After Toreii left, Vy was uncomfortable being left alone with her new guardian. The ancient elf, Viridi, just gave off a strange vibe which caused alarm bells ringing madly inside her mind. She passed the thought as nothing more than jitters from being in the presence of a literal god ― her race's progenitor, even ― but deep down, she was still worried about her own safety. Even if Viridi was technically just a demigod, the powers of a true immortal flowed within her veins.
With no concept of time beside what Viridi declared it as when asked, the elven princess slowly made her way back to her new sleeping chambers within the Parthenon. The stone beneath her feet was always warm to the touch no matter where she went, which explained why the ancient elf preferred to go barefoot. The other adult and child elves which escaped with her had grown to call this place their home, causing Vy to once again feel indebted to Toreii. These feelings lingered the longer she stayed here, at the home of a God, but with nowhere else to go, she tried her best to be at least useful.
Seeing the Parthenon for the first time, she had mistaken it to be smaller than her elven castle. After seeing the underground area, it turned out to be quite spacious despite how little room it seemed to occupy, almost as if the creator tried to maximize whatever space was available. Each tunnel led to a designated room, but as she had learned, these tunnels shifted and changed as if the entire building was alive and had a mind of its own.
Truly, this could only be the home of a God. Decorations and themes she'd never seen before; material she'd never heard, much less touched; furniture with functionality so abstract they could only come from an inhuman mind.
"Princess Vy," Viridi called from behind the young elf.
"Ah! Forgive me! I didn't hear you," Vy said, quickly turning around and bowing.
Smiling as she always does, Viridi gave a bubbly giggle at the worried elfling. "I only called you once. There is no need to fret. Forgive me for startling you."
Although there was kindness to the words she was hearing, Vy knew better than to let her guard down around someone with a dragonkin for a maid. Only a god could possibly have a dragon-descendant be their personal servant. "How may I be of service, Lady Viridi?"
"It's perfectly fine to call me just 'Viridi'. Titles should always be reserved for the highest authority, like my mother," the ancient elf assured.
The demigod could say these kinds of things as much as she wanted, but Vy knew better than anybody to drop the formality. The difference in attitude between mother and daughter was like night and day. Toreii was callous and indifferent about what she was called, but Viridi would always make sure formality was lavished to her mother, despite the deity's wishes.
"If you don't mind, I would like to still continue calling you Lady Viridi," Vy answered.
Shaking her head as if she was dealing with a bothersome child, Viridi accepted the princess's mental need to stay formal. "If that is your wish, then so be it," she softly replied.
"Thank you for putting up with my selfishness," Vy said, keeping her head bowed.
"How about we call it even if you can indulge me in my own selfish request?" Viridi coyly replied, seizing the opportunity.
Realizing she had very little reason not to, she had to at least hear what this goddess wanted from her. "I will give my best effort to accomplish whatever task you ask. Might I ask what you seek from me?"
Closing the distance between them, Viridi gently touched the young elf's shoulder to signal the girl to raise her head. Sensing Vy's body stiffening immediately in response, the ancient elf wondered what was troubling the child so much. "Would you kindly accompany me to my room? I'd like to know you better."
"T-To… your r-room?" Vy repeated, frantically thinking of reasons to decline immediately.
Without waiting for a proper answer, Viridi warmly smiled at the young elf and gingerly grabbed hold of the child's petite hand. As an eldest sister, she knew better than to allow a hesitant child time to make excuses. Walking slowly toward the end of the tunnel, Viridi's other hand touched the stone wall along the way.
A golden sigil magically came to life on the back of Viridi's hand, and the tunnels suddenly rumbled to life, its solid rock surface shaking mildly, as if the entire pathway was moving. Behind them, should be the original walkway back to the main level of the Parthenon, rotated like chambers in a cylinder. What was once an open stairway changed to an arched doorway, closed off by what seemed to be ornate angelic wings.
