As we walked the last stretch to our destination, I mentally reviewed my own performance in the last encounter.
I had honestly done better than I myself had expected.
However there were also a few issues.
Firstly, I had held back on my first strike, not expecting the Lamia to be quite that durable in her human parts.
I had also aimed at a spot I knew I couldn't cause crippling permanent damage to, however, so maybe the result could have been different if I had hit a weak spot.
Overall, I still needed to get a hang of my new and improved body.
Thankfully, I was strong enough to free myself from her human arms, but the Lamia still had surprised me with her nimble maneuvers.
I had managed to dodge being caught by her tail though, so at least that was good.
I wasn't sure I could have gotten myself free from that...
Finally, I should have been in my pseudo Serene Mind state from the start.
If I were, I would most likely have been able to predict her tackle, avoiding the, although slight, injury I had suffered.
This part was purely speculation, however.
Overall, I knew I still needed more training and experience.
I really hoped I would not have to fight again before Alice managed to beat me into shape a bit more.
As a first test, I was nonetheless satisfied.
~– ~ – ~
We finally reached the city gates.
Standing in front of them were a lot of people with unique-looking weapons and armor.
Some guards were ushering them in, as one of them called out to us.
"Are you also hoping for an audience with the King? Please sign your name on this application form." the soldier said, in a voice that seemed quite accustomed to the words.
"Ok..." Luka said, as he wrote down his name and hometown, before handing back the piece of paper to the guard.
"What about you? Are you also here to speak to the King?" the guard's colleague asked me.
"No, no, I'm not a Hero. Just a traveler." I disclaimed.
"The King wants to meet all the brave Heroes... But since there are so many, it will take some time." the first guard explained.
"It may take around three days, so please spend some time in the castle." the other offered.
"It takes that long..." luka said dejectedly.
"You may explore the castle as you wish, but some areas are restricted. You may also sleep for free, so please enjoy your time in San Ilia." the first guard kindly provided.
"Thank you! Let's go, Alice, Daniel." Luka politely thanked the guards, as we entered the gates proper.
Alice was silent, looking bored all the way.
~– ~ – ~
The architecture of the castle was admittedly quite impressive, the religious artwork meticuolously detailed.
"This is amazing..." Luka commented, as he stood in front of a giant statue of Ilias.
I could feel the Goddess herself's gaze through the magic window above us still.
"This is the famous Magnificent Ilias Goddess Statue. This statue is much more amazing than anything back at Ilias temple..." Luka spoke in awe.
I had to admit, she did look beautiful, even in stone form.
Her long hair fell on her beautifully proportioned body, angelic wings coming out of her back.
Shame about her personality though...
I looked away from the artwork, sighing softly in pity.
"Is that so." Alice deadpanned.
"The great Ilias created the first man and woman... To lead them, she bestowed upon them this magnificent statue. For thousands of years, this statue has guided the hearts of humans." Luka explained.
"Hrm." Alice grunted, already exasperated.
"By the way, did you notice that everyone is careful when walking around to not point their sword at the statue? Do you know why?" Luka quizzed.
I did in fact know, I just didn't care.
My dagger was on my leg pointing down anyway.
"How would I know." Alice said.
"It's because one of the five commandments is 'Point our sword at the Goddess and thou shalt cry'. I've been careful not to let my sword point at the statue as I walk around." Luka elaborated, glancing at his sword, its tip aimed downwards.
"...How stupid. Since I hate this stupid thing, can I destroy it?" Alice asked in annoyance.
"What are you saying!? Weren't you listening to what I just said!?" Luka yelled in panic.
"...Of course I heard it, you idiot. Don't point your sword at the Goddess? Making sure you slaves don't become hostile to your owner. You idiots apply it even to this stupid statue of her." Alice repeated.
"Err... Well..." Luka stammered.
"Alice, I know this is not a good place for you, but I'm sure we can find something for you to do. Preferrably something that doesn't involve getting us thrown out by a bunch of angry guards." I pleaded.
"Yeah, let's spend some time relaxing. They said it will take three days before we can meet the King." Luka agreed.
