Hero summoning is a dangerous endeavor. While the benefits often surpass the risks, the one to suffer the brunt of the danger is the princess performing the summon. At worst she ends up dead. At best she ends up married to some stranger, an otherworlder with no notion of reality and power to level a country. Become a slave to a powerful man often with perverted intent or bent on building a harem of stupid girls. The varying degrees of success in the middle is even less enticing. There is a price to power, one I am not willing to pay.
Excerpt from Princess Lumina of Yutis' journal.
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"High tier B-rank mana affinity."
Aidan decreed after casting the spell to measure one's own mana potential. Or in his case, Lumina's mana. The reason it was showing his own elemental affinities instead of hers was a big unknown to him. He stared at the skull of the underworld element for answers but received none. There were more possibilities than he cared to enumerate. The fact that these affinities fluctuated up and down without rhyme or reason was another wildcard.
"That is good, right? Are we close to 'filling you up', your Highness?" Teased Sora with a double entendre.
"Yes. It is almost full here inside." The boy in princess skin answered, oblivious of any other meaning, "But from here to the A-rank Lumina had I am halfway there. A-rank is five times a B-rank. Remember Lumina healed a score of people with her 'healing mist' spell during the demonstration. And that spell was grossly inefficient in mana consumption."
Sora nodded in agreement even though she had only a faint grasp on all that magical mumbo-jumbo. Aidan pointed at a spot on the other side of the room and cast a spell.
"Ash suppression"
This spell would contain and compact any ashes and embers created by fire magic inside the area of effect into a single point, avoiding smoke or any residue from spreading. And it was usually followed by an...
"Incinerate!"
On top of a stone slab they brought to the inn room, Aidan tested his fire affinity on an evil artifact. The fire spell consumed the corselet and left only ash flakes in its place. The flakes quickly crumpled into a ball.
"What a waste. That thing costs about five to ten silver."
"I vow never to use that devil's tool ever again." And unknowing his wishes aligned with Lumina's. She also hated the thing back in her days.
Sora only laughed. 'Wait until things start to sag', she thought. After her cathartic fit ended, she spoke.
"What do you think will happen once your body awakens?"
"I don't know. Maybe Lumina will also awaken either in her own body or in mine. I really don't know. What I know is that the bigger the mana pool Lumina's body has, the further apart we can be. Back when we tried to go to the castle, we could only go about a hundred meters. I think now I could be apart between one kilometer and two."
Sora sat next to the bed and caressed Aidan's cheeks. The male ones.
"It is good to see your body restored." She sighed. "I was worried."
Aidan felt warm. He walked behind Sora and hugged her, taking care not to touch her tail with the arms. Still, his face was buried in the fluff.
"Thank you for being there for me. You are a true companion, Sora."
"You mean accomplice." She caressed the thin arms around her neck. "We kidnapped a princess."
"And we are about to rip off money from another princess."
"C'mon, that will be our due reward for a job. What is the going rate for hiring a triple-element princess for a dangerous expedition?"
"I hope it is my weight in gold."
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"Your Royal Highness Princess Pearl. Welcome to my humble workshop. I'm Gaemon, a blacksmith by trade, master by decree of my Lord." He was talking about the dwarf lord. Although these dwarves were subjects of the kingdom of Gohar, they still regarded themselves as subjects to their homeland first.
Princess Pearl nodded at the master smith. "Mister, we need equipment for my companions here. Let me introduce you Princess Lumina of Yutis and Lady Sora, ambassador of the Squirrel-kin."
Both girls held their skirts and curtsied. The master smith's view locked on Lumina, and Aidan froze.
"Princess Lumina, I heard about y'er accident, I'm pleased to see'ya in good health." The dwarf nodded with his head. "Gear for these ladies here, eh. What about your Royal Highness and those two fine lads at the back. Do you need anything?"
"No, thank you master Gaemon. We have our gear already." She looked at Shinji. He gave her a thumbs up. "Although there is a third boy we will need equipment for. He is currently unavailable though."
"Aye, let's see to the ladies' preferences first. All weapons came with either a sheath or a scabbard."
He went to present several weapons to Dawn and Sora. They settled for a steel falchion for Sora that was perfectly balanced for her. Gaemon explained that the knight sword was all prim and proper, but the shorter length was a better fit for the beastkin build and their natural instincts favored fast slashing blows.
They also picked a generic longsword for Aidan proper and Gaemon promised to later adjust or switch to another similar weapon later if he wanted.. He took measurements for their armor and compromised to be a middleman with the leatherworker to make their armors.
As for Dawn, Gaemon made the boy in girl's shoes go through a lot of weapons. Aidan wondered why he was doing that because they both knew the blue tinted rapier was perfect for her, but he played along the dwarf's whims. She endured his harshness and kept trying every weapon he offered.
