AN: Again, thanks to Fictiondevourer for betaing.
Chapter 28
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The faeries entered the designated meeting room at the Academy, escorted by Viscount Wardes. After Kirito and the others were seated, the Knight-Captain withdrew from the room. The meeting was between the highest powers of Tristain and Alfheim, and only a select few were allowed to attend. The pleasantries began, with both sides tentatively probing the others' approach to the meeting. The dangers were most likely from the faeries' words, as opposed to any outside interference.
On the faerie's side, three individuals attended. Headmaster Osmond took in the view of the Fairy Queen's emissary; Kirito was garbed in black plate armour trimmed in silver, which judging from its shoulder-pads counted as 'light-weight' armour. In spite of the seemingly thin protection, the Headmaster didn't doubt that the Royal Protector's defences were anything less than indomitable; there were faerie scripts engraved into the armour trim, and if the elder mage was a betting man he would have wagered those scripts functioned the same as protective runes did in Halkeginia. Add the fact that during the treaty the faeries' offered their metallurgy skills to help Tristain create items as a mean of exchange, even without enchantments Kirito's thin armour alone likely physically surpassed Tristains finest heavy steel armour.
Instead of the two swords Kirito normally had with him as a bodyguard, the Spriggan had two small cylinders attached to his belt. Wands? Osmond thought, before realizing his error – no, those were hilts. The Romalian Church Knights had techniques that created small blades of elemental energy on top of their staves, transforming their blunt melee weapon into spears at will, so it was not impossible if the faeries had better weapons that allowed them to do something similar. Given the faeries' magical superiority, creating a larger blade magically that would normally be impractical for human mages was likely not out of their expertise. Osmond regarded those small cylinders as more intimidating than if the Royal Protector had brought along his usual metal longswords.
A similar hilt was also belted to the large man who accompanied Kirito, who had skin that was even darker than any Germanian Osmond has ever met. He was introduced as 'Agil', a negotiator under Kirito's command. The Gnome – though Osmond really couldn't distinguish the physical differences between faeries, unless there were drastic differences such as the Cait Sith's ears and tail – was dressed in a foreign fashion; Agil had a tie of sorts over a white collared shirt, and a black coat and pants over those. A tidy and unassuming look, generally speaking.
The third member that came with Kirito bore no visible implements, weapons or otherwise. He wore a similar half-cape like the other Faerie Lords, along with a robe that Osmond suspected to be a standard formalwear among the Fae leadership; Lady Alicia wore a similar outfit, albeit in different colours. Kirito introduced him as Pieter, the leader of the Puca faeries – and more importantly, a comparatively neutral member of the ruling Faerie Lords. At least, when compared to the opposing ends of the spectrum that Lady Sakuya and Lord Mortimer represented. The Fairy Queen seemed to have wanted to stress she held no particular preference to either the Sylph's or the Salamander's method of doing things, despite her willingness to send troops on a moment's notice.
While some eyebrows were raised over the leader of a race of musicians and performers attending such an important meeting, Osmond knew better than to underestimate such a person; extrapolating from how a race of crafters and smiths could enchant simple jewellery into weapons of destruction, a mage of music was likely to be just as ridiculous in capability. Charming words might literally be enchanting, and spells could possibly be woven with a simple hum. It took Kirito a word to obtain a weapon to kill someone thirty mails away, with the same amount of breath Pieter could likely destroy the entire room without effort. It may be a testament to how seriously the faeries were taking the negotiations, sending in such powerful people; even more than in Halkeginia, those socially higher up in Alfheim tended to be stronger and more martially skilled than those below them.
In contrast, Tristainians had Princess Henrietta, Cardinal Mazarin, and Old Osmond himself to negotiate – and only the Headmaster was a credible threat if things deteriorated to a fight. Even with two experienced Square class mages behind them, the sisters which were the Princess' bodyguard in recent times, Osmond was not confident the Princess could escape unscathed if in the worst case scenario Undercurrent somehow once again managed to attempt another assassination attempt.
Not like it would be easy for Undercurrent to do so; the meeting was held on top of the Tower of Fire, a research-based area of the Academy, isolated from the bustle that was the main tower. There was no-one to disguise as or reach them through the dozens of mage-knights stationed within the tower around the meeting. Additionally, there was no way to dig to the meeting, and mage-knights were thick in the air to prevent approach from that angle. Nobody went alone anywhere, decreasing the chances of ambush and subsequent brainwashing; and without having to protect the Faerie Lords, the faeries would be more likely to directly intervene to stop an attack.
The dangers of this meeting would be more likely from an error in negotiation than from an outside intrusion.
