(POV: Maria Campbell)
"Miss Campbell? A little help over here!"
"Right away, Mrs. Taylor!" I ran over to see a kid had tripped and gotten herself bruised. "Don't worry little one, I'll have you fixed up." I raised my hands over her bruise and light swirled around the bruise, patching it up quickly. "Now don't be too rough, you don't want that opening back up."
"Thank you, Miss Campbell!" The girl happily walked off back to her friend group.
"Your magic sure is amazing. I've never seen anything like it!"
Well, Light Magic is a rarity where I'm from, but it seems like it's non-existent here… "I guess I'm a special case. I'm glad to be of help."
"Euclid wasn't too affected by the volcano eruption, but we all appreciate you coming so far to help us." Mrs. Taylor gleamed.
It had been a few days since I arrived here in, what I assume is, another world, but I had to keep that part a secret. I overheard people talking about a volcano eruption recently so before I could try to look for my friends, and Lady Katarina especially, I decided to help out this port town. Maybe I could find a ride to the capital from here.
I had met with Mrs. Taylor, who attempted to… undress me on our first meeting… but I persevered and she had become a big help in situating me in this town. I will also say I was drawn towards the Taylors in general. Maybe because they reminded me of that girl who came to my rescue over a year ago. I had only met her the one time, but you don't really forget the first person you meet who can use two elements of magic. I wonder how she's doing now…
I also wonder if Lady Katarina is worried about me. The last time we had talked, it was that sleepover at the castle. When we all went to sleep, I woke up here. She must think I was kidnapped again… well, technically I was but not in the same way that Raphael did to me or Sora did to her.
I also heard a revolution had taken place fairly recently after the volcano erupted, and the hero of said revolution was a noble by the name of Claire François. She apparently had made nobility become equal with commonfolk so the class system is non-existent in this kingdom. With how happy everyone seems to be here, I assume that things were much worse before the revolution.
Meeting Lady François is currently my main objective in this world. There's a possibility that a revolutionary hero might have an idea on how to return me back to my world so I can see Lady Katarina again.
"Hey, Miss Campbell! We got that group of adventurers all ready to escort you to the capital! Just tell us when you're ready to head out!"
"Thank you so much! I'll be right there, I just need to finish a few things!" I was baking some sweets as a goodbye gift for everyone here in Euclid, for the adventurers who are escorting me, and for Lady François when I meet her. Her family apparently oversaw this town before the revolution, and the Taylors were close to her, their daughter very much so. She is apparently also in the capital so I'm also bringing some sweets for her as well. Baking helped me calm down after the stress of being in a new world, and unlike my town, these people accepted me without questioning who my father was or anything like that.
Despite the short time I've been here, I really appreciate everyone. Now it's time to continue my journey home. As soon as all my sweets were made and ready, I gave a large helping of them to the Taylors to hand around town, and headed toward the carriage left open for me.
"Miss Campbell! Thank you for everything! Come by again soon!"
I saw a large group of townsfolk out the carriage window waving to see me off. I didn't know if I was going to be able to come back, but I know I won't forget them. "Hope you all enjoy the sweets! Stay safe!" I waved back and we were off to the capital.
It was midday when we arrived at the bustling capital of Bauer. I said my thanks and farewells to my escorts and, with my basket of remaining sweets, started wandering around for information. The mixture of former nobility and former commonfolk was a sight to behold. If Lady Katarina had been with me, we wouldn't look even slightly out of place. I was about to enter what seemed to be a cafe when-
"Cardinal! Can you help? My son is badly hurt! A rock wall collapsed on top of him! We got him out but he's not breathing!"
"Take Lilly to him!"
I saw a nun follow this mother quickly and I just had to trail them. I don't know how healing magic works in this world outside of my own light magic so if this nun can't help, I might be able to.
It wasn't a far run, but from what I saw of the aftermath, something appeared to have exploded a while ago and a part of a rock wall just crumbled at a bad time. I observed as the nun started her magic. I felt a slight breeze and the bruises seemed to have… reversed? After a short while, the kid started breathing again.
"Thank you Cardinal Lilly! I owe you!"
"Don't worry, Lilly is just happy to help."
