Advanced training Session has begun through Project R.
Finding possibility branches for interactivity.
2 branches auto-selected.
Generating sub-scenarios per branch.
Preparing sub-scenario 1/10.
Preparing sub-scenario 2/10.
Preparing sub-scenario 3/10…
10/10.
Warning. Restricted interactivity due to mana limits. Passive viewing is advised. Mana overuse will result in early termination.
Warning. Second branch selected based on your request to R. This branch is a simulation. It is a possibility branch based off real memories, but diverges from the true scene followed in life. Probability of this branch was high but path not followed completely. Divergence is due to requested spell technique and has been deemed minor.
Scene starting.
Decades ago.
Aurelius could not believe Vi had dropped them in a forest of man-eating tigers. His black armored bodysuit was caked in dirt and grime, which was enough ick already, but he didn’t dare shout his complaints. He crawled on his hands and knees as low growls rumbled through thickets of bamboo stalks. Godd*** it Vi.
The young man pulled his helmet down further, a stylish metal headpiece with an aggressive downward angle emulating a knight’s visor. Three scratch marks were already raked across it.
His ears strained for the slightest padding of pawsteps. He was slogging upwards to the top of a hilly mound, where Gavin and Fennik had last reported their position. His sword rattled as he dragged his body weight forwards, huffing for breath. With a thought, he activated his communicator. The System displayed popup screens, like blue rectangles of light, visible only to him. Thankfully. Keeping his voice low, he hissed, “What is this, a freaking bootcamp?”
Vi was following behind him. Other than her reply, she was silent. “Adventurers were originally supplements to the Kingdom’s regular army. Kind of like mercenaries. Keeping in mind the intent of that role, I think it’s reasonable to give adventurers some standards. Physical conditioning to carry a weapon and fight, outdoor survival, and keeping calm under pressure are essential.”
“...Is this your way of politely telling me to suck it up?”
“Well. Yeah.”
He cursed in his head. She was doing the absolute bare minimum to keep him alive. “Fat lot of help you are! You could’ve killed the last tiger out to maul me, but no, you decided you’d pull my head down by three freaking inches instead!”
“You’re welcome. Want to switch roles?”
“No waaaay.” With renewed vigor, he yanked himself faster up the dirt and grasses, heaving away stalks blocking his path. “Doesn’t matter how much you downplay it, I’ve already learned adventurers can gain the best skills and rewards out of everyone. I’ll have the System and this world mapped out under my thumb in no time. I can’t miss out. You pushing me to switch only tells me I need to try harder. We’ve already found tons of exploits and good items. Why stop now?”
He reached out an arm, grasping out a hand. With a flash of blue light, a second, smaller sword materialized from thin air. He inspected it and frowned. “I still need to work on the System inventory hack. A mini spell ought to let bigger items through, right? But the System expands my vault size depending on our rank. Like a priority queue. Which means I need to keep ranking higher. I’m convinced the System description omits things on purpose. I wonder if, since it’s storing items in a pocket dimension, I can find the plane—”
The growls grew louder. Aurelius froze, heart hammering. He thought a little. I can throw Vi against the next predator. That’ll force her to kill it off. If I can simply come up with a scenario where she has to eliminate enough to reach her own stated training goal—yeah.
“There’s no cheats you can use. Only hard work.”
“Hard work just means I still have some edge cases to speed through. I’m going to master everything, I’m telling you. Skill trees? I’m making a national forest.”
“...You’re unbelievable, Aurelius.”
Her calm and well-mannered tone grated him. Aurelius vented by imagining Vi getting set upon by the wild animals and being torn apart, and worse. With lots of blood, and screaming. She’ll get her leg ripped off, and then one’s going to bite off her arm. He hurled plenty of insults in his mind.
“I’ve seen worse. Focus.”
Aurelius glanced over his shoulder. “Why are you always so cold? Do you have any emotion at all?”
Vi absentmindedly put a hand behind her back, tracing the skin.
An image of Vi from behind, back bared, popped into his mind. His ears went red at the memory. Her skin was light and mostly unblemished. The vast majority of injuries from her long past had healed without a trace, due to her ability.
However, one part had caught his eye. Crisscross patterns of faded white scars were faintly visible all across his partner’s back. When asked, she’d only replied, “Those are sentimental.”
Ah. “Sorry.”
Vi acted like she hadn’t heard anything. “Right, let’s review. What are the two classical types of magic?”
“Is this a trick question? It’s a trick question. Mana and prajna.”
“Why don’t we use prajna more often than mana?”
He stifled a groan. “It’s not always easy to draw energy from your surroundings. Like the life force in nature you mentioned once. There’s resistance involved. It’s extra work purifying prajna to work for yourself versus—”
Then he heard it. The soft padding of claws against dirt.
Up ahead, his heart leapt as he saw another figure lying low in a black armored suit like himself. The short cropped hair, many blades strapped on back and waist, and patient pace told him it was Gavin.
Gavin’s low voice growled from his communicator. “Is she seriously giving you a lecture in the middle of a death trap?”
“Where’s Fennik?”
“She’s up there, we’ve found the village—s***!” Gavin was up and running before Aurelius could raise a hand in warning.
Panicked screams echoed in the air.
“I’ve got them!” An Anima tore through the grass, wielding a metallic scythe. Even from a distance, Aurelius could recognize her as Fennik, with her large slightly rounded ears like a dog and the wicked curve of green energy at the end of her weapon.
Fennik flapped a pair of wings on her back to accelerate as she swept to a predator lunging at terrified villagers.
A short-nosed tiger. The name was innocuous enough, but it was an ugly, raging mass of pure muscle towering over three times a horse’s height. The very sight made Aurelius’s blood run cold. How can she think of flying at that thing?
Leaf-colored sparks flew off its orange-black hide as Fennik raked her scythe over the monster’s side. Aurelius had seen her blade carve straight through solid steel before, but this tiger didn’t even flinch. It turned its wild yellow eyes towards her and brought down a clawed paw twice the size of a man’s head.
“Ack!” Fennik slid back and dug her heels in the dirt, grinning. The tiger’s claws crashed against the energy blade spurting off her scythe. She quickly brought the weapon up and weaved as the monster slashed again at her, faster than a human eye could register.
