Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.
Chapter 21: Answers
Elt walked through the Erdtree, his eyes turning up to see the broken form of Queen Marika. His eyes narrowed, gripping the moonlit blade in his hands as he did. Finally, after all that time spent fighting, killing, and dying… he was finally here.
The final stretch, the last obstacle for him and Ranni. It had been a long and hard-fought journey. The Demigods in this land had been slain by his blade, their majesty and grace beyond anything he's ever seen and felt.
But even compared to them, what he felt when he gazed upon the form of the goddess was on a vastly different level. This was Queen Marika, who was said to have slain the fell god herself. Empyrean, and vessel to the Elden Ring.
The Goddess dropped from her crucified state, crumbling slightly at the impact. Her form shifted, her hair turning red, and her eyes cracking at the form. Elt took a step back, his journey through the Lands Between and conversations with Ranni had told him of who his last obstacle was.
He who sired over half of the demigods. Second consort to Queen Marika, and in some ways, Queen Marika herself.
The one who Radahn, Malenia, and even Ranni inherited their flaming red hair from. He who sought to rebuild the Elden Ring after Queen Marika had shattered it.
Radagon of the Golden Order.
Elt took a step back, gulping as he did. He raised his Darkmoon blade, a symbol of his and Ranni's partnership and betrothal. Radagon's form rose from the ground, his form standing tall despite the fact that his body was crumbling.
The Elden Ring shone within him, casting a rune far grander than any in his person. Radagon raised his hammer, his golden eyes peering through his red strands.
Then, he did something that Elt didn't predict… Radagon spoke.
T̶̰͉͗̋̋̓h̴̩̩̤̻̰͛̆͑͘ơ̵͕̻̳̈͒͋ụ̸̳̔͗́̌'̴̺̖̋̽͊̅̀ͅŝ̸̩̰̲̃̋̾̃ţ̷̨͇̫͕͔͒̅̆̅̑͠ ̴̩̗̦͎͚͊̍͗̄ḫ̵̄ȧ̵̝͈̕͘̚͠s̸̟͙͎̦̎t̷̳͉͓̏̀ ̷͚̙̹̗͖̃͠Ŗ̵͉͌͆͌̈́͘ͅe̵̤̖̮̓̈͝t̵̹̣̳͆͒͂̔̚ȕ̸̪r̵̡͉͕̳̓̌́̕̚n̴̙͙͓͎̱̈̇̾̆e̵̛̫̳̪̱͝d̴̛͕̪̤̱͈̮͙͂̀̈͛̋̿
Elt widened his eyes, clutching his head as visions and other memories invaded his mind. Visions of the Erdtree, the Elden Ring, and finally Queen Marika. He grits his teeth and shook his head, his eyes turning to Radagon before he gripped his blade.
Radagon said nothing else, merely raising his hammer at the young man. Elt took a deep breath, preparing himself for arguably the greatest battle in his life. No more words were spoken, merely a mutual acknowledgment of the other's strengths.
The two red-haired warriors stood by, not making a move as the king-consort turned to him with his hammer held aloft. Elt took a deep breath, his armor clanking with every subtle movement as he moved his Darkmoon Blade behind him.
With that, he charged forth with his Darkmoon blade held aloft.
Elt blinked, a hand moving over his eyes as a familiar vision popped up in his mind. He shook his head, even now it appeared as though the visions still haunted him. That one particular vision had confused him, he couldn't completely understand what Radagon was trying to tell him.
Still, such things were irrelevant to him now. The matters of the Lands Between should stay in the Lands Between, although from the looks of things they may have followed him home. He sighed at that, it was just another headache to deal with.
He looked up at the group of people gathered here, their forms all looking at him with confusion, worry, and a whirlwind of other emotions in their minds. He didn't really blame them, considering everything that he just told them so far.
He hadn't even gotten to his actual journey yet, just some basic information about the Lands Between. Just enough background information for them to not get confused over the course of the explanation.
"So… let me get this straight…" Merse began, a finger finding a way under his chin.
"There's this place that's essentially been ravaged and screwed over by the gods, most of the inhabitants are zombies, and there's a giant golden tree that basically controls the entire world… and those zombies are fighting each other for the title of the goddess' wife?" She asked, her eyes turning to Elt as he placed a finger under his chin.
That was an extremely simplified version of events, and in some ways, it was also somewhat inaccurate. But in the end, he just nodded in response. He'll just clarify things later on since all this was just a primer for them to understand the situation.
"Essentially… yes? It's a lot more complicated than that but if I had to sit here and explain then we'd be here all day." Elt stated with a shrug.
"If you do wish to learn more, there are various books on display here for you to read," Lucas stated, completely overlooking the fact that the language barrier would be too much for them to actually understand what was written in those books.
"Okay… but, what the hell does this have to do with you?" Primera asked, crossing her arms as she took a seat in one of the cushioned sofas.
"Everything, actually…" Elt admitted, his hands turning to the group before he continued on.
"You remember those visions I've been having? Images of things that I didn't fully understand back then?" He asked, only Merse and Mimil nodded. Primera and Sasha tilted their heads, they didn't know anything about these visions so it was understandable why they'd be confused.
"Those weren't visions, they were memories…" He continued on, moving a hand into his clothes before he pulled out a small book. He placed it on the desk, allowing the group to take it. Merse, being the one closest grabbed it and opened it for them all to read.
She recognized the book, it was the journal she told him to write over a week ago. Hesitantly, Merse opened it before she moved the book so that the rest could read.
"Everything that's written in that book, happened. Every vision I had was a memory that was long sealed, every opponent I fought was an obstacle I had to overcome." He continued on, the group then read the contents of the first few pages with widened eyes.
They read about his face-off with a knight with golden armor, they read about his spar with a wolf, and there were even a few detailed drawings on a clash of enormous scale. Warriors from all over the land, each with their own unique forms all facing off against a red-haired monstrosity.
They all looked up at Elt, their expressions all varied but there was a theme in all of them: concern.
"I fought against monsters, demons… even gods…" He stated, his eyes turning to his palm as he looked on at its rough form. It was marred, both by the scars of his deeds and the blood of those he had slain to get here.
His tone conveyed not a sense of pride but rather a tone of grim acceptance. He was not proud of what he's done over there, all he felt in him was a cold numbness and the relief of finally being home.
"In the end, I found my way home…" He stated with a small smile, tears welling up in his eyes.
His journey home was something that was straight out of legend, but to Elt it was anything but. All the power he attained? The power to rival that of the gods? It wasn't worth all the pain and suffering he had to go through.