Lumina was a couch potato magician. Too much tea party and gossip, too little strength and endurance training. Aidan was working on his borrowed body ever since they settled at the Staghorn inn, but a month and a half were not enough.
"Ack, ye princess arms are no fit for a close quarters weapon. Maybe with embroidery needles, but not blades. No disrespect, your highness, but ye be too girly."
Pearl decided to step in to defend her fellow princess. She felt something was odd, but she failed to notice she was being goaded by the dwarf.
"I am sure the master smith could think of a weapon fit for a warrior princess. Lumina took knight classes at the royal academy. We could see that she knows how to wield a blade."
"Aye, your Highness. I can think of one. It was made on a whim based on a book I read written by an otherworlder on weapons, something unique. Maybe that could be a fit for the princess."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Bring it on." Pearl was curious. In that regard, she was the polar opposite of Lumina. She was quite curious about everything regarding otherworlders, while the princess of Yutis wanted to avoid them like the plague.
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"Let me find it. Been ages since I last saw that weap'n, and the workshop is a mess. Damn good-for-nothing apprentices."
Gaemon went inside and spent around ten minutes. he returned with some sword wrapped in a dusty cloth.
"Is that it?" The royal princess asked.
"Aye. I'm sorry by the dust, some apprentice shoved this out of the way in the cellar." He unwrapped the cloth and there was the rapier.
"Is this the weapon? It is beautiful but the blade is too thin." Pearl pretended to ignore the hero's remark. She was aiming at getting a lowered value for the weapon or even snatch it away from Lumina. The metalwork around the hilt was really fancy.
"Aye. From what I read, it is a weapon meant for stabbing with grace." He unsheathed the blade. "But it can slash as well."
"Is it so?"
"Aye. Princess Lumina, could you try this blade? I don't know if you can use it well, but please try."
Aidan could swear the dwarf winked at him. He decided to play along. At first, he wielded the blade as he would a long sword but it was a bad style that made the rapier no justice.
"That is wrong, lass. This is a weap'n to be wielded with grace, not brute force!" He turned and beckoned to Kazuya. "Hey, Lad. Ye seem to know about this weapon, come over here."
Kazuya was puzzled. Pearl Interceded.
"They don't understand the common language. Let me translate." "
He held the rapier and showed Dawn some fencing moves and Aidan pretended to be learning but without giving much leeway to him. Dawn was glancing at Pearl every now and then as if to seek approval.
"See? The lass will be one with the blade in no time."
"Yes, I think that is enough. My servant will come to pay for the weapons and armor. But I am curious. Why is the blade blue?"
"I was experimenting and mixing two metals to see if I could get some results. The blade is sharper and more resilient because of the alloy I got."
"
Shinji looked at the rapier and his eyes went wide open. He leaned and whispered in Pearl's ears.
"The lad has a good eye for weap'ns, if I ever saw one!" Gaemon exclaimed even without hearing what Shinji was telling Pearl.
"Master Gaemon, how much is that rapier?"
"Two hundred gold pieces, your Highness. I guarantee it is worth each copper."
Dawn gagged. The dwarf was willing to sell the blade for twenty back then!
"I am sure the master can make a better price for a weapon that was gathering dust in a cellar." The princess bargained. Two hundred was a lot even for her seemingly bottomless coffers.
"Of course, your Royal Highness. I can take only a hundred fifty."
"A hundred gold." She tapped her foot signaling impatience.
"As you will, your highness. For a weapon worth of Princess Lumina, a hundred gold is a gift from me."
"Agreed."
Aidan clutched Lumina's new weapon. He thanked Pearl and the other princess gave a candid smile back.
Their next stop was the healer. Aidan was worried about what Pearl would do to Gurf and his niece.
-------------------------------------------
"Please, Pearl, don't do anything against that family. They were just looking after one another."
"I already made my mind, Lumina. You are too kind with that rabble, but I will acquiesce your request." She took a parchment scroll and handed it over to Dawn. "Here is your contract, with the mark of the other party. It is fulfilled."
The seal of Sancus, god of contracts and commerce had already faded into a mark of trust. Now they had no obligations to either Gurf or the Niece. Dawn would keep the scroll anyway for any future negotiations.
'Getting your head bashed in by a rampaging rhinorse really did a number on you, Lumina' Pearl though. This Lumina was not the snide snobby scheming bitch she knew and, in a way, admired. However, Pearl could find good points in her refreshing and sudden honesty.
They were already at the Stout Goblin, where Shinji would give Aidan another MP recharge session.
