Chapter 11: Trick of the Trade ! Leona's encounter: Selene!
(Arc II: Illiminate!)
Week IV
Elodie entered Joslyn's room an hour before her lessons began.
"Morning dad." Elodie simpered.
"Good morning to you, your Highness."
"D...Dad. You don't have to be that formal!" Elodie relied sheepishly.
"My daughter, you're about to become Queen; even I will have to respect you despite the age difference." Joslyn simpered.
"Been a Queen...huh? I mean, I'm willing to take the mantle...it's just that it's still an intimidating prospect when you look at it." Elodie sighed.
Joslyn nodded softly. "I agree...but I believe that you have what it takes. Though...what brings you here today?"
"Well, dad you do know that every King and Queen that ruled Nova are in possession of the Lumen Crystal, right?" Elodie wondered.
"By Divine Rights granted by the Good Lady, yes, it is." Joslyn replied.
"So dad...what happened to my Lumen Crystal?"
"It's in a safe place." Joslyn replied and wondered. "Why do you ask?"
"May I have the crystal, please?" Elodie asked.
Joslyn sighed, "I can't at the moment."
"W...Why? That crystal is mine! Are you still having prejudices about the Lumens?" Elodie asked in corncern.
Joslyn sighed softly.
"Elodie, it's not that; I have already promised Julianna that she will prove herself that the Lumens are not something they were two hundred years ago. She will need time, of course." Joslyn replied.
"Then why the refusal?" Elodie wondered.
"You are still young to hold the powers of a Lumens...what will happen if you are not able to contain the Lumen's immense power? I wouldn't want you to meet your end like your mother..." Joslyn sighed.
"Wouldn't that be Julianna's time to prove herself; to make a statement that the Lumen line, especially the Ursuls, aren't as maligned as they seemed two-hundred years ago? With dangers looming in the kingdom, I need that power more than ever to master it!" Elodie replied in concern. "Heck, I am sure both Leona and Julianna can teach me the gist on how to control magic powers in general; they have arcane magic, right?"
"Leona isn't a Lumen..." Joslyn wondered.
"Yeah, but in the end of the day, Lumen Magic and Arcane Magic have the same basis - supernatural magic, right? The only difference is in variety; I'm sure controlling either Lumen - like Julianna - or arcane powers - like Leona - require the same basic ability to control them!" Elodie sighed as she placed her hands on Joslyn's.
"Please, dad...I'm determined to take the same responsibility as my mom did. How am I supposed to lead Nova if I didn't have the proper set up to control it? Didn't Leona mention that power is based on the people...not the powers alone?" the Crown Princess persuaded.
Joslyn mused on for a moment and simpered.
"Why don't we make a small competition? If you are able to help out in readjusting the royal budget and the taxes, then you will have access to the Lumen Crystal." Joslyn replied.
Elodie sighed and shrugged. "Not as if I have any hoice, ain't I?"
"It will be the first step in learning how to become a Queen - learning to manage the treasury so that Novan's economy will not suffer should a rainy day come." Joslyn explained.
"Well, in that case, I accept." Elodie simpered.
Thirty Minutes later
"Wha? For the next three weeks?" Honoka gasped.
"Yeah...if I can learn accounting to the point where I can calculate Lassis to readjust budget planning and taxes, that is." Elodie nodded.
"Didn't you learn basic mathematics in boarding school?" Rin wondered.
"Yeah, but accounting is a slightly advanced level of mathematics that I haven't learn, at least not now." Elodie replied.
"Balls...our world belong in a post-scarcity society." Eli shook her head.
"Post-scar...wha?" Elodie wondered.
"Post scarcity society, where money is basically redundant because we have machines that create everything with just raw stuff." Eli explained.
"That's when adventurers come in! The requestors can have their raw materials that they want from the adventurers, while the adventurers themselves can have fun exploring the worlds while getting said items and getting good stuff in return too! Win-win!" Leona grinned.
"So why is Eli worried?" Elodie wondered.
"Well...our world's economy is busted like a balloon, albeit in a good way. But if we were to teach you accounting...uh...yeah." Eli gave a slightly dejected look. "I maybe a ex Student Council President, but such levels of economical planning maybe equivalent to telling me to get a moon as a wedding proposal gift; a tad too much."
"The tutor in economics is gonna kill me, mentally..." Elodie slumped on a resting sofa, deflated.
"But that doesn't mean we can't teach you about basic mathematics that your school didn't teach - but essential for accounting..." Nozomi simpered.
"Eh?" Elodie wondered.
Minutes later
"An...abacus?" Elodie raised her right eyebrow as she was presented a rectangular object with numerous beads.
"Yup! You have to brush up on basic mathematics by using an abacus!" Eli nodded.