Aurelius could see the villagers, young Anima, fleeing to relative safety farther from the tiger’s roaming, but anger rose within. “Fennik, what’re you doing? Get out of there!”
“Ha.” Fennik ducked, leaped back, and struck to block another massive paw. This time, a crater broke open from the force of the monster’s blow. “Ugh!” She swayed, sweat beading her forehead. Her arms trembled. Aurelius knew from personal experience the black armored bodysuit on her meant little. One good hit, and she’d be gone. She’s already too close. Where are the other freaking monsters? Why can’t I detect them?
A bright aura blazed from within her. “Ha. Ha! You think I’m going to give up? They’re going to have to name a whole town after me. Or a country! I’m sick of being average—” She grunted and the forest shook as another crater cracked open. “—sick of no one seeing what Gavin and I can do!”
Another strike from the monster sent her tumbling backwards, the end of the scythe she still clutched fizzling as she rolled in the dirt.
“Fennik!” Red angry blades of energy rained from the air and stabbed against the tiger. Gavin scooped up his partner and quickly rolled as a wave of iron spikes burst from the earth.
“Gavin—” Fennik’s ears twitched. Her eyes widened and she quickly swiped her scythe, shearing away a second flash of steel spikes that jutted from the forest floor. The broken spikes shuddered.
Vibrations, but these monsters know what they’re doing. The next attacks those two might never see coming! Aurelius was having trouble keeping up. Things were happening faster now. The jungle’s thick, tangly vegetation was making observation worse.
Gavin’s blades that had impacted the tiger faded into wisps. The monster shook its head in annoyance at the cuts, too shallow to do any real damage. It let out a bloodcurdling roar.
A thicket of bamboo rustled ahead of Aurelius, and a second enormous tiger leaped from it. In a moment, a long spike like a spear rose from the ground and pierced Gavin’s armor.
“Aaah!” Blood trickled from the man’s stomach. Fennik, panicking, pulled him away. She held out her scythe and produced a barrier of light.
“For-forget it. The civilians—!” Gavin drew a sword and hurled it at the man-eater pouncing on them. The tiger merely bit straight down on the blade, snapping it like a twig in its jaws. The man unsheathed a second sword and summoned his own shield as he was forced back-to-back with Fennik. Their auras were small compared to the raw fury of the two tigers. Their barriers shook and nearly cracked the instant the monsters collided.
Aurelius was ready to charge in when he heard a series of faint shuffles on his far right. Noises so quiet, they might as well have been the wind. Stalks swayed in a light breeze. No way. Don’t tell me…! His head whipped towards the villagers as he understood Gavin’s words.
Vi vaulted up and raced in the direction of the citizens. In an instant, five tigers had materialized from cover of the forest, springing to the villagers at the same time she was. She drew her sword and slashed her way towards the fleeing Anima as the whole forest shook.
Three tigers loped around her in a circle, keeping their distance. Two pursued their helpless prey. Vi engaged the five monsters, blue beams flying from her blade and shooting from her tails. Trees and sheets of stalks toppled with loud thuds. The ground rumbled and shook violently where villagers ran, sending them stumbling or falling, but nothing burst out.
Aurelius prided himself on his cool, but terror spiked in his chest. From his own estimate of the earthquake, the mana output was enough to rival a tsunami at sea. They’re tying her up by forcing her to restrain their elemental magic on the villagers. They know she’s trying to protect them, so they’re willing to risk losing their meals. At the same time, she has to fight the two nearest to those fleeing, which gives the other three more of a chance to find an opening. Shoot.
And then, there’s Gavin and Fennik! They’ll be mauled.
He got up and wavered as he weighed the situation before him. His heart sank. You’ve got to be kidding. It’s a trolley problem.
As if she’d read his mind, Vi whirled in the air, sword flashing as she struck the monsters, and spoke to him quietly. “You can only save one.”
One group.
Once he’d read about the infamous trolley problem. He’d concluded it had been a neat if useless thought experiment. A classic version stated that a trolley car was barreling towards a railroad track split in two ways. One way had three helpless people tied on the track. The other, one person. You had a lever which could divert the trolley and save the three people, but it would run over the one other victim.
The question was, should you pull the lever?
Save the one, Gavin and Fennik?
Or the many, the unarmed civilians?
His grip tightened on his sword. F***. F***! I…I don’t know.
He heard Fennik cry out. Gavin’s shield had broke and he’d collapsed. Blood leaked from one of his legs. Fennik was on her knees, struggling against two of the huge monsters. Her barrier had cracks spreading over it.
Gavin coughed, trying to haul himself up with one hand and a sword. He summoned two shadow figures which were instantly vaporized. “Looks like…I still can’t measure up to Aurelius, huh?” He coughed again, and blood splattered from his mouth. “Pathetic. Here I thought we’d be rivals. I’m sorry, Fennik. At least we got here before him.”
Fennik was struggling to breathe. The barrier shuddered. She was tearful. “Stop being dramatic, idiot!”
Aurelius turned towards Fennik even as guilt surged through him. Gavin’s my friend. Fennik’s my friend. I know I should do my job, but I can’t abandon them right in their faces!
“Leave them.” Vi’s voice cut in.
What? Are you insane? Do you know what you’re asking of me?
“Yes. You’ll live the rest of your life with their deaths weighing in your every waking moment.” Vi summoned a flurry of blasts at a monster biting at the head of a small girl. Its razor-sharp teeth clamped shut, missed by a hair. A roar rocked the forest.
You b****— Aurelius stopped. A realization hit him. And you’ll have that guilt too. For the rest of your life. Except you’ll live far longer than me.
“Sometimes there’s no good choices, Aurelius.”
No. It’s not going to end like this. I won’t accept it!
Well? Which will it be? He could see his partner’s eyes with that question, waiting. Not judging, but seeing what he would do.
Both.
He shifted his stance and raised a blade. Think. What do I need?
A series of spells ran through his head. Spell descriptions at branches just out of his reach. He recalled experiments he’d done testing the System. There must be something. Come on. Nothing’s impossible. I’ve never believed that when it comes to me and my skills. He needed to strengthen Fennik and Gavin, and at the same time land a decisive strike at the ravaging monsters around Vi. What is there? My ice element’s got nothing. Earth? Dark? Light?