But for them? For all of those he loved and cherished? He'd go through all of it all over again if it meant getting back to them. He held back his tears, now wasn't the time to get all emotional. Even after all of that, he was still an awkward, kind, and even somewhat vulnerable 17-year-old.
"You've done… all of this?" Primera asked, her eyes turning to Elt who looked at her in turn.
He scratched the back of his head, "More or less… I don't really recommend it,"
Elt joked slightly, but none of them found his comment to be anything funny. If anything, it just made them a little more worried. After all, going through all of that could change a person. The sheer scale of what he had to do to come home was something that they all doubted that they themselves could do.
Sasha moved forward, her hands clutching that of Elt's as she looked him in the eye. "Elt… are you okay?"
Elt blinked, he supposed that he should've expected this.
"Don't worry about it, I'm fine." He stated with a small smile, but Sasha wasn't having it. His journey there took a mental toll on him, a mental toll that he did his best to ignore by feigning it away.
"Elt… please, are you okay?" She continued, Elt looked on at Sasha with a difficult expression on his face.
"I don't really know that myself…" He stated, laughing dryly at the end before he shook his head. He honestly had no idea if he was okay, mentally speaking at least. There weren't any problems as far as he was concerned.
Elt felt a little more exhausted than usual, but that could just be attributed to the fact that the past few days had been some of the most stressful in his life. Still, he also found himself to be a bit more cynical… if a little reserved at times. At least, that's how he felt…
"I'm surprised you even believe me," Elt stated,
Merse looked on at Elt with a deadpan before she spoke, "Elt, these past few weeks have basically fucked up my perception of the world as a whole. You suddenly had the strength and power to fight a hero, and now I'm sitting here in this… pocket dimension? I'm not even sure, but we sure as hell aren't even in Lescatie anymore."
Merse sighed, she was honestly willing to believe anything at this point. The events that lead up to here were all frankly, pretty bizarre. "Hell, at this point you might as well tell me that you've also met talking pots."
Elt held his tongue, mostly because he didn't feel like this was a good time to mention that.
"I-It is pretty hard to believe, Big Brother… but like what Lady Merse said, things have just been… infuriatingly confusing over the past few weeks… I guess it helps that I also met an annoying apprentice over the time I've been here," Mimil stated, her eyes turning to the books.
Unlike the others, Mimil had a bit more background knowledge on the topic. Mostly through the Astrology Books that she read, the ones Lucas had on him. Still, to think that everything she's read about was real…
"You have it the other way around, Master"
"Shut up, Lucas!"
Primera remained silent, watching on as a complicated expression formed on her face. She honestly had no idea what to think. Unlike the others, she couldn't believe what he just said so easily, and yet she knew deep in her heart that this was the case.
Her eyes turned to the book, placed on the desk once it served its purpose. She took it, hesitantly opening it. She read its contents once more, her eyes scanning every syllable as the mental image played in her mind.
The visions… they're getting worse… please…
I can't take it anymore, the more I remember the more I fear… All I see is death… All I feel is death.
How long has it been, how many times did I fall… I can't even keep count anymore, but… I have to keep going.
Primera furrowed her brows, holding the book tightly before she spoke up. "...Elt…"
Elt turned to her, his now golden eyes meeting with her violet eyes. She bit her lip, trying to think of what to say.
"Why?" She asked, causing Elt to pause and turn to her with a tilted head.
"Why… what?" Elt muttered, confused.
"Why did it have to be you? Why did you have to be the one to go through all of this, why couldn't you have just been left alone?" She continued,
Elt paused, his eyes looking down as he checked his palm. That question was one he never really asked, but thinking about it confused him a bit. He had no idea why it had to be him. Was it fate? Destiny? Or perhaps he was just some randomly chosen outsider.
Whatever the reason, it didn't really matter anymore. Perhaps they knew that it was he who would become Elden Lord, or perhaps it was all just coincidence that Elt was the one who went the farthest out of all the Tarnished.
"I-I don't really know, to be honest. I just woke up one day, and found myself in a world with little to no explanation on how or why." He muttered with a shrug,
"It doesn't really matter anymore, cause in the end… I'm back home." Elt stated with a reassuring smile.
Primera bit her lip, that answer didn't satisfy her at all. He suffered through all of this, and there was no reason given. It was unfair, perhaps she had no right to be so frustrated on his behalf. But she couldn't help it, her only real friend aside from Sasha had suffered for no apparent reason other than mere chance.
"How can you be so nonchalant about this…" Primera continued, her eyes turning to Elt who tilted his head in response.
"You're just shrugging off everything that happened, just pushing it away like it didn't matter." Primera continued, her tone getting a little coarse.
"Fucking hell, Elt… if everything that's written here was true.. then explain this," Primera muttered, turning the page to Elt. Elt slightly widened his eyes… he recognized what he had written, it was a written account of his first real death in the Lands Between.
"You were stabbed, burnt… hell, had a tree skewer you from below…" She continued on.
Elt didn't respond… his eyes turning down. He supposed that he should've said this before. Death was a temporary thing in the Lands Between. He lost count of the number of times he's died, lost count of the various and excruciating deaths he had to go through. The only thing he could've done back then was to push the trauma, fear, and despair to the back of his mind.
"...So, please… I need to know, how am I supposed to prevent this from happening again if I don't? " Primera stated, her voice becoming a little vulnerable.
"...I…" Elt began, he honestly had no idea how to answer that. There was no guarantee that he wouldn't face anything like that ever again. The Lands Between was left in good hands, in Elt's opinion at least.
Ranni would never let any harm befall those she now called her subjects.
"...You don't need to worry about that, Primera." He began, his form turning to Primera. He held his hand up, his eyes turning to his palms before he spoke once again.
"I won't let it happen to me anymore, and I won't let anything happen to all of you, either," Elt answered,
Primera paused, her eyes looking downward. It was an unsatisfactory answer, but she knew that there was nothing else for him to say. Quietly, she nodded in turn before she sat back down.
"...So…" Merse began, trying to see if she could ease the tense mood in the room. "...What now?"
"Now… nothing, we just go back to our normal lives," Elt stated, causing the group to look on at him with confusion.
It was absurd, after revealing a bombshell like that he just expected everything to go back to normal? They promised him, true, but they never expected the scale of what he revealed to be anything remotely close to what they expected.
Of course, Elt knew that things would never really be the same after this. But a sliver of his mind at least hoped to keep the status quo for now.
"I-I see…" Mimil muttered, her eyes looking around as she inspected the various books in the room.
"It might be a little troublesome but… we'll figure something out." Merse added, her eyes looking on at Elt as she placed a hand under her chin. She was trying to figure out how to make use of him in the coming days. Technically speaking, she was still his superior. Even if his strength rivaled and potentially surpassed her own, he still had to listen to what she had to say.