The mother walked off, carrying her unconscious, but alive, child. Smiling, I was about to walk off, but…
"Lilly could tell you were watching. Who are you?"
I turned back around and the nun was right in my face. "Um, I-I'm Maria Campbell. I just arrived here from Euclid and I'm trying to get some help."
The nun smiled. Well, it looked like a smile, but I could see the pain in her eyes. I can tell she's a kind heart and excitable girl but has experienced things I probably should not ask about. "Lilly is Lilly! Here to help. Part of Lilly's pilgrimage. I came home when Lilly heard my loved one was in pain."
Her speech was not something I was used to, but I wouldn't dare ask. Maybe we could help each other out? "Lady Lilly, I'm looking for Lady François. If you could help lead me to her, I would be happy helping you with your loved one's pain."
Her eyes widened. "How coincidental! That would be the same location!"
That's… quite lucky. If my luck gets any better, I'll just run into Katarina here instead of having to wait until I'm back home.
Lilly held onto my hand and we started our walk. "Lady Lilly, do you know what might be the problem your loved one is having?"
"Lilly heard that her legs aren't letting her stand or walk. Lilly also heard there is no physical damage."
Sounds like a curse, maybe dark magic? It seems I couldn't escape that awful magic even in another world. Wait, did she say her ?
"Your loved one is a woman?"
"Yes, Lilly is smitten with her. But she's already taken and…" her eyes darkened, like remembering a painful memory. "She doesn't blame Lilly for what happened, but Lilly's on this pilgrimage for a reason. She'll be surprised to see Lilly back so early."
"I hope it's a good surprise. Everyone deserves happiness, some just take much longer to kind. My loved one is engaged to another, but even after 2 kisses, she is very wary of him now."
"Miss Campbell is also in love with a woman?"
"Yes, she is the one person I want to spend every waking moment with. She's important to me in ways you probably understand. I hope to see her again soon."
"Where is she? Is she also on pilgrimage? Does Lilly know her?"
The sudden interest made me giggle. "No, nothing like that. She's likely still home. I'm… looking for a way back home myself."
"Miss Maria sounds like the same kind of person Rae is."
Rae? Wait, let's go back a bit. Claire François and the Taylors' daughter are close, Lilly's loved one is named Rae, and the location we're going to will have both Rae and Claire. Is she talking about-
"Lady Lilly, is your loved one named Rae Taylor?"
Lilly smiled. "Yes and Claire is Lilly's rival in love."
Maybe this is just a coincidence, but if this Rae Taylor is the same one who rescued me a year ago, I feel even more obligated to help her. But, that raises other questions. Did she come from this world to mine for a day and that's why I never saw her again? Or did she just get whisked away to this world, same as I? If so… am I stuck here? No way to return home? No way to… see Lady Katarina again?
No! Don't think about that! I will see her again! If Rae is dating Claire, then she just chose to stay here instead of returning home!
Hopefully, as we approach a small house, all my questions will get answered…
(POV: Katarina Claes)
Turns out, just a bit of rest helped me get used to this world it seems. I was back on my feet in no-time shortly after failing to try to convince Mary to find anyone else. We both decided to explore the campus and hopefully come across our friends.
We obviously were never actually enrolled here but, despite quite a bit of odd looks due to our attire, everyone was treating us like normal classmates. Honestly, the odd looks kinda made me yearn for a change of clothing, or maybe just to get out of here. The uniforms look nice though, maybe we could find a way to…
"Hey Lady Katarina, do you think we stand out too much?"
I looked down at Mary, who was clinging to my arm very tightly. I couldn't tell if she was scared about being in another world, not even sure if she knew this was another world entirely, or just her usual self. Was she always this clingy towards me?
"I was just thinking the same thing. Should we find out if we can get some spare uniforms? Maybe some of the others might have had that idea first."
"You know what? Maybe we could hold off a bit."
But, why? We know at least some of them are here due to the other students. We just don't know exactly where. Also, I kinda wanna see how these uniforms feel. I haven't worn a school uniform since my past life.
"Come on Mary, aren't you curious about the uniforms?" Maybe I could goad her a bit… She is a bit of a fashionista after all. She is obsessed about all my dresses. "I honestly really wanna try one of those on."
