-You have improved since last time. Said an expressionless Bea. Though she was using her mask, it was still obvious what was behind it.

"Yeah, I almost regret calling you because of that. How did you even saturate the area with mana? Was Beth watching that?"

-If you mean the homunculi, than yes, she's been watching after the first half. If that is all I shaw go back home. You have no more crippling injuries after all. She said and raised herself from the ground.

Aki wasn't looking much different than the day before when he took the backlash from Andrea's vow for her. Except the various cuts all over his body which made him look even more like meat that just got out of the grinder.

What? Did you think Mi was the only reason he so easily got pain resistance to the second stage?

"JUST YOU WAIT FOR MY PAY BACK! YOUR GONNA LOVE IT!" He had to spread his mental waves a lot for her to hear that since she had already teleported to the door, so it kind of sounded like he was screaming.

Technically because he was, but anyway.

-Does that normally happen? Asked the assassin.

-Yeah. He is a masochist, but I don't think that has much to do with that much pain happening. More like he is a training freak? We both like battling so I guess I can understand that much, but oh well… Shrugged Guilda.

-This experience was very informative, so I report. Said the still pale girl who had been training her biology itself, thing actually necessary to make her evolve.

You see, Beth is not a complete homunculi. That means she has a expiration date and won't be able to develop a proper conscience.

Luckily Aki knew how to, theoretically, fix that even before knowing Chris, because the creation of homunculi is a prohibited art. Frowned upon even more than necromancy.

So, later, everyone thought it strange that she sat on table. Andrea too was invited and no one asked anything, but it was strange that the silver haired girl wasn't served anything but water.

-I know you like to be mean, but is that necessary? Asked Guilda in english.

-She can't digest solid food and we can't have her vomit the other plates before her body starts to try to do so. She will only get served light soup and Andrea will get a lot of meat, while I will simply look like a bastard who has a strange taste. Answered Aki after gulping down.

The government couldn't legally nor illegally spy inside the house by magical means, but they could always have infiltrated spies with detached memories of a robbery.

Whatever happens to those already screened through is none of Cleo's business. More like she is too lazy to do something like that without compensation.

A scrooge to the bone, that woman.

It's true that it would be bothersome though.

One of the reasons why Aki, Andrea and Guilda are the only ones watching as Elizabeth is submerged in a pool of liquid silver with strange deformities here and there.

In case you actually didn't read it that far yet or simply didn't care to look for, this is a metal called soul silver.

Long story short, one of Aki's idols had large amounts of mana and a spell to make time go faster for materials, so he ended up infusing his elementarily saturated mana into the metal and started mass producing magic metals.

The concept is the same in the production of mithril, adamantite and orichalcum. With the exception that this metal has been infused with death saturated mana, not high density pure mana.

You change one component and instead of silver turning into mithril, it turns into soul silver. Truly chemistry I can actually understand.

When Aki introduced the concept to Cleo, she smacked her head and asked Chris why she never thought of that, to which her daughter politely answered:

-Mon is such an airhead that you probably just forgot about it after not having to use metals for some time. I always thought you knew though. With all the rare metals I keep using and such…

Them Aki teaches her death magic and she actually gave in to his request.

There's no actual point system or anything, she just decides on a whim what is worth what. Aki adding another interpretation of how she saw the multiverse, astral and elemental planes, besides some new ways to use magic, enchanting and alchemy, overall gave him more than enough to whimsically live the rest of his mortal life a hundred times over.

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That's how he got a poll to contain the metal, which normally enters the astral plane after forming, and such an amount of it.

It took some time and more expensive ingredients, but hey, that's one of the reasons why there's not many homunculi to begin with.

Now Beth is fine. May live a normal life if she wishes even, but right now she got to answer some questions from the five men legal team of mages.

With "now", I mean some hours after she got her soul stabilized and adjusted to her body.

Her stamina, health and mana are little. The frailty of her constitution is like that of a baby. The only good thing she has is the thinking capability of a autistic child with a drone like personality, and that is considering the fact she is five days old.

-As you can see, she is harmless and the samples I gave you should indicate the person behind this. Whoever is not staying to watch me may leave now.

The task force made to deal with such things didn't have anything to say, so all but one left in the base of determining the safety of keeping Elizabeth alive.