"Three days in this place... Urg, I think I might die of boredom. Oho... Is this your plan? Unable to defeat me in a normal fight, you brought me here to slowly torture me to death in boredom? How cunning..." Alice commented in an impressed tone.
I snorted at that, amused by her ridiculous conjecture.
"Don't say that. Let's just explore the castle some. You know... There's sure to be something interesting happening." Luka encouraged.
"Why are you so annoyingly energetic..." Alice complained, as we walked around the massive castle.
~– ~ – ~
I had been in a couple castles before, but never one quite so lively.
I mean, here people actually lived in it.
And everything was luxurious enough to make me nervous...
Along the way we talked up a scholar carrying a few books.
"The large basement library has the largest collection of books in the world. So, it's not an exaggeration to say it contains the world's knowledge. Scholars that seek that knowledge travel from all over the world to study here. As for me, I'm researching sacred energy." the scholar explained.
Huh.
I had forgotten about that last detail.
I wondered...
"The largest library in the world... Wow... Alice, do you want to take a look?" Luka asked.
"I can't eat books..." Alice lamented in boredom.
"Unfortunately, you need permission before you can enter the library. It contains so many valuable books, that you need to be properly vetted. It took me a week to get permission." the scholar claimed.
"It takes that long...?" Luka trailed off, looking crestfallen, before he started walking away with Alice.
I watched them go, Ilias' scrying spell following Luka, before speaking up again.
"So, what have you found in your research so far?" I inquired to the scholar.
"I doubt an uninitiated like you would understand even if I explained." the scholar scoffed.
"I might surprise you." I simply said, sitting down at a nearby table.
The scholar sighed tiredly, sitting down as well, before exposing his results.
"Well, most texts speak of Holy energy as something that originated from Ilias herself, the force she used to create humanity as it is. Angels are beings composed entirely of holy energy, and as such, mortals cannot touch them without their permission. So, my current theory is that Holy energy responds to a creature's will. Most of the greatest Heroes of the past also reported that their holy energy granted by the Goddess was enhanced by their own willpower too, in moments of intense emotions." the scholar started.
"I see... It does make sense. But what can holy energy actually do, strictly speaking?" I inquired.
"Ilias shaped the world with it obviously. and performed all kinds of miracles through its use. She used it to create the angels, and to defeat her enemies in the war 1000 years ago. and even before that, the uses of holy magic appear to be infinite." the scholar answered.
"So, it's an energy that responds to your willpower to achieve anything you can imagine?" I asked.
"Sounds about right." he said.
"Hmm..." I voiced out, as I considered the scholar's words and my own experiences.
Back when I was in Ilias' presence, I had felt her Light energy for myself.
I distinctly remembered the sensation of a part of me I could not comprehend the physical location of being filled to the brim with something, and how it felt strengthened.
I considered this new information together with it, and my thoughts ran to the effect Dark magic was having on me instead.
Suddenly, I had an epiphany.
"What if Holy energy is not physical, but mental or spiritual in nature?" I posited.
The scholar looked at me in confusion for a moment, before his eyes widened in shock and understanding.
"Of course! That makes perfect sense! If Holy energy responds to willpower, enacting changes upon reality in any way that can be imagined, there's reason to assume it could be related to a being's mind! Angels are untouchable because they ARE beings made of pure thought! I have to research this!" the scholar yelled, before sprinting away.
I was a bit off-put by his sudden excitement, but I recovered soon after.
So, if my theory was correct, did this mean that what was being strenghtened by Light energy had been my mind the whole time?
How did that work, biologically speaking?
Was it enhancing my speed of thought somehow?
Maybe through changes to my bioelectricity?
No, that didn't make sense...
My mind then turned to a different theory.
One that involved an assumption everyone I ever knew, myself included, thought of as fact, actually being wrong.
But it was crazy enough to make sense.
Thers was this game I had played.
It was this weird puzzle game called '999 9 hours, 9 persons, 9 doors'.
The story behind it was based on a little-known field of parapsychology called morphic resonance.
The details of it were unimportant, as it was widely unaccepted, and frankly I agreed that the idea was a bit unrealistic as well, but there was one character in the game that had talked about the human mind, making an interesting comparison.