Aurelius reared back the sword. He’d need a huge, sweeping arc, covering the distance to him and Gavin, and then reaching all the way to Vi and the villagers. A quick calculation told him, three miles, minimum.
Is this even doable?
As far as he knew, no one would attempt something like this. Maybe a basic version, but not this much flash and this much of a boost. The strain on his body would likely kill him.
Prajna. We’re in a forest. Plant life. There was little explicit instruction on this magic he’d seen so far, but it was now or never. He inhaled and sent tendrils of mana out of his being. They washed over the bamboo stalks, the grass, the dirt, reaching all the way to the monsters and his team. Immediately he felt resistance gripping him as he attempted to suck out the life force of the forest, like a thousand hands were shoving him hard against invisible walls.
Pain reverberated through his chest and mind, like a gong being struck hard. He stumbled on one knee and summoned his chosen spell, about ready to pass out.
He recalled a short description of the spell, written like an incantation. Pure of heart and intent. Like a messenger from the gods. Speeding help on wings of light. The slight tip of the scales that leads to victory.
Energy shot through his veins like electricity. His vision grew blurry.
He and his blade glowed with yellow light. Aurelius adjusted his stance and shifted his weight as he slashed.
“First Form: Angel’s Edge!”
A massive arc of yellow light flared out from his sword. He swung hard in a horizontal sweep.
Behind the arc flowed several miniature stars, winking and floating in the air. The shimmers floated around Gavin and Fennik as the arc sailed past, and their auras brightened. A mana boost flowed into them.
The arc continued on. Aurelius cried out, his muscles straining as invisible pressure crashed down upon every part of his body. It was like being hit by a waterfall. The attack pressed forwards until it swept against the nearest tiger on Vi’s end. A blinding flash of light burst over the forest. A boom like a thunderclap rang out.
Aurelius fell to the ground.
When he came to, he surveyed the scene, at first in a state of panic. Gavin and Fennik—they were lying on the dirt, but breathing. He needed a moment to get over his emotions and piece together what had happened. The two had received a mana boost very briefly, but a moment was all they’d needed. Gavin had jammed his sword through one tiger’s throat. Fennik had sliced the head clean off the second.
The civilians—they were out of sight, now. The pack of man-eaters were dead on the floor, hammered by Vi’s beams. One looked like she’d snapped its neck with a tail. Vi pulled her sword from one tiger’s chest as it lay face-up.
A relieved smile crept over his face.
Vi walked towards him. “Okay, now that you’ve figured out the basics, we can move to something more advanced.”
“You call that training?” he hollered.
He caught a brief, small smile on her. Then he blacked out.
Scene end.
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Enrique blinked. He took a moment to consider the experience. “Wow. She threw him in there without hesitation. Why didn’t she do that with me?”
Still, there were nuggets of info that could be useful for him. There’s a lot to unpack. What was that talk about inventory? I could also use those skill trees and System info to make people take me seriously, if I want to do some business in the city.
“Um, a little help here would be great.” Cecelia caught his attention, struggling for breath as she fired her beam at the entrance.
Enrique had no time to process further. He could only ready himself into a stance, relying on muscle memory while straining to replicate the sensation he’d experienced within. Warmth flowed through his body like sizzling light. He threw himself forwards and slashed at the blue barrier. “Angel’s Edge!” A yellow arc soared out of the blade, joining with Cecelia’s attack.
Behind the slash, a trail of yellow sparkles trailed out like starlight. Cecelia’s green beam suddenly gleamed brighter and doubled in size and force as the mana boost took effect. The blue barrier and the entire room shook, sparks flying every which way from their attack.
“Mwhoa! Be careful! We almost got it!”
Cecelia ran up to increase the pressure and put herself next to Enrique, straining against her own recoil. Then there was a sound like breaking glass. The two were sent tumbling forwards and rolling onto the dirt. A bright green-yellow explosion lit up ahead.
They were out.
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Vi turned as Morgan grabbed her shoulder.
“You can’t just do that, Vi!”
She replied in a neutral tone. “My priority right now is to help save as much people as possible. The army’s already scouting for any sign of a threat. We’ll evacuate children, young mothers, the infirm, and the like first. Enrique and Cecelia are children. I’m just taking care of them early before they become distractions. The battlezone will be deadly for even experienced fighters.”
“That’s not the point! It’s the principle of the thing!” Morgan turned away. “I’ll get them out of there. Besides, you shouldn’t be involved. Isn’t Commander Rea organizing the defenses, not you?”
“She is. But I figured since I know those two, I have an obligation to get them out of harm’s way. Rea wants an all-hands meeting. You should go. I’m staying here with the rest of the Queen’s guards.”
“Well, that’s convenient!” Morgan spun back and groaned. “Shoot! Enrique’s going to hate you, you know that?”
Vi dropped her gaze towards the hilt of her sword. “Yeah. What of it? I’d rather he be angry and alive than dead.”
“What? Huh?” Morgan gave Vi a puzzled look, but when Vi didn’t reply she gave a small sigh. “Sometimes I wonder if you even care for your own well-being. Don’t you want people to like you? Well, be that way. See you.”
She left.
Vi surveyed the other guards of the queen as they stood at attention in a line. They were each young adventurer pairs, in well-dressed but practical outfits like her own, hand-picked by Her Majesty for their potential. She murmured quietly to herself. “Sean and Bernadette were supposed to be here. We’re missing earth element mages. That could spell trouble.”
Her mind went through multiple thoughts in parallel. It was a natural consequence of having the power to see different paths into the future. Probably Enrique had been confused when he’d tried a psychic link, who simply could not comprehend this method. Tapping into it was helpful when she needed to think quickly. Though she preferred being normal.
“Natarah,” she addressed one of the other guards. “I heard the Queen chose you for showing leadership during a bandit attack. Do you mind taking charge if I become unfit to do my duty to Her Majesty?”
“Me?” Natarah blinked, her blue eyes growing bigger. Her black Siamese cat ears twitched, and she briefly broke off eye contact. “I can. I doubt I will be needed though.”
“Don’t doubt. Each one of us is a crucial part of the team. It would only take one moment for me to no longer be at the side of the Queen and the royal family.”
“You’re quite frank about dying. I wish I could be the same.” Natarah shifted her gaze to where Morgan had gone. The Siamese woman muttered, “Who was that? She looks kind of familiar.”