To make life from nothing is not possible. Even if Beth had a expiring date, she was still something made out of someone and a base code of characteristics.

Not that different from the undead in the sense that they are the same thing from before being raised, but still not. Just easier to explain.

According to investigations held by the government on her genetic material, she was a illegal slave brought in the country by a certain black company.

Yeah, magic could so easily help identify people if science is applied, I know, genius right?

Anyway, the records indicated that she had been acquired through flawed means by her most recent master half an year ago. After crossing the information with their data bank it was shown she most likely had been captured by said master in the middle of a conflict of the aforementioned company and an attack eam from the government.

While unusual, the more crafty type of individuals could acquire many things by making two forces clash, slaves included.

For those that have not yet guessed, Aki is very weary of such kind of people. In the sense that he'd prefer to test the waters for what there is them to charge with shallow to no information like he normally does.

He sent Andrea to scout ahead and stopped his training temporarily to look into the matter.

That's more serious than the hero of magic right now. It wasn't that he needed urgently to train for something, so of course he'd choose to use his time to actually think and prepare, because this person obviously didn't have good intentions from the very beginning.

It also showed the person had plans for him in the next six months in case of compliance. That's how long Beth would have to live in case she didn't pass through an existence evolution.

Which she did.

While I can't say shit about that right now, the geniuses should be able to take guesses on it already.

-Sir, I know it may be presumptuous of me, but I feel I should ask if you are not afraid? Said the man who was supposed to determine Aki's capability after they left the room Beth was resting.

-Of course I am afraid. I am a living person who has a target on his back and a charming neck, why wouldn't I be? You don't need to look like that. You know, there's this old saying from a far away country, "it doesn't matter if you are afraid, but what you do with it.". Imagine you're a little scary kid when you hear that from the mouth of a galant and kind warrior, wouldn't that change the way you do things? Said Aki.

While the real scene was much less inspiring because it was a goofy panda saying it, the dragon warrior doesn't get his awesomeness degraded by it.

C'mon, who didn't watch at least one DreamWorks movie while growing up? Or animated series?

Obviously this guy wouldn't know shit about Pho and started formulating his own story in his head like any other person would.

The people on the other side of the spying device all thought it was bullshit and some even questioned the more informed sages in position.

The hero of magic, let's just call him Ichi since that is his nickname, k? Ichi also explained that Aki had most likely just heard that from somewhere and told them a little about TVs.

What followed was the unknowing agent showing the inside of the mansion to the government, which allowed them to notice the place was an undercovered fortress.

-All the blind spots have obvious traps with a wide range and unknown effect, only the doors seem to not have some kind of mechanism, but from the rest that should be a feint. Said a magus with sweat on his forehead and bulging eyes.

-Don't let these looks fool you all, he could have just put down some useless magical structures and… Ichi tried to say, but…

The screams came first, them the shrieks and finally the sound of rapid moving contraptions. As Aki calmed the special agent he guided him to the kitchen, where they found a scared maid and a charred corpse.

-As you all can see, my house is heavily guarded at all times, but it also will not hurt my allies, now if you excuse me. Said the host to the people behind the screen before going to the shocked maid with tears in her eyes and saying some sweet words while guiding her to the infirmary.

-Young master, it is not necessary to personally oversee to the likes… tried to say the wobbly girl. She was pretty, sure, but was most definitely not a beauty and actually contracted because of her skills.

-You don't even know of what I am a "young master". Just think of it as a boss making sure his employees work correctly, and for that I will take you to the infirmary so you can take a nap and calm down. No one shaw do you wrong while under my protection, you hear? And he smiled sweetly at her.

The agent got the impression of a carrying person from this, he had plenty of work on determining lies after all. Even with his slight suspicion on why a thief would try to invade the mansion while he was here, their tour had been more than hour long and he'd be staying for two or three days, so he didn't put much mind to it for the moment.

The old geezers on the other side noticed that was a play directed at them though.

-That man was still alive. His chest was going up and down slightly. He was also not only burnt. I don't think I can actually fix an injury like that without a two or four hour long operation. Said a grin looking old man in the square table.

The translation of that to medic knowledge of the 21st century, is that the best choice would be to kill the man that moment to end his suffering, for there was nothing to be done.

-He has presented us all with a good play. We must show some results as thanks. Said Ichi.