COI C62
“. . . It’s alright, I’ll tell them . . . they will understand. You could at least . . . ok, fine. I hope you are going to be early to enter the sphere. We might be joining you as well with other plans in mind, Sigh*”
“Is Andui is going to join us or not?”
“Sorry Siren, she has better finish that sphere first”
“And I thought I could make a cheer up party. You guys are working hard facing a real demon in a simulator”
They are going to have karaoke party somewhere in the Mihayara district where they need to load off from that incident. Realizing they were wasting time like most demons would. They are hardly examined who was that demon was, Thean said it acts far too sympathetic, and that virtue doesn’t exist among demons.
O2 and Alche joined their party to relief the stress in their heads. So far most of them become lightheaded by the mundane special effects for how many hours they are inside the sphere. The dream put their bodies in numb, they soon understand that the Fictitious Dreams is more an actual mental realm. The actual dream shouldn’t keep any living soul existing there, leaving strange feeling about. This time, it isn’t the time to think about it and they are going to have fun for the night. Iggy took the first mic and starts the first song. Altogether, except for Andui, keep on partying.
Andui didn’t use her magic to teleport there or anything what the city provided a more convenient way of travelling. She sits inside the train where it is getting cheaper, the signs of getting close are near, and will be replaced by new models of transportation within the next year. While she wondered what is going to happen to the rest of the city’s transformation, that the city still doesn’t have the resources yet to develop it. The plan is there, and who will going to supply such rare minerals. She opens her social media and passes the time as she travels to Stranding Island.
“Hey, I don’t remember a girl like you would leave such a lonesome road out there”
Siren sends her a message within their personal chat. Andui was a bit happy that she commented her. At the same time, a bit flustered what she is about to do. She knows Siren and she won’t be silent without some support. Scrolling up at her chat, there is a list of recommended songs that Siren sent to her. Everything from good selections to the upright really good oldies songs, then she plays some.
Bringing her earphones from her inventory, she listens the songs while she is replying to her.
“Not everything is about doing the impossible, besides, mine can be easily solved. I was just not ready for it”
“Posting a song* . . . In case it was a love song, why not having some nostalgic music”
“!!! . . . This song is a bit . . . Wait a minute!? This video supposed to be banned as copyright”
“They recovered it in the internet archive, and you can’t believe how much piracies are bringing back since the day on the internet. . . Oh there is one time in the internet community is rounding up cash to restore the corrupted files from malware to viruses . . .”
The internet’s copyright system seems to be removed during their time here. Ironically the payment become limited because of the new technology for preventing “international” market, Andui wanted to thank to Siren for helping her to cheer up. She is starting to learn that the city is getting improved, and more news that the crime is getting lower by the help of other cities. Especially their controversial servicemen, Andui is trying to forget Haw was a part of that. Now it pops it back up again and wishes she couldn’t remind her how he did. Nonetheless, she was hoping he saved someone like them.
Another text received, and it was Haw. Andui rushed her goodbyes to Siren, and she response with a comment and a grinning emoji.
“Sure . . .”
Andui smiles and almost start to giggle inside the train. She turns to Haw’s chat, and she starts to get airheaded again.
“You are already passed the station”
She turns and looks at the window, and she is now heading to the forest plantation. Using her senses where Haw was, like the rest of her three friends, it is a special bond they could trace each other. Haw was at the train station, and she missed the stop.
Going to a full circle or just using her magic to go there. She had to take a ride instead back to where she needs to go. She won’t be facing him with the expression she had now. Feeling a bit embarrassed during this moment, it made her a bit anxious of going back. After taking the next train back, she meets that looks identical to the other Enders. By the look of him, he is definitely the famed rat. Myrrkei is taking the train while carrying papers with him.
Haw is waiting for her. She finally made it, after continuing to sense her as before. After texting her, that when the connection is lost. Not really going to understand why, but she seems a bit flustered than he hardly imagined. Coming out from the other side of the train, Myrrkei appeared and sees Haw. He walks to him where the only exit in this station. Andui finds Haw again and ask him.