"Uh...ok..." Elodie smiled sheepishly.
Moments later
"So...uh...top beads are five each and bottoms are ones...okay." Elodie huffed.
"Don;t let those beads fool you, they are easy to remember! Just think of the top as fives because you are so happy that you wanna high-five your friends!" Honoka nodded.
"Is it?" Elodie looked at Honoka with a cautious pout.
"Eh...well...it does overwhelm me at first...ehehehe..." Honoka scratched her head and laughed sheepishly. "But it is effective in memorising!"
"Well...at least I know that far right is ones, and the second farthest are tens...so on and so forth. SO that's a plus." Elodie chuckled.
Later...
"So pushing the bottom columns of beads is adding one...and pushing down on the top is adding a 5...okay..." Elodie intently studied.
"Nice, seems she's intent on really getting the basics down..." Nozomi nodded.
"Well, it seems Honoka is too..." Eli chuckled as she pointed towards the brunette shaking the abacus.
"Ooookay...12 is this and that...so adding 3 is...uh...that, I think." Honoka mused.
Eli and Nozomi chuckled.
As the days went on...
"Alrighty, so calculate eighty five?" Eli taught.
After several beads clacking...
"See? It ain't as intimidating as it seems!" Nozomi nodded softly.
"Eh...I prefer writing on a piece of paper, ya know?" Honoka, then a light bulb lighted up.
"I know whatcha thinking, so it's your turn to teach them larger quantities!" Eli nodded.
"But...what about the abacus?" Elodie wondered.
"The abacus will be used when you calculate Lassis, but sometimes adding, dividing, multiplying, or subtracting may get troublesome with big numbers!" Nozomi replied.
It's going to crunch your head till no tomorrow!" Honoka shook her head. "Noooo way I ain't gonna get crunched again!"
"How can numbers crunch your brain?" Elodie wondered.
"Uh...that's the joke?" Honoka looked at her with a puzzled look.
"...OH!" Elodie then burst into laughter as the rest chuckled along.
As the hours progressed...
"So I place the number in the 'tens' on the top of the next number I suppose to multiply, the 'ones' in the answer below, then multiply the next numbers while adding the 'tens' I added on the top...argh! It's so hard to just speak about it!" Elodie sighed.
"Well...there's a reason why they called it mumbo-jumbo; it's better to demonstrate it and practice it, instead of just explain it in theory!" Honoka chuckled softly.
"Well...gotta give you credit, Honoka, I had difficulty in the beginning too." Eli simpered.
Moments later...
"Whew...that was a taxing one!" Elodie huffed.
"You're improving, Elodie! That's great!" Honoka cheered.
"Really? T...Thanks.." Elodie chuckled softly.
"I guess there's something that needs hand-on than just explaining it, I guess..." Elodie chuckled.
"Thanks though..." Elodie simpered softly.
"Aie?" Honoka, Eli, and Nozomi wondered.
"If it wasn't for you all...god knows where I may end up, grief dragging me down, moping around like the end of the world had really happened." Elodie chuckled wistfully.
"Ain't that's what friends are for? To bring you up when others would have left you by the sides!" Honoka beamed.
"Really, huh?" Elodie wondered.
"Mmhmm...Trust me, aside from Chris, Leona, and Alito helping out, Honoka seems to be the next person who seems to know how to bring someone up from their dumps." Nozomi smiled.
"She might not be the brains, but at least she knows what an adventure is!" Eli chuckled.
"Hey, at least I know how to have fun while being responsible!" Honoka huffed. "Didn't Chris said before, maturity too?"
"Yeah, yeah...health, that's what you should be mature about!" Eli winked.
"Yoghurt, cos yay health! Why not?" Honoka chuckled.
"Do you think responsibilities and fun can be juggled together?" Elodie wondered.
"It's up to us to think what 'fun' is. Some think taking a stroll is fun, some think playing games are fun, and some even think that helping out commoners is fun! One thing is for sure...never ever give up on your responsibilities." Honoka nodded firmly. "I mean hey, responsibilities can be their own type of fun too; need not be completely angsty, broody, 'Oh I' need to responsible so I have to frown' all the time!"
"If you have any problems, there's always your dad, or even us that you can turn to. We will be behind your back!" Nozomi nodded.
"Team Muse will be behind you!" Eli smiled.
"Thanks...everyone!" Elodie beamed.
At the same time
"Maybe Julianna can offer us some information regarding the coast of Shanjia, if she has any - a major figure at least gotta have some info about those states." Leona explained as she was walking alongside Mimi. "I will be surprised if she didn't have any."
"Surprised? I am even more surprised you ain't perturbed by Nico and Maki's sound during their private time." Mimi chuckled.
