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FICTION
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Chapter 27: Old Connections
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Water magic is a very peculiar form of magic.
Roxy didn't learn it with the intent to use it in an unpleasant factor as her dream was to learn magic for the sake of learning- not to be stronger than someone or... better. The Migurdian had gone through enough racism in her life to know that this was not the way to solve it. Respect is not dictated by strength, but by example.
But there are times that, this very lesson, had to be pushed aside as the needs of many had morals beaten for a brief period of time. Such as now as she stared at the hard work her and Elinalise were responsible for.
Silence somberly greeted them now, but it was far more loud than she had expected it to go when they first arrived there.
Tracking down Geese was a bit of a personal duty that she took with Eli. The Elf had her own reasons to hate on their former companion as his treachery meant more in the long run. They had been friends, they had been confidants to secrets and... that trust had been broken.
While Elinalise didn't show it, Roxy could see how her usual expressions tended to fall into scowls more frequently than usual, a detail that the elf stressed herself to keep away from the blue-haired girl, but that the Migurdian noticed and grimaced about.
It was petty revenge, but it wasn't like her own reason was any better than that.
Admittedly, Geese had been a friend- a rare specimen of a man that Roxy trusted too, but not as extensively as Eli. Yet, the issue with her was how it all came down.
How there were clues that Roxy had purposely ignored because she could have never suspected Geese of this sort of plans. Sure, they weren't close- but she always prided herself as someone that could tell apart bad people from good ones. This one slipped out of her hands and caused quite the stir that could have ultimately ended far worse.
Which is why, for the sake of redeem this complacency of hers, she joined the hunt and was keen to see it brought to an end at a fashionable time. She had a future niece/nephew to play with, and there was no way that she was missing on that.
Their journey took them south back to the Asura Kingdom, then east as they ventured through turbulent times for the kingdom due to the religious clashes unfolding in these areas. They had to dodge bandits and zealots, with Hitogami's servants presenting obstacles from time to time, but ultimately failing to stop them from reaching the safer walls of the Shiron Kingdom.
That's where their search started as there had been rumors that zealots had been harassing the kingdoms' trading routes near the Strife Zone. The setting of many battlefields for the many countries within the Central Continent had long been vacated by locals as too hostile for them to commit a peaceful life. Still, to Roxy, the place didn't seem like a good idea to set their base.
And she slowly started to study how come they were operating in the area when no known base could be set without facing monstrous activity that could disrupt operations. A long look into this that lasted roughly a week and a half ultimately brought her clarity on the matter: the base existed beside the Strife Zone.
This notion was confirmed by scouts of the kingdom having noticed unknown ships depart in the north and carrying forth east. Such a sight may not mean much, but it was enough to warrant a proper investigation. Hence why the two adventurers resumed their hunt and, this time around, found confirmation of their suspicions through an ambush created by a single individual.
One moment they were walking around, the next Elinalise suddenly spun around and used her brown buckler to protect Roxy from an attack from behind. The frame was familiar even though the figure was hooded and had his face hidden by a mask.
"Geese," Elinalise greeted coldly and the man sighed.
"Eli-"
"You no longer have that privilege," The elf rebuked harshly, showing hatred quite uncharacteristic to her usual self. "Please die."
"I am afraid that my God's plans wouldn't allow me to perish just yet." Geese announced with a sarcastic yet sad tone. "But this makes me wonder- how come it's just the two of you?"
"I wanted to visit. Out of courtesy, obviously," Eli pressed on, showing more bitterness at the exchange. "Plus, it's best for John to not have to slay you down like the dog you are."
"Oh... I bet that's not what he said. In fact, I have a feeling you're doing all of this because you don't want to be deprived of the joy of killing me, Eli. Shame on you-"
The guts to be smug around the elf proved to be dangerous as, while Geese was faster, Elinalise's equipment allowed her to keep up enough of a pacing to push the Nukadian around. It wasn't enough to beat him, but the conversation came to a quiet and furious clashing of swords and sparks.
Roxy tried to help by healing Elinalise, knowing that using other spells would take time and potentially hit her only ally on the moment. The skirmish was intense, to the point where the Migurdian's nerves were burning with how much mana she was using and... then something changed.