"If that's what you want, Elt," Sasha stated, her eyes turning to him before a kind smile graced her lips.
Primera stayed silent, merely nodding in response. Once more, she wasn't sure if things could go back to normal. But for his sake, she'd at least make an effort and try.
"Aright… good… that's… basically everything that I wanted to tell you," Elt started with a small smile before he turned to the group. Lucas, raising his brow then turned to Elt before he spoke.
"My Lord… aren't you forgetting about… you know?"
Elt widened his eyes… ah fuck, he forgot to tell them about Ranni.
"...About what?" Mimil asked, her eyes turning to Elt as he looked around in response.
Elt took a deep breath, it was either he did it here or let it sit. Leaving this matter be for too long would be unwise, best to just state it outright before they find out in the worst way possible. He let out a loud sigh, his eyes turning to the group before he began.
"B-Before I say this… just… promise me that you'll keep an open mind…"
That somewhat worried the group, but in the end, they all slowly nodded. Elt took a deep breath, his form sinking into his cushioned seat as he prepared himself for what was to come.
"So… don't… freak out… but…" Elt began,
"...I'm…" He whispered the last part, their ears unable to catch what he just said.
"...You're… You're what?" Mimil asked, leaning forward to get a better listen on it.
"...I'm… I'm betrothed," Elt finally admitted.
A second passed, two seconds, three more… the weight of what he just said bearing down on their minds. The silence was all that permeated the room, their heads churning as they processed those two simple words.
Before long, there was a sound:
"WHAT!"
Elt eeped, his form digging deeper into his seat as he now faced the varied looks of his friends and family. Mimil and Merse had a look of shock, their eyes just staring at him with eyes. It didn't even look like they were breathing. Sasha was silent, her eyes looking at Elt as she continued to process what he just said.
Primera… well... words couldn't describe how Primera was feeling right now.
Lucas looked on, a part of him was sorry for his Lord. After all, no matter who you were you wouldn't want to be placed in a situation like this. But another part of him found the entire affair amusing, here was his Lord: Slayer of the Demigods and the Third Elden Lord cowering under the intense stares of four heroines.
…Maybe Akito was rubbing off him a little, he made a mental note to blast that bastard with a star the next time they meet.
"...I-I can explain," He muttered out loud with an awkward look on his face,
"Explain then…" Primera muttered,
Elt felt a shiver in his spine. He was gonna be honest, he'd rather be fighting off against all the Demigods at once without his powers, armor, and weapons while each of them was in their prime rather than deal with this.
Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned, he supposed.
"...Okay, so… remember how I said that I figured out a way home?" Elt started, turning to the group.
"Long Story Short, a part of that process required me to get betrothed to a Lunar Princess…" Elt trailed off,
"...You're betrothed… to a Princess?" Mimil asked,
"...yes…" He muttered softly,
"So that's why Lucas calls you Lord," Mimil muttered.
Oh how his fortunes turned, the looks of concern on their face had changed to that of outrage. Perhaps he should've started with this first…
"So… you only did it because you needed to get home?" Sasha asked, her brow raising as Elt turned to Sasha.
"...Essentially…" He muttered, causing Sasha to sigh and lean back.
Honestly, if that was the case then she understood. And from the looks of it, Merse was a little more accepting of it as well. It was the other two that she was somewhat worried about, one being a child and the other being temperamental who knew how they could take this news.
Especially knowing how the latter feels towards him.
"I-I need a moment…" Primera finally started, getting up and getting out of the room.
"Primera…" Elt began, but this only caused her to hasten her move outside of the door. She didn't even close it, leaving it open for the others to look at.
"I'm gonna go check on her," Elt started, getting up as he followed behind. The others looked on at him as he left.
"What a mess…" Merse started with a sigh, leaning into the backrest. Lucas shook his head, turning to the group before he decided to speak on his behalf.
"Honestly speaking, It was a decision my Lady made with the knowledge that he won't be able to stay." Lucas began,
"Please forgive my Lord, he did all of that with the intention of going back to you all. You could imagine the mental toll it took for him to be in the Lands Between… fighting, killing, dying over and over… it isn't at all pleasant."
They understood at least that much, if they had to go through what he had gone through… they most likely would've done the same.
"In any case, if you'd like to return home then I could send you back. You still have duties outside of this, do you not?" Lucas asked, turning to the group who all looked at him in turn.
"Yeah, I still have a few bits of paperwork that I gotta do."
"I've been away from the Orphans a little too long,"
"Can I stay?" Mimil asked, causing the group to turn to her quizzically.
"What for, Master?" Lucas asked, causing Mimil to deadpan as she gestured towards the books in the room.
"I want to learn more about this place, you said we could use the books and I don't really have any duties today so…" Mimil shrugged,
Lucas merely sighed at that, turning to his master with a small smile before he spoke. "Very well, Master. Though… in essence, doesn't that make me the teacher in this case?"
"Study partner," Mimil corrected, she'd be doing most of the reading herself. Lucas would just come in and help her understand things she couldn't.
"Very well then," He finalized, he then turned to the rest before he spoke up.
"As for you two, let's send you back." He stated, standing up as he lead the other two outside.
Isaac's head hurt, it was a splitting pain akin to a knife stabbing straight into his skull. His eyes fluttered open, narrowing at the light. He closed them and moved his head to avoid the rays before his vision cleared. His eyes blinked, his yellow pupils moving around the room as he took in the sights.
He was in a tent, blue in coloration and expensive in its make. He silently shifted around in his bed, eyes widening as he felt the soft fabric below.
'This is… oddly comfy…' He thought to himself. From the looks of it he was in the camp's infirmary, judging from the line of beds and the various people moving around and tending to the injured.
'...How did I get here?' He thought to himself as he recalled the events that led him here. He remembered getting up to explore the camp, he remembered climbing a tree like a dumbass to get a better listen on a conversation, he remembered falling off said tree and then getting his ass kicked by a snobbish jackass.
The next thing he knew he felt a sharp pain in his head and now he's here.
He blinked, sighing as a low grunt escaped his lungs. His eyes turned to the side of his bed before they widened considerably.
Sitting next to him was the semi-conscious form of Luciana Sausare. She sat on one of the chairs next to his bed, her form slumping on the chair as she had her eyes trained on his form. It looks like she hasn't realized that he was awake yet.
It's been so long, around three years since the two had separated. So much has changed since then, and he wasn't sure if she'd still be the same Luciana as the one he grew up with.
Still, there was no going back at this rate. Clearing his throat, Isaac decided to speak.
"Luciana-" "EEP!"