The visit to the healer was a mess. Gurf's niece was groveling and asking princess Lumina forgiveness. Pearl became angry when she learned that they tried to extort money from royals. Instead of being healed, Gurf and his niece almost went straight to the gallows. It was only with much effort by Sora and Dawn backed by the heroes that got Pearl to forgive them.
They reached the inn room and entered. Pearl suppressed the urge to twist her nose at the peasant accommodations Lumina was hosted at. It only added a new brick to the alienation she was feeling from this 'new lumina'. If it were not for understanding Japanese she would accuse the girl of being a doppelganger.
Aidan sat at his body's side and held the hand like it was the most natural thing to do. The tender gaze he gave his own mortal shell was noticed by Pearl and completely misunderstood. Shinji reached the other side of the bed and used his spells.
"MP transfer!"
"MP transfer!"
"MP transfer!"
"MP transfer!"
"MP transfer!"
Aidan felt Lumina's body burn. He shuddered and Pearl did not miss that.
"
After gazing at Lumina, he answered. "
Pearl pondered for a moment and decided. "
Shinji did as Pearl asked and used MP transfer four times again. Once again Aidan fought to remain conscious as a torrent of mana flooded into Lumina's body and it broke into the A-rank mana pool.
"
"
"
Aidan would be very interested in the conversation Pearl and Shinji were having if he was in any state to pay attention. Lumina's body was currently being supported by Sora, to avoid falling down on the ground. Aidan even released his other body's hand.
"
Shinji took another azure potion out of nowhere and drank it all. He felt like drinking a burning liquor but resumed his spellcasting session. After each casting, he stopped to gaze intently at both Aidan and Lumina's bodies.
"
"
Pearl made a note to ask later about the expression. One more otherworlder say to learn about. Shinji kept going. The difference was in the distance, what they would recognize as the inverse square law. Kazuya thought it to be so but didn't vocalize his new theory. He noticed Lumina was no longer holding the boy's hand.
"
"Lady Sora, what is the relation between the boy and the princess, if I may ask?" Pearl went straight to the point. "Because it is obvious that the magic Shinji is using on the boy is affecting her more than the boy himself.
Sora briefly thought on what to say, but she knew she could not delay with an answer because it would feel fabricated. She mixed truth and lies.
"Your Highness knows the story of how the boy protected the princess with his own body during the assassination attempt. But the wounds both suffered were fatal many times over." She paused and cried as she remembered the state the two teenagers were after the accident. "Their chests caved in, all their limbs were crushed to splinters. Headmaster Archmage Astromelicus' theory is that Aidan used a spontaneous spell to tether both of them together, binding their fates as one. Even now every ounce of magic the boy's body can gather is channeled into healing Lumina." She paused to allow Pearl to take in what she said but made it clear that there was more.
"Go on. I understood everything until now." Pearl nodded.
"This is the reason Lumina cannot go too far away from the boy, and also the reason she can use fire magic like what you saw on the street outside the guild. It is his mana that is flooding into the princess."
"I see. Well, Shinji told me the boy's magic power is no longer in the negative, so the situation should revert soon. I'll give you a few days to rest and wait for the craftsmen to deliver your suits of armor. Also..."
She turned to speak to Kazuya.
"
"
"In two days, Kazuya will come and take you to the bowyer to get your bow. With this, our part of the bargain is completed. You will follow us in our mission, right?"
"Of course, your Royal Highness." Sora made sure to use a meek tone. Pearl was too suspicious already and they were in an inferior position.
After Pearl and the two Japanese boys left, Sora moved Lumina next to Aidan and removed their clothes down to the underwear. Lumina's body had a high temperature but she was breathing normally now. She left the two together in the bed and went to her own bed to sleep.
"Skippy, keep watch until one of us wake up, please."
The dragon growled and nodded.
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Morning. The sun rose, the first rays flying over the entire town to hit a certain window in a certain inn near the west gate that led to the untamed wilderness. In a cabin past that gate, a hunter shaved his beard only to reveal unblemished youthful skin. He opened his mouth and looked at his perfect ivory teeth. He took the same sharp razor and began hacking away his tangled mess of hair. None of his old wounds hurt. He could barely see the scars. He closed his eyes and remembered the weary face of the two girls that came past his home several days ago. He then remembered the same face now with a royalty title and a name attached to it granting mercy on his niece and himself. The girl was too afraid to remain in the town and came home with him. She was peacefully sleeping in an improvised bed right now. He received a boon that he would never be able to repay.
The sun shone through the shutters of that window at that inn. It slowly crawled through the room and went over a boy's face.
Aidan opened his eyes. He felt a soft and warm touch of round mounds of skin on his side and slowly looked in that direction.
He found the face of Princess Lumina, peacefully sleeping and clinging to him.
He panicked.