A distraction, Geese kicked some of the dirt upward, slamming some on Eli's face and gaining the upper hand as he drew a small dagger that he used to hit the elf's arm with. A flesh wound ensued, but Roxy knew better than just think the knife was without poison. Still, Geese wasted no time in bolting out of Elinalise's reach in an effort to rush the Migurdian, knowing that she was essential in keeping the fight going.
"I am sorry, Roxy-"
His sin was complacency, just like it had been hers. But Roxy hadn't been unprepared. Time and effort in training her ability to fight had given her the means to learn alternative spells to use water to her own advantage. What he didn't consider, however, was Roxy's own inaction being driven by the presence of an ally within his proximity that could have taken the spell she was now aiming at him.
Sweat was water, and Geese had been sweating profusely due to his outfit and intense clash, thus having water on him that could be influenced if he pushed some of her energy to him. She held on it until Geese was close enough and then the man... stopped. His body was frozen stiff, his posture tense as he found his rush interrupted. And it was enough of an interruption for Elinalise's Estoc to rush from behind and cleave his head off his body.
Blood erupted briefly, causing a fountain of gruesome red to splash on the ground and forming a pool under the now collapsed frame. Before Roxy could have done or said anything, she tensed up when Eli suddenly used her magic to burn both head and corpse to ashes before using wind magic to scatter what was left to the wind.
Silence followed and the elf collapsed a bit as the poison was still circling her bloodstream.
"I got you," Roxy muttered, finally using a Water spell to clean out the wound before providing the woman with an antidote and further magic to deal with the poison. Time passed and Elinalise's irritation subsided. Something about it felt odd- sure, she had a good reason to be angry but...
Roxy could tell that there was something else riddling the elf's mind at the moment. Still, no words were exchanged as they took a brief break before Elinalise reminded her that their job was not done just yet.
"There's still a camp of zealots to deal with."
A nod, Roxy knew their journey was close to be over, yet she had a feeling Eli was looking forward to something else. It was a gut feeling, and not something she was keen to ignore. Due to Geese's betrayal, the blue-haired girl was no longer willing to ignore this sort of details and she kept an eye on Eli through the remaining bit of their mission.
Clearing the camp was fairly simple as the zealots were mostly civilians with ill intentions and no training in handling weapons. The battle was brief, but the preparation put behind the organization of this base was... oddly perfect. The resources used went a bit beyond the scope traded by the local merchants. Some of the wood used Roxy was sure came from the Hobbit Territory, and it was the kind of material that the Central Continent wasn't meant to move around. Maybe among nobles, but the richer merchants had enough of a retinue to protect their wares from anyone raiding their caravans. So... what is going on?
Then, once the dust had settled, Roxy was able to find an answer through what she found in what she could tell had been Geese's own office. Maps and documents- reports.
The zealots have been raiding and looting merchants' supplies in the area and sending them... into the sea. No, Roxy interjected her own thoughts, they weren't going just to the sea... they were going in the middle of the central sea into an unknown location.
One thing that Elinalise missed on those maps as she found them was the very thing that the shorter girl spotted after studying the known world's map for so long. The 'World Map' tag was now set on another section, revealing an island that no map she had ever studied ever shown.
There.
That island, named 'Elysium' by the paper, was where Hitogami's fief may be. A central position, a good base of operations to be watching the world's affairs and manipulate things from afar and without being noticed. Still, during her reading, she noticed Eli staring outside the nearby window, anxious as if waiting for someone's arrival and...
Whoever she was waiting for, they were now there. The first one was quite towering in frame, standing mighty and yet mustering a rather oppressive aura that... further made Roxy nervous while staring at his face. She just didn't feel trusting of this individual as if her basic instinct was telling her to either run or fighting him.
It was only through sheer will and the lack of genuine malice that Roxy held back. The same didn't extend to Elinalise as she spearheaded the duo into meeting the tall silver-haired man and... the dark-haired masked girl beside him.
"It's been a while now, isn't it, Lord Orsted?"
"It truly was, Dragonroad."
...What?
AN
The final arc is within reach! These chapters will expand more on the lore behind a lot of things- about Orsted, Laplace, Elinalise and, ultimately, Hitogami/Lucifer's arrival to this world. Most of it draws from Canon, but, obviously, some things are changed for this last development.
REVIEW Q&A!
meryfcuckery: there's literally a warning at the beginning of the chapter.
Guest (Chapter 38): *Leans closer to the microphone* No. *Lean away*