Vy had unknowingly clung onto the demigod's body for dear life, but quickly sprung away when she realized whom she was practically groping. Although she tried to move away from the ancient elf, Viridi still had a firm grip of the princess's hand and led her toward what could be a ritualistic sacrificial pit for all she knew.
"Being afraid won't get you any closer to learning 5th-Tier spells," Viridi reminded the young elf, not even bothering to look back.
It was quite the obvious taunt from Vy's perspective, but she sensed no malicious desires in the words spoken to her. What the ancient elf said was true, in that she was too afraid of what gods had to do in order to achieve higher tiers of magic no mortal had ever seen before. The thought frightened her, and dearly so, knowing this kind of knowledge could kill even a mighty dragon ― nay, dragons. A small voice in the back of her mind kept telling her to walk away ― that the price of knowledge, especially godly knowledge, might rid her of her humanity.
Before she could voice her objections, the muscles in the young elf's arms and legs went limp. Her eyes started to blur in a grey haze as her consciousness went away helplessly. She realized now why the sweet aroma around the ancient elf was different than usual. Just as her face was about to complete the quick journey to the hard stone below, Viridi held the young elf's body away from staining Toreii's nice floors with fresh blood.
Carrying Vy with both arms like the princess she was, Viridi continued towards her private bedroom. Throughout the entire Parthenon, a curfew had been enforced, meaning the hallways were quiet enough to hear one's own heartbeat and breath. Vy's panicked, shallow breaths became long with brief pauses in between, which meant the ancient elf's magic had taken full effect. The child in her arms was in deep sleep, which was the first requirement for the long and arduous procedure she was about to perform.
Finally reaching the 'door', it was not made of stone like the rest of the Parthenon. Instead, each of the Noble Sisters had specially dedicated rooms for each of them, designed and crafted by the blood, sweat, and tears of their beloved single mother. The entrance of Viridi's room was made of angelic wings like her own, with dozens of them interlocked together to form a door. As she drew nearer, each separate wing unfurled itself to form a circular gateway which Viridi was able to step through.
Unlike the grey and symmetrical theme the entire Parthenon was designed with, Viridi's room could be described as an arboretum. Although she did not mind walking on the self-heating stone bricks, she felt more relaxed with her bare feet back on soft soil. Despite the heavenly theme her door suggested, the ancient elf was most at home among her plants. The entirety of her spacious room was like an orchid field, with bushes and trees of every kind neatly placed to give every individual plant enough room and sunlight to grow. Just like the roof of the Parthenon, Viridi's private room was more or less a giant forest biome with an artificial sun above it.
A lone dirt path cut through the fortress of trees and vines, which few beings knew the proper way without becoming lost when not going through said road. Continuing on the soft earth below, Viridi listened attentively to the living plants around her while also keeping check of the unconscious princess's heartbeat. At such a young age and with such a light body, the ancient elf had to make sure the dosage of her sleep aroma was not enough to induce a permanent coma.
Briskly strolling through the trees, Viridi did not have to weave through them, as all the trees leant out of her way when she approached. Actively watching out for her, they were happy now she was back. From an outsider's perspective, her home would amount to nothing more than a forest inside of a stone building, but there was a distinct difference from her forest and every other one: The only sounds permeating throughout the faux forest was a quiet gust of wind. There were no animals here, solely flora.
Although there was nothing but the sleeping princess's soft heartbeat sound in Viridi's ears, the ancient elf 'listened' to her plants in a different manner, one her mother had specially gifted her eldest daughter. The deity had created Viridi from a fragment of the Tree of Life itself ― specifically, one of Yggdrasil's roots.
Originally, Toreii meant to utilize the greatest artifact she had in her possession to attempt a controlled inheritance of its properties to Viridi. However, an expected consequence from this was the ancient elf's affinity for all plant life in her immediate vicinity. At the time, Toreii did not know if these special abilities would be beneficial or not, thus causing her to cease all further experiments she planned for the mystical tree until she fully understood her daughter.