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Henrietta kept her nervousness from showing, even as she introduced Cardinal Mazarin and Headmaster Osmond to the faeries that accompanied Kirito. Unlike in the treaty, the Princess took centre-stage for the gathering that day, as it was not meeting between negotiators but instead between royalty and their direct representatives. The rebellion in Albion aside, the various royal families held unquestioned divine mandate to rule bestowed upon them by God, the Founder and the Void – such meetings between monarchs were the kind that could make or break a nation's fate, given the kind of concentrated powers each monarch held in Halkeginia over their domain. And that was without bringing into account the Fairy Queen's position as akin to a Greater Spirit, where one perceived insult spelled disaster for the land. On the scale that Titania worked at, Henrietta thought it would not be surprising if the Fairy Queen could personally erase the Academy and Tristain's Capital from the continent's surface should she feel the necessity to do so.
In comparison, Kirito didn't manage to hide all of his nervousness. The Royal Protector was not as good as a dissembler as the Tristainians were, although he could follow every verbal thrust and parry. Kirito's eyes were still sharp, and his posture led Henrietta to conclude the Spriggan was no stranger to fierce negotiations. Rather than sitting down in front of a table in a formal negotiation though, Kirito probably was used to a more informal setting, such as in a strategy meeting arguing where best to deploy their assets.
In spite of that, disregarding how the meeting was ostensibly one where the gathered parties would cast away all pretences, it felt like it was anything but so; every word was a possible feint, and every sentence filled with double meanings and half-truths. It was more nerve-wrecking than the treaty meetings with the Faerie Lords.
Still, Henrietta vowed, she would not have the meeting result in greater harm for Tristain. Her responsibilities and honour demanded it.
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During the conversation, Kirito tried to keep an indiscreet eye on the two mages standing at the back of the room. He failed at the 'discreet' part miserably, however, and settled for blatant wariness towards the two. In terms of numbers of combatants, it was Kirito and Agil against the Headmaster and the other two mages – the rest of the people present just didn't have the fighting instincts to be a real threat, their raw magical talent aside.
The sisters – at least, judging by their physical similarities Kirito thought they were related – were pinging Kirito's Hypersense in addition to the instincts the Spriggan picked up back in Aincrad. While Kirito could justify the Hypersense being a false positive, as the Outside System Skill picked up on both hostile intent towards him and observation – being the center of attention for the meeting qualified, unlike when he was in the background as a bodyguard – he couldn't dismiss his instincts so easily.
Those two mages bothered Kirito. It wasn't solely because they were what Tristainians classed as 'Square Mages' played a factor – though given the kind of spells they were throwing out against Undercurrent when the assailant attacked, they definitely counted. How they looked at him without even a bit of fear definitely played a part; every Tristainian Kirito encountered treated the 'faeries' as similar to the Firstborns in Halkeginia, their cautious gaze betraying at least a bit of fear in them deep down. Back in SAO such reactions were common when a new Floor was reached, and Frontliners scrutinized every new Mob in case the unknown struck one more name off the monument in the Black Iron Palace.
Granted, Kirito had the Runebound armour on him, but Kirito didn't put too much stock on the best level of gear; by Floor 70s, Kirito stuck with his Elucidator monster drop from all the way back at Floor 50, despite upgrading it to a more recent monster drop would have been cheaper to maintain. If it was a choice between one person having the best equipment available, and two additional above-average Frontliners with him on a raid, Kirito would have picked the latter given the versatility with more people. More skills, more chances to attack, more healing, and so on; such things were more helpful than a mere increases in stats, or additional abilities.
If it came down to a fight between the two sides, Kirito considered himself as the only fighter on their side; Pieter was to teleport out if things went sour, and Agil didn't come fully equipped for a fight – the Gnome's light-battleaxe was only as a last resort. The Headmaster plus two additional Square class mages, versus Kirito and his set of armour – Kirito would place the odds as favouring the Tristainians.
Not that the Spriggan planned on letting things deteriorate that far. Kirito had done a fair share of Quests back in Aincrad, the meeting with Princess Henrietta was but another roleplaying mission. Admittedly, one with unprecedented stakes, with the wellbeing of 60,000+ player on the line; the most Kirito had done was shouldering the entire Frontline's worth, back on Floor 3 when they numbered less than a hundred players. Nevertheless, Kirito was confident they would succeed in defusing the situation.
Even if things had taken a more serious turn.
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"To business, then," Henrietta began. "First of all, Lord Kirito, is it true Queen Titania has agreed to let the Faerie Lords to make decisions on her behalf?"
"That's right," Kirito nodded. "Apart from a few guidelines, such as what Yggdrasil can create on Tristain's behalf, the Faction Leaders have free reign."
"If so, then may I ask why someone of your status was present at the treaty?" Henrietta questioned. "It seems suspicious that the Fairy Queen's right hand man was observing if Queen Titania trusted them – not that we're suggesting any doubts on the Faerie Lords' part, Lord Pieter."
"None taken," the Puca replied with a shrug, before shifting his gaze back to Kirito in time to see his response.
"The responsibility for my presence at the treaty lies with me as much as it did with Titania," Kirito said. "I volunteered for the bodyguard post because it fitted my skills as a fighter – and because of my previous experience. The… 'Veterans', as you might call us, from the Aincrad Campaign are the most experienced combatants compared to others, especially if it involved going as far as taking another human – well, sentient's – life."