She jumped, her form turning to Isaac with a somewhat startled look on her face. "I-Isaac… you didn't tell me you were awake…"
Isaac deadpanned, "I did… just now…" He muttered before he got a better look at her. His eyes widened considerably, to the point where his eyes might've popped out of his head. His face turned red, and his eyes tried their best to look away.
Luciana noticed this, her head tilting before she spoke up. "Isaac… is something wrong?"
"Luciana… what… What are you wearing?" Isaac stuttered out. Luciana looked down, her eyes turning to her clothes before she widened her eyes in realization.
Considering that her outfit was leaving her navel bare, showed a significant amount of cleavage, and her skirt showed off her legs, it was no wonder why Isaac would look away at the sight.
She quickly covered herself with her hands, a slush forming on her face before she spoke. "It-It's part of the uniform!"
"What!? What the fuck!?" Isaac muttered out loud.
'What the fuck kind of pervert designed that!? What are they trying to do, arouse the already horny ass monsters!?' He thought to himself, one eye twitching as he did. The thought that someone actively designed this for her to wear… kind of pissed him off, he wasn't going to lie.
'Why am I getting angry over this, it's not like we're… I'm not finishing that thought.' He further thought, a furious flush forming on his face.
"Y-You said this is a uniform, are the rest of you dressed like that?" Isaac asked, his eyes turning to Luciana.
"N-No!..." Luciana began, only to stop herself before she thought about it. "...yes…" She admitted softly after.
Not exactly the same, but some of her comrades' uniforms were just outright revealing. Alameria could attest to that considering that she's literally wearing a metal bra.
Isaac blinked, his form silent as he processed what he just heard. His eyes twitched slightly as his face flushed. Now that he remembered, Wilmarina Noscrim's clothes were also pretty revealing.
'This is the first thing we talk about after we reunite?' He thought to himself with a flush.
Honestly, it was pretty absurd to him. He thought they'd be sitting there and catching up, talking about their journeys after they departed and what lead him here.
"Do you not like it?" Luciana asked, her eyes turning to Isaac as she waited for his reaction. Isaac paused, his eyes turning to Luciana before he took a deep breath.
"I… don't know how to answer that, Lucian…" He trailed off. It was a lose-lose situation, if he said yes he could be called a pervert, if he said no then Luciana might get the wrong idea.
"Right, that… that makes sense…" She too awkwardly trailed off.
Overall, their first real meeting together was just as awkward, painful, and just plain stupid as any reunion between two 17-year-old childhood friends could be. Both of them had run this exact situation in their heads with varying effects, but none could've truly predicted this much.
"A-Anyways…" Isaac began, trying to shift the conversation away to something less awkward.
"So… how-how have you been?" He began, Luciana stood back up and leaned on her backrest.
"I've been… okay… a little lonely but it's been fine… how about you…"
"That's…that's great… it's been a little tough but I manage…"
"That's good…"
"Yep…"
'Someone kill me I want to die!' both of them awkwardly thought. This was not going the way they thought it'd be.
Taking a deep breath, Luciana decided to take more of the initiative. 'What am I doing? I'm deputy to the greatest heroine in Lescatie, I should handle this with more grace!'
She let out a deep breath, a small smile forming on her face as she turned to Isaac. She moved closer to him before she sat by his head. "I'm sorry, Isaac… this probably isn't how you wanted our reunion to go,"
Isaac widened his eyes slightly, a small awkward smile forming on his face: one that showed off his slightly elongated fangs. "I'm sorry too, It was my fault… I probably shouldn't have commented on the uniform."
"It's alright, I questioned it too when I first got it."
"I'm not sure how your parents would think if they saw you wearing that," Isaac continued,
"Please don't, Dad might die from a heart attack," She joked, Isaac laughed a little before he sat up to meet her face-to-face.
"Yeah, he was always so overprotective of you," He muttered, 'I am too but not as important.'
"...How are my parents, Isaac?" Luciana asked, Isaac, turned to her before his expression turned downcast. That caused Luciana's heart to stop, her eyes widening as Isaac spoke up.
"I don't know… I'm sorry Luciana, but I haven't seen your parents in years." Isaac stated,
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Dad died… we don't know how or why, but Mikhail and I received a letter informing us of his death. Because of that, we had to go and live with our grandfather further out into the outskirts." He continued on,
"I-I see…" Luciana muttered, her eyes turning downcast as she leaned back on her chair.
"I'm sorry, Isaac… I wasn't there to help you,"
"Don't be, your duties as an Order knight are a lot more important than someone like me," Isaac replied, Luciana gave out a pained smile in response. His words stung a bit, mostly because she became an Order knight for his sake.
"Right…" She muttered.
An awkward silence befell the two once more.
"Why are you here, Isaac?" She asked,
Isaac tilted his head, the tone she used here was a lot different to what he was used to. It was a mix of pleading and demanding, a paradoxical way of speaking that he never thought he'd hear from her.
"It's Mikhail… he might've been here."
Luciana widened her eyes, "The wolfman…"
"Yeah, I needed to see if it was really him."
"Why, what happened to big brother Mika?" Luciana asked, her form moving to Isaac as he looked on at her with a pained expression.
"He's gone, amazons attacked our village and he tried his best to drive them off… He… didn't come back," Isaac stated, Luciana grit her teeth. Her hands clenched and her eyes turned down.
Isaac, seeing this, softened his eyes before he reached out to hold her hand. "Lucian… it's not your fault…"
She paused, her hands slowly relaxing before she took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm- I'm Sorry, Isaac…"
She laughed, a small and bitter one before she continued on. "Some knight I turned out to be, I couldn't even protect you or big brother,"
Isaac's eyes furrowed at that, he came all the way here so that he didn't need protection. Hell, the reason he took up the blade himself was so that he could be the one to protect her.
He couldn't sit idly here, knowing that.
He's already pretty healed, the pain in his head was still there but it was greatly diminished.
As he got up, however, Luciana stood to help him up. Once he was sitting upright on the bed, he tried to get off only for Luciana to stop him.
"Isaac, no, Lord Frostiere hit you pretty hard in the head so you might need to recover first," She protested, Isaac took a glance at her before he gave her a small reassuring smile.
"Relax, I feel fine… Head still stings a little but I can manage," He muttered only for Luciana to stop him.
"Please, Isaac… I don't want a repeat of that forest incident…" She muttered, her eyes turning downcast as Isaac paused.
He was just as reckless as she remembered him to be. One moment he could be lying on a bed, the next he'd put himself in mortal danger for one reckless reason or the other. That stubbornness of his was one of the reasons she fell for him, and also one of the reasons she feared for him.
He furrowed his brows, he was about to speak but when he heard footsteps coming he paused and turned to its source.