Originally, the elf's room was to be a plant observatory, meant for growing materials for craftable equipment and food for Toreii's use. However, as soon as Viridi walked into the room for the first time, everything went awry. The plants immediately reverted to their Jurassic-era size ― not that she understood her mother's outburst then ― everything under the influence of the sun sprouted tall enough to cover even a colossus. Glass shards exploded everywhere when the plants grew out of control through the ceiling, breaking their neatly-organized greenhouses and inadvertently created a more… open environment.
The damage was done, as Viridi's creation and the manifestation of these exotic plants within her room was proof of her connection to Yggdrasil. Whether or not the elf daughter knew her other 'parent' was a literal tree would be a secret Toreii was hoping to take to the grave. The only silver lining to the whole debacle was she now had an overabundance of crafting materials.
Viridi finally reached the epicenter of the living-garden-cum-bedroom. A small clearing of bright green grass came into view right underneath the miniaturized blue sun. Like a scene straight out of a fairytale, assorted flowers were in full bloom scattered across the clearing. A lone tree stood by itself dead center, with red maple leaves as if autumn had come early, yet there was not a single trace of a fallen leaf anywhere.
Too picture perfect, hinting at the scene's supernatural origins.
The maple tree was not particularly large compared to its other overgrown brethren, but Viridi was still proud of it nonetheless. She had grown it from a small sapling, watering it every day and clearing the weed around its roots by hand, to prove to her mother she was able to control her innate instinct around plants. In the month since the 'test' was given, Viridi was a bit sad her mother did not visit her even once, when the tree she had painstakingly nurtured by hand had started to bear fruit. Every variety of hanging fruit sprouted nonstop and was picked daily for consumption should the deity ever visit, since Viridi made sure there was always a cornucopia of the sweetest fruits available.
Thankfully, it seemed whatever held her mother up had disappeared, given the amount of time, affection, and attention Toreii had been lavishing her lately. To an outsider, this would've been clear solely because the comparable amount of time in a before-after comparison chart was… precisely zero, against the still-ticking-up time counter running up to now.
Naturally, no one would be able to say it to her face because they'd likely be dead before they're able to finish the sentence.
Trying to pit Viridi against her mother? She'd much preferred suicide, thank you very much.
Finding a shady patch underneath the maple tree, Viridi carried her sleeping beauty to a comfortable spot. The other elves whom she had worked with before by editing their traumatic memories had given the ancient elf enough confidence to initiate a deeper session into long-term memories. She had gained sensitive information from Vy's state and kingdom, but to fully determine if helping these lower elves was worth her mother's time, she needed the memories from someone near the crown itself.
Sleeping quietly and without the slightest worry in the world, Vy lightly snored as she clung onto Viridi's body. The last memories the young princess had were slowly being analyzed by the ancient elf, and edited. Unlike the lesser elves who followed her around like the goddess she was, Vy was her own person with her own convictions and belief, most likely due to her greater experiences with beings more powerful than her in every way.
However, like everyone else, the building blocks of a person's being and soul rested within their memories.
Learning all she could from the other elves, Viridi already had a good understanding of Vy's home and kingdom. Now that she was within the princess's dreamscape, it was quite a mess inside the young elf's psyche. To Viridi, memories were all interlinked like a massive tree, where the fresher memories could be accessed from the branches ― while the older ones were like hardened roots, hidden away underneath the tangle of fresher layers.
Now within the deepest recesses of Vy's mind, Viridi looked upon the awkward tree where the princess's whole being was represented. It was damaged, clearly having seen better days. Surviving in a browning meadow, the lone tree had parts of its roots above ground; the sheer number of those compared to the healthy ones made Viridi think this tree was almost uprooted. Its branches were either cut off or brazenly broken off, with very few remaining intact. Instead of growing upwards, Vy's tree of memories skewed off-center and leaned more heavily on its side.