"Lady Katarina in an outfit I've not seen her in? Hopefully we don't find any of the others there. I wanna appreciate that glory all by myself. "
"What was that?"
"Nothing! Let's go right ahead!"
After a bit of walking, and probing a few students for information, we had come across a few students willing to offer a spare uniform or two. We were also led to the ladies room to change.
"Lady Katarina? Are you doing alright in there? Need any help?"
"It's perfectly fine, Mary. I just haven't worn something like this in a while." At times like these, I was starting to really miss Anne.
"You've worn a school uniform before? When was that?"
"Uh…" Crap, she caught me off guard. We've literally never come across outfits even similar to these in our world. We did wear uniforms during that one test, but those were not exactly school uniforms. Even the Department of Magic is mainly just a cloak from what I've seen on our several visits. "I-I meant it's been a while since I've put clothes on myself."
"I guess there must have been times where Anne and your family's maids were preoccupied."
"Are you already finished changing yourself?"
"Oh yes, I practiced a lot on putting on clothes myself. And taking them off. "
"What?"
"Oh nothing, are you sure you don't want help?"
"Actually, I just finished."
The uniform fit snuggly and was oddly comfortable. It was definitely a different feeling from the normal dress I was just wearing, but so was the farming gear I oh so dearly beloved. I guess the fact it's a uniform for both nobles and commoners alike made me feel mentally sound. I opened the dressing room door and…
The sight of Mary in the uniform was really something new. She actually looked like a student directly out of Revolution . No more odd looks for us. Mary was, however, staring at me quite intensely.
"Lady Katarina, that uniform looks wonderful on you!" She jumped onto me and gave me a hug, much to my surprise. She is extraordinarily clingy today, I wonder why…
"Thank you so much Mary, you look great as well." I smiled, then looked at myself (and obviously Mary) in the mirror and, yeah. I think I could rival Claire in looks now. At least, how I remember her. Maybe I could try out my villainess face sometime, but now is definitely not the time for vanity. "Okay, let's head out and look for more clues."
"I guess we should." Mary retracted her hug but she again held onto my arm. I do remember back in my previous life that I had several girl classmates who clung onto other their girl friends when walking around the school. Has Mary succumbed to the same mindset? Even Acchan and I never really did that. Another case of the weird popularity I have in this life in comparison to my past life, I guess.
Grrrrrowl
Oh no, I feared this. My stomach started growling and here I was with no food, no sweets, and no tea! Even if we were to find the lunch room, our lack of this world's money would be the death of me! I'm suddenly jealous of Pochi for this exact situation.
Wait, did Pochi come with me? Would a dark magic familiar even be able to travel worlds with me if he lives in my shadow?
"Hey Mary, I have an idea, but we need to be in a more secluded location."
Mary looked like she blushed. "Oh my, Lady Katarina. Have you finally realized?"
"Yeah, I wanna make sure Pochi is still with me."
Mary's face returned to normal. "Oh yeah, your dog. Right." She looked disappointed? What's going on with her? Is the world actively messing with her? We should definitely find everyone and hopefully they're all also okay so we can try to find our way back.
When we found a secluded spot, specifically outside a nearby gazebo, I looked down at my shadow. "Pochi, come!"
"Pochi?"
I saw my shadow shuffle a bit, so something is in there but seemingly unable to come out. Was Pochi also affected by the world traversal that he can't leave my shadow yet? Is that because this world didn't have dark magic? I can't tell.
"Pochi, until you're ready to come out, you can stay in my shadow for the time being." Honestly, this turn of events ruined my mood a bit. I went over to the gazebo to sit down.
"Poor Pochi. My poor stomach. My poor friends…"
"Lady Katarina! Shall I go and find you some food?"
"If possible, yes…" I laid my head back as Mary left. I closed my eyes, leaving my thoughts wandering for a bit.
I miss everyone so much right now. I'm glad that Mary is okay, and she'll likely be fine since she no longer stands out. I especially miss Maria and her homemade sweets though. I can't know who got brought over yet but if only it was easy for them all to just show up. I wonder if anyone has noticed we're not in our world anymore. Maria, Mary, Sophia, and I had just gone back to sleep after I woke up from that dream about Fortune Lover 2 after all, if Maria and Sophia woke up and we weren't there… they would be really worried. Not to mention Alan, Nicol, Keith, and Geordo.