Vi checked herself to ensure she had all her equipment. Other than her sword, she’d brought her pistol on her other hip, her refilled pouch slung tightly over one shoulder to keep it secure, and a rifle on her back. Her brief inspection had confirmed the other guards had their personal weapons as well. They had been issued black army-standard rifles too, though based on how they kept the firearms on their side or back, they seemed more comfortable with their own items used as adventurers. Other than those they each had communicators, transparent and nearly invisible like earpieces.
The doors opened. The king and queen stepped in. Following them were their Anima, Puri and Gamor the First, as well as the gold-armored palace guards. The queen’s guards including Vi separated into two parallel lines to let the them through and saluted.
The queen waved a hand. “At ease.”
She swept her gaze over her honor guard. “This year has been hard. Each of you have stayed on and signed up to be my protection at this event, despite having heard of the attacks on my chosen candidates and the unrest that’s occurred. For that, I commend you. Let me be clear. I want you alert and ready for anything.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Natarah and some of the other guards straightened.
Queen Isandril gave them a piercing gaze. “The Kingdom will not let threats and intimidation from enemies stop us from reaching out to the other nations and enjoying this ball as we had in years prior. We will, however, prepare as best we can. The chance of attacks from many different parties is unusually high, is that correct, Vi?”
Vi nodded as the queen shot her a pointed look. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’ll be splitting from King Malgus to speak to officials of the other nations throughout the ball. The Princess will be with us. The palace guards will be spread out scanning for threats, and the rest of you shall be accompanying me.”
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The guards nodded their understanding.
“General Richard and his partner Rea from the Army are by the entrance, briefing the defenders we have assembled. Go to them, and then to your assigned positions with me afterwards. Then we’ll start this ball. I do hope it’s a good one.”
The queen gave them a brief, assuring smile.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The guards’ replies were a bit staggered, but they bowed to the queen.
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The guards arrived to see Rea already standing before a large crowd of Anima, partners, and members of other races.
Next to her was her partner Richard wearing a silver armored suit. Her serious face was in stark contrast to the lion man’s genial grin as he gave her a silent nod.
Tables were spread out with large glowing screens in the middle of the room. On the table was a small box of badges and various weapons. Judging by a set including discarded bows, units had been given upgraded weapons in anticipation of the difficulty ahead.
The commander had her arms crossed. She was easy to spot with a small hammer at her side and a spear and large cannon at her back. “The good news is we have a good number of adventurers registered for the ball. They can aid us in the event of an evacuation. We’ve compiled a list of attendees and we’re going to split between combatting threats and bringing the vulnerable to safety first. The officials of other nations will also have high priority, of course. Now, I’ve foreseen some potential problems that you may also have picked up on. Any ideas?”
Some of the honor guards, army members, and adventurers murmured to one another. Natarah flicked through her communicator, swiping in the air to view the list Rea had spoken of, with names, contact info, and small photos of each attendee. “So many? This’ll be a slog,” she muttered as she scrolled through.
One of those present, a man in chrome-black armor like a knight, gave a suggestion in a deep voice. “Whatever happens will take us by surprise, no matter what. We may be disorganized in the beginning. Central command may be too slow.”
Rea gave a nod of acknowledgement. “That’s one issue. I’m leaving it to your individual squad leaders to carry out our overall objectives. For adventurer teams who’ve taken the royal family’s request, that means whoever normally leads you. Soldiers, follow ranks regardless of race. Stick to your training, stay calm.”
She then indicated the group as a whole with a hand. “One more thing I want to minimize. Friendly fire. We may be dealing with extremist factions in the remnants. I’m getting reports of unauthorized Saukallian ships nearing coastal waters, to give one example. Also there may be traitors, among any of the races. In my experience, people will be wary if they aren’t aware you’re under authority.”
Vi sighed quietly to herself. Rea mentioning that made her think of battles past and lives lost. Left unsaid was how people often panicked or were scarred by fear. There were many faces of such still in her mind she couldn’t forget. She was getting a sense of deja vu. Here she was again, preparing to fight her way through another bloodbath. Having to soon see subjects of the kingdom in pain or worse. Generation, after generation, after generation.
“Make yourself identifiable. Your communicators are connected so everyone’s positions will be marked in real-time. Don’t overly rely on that. We’ve got uniforms and the Kingdom’s insignia, but I don’t want anyone getting confused. Adventurers, put on a badge and make everyone’s life easier. Is that clear?”
Several members nodded. There was rustling as adventurers, with the most eclectic outfits of the group, dug through the badges and put them on. The honor guards with Vi were distinctive enough there wouldn’t be trouble, but Vi noted Natarah take one of the badges and smile a bit with pride as she put it on.
Commander Rea herself wore an armored purple bodysuit with a small icon of the Kingdom attached, of a sword and scepter crossed and a scarlet letter “A”. Anima and Nocturne soldiers had black armor with identical symbols etched on.
Saukallian soldiers, large and red-skinned, had intimidating red armor with the matching symbol in black, but seemed more excited than afraid of being attacked, many smiling and gripping their spears or shields.
Elarrian Rangers nodded but exchanged either nervous or doubtful glances.
Vi spotted Tilly and De’Vorah from among them, in dark blue, and quickly averted her gaze. She saw Morgan among the adventurers, who was scanning her fellow defenders, and looked away there as well to focus on Commander Rea.
Rea’s next words were clipped and steady in spite of the content. “Intel says we could be facing Saukallian and Nocturne extremists, Fae and Elarrian insurgents, monsters, criminals, assassins, and a manifestation of a chaos demon, Kavistra. In other words, be ready for anything.”
The crowd broke into murmurs and talked over one another with questions.
“A demon?” Natarah sniffed. “Some intelligence we have. Isn’t Kavistra one of the ancient Nocturne demons? That doesn’t make sense. Why would it attack the very people who worship it?”
Vi observed Nocturne soldiers in the gathering stiffen. She recognized a couple, like Gujar who had worked with her before. They fluttered their bat-like wings and their red eyes steadfastly avoided eye contact with all but themselves. I know that feeling. I know it far too well. A pang went through her chest. At least in their case, they had more excuse for innocence.
Rea spoke sharply. “Nocturne! Look at me.”
The shapeshifters did so, many with trepidation. Their already pale faces paled further.