Despite the princess's unwavering composure when watched from a distance, Viridi knew all along it was nothing more than act, especially now as she touched the greyish, ash-dry bark. In response, Vy's physical body stirred itself subconsciously in deep sleep. Just as Nanami gained Toreii's inability to socialize, Viridi inherited her mother's distrust of others. Good will and honest intentions were just not enough for the ancient elf to consider anyone worthy of Toreii's attention, let alone her help and mercy.
After all, it would also mean more rivals for her mother's time ― one she'd loathe to share with others apart from her own sisters, Frigga included.
The only true way to know another being was to peer through their entire lifetime, to see their deepest, darkest moments, and to witness what they would never speak of, or even acknowledge themselves.
Viridi, who had never once ventured outside her home, who had never once seen a tree grow naturally on its own against the forces of nature, believed everything not meticulously controlled and cared for would be full of imperfections. Imperfections which she could fix, as long as she could uproot the old roots and plant a new seed she would nurture in its place. She saw how beautifully crafted her sisters were by none other than her perfect mother, so to follow in her steps, Viridi needed practice with blank slates.
Had Toreii been here, she would blame herself for the kind of upbringing her eldest daughter got. Even if she had never seen an actual tree, Toreii would have told her daughter off for thinking it was possible to 'fix' a tree. It was perfectly normal for a tree to bend in strange angles as it grew, as it was a sign of the base strengthening itself against the wind which tried to knock it down. The branches, which might break or bend or stop growing in a certain direction completely, were all within the norm as they sacrificed their bodies for the greater whole. Growth was not limited to a clear-cut design, nor was it measurable or had a standard.
Viridi did not know better — to her, the only acceptable example was what her mother had laid down. For someone who believed their affinity was to be in tune with nature, Viridi was about as far off from 'natural' as possible. Although she wanted to completely change the memories of the lost princess from the roots up, Viridi knew her mother had formed a loose friendship with the child. Even if it was the slightest of changes, her all-knowing mother would suspect her immediately.
For now, only looking was acceptable. She would have to ask for permission later.
Switching her attention from the rough bark of the tree to the visible roots, Viridi carefully observed the princess's body for a reaction as she dived further into Vy's older memories. Some memories, like the ones represented by the broken branches, were those the child had mostly forgotten about, and Viridi could only loosely infer things from what the elf had remembered. The awkwardly pointed base of her tree were memories of the elf child's upbringing: the daily lessons with private tutors, learning from her older sisters on how to act around nobility, the hierarchy of their elven kingdom, and the third princess's purpose in it.
Diving deeper into the roots of Vy's tree, she understood why parts of them were above ground. It had seemed part of the reason why the elf had become a runaway was due to the fact the third princess was to be married off to quell the kingdom's tensions with the orcs.
"What a selfish child," Viridi chided, checking Vy's vitals carefully. For all the talk she kept hearing about how the princess was going to learn higher-tier magic to fight for her people, the child could not even bite her own tongue in silence to ensure the immediate prosperity of her kin.
Learning everything she wanted from the child, Viridi set her sleeping body down onto the warm grass below, dissipating her aroma to allow natural sleep to take over. She now knew not only the exact location of the elf's home and kingdom, but also their internal workings. Even a third princess would be privy to sensitive knowledge of the crown, and to lose said princess would be a great leak to their secrets.
Toreii had given the ancient elf explicit orders to care for the princess, which also included the elf's wellbeing. With such a vague command from her mother, Viridi figured the deity had left it to her discretion and interpretation. "What would be best for a selfish child like you, hmm…?" The elder elf jokingly asked.
Although the child had openly rejected Toreii's offer to search for her mother, Viridi understood why Vy would want to be reunited with her. After being created and raised by such a perfect, supreme being, she'd known of the special kinship between mother and daughter. Would it have been better to replace the elf's feelings and memories with false ones? Viridi could always go through each and every moment of Vy's life and replace her mother with another being.