Thankfully I don't currently have to worry about Fortune Lover 2. I'm in a world where I don't have to worry about my new doom flags, whatever they are! While I want to go back, I could think of this like a vacation. No one knows me here and no one wants to hurt me. Maybe I could just sit back, relax, maybe help a random person with crops. I could make money on the side so I could afford some sweets. I wonder what they have in this world.
The Villainess, Katarina Claes, sitting in the same spot Claire François once sat. What a coincidence.
I jerked up and scanned my surroundings. Who said that? Who would know me here?
"Hey! Show yourself!"
No answer.
"Come on, you're freaking me out here…"
Still nothing. I must have let my mind wander so much that I started hallucinating. What was that about Claire? She sat here once? I mean, she was a student here, so it's obvious that I would end up sitting in a chair she sat in once. Why was that special in any way?
I sat back down, not letting my mind wander that much again. Still, I felt like I was being watched. I hope Mary comes back soon…
"Excuse me, dear lady. Don't you know class is in session?"
I looked up and saw a dark haired boy with a big smirk. He also had one arm.
"I'm sorry, I'm new here and seemed to have misplaced my syllabus. I currently don't know where I should be right now." A simple lie but hopefully it'll work. "I'm just waiting on my friend."
The boy sat down at the other end of the table. He looked familiar but I couldn't place it at this moment.
"Well, hope you find all the help you need." The boy smiled a wide grin. He gave off the vibe of a carefree child, but I could tell he has experienced quite a bit, and I'm not just talking about his lack of an arm.
"Thank you… you look familiar somehow though. May I ask who you are?"
"There are people in the kingdom that don't know me? At least Thane wasn't checking up on our school."
Thane? Wait, is this…
"Are you Prince Rod?"
"At your service, good Lady."
The first character I meet is Rod of all people?! Come on, what are my odds? First Geordo in my world, now Rod in this one? What's next, Rod's fiancé? That pattern from my past life does not need to happen again. My body isn't even from this world this time around!
"My apologies, I couldn't recognize you. The last I saw you was…"
"Before the volcano eruption? I guess you weren't here during the revolution either."
So, I was correct. This is after the revolution. That at least significantly decreases my chances of dying in this world. No commoners trying to take my head simply for being a noble.
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, I heard about the revolution but I wasn't here. I would like to hear about it but…" My stomach growled again. "I'm so hungryyyyy!"
"Lady Katarina! I'm back with some-"
I heard Mary return and immediately perked up. I turned around and saw her holding sandwiches. What a sight for sore eyes.
"And who is this, Lady Katarina?"
"Twice in a row? My, that's a self-esteem ruiner."
Mary glared at Rod for the joke.
"No need to be so hostile. I am Prince Rod Bauer, I'm only here to check on the school."
"Another prince? Please say I don't have another rival."
"It's common courtesy to introduce yourself in turn, good Lady."
"Mary Hunt."
"Oh, I forgot myself. I'm Katarina Claes." I curtsied.
Rod smirked, like Mary's weird distaste for him intrigued him. "You both are quite interesting. You, Miss Mary, especially. You remind me of Rae."
Mary stepped back, holding onto my wrist. I've never seen Mary this uncomfortable.
"Well, we're gonna eat these sandwiches, Lord Rod. Maybe you should get back to what you were doing."
Rod's smirk went back to that goofy grin. "Indeed, hope to see you two around."
As he walked off, Mary relaxed. "Lady Katarina, I've never heard of a Prince Rod. Where are we?"
"I want to say the former Kingdom of Bauer. It was a location in one of my ot- ahem, romance novels."
"Is this another Book of Desire situation because I've never heard of this kingdom?"
"Maybe? But those books aren't magical."
As we ate our sandwiches, which surprisingly contained mayonnaise, we contemplated for a while. However, I was still missing Maria's sweets. Something I voiced concern about.
"Oh, Lady Katarina, I should mention. There were some students talking about a rumor about a girl with short blonde hair in a pink dress walking with a nun. I wouldn't have bothered to bring it up, but she had apparently arrived today and she carried a basket of sweets."