Her tone softened. “You have nothing to do with this. You are part of the Unified Kingdom. Whatever your race or past connections, the Anima Kingdom accepts you. This is your home too.”
Some in the crowd made an uproar. “They should be keeping their relatives in check!” one of the Anima adventurers cried. “We don’t let ours go rampaging around finding people to kidnap and sacrifice!”
“Their kind attacked us. Don’t they have family from the other nations as well?” De’Vorah hissed. Tilly put a hand on the other apprentice’s trembling shoulder, but like many Elarrian Rangers had worry on her face.
“Enough!” Rea barked out.
The group’s voices died down somewhat. One young adventurer mage piped up, “How are we supposed to take on a demon? I didn’t sign up for that!”
The commander raised a hand for silence. “I know there’s a lot you want to know. I would, too. Unfortunately, there’s no quick answer when we’re dealing with such a diverse amount of possibilities. Use your best judgment on which enemies to confront. If we do end up attacked by a divinity, I will lead Heroes in the area in an assault to divert it. Focus on evacuating as many attendees as you can. If you check your communicators, I’m sending a live map of the city.”
She tapped on a small blue screen that popped up in front of her. “You see the icons for medical supplies and tents with healers we’ve set up? They’ll be outside the ball grounds, with defenses in place. Get to the ones nearest to you. Our network will update data for each whenever we’re at or near capacity. Mark the digital list I’ve sent when you have confirmed any civilians are safe. Got it?”
The crowd nodded. Natarah inspected the map appearing from her communicator and pursed her lips. “Good to know but our job will be different. We’ll bring the queen and princess as far from the fighting as possible.”
The commander gave the crowd a stern glare. “I want everyone here to know, that no matter how grave the danger, what we’re doing here is right. We are doing this with purpose and honor, and no matter how much you may disagree or not get along with those alongside you, this place is our home. Everyone’s home. You have family and friends coming to the ball. Fight for them.”
Everyone quieted at this. They glanced at one another with unease or stoic acceptance.
Anima-human adventurer pairs, Nocturne soldiers and counterintelligence, veteran Anima of the army, Stone Lord support teams, and integrated units like Saukallian infantry or Anima-Elarrian Ranger squads. The commander’s bluntness made her message clear. Unite, or we all fall.
“Okay, let’s go.” Rea clenched a fist and recited an old Anima motto. “Ad regnum. For the kingdom.”
A surge of pride and pain went up in Vi’s chest at the words, in a common tongue before Rea’s time. The phrase was one spoken in her memories, with partners and friends long gone. She clutched a fist to her chest in silence. Briefly, she choked up from the emotion.
The soldiers and Anima partners saluted and shouted. “For the kingdom!”
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“Look! Up there!” Cecelia pointed. “It’s the nation of Elar!” A horde of winged beasts with figures atop them soared in the distance.
Loud roars and rumbling came from several dragon and bird-like beasts being ridden like steeds. Below them, on the ground, were carriages seemingly carved straight out of large trees, with green plants decorating the edges of shades of wood. The vehicles had doors inscribed with green runes and with windows of glass. They were each pulled by two white horses with orange or gold-yellow manes.
Enrique turned to see where the mass was going. South relative to himself. “Then they’ll be heading to the ball. Let’s follow them.”
“Those are highborn,” Cecilia murmured as she squinted at the riders and at the blond, green-eyed passengers in the carriages. “Fancy gold and silver silk. Not many can afford those. They have their traditional wear too, the see-through and green ones.” Her eyes widened. “You think their royalty is in there?”
She followed after Enrique, who had gone into a sprint. “The king and queen sure beefed up security for them.”
Enrique had noticed too. Next to the carriages were adventurers in armor on their mounts, and swooping at the sides and above the winged creatures were silver winged ships. Other than those were contingents of stoic Elarrian guards, stiff and wearing brass-buttoned blue coats. The guards clutched large, slightly curved silver rods as they either rode outermost carriages or sat on winged beasts. “You think we can come with them?”
Cecelia shook her head. “Let’s not draw attention. Usually tickets are bought in advance. There’s going to be guards and people will be registered to get in. Hm…I do have a student discount and I know some of my classmates are coming. Maybe we can join them and sneak you in.”
“Okay.” The duo found the buildings for the ball easily enough. “Whoa! Did they make those out of a forest?” Enrique jabbed a finger at arched structures that might as well have been sculpted straight out of marble. Cecelia had a near-identical reaction. The roofs were not only stately but decked out in wreaths and twisting branches of brown and green leaves, with berries of red and blue hanging festively throughout.
“Built on top of Elar designs, I bet,” Cecelia breathed. “Mirith is an old city. My teacher said it used to be owned by the Elarrians. Highborn house Ti’vaan, in fact. That’s Tilly’s family. They had a castle in Mirith.” She glanced around, fascinated. “These are newer, though. See the growth of that light-colored root? Must be another place.”
Enrique peered harder at the arches. Small black birds and little furry brown mammals skittered through canopies of leaves. “They should get rid of the pests.”
“They won’t bother anybody.” Cecelia waved at some birds which squawked and fluttered off. “I heard there’s spaces near buildings for wildlife on purpose. That’s the Elarrian way. Oneness with nature and all that. We Anima try staying renewable and stuff, but those guys take the cake.”
Below the arches, large roots and vines spiraled around pillars which stood sentry in front of large, reinforced doors. Enrique was a bit uncomfortable, as he had a sense like he was intruding on some wealthy family’s estate and garden for parties combined into one. His legs instinctively wanted to flee.
Long lines had formed with well-dressed beings waiting to enter through the largest, central building’s doors. Anima-human pairs either milled near the front—adventurers, if the weapons were any indication, or sat at tables tapping devices to register attendees.
Cecelia tugged Enrique forward and gestured to the side of the building. They snuck their way a short distance from the line and the cat girl searched the lines.
Her eyes brightened as they alighted on a crowd of young Anima chattering to one another behind an older, gray-eared cat woman in a dark blue dress. Cecelia cupped her hands and called to two cat girls, both with orange tabby ears and tapping on their phones. They were similar in looks so maybe they were twins. “Psst! Squad mates! Over here!”
One of the cat girls looked up, her eyes widening as she saw her friend and Enrique. She glanced towards the elder lady at the front.