A familiar blue-haired heroine walked into the room, her arms placed on her back as she stood to regard Isaac with a nod. "It's good to see that you're healed, Isaac… was it?"
Isaac paused, he didn't exactly know how to regard her. The proper way here was to call her Lady Wilmarina, so he'd just stick with that. "Yes, Lady Wilmarina."
She smiled, "That's good to hear."
Luciana's eyes shifted to her superior before they turned to Isaac. There was a look of confusion in them, and one that's a little accusatory. "You know him, Lady Wilmarina?"
"We met briefly during one of my missions," Wilmarina explained, turning to Isaac before she crossed her arms.
"Regardless, I apologize on Lord Frostiere's behalf. Rest assured, he won't be bothering you anymore." Wilmarina stated, causing Isaac to scratch the back of his head before he muttered "I would've preferred it if I got to kick his ass first but…"
He widened his eyes, turning to Wilmarina before he added "N-Not that I would, Lady Wilmarina."
Wilmarina merely laughed at that, "Worry not, Isaac. It's… fairly common for even some of my comrades."
Wilmarina's eyes then turned sharper, her eyes staring at Isaac as he felt a small shiver down his spine. "Even still, regardless of Lord Frostiere's actions… Sir Corin and Sir Nel's witness testimony still told me that you fell down on them from the tree tops."
"Mind explaining to me what exactly occurred?" Wilmarina asked, crossing her arms as she turned to Isaac.
Isaac scratched the back of his head. "Well… uh… Lady Wilmarina uh… they were talking about something that caught my interest."
"Is that so? What's exactly so interesting that you'd climb up a tree just so you could hear them better?" She asked,
Isaac took a deep breath, from what he knew: Wilmarina was at least kind. Elt told him that much, perhaps he'd be able to help him with this.
"The Wolfman, Lady Wilmarina." He admitted, causing Wilmarina's brow to rise.
"Wolf…man?" She asked, tilting her head as she did.
"It's the rumored Wolf that's stalking the surrounding neighborhood, Lady Wilmarina." Luciana explained on Isaac's behalf. Wilmarina cupped her chin, leaning on one leg as she thought.
"I see…" Her eyes scanned Isaac's eyes and fangs, despite the fact that he wasn't a monster, she could at least understand why people would think so. If she had to describe what animal his features resembled the most, it would've been the wolf.
Because of that, she was able to put two-and-two together.
"You're related to this wolfman, are you not?" She asked.
Isaac widened his eyes, in hindsight, it was pretty obvious. But even still, the fact that Wilmarina managed to figure this out after just learning about it was impressive to him. Then again, a lot of things were impressive to him so this was just one of many.
"I'm not entirely sure, but that's why I'm here to find out," Isaac muttered, leaning his back on the bed before Wilmarina nodded.
"I see…" Wilmarina stated before she nodded,
"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Wilmarina asked. Isaac widened his eyes in surprise, his form looking at her as he leaned forward.
"Uh… well… if you can get me into that forest and look out for the wolfman then that'd be great," Isaac muttered.
"Alright then, in that case… how about I place you into one of the assault squads? That way you'd be part of the first few people to be sent in." Wilmarina muttered, her eyes turning to Isaac.
However, before she could respond… Luciana spoke up first. "L-Lady Wilmarina… I'm unsure of sending him inside that forest would be a good idea… what if he got hurt?"
Wilmarina's eyes turned to Luciana before a sympathetic look crossed on her face. She understood her, sending the one you love to a dangerous battlefield was something she wouldn't want doing. She thought that she'd make the same mistake by leaving Elt to defend the village.
Even still, it was a choice that Isaac alone could make.
"The choice here is Isaac's alone to make… I don't think I need to tell you about the danger this position holds…" Wilmarina stated,
Isaac paused, his eyes turning to Luciana before they shifted to Wilmarina. He knew it was dangerous, he knew that he'd most likely get his ass kicked by the many monsters inside the forest. But if such things scared him then he wouldn't have come here in the first place.
He was prepared to die if it meant seeing his brother again, no matter how false that hope may be.
"I'll do it…" He declared,
Wilmarina paused, Luciana turned to him with a shocked and worried expression. Isaac's eyes continued to look at them both with determination. Even if Wilmarina refused, and barred him from entering the forest, he still would've fought tooth and nail just to get in.
Luciana knew this, but it still pained her to know that her childhood friend would be in danger.
"I see… in that case, you'll be placed in my direct unit." She muttered, causing Luciana and Isaac to look at Wilmarina with widened eyes.
"Wait… what?" Isaac muttered,
"You'll be placed directly under my command. That way, you'd at least be protected by a few heroes and Luciana. My contingent would be the largest in the assault, but that even still you should understand the danger it presents."
"That's… that's great, but… Forgive me for asking this, Lady Wilmarina but… why are you willing to help me?" Isaac asked.
They barely even spoke with one another, so what was her reason fro doing all of this for him. She just gave him a small smile before she spoke up. "It's my way to repay you for the hospitality you've shown to a certain red-haired soldier,"
"I-I see… you're willing to go and do all of this for him?" He asked, Wilmarina's eyes turned to him before her eyes softened. That left both Luciana and Isaac stunned; in this moment, the hero Wilmarina had been reduced to a simple girl in love.
"For him… anything,"
In a dimly lit room, the candlelight shone on a cross hanging on a wall. Its peculiar design felt out of place in the office of Albain Rejulia, considered one of the most devout members of the Order in Lescatie.
Green eyes stared at the cross on the wall. His eyes inspected every small detail to an excruciating degree. It's been a few days since that incident with Lord Amaltia, and even now that comment had left him with a bitter feeling in his mind.
He shook his head, now was not the time to think about such trivial matters. Right now, he had a murder to solve.
He sat upon his cushioned seat with crossed legs, his head resting on his hands as his arm was placed upon the armrests of his chair. Surrounding him were various books on different subjects, all for the singular purpose of finding out a connection between that cross and the Noscrim Faction.
'What could this mean?' He thought to himself as he leaned back.
He thought back on the different religious sects of the order to see if there was a match. Unlike what most would believe, the faith of the Order wasn't at all unified. Some interpretations of their doctrine had led to a few disagreements between worshippers.
Along with a heavy amount of lynching and accusations of heresy. And this was only if they actually followed the teachings of the Chief God in the first place.
He knew a lot of people who often claim to be devout followers but do nothing to follow the scriptures and teachings of the Chief God.
Being an Inquisitor could be a difficult matter sometimes, especially when it came to interpretation. Even still, none of those sects seem to match the cross he found here.