That's too much of a coincidence. Is Maria here? I have to know!
"Mary, did they say anything about where they were going?"
"No, but we may need to expand our search beyond the school if we want to find them."
"There's no time to waste, let's go!" I grabbed Mary's hand and… where is the exit?
(POV: Claire François)
To prepare for the scheme, I went out to the city with Yu. I didn't want to leave Rae's side, but we had to do something. Thankfully she still has the company of May, Aleah, Misha, and Ralaire so at least she's in good hands. Doesn't keep me from worrying though, comes with the territory of being a loving wife.
"Hey Claire, we never really spent much time together without our others around, have we?"
"I don't think so, Lady Yu. Most of the time we did anything together was for the Academy Knights and our… previous scheme."
"It hasn't been that long but that still feels like a lifetime ago." Yu giggled. Her personality feels more genuine now than it did back then, but speaking of…
"No wonder why you looked like you were glowing in that maid outfit."
"Ah, you also noticed? I couldn't care less about that male body, but that was the most comfortable I had felt in a long while. Misha helped a lot with that."
I was mainly focused on Rae and her butler outfit at the time but the aura exuding from Yu was much more natural than it was. In retrospect, we should have noticed earlier. She was just so happy all the time that we thought that was genuine.
"I actually was allowed to keep that outfit, but I haven't had the chance to wear it again. If anything, I worry that it wouldn't fit due to it being tailored to my former body."
"That's understandable. Rae and I still have our butler outfits. We've used them on occasion."
"Oh? What use could you two have for outfits like those?"
"Don't be coy, I'm aware you and Misha are in the same situation."
Yu blushed over that comment. Their relationship is so obvious that I would not be surprised if they ended up being the reason the Church changed their stance on homosexuality, so I encourage it.
"A-anywahs," she bit her tongue, causing me to giggle myself, "what is your plan to get the Tears of the Moon this time?"
"I'm guessing sneaking into the Church with nun outfits won't help us, and asking for it directly won't work…" As I kept brainstorming to no avail, I noticed a pair of girls in the Royal Academy uniform. Usually this wouldn't catch my eye, but one of them was clinging onto the other's arm very affectionately. Seeing others being able to publicly show their love now honestly still surprises me, when I was questioning my sexuality just a year ago. Being within earshot, we could overhear their conversation.
"Lady Katarina, we've asked around quite a bit and we still have nothing outside the original rumor."
"If only we had a guide, Mary. Being in a place that I only barely have knowledge of is freaking me out myself."
"Oh, I'm not freaking out. I have you to help with that."
"Huh?"
Wow, she's being that obvious and the other girl isn't noticing? Well, not like I could say much myself. Rae was much louder and more obvious than that Mary girl is, and I still couldn't get it through my thick skull until Sister pretty much dragged it out of me back then.
That's when they looked over our way. Mary had dark brown hair with a yellow flower and brown eyes while the dense one had darker brown hair with a blue ribbon and blue eyes. Was I staring too intensely?
Catching myself, I began to apologize. "Sorry, I just…"
I was cut off when the blue-eyed one went wide-eyed, like she recognized me. They both started walking over to us.
"Excuse me," the blue-eyed one asked, "are you by any chance Claire François?"
Ah, I guess being the official hero of the revolution earned me some star power. Not that I really cared about it anymore. My former nobility status didn't matter either.
"Yes, I am indeed Claire François. And this is Lady Yu Bauer."
Yu smiled and waved, despite looking slightly confused by this interruption. Speaking of looking confused, the blue-eyed girl was visibly trying to connect pieces in her head. Mary ended up speaking next.
"Excuse her, she spends a lot of time thinking. This is Lady Katarina Claes, and I'm Mary Hunt. We're trying to look for a friend of ours."
Katarina Claes?! Isn't that the villainess character from that world Rae was in? What is she doing here?
"I overheard you two, I apologize. Do you need a guide?" I offered. Maybe I could gain some Intel. If she's here, it's possible Maria is in this world. That possibly alone is worth a shot, especially since we're currently at a dead end with the Tears of the Moon.
"Yes, please." It seems Katarina has finally left her head. She's so… polite? I was expecting her to be stuck-up, like how Rae described her. Stuck-up, willing to kill, extremely rude… when I heard that, I was honestly surprised that I was essentially her counterpart.