“Don’t let Ms. Starfall know!” Cecelia hissed. The other student nodded.
She tiptoed towards the two friends. Enrique had his pride, so he merely tried to walk lightly.
“What’re you doing here, Cece?” Her friend, with dark green eyes, blinked with astonishment.
“Changed my mind! I gotta get in!” Cecelia waved at Enrique. “I made a new friend, Enrique.”
“Hey! Diane. You want to join the squad?” The girl was excited.
“Maybe—I guess later. I got business to take care of first.” He thought maybe that was a bit too rude, but Cecelia’s friend kept smiling. “And why’re we whispering?” Enrique hissed.
Cecelia and her friend both pointed at the teacher in front and quickly ducked behind some of their classmates. “She’s got good ears,” Cecelia told him, nodding sagely.
That’s a little stupid. But he followed their lead and moved further back in the line, right behind the two.
“How’re we getting in?”
Cecelia nudged her friend. “I’m gonna go to Ms. Starfall and talk her up and you shield Enrique from the guards! We want to get in fast!”
Her friend bobbed her head eagerly. “What’s the rush though?”
Cecelia hesitated. She gave Enrique an uneasy glance. He gave her a shrug. She whispered, “The ball might get in trouble! There could be attacks! We’re here to stop any!”
Enrique was becoming rather irritated by the whisper-chatting. The rest of the crowd talked among themselves loudly. Worse some other students nearby, like one with messy brown hair and little ears droopy ears like a cocker spaniel, regarded him with polite curiosity. He wasn’t the tallest guy, but compared to Cecelia and her classmates? He was like a head above them. He was getting uneasy.
“That’s not a good plan. Don’t you see how many adventurers there are? We can’t avoid everyone!”
He quickly clamped hand over his mouth as he realized he’d reverted to normal volume.
What really got attention, though, was a small shriek from Cecelia’s friend. “Aieeek!” The rest of the students turned.
“Diane! No!” Cecelia wailed, slapping a hand on her friend’s mouth too late. “Aw, peanuts.”
The crowd mostly ignored her.
But not the students’ teacher.
Ms. Starfall whirled around. Cecelia and Enrique froze. The cat woman’s face flashed from concerned to confused as she saw the two.
Oh, crud. I’ve seen that lady before! At the school. I hope she doesn’t remember me.
Her gray cat ears twitched and tail swished in thought as her eyes fell on Enrique. Then she pulled out a small wand. “Guards!” she cried.
“We’ve got to scram,” he called to Cecelia, pulling her arm to separate them from the line.
He turned and suddenly came face-to-face with a wolf-eared man in a black armored suit carrying a rifle.
“Where do you think you’re doing?”
Cecelia went still at the gruff, terse voice. Enrique silently sized up the stranger, readying a hand on his sword. He was reminded a little of Sven. The Anima had yellow pupils, gray wolf ears, and a stern face that exactly matched the expression of a fierce wolf. A small scar crossed down from his right eye.
A soldier. Thinking of Sven, where was he, exactly? And where was Morgan too? He really wished he had someone like them to back him up.
“Nowhere, sir, sorry, sir,” Cecelia said politely. “I didn’t know the Army was here.”
The wolf man made no reply, but raised his rifle a fraction higher at Enrique.
“I’m trying to find my partner,” Enrique improvised.
A small transparent screen popped up in front of the wolf man’s face. If he was identifying Enrique with his profile in the System, then it was only seconds before he’d be found out. His spirits sank.
The wolf soldier made a low growling noise. “Politics. Always complicating things. Unbelievable.”
Enrique clenched his fists. “Whatever happens to you, put the blame on my partner. Everything’s her fault. Screw Vi!”
The soldier’s glare didn’t change. He snorted. “Enrique. You are to be escorted in. King’s orders.”
Wait. The king? Escorted in? Not escorted out?
The soldier then nodded at Cecelia, not breaking his gaze from Enrique. “She with you?”
“Um.” He struggled to find words. “Yes?”
A ghost of a smile flickered on the soldier’s face. “I seem to remember a certain Vi owes me a favor. I’m quite petty so I’ll not inform her of your entrance.”
He gestured for the two to walk beside him. “Taking you to the general and Commander Rea. Then you speak with the king. Move.”
Ms. Starfall was shocked. “What’s the meaning of this? I saw this delinquent vandalize the Anima Academy library!”
The soldier brushed her off with a hand. “Miss, we are investigating this person. He is also of interest to the royal family. Classified. I will make note of this incident you’ve reported.”
Cecelia, her eyes huge, was equal parts bewildered and awestruck at Enrique. He did his best to keep his cool, which meant putting on a scowl and walking past the fashionable males and females in the line like he belonged.
He had to admit, the jealous gazes gave him some satisfaction.
----------------------------------------
“Thank you, Sergeant Rorian. I’ll take it from here.” A woman in an armored purple suit rested her hands on a counter as she regarded Cecelia and Enrique.
The soldier gave a short nod and marched off without a word.
The woman was vaguely familiar to Enrique. It was probably the weapons on her, the hammer at her belt, and a spear and large black cannon on her back resembling a rocket launcher. She extended a hand. “Rea.”
The name was familiar too. “We’ve met, I think.” He shook her hand.
Cecelia shook too, bubbling with excitement. “I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s an honor to meet you, Commander. I’m Cecelia.”
Ray-uh. Didn’t he hear that name before? Right. Vi introduced her at the Palace. If Rea was in the Army, then maybe she’d known Aurelius. His mind wandered back to the most recent memory Remnant had given him. It hadn’t been an exact memory, he’d somehow known. Vi had been with Aurelius and two others Enrique hadn’t ever seen. Did the others die? The thought made him frown. They might’ve been close, but his partner hadn’t said a word about them.
Rea scrutinized him with calm poise. “Enrique, King Malgus wanted you brought here, if you were available. He thought you might be able to help with defenses. When I didn’t see you with Vi, I was surprised. Thought she might’ve sent you away.”
“You know Vi.” Enrique’s hands formed into fists.
“I served under Aurelius and her during the Five Kingdoms War, with my partner. Which reminds me, how’s that blade doing?” Rea took a step forward.
“Blade?” Enrique backed up a matching step and put a hand on his sword’s hilt. “Where’s Vi?”