Suppose you were to place a computer monitor in front of a person, complete with mouse and keyboard, but the main tower, where all the processing happens, is hidden.
Now, this person doesn't know what a computer is and how it works, but he is able to learn how to use it by experimenting with mouse and keyboard.
However, they would always make one incorrect assumption.
Since they cannot see the tower, they assume it doesn't exist, and therefore they assume the monitor is the one doing the processing.
"What if you were to apply this concept to a human brain?" the character had asked.
What if, humans as a whole had always assumed after studying the brain, that it was, indeed, the central processing unit of our consciousness, and therefore always missed the existence of a 'hidden tower'?
And if it was so, what was the 'hidden tower'?
If this theory was correct, the implications were huge.
Did souls exist?
I had skimmed over the fact before, but I already knew ghosts were real in this world.
Is that what they were?
Semi-physical manifestations of a deceased being's mind?
Possibly fueled by Light energy?
Ilias might not have created humans, but she did help them evolve in the way she desired over the course of time.
Did that mean every human had some measure of Light energy infused in their soul?
I remembered how Heinrich's soul had been briefly released in the third chapter of Monster Girl Quest, and how he then proceeded to burn himself out, consuming his soul into nothingness, killing angels left and right.
Had he used up all the energy that allowed him to manifest his mind?
Did this mean my soul itself had been strenghtened by Light magic?
I did feel like I remembered things more easily recently...
I had to look into this.
"Hey! Daniel! Why did you leave without saying a word?" Luka suddenly asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, as he walked closer.
"Sorry, I had something I wanted to know from that scholar. I was curious." I answered as I got up and joined them in exploring the rest of the castle.
~– ~ – ~
Some time later, Luka spoke up.
"Shall we take a short rest now?" he proposed.
I was about to agree, when someone called out to us.
"Hey, is Mr. Luka here? A Luka that applied to have an audience with the King?" a guard with a red ornament said, looking at us.
"Yes... I'm Luka." Luka timidly replied.
"Hmmm... So it's you? The King will meet you right away." the guard declared.
"Eh? What's going on here...?" Luka asked in confusion, as he was pushed by the guard into the audience hall.
Alice and I followed him, a sour expression on her face.
"At least we won't have to stay here for three more days." I pointed out, lifting her mood slightly.
The King of San Ilia was sitting on the throne, wearing his pope-like garments over his old body.
A meek, gentle look was on his face as he looked over us, though he seemed slightly restless in his behavior.
"I've brought him, King." the decorated guard respectfully spoke.
"Thank you, you're dismissed. I shall have a private talk with him." the King declared.
"Of course." the guard complied, as he left the room, leaving only the four of us.
"Traveler that calls himself Luka... I wish to ask you a question." the King started.
"Eh? Of course..." Luka timidly replied.
"You... Are not baptized, are you?" the King inquired.
"Guh!...That's right. I'm not baptized...I'm sorry!" Luka painfully admitted, as the King's eyes widened.
"Oh! So it really is just as Ilias revealed to me in a dream!" the King said in awe.
"Eh? Eh...?" Luka exclaimed twice in befuddlement.
"Last night, Ilias came to me in a dream. With her beautiful hair, and pure face. Her angelic appearance was like a breath of..." the King started recounting in an excited tone.
"...That part doesn't matter, why don't you get to something important." Alice rudely interrupted.
"Oi! Alice! Watch what you say to the King!" Luka chastised her.
"...Anyway, so Ilias gave me a revelation. An unbaptized person named Luka would come before me. And this unbaptized Hero will be the one to defeat the Monster Lord." the King concluded.
"I... Will?" Luka asked in confusion.
"Now, I shall indicate the path you should take! There are three wise men on this continent. You need to demonstrate your power to all three, and receive their blessings. I shall bestow this only to the one who receives all three blessings." the King declared, motioning to a gaudy-looking sword next to his throne.
I could feel a slight Light energy coursing through it, but it was nothing compared to Angel Halo.
"The sword of a true Hero... The Goddess sword! If you wield this sword, it's said all monsters, even the Monster Lord herself, will bow down to you." the King explained.
Alice looked unimpressed, however.