No… knowing her own mother, the deity would reject such a suggestion handily.
She could always stick with the original agreement, which was to teach the elf 5th-Tier magic, but after seeing the 50 or so years it took for this princess to get to even the 4th tier, the idea of these 'guests' staying any longer within their home left a sour taste in her mouth. The only other immediate remedy she could apply to both her problems and these elves would be to deal with the orcs and the elf kingdom's problems herself. Now, it came down to the question of whether it was quicker to teach higher-tier magic to a single person, or to resolve the issues plaguing an entire kingdom.
"If you use the first bird to get the second one, you eliminate the need for a stone," Viridi misquoted her mother's 'wise' words of wisdom and life lessons. She had no idea what the 'stone' was supposed to do in this argument, but she knew for sure which 'bird' she was going to use to get the other.
Holding a hand to her ear, the ancient elf used [Message] to contact her sister. Nanami had been reporting her daily adventures to her elder sister with mighty tales from the surface world. Their home was concealed within a flying castle hovering above the cloudline, a scenery alien to her and most of Asgard, where extraordinary male warriors of godly strength and female politicians with silent tongues resided within. Viridi did not particularly understand the second part of the report, but still listened attentively to the childish rambling of her cute youngest sister, who was normally quiet throughout the entire day.
What had piqued her interest the most, however, was the independence their mother had allowed the silent girl. Not only was Nanami allowed to explore this flying castle, but she was also tasked with tracking the movement of several of the New World's humans. Envy quietly stirred within Viridi's heart at the apparent special treatment a parent reserved only for their youngest child, but that did not deter her from loving her sister any less. To serve their mother well and to make her happy was their one and only purpose which all of them agreed upon.
The opportunity for the eldest daughter to make her mother proud had come at last. "Nanami? Are you free to talk?" Viridi asked as soon as the spell connected.
"I will always make time for my big sis," Nanami chimed, clearly in high spirits. "Is it time of the day for me to report already?"
Happy to hear her sister's voice after not seeing her daily anymore, the envy in her heart instantly vanished, as if it never existed in the first place. "Not quite… I was wondering if I could ask a favor from you. Mother wanted me to help the elf princess, but I need to go to their kingdom to do so. Would I be troubling you if I need you to transport me there?" Viridi explained.
"I don't mind. Just treat me to some apples next time," Nanami easily accepted. If it was to help her mom or sisters, the quiet girl would not quarrel.
"Thank you, Nanami. I'll [Message] you when I'm done preparing," Viridi said. She was somewhat glad the innocent child did not have to compete for their mother's love like she and her two middle siblings do. "Is Mother there with you?"
"She's sleeping right now. Tomorrow is the start of her 3-day meeting with the Asgardians," the youngest Noble Sister clarified. She had read the invitations Frigga had sent out a month prior, which scheduled every noblewomen to be present during the proceedings. Originally, she heard the maids talk about a week-long meeting, but somehow the Queen of Asgard managed to cut it down to 3 days.
'3 whole days? What can I do in 3 day time?' The ancient elf wondered. Her critical eyes wandered to the sleeping 'bird' as her mind hatched several dozen schemes at once. "Stay safe, Nanami. I'll only need a couple minutes."
Ending the spell, Viridi started by reaching into a dark void, sorting through the treasures her mother had entrusted to the eldest daughter. A large stockpile of pure data crystals for crafting equipment and weapons was included in it, but without Toreii's explicit permission, usage of these crystals was strictly forbidden. What Viridi was searching for instead were low level equipment to keep the young elf alive during their little incursion into the elven kingdom.
As a merciful goddess, Viridi felt it was improper to solve every mortal being's problems for them. After all, why should she help those who could not even help themselves? The best way to solve this little 'orc problem' and help the princess learn higher-tier magic was one and the same. It was a term she heard her mother use extensively when the Deity went out to gather outside resources. For now, she borrowed several rings, circlets, bracers, and necklaces.