Kirito's expression tightened.
"Death was a relatively riskless procedure in Alfheim, before the Transition happened. Not as bloody and painful as it is now. Those of us that was trapped in Aincrad experienced a similar situation, and because of this we adapted to this crisis better than the others. Of the veterans, I was the strongest available, and not inexperienced with escort missions; which sums up my reasoning for volunteering. I honestly didn't expect to have to take up the role as a negotiator."
Henrietta frowned. The Princess too was personally trained in how to fight with her magic, even if she had never killed someone in the heat of combat. She had interacted with other mages enough though to see how the burden of taking a life weighed upon them – a General that fought in a war decades ago held a different perspective than a newly knighted Royal Guard, for example. The seemingly young man in front of Henrietta felt more like the former example than the latter, true, but the Princess had to wonder how much of it was genuine care. With her position, Henrietta couldn't afford not to consider if Kirito's words was tailored to deliberately appeal to her emotional side, taking advantage of her inexperience with such things. Such was the responsibilities and stakes involved at the level of rulers.
"I do not doubt your ability to protect your charges, Lord Kirito," Henrietta replied. "Though that aspect of things is at most a tangent to the main point: if you, as the Fairy Queen's Representative, was available, then why did you not take a seat at the treaty?"
"It's likely that Lady Sakuya and others surpass me when it comes to formal negotiations," Kirito answered. "Even if I took a seat directly the discussions wouldn't have improved. I couldn't have added anything the others didn't."
Henrietta raised an eyebrow at that response.
"Even someone of your status couldn't have overruled Lord Rufus, for example?" Henrietta asked. "Or Lady Sakuya, depending on the situation? With Queen Titania's authority it seems unbelievable if that was truly the case."
Kirito frowned for a moment, before his eyes widened in realization.
"Oh, right…" Kirito murmured. "Different background settings…"
Speaking in a louder voice, Kirito went on. "There seems to be a misconception in how the Faction Leaders and Titania interact, Your Highness. Am I correct to believe that in Halkeginia and Tristain the Crown is the ultimate authority in the realm? Where the wishes of the reigning monarch are supreme, even beyond the law?"
"Technically, that's true…" Henrietta admitted. "Though the monarch still has to act accordingly to their station and responsibilities. We shouldn't let our whims dictate our actions, to the detriment of our nation and our people."
"But strictly speaking, there is nothing to stop you from making an unpopular decision?" Kirito stressed the point. "You may lose the support of the nobles, but you would still be considered in the right, as befitting of your authority?"
"Yes," Henrietta guardedly agreed; it was obvious that Kirito was leading up to a point of some kind.
"Such a set-up does not exist in Alfheim," Kirito said bluntly.
"… What?" Henrietta wondered if she heard correctly.
"As Mortimer has said already, the title of 'Fairy Queen' is not really accurate," Kirito continued. "Titania rules over all of Alfheim, except for directly over the faeries and their cities. In the end, the Faction Leaders are the ones that are in charge of the people, with Titania's involvement in this area only things such as providing resources of various kinds. And since it is more likely that Tristain will be in contact with the 'faeries' than Titania in the day-to-day interactions, at least before we are sent back to our world, the Faction Leaders are ultimately the ones to go to."
"Even so, that doesn't explain how the Faerie Lords defer to Queen Titania," Henrietta said as mind whirled at the implications. None of the countries in Halkeginia used such a system, not even Germania which was established without a kind of legitimacy that linked back to the Founder. Only one supreme power was needed to reign over the state, as diluting the authority would only mean conflict between the ruling powers. Even Reconquista, with all of their treachery, wouldn't hand over power to any other party outside of their leading nobles.
"The main reason why they do so is because Titania enforces the rules – the laws – that Alfheim lives by," Kirito replied. "Not because of any traditional or religious justifications. Titania plays an essential part that allows Alfheim to function as it is now."
"Expanding on that," Pieter inputted. "We don't obey Titania only because she has a hold over us, or because she holds vastly more power in areas such as military and magic. The Faction Leaders hold Titania in high regard because of her role in our society; we might disagree with some of her actions, but there is no denying all the work and effort she expends is for our sake. She deserves our respect at least, even if not our fealty."
"I must admit, I'm curious in how Alfheim's society can function under this system," Old Osmond said inquisitively. "Differences in jurisdiction aside, in terms of authority both Queen Titania and the Council of Faerie Lords are equal?"
"That's right," Kirito nodded. "The system is set up so there is no one absolute sovereign for Alfheim. Titania also wishes to have a separate entity that could check her actions in case she makes a mistake. No offence to the royalty of Halkeginia, but we don't believe in concentrated power at the pinnacle of the country; the reason why was clearly demonstrated in the aftermath of Duchess Valliere's attack on Gatan. Titania had considered going to war right then and there, and was ready to deploy troops immediately, before the Faction Leaders calmed her down. If there was nobody to act as a balance to Titania's power, she would have done something we would all regret."
Henrietta felt a chill went down her spine. The Princess remembered the golems that encircled the Valliere Manor when she was passing by, and she had overheard what Duchess Valliere said about them to the Duke before her departure for Tristainia.
"Not that I am unthankful about that crisis being averted," Henrietta said uneasily, "but the more I hear, the less I am convinced Alfheim truly wishes for peace. With the vast disparity between our two sides, there seems to be no reason why Alfheim should consider Tristain its equal and negotiate accordingly. It seems unbelievable that Alfheim didn't take the easier option to complete an invasion first before forcing Tristain to the negotiation table, and eliminating any naysayer in the process."
Kirito winced. "'When something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is'?" Kirito asked. At Henrietta's nod, the Spriggan sighed.
"Well, the main reason – and probably the most unbelievable one from Tristain's point of view – is that those of us that have the power to make decisions on behalf of others don't want to take that step. We do not wish for lives to be lost and people to suffer – on both sides. It goes against the morality we learned as we grew up. There isn't even the justification that it is necessary for us to harm others to get what we want, with the current power differences; so we refuse to resort to violence just because it might make things easier for us. We're better than that – we should be better than that.
"Then again, like I said that's probably unbelievable when looking from the other side of things," Kirito shook his head. "When someone tells you he will be merciful and not hurt you, and he definitely can if he wanted to, it's hard to believe him. Even more so if it's not just you he might hurt, but everyone you're responsible for as well. You can't afford to blindly trust someone in that situation, no matter how much you might want to, because lives other than your own are on the line… that was a bloody lesson everyone back on Aincrad learned. Entire guilds has been killed off by Laughing Coffin before we finally realized that, as tragic as it is, believing in the goodness of other people is a luxury afforded only to those that can take care of themselves first."
Kirito's eyes took on a faraway look for a moment, his words tinged by bitterness. Before Henrietta could ask for clarification, Kirito continued:
"A more realistic reason was the lack of information our sides have on each other to begin with," Kirito said clinically, breaking out of his mood. "When Duchess Valliere attacked Gatan, we had no idea what standards to hold Halkeginian mages to. Was the Duchess one of the elite mages, or was she just a scout that was around the weakest among the local mages? Without any exceptions, there's not a single faerie in Alfheim that could have caused as much damage as she did single-handedly. Especially not in such a short period of time. Rufus could pump himself up with every artefact Demnann possessed in order to match that kind of power, and that would only result in him imploding himself; ordinary faeries don't have that kind of output. As for Titania, without the backing of the World Tree not even she could accomplish damage on such a scale. What the Duchess did was something truly monstrous by our standards, even without taking the morality of her actions into account.
"The prospects for us at that time was either the Duchess was one of the few elites, or mages like the Duchess would be no rarer than the common soldier in this new world we found ourselves in. Taking the side of caution, Titania proceeded on the basis of the worst case scenario and created defences that would stand up to even an army of mages, even if every member of it was at the same level as 'The Tempest'. It was only afterwards that we discovered Duchess Valliere wasn't merely an elite, but someone whose skill is considered Legendary – in other words, our protection is considered beyond 'Overkill' by local standards for self-defence."
"As to where we go from here," Kirito paused. "For now Titania won't escalate further, unless Alfheim is attacked first. However, the Spirits such as the Phoenix will not be removed from the Capitals – our people need reassurances that there will not be a repeat of what happened to the Salamanders. I hope you can sympathize with that."
Henrietta nodded mutely. Although any sympathy on her part was overshadowed by the possible threats revealed to her by Kirito's earlier words. While it was understandable for the Fairy Queen to react as she did, the Princess was not assured of that much power being held back only by the tender mercies of the Faerie Lords.
"If I may go on a tangent, Lord Kirito," Cardinal Mazarin said, interrupting Henrietta's thoughts. "How did Alfheim's current system come to pass? Why does Queen Titania care about the wellbeing of the faeries, when there is an uneven exchange between the two sides? She is neither worshipped or otherwise socially elevated above the rest of Alfheim, compared to the mages in Halkeginia who enjoy a higher status as they protect those without magic. In cases such as the Water Spirit of Ragdorian Lake, at least the nobles involved in a pact with it have a duty to keep undesirable elements away from the lake, or to offer regular tributes. The Fairy Queen however what I have heard obtains no such benefits, as trivial as such actions may be to her."
Henrietta's eyes widened imperceptibly. Mazarin pressing for information on the Fairy Queen to discern whether it would be safe to pursue the binding was understandable, especially in light of just how outclassed Tristain was in comparison; though pushing forward in such an action under the circumstances was a reckless move by the Regent's standards.
"… I have nothing to offer on this matter," Kirito replied slowly. "At least, nothing you'd believe. The best I can say is that it is Titania's nature to govern all of Alfheim to the best of her abilities – and the wellbeing of the faeries is included as part of that governance."
Mazarin nodded. It fitted with the Tristainians' hypothesis that Titania thought alone the lines of a Greater Spirit, their thoughts aligned only with a few concerns to an almost obsessive level in a human. The Fairy Queen likely had something like 'Order' and 'Peace' as part of her focus, while the Water Spirit fixated on 'Purity'. It bothered Henrietta though, that Kirito considered that line of reasoning to be 'unbelievable' in their eyes – there was likely something more to Titania than being a tremendously powerful Greater Spirit. Glancing at the Puca Lord, the Princess found no discomfort on his part; meaning whatever secret there was to the Fairy Queen, it was something known to the Faerie Lords as well.
"That would explain Queen Titania's interest in the Treaty, even if she wasn't the Faerie Lords' superior," Mazarin allowed. "As a verification, Lord Kirito, Queen Titania does not wish to partake in negotiations? Additionally, she has allowed the Faerie Lords to use her authority by proxy for the purpose of the Treaty?"
Kirito nodded.
"In terms of dealing with the faerie population, and to a lesser extent for the rest of Alfheim, the Faerie Lords hold as much legitimacy as the Fairy Queen? Disregarding any coercion by force on Queen Titania's side?"
Another nod. "Though I'm obliged to point out that Titania has yet to overrule any decision that's supported by a majority of the Faction Leaders," Kirito added, indifferent to the possible insult on Titania's repute.
"My apologies, if it seems I am questioning Queen Titania's honour," Mazarin quickly corrected his earlier wording. Though with the power imbalance between the Fairy Queen and the Faerie Lords, it was hard to rule out that while formally the two sides was equal the royalty held much more power than their counterpart in Alfheim.
"Nevertheless," Mazarin added, "in the interests of a speedy resolution it may be for the best if Queen Titania formally assigns an official representative to attend the Treaty, even if it is in name only; Halkeginia places a lot of weight on the royal name, and thus more willing to accept concessions."
"The Leaders taking part in the treaty having that designation isn't enough?" Agil queried in a deep voice.
"Not when they are divided in opinion," Mazarin replied. "There is no certainty from the royalty's side as it is now; compared to Tristain's side for example, other nobles may advise us but ultimately the decision is dependent on the decision made by Princess Henrietta and myself. As befitting of the authority of royalty, as Lord Kirito confirmed just before."
"But that leads to a problem of favouritism," Kirito said with a grimace. "Alfheim's current delegates are polarized into two sides, and Titania supporting one side openly will cause issues. Not to mention that Sakuya and the others are the best negotiators we have."
"I have to ask, do we really need to hedge our bets for the Treaty discussions before it's signed?" Pieter asked with an eyebrow raised. "Does getting the best deal here means the end of everything? There are already topics subject to later discussion, for example the trade agreements for metal processing – I don't see why everything needs to be done now."
"You'll have to ask Sakuya and the others about that," Kirito frowned. "They probably want the best for their people, and I guess getting it all done here with other Leaders to back them up is probably the more secure option."
Henrietta pondered why Lady Sakuya and the others might have been feeling insecure, as they had a safety net of military force to fall back on. While unpleasant, it was still a viable option if it was available. The various Faerie Lords weren't inexperienced novices at negotiations either, given their showing so far.
"Tristain is willing to speed up the negotiations as well, leaving it open for further negotiation at a later date and address the details after the signing," Mazarin nodded. "In light of outside parties wishing to disrupt our negotiations, it may be best if we complete this alliance swiftly before it collapses on us."
"Mortimer and others will probably go for it," Pieter mused. "Rufus might want to wring out a few more concessions first, but the others can probably keep him in check."
"It may be a tolerable loss for Tristain, if we can finish things quickly," Mazarin agreed. Whether the Cardinal was talking about it being tolerable for the swift resolution, or for the upcoming gamble, Henrietta wasn't sure.
"What if there is an alternative to the Treaty?" Mazarin asked. "For example, the citizens of Alfheim may be able to be returned soon?"
That got the attention of all of the faeries present. Henrietta suppressed a wince, as she was unsure whether she wished to risk the Cardinal's move; considering that they have at least secured a peaceful resolution to the Treaty just then, the Princess wasn't sure if they should risk the faeries' wrath at that point instead of after the Treaty was signed. However, the Cardinal definitely considered it a risk worth taking, and Henrietta's own experience in negotiations wasn't enough to conclusively decide that was a bad idea.
"I doubt things are that simple," Kirito noted suspiciously. "If it is, then it would be Headmaster Osmond who's breaking the news to us. For the Regent to do so, there's likely more to it than a simple academic solution."
"That's correct," Mazarin concurred respectfully. "There's a bit of politically sensitive circumstances involved, and let it be said upfront that we mean no insult to either Titania or Alfheim."
"…" Kirito showed a thoughtful expression for a second, before his gaze sharpened. The Royal Protector was likely up to date with the researchers' findings, and the circumstances for his and Louise's encounter meant he could guess what would be asked.
"If this is about trying to bind Titania-" Kirito growled out, before the Cardinal hastily explained that it was the World Tree that Tristain was aiming to testing their hypothesis on, not the Fairy Queen.
"It's close enough," the Spriggan said flatly. Kirito twitched like he wanted to go for his weapons, and everyone else in the room was on edge from his actions. "No, this is not going to happen-"
[I wouldn't come to that conclusion so soon, Kirito.]
Kirito froze as his Medallion materialized and lit up, flashing with every word spoken through it. A female voice echoed throughout the room.
[Depending on the circumstances, I am willing to consider a binding attempt.]
"Titania," Kirito said agitatedly, confirming Henrietta's suspicions to the identity of the person speaking. Not for the first time, Henrietta was struck by the informality of the faeries, and such ways of addressing their social superiors so casually applied even to their highest ranked individual. Although the Princess frowned at the impolite tone Kirito was taking with his liege. "You've been listening?"
[When I said you are my representative, Kirito, I meant it as more than just a symbolic position,] Titania replied neutrally. Henrietta thought the Fairy Queen's words held sarcasm that wasn't implied in her tone, but she might only have been imagining it. [I can see what you see, hear what you hear. To someone operating like I am there in person making the decisions, is it really surprising that I would want to have the raw data you are basing your choices on?]
"… I shouldn't be, in hindsight, but yes it does," Kirito said through clenched teeth. Henrietta was not reassured by the exchange between the two – Titania and the Faerie Lords having a delicate political balance was something Henrietta expected, but not between the Fairy Queen and her right-hand man. Such a development overshadowed any elation from the Fairy Queen's inclination to hear them out; something worse than a superpower nation dropping into her country would be a superpower nation in the midst of civil unrest, not unlike the disaster in Albion between the Crown and rebel Nobles there.
Henrietta resolved to calm the issue down before things blow up on them all.
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Before Kirito could inquire further, the Princess intervened:
"Queen Titania, I presume?" Henrietta asked. "And may I also presume that further introductions are not necessary for all of us, if you have been listening in from the very beginning?"
[… That is correct,] Titania replied with a hint of approval. [It is good that we can bypass the irrelevant small talk. Can we get straight to the point of why Tristain believe a binding is a feasible option?]
"Why enter into the discussions now, Titania?" Kirito objected; Titania taking things into her own hands at that point was unexpected, and the Spriggan's mind raced to find a way to regain control. "Especially for something as risky as this? You're not the risk-taking type of person at all."
[When something like this could potentially solve all of our problems, do you expect me to just let the opportunity pass?] Titania said in an unemotional tone. [And if you believe that I will not take all precautions before allowing potentially dangerous actions done to anything related to Alfheim, I would be disappointed in your intellectual capability.]
"But we don't know enough about the risks-" Kirito began urgently.
[Why do you think I am intervening for?] Titania interrupted. [To obtain knowledge on the risks, before deciding one way or another. Disregarding the possibility without understanding the full details would be extremely foolish.]
"But-"
[Ask yourself; if Asuna was not relevant in such an action, would you still be against Tristain's proposal?] Titania replied acerbically.
Kirito clenched his fists forcefully. He had no words to counter that; if Titania did indeed take all precautions imaginable, and Asuna wasn't involved in the situation, Kirito might have heard Tristain out after all. The Spriggan was obsessive over the safety of his loved ones, but not to the extent he didn't understand the importance of getting everyone home. As an afterthought, Kirito was astounded that Titania conveyed that much emotion in her words just then – Titania wasn't usually that expressive, even at other times when she was showing her displeasure at Kirito's decisions.
[I deferred to your decisions when it came to politics and other such interactions, Kirito,] Titania continued, her voice returned to her impassive norm.[Because I acknowledge my lack of understanding of these areas. However, for a pure academic fact-finding discussion, I disagree that I am unsuitable to take part. In such cases, there is no excuse for falsehood; I believe it is perfectly in my right in such a case to respond harshly to incorrect information, should Tristain attempts to trick us into an unfavourable decision.]
"I assure you, Your Majesty, we would not think of doing such a thing," Henrietta stated politely. "The integrity of the Crown aside, if our attempt failed it would be the end of Tristain when Alfheim retaliate. We are not so brainless as to throw our lives away."
[We have an understanding, then,] Titania said. Kirito's Medallion stopped flashing momentarily, before glowing like a newly lit torch. Golden particles exuded from the Medallion, coalescing into an ethereal form behind the Royal Protector.
Kirito turned around to see the hologram that appeared. It wasn't Asuna's appearance that Titania took on for the meeting, even though it was the same dress. Kirito thought the general features were what Asuna might look like in ten years' time, at the prime of her life – if Asuna also had pale blonde hair and eyes with the colour of a clear sky.
"Titania, you-?"
"I am hardly going to bring my physical body to this meeting," Titania replied dryly. "This form will suffice for now. Is there any objection, Princess Henrietta?"
"None at all," Henrietta inclined her head. Shifting a glance to Kirito for a second before turning it back to Titania, Henrietta asked: "So, what does Your Majesty wish to know?"
"I've looked through the gathered notes on Halkeginian magic and the Familiar Summoning Ritual," Titania stated. "Before I make my decision either way on this proposal, I want to clarify a few points.
"Firstly, how is the binding anchored to the familiar?" Titania asked. "Does the familiar brand on the skin by itself suffice? Or is it something more? Moreover, does the magic stay within the runes, or does it seep into the familiar and take a further hold there? In other words, does the binding affect the flesh of the familiar? The physical heart, the mind? Or something even more metaphysical like the soul?"
"That, well…"
"I believe I can be of service here," Old Osmond inputted, seeing the Princess being overwhelmed by the difficulty of the questions. "The familiar bind is more than just the runes. For example, if the runes were positioned on a limb of the creature and that limb was removed, the contract is not annulled. As to where the magic anchors itself in the familiar… well, I can only offer my conjecture at this point, as this is not a well-researched area of magic.
"With the possible familiars include the more exotic creatures of Halkeginia – for example, a bugbear one of our new second-year students summoned recently. It is practically only a floating eye, and not a wholly physical one at that – which suggests the familiar bond affects more than just the body. The mind is likely affected, but as for the soul… your guess is as good as mine, Your Majesty. Human magic alone cannot conclusively prove the existence of the soul, let alone the manipulation of it."
"Human magic?" Titania frowned at the distinction. "Implying that non-human magic may be capable of this… you mean the 'Firstborn' races' magic?"
Kirito was distracted by the exchange between the Headmaster and the GM, so he wasn't sure if the glance he caught between the two mages at the back really happened or not. The Spriggan subvocalized a curse at himself for not being cautious enough, and tried pay attention to the two at the back as well.
"Halkeginia is not on good terms with the Firstborn races, so we don't know their full capabilities," Osmond explained. "From what I have heard however, the Water Spirit and its Ring of Andvari that was stolen could be capable of such a feat, returning the dead back to life – and such a feat isn't impossible for the other Firstborn races. We cannot know for sure though if it was a true revival, or merely an exceptionally convincing fake; because of our inability to perceive the soul directly."
"Something for us to ask the Water Spirit, then," Titania noted. "Anything else? Legendary artefacts and miracles, things like that?"
"The Founder's sacred Void may be capable of this as well," Osmond admitted, "but this branch of magic is one Halkeginia has not seen for millennia. It would be harder to test this claim than to approach the other Firstborn races."
"The familiar summoning spell and ritual was said to be devised by this 'Founder Brimir'," Titania asked, without skipping a beat. "So we cannot rule out the possibility of the ritual being able to do so?"
"The Founder's Void was also magic only he could wield," Osmond responded. "Or, if you believe some of the Church's records, his heirs who founded the four main kingdoms of Halkeginia. Regardless, it seems unlikely that a spell that every mage can cast is a spell of Void."
"A correction, then; extremely implausible, but not outright impossible," Titania established. "As much as we can put stock in that phrase in recent days. Seeing as we have no knowledge as to how the Void worked, we cannot rule out if your Founder had imparted some of his power into powering this ritual. After all, the ability to form portals and summonings in Halkeginian magic, outside of familiar summoning, only exist in Void magic, correct?"
"… It is as you say," Osmond concurred. "I can think of no elemental magic that could perform such a deed."
"My next point," Titania said. "Is it possible to bind a creature that was not summoned by the mage? For example, could Louise Valliere bind the World Tree, even if it was not what she summoned?"
"As far as I know, it should be impossible," Old Osmond admitted. "There were no such cases in recent history. Al we have to go on was the possibility that it was debatable whether the Founder's very first familiars were summoned, or if he bound them to him in some other manner; 6,000 years of time is not kind to the preservation of knowledge."
"As I've said, we've seen on how 'impossible' things can be with recent events," Titania remarked. "Mutually by the appearance of the Alfheim in this world, and Duchess Valliere's ability as a single mage on our part. We should assume nothing is impossible, for the time being.
"I have heard enough, I believe," Titania concluded. "To sum up: there is no guarantee of the extent of the effects of the familiar binding on the recipient. And while unlikely, it is possible the World Tree could be bound without it being the true target. Given these factors, I do not believe it is safe for the attempt on the World Tree."
Kirito sighed in relief at Titania's verdict, even as Henrietta and Cardinal Mazarin winced.
"Nevertheless," Titania said, to the chagrin of Kirito. "If further testing are done to analyse the effects of the runes, I may change my mind."
"That's ridiculous!" Kirito exclaimed. "Look, Titania, you know better than I do what happens if we lose the World Tree. We need the energy gathered by it for one thing, not to mention the-"
Kirito glanced at the Tristainians present. "-'Hearts of Yggdrasil', the source of all our advantages. If we lose those, it's Game Over."
"Be silent, Kirito," Titania admonished. "And allow me to finish my inquiry."
"First and foremost, testing the ability to sever the binding," Titania stated. "Have some of your mages who have familiars volunteer themselves; I want to know what has to stop functioning before the contract is terminated. Stopping the heart is the first thing that comes to mind, and I will see if reducing neural activity achieves the same outcome. This will be done to both the familiar and the mage, to see if there are any differences depending on the party whose connection is severed. Whether the runes – and its effects – stay after the contract's termination is also a point of interest, although I do not believe holding off on reviving the mages for more than the short term is feasible-"
"Excuse me, Your Majesty," Henrietta interrupted, her eyes widened. "You do realize that humans are not immortal as the faeries, correct?"
"I am aware that they are not reduced into a Remain Light upon death, or respawn at a different location," Titania said curtly.
"Then why-"
"Life and death for humans is not necessarily a binary, irreversible process," Titania claimed. "In many cases it is more like a spectrum. The recently dead can be revived, even without magic being involved. A stopped heart could be shocked back into activity, also the same with the brain; although with the brain there is a smaller margin for error. If we can sever the connection with ease, then I am more than willing to allow testing on Alfheim-related beings; if worse comes to worst, we disconnect the familiar bond, without the mage dying permanently."
The Princess was obviously in turmoil, after hearing Titania's words. Old Osmond and Mazarin had a thoughtful expression, but they were no less disturbed by what Titania said.
"Unless Louise Valliere is expendable?" Titania asked questioningly. "If Tristain feel the additional time taken is not worth Louise Valliere's life should things go wrong, we can skip that part of the testing-"
"No," Henrietta said hastily. "Please do carry out that part of the tests. But…"
"What?" Titania asked, arching one eyebrow.
"These methods go against what we know," Osmond said diplomatically. "At the very least, I would call these actions 'unsafe'."
"And the religious connotations of such actions are concerning," Mazarin added. "Even with Tristain's people being usually less devoted to the Church doctrine, I do not believe they want to risk the afterlife and the Gods' judgment with something as simple as an experiment."
"Your people fight for your royalty and country," Titania pointed out, "risking their lives in the process. I fail to see the difference in risking their lives in this regard. If anything, there would be less risks of dying in a controlled environment as compared to a battlefield with ever-changing circumstances."
"The reasons why someone would risk their life is important, Titania," Kirito finally spoke up, after clamping down on his emotions. "In some people's eyes, they might be willing to risk their lives for honour and glory in a fight, but they will never accept a death as a lab-rat."
"… You humans nearly always make things more complicated, do you not?" Titania said with slight distaste. "Regardless, without testing on the capability to sever the binding I am not willing to risk any sort of binding. Not even an attempt allowing Louise Valliere to bind a replacement of some sort."
"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?" Mazarin inquired. "A replacement?"
"Not once have I said the target I had in mind was the World Tree," Titania stated neutrally. "Kirito's eloquence in saying how important the World Tree is to us aside, I find it highly improbable for the World Tree to be the target. The so-called 'Hearts of Yggdrasil' might be the fundamental pieces of the 'shared dream' as you called it, and stands to reason summoning these may bring over the entirety of Alfheim, it is unlikely to be what happened.
"Looking through the collected data, there are criteria for the summoned familiars; that the familiar is a reflection of the mage in aspects such as magical capability, temperament and so on. Furthermore, the familiar must be able to actively protect the mage in some manner. I find it hard to see how the mindless World Tree, or the similar 'Hearts of Yggdrasil', can fit any of these criteria.
"There were claims that your Founder bound familiars before he devised the ritual, was there not?" Titania asked. "If that was the case – or even if it wasn't, but such an action is doable – then we give Louise Valliere an alternative familiar, one that is custom-built to be the most suitable for her. This will hopefully repair her magic and allows for attempts to devise a method to return the people of Alfheim home. And if it does not, then we sever the connection and try again – if the aforementioned tests on the binding proves this to be possible."
Silence greeted the end of Titania's words, as Henrietta exchanged glances with Mazarin.
"… We will need time to consider this, Your Majesty," Mazarin said politely. "Enough to see if there will be volunteers, if nothing else."
"In the meantime however, we will continue to work on the Treaty," Henrietta directed her words to Pieter. "Tristain is willing to leave some things open for later discussion, if we can finish a preliminary document quickly for the sake of stability."
"I am not one of the delegates that will make the treaty decision on behalf of Alfheim, but I will make it known to my colleagues that I support reciprocating this show of good faith," Pieter replied respectfully. "I will also hope that this issue will be resolved satisfactorily for both sides."
The meeting adjourned soon afterwards, and Kirito flied as fast as he could on the way back to Arrun, without leaving Pieter behind too much. The Spriggan needed to have a private conversation with Titania.
AN: Kirito's Elucidator not being the best gear is from the SAO side story 'Sound of Water, Sound of Hammer'.
The bit about Kirito shouldering the entire frontlines for a Quest was from SAO Progressive Vol3, 'Monochrome Concerto'. Long story short, Kirito took on the 'Emerald Key' multi-floor Quest that forced you to pick a NPC side, and he (plus Asuna & a NPC onee-san) had to complete the quest while making sure the Frontliners at the time didn't self-destruct because the two leading guilds picked opposing sides.