Well, maybe she's using a facade. I remember Loretta and Pipi suggesting very… grotesque ways of bullying Rae last year and despite that, they're still my best friends for a reason. However, it does make me question how she and Mary got those uniforms. Did they wake up like that or did they… That is a question I'm scared to even think of. I guess I'll need to head back to the academy later. Not like I can ask the question directly, they certainly don't know I'm aware they're not from this world.
I looked over at Yu, once again seeing her glowing smile. We didn't go too much in depth with what happened with Rae, so I may need to explain a bit to her. I nudged her shoulder. "Hey, Lady Yu, you know who Katarina is, right?"
"Of course, we had talked about her like an hour ago."
"Does she seem different from what Rae explained?"
"Absolutely, I was expecting worse. Glad to see she seems nice."
"Nice, yeah. I hope that's the case." I also glanced over at Mary, who seemed aware of us chatting privately. Keen eye, that one. "Mary seems like a giant question mark though. Rae didn't bring her up at all."
"Wondering if she's one of her so-called 'minions'?"
"Not exactly, she was quick to poke a bit of fun about Katarina. I would assume 'minions' would be afraid to joke around like that around someone like what we assumed Katarina was."
"Maybe she has a crush on her."
That much was obvious, she has not let go of Katarina's arm since we met. Like she was afraid of losing her. Much like Rae was attached to me since she awoke in this world.
Katarina spoke next, and we both turned to listen. "Hey, Lady Yu, I've been wondering. Are you the same person that I'm thinking of?"
"If you mean the former Prince Yu, then yes I am. It's a bit of a long story."
Katarina stood there in stunned silence. So that's how Rae and I looked to Lilly when we learned it ourselves.
Wait, how did Katarina know about Yu in the first place?
That realization made me question how much she actually knows about our world. Again, not like I could ask her… at least not in public. Maybe once we have time, Rae and I could question her a bit. If she is here not by accident but purposefully for ulterior motives, we need to make sure she's not a threat. Knowing Rae, she'll be suspicious of her the second she meets her. For now, let's keep that under wraps.
I once again looked at Yu and she didn't seem bothered by the question. I guess she's been asked that question quite a bit since we've been getting more visitors after the revolution, so the fact she knows of her didn't quite click yet. The fact Mary didn't question anything about it also worried me. How much does she know herself?
Our little group made our way around the city, asking if anyone else had information about their friend. Based on the description, they are definitely looking for Maria. That alone made me much more willing to work with them. Yu as well considering we will have to avoid workshopping the scheme and putting herself more in bad spirits with the Church, especially the former queen.
We however, hit a bit of a dead end, so we decided to stop at Broumet for a quick treat. Well, it was supposed to be quick. Little did I know that Katarina and I are more alike than I thought…
The second we entered the shop, I saw Katarina drooling. She basically ran to the counter to look at all the sweets on display. Ever since the revolution, Braumet did lower their prices a bit to accommodate the destruction of the class system, but they were still an expensive shop for high-class treats. Thankfully, the money that I brought with me meant to help with the scheme can be used for the better.
Seeing as, despite being nobles, Katarina and Mary could not use the currency they currently had, I went to pay for it all. I picked out things that I had a feeling they never had before, so mainly chocolate treats. As soon, as I returned to the group, Katarina immediately perked up.
"Want me to feed you, Lady Katarina?" Mary asked with obvious eagerness.
Both Yu and I were stunned by the sudden question. Excuse me? What kind of relationship do these two share?
"No, it's perfectly okay." Katarina looked completely unfazed. How is she so… dense?!
Katarina picked up the chocolate treat and took a bite. Her eyes lit up like stars. She devoured the treat like she had not eaten anything in months. Well, considering how Rae must have felt, she probably needed some extra sustenance but this left Yu and I in awe.
"Thank you so much, Lady Claire! That really hit the spot!"
"You're very welcome, Miss Claes. Glad to know you enjoyed it." Honestly, I was tempted to buy her more because watching Katarina eat was entertainment in itself. Almost made me forget she was a noble because Mary was eating so properly in comparison. Maybe I can get Rae to treat her to some homemade sweets when we get back.