If this selfish child wanted power for herself, she would have to earn it.
Just behind her, the air shifted ever so slightly as the black and purple monk robes she was familiar with appeared out of nowhere. A black sigil appeared briefly on the elf's arm before disappearing with her sister's appearance. Although there were magical barriers in place in both their Parthenon and the castle above, stopping all known forms of teleporting, their mother's unknown sigil magic was the only exclusion.
The elven refugees who began worshiping Viridi not too long ago started a rumor that Toreii was from an ancient time, before the rules of magic were set in stone. Although these were merely the ramblings of mortal glorification of her mother, she could not help but think there might be some truth to it. Across all of Yggdrasil, and through her own extensive research of every known magic caster class, there was never another example of the sigil magic their mother wielded. Admiration for her perfect mother only increased tenfold when Viridi learned of her exclusive parentage, the likes of which were unique only to their family.
Standing up, Viridi quickly hugged her little sister in welcome. On long days like these, the quiet girl gave her someone to vent her troubles to. Nanami truly was the best listener among all the Noble Sisters, holding the unofficial position of secret keeper during their girl talks. Although there was some envy surrounding the special love the youngest child always received, it was impossible to deny there was also part of those she deserved.
"I miss not having you around the Parthenon every day," Viridi said, enjoying the embrace with her sister as long as she can.
"I miss you too. I'm sorry I can't visit more. Mom has me busy tracking the humans she found," Nanami apologized. It never occurred to her she might one day have to leave the home she grew up in, but between the noisy Asgardians and the barbaric humans, she was starting to feel a little bit homesick.
Neither of them realized they shared this trait with their mother – uncomfortable among other people made from different cuts of cloth.
Seeing her little sister actively helping their mother out, and returning with something to show for it, made Viridi wonder if she could ever achieve the same prestige, given her status as the eldest child. She very dearly wanted to win some of Toreii's attention, even if it was just simple words of praise. Although their mother openly said she loved them all the same, Nanami was the only one who actually got to spend time with Toreii.
"You're always working hard," Viridi complimented, "I can see why you're the favorite daughter."
Nanami's cute face scrunched up into a slight frown, but her rosy cheeks blushed with embarrassment, even if it was from someone she knew. "That's… not true. I'm just trying to help Mom out so she doesn't have to worry so much all the time," she said to deflect the unwanted attention.
"And that's why you're her favorite," Viridi giggled, softly kissing her kid sister on the forehead.
Nanami's rosy cheeks blossomed into a fully flustered expression, as the quiet and shy girl Viridi watched grow up struggled to come up with a counter argument. Viridi was all smiles in the presence of her youngest sister, happy to know some things never change.
Under such familial teasing, the poor girl's voice was lost in her throat. Barely able to squeak out coherent words, she spoke her last words before using the special sigil given only to her. "Please stop… It's embarrassing…"
Day 1
A steady, powerful heartbeat drummed on peacefully in Vy's right ear. Warmth was evenly distributed through her entire body, down to her little toes and to the top of her head. It had been so long since she was able to sleep this way; she had almost forgotten what it was like to be safe at night. Each of her tiny fingers slowly unfurled themselves as the numbness of sleep wore off. However, every part of her refused to regain their motor skills, wanting to prolong the comfort of slumber within her… mother's arms.
'Mother…?' The last time she was ever able to sleep like this was the eve of her mother's disappearance. Startled by the realization, Vy's eyes instantly shot open and her hands fumbled to grab whoever was cradling her.
Had anyone other than Viridi been carrying the sleeping princess, the sudden jolt from the child would have caused her to fall onto the hard ground below. Luckily for her, the angelic wings on the ancient elf's back were neatly folded together to form a makeshift cradle. Only someone as spoiled as Vy could possibly reject the generosity Viridi had shown so far.