“Oh yeah, you were part of the group that came here, right?”
“What are you on about? . . .”
Myrrkei sees Haw is with a woman, not those two girls who were kept pestering them during the other days of the night patrol or was it in training. He can’t remember the detail except the first and final night patrol. It was too soon for him to leave his group of his new reassignment. Respecting for each other’s personal interest, but why she is here. They already left and heading to the ferry, he didn’t know what’s going on but if they are going to have a chat with that dwarf alongside with the fireplace. Myrrkei is expecting that there’s a drink.
Andui sees the island as it still progressing, for the last few months in their construction. It should have been finished, the Agatheans managed to build the foundation less than a week with their magic tools and dwarven labor. Until now it is still building, Andui asks him
“It is still under construction, huh?”
“You could say that, but this is the embassy from what I heard, there is something of a need of fortification than what I’ve learn”
“What else they need to build then?”
“I heard from the goblins, and they mention about separating the ties with the Agatheans for once” “Hmm?”
Andui walks alongside with him hearing more and eavesdropping from the passerby. The loudmouth goblins spring into action hearing such detail of mocking the Agatheans to finally have an independent with no strings attached.
“The only independent city was Purissarwell, I have no idea that this place will become like that”
“Yeah, the no demons allowed feel like joke to me”
“Laugh* It still a bother, the Lady allowed that”
“Don’t try to question that demoness, her life exceeds ours and only the dwarves and Elves witness their intention”
The goblins were easily heard around the path they took, the other race such as are dwarves and humans, who are keeping their voices down, and made Andui curious on this matter.
“What are they talking about?”
“Issues about demons, influencing them for being there”
“Oh, I was wondering if you guys know about demons”
“We have, but it is too complicated. Anyway, from what you message me earlier, is it necessary to talk about it tonight?”
“I am already here Haw, and it is something we could handle the sphere properly”
“I still don’t know why they approved your involvement with the sphere”
The construction continues and other parts of the buildings have already finished the lower floors, while the upper floors are starting to get more complicated as it connects the other structures. Rusic recognized the woman where he already readies his keg, and there is also someone is coming behind them.
“Oho, I would never think that you could joined tonight’s rounds. Ironno and U’ecin are out there patrolling the city, I heard they doing some police works. How about you Myrrkei? What’s with the papers?”
Andui and Haw turns around where Myrrkei is right behind them, without knowing or how long he was there.
“There is nothing really special, these documents are from the reports they mention. If any of us here know rebellion’s strategies and tricks, then I might find someone who can. This coincidence in time really makes me wonder how we all are doing collaboration a bit too much lately”
“That’s for you to know, your position has more responsibilities than Ironno and Haw finding recruits here. Besides, you were the one who got caught up this criminal organization thing. Made me question that you are using us to get through their suspicions”
They were taken inside the building, seeing the ground floor getting lively where their stuffs are around the corners. Surprisingly, Andui looks at the room to be neatly, while she is looking, there is a drawing on the wall. Through her curious eyes, she asks someone about it.
“That drawing, what is it?”
Myrrkei sees at the wall and starts to worry, but he admired that kind of daring act.
“If you don’t know, it can let you talk to people from Enders Bridge. Unlikely to be the same from your devices, it requires our own mana. Remember, it is expensive to us”
“It would be possible if someone from my city would help you out”
“A splendid idea, if you overload the drawings. I have my time experimenting your mana to ours. It surprises me that neither mastered nor knowledgeable from your use of mana, I heard that your teachers didn’t know such potential”
Andui hears his sarcasm as it gets awkward “You’re right, we never use our mana properly”
“After asking so many people about, I will say this again to you, why didn’t you continue to learn to control your powers”
It is Andui’s first time someone critique their powers, it is reasonable, she has experienced it. It was a mistake of thinking they can surpass this world’s apocalyptic world. They faced the consequence when their mana was taken away. And then, they didn’t continue to learn more about control later on.