“With the rest of the Queen’s guards. Relax, I only want to check my work. You may need it soon.”
He was stunned. “You made this?” He unsheathed the sword from its scabbard.
“I helped out. If something’s got my hand on it, I can’t stand any imperfections.”
She took out her hammer and tapped against the flat of the blade. A soft ring echoed through the hall. “Still in working condition. That’s good. You’ve been swinging it quite a lot. Your technique has room to improve.”
Rea sounded almost reproachful, as if Enrique had been manhandling a piece of fine jewelry.
His face reddened. “Swords are meant to be swung. What’s wrong with that?”
“Sorry, sorry.” She put a hand to her face. “I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. It rubs off sometimes. These days I have to accompany the king in extra duties while hearing about assaults on the kingdom. It’s a never-ending wave.”
The boy humphed but decided to let it go. Beneath her composed stature, her eyes did seem tired.
Rea went back to tapping the sword. “It has a decent amount of Vi’s mana inside. It’s been taking some of yours, as well.”
“What, taking my energy? Like a bloodsucking leech?” He jerked the sword away at arm’s length.
Rea was not happy at such an analogy for the weapon, but replied smoothly. “Of course. It needs to channel your element and perform spells with mana.”
Cecelia interrupted with curiosity. “Why’s the sword talking?”
Enrique bounced off the question. “Yeah. If you made this, you know how it works. Why is it showing me memories? Why does it call itself Remnant but its profile says it’s the Will of Flame? How am I supposed to use its ability?”
Rea gave him an odd look. Mystified, but also as if she had suddenly made a connection he hadn’t. “You’ll have to ask your partner about that. Those names aren’t accidental.”
“But you made it!” he protested.
“Vi did, mostly. And Aurelius, I suspect. When I first saw you at the Palace carrying this blade, that confirmed what I assumed for a while. That Aurelius was never coming back. It’s hard to believe, even now. He used to be untouchable.” Her eyes grew distant.
“So, did she tell you anything?” he demanded. “Or does she treat everyone like she does to me?”
“A long time ago, she showed me your weapon and asked for some alterations. She didn’t give details and it was in an unrefined state, and, well, I helped in crafting it as a friend.” She shrugged. “I guess I could’ve questioned her more. Vi was extremely depressed at the time. I read between the lines, as best as I could. Didn’t want to push her.”
“So, she’s a b****!” Enrique declared with a hint of triumph.
Rea offered a sympathetic grimace. “I see she hasn’t lost the ability to be an insufferable fox to everyone around her.”
Cecelia piped up. “Wow, I didn’t know Auntie Vi was close to you! You look too cool for her, Rea.”
The commander let out a short, surprised laugh. “Thanks.”
“How can you stand someone like that?” Enrique turned to the cat girl with annoyance.
Cecelia merely blinked. “Who, Vi? She’s fine.”
“She locked us in a freaking bathhouse!”
She shrugged. “Which I wasn’t gonna leave in the first place. I’m cool with her. She helps me out all the time.”
“Are you serious? Are you naive, or blind? She won’t tell you anything! Not even if you’re her friend!” Enrique waved his blade around in agitation.
Rea sighed. “As someone who’s been on the receiving end of that one too many times, I won’t bother defending her. I will say whatever her actions, there’s a reason behind them. Even if they don’t make sense as an outsider looking in.”
She stowed the hammer away. “Your blade’s made of special magi-steel. It’s got spell slots and plenty of space to engrave runes if you want to customize it. You can alter it as well. It’s…how do I put this?”
The woman tilted her head towards the ceiling. “It’s like a blank canvas placed atop a finished painting. That sword is yours now as surely as you can breathe. It’s yours to wield as you please.”
A heavy weight settled on him despite her reassuring words. Recalling the way Vi had first presented the sword, with reverence, plus the way Rea had spoken of his form with a touch of disdain, he wondered. Am I good enough to be holding this sword? Enrique sheathed the weapon.
She finished up briskly. “Now, for the physical item itself. This metal’s very resistant to dulling and rust, but it wouldn’t hurt you to sharpen it up. Take it to a Stone Lord later. I worked with one to make sure it can work with standard parts in the kingdom.”
He inclined his head, doubt seeping into his mind.
Rea turned to the side. “Ah, Richard’s here. I’ll shut up now. Meet with him and the king. The ball begins in a few minutes.”
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A muscular man, with pointed lion ears, in an armored silver suit and twin sheathed swords strode forwards. “Hello!” he roared in a friendly manner. “A good welcome to you two young bloods! Let me take you to His Majesty.”
Enrique and Cecelia followed at his side as he turned and walked quickly down the hall.
“I hope Rea’s seriousness hasn’t scared you. She lays everything out quite plainly. Believe me, your services will not be needed unless there’s a worst-case scenario. The ball is safe with us.”
Enrique scoffed. “Ha. Are you going to try and shut me away too?”
“We’re—we’re meeting King Malgus?” Cecelia squeaked, brushing her hair with a hasty hand. “Oh no, I had no idea.”
The general turned to them. His warm, grinning demeanor couldn’t quite hide the piercing gaze that he fixed the two with. “I want to make sure. Are you truly prepared to do this?”
Cecelia gave a determined nod. “I can help if anyone gets hurt. I’m training to be a healer. A doctor, in fact.”
Enrique did the same. “I’m going to be useful to your team. I can’t have someone holding my hand and forcing me into whatever they want.”
Richard’s smile faltered. “I overheard your conversation. Do you suspect recent events may have triggered that decision?”
“Yeah, because Al—” He almost blurted out about Alicia running off, but clamped his mouth shut.
Was this really a good time to be talking about a missing cat girl? It would make him look bad if he pulled a general’s attention away from an urgent military effort, to talk about some runaway. It would confuse the daylights out of Cecelia, too. “Allblades,” he managed to say instead. “She was worried when mentioning him.”
Close enough.
Richard gave a heavy sigh. “Your partner will be hurt when she learns you’re here. If you are injured or killed, she’ll carry that burden the rest of her life. She’s trying to stop you to protect herself, in a way.”
“Partner?...Oh.” Cecelia’s eyes grew wide as she understood.
The general straightened. He recovered his confident mood. “Not to worry, Rea and I will take care of all the threats! I’d rather die than allow any citizen to take up such wearying responsibilities!”