"Stop flailing; you look like a dying fish," Viridi advised, speaking half like a gentle protector and an absolute authority.
With years of royal upbringing calming her nerves, Vy still kept herself on high alert. The sweet aroma of the ancient elf was still prevalent, but it was not the same sleep toxins the princess unknowingly inhaled. Taking long, deep breaths, Vy regained the composure of her usual façade, though with a fair share of embarrassment at her rude reflexes. Of all the ways to start her day, being enveloped in a cocoon of heavenly feathers was something Vy only dreamt of childishly. She once thought it's silly why humans revered Gods and angels out of respect instead of fear, but first-hand experience instilled a new expectation within her.
Waiting ever-so-patiently for this spoiled child to stop wasting her time, Viridi gingerly unwrapped her onto the ground. "I have 3 days to teach you the 5th- and 6th-Tier," the ancient elf said clearly and concisely. Viridi wanted proof she was capable of helping Toreii with larger tasks, so if helping this helpless child would get her there, then so be it.
The princess thought herself safe once free of the seraph's grasp, but found herself alarmed once more when she got a clear look of what she was made to wear. Gone was the breezy, white toga she was given, now replaced with form-fitting silk as black as a bottomless abyss. Around her neck, wrist, and ankles were jade circlets inscribed with symbols of a foreign language she did not understand. Each of her fingers wore rings made of various metals with countless numbers of jewels studded in. Her shoulder-length hair was tied up on each side, one with a pink ribbon and the other with a black lotus.
Now that she was fully awake, Vy realized a tremendous amount of energy was rushing through her body. Previously, her mana reserves were more akin to a small pond, and even one which she would have to restrict the use of. Whatever the demigod elf in front of her had done, Vy felt imbued with enough magic to take on even her father in a drawn-out fight. Every sound was amplified in her ears, and the darkness before dawn looked as bright as midday.
That small pond was now a boundless ocean.
Gone were the ash-grey walls of her patron's home ― now replaced by the ever-familiar brown bark and green leaves of her former forest home. Through the branches, she could make out the twigs of bird nests in the far distance. Just like the demigod, her bare feet soon touched the cold, wet grass, the restored connection to the earth felt nice. With her initial rush of fear subsiding, Vy's rational mind guessed she was somewhere back in her home world.
From what Viridi was able to glimpse from their memories, although Tier Magic somewhat worked in the same vein between the Yggdrasil and/or New World natives, there was a staggering difference in items and equipment. Everyone in Yggdrasil, her mother and Viridi included, relied heavily on their specialized gear for stat bonuses as well as resistance to whomever/whatever they were facing. Gear was such an integral part of their world that multiple sets was the bare requirement for just stepping out of Yggdrasil. Optimization was the name of the game for every min/maxer like Toreii, a tendency which she unknowingly passed down to her eldest daughter.
"Consider these gifts to be a loan," Viridi clarified, since it was borrowed on her name. Given the nature of these items and her disposition against the natives, she would rather not have anyone but her own family be their users. The risk of being betrayed would always be there, but Viridi was desperate to get concrete results for her mother. If she could somehow fast-track solving the issues with these elves, not only will the burden on her mother lessen, but Viridi would be able to show she was the responsible eldest daughter she knew she was.
Vy's trained mannerisms told her to thank the demigod for the lavish items, but her feelings of disconnect to Viridi made her hesitant with her words. In the end, the young princess capitulated, "I am forever humbled by your gracious consideration for my well-being, Lady Viridi," Vy cajoled with a respectful bow.
"Make no mistake, these items are for more than just to keep you alive. Having to resurrect you every time you die will set us back time and progress," Viridi said rather coldly. She could feel she still hadn't gained this one's full adoration and trust, unlike the other lowly elves, so sometimes her apathy for Vy's 'selfishness' surfaced.