“I guess they fear our powers”
“Same as the others who answered that, I may think differently on the sort”
The wall of the drawings starts flashing out of nowhere, and Andui didn’t see it as Myrrkei saw it. Timely being said, no need to argue, but his self-esteem grew bitter when the moon will arrive.
Haw sees the drawing reacting and says to her
“We have a visitor tonight, Andui. You probably are getting lucky”
“Lucky? I just got here, and I thought I’m interrupting your time. Did someone get invited besides me?”
Myrrkei never ceased to be amaze himself how the timing really made sense of her arrival. It is also a sign of danger. The visitor is here through the magic drawing. Then must mean . . . Myrrkei can’t sense magic, but it reacted to anyone’s notice. Haw might know the art, but the glow already means magic is used. It is something that Myrrkei always admired simple magic.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
A knock from the door, where Rusic should be outside. Someone is there, and he didn’t even say a word who comes here. Haw opens the door and sees another Enders. Andui sees for the first time in person, An Enders woman from what she saw, and the woman wore the same clothes within the city but with the same color patterns from Enders. Haw was a bit skeptic of her appearance
“How . . .? No, how did you managed to get in from the barrier?”
“There is no barrier here Haw, and you should remember that this island had its own magic here. You think that this place can be reach here”
Andui understands what Haw said to her. There is no way that anyone who gets in without a proper ID, even when the lockdown is lifted, it helps them protect from foreign attackers who are smuggled in. The woman sees someone is here
“Oh my, someone from the city. Pardon me, let me introduce myself. I’m Sanquin Briannca”
“Hi, I’m Andui. Just my other name”
Both of them shakes their hands, and Andui felt a bit of mana from her. It felt like Sanquin is identifying her. Myrrkei wasn’t expect this meeting to have happen, and not knowing what Sanquin’s true impression lies within her professional face.
They go out and sees Rusic was not here, then later he comes back with her luggage and more.
“Don’t ask how she got here, or we won’t be tasting this keg or two”
Myrrkei wasn’t astounded by his respond. A dwarf gets bribed, the only proof is it true that he had to say it to himself.
“I trust her until the kegs are empty, laugh*”
“Are you really going to open my gifts that quickly? Such childish patience”
“I am, your gifts are worth not sharing people around this place”
“I am talking with my guild members here”
Rusic acted bravely when facing this woman, the two Raker Mawns were impressed how this dwarf is so confident.
Rusic already had his runes equip, going to get her things including his, and much more having these kegs to shower the songs of their night. Andui giggles thought it was some childish quarrels, as the two sees Andui remained calm and happy about it. Sanquin have conserve and hidden her power. Rusic quickly headed out to the kitchen and prepared the meals from Sanquin’s luggage. Leaving them having a chat to Andui, pestering her bit more for the reason why she needs to talk to here in all places. Sanquin made the first move.
“So . . . this is Haw’s favors. I’m don’t why he took him so much time helping you for the last few months. It is almost the end of the first cycle”
“First cycle?”
Myrrkei answered for her “It means Alga’s light entered this region, calling it the first moon touched after the new year”
“Oh, I didn’t know”
Sanquin again said to her “Not now with the trivia stuff, I want to know what you were going to ask him for”
Andui straight out giving the details about the sphere, coming from his notes, and said it was meant to fully learn the simulation of the natural world.
On the other tales from the City Guild, Myrrkei added to the relation between her sphere and the guild’s
“That’s a lot have happened just to make the sphere to function again. Sanquin, you know about this back in the guild, right?”
“We are the senders, not the users. Then again, the other sphere giving to the guild had different purpose. The Guildmasters were not too happy about training along with them”
Andui heard her “Training? Haw, you went there before. Is there something they did?”