None from the Leorosian sects, the Solovan Sects, not even the Polovan interpretation. It could've been from an obscure sect that's never been recorded, but Albain found that possibility unlikely considering that the body they found had been a cardinal.
All of the cardinals he knew exclusively believed in the Leorosian Interpretation of the Chief God's will, but nothing from Leoros even resembled anything of the cross he found here.
He furrowed his brows, frustration climbing on his spine. First Merridith and now this, the past few weeks had been a pain, to say the least. Much like the rest of his life, but such things didn't matter at the moment.
He got up from his seat, his form gazing at the other books in his collection. So far, all he books he had reviewed for this case had been theological ones. Those that talked about the different interpretations of the Chief God's will, the various sects, and the prominence of the papacy.
If he wanted a clue, he needed to broaden his horizons. "Chief Goddess almighty, grant me wisdom…" He silently prayed as he pulled out the other books and began to read.
One book, two books, he read and comprehend in only a few sittings and yet nothing.
Three books, four books, and once more the information was useless.
Five, six, and nothing to show for it.
Seven, eight, nine, ten… most would've called it a day after, but Albain was not most people.
He furrowed his brows, taking in information and removing any unnecessary bits of knowledge as he went.
He read for hours straight, day in and day out until finally…
Albain's eyes widened, his eyes looking on at the symbol he had come across. He checked the books cover to see if there which book it was. It was an Astrology book, one written by someone who simply went by the pseudonym of 'Stargazer'.
He went over to grab the cross he discovered before he compared it to the image on the page. There was no mistaking it, it was a match in every way imaginable.
Albain narrowed his eyes, clutching the strange cross before he began to read its contents.
So far, everything that was said had been nonsensical to the young man. It talked of a fictional Royal Family, a Golden Radiant Tree, of Gods and Demigods that just didn't exist. It was absurd, and he even found it to be borderline heretical.
Even still, he read and he read. His eyes went across the details of this person's words. He cringed at some of them, finding them to be nothing but Ramblings speaking of the Star's power over all.
His eyes turned to the cross, it was just a footnote in the book… a symbol that only showed up once. For all he knew, all this talk of demigods and the Royal house of Caria could be nothing but nonsense. It only held one sentence, a single explanation of what that image was.
"Queen Marika's cross…" He read out loud, he now had a name at least.
"...A symbol of… the Golden Order?" Albain uttered with a head tilt.
"An Order Sect perhaps? No… I've never heard of this 'Queen Marika'." He muttered to himself as he crossed his arms.
'Who is Queen Marika then? The Chief Goddess? No… The Chief God has never been considered a Queen." Albain muttered,
It was part of tradition. Normal men and women are not allowed to speak the name of the Chief God. It is one of the worst heresies a person could commit, and because of that, the name of the Chief God had been somewhat lost to time.
So it's possible that this was a sect that worshipped Queen Marika… but he didn't have any proof of this other than his own speculation.
As he thought, he heard a knock on his door. "Lord Inquisitor, it's me."
It was Rylan's voice, out of all the Inquisitors he found Rylan to be the most tolerable. He kept to himself most of the time and while he still criticized his methods, he was at least somewhat understanding when it came to them.
"Come in," Albain stated, to which Rylan complied.
Rylan walked into the room with wide eyes, his pupils scanning the various books scattered around. "How long have you been here?"
"I lost track of time, but at least a few hours," Albain stated as he sat on the chair.
Rylan looked on at the books before he turned his eyes to Albain. He cringed at the sight o his eyes, his form sitting on a chair opposite Albain before he spoke up.
"I'm not sure that you're supposed to have that many bags under your eyes," Rylan muttered,
"Believe me, Rylan, this is tame compared to some of the things I've done for a case." He stated as he rested his arms on the armrest. He turned his eyes to the cross, his arms lifting it up as he spoke.
"Tell me, have you heard of this thing called the Golden Order?" Albain asked,
Rylan cupped his chin, his form leaning forward as he tried to recall. "I'm afraid not, the concept is new to me."
"I see… in that case, there's nothing here that could help me with this." Albain sighed, standing up as he stretched his limbs. If Rylan didn't know what the Golden Order was, then there was nothing in Fortress Maxim that had anything on this… Golden Order.
Albain knew that Rylan was one of the most knowledgeable people in the Inquisition. He scoured through every book in their possession, knew the system inside and out, and could recite any scripture no matter how obscure if asked. If he didn't know what the Golden Order was, then the answers Albain sought couldn't be found here.
"Why, what is it? An Order Sect?" Rylan asked,
"Potentially, the truth to that however eludes me. It could be an Order Sect, but it could be something else entirely. What I do know is that there is a connection here between this Golden Order… and the Noscrim Faction," Albain muttered.
Rylan rose his brow, "Is it because of Lord Amaltia's actions during our investigation?"
Albain nodded, causing Rylan to cross his arms. "And how do we know that this is related to the Noscrim Faction as a whole and not just House Amaltia?"
"Because if it was only House Amaltia, the Order of the Ice-Flower wouldn't have been present." Albain answered.
As powerful as Lord Amaltia was, he didn't have the authority to just call upon a contingent of the Ice-Flower with that size. It took either a collective coalition between multiple members of the Noscrim Faction or a single command by Matthias Noscrim himself.
"I see," Rylan muttered before his eyes widened at Albain.
Albain walked towards his clothes hanger before he put on a small coat and placed a small dagger onto his belt.
"Albain, you're not thinking of-" "What I do for my investigation is none of your concern, Rylan. The only place I can find answers here is in the Noscrim's territory. With the Order of the Ice-Flower being out on an expedition, their numbers are spread thin." Albain answered.
"Even still, the risk could be too great. If you're caught then not even your father could-" Rylan retorted,
Albain gritted his teeth, and with far more venom than anything he's ever said in weeks he spoke. "I don't want my father's help… this matter is mine alone to investigate."
Rylan paused, his eyes turning to Albain as he fixed his coat. "I don't understand, why are you even doing this? You could just leave this matter be and no one would fault you."
Albain paused, his eyes turning down as he thought of an answer. "...I've lost everything I cared about… the only thing I have on me now is my Faith…"
He turned to Rylan, his eyes empty and without much feeling. "The Noscrim Faction is acting out of line, if my hunch proves true then this could prove damaging to both Lescatie and the Order as a whole."
"If I die, then so be it… I have little to live for but my faith." Albain finlaized,
Rylan stood there stunned, his eyes turning to Albain before he sighed. "I see… good luck then, Albain…"
"You as well, with Akito that is," Albain muttered, Rylan laughed at that.
With that, he walked out of the door.