"Now, begin your quest to get proof from the wise men! Then I shall bestow this sword upon you." the King concluded.
"What a stupid quest." Alice scoffed, as she slowly walked toward the sword.
"Alice! What are you doing!?" Luka yelled, as Alice grabbed the blade's hilt.
"...Fah!" the Monster Lord shouted, as the Goddess sword shattered under her dark power.
"How can this be!?" the King asked in disbelief, his voice aghast.
"Alice!?" Luka yelled with wide eyes.
I cringed lightly, looking toward the entrance.
"It's as you can see, Luka. With crap like that, you wouldn't even be able to put a scratch on anyone. Three wise men? Proof of your power? What a load of crap from this old man." Alice harshly spat.
"...Ooo..." the King lamented, as he slumped onto the throne, his expression twitching as he stared at the ceiling with unfocused eyes.
"I'll show you the Hero's way instead of this worthless King. Go to the four spirits and ask for their blessing." Alice declared.
"Four spirits...?" Luka questioned.
"Salamander, Sylph, Undine, and Gnome. They should be somewhere on this continent. Locate them and ask for their blessing." Alice elaborated.
"...What happens when I ask for their blessing?" Luka inquired.
"You'll gain a mighty power from each of them." Alice replied.
"...Really...? More importantly, why would you show me the Hero's way?" Luka questioned.
"Then, are you going to do what this worthless King said? Even if you go to all three of those wise men or whatever, the Goddess sword is already shattered." Alice smugly pointed out.
"Err... Ok. I believe you." Luka acquiesced, as the King started laughing in a deranged voice.
"Fuaahaahoha! Oooo Ilias. Look at what happened! Fufuhaha!" the King said in delirium.
"Hey... Did you break?" Alice asked him.
"I think we're lucky he didn't have a heart attack..." I grimaced, as guards started pouring in through the door.
"My lord! What happened to you!? What happened here! Oh my god, the Goddess sword! It's shattered! Luka! What the hell happened here!?" the decorated guard yelled, after running to the King's side.
"Err... This is... Uhm... The Monster Lord suddenly appeared and shattered the sword." Luka stammered, looking nervous.
"The Monster Lord did!? Indeed, no other being would be able to destroy that sword... We need to increase the castle's defences right away!" the guard declared, before starting to bark orders left and right.
Me and my comrades quickly left the audience hall in the chaos.
~– ~ – ~
"The Monster Lord is attacking! She attacked the King and then ran ayay!" a guard said to his comrades.
"Oh no! Is the King safe?" another inquired.
"He doesn't seem to be injured, but he suffered quite a shock." another replied.
"Is it true that the Goddess sword was destroyed!?" another questioned in disbelief.
"Alice... did you really have to do that? Because of shattering that sword, I think you broke the King..." Luka lamented, as guards ran around chaotically inside the castle.
"Hrm. He was speaking such jibberish that I had to wake him up." Alice declared with a calm face.
Suddenly, a familiar presence entered my range, my blood freezing in my veins, despite the heat my mind was already feeling.
"But isn't it too quiet...? It seems like the monster lord broke in... but there's no trace of her." a guard commented.
"Maybe it was a false report? We need to gather everyone involved and get a better grasp on the situation." another declared.
However, by that point, I was already moving.
I sprang into action, running into a nearby room, opening a random closet, and shutting myself in it, my previous resolve evaporating in sheer existential terror, as I desperately tried to control my breathing.
"Daniel? What are you doing?" I could hear Luka's muffled voice, before an explosion rang out ahead of him, as the aura I had felt got closer and closer.
"A monster is attacking!" a guard yelled.
"So she is here! It looks like the Monster Lord's attack wasn't a false report after all!" another commented, taking up arms.
"No! It isn't the Monster Lord! It's one of the four Heavenly Knights, Granberia!" another guard's voice said, before a dull thud resounded.
"What happened!? Gah..." another guard questioned, before slumping to the ground unconscious.
"No way...! Granberia! What are you doing here!?" Luka demanded, as the presence finally reached him, before pulling out his sword.
Granberia's answer, however, was different from what I expected, and my blood ran cold once more as I heard it.
"Where is he?" her muffled voice inquired.