Raising a fist high, he bared his teeth in a grin of challenge at the two. “Strive to catch up before I finish all the action myself!”
Enrique pulled up his mage hat. “I will, believe me.”
“Ha!” Richard chuckled. “You’re quite young—”
“And I won’t have anyone talking me down!” He looked the lion man in the eye.
“Enrique, that’s guy’s the general of the entire army,” Cecelia whispered, worry on her face.
Richard, however, was not offended. If anything, his smile widened. “That’s the spirit! A true hero speaks his mind and doesn’t let anyone stop him! Hearing you fills me with righteous fire!”
An invisible pressure pulsed out of the lion man. Whoa, Enrique thought. He moved several steps away. My whole body’s vibrating. Is that the strength of a Hero? A pleasing tingle and warmth filled him.
As their feet tapped on the floor, Richard’s steps seemed to quake their very surroundings. The imposing lion man trembled with visible excitement. “Yes! You’re exactly who I need! With your help, I’ll crush any enemies who dare harm the kingdom, whether that’s an assassin or a hundred men!”
“Not if I take care of them first!” Enrique declared. The fact Richard wasn’t stopping him, but encouraging him, made a small smile creep up his face.
Richard roared with a grin, “Then let’s bet! Whoever can evacuate the most attendees, owes the other a hot meal!”
“Oh, you’re on!” Enrique couldn’t help but be inflamed as he pumped a fist. The general’s competitive spirit was infectious.
Richard halted as they entered a marble hall. The king stood with his back to them, crowned in a decorated gold suit and a sheathed longsword. He was speaking to a woman in a violet-red outfit with the purple horns, wings, and tail of a dragon.
Malgus turned, surprise in his hard eyes as he spotted Enrique. “You came. I wasn’t certain you would.”
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Cecelia gave a deep bow. “Your Majesty.” She bowed as well to the dragon woman next to the king. “Puri the First, His Majesty’s other half.”
Enrique quickly followed her lead. “At your service, sir.”
Richard introduced the two formally with a sweep of a hand. “Your Highness, Enrique, a mage with potential like Aurelius before him, and Cecelia, one of your citizens.”
“Thank you, General. You may leave.”
King Malgus rubbed his forehead. “I hope to heavens none of this is necessary, but let’s get to it. Since you’re volunteering to help, I would like you to accept a role as an adventurer. That way, you can receive the same info and rewards offered to other adventurers, who have accepted a bounty Queen Isandril and I posted earlier for securing the ball.”
Enrique furrowed his brows. “You want me to become an adventurer?”
The dragon woman Puri spoke up in a soothing manner. “We want to ensure you are paid properly for any services rendered. Simply select your partner’s profile and tap on the section describing her roles. You will notice a variety of options you can choose from.”
The king nodded. “And what is your reason for bringing Cecelia here with you?”
Cecelia stiffened upon hearing her name, her tail swishing with nervousness.
“We used the Partner Swap update I saw from the System,” Enrique explained quickly. He pulled out his phone to see Vi’s profile pop up.
The king and his partner exchanged a glance of surprise. “That’s good, it’s working as intended,” the king murmured to her.
Vivian Azurelane
…
Enrique scanned her profile menu’s buttons. He tapped the blue rounded “Role”.
Roles: Waitress. Maid
He tapped again. A dizzying list of texts to select from popped up, along with a short description in a sidebar. Adventurer, Healer, Crafter, Potion Maker… There was also a choice for a custom role, he assumed, based on a small “custom” button and keyboard icon.
The “adventurer” role was one of the first texts to display. He raised a finger, but paused as it hovered over the role.
“Does Vi not get any say in this? She’ll become an adventurer too, won’t she?”
The king’s dragon partner spoke softly. “Yes. I assume she has told you, but Aurelius chose to be an adventurer, and then when he reached the top-thousand ranking he became a Hero.” She lowered her eyes to the floor. “Please be aware, when that happened we all knew his days were numbered—”
“Puri.” King Malgus shot the dragon woman a stern glare. “Enough of that. This choice is Enrique’s to make. Not yours, or mine, or his partner’s. His, and his alone.”
“But Vi—”
“Azurelane knows and accepts the cost of sacrificing for the kingdom.” The king was stern. “She has done so in my father’s time and for millenia. Also, she seems to have disregarded her partner’s will herself.” He shot Enrique an appraising eye, noting his conflicted but still slightly simmering gaze.
Puri nodded slowly, and then regarded Cecelia and Enrique kindly. “At least it’s nothing to worry about right now. A rule of the System is you can change your role if need be. After the ball, you could even remove your adventurer position.”
“That’s true.” King Malgus stared at Enrique with unwavering dark eyes. “This is a way to benefit you. Of course, you and Cecelia are free to enjoy the ball at my expense. If you refuse, I will not hold it against you.”
You won’t? Surely Malgus had an interest in pushing him to aid in the ball. Enrique considered. It wasn’t like the king had the time or energy to retaliate if he refused. His Majesty had thousands of adventurers already, who likely refused certain missions for one reason or another. As for switching roles, even though Enrique was more suspicious of the two after the hot springs ordeal, them lying would be a breach of public trust and Cecelia was listening next to him.
He did feel a little bad about Vi. But he had come all this way, and he darn well wasn’t going to work for free if he could help it.
Cecelia peered at Enrique with her grayish eyes, uncertain. “Are you sure about this? I wouldn’t mind taking a temporary role, but, ehm…” She put a hand to her mouth as she thought. “I feel like whatever’s being talked about between you and His Majesty and Queen Puri has a bit of a weight, huh? Like there can be a big impact on you and Vi. I don’t completely understand. I’ll go with whatever you think’s good.”
Enrique clenched his teeth. He did have a sense he was teetering off the edge of some mountain, taking a first step down a rocky, teetering crag. It’s temporary. Doesn’t matter. He let his anger push him through. “Vi didn’t ask for my permission. I don’t need hers.”
He tapped on the text. A small beep sounded in confirmation.
Roles: Waitress. Maid. Adventurer.
A brief, relieved smile of satisfaction flashed across King Malgus’s face. “I’m pleased. Thank you.”
King Malgus turned with a swish of his heels and Puri walked with him. “We’ll meet soon, I imagine. Unless disaster comes, I wish you two a good time at our ball.”