Haw only gives little “I have, they are indeed inside that sphere. But my friends told me that place for training”
Sanquin heard her that many former adventurers, either failed or quit because of the risks they need to learn, but now they are now capable to experience to survive during that matter. It is still incomplete though, and they are only facing people among people not the nature from what this region can hold. Sticking all both sides, she expects that the sphere from her school can share with the others. Maybe it’s not yet ready to spread further.
Rusic bursts open the door and brought the cuisines brought by Sanquin. All collections mostly seafoods and other aromas making it smell sweet. Sanquin brought meals that fits for the luxurious taste, Andui couldn’t help to feel hungry. Sanquin later uses her magic to raise from the pavement, cleanse away the dirt and turned into tables as it floats. Andui notices the amount of magic she is using. She turns to them as they always complained about wasting magic.
“You told me that we are wasting our mana, but she did it too”
Haw turns to her not realizing that she can’t sense Sanquin.
“You’re a mana user, I thought you can sense her magic”
“Magic? No wait, that’s good point”
She turns to Sanquin, Andui sees a seal to hide Sanquin’s mana. Sanquin moves her fingers slowly in motion, covered the open area to become invisible. The people who see the magic coming by from there disappeared and covered with empty view. They still sense the magic, and the scent that almost pulled them there were gone. Sanquin is having fun with all the teasing to the out lookers around them.
They feast, and Rusic begins his journey of stories. The main topic for today on his rant tempted Andui’s ears.
“Say lass, do you want to know who this woman visiting us, tonight?”
Myrrkei interrupts “Are you really need to . . .”
Andui quickly answered, yes “I’ve been talking to her about Haw’s involvement. I want to know about her, Ms. Briannca, care to share?”
Sanquin smiles at herself being the center of attention, she enjoys better when someone else’s talk about her.
“Let Rusic talk about me, he can make it more in tales under few exaggeration”
Rusic gulps down his first Jug, literally “Listen to that lass, she knows when to hide her face in front of you”
After saying that, Rusic says about Sanquin, nonetheless. Andui gives a refreshing breath as she takes her first taste from Sanquin’s drinks. The strange smell coming from the alcoholic beverages, even it is warmed but pleasing to both taste and smell? Clearly her mind is so mix by such unique mixture of both. Taste nearly like juice but drunkenness kicks too fast from her quenching gulps.
“Ah, strangely satisfying”
“I like how you are getting confused over something you drink”
Sanquin gives a happy expression for her to drink her customs.
Rusic begins his tales
“Quiet down now, this story we are going to tell the she witch. Sanquin Briannca . . .”
Andui chokes on her drink where the dwarf said something offensive. Haw helps her out and try to listen why.
“. . . Sanquin, the only handful of demons without an ambition to the newcomers. Walks forth after the switch, the heavenly demon was it called, allowed to meet the overpowering people in Isekai City. The saboteur of against its kind and teacher of the hunt for magic. Already giving her ways the secrets of many lives. Now today, she is here to continue her business . . .”
Sanquin sees Andui look differently but couldn’t believe it. She moves the glass to Andui and sees the reflection from the drink. The warmed mist coming from the glass as the drink rose up and sees the reflection only a spare view of her magic emerging. Playing along with those glowing eyes that most citizens love to do, her eyes glow too dim than the brightness of the others. Andui sensed its powerful gaze by only the vapor and moistness coming from the heated drink. Sanquin pulls it back to her hands and continue to drink and listen Rusic’s story.
“. . . A woman not from here, and legends of her remained its eternal body. Cared not to witness the world fell slowly as she never aged. Sadly, her kinds never come back after the great depressing era, you know her tales from the beginning of my tales and the purpose of their visit here. Now here, her patience is dearly respected and now play her game again. The demoness is patience and her timely visit to the past demon . . .”
Andui remained in disbelief and Rusic continued on more and more about her past. To the point of getting into slur words where the drinks were slowly fused by her magic. She was in control of the drinks and others trusted her magic alcohol through her.
