After all of that, the talks turned more sedated. Elizabeth didn't eye (too much) the alcoholic drinks thinking about if she should try one to deal with her nerves. She had gotten accepted as daughter-in-law... Mostly because Rossie's mother seemed to want the link toward the deities that were her parents.
She could deal with that, at the end of the day she only came to ask for Rossie's hand as a formality, had they denied her approach she would have risen in power and squashed any denial using overwhelming force. It worked for Papa when Grandma didn't want him as a son-in-law, so there was no reason why it wouldn't work for her.
Now with that out of the way...She could focus on more important things! Like for example: "You said that I should [Evolve] my skill, how would I go about doing that?" Asking someone who seemed to know the answer to the questions at hand!
"Hmmmm...Usually, I would answer that you need to focus in the direction you want to develop the skill in question, be it by studying or focusing your use of the skill in a certain field..." The eyes of Rossie's Mother shone once more, but unlike before when they were in the isolation barrier, this time she was able to rebuff the effects more easily. That was weird, had the isolation barrier increased the power of the woman's skill? "In your case, I think it would be easier for you if you tried to link what skills you have into the skill you want to upgrade. Fuse skills around and see what comes out from it, it may help you clean your skill list too."
So just use more of her skills in tandem? She had been using them like that though. She had used several of her skills one after the other, like how she... Used her [Shadow Doppelganger] and [Shadow Minion] skills together!
Or her [Shadow Puppeteer] and her [Dragon Eyes]... And...
"Also, you are aware that you can move skills around right? While having them as [Job] does give advantages, you can have them as [General] skill too. Also having spots open...Not optimal." Rossie's mother said after, was she seeing her [Status] sheet? No, she didn't feel like her defenses had been breached. So then how? "Your face tells me everything I need to know. Your profile indicated that you were good at hiding your intentions, but it seems that you left those skills at Avalon."
...She would need to check on her acting classes again, and maybe pick a skill for that? She didn't like the idea of being this easy to read... She hadn't been keeping her practice after leaving Avalon, but mostly because no one knew who she was, so she got lazy with that part of her life.
But since that allowed her to make a connection with Rossie... Maybe that wasn't so bad? She would check on that, she did have a few skills that she could pick to fill those empty slots... And while she got the feeling that she could mix her Manipulation skills...Was that a good idea?
Most of her manipulation skills seemed to level at the same pace, and while at these levels they were keeping with each other, at some point she got the feeling that [Shadow] would overshoot the others soon enough. It was, after all. What she used the most, even if she could see the uses that [Lightning] could have, or [Space], or even the newest one [Fire] that hadn't shown in her status as of yet... Was she missing some notification again?
Actually, had she checked her notifications yet? She would check on them later when they were alone. She wasn't quite sure how the skill of Rossie's mother worked, but she didn't want to give more information than needed. Not yet, not until she understood more of the [Galaxidae] and what they wanted from her.
At least for now, it seemed that Rossie's mother