"Aie? I was on my way to confront Lucille back then, for peanuts sake..." Leona shrugged. "But really, they finally admitted into getting together? For realzies?"
"RIght they are! Heck, I'm not surprised if NicoMaki ain't a thing already! It already happened even before the hatred blob was destroyed; Chris and Alito might get them close, but they added those sparks that make 'em fly!" Mimi grinned.
"That's wowzers!" Leona laughed as she clapped.
Both Leona and Mimi entered the Royal Garden when they saw Julianna seated beside a red hair woman in a preistess's robes and a soft smile worn on her face. The red hair woman had two long sideburns that trailed her long hair, sapphire eyes, and wore a priestess cap with two blue roses.
"Speaking about wowers...woah, woah, woah, shh..." Leona raised her right hand to stop Mimi.
"Ow! Watch where you're...oh..." Mimi looked at where Leona was looking and raised her right eye in amusement.
Both Julianna and the red hair woman was holding hands gently as they were speaking and were very close together. Smiles etched across their faces as they leaned on each other.
"Well...that's wowzers alright. Mmmhmm..." Leona nodded softly as she began observing them.
Mimi, understanding that Leona was an avid yuri fangirl, decided to clock her on the head.
'Oi, remember what're we here for?" Mimi gave a disinterested look.
"Aw c'mon!" Leona tried to shush Mimi. "This may just be a good time to observe those kind of relationship in in the ye old times!"
"Oh, so Nico and Maki are making out and you didn't notice eh?" Mimi taunted.
"That's because there's a life to safe, geez!" Leona did a facepalm.
Both the woman and Julianna heard arguments and their widened with shock upon seeing Leona and Mimi arguing. Both maidens detached their holding hands almost immediately, blushing slightly.
Leona saw their actions, shook her head while waving her hands in shock, and began sweating huge beads of sweat.
"Woah woah woah! Ya both don't have to do thaaaaat! We are not offended, serious, serious!" Leona replied swiftly.
"U...Uhm...Pardon? Really?" the redhead wondered.
"Yeah, yeah!" Leona pouted when Mimi swiftly moved in front of the Diamond Maiden, obscuring her view.
"S...Sorry about my sister's attitude just now! It's just that she has a huuuuuuuge fascination when two girls are, well, seeing hearts on each other's eyes!" Mimi chuckled, just as she was shoved aside.
"Oi!" Mimi chided.
"You aren't surprised?" Julianna wondered.
"Oh, trust me! Back in our world, those kinds of things are no longer the issue! Nico and Maki are one, two of my best friends are one too, Rin and Hanayo seemed to be too, and I am a huge fan of comics that depicted those relationships - idealistic, or realistic!" Leona simpered and blushed lightly. "Want me to show them to you?"
"N...No thanks...It's just that I never expect to have someone who's an avid fan of those..." the redhead blushed.
"Well...can't say that I'm surprised, this is medieval times; laws ain't created to support those kind of unions...well, at least not at the moment." Leona shrugged. "Still, it ain't gonna be good to just keep your relationship secret forever."
"Well...I do hope you may keep this a secret for now..." Julianna sheepishly replied.
"Hey, if you say so! I ain't no judging on how long ya gonna keep it up, but it seems you both kinda are meant to be - no kidding!" Leona nodded and gave a thumb up.
"T...Thanks..." Julianna chuckled softly. "Well, she's more understandable than a certain someone from Hellas..."
"Oh, I am sure I haven't introduced here, though. She's Selene, the Priestess of the Second Circle in Nova." the Lumen continued.
"Ah yes, my name is Leona! Leona 'Diamante' Silvi!"
"And I'm Mimi "Palla' Silvi! Charmed!" (Palla means bullet in Italian).
Mimi then sighed as she appeared beside Leona's side and pretended to cough.
"Yeah, Mimi!" Leona rolled her eyes. "I ain't forgetting that!"
"That?" both Selene and Julianna wondered.
After explanation
"Shanjia...on its expansionist phase - something must be definitely fishy about this." Selene frowned.
"Wha?" Mimi wondered.
"Pray tell." Leona replied.
"I remembered having to help out with relieving the villagers from their pain with rituals when Shanjia was hit with an earthquake a few years ago, and the Queen seemed to be a very nice person." Selene recalled.
"Not even a negative trace to be found, or anything suspicious?" Leona wondered.
"If there was, I haven't known about it; history books painted Queen Junko in a positive light and she ruled Shanjia well despite some mistakes here and there." Selene replied. "And I know what you might be thinking, yes, those are from reliable sources. As in, from the third party and had balanced opinions."
"Good to see that Queen Junko didn't just go ape just because of a few criticisms about her boo-boos." Mimi frowned.