Andui leans back to Haw, almost sharing the same amount of alcohol and the demon intensify the magic potent to her own choosing. Drunken after few, and already weakens like new ones. She loves her way to her drinks. Lowly drunken by Andui’s expression, her drunken tone was intoxicated, and her body remained clean by it. Myrrkei and Haw couldn’t understand her doing it, but Sanquin’s magic already speaking to her.
“Back to the point about Haw’s involvement, tell me about your experience”
Andui quickly blurted out from the intoxication. Speeding up her drunken words to the pointed she needed to hear. The progress they made it this far.
Andui spoke what she wanted. Teary eyes randomly shown, Sanquin skips the emotional tones to the enraging ones. She dared to make swift and was happy to the next of the story.
“Those two demons, Acurse and the one that Quail brought, they made a fool out of us and make us do things like we were children, Sob*, they show us so slowly and it was too impossible to beat them both”
“Yeah, it is true and be warned that once those landmarks are being interfered. No facts can’t be compared now, no demons such as us weren’t playing around and make you leave after. That time should have your soul being stolen already”
“Yike!”
Myrrkei and Haw heard them talk about something, too drunk or Sanquin makes her drunk faster. Andui starts to get clingy and hugs Haw like she keeps calling him Siren to sing her a song. Haw turns to him for help. Myrrkei shows his answer and said to Rusic.
“Rusic!”
“Yeah, the drink is randomly putting me on edge . . . One other thing . . . what?”
“Haw needs help”
Andui continue to murmur to Haw. “It keeps ringing on my head, someone turn up a song for me”
“Well, the lass wants a song . . .”
Rusic preparing his voice once he raised his up to sing, he fell down the ground without breaking his jug. Then raised to his mouth to drink.
Myrrkei checks on him, and Haw continue to let Andui holds him. Starting to get hazier even he didn’t drink more yet, Sanquin plays around with them. Having fun in her own way, she asks Haw.
“Why not sing to her? Manwhore”
She restored only his throat for some reason as her magic chose. The drinks only effect for a few hours or a good sleep. For the sake of Andui stops pestering him on how much she drank or affected by Sanquin’s magic drink. He sings, the charming voice coming to her ears, can’t be translated nor recognize of the rhythm of the acapella.
Andui sobered up when Sanquin restored her senses back. A little drunk but she heard such a pleasant voice, and she didn’t know Haw can sing like that. Andui felt being caressed by his arms to stops her pestering him. She wants to break this moment, but it feels so natural to her. Haw being hazed, couldn’t see properly how Andui was sobering up. Hearing still the drunken voice around him, Sanquin moves closer to Andui and said to her distinctively.
“You made this far, better show your resolves”
Andui regained her drunken body and again couldn’t break his caring arms. She felt awkward now that all these moody moments were Sanquin’s doing.
It wasn’t to be like this, she wanted to talk to him. After a few drinks after, Sanquin breaks away the game to Andui and Haw.
“Return back when her purpose is done, the next session of drinking will be more pleasant. If you know what I mean”
Sanquin goes to Myrrkei who is opening up the documents to show her. Both Andui and Haw went back to the building to finish first what they are trying to talk about. Andui got distracted by so many things tonight. Even her talk to Sanquin in such a drunken state, she couldn’t remember what she said to her. It makes her a bit nervous.
“The night gets a bit daring tonight”
“Uh yeah, Haw, will she be doing that thing?”
“She will not, but she is intrigued from what I heard. Now, about the sphere”
“Yeah that! The problems we have now is that the orb relies on focus mind to control the landmark”
“And the problem that the dream deluded your mind and make it difficult”
“You already know that?”
“We were planning which of us going there with already resolved”
“Then who will be that be?”
“For us, none, but there is a goblin who we are eyeing on”
“Wait!? You guys couldn’t do it?”
“We have secrets that won’t be normal to the head. Our fears and doubts are already move on, but there are demons will come by as the last resort”
“That might happen to Quail, the demon appeared before her and . . .”