They also never questioned about the chocolate so they must already have it in their world. I don't know if I'm upset about the possibility of that world having a greater variety of sweets or the fact that it took til Rae woke up to introduce it. Sure, she never confirmed it was her but the amount my palette widened when I met her kinda made it obvious it was her.
Once we all finished, we headed back out renewed and mentally ready for more information searching. Maybe we should check the adventurer's guild for information…
(POV: Rae Taylor)
Being wheelchair bound isn't too bad. Made it hard to chase after Claire when she and Yu left to work on the scheme though. It had only been like an hour but after being without her due to being in another world, all I really wanted to do was stick myself to her and never be separated again. Made me envy Ralaire a bit from back when she was so small she could just rest on our heads.
Speaking of Ralaire, Misha and I were sitting outside watching May, Aleah, and Ralaire play around. Thankfully, I was still able to make us a few snacks beforehand. It was mildly difficult considering the counter didn't really accommodate how much height I had lost. This was the prototype after all. I remember the final product had magic stones embedded in it so it could hover a bit to help with stairs. Something like that would have been helpful during cooking just for the extra height.
"What was it like?" Misha suddenly asked.
"What?"
"Being in another world. I know that isn't exactly new for you but…"
"Minus the severe lack of Clairium, it wasn't exactly too bad. Shame that I couldn't read though. That might have been able to help with my anxiety a bit. It also wasn't the exact same thing as when I fully woke up here."
"What do you mean?"
"I was still Rae Taylor. I wasn't anyone else. I still had my magic, my memories of both of my lives, everything that made me… me."
"I see. Honestly, it shouldn't still bother me. You were so different before you 'woke up'. Imagine if one day the person you had been friends with for so long suddenly acted so differently to the point where you questioned if they were even the same person and not an impostor."
"I know we already discussed this, but you know exactly how I acted before. I was empty. I remember that clearly. It's almost exactly how I was before I… I think I died in my previous life but everything is so muddled for me in that." I laughed a bit, breaking the tension. "How embarrassing. If I had died right before I woke up here, I would have died from overworking myself."
"I guess that tracks considering how hard you worked to get us all to this point."
"I know! I'm honestly surprised how well it worked out. You know, minus losing the ability to walk and the volcano erupting and…"
"No need to continue, those things were completely out of your control."
We both continued watching the girls play with Ralaire. I swear they had enough stamina that would make a dog collapse.
"You and Claire really do have the perfect life, don't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"After everything that has happened, you both are happy and content. You have two lovely daughters who you returned smiles to. You have a really nice house too."
"Jelly much?"
"Absolutely. Joining Yu in the Church was not what I had planned. I love her and all, but-"
I scooted up to her face, smirking. "I heard that."
"Shut up, you know I can't hide that kind of thing from you. I swear, you're just a magnet for homosexual feelings."
"Just call it gay, it saves you some syllables." I laughed a bit and she joined in. I guess it really is a perfect life now.
Suddenly, the girls had stopped playing and ran up to us.
"Mother Rae, we saw some people coming towards the house." May told us.
"One of them looks like Miss Lilly too." Aleah added.
Lilly's here? When did she come back to Bauer?
Misha and I waited outside while the kids went back inside. Something told me that we would need some privacy for a bit. I don't even know why that feeling showed up, it's just Lilly after all. I realized I glossed over the fact that they said 'people' really quickly because while we did in-fact see Lilly again, who was by her side was absolutely shocking.
"Rae! Lilly was so worried about you!" She came up and hugged me, nearly knocking me out of the wheelchair.
"It's so good to see you again too, Lilly."
"So it was true, Lilly heard about your legs and came as quickly as possible."
But… that was this morning? It hasn't even been a day, how would a rumor like that spread so fast?
"Oh, Lilly apologizes." She stood back up and looked over at the girl who came with her. "Rae, this is-"
"Don't worry Lady Lilly, we've met."
"Maria Campbell, it's honestly really nice to see you again."
Maria smiled and tears started forming in her eyes. If not for Lilly, I could swear she would run up and hug me herself. But she did look oddly… conflicted. She was clearly happy to see me, but she also looked scared.
"Is something wrong Maria?"