Elt moved through the halls of Raya Lucaria, his eyes scanning all around to try and see if he could find Primera. He walked through the stone flooring, his footsteps echoing through as he moved. He could hear the ethereal sounds of glintstone, the moon hanging above providing him with an ample amount of light.
He searched the courtyard, lecture halls, bedrooms, rooftops, and even the underground crystalline caverns but still no sign of Primera. Elt felt his heart rate spike, if anything happened to her then… then…
He paused that thought, he wasn't going to lose hope yet.
He moved through the balconies until he made his way up a tower for a better view. His eyes scanned around before he finally found his target.
There she was, sat beside one of the many steeples. Her form was slouched and silent, her eyes looking on at the view below. Elt paused, his eyes looking at her with worry before he made his way to her.
He climbed out the window and walked through the rooftops. He jumped onto buildings and walked through ledges until he finally made his way over to her.
Elt paused just a few meters away from her, his eyes slacking as he thought of what to say or do. Eventually, he found himself sitting next to her to try and speak.
Primera didn't move from her position, merely moving her eye over to him in order to acknowledge his presence before she stared down onto the ground.
Elt tried to speak, his mouth opening but he found that no sound could escape from his mouth. What was he supposed to say here? He leaned his body back, again he tried to speak, and again no sound came out of his mouth.
He was afraid, afraid that whatever he said would only push her away. His explanation from before had obviously hurt her, and he didn't know what to do or say to help her in this situation.
Before he could say anything, however, Primera spoke first.
"Hey…do you love her… the one you're betrothed to?" She asked, her eyes still staring at the ground.
Elt paused, he knew who it was she was referring to… but his feelings about her were still somewhat confused. Even still, he tried his best to answer her truthfully.
"I'm… not so sure… my feelings about her are complex, but…" He began, his eyes looking up at the dark moon hanging above before he continued.
"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't feel anything…"
Primera shrunk, her head turning downwards as her arms hugged her legs. A difficult expression formed on her face, pained and yet accepting of the situation she found herself in. "I see… I wish you two the best… then…"
Elt shook his head, a sad smile forming on his face as he leaned back onto the steeple. "As much as I say that… it's just impossible for me and her to be together."
Primera paused, her eyes looking on at him with a quizzical look on her face.
"She and I… we're from different worlds, and I'm not just talking about it physically. What she wants and what I want differ too greatly, and unfortunately, it's one where we won't be able to overlap." Elt explained, bringing his knee up onto the steeple before he rested his head on it.
"She wants to change the world, to be a goddess amongst the stars, and to better the Order she lived in… I just wanted to go home, to live with you and Sasha." He explained with a light shrug.
"But… you married her…" Primera muttered, Elt scratched the back of his head.
"I did, but we both knew that it wasn't going to last. It was just a temporary arrangement for the both of us, for her sake as well." He muttered, he was the only person who she felt was worthy enough of that ring.
Not wanting it to go to waste, she gave it to him. Even if it was just for a little while, Elt still felt that it was enough to make Ranni a little happier.
"In the end, I just wanted to return home so I could be with you and Sasha." He stated with a small smile.
"I… you're an idiot…" She muttered,
Elt sighed and nodded his head, "I know, which is why I'm glad that you're here to keep me from doing something stupid."
Primera paused, her eyes narrowing as she lifted her hand up. She looked at her palms, clenching them as she took a deep breath.
"...I don't deserve this…" She began,
Elt tilted his head, letting out a small 'hmm?'.
"...This… what you're doing right now. You sitting here and telling me that you need me… you don't need me, Elt… I've seen you for myself." She began, Elt's eyes widened in response.
Primera hugged her legs tightly, her eyes looking down before she continued.
"You're strong now… you have people who care and cherish you… you have a stable job and source of income, and you even have… this!" She yelled out, gesturing to all of Raya Lucaria.
This was all Elt's, built for Elt to use. He didn't need to lie, he didn't need an abomination like her… not anymore, not even before all of this.
"What do I have? I'm nothing… less than nothing, I'm an abomination… a freak of nature." She continued, gritting her teeth as her eyes turned to him.
Elt paused, a look of concern crossing his face as his hands moved up. On her eyes were tears, something he's never seen from her before.
"I insult you, I push you away, I call you names and I even hurt you just so you'd leave me alone… so why… why do you keep lying to me!?" She asked, her eyes turning to Elt as he looked on at her.
"Primera… I'm not lying…" Elt stated, his form turning to her as he clenched his fist slightly.
"Don't ever call yourself that, don't ever call yourself an abomination." He began, his eyes turning to her as they turned back to its crystalline blue color.
"It hurts… doesn't it? Living alone in isolation, hating yourself for something out of your control…" He began, his eyes turning to the sky as he looking on as he narrowed his eyes.
"I don't get it, Primera… why do you even think this way?" He asked, turning to her as Primera paused.
"...My mother was an elf…" She began, her eyes narrowing as she recalled her story.
"...My father was a human… they never told me about how they met, or how they fell in love… but in the end, the result would've been the same regardless." She continued on.
"For most of my early life, I lived in an elf village scorned by those around me… As a product of my mother and father's forbidden union, I was the target of a lot of hate." She continued on, clenching her fists as the memories came rolling in.
"They called me a freak, an abomination, and impure half-breed with mud in my blood."
"I saw my parents get banished, shunned by all around them and forced to walk onto an unknown fate…" Her eyes watered as she recalled the events.
"I began to hate them, to hate on my mom and dad for being so stupid… If they never fell in love, if they just stayed away from one another then they could've lived normally. Loved by those around them and able to live with the rest of their kind."
"But no… they decided to have me, and because of that everyone hated them…" She continued on, her nails dug into her palms to the point where if she had not been a hero they would've bled.
"I'm the product of their misery, their stupidity, I'm a freak that nature should've just left for dead… even if Sasha never found me, I would've been satisfied with dying to those werewolves…" She dryly laughed,
"You're kind… Elt, strong… powerful… loved… you don't deserve to be someone like me." She added, her voice downcast as her form looked down.
Elt didn't know what to say. This was a lot of pain for someone like her to bear, it was a saddening sight and he didn't like to let it continue. He could've spoke, he could've said something, but instead, he moved.
He moved over to her, gently grabbing her by the shoulders before he pulled her into a soft embrace. Primera's eyes widened, her form stiffening as Elt pulled her in close.
"Elt! Y-You Idiot! What are you doing!?" Primera stated with a flush.
"Showing you how much you mean to me, to Sasha… to the orphans." He answered, causing Primera to pause and grit her teeth.
"I told you, didn't I? I'm an-" "Don't finish that sentence, Primera." He stated, his eyes turning to her, still holding her in an embrace.