Shifting through the memories of these elves, Viridi specifically chose this set of gear so the orcs they were at war with could only do physical harm to this unofficial apprentice of hers. Although the guise of her plan was to have Vy grind for experience points from the orcs, Viridi was following the presumption this elf grew similarly enough to Yggdrasil natives in terms of leveling up class and skills. Not only would documenting her findings here be useful for future consideration, but she had a coup d'état to start.
As expected, for a child of a god to throw around concepts like resurrection magic as if it was just an inconvenience was quite typical. Vy thought she would be desensitized to it by now, but what she was being offered at this moment… She was literally being offered godhood, something only near-immortals could ever hope to achieve, yet it sounded like it's just another chore for Viridi to check off her to-do list. To bring someone back from death itself… to cheat death…
Not only has Toreii and her children achieved it, but it became such a regular occurrence they considered death to be a simple hassle.
'Will I become like this too?' Vy silent asked every morsel of her being. All the good she thought she could accomplish if only she were stronger… Would it all be for naught if she grew apathetic to everyone she wanted to protect? Was her future staring herself right in the face?
Though, if that was the case, someone like Toreii would not exist in this world. Though their first meeting went off the wrong impression, the tiny girl was anything but emotionless.
"What will I be doing which might get me killed?" Vy tried to ask discreetly. Even if resurrection was on the table now, it did not alleviate her fears of dying.
"You have a problem with the orcs; I have the problem of you learning magic. Kill enough orcs and we'll burn that bridge when we get there," Viridi explained, using another one of her mother's wise words of wisdom.
A slow and mounting panic now gnawed at Vy's composure. She could not tell if the ancient elf was being metaphorical or literal. The princess had come across many human proverbs, but seeing as the demigod was very likely a few millennia old, perhaps these were the actual, original apothegm being said by her.
Realizing what the ancient elf was planning to do, Vy's mind was filled to the brim with horror stories of neighboring elven kingdoms which had fallen to the orc horde. "H-How will I face these o-orcs?! I'm not well versed in c-combat magic!" The princess argued, still debating whether she was more afraid of millions of orcs or just a single demigod elf.
'Quite well versed in complaining, aren't you?' Viridi mentally noted. "Then kill enough orcs until you are. Surely, something as trivial as dispelling mere beasts is not too complicated for a princess?"
"My lineage is not filled with war mages! We ar-"
"Then your people were always destined to be wiped out," Viridi coldly interjected. The princess's face immediately went crestfallen as she reeled back from the harsh words ― reality ― but the ancient elf was not letting the spoiled child get off that easily. "Please tell me now if I'm merely wasting my time delaying the inevitable. Are my efforts going toward saving cattle who were always meant to be slaughtered?"
"W-W-We're not c-cattle…" Vy tried to refute, but her voice could not muster the strength for anything greater than a quiet mumble. The word hit a sore spot for the forsaken princess, as her eyes began clouding themselves with tears. Her time spent with the human traffickers were not kind, and she understood why some of her fellow deserters wanted to forget the entire experience, but the burden of remembering and preventing more misfortune was hers and hers alone.
And from what she'd heard of the orcs, they were far worse.
"I certainly hope so; I'd hate to be associated with something so cavalier," Viridi said. With all her preparations done, she pointed to the direction her plants had scouted out earlier. "The orc caravan was one league that way and their scouts are half a league from us."
Realizing there was no arguing with the demigod on this matter, Vy stuck her head forward and slowly began her march toward either her death or the orcs. Having learned less than a single handful of damaging spells, the most she can do was maybe kill a single orc and then hope whatever divine plan Viridi had would kick in by then. There was no way she would be left to her own devices against several million orcs, when the ancient elf had already decided their time window.
At least Vy hoped as much…
'Resurrection sure sounds nice right now…'
A/N: Sorry everyone. I almost forgot about this month's release. I haven't stopped writing, just making sure I have a couple of chapters written out and edited just in case. I'm shifting the focus away from Toreii for a little bit, but I'll get back to her within a few chapters.