"Why are you…"
"Oh, this is my home. I could only imagine how scared you must have been when-"
"Not that, Miss Taylor. You're surrounded by…" She trailed off, like she didn't know how to say it.
"Maria, we're friends right?"
She tried to regain her composure. After a few seconds, and Lilly rubbing her shoulder to help, she finally said the words. "Dark magic."
So, our hypothesis was correct. That world had another form of magic that didn't exist here.
"Dark magic? You mean like the magic that demons use?"
The sudden statement came from Lilly. Somehow, I had completely forgotten that demons existed. Their attacks are so rare that they really only happen just outside of the Nur Empire due to them bordering demon territory. I do vaguely remember demons having the ability to use magic as well.
"Demons? So, those horrid things exist…" Maria looked so downtrodden. "But I have never met a demon, however, I have experience dealing with dark magic."
"So, what does that entail?" Misha asked, seemingly wanting to contribute to the conversation.
"Being a light magic user, I've learned that I'm immune to dark magic. I unfortunately have never exactly been able to see if I can dispel any dark magic though. Most of the time, Lady Katarina had been the one to solve those problems."
Katarina? The villainess?
"Well, if you want, I can be your guinea pig." Maybe I can get her a one-up on that Katarina.
"It would be nice to see you not covered in a black aura so I can try." She came over, seeming trying to avoid, what I assume is, the dark aura. She placed her hands near my legs and they started glowing. "This might take a bit, since I'm new to this after all."
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, obviously." Misha shoved me a bit for that quip.
"Well, considering the last time I saw you was over a year ago and it took me being taken to another world to see you again, Miss Taylor."
A year? But… we met just last night.
Lilly came over to watch the process. I mean, she's part of the church. Well, she was. Light magic would be interesting to someone like her. She then held my hand. Flirting, even while I'm getting healed? She sure does not miss a second. I could only imagine what would happen if Miss Claire and Yu returned at this moment.
"So, light magic is somewhat similar to holy magic."
I turned to her. "Holy magic?"
"Well, it's not exactly magic. It's more like a blessing that can only be given by the pope." Well, that explains why I never heard about that. The pope has no presence in Revolution or any external materials. "It's mainly used to bless objects or weapons. Really helps against demons."
"By the way, Lilly, how did you hear about my condition?"
"Oh, Lilly was told in a dream several weeks ago."
Okay, this is getting ridiculous.
"We'll all need to have a talk once this is over." First, Maria shows up here of all places. Secondly, she experienced everything over a year ago that I had only experienced last night. Thirdly, Lilly knew about my condition before I even had it and that's why she's here mere HOURS after I got it. Space is warped and time is bendable apparently.
"Anyways, how have you been Maria? Since, you know, it's apparently been a year since we've seen each other."
"Oh, my class had graduated from the Academy and I just got a job at the Department of Magic." I remember some things about that place. It was the setting of the sequel of Fortune Lover , but I never touched it. Again, nothing really had my interest as much as Revolution .
"Shortly after we parted ways, I learned that Lady Katarina had gotten confronted by the group of girls who you protected me from. She got off scot free because those accusations made no sense. But I did get kidnapped pretty much right after that." Katarina survived her Judgment Event? How did they mess that up? Wait, she got kidnapped?
"Kidnapped?! By wh- wait. Was it that Sirius Dieke kid?"
"My Miss Taylor, you knew about that?"
"No, but I have a strong feeling he's the reason I'm like this."
"Hmm… Well, don't hold it against him. He was acting against his will. While he did have dark magic, it wasn't exactly him using it." Her world's version of dark magic is head-scratch worthy, it feels like. "Raphael works at the Department of Magic now after he got expelled from the school."
"Raphael?"
"Oh, his real name is Raphael Walt. There is a lot to explain regarding that, so maybe we can talk about that a bit later."
There's a lot to talk about it seems. "Anything else, Maria?"
"Well, I remember that I had confessed to Lady Katarina several times but she keeps failing to realize what I mean."
"You CONFESSED to her?!"
"Who confessed to who?"
I looked up from Maria while still in pure shock to see… Miss Claire and Yu! Oh, what a sight to heal my worried heart.
"Miss Claire!" I stood up and ran to hug her.