“That won’t be that possible, after the second landmark destroyed. No lore will ever comprehend, it must be the created replicas, they respond their true doubles calling out to them”
“Oh”
Andui held her own hands tightly and says to him what she is planning on to do. “Then would it be possible for me to get into the sphere alone and take control of the landmark”
“You can, there is no other protection left except attacking your mind”
“It’s true, the thing is that the nightmare is trying to hit me is. . .”
She stops for a bit and feel a bit too one sided, the moments they have together are too short and the events they have left her a bigger impact than how she truly feels. Haw waits for her and showing no worries but only confident that he would listen.
“. . . I . . .”
Haw kept staring at her breathing calmly, her senses grew wilder, and her hearts start beating anxiously. The drink still active within her and hear a soft whisper to her head. Sanquin’s voice is there and engulf her intoxication to have to say it now.
“I’m in love with you”
Tears grew wildly and Haw shows unbearable grief. Andui sees him looks so regret that she never seen before. The once cool headed and mysterious expression, she thought of him have washed away such a pathetic expression he shows.
His response remained calm, but his face is not.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t say anything about that. I honestly . . .”
The moment of silence of him trying to make it ease the emotional moment for her. The nightmare was the temptation of lust on her head and the one-sided emotion burst deep into her heart. Secretly she has feelings for him after he saved her and her friends, and the things he did to help was fantasized by her own imagination. That sphere reopening it after that incident, and many times she sees him with two girls. That moment is how she makes her lose her mind over it.
If she had to deal with it quickly even her emotions were forced like this, even her own personal needs turn to a lie. At least his honest words put her at ease and scaring the hopes of herself to have come true. But Haw shows partially that, and only his voice is left to made her believed of everything what she is now. Haw continues
“You chose yourself to be the one to control the landmark. I honestly won’t let you stay in this world because how much you bear weren’t strong enough to see the truth. Either I can’t say to you that might hurt you personally or your wishes to leave this world that contradicts your feelings for me. I admired your dedication, Andui. Stay strong, I’m still the person who help you and your friends”
Andui looks up slowly when she sees his face looking numb than she could ever witness in her life. He can’t show his remorse or even slight tear in his eyes, yet she senses him through her traits. The instinct and the emotion should have emitted within their auras, while his is being concealed. He has his own secrets, and it would be damaging to bring it back. Now is the scene put to reverse, Andui starts to worry for him, and the saddest part of it all, there is something wrong with Haw’s head. Andui comes to him and give him a hug.
She didn’t know what to say, but this is what she always being treated most of her life in Horsin. Everyone always comforting her, Siren, Reya, and the most back patting Coral. They made her to be at ease like this. On this moment, her resolved grew inside her head. While Haw keeps his silence where the mood was destroyed by the sound of the demon coming through the drinks they drank. Sanquin is respectable on having privacy, but an exception occurs when she met this man.
“I still keep my eyes on you manwhore, and I don’t even let you give you a time of day to have peaceful thoughts with every woman you meet. I let you be because the other girls know about you in Enders Bridge, but I met you in Mountaiwall. Such a young child to be raised to please the desire, and how much of a young consort you were. You’re 24 years old now, or that’s what the fraudulent did to your identity. Rest assured you, that I’ll be the one who will truly judge you. Not by them nor those fanatics who believe in repentance”
Haw let this moment continue. Andui was offered a room where Sanquin will be staying. No magic rooms installed and only just a simple temporary room for her. Andui won’t be able to come early to school after getting her belly being bulged.
“Thanks for the meals, I never eaten like that and most of all drinking something that has an aroma”
“There is nothing to thank about. You are the lucky one, if we stay awake like this and you know that I’m a demon in this human form. We could talk about demons”
“Oh, thank you so much”
On this night, Andui take a long night and learn about demons. Recorded through her device as she starts to see how impossible it will be when facing the 7 sins.