my favorite places.” An inaudible mumble came from the other party. “It’s more than just books, trust me.” Chris retorted. “We have…” She looked around for anything to show off. “Stairs. Big ones.” 

The two young men stood stockstill. Edward looked towards James, who shrugged. A visitor? At this hour? They would’ve been one of the first to know if the palace was receiving official guests. But there had been no recent notice of any such people.

“There are others here?” Behind Christiana came the voice of a girl of similar age. 

“Yeah, but they’re just my older brothers. You don’t have to worry about them, just treat them like they aren’t even there.” Her words pierced through James’s ice cold demeanor and Edward’s nonchalant attitude. The two looked like they’d been shot in the chest by no less than a dozen arrows.

The guest of honor then entered, sporting a head of long, straight black hair and bottomless black eyes. The girl wore an exotic looking dress similar to what their mother would force their little sister to wear, which was mainly black as well. She swept her gaze around the room, her gaze widening in wonder of the library’s enormity. 

Then she glanced at James, who stared at her in suspicion. His glasses flashed for a split second, something that could have been seen as a trick of the light if not for the minute traces of mana ejected into the air. 

She smirked, revealing a set of sharp teeth that quickly hid themselves behind a tight lipped smile. 

“What a grand old place! As expected of royalty.” She gave a sidelong glance towards the two others. “But I don’t want to intrude. Your brothers look busy, so let’s go somewhere else. Your room, maybe?”

Chris, seemingly unaware of this interaction between the two, beamed. She led her companion out the door, but not before running up to her brothers to whisper some parting words.

“Don’t worry, she’s just a friend of mine. Her name’s Lia.” She smiled and pranced out. “Bye!”

The two doors shut resoundingly.

Edward’s chair at last succumbed to gravity, toppling over with him still on it. James, in a similar state of disbelief, dropped his book without even marking his page. 

“Did she say... friend?” Edward asked in disbelief. “That awkward sister of mine connected with a kid her age? And another girl on top of that?” 

“…Perhaps not.” James answered as he took his glasses off. They briefly glowed in arcane light before disappearing in a subdued burst of mana. Edward’s mien sharpened dangerously. 

“What did you see?”

“There’s a layer of mana over her body, acting as a veil of sorts. Her current appearance could be a powerful illusion, because even Allseer can’t pierce through it.” He heard a faint grumble in his mind. “Well, not at my current level, at least.” 

There was one thing that he didn’t tell his brother –that from the moment the other girl had entered the room, his spirit had warned him against looking any deeper beyond the veil. That it would invite more trouble than it was worth. 

And he trusted this instinct above all else.

Edward quirked his brow. 

“Seriously? And I was just getting my hopes up.” He sighed, lifting himself off the floor. “Still, this is the first time that I’ve seen your spirit fail to observe something.” He chuckled, not noticing how James’s eye twitched.

“How should we approach this?” He said, cracking his knuckles. “Do we get rid of her? Having a spy this close to our family won’t do us any good.” He asked, leaking a small amount of pressure. “Especially not when they’re tricking our sister.”

“Stay your hand. Don’t jump to conclusions.” James crossed his legs. “We can’t say for sure that this girl has completely bad intentions.” 

“And what makes you say that?”

“A hunch.” James responded. “I didn’t see any ill intent. She’s no ordinary person, that’s for sure. But I wouldn't say she’s any malicious element either.”

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“How would that explain the illusion then?”

“It could be an artifact on her person or some other interference, for all we know. Some items of immense magical power can have that effect. Enough to fool even people like me.”

“So, what then?” Edward asked. James shrugged.

“We observe. If it turns out that my hunch is right and she’s harmless, then so be it. We can breathe a sigh of relief that our sister has a friend at last, an odd one at least.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

The younger brother’s sapphire eyes emitted a frosty aura.

_______________________________________

“Was it necessary to put an illusion over yourself?” Chris asked the girl walking beside her, finding Ilias glancing at suits of armor and other decor that lined the halls. “And even taking a fake name? Not that I’m complaining, they fit you well, both the look and the name.”

Ilias stumbled.

“I-It was a necessary precaution.” Seeing how Chris still looked unconvinced, she continued. “I made my fair share of enemies in the past. Not my clan, mind you, but people that I’ve come to blows with on less than amicable terms. They’re the kind that tend to stick around too, if you know what I mean. You can never be too careful. My illusions may not be as powerful as Amphy’s —she was talented above all others in that field— but a simple appearance change is no big deal.”

Chris hummed, not quite believing her. She held a wry smile, thinking that Ilias enjoyed the new look more than the mischievous demon let on. She would too, if she was forced to wear the same clothes for so many years. 

“So, do you want me to call you Lia from now on, or is sticking with your old name fine?”

“Do as you wish.” 

“Ok, then Ilias it is!” Chris grinned. 

“That was fast.” Ilias said, amused.

“It’s still a pretty name. And if you’re going to be called Lia to everyone else, then someone has to keep your old one alive.” Chris replied. 

Although, some names might be better off hidden, she thought.

“Ah, we’re here.” She said, arriving at their final destination for the day. The palace gardens looked beautiful no matter how many times she saw them, and while they did pale in grandeur compared to what she saw in Amphitrite’s Domain, she’d never gotten tired of this place. It had a way of calming her mind and soothing her tired body. It was her temple and refuge.

It seemed that Ilias had similar thoughts, as her expression softened. Chris took the chance to test the affection measurement tool on her.

 

[Name: Ilias Chaernenbolg]

[Affection meter measurement: 62%]

[Description: The Exile is a master of space magic. However, one can’t reach dominion over a fundamental law of reality without being disconnected from something equally as important. For Ilias, the ability to travel everywhere meant she never belonged anywhere. Having unwittingly assisted in sealing the Demon God, Ilias was abandoned by the gods in heaven, and condemned by her kin to forever roam without rest, hunted down for a crime she’d long repented for.