"You're denying yourself the right to be happy, pushing people away because you feel like you don't deserve it." Elt continued on, his eyes turning to the ground before he continued.
"You're feeling guilty over a sin you've never even committed, hurting yourself because that's what you think you deserve."
"...The Primera I see isn't a freak, she isn't an abomination… just a scared girl that needs to know that she's loved." He continued, a small smile gracing his lips.
Primera paused, her body freezing as she thought about what he said. She felt the tears slowly fall down her face, her eyes turning to Elt who kept her close.
"We love you, Primera… so please, stop hating yourself."
Those were the words that finally broke the damn, all those tears she kept in came flowing down as she held Elt close to her. She wept, her eyes getting sore as Elt caressed her head gently. His eyes looked up at the moon, bitter thoughts forming in his head.
'I'm the one who doesn't deserve you, Primera…' He thought, the moon stared down at him as he spoke.
With narrowed eyes, he thought once more. 'I need you... I need everyone... what would I be if you weren't there?'
In a dark and dreary tavern, a blonde-haired green-eyed girl moved through the decrepit floors. Her eyes turned to gaze upon the various inhabitants, from rowdy mercenaries to normal peasants, from violent gang members to ladies of the night.
She wore a cloak that covered her body, underneath was her inquisitorial garb and a rapier for self-defense. Along with that, she also carried with her a large some of coins. Payment for the information she'd be asking him.
She cringed, this was not something she was used to doing, but something she expected to eventually do in the long run. Using her influence as both the Rejulia daughter and Inquisitor, she managed to get in contact with an informant with knowledge regarding Lescatie's lower class.
She sat in front of the bar, her eyes looking around as she looked on at the barkeep. "An Ale, and your house special."
Honestly speaking, she wasn't here to drink or eat anything. That order was only there for the informant to know that she was the customer here. With a nod, the barkeep moved and grabbed with him a plate of stale bread and a mug of ale.
Placing the payment on the bar, she sat back and waited for her informant to arrive.
Eventually, a figure sat next to her. Their face was covered in a mask and a cloak obscured the rest of their head. their form was heavily clothed, possibly leather but it made sure that no skin could be seen. It made it difficult to tell whether or not she was talking to a man or a woman, possibly for confidentialities sake.
"An order of beef with 2 cups of ale," The figure said, Aria widened her eyes. There they were, her informant for her current case.
The figure looked around, checking to see if anyone was observing before she leaned in.
"So, I'm guessing you're my client." The figure stated,
"You're correct there," Aria replied, her voice low so as to not get the attention of the rest of the tavern.
She couldn't see it, but she could've sworn that the informant smirked under their mask. "So, what's your Order, fair maiden?"
"...I need you to tell me what you know about Sasha Fullmoon… and a man named Elt," She whispered,
The figure paused, their eyes widening as they turned to Aria. "...I see…"
"That's quite the expensive meal there… Oh, if only I had the funds necessary to buy it." The figure muttered out loud. It was another code, pay up, or else you won't learn anything.
Saying nothing else, Aria pulled the pouch of money out of her cloak and out onto the desk.
The figure discreetly and greedily grabbed the pouch before placing it in her own coat. They turned to Aria, their eyes scanning her before they spoke up.
"Seeing as how you're an inquisitor, I'm assuming that you're here for the juicer 'rumors' about miss Fullmoon." The figure muttered,
"Sadly… there isn't really a lot you'd hear from out in the streets… but… there is one thing, however…" She continued on,
"Apparently, every night she goes to an abandoned church and comes out hours later… most just chalk it off as her using it to pray, but in the end… nobody has ever really witnessed what happens in that church…" The figure stated, Aria's eyes perking upwards as she listened on.
"As for Elt…" The figure began before she spoke up again. "...I'm afraid that the funds you gave me won't be enough to pay for my food, ah… such a shame,"
The figure uttered, causing Aria to furrow her brows. "What? That should be enough to buy you a low-end mansion! What do you mean its not enough?"
"You underestimate how many secrets he has, Inquisitor… but that's not the real reason it's expensive…" The figure spoke out,
"That information, I'm afraid is kept on a tight leash… by a brown-haired church hound. If he finds out that we told you, then we're as good as dead."
Aria paused, 'brown-haired inquisitor?'
Her eyes widened, 'Akito…'. That man was here, and not only that but he has the Information on Elt on full lockdown. If there was one thing that they feared the most, it was that psychos sword.
If she pushed forward, she could potentially grab his ire. She was scared of the man, his deeds were one of infamy in the Inquisition.
Even still…
"I'll give you triple that amount, and I'll even buy you a mansion to spare,"
She was scared of Akito, but that fear was nowhere near the same as her fear of Albain. If she came back empty-handed, or with information that he found lacking then…
She shuddered, a cold chill moving through her spine. She'd rather not think about that right now, not when she had a job to do.
"...A tempting offer, but what I want here is protection from Akito. If you can promise me that I'll keep my head, then I'll accept that deal."
Aria paused, her eyes turning to the informant. An Inquisitor was a vile creature, one who would do everything in order to further the Chief God's will.
"I promise you, Akito won't be able to lay a finger on you."
Even if it meant lying through their teeth. A Noble's pride meant nothing in the face of their unrelenting duty.
Author's Notes:
It took a few rewrites but overall, I'm satisfied with this chapter. I posted it a little earlier than usual, but think of this as a sort of apology for taking a little longer with the last one.
Onto the first thing, the revelation. I'm overall satisfied with it, I think their reactions were appropriate. Wilmarina's reaction to that information would be done soon-ish, as soon as she's finally done with her role in the forest.
Primera and Elt's conversation wasn't originally going to happen, but then I realized that wait... this could be the perfect opportunity for them to converse, and so they did. The two never really had that much alone time together, other than that time in the infirmary, their first encounter with Akito, their conversation in the cave, and now this...
Shit, forget what I said, I've been neglecting the other princesses too much. But in any case, Elt and the other heroines will get their alone time as well. Some of it, not even being romantic, just a platonic hang-out between them to further their relationships. More on that in the next chapter,
Aria and Albain's respective investigations would be the main thing that Elt has to look out for in the meantime. It isn't as big of a threat as the Baphomet right now, so he has more room to breathe, but the consequences could be much higher should things be found out.
Regardless, I finally have an Ao3 Account! It only took like a month, but I'll be crossposting this over there as well. Unlike the one in QQ tho, it'll be posted in full since it's not really a discussion type of website.
As always, leave your reviews, criticisms, complaints, reactions, etc. over in the Review Section. My PM's are free as well if you want to use that. Head over to QQ as well if you want since I'm active there somewhat and I'll be able to discuss better over there.
In any case,
Whamo Out!