"But that's where it ends. A year after the earthquake happened, Shanjia seemed to mobilise its troops and...you get the idea." Selene nodded.
"Do you know any possible suspects in the grand scheme of things?" Leona wondered.
"I'm not too sure about it at the moment, but Julianna and I both think that someone or a group must be pulling a bigger string in Shanjia's entire political system. Words have been going around that people who questioned Shanjia's policy, Queen, or even the King, were never seen again."
"Shadier and shadier...a complete 180 from what we have learnt!" Mimi frowned.
"Will it be nice if you can come with us to Shanjia once the preparation in travelling there is done?" Mimi wondered.
"I would love to...but being the Priestess of the Second Circle, my responsibilities meant that I am needed here." Selene sighed.
"Well, at least we listed out one of the possible suspects - a single person or a group of bloodthirsty jackasses wanting more land just because." Leona replied.
"And that suspects also wanted more Lumen powers just so they can fight off any insurgents, hence Fidelia's death." Mimi followed.
"Well, all that's left is heading to Shanjia to see what the heck's going on now." Leona nodded.
"I assume you are making preparations?" Julianna wondered.
"Yup, the waypoint teleportation device got a couple of technical difficulties; it needs several updates to get the database up-to-date and stuff. That and adapting into the atmosphere and air pressure in this place just so it can function properly." Leona simpered.
"Yeah, we ain't rushing for time! We also need to take a break once in a while too, that and helping Elodie with her coronation matters." Mimi grinned. "There's plenty of baddies to fight, and friends to chill out with!"
"Besides, thanks for the information you gave us to shortlist stuff!" Leona grinned.
"You're welcome." Selene simpered. "It will be okay if...you allow us some time alone, which will be really appreciated."
"Oh bummer..." Leona sighed, shrugged, but perked up.
"But hey, I ain't someone that's gonna obstruct your happy times for long; whatever it means to get both of you lovebirds happy!" she winked as she and Mimi walked off.
"See ya both soon!" Mimi and Leona both waved goodbye.
Upon moving out of their sight, however, Leona suddenly became invisible.
"Aw what?" Mimi widened her eyes and facepalmed in disbelief. "Don't tell me you are going to adjust your Diamant Projet's refractive index to be the same as air, just so you can turn invisible and observe them from a safe distance?!"
"I'm sorry, I can't help it..." Leona sighed as she placed both her arms on her chest and blushed softly. "It's a rare instance where Yuri relationships exist in medieval times, I gotta treasure those emotional moments! I promise I will catch up with you, ciao!"
Leaving a bewildered, squiggly-eyed Mimi behind, a dejected look etched on her face as she sighed and shook her head.
"Sometimes I question why I'm your sister at all...in all your glorious exuberance over THAT genre."
Mimi, however, shortly blushed. "Although...I wouldn't say that's a bad thing...I just don't expect myself to be as exuberant as sis. Different strokes, I guess."
Meanwhile, as the weeks goes on
"That was hard work...learning about Trades, Exports, Imports, and accounting..." Elodie yawned.
"Well, it's for the Lumen's inheritance. Life ain't all about having free lunch every day; even the powers I got isn't possible were it not for me slogging hard to help out Team Heptagram." Leona nodded softly.
"Well...I just have to bite my teeth and move on then." Elodie sighed as she continued with her accounting homework. "Hmmm...Something about using X amount of diamonds to balance the scale that was attached by a ten kilograms object on one end...With one diamonds one caret each..."
"I can spice it up!" Leona grinned as she took out a small jukebox-like object and set the playlist to an upbeat music.
"Hey...that sounds good!" Elodie beamed. "Is that Team Muse's Wonder Zone?"
"Yup! How did cha know that?" Leona chuckled.
"Honoka told me about it, it's really good; and the lyrics meaningful as well!" Elodie sat straight up. "Now I'm pumped!"
"That's the way! Music's always a great motivator to beat that boringness like a home run on a field!" Leona grinned.
Both Elodie and Leona chuckled along at Leona's comment.
Eventually...
Elodie calmly approached the Treasury located on the castle's west portion.
"Your Highness." the guards bowed.
Elodie nodded calmly in return.
"I am here to calculate the amount of Lassi acquired in the treasury; it will be important for adjusting the taxes, the royal budgets, and the pay pockets accordingly..." Elodie managed to overwhelm the guards with data based on money.
Unsurprisingly bowed by their Queen-to-be's ability to handle such numbers, they stood aside.
"Wow...so this is how the treasury really looks like..." Elodie muttered to herself. "Huh? Something is glitters even more peculiarly then before..."
That instinct lured her towards a small, locked box - containing a magenta crystal.
The Lumen Crystal...
"Thanks...dad." Elodie simpered.