Until now.]

 

Chris blanched, finding herself regretting that decision almost immediately. The information seemed beyond sensitive, despite Amphitrite having given her a rundown of the demon girl’s situation. 

“What did you see?” Ilias asked, and Chris remembered that Ilias had some way of knowing when she first tried to use the affection measurement on her. “You used that peculiar magic again, didn’t you?” She narrowed her eyes, and for a brief second Chris saw a flash of deep crimson, reminding her of the demon’s true nature.

“I-I, uh,” she stammered, lowering her head in shame. “Sorry. I saw some things that I probably shouldn’t have.” She peeked upwards to gauge Ilias’s reaction. An exasperated sigh escaped the demon’s mouth.

“I wouldn’t advise it in the future. Most will take offense to that kind of prying, if they’re able to even detect it to begin with.”

“You aren’t mad?” Chris asked. Ilias looked thoughtful.

“No, not really. After all,” Ilias gave a mischievous shark toothed grin. “I’m your friend now, right?”

Her face reddened.

“You heard that?” She shouldn’t have been that loud when whispering to her brothers!

“I have sharp senses.” Ilias said. She shrugged and conjured a portal near her head, her ear disappearing into it. Her mouth split into a crescent shaped grin. “Looks like a couple of children think I’m up to no good,” she started laughing to herself.

Chris fell into a deadpan expression, praying to whatever god was watching that her brothers didn’t go and do something stupid. 

“Guess I’ll have to watch what I say from now on…” She slumped as the other girl giggled. “But we should also try to get you a place in society; you need to establish an identity for yourself. It’s too suspicious otherwise.” Especially since Ilias seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and her alter persona had nondescript origins.

“No need to worry.” Ilias chuckled. “I’ll take some time to tour the capitol and familiarize myself with the current state of the world.” 

Her face brightened, the lightbulb of an idea taking shape. 

“As the saying goes, the best way to blend in is to stand out.”

“Who ever said that?!” Christiana retorted. Ilias, unperturbed, continued to reveal her plan.

“I have the perfect skillset to do so; power and knowledge are respected no matter where you go. I’ll become the traveling genius magician, Lia!” She made an extravagant pose reminiscent of those from a particular Japanese anime in Larry’s world. 

Chris blinked, then shook her head. 

Oh boy. 

_______________________________________

The two of them sat under Chris’s favorite tree, which stood watchfully over its fellow garden denizens.  

They didn’t talk for a while, choosing to enjoy what the moment offered: a sense of liberation, and the warmth of a home to return to. An evening breeze caused the garden to rustle about, before the air stilled once more. In the midst of that silence, past, present, and future came to mind in the form of lingering memories and straying thoughts.

Chris took the locket out of her pocket. The Tidal Ordainer, so it was called, seemed to pulse at her touch. As she stared, the center crystal shone a mesmerizing aquamarine that shifted into a deeper and richer blue. It was unlike any stone she’d ever seen.

Ilias took notice of the amulet clasped in her hand. 

“So she even gave you that necklace?” She mused. Chris perked her ears as she continued. “Amphy really did acknowledge you as a worthy descendant then.”

“Do you know what this is, exactly?” Chris raised the chain for the demon’s appraisal. 

“Sure I do.” Ilias grinned. “I suppose you could call it something of a national treasure for this kingdom. The Ordainer is a relic of the Ancient Era, back when the merfolk still ruled their undersea domain.”

“So what does it do?” She asked. Ilias hummed thoughtfully.

“It’s imbued with a wild, primordial strain of mana –one that has taken on the collective Will of all its previous holders. You could even call it alive, to a certain extent. It offers power and knowledge to those who seek it, to the children of the sea which it deems worthy. ” Ilias said.

“Really?” The metal in Chris’s hand felt heavier. “Do you think… that I’m worthy then?”

“It isn’t about what I think. Amphy saw something in you.” Ilias poked Chris’s chest where her heart was. “You. Are. Worthy. You don’t need anyone else to affirm it for you.”

“But I couldn’t even get it to open.” The locket remained stubbornly locked no matter how she tried. Could it be that Amphitrite was wrong?”

“Are you going to let some pesky artifact decide your worth for you?”

“Amphitrite probably did a lot of amazing things before being acknowledged by the Ordainer.” Chris mumbled. 

“Not even close.” Ilias “Well, I guess that old acquaintance of mine –don’t ask who he is– saw something in her too when he gave it to her. But she was just like you. Just starting out on her path, having only begun to hold a weapon in her hand. The Ordainer chose her then, and it will choose you now.”

She studied the locket in her hands. The chain felt cool to the touch, and as she smoothed a hand over the gem in the center she could swear she heard a faint calling. Strange runes appeared along the circumference of the gem as she held it to the sky where the full moon glowed. She blinked, and they disappeared as if they were never there.

Was I just imagining things? For a second, it was like a familiar presence stood beside her, but the feeling didn’t last long. 

For a relic rewarded by the Heroine Creation System, there had to be so much more to it than what Ilias was saying. Finding no success in studying the locket any further, Chris stowed it away.

The time for investigation would come some other day.

She looked up to see the moon peaking above wispy clouds.

“It’s getting late; I should be back in my room by now. Do you wanna come with? I can lend you the bed if you want. Sleeping on the couch is fine by me.”

“Thanks for your consideration.” Ilias smiled. “But you can go. I’ll just sit and enjoy this peaceful night for a while longer. Let the old people enjoy their time to themselves.”

Chris raised her brow before shrugging in resignation. There was no point in pressing any further.

 

 

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