There was no place in the city large enough to host a feast for all its residents, so instead, the feast was split into different sections, each one taking one of the major streets leading to the castle. There was no longer any room to drive a cart, because there were thousands of tables and chairs all arranged in neat patterns in the streets. Elise was amazed that they had managed to accomplish such a feat in so little time. She had seen no evidence that any such thing was being prepared when she was there the day before.

Many of the nearest buildings to the feast had been converted into kitchens, and she could see smoke rising from the chimneys and could smell the food even from a hundred feet in the air.

Most of the dwarves were already seated, and when they started pointing up at her in the sky, Elise realized she had made a mistake. She was so used to flying high to stay out of reach and out of earshot that she hadn’t even considered how grand of an entrance that would make. It was too late to change her mind now though. She glanced around until she spotted Hallbjorn sitting at a higher table with most of his Councilors right in front of the castle gate. He waved to her and she flew down to meet him. She considered dropping some {Fairy Dust} on the heads of the dwarves below her, but was worried about some of the more suspicious dwarves reacting negatively, so she decided against it.

“Quite the entrance,” remarked Hallbjorn. “Here, I reserved this seat for you.”

He patted a cushioned chair on his left side. Johann was sitting on his right, looking at her with poorly-hidden mistrust. Elise set down on the stool, then turned to face the king.

“Should I switch to my dwarf form?” she asked, as quietly as she could.

“Whichever is more comfortable for you,” he said, beaming.

Elise hesitated for a moment, then transformed into her dwarf form. There was a ripple of gasping and whispering when she did this, and she saw Josef’s eyes threaten to pop out of his skull a bit further down the table. The whispering increased to muttering, which then increased to regular-volume talking, and a moment later, it felt like she was drowning in sound. Without her rabbit ears, she couldn’t pick out anything specific they were saying, but she doubted it was anything good.

Maybe that wasn’t a good idea.

She looked up to her right to see Hallbjorn staring at her, his mouth slightly ajar.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “You’re just younger than I thought you would be.”

“How old do I look?”

“Not more than 20. Only a couple years older than Johann…”

He glanced over at his son, who was also staring at Elise in surprise.

“No,” said Elise.

“No, what?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, now that the centerpiece is here, I believe it’s time we begin. No point in waiting when we’re all hungry.”

He stood up, which most of the dwarves didn’t notice, but then he tapped his crown, and a low rumble spread throughout the city bringing all conversations to a halt.

“I will keep this brief, because I know we all want to eat!” His voice didn’t sound amplified to Elise, but she could feel subtle waves of mana, and even the furthest dwarves seemed to be paying close attention. “Not only is the war over, but we are all alive to see its end. Not even in our most fantastic dreams did we imagine such a thing was possible.

“This peace was only possible due to the help of Elise, who is now sitting beside me. She did not know us. She had no reason to care for us. She was cursed at and despised by many of us throughout her stay. And yet, she still risked her life, and sustained injuries greater than almost all of us. Without her, we would still be fighting and dying from a war that none of us started.

“Such a great feat is worthy of some kind of reward. She saved countless lives, and with no expectation of any benefit. I spent many hours thinking about what the perfect reward would be, until I stumbled across something in the treasury that I had forgotten existed. I knew there would be no better gift to our savior.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an unassuming metal chain necklace. “Elise, for your bravery and sacrifice, and for saving the lives of my people, I present to you, Astrid’s Star!”

There was a collective gasp from the dwarven crowd, followed by intense muttering. Elise looked nervously at them, then back up at Hallbjorn, who was smiling and holding the necklace up. Elise realized that he wanted to present it to her properly, so she quickly got out of her seat, and stood facing him. He lowered the necklace down over her head slowly until it was around her neck, and Elise flipped her hair out from underneath it.

The metal chain felt cool against her skin, and a bit heavier than she expected, but otherwise, nothing happened. She could sense the faintest of mana within it, but it was so minute that she had no clue what it was doing.

“Now, without further ado, let’s begin the feast,” said Hallbjorn, turning back to the people. “Bring out the food!”

The dwarves all cheered, but Elise thought it sounded a bit subdued, and she could still feel hundreds, if not thousands of pairs of eyes pointed at her. She sat down as graciously as she could while Hallbjorn did the same, and dwarves carrying plates of food came rushing out of the nearby buildings.

“So, I’m sure you’ll be wanting an explanation,” said Hallbjorn, his eyes pointed at her neck.

“Yes, please,” said Elise. “What is Astrid’s Star? It seems like a big deal.”

“That’s because it is,” he replied. “Astrid’s Star is a relic from ancient times, before Old Dokkalfheimr was founded, and before the gods even gifted us the System.”

“Before the System?”

Elise had kind of accepted that the System was just a part of the world, but hearing that that was not always the case immediately made sense to her. She wondered how the evolution would have worked back then, if it worked at all, but she doubted she would get answers, right then.

“Yes, before the System,” Hallbjorn confirmed. “It was created using runesmithing techniques that have since been lost to time, and as far as we know, have yet to be replicated by the System. For this reason, it also does not play well with the System. Appraisal techniques do not work properly on it. They can only see the value of the metalwork, but not the runes within.

“It is said to have been made with metal from a fallen star, and forged deep inside a volcano where the heat is too intense even for dragons. It’s supposedly indestructible, though of course we’ve never tested that. On top of not being able to be correctly appraised, it also has an unassuming appearance, meaning you can freely wear it in public and not risk being targeted because of it.”

“What can it do?” asked Elise.

“Within that necklace is an extra-dimensional space. You can store things inside it with just a thought. As long as you’re touching it, you can put it into the space within the necklace. Of course, there are limits. It can only hold about three dwarves. And that’s volume, mind you. You can put something big and wide and flat in, if you want.”

“I can put people in it?”

“Only if they wish to be put in it. Or if they are unconscious. Sleep doesn’t count. Anything inside is preserved in the exact state that it entered in, so if you put food inside, it will not spoil as long as it remains in the necklace. If you put a person inside, when they emerge, to them it will seem that no time has passed.

“There is a legend associated with the necklace involving that exact feature. The legendary warrior king Sindri, for whom Royal Guard Captain Sindri is named, loved his wife Astrid very much. However, she was kidnapped by a Demon King. Sindri was confident that he could fight his way into the demon’s lair to his wife, but he had no way to bring her out safely, which is why the Demon King assumed he was safe. Sindri had his best craftsman work for two months straight with no rest until Astrid’s Star was complete. Sindri broke into the castle, and once Astrid was safe within the necklace, he razed the castle to the ground. The necklace was given to her as a gift afterward.”

“That’s… incredible,” said Elise. “How do I use it?”

“It’s simple,” said Hallbjorn. “But be careful. I put a little something extra inside to help you out, so don’t take it out here. All you have to do is imagine things entering or leaving the necklace, and they will do so. You can also focus on it and see what is currently inside it.” He picked up a fork from the table. “Why don’t you try it with this?”

Elise took the fork from him, and imagined it going inside the necklace. The fork vanished immediately, and she blinked in surprise. She focused on the necklace like he told her, and suddenly, she felt like her awareness was sucked inside it. It was similar to her mana meditation, but instantaneous, and rather than feeling mana, she was feeling physical objects.

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In addition to the fork she had just sent inside, there were a few hundred gold coins, a cloak, a sword, a knife, and a few other various tools. None of them seemed particularly special, but they all seemed well-made and useful.

“Wow,” she said, pulling herself out of the necklace.

“If you want to take it out, just imagine it appearing somewhere within arm’s reach. You can’t make it appear inside of something else, and you have to be able to see it when it emerges.”

Elise looked at the table, and a moment later, the fork was right back where it had been before Hallbjorn picked it up.

“Like I said, simple, right?” he said, smiling.

“Hallbjorn, I- I don’t know if I can take something like this,” she said.

“Among dwarves, it’s considered rude to turn down a gift. And it’s especially rude to reject a gift from a king.”

Elise couldn’t remember ever learning anything like that when Greta was teaching her about Dwarven culture.

“But it seems so valuable,” said Elise. “And it has so much history.”

“Aye,” agreed Hallbjorn. “That’s why I’m giving it to you. I’m a king. I live with my people. As valuable as it is, what use do I have for something like that? It’s been collecting dust in storage for centuries, and it will continue to do so even after we reach the surface. This is an item that needs to travel to see its full worth, and it won’t do any of that if I keep it. You’ll use it better than I ever could.”

“But what if someone gets a disease or injury that can’t be treated immediately, and you need this to get them to safety without worsening it?”

“You’re far more likely to encounter a situation like that than I am.”

“You could give it to a healer, or one of your warriors.”

“And when would they use it? If a healer can’t save them without the necklace, using the necklace will only be delaying the inevitable. And I don’t plan on getting into any more wars any time soon. It would just be collecting dust on someone’s neck instead of in storage. You are going to get more use out of it than I will. Now stop protesting and just take it.”

“But-”

“No more buts. I won’t hear them. Astrid’s Star is yours and that’s that.”

Elise hesitated. “Thank you.”

“Good,” said Hallbjorn, nodding. “Now, we’ve wasted enough time. Let’s eat.”

While they talked, a server had laid out trays piled high with steaming food in front of them. There was a special mushroom dish right in front of Elise, but she found her eyes wandering toward the meat dishes.

System, can Lesser Rabbit Changelings eat meat?

“Lesser Rabbit Changelings cannot metabolize meat. However, if they are in another form their dietary restrictions will be the same as that which they are mimicking.”

What happens to the food that’s in the middle of being digested when I transform back?

“Sorry. You don’t have access to that information.”

That was an unfortunate mystery, and Elise had a feeling that finding out the answer the hard way wouldn’t be pleasant, but did that mean she was going to pass up on an opportunity to eat meat for the first time in months? Absolutely not! She reached over and helped herself to a large serving of whatever kind of meat was on the plate. It was cut into cubes and drenched in a sweet-smelling sauce whose scent she didn’t recognize. It tasted a bit like pork, but with a texture closer to beef, and the sauce tasted more or less like teriyaki. It was every bit as delicious as she hoped it would be.

Throughout the meal, there were always a few dozen pairs of eyes looking her direction, but with a stomach full of meat and a half hour of no one bothering her, she was in too good a mood to let that bring her down. Hallbjorn occasionally made a bit of small talk with her, but for the most part, both of them were too engrossed in their food to say much.

When she had finally eaten her fill, she leaned back in her chair and let out a satisfied sigh. She might regret eating so much meat when she transformed back, but for the time being, she was feeling good. She had prevented the war, and saved many lives. Even if it wasn’t all her work, Hallbjorn was right. It would have been impossible without her. Freddy and the rest of Ostra would still be a problem, but it seemed they had no intention of dealing with her at the moment, so she was safe.

She had finally gotten a humanoid form, though it wasn’t quite as good as she hoped it would be. There was still a long way to go before she was truly satisfied, but it was infinitely better than before. Between that and her freedom, she felt like she could go anywhere. First to Jelor to check in on the Grays, then somewhere else to continue leveling.

Back when she was first planning on leaving the dwarves, she was planning on leaving and heading south to the Jungle. That seemed as good a plan now as it did then, so she saw no reason to change it. After checking in with Sophie, it would be off to the Jungle until she had gotten as much as she could from there, and then… She would figure something out.

“So, are you going to be leaving now?” asked Hallbjorn, tearing her from her thoughts.

“Not yet,” she said. “I’m going to wait to see you get to the surface, then I’ll leave.”

He nodded. “Well, as I said before, if you need anything, feel free to ask.”

I won’t be asking for anything for a long time, thought Elise, fidgeting with her new necklace.

“Okay,” she said. “And if you need any help from me, you can feel free to ask me too.”

“I might have to take you up on that,” said Hallbjorn.

The rest of the feast went by without too much more of note. The alcohol had been brought out just after the food, so the dwarves were starting to get drunk, but the drunken antics didn’t extend quite to her. The Councilors held positions of respect and power, so they couldn’t be seen making drunken fools of themselves. Not until everyone else was already making drunken fools of themselves, at least, and Elise didn’t stick around long enough to see that.

She thanked Hallbjorn profusely for the meal and the reward, then stood up preparing to leave. Right before she was about to transform back, she realized that she had almost forgotten something important: Greta. She had known that the old woman was on a strict order for bed rest, and that she wasn’t able to attend the feast already, but she couldn’t just leave without greeting her at least.

She walked back from the table into the castle. The few guards who were still on duty eyed her warily, but Hallbjorn noticed what she was doing and made a motion at them, and they looked the other way.

Compared to the noise of the party outside, the inside of the castle felt eerily silent. The effect was amplified by the fact that she was still in her dwarf form, so she didn’t have the rabbit hearing she had become accustomed to. As she walked the familiar halls toward where Greta was staying, the only sounds she heard were the echoes of her own footsteps.

There was a lone guard standing outside and thankfully, it was someone she recognized. He was leaning on his spear looking bored, but when Elise approached, he stood up taller and gripped his weapon tighter.

“Who goes there?” asked Jonas.

“It’s me, Jonas.”

He squinted at her. “I don’t recognize you.”

“You guarded me for a month.”

He squinted harder. “Elise?”

“Yep.”

“But you were a rabbit.”

“I was. But…” she hesitated. “It was only because of a curse. It was finally broken, and I’ve returned to my true form.”

Why did I say that? She thought. I could have just told him the truth.

“Really?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “Sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I just evolved. I’m a changeling now.”

“I see,” he said warily. “And how do I know you’re telling the truth now.”

“I could transform back to show you, but I’d rather not. This skill has a long cooldown.”

“...Fine,” he said. “But I’m coming in with you. Don’t try anything funny.”

“I won’t.”

I probably could have convinced him if I tried harder.

What am I thinking?!

He opened the door, letting Elise see into the room. Kristofer was there again, as was a healer. Both had plates of food that seemed to have been taken from the feast, and were enjoying them in silence. Greta was asleep.

“Hello?” said Kristofer when she walked in. “Can we help you?”

“This is Elise,” said Jonas. “Or so she says. She says she’s a changeling now.”

“I am,” said Elise. “I can transform back to prove it, but the skill has a really long cooldown, and I want to stay in this form a bit longer.”

Kristofer looked at her for a few seconds, then nodded. “You have the same eyes. I believe you. Jonas, you can go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Jonas hesitated a moment longer, then walked out, closing the door softly behind him.

“How’s she doing?” asked Elise, glancing between Kristofer and the healer.

“...To be honest, not well,” said Kristofer.

“She has a week,” said the healer. “Give or take a day.”

“Is there no way to make that time longer?”

“None, I’m afraid,” said the healer.

Elise frowned and started fidgeting with her necklace. Then, she froze when she realized what she was fidgeting with.

“Can we wake her up?” she asked.

Kristofer glanced at the healer who shrugged. “Sure. It’s fine.”

Kristofer reached over and gently shook his mother’s shoulder. Greta stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She looked around the room in confusion before her eyes settled on Elise.

“Brat?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“Teacher,” said Elise. “You recognize me.”

“Of course I do! What kind of teacher doesn’t know their own student? Come over here!”

Elise walked over to the bed, the other dwarves eying her with suspicion. Greta shifted weakly in her bed, sitting up just a bit so she could get a better look. She squinted at Elise and made a face of disproval.

“Why do you look like that?” she asked.

“I’m a changeling now,” replied Elise. “I can transform into a dwarf.”

“I can see that,” said Greta. “Why do you look so old, Brat?”

“Old?”

“You look like you’re almost an adult. I thought you were younger.”

“...Sorry to disappoint you?”

“Hmph. What are you doing here? You have something to say? Here for another lesson?”

“I just wanted to see you,” said Elise. “It’s the day of the feast. The rest of the city is right outside the castle, celebrating the end of the war.”

“Was that today?” asked Greta. “Why aren’t you out there?”

“I already ate, and I wanted to see you.”

“Stop wasting your time. Go have fun.”

“I’m not wasting my time, and I already had fun.”

“Brat, do as your teacher says.”

“No,” said Elise. “I have something else I need to say to you. Hallbjorn gave me a gift- a reward. For stopping the war. Do you know about Astrid’s Star?”

“Of course I know about Astrid’s Star!”

“If you’d like, I can put you in it. That way, you can be sure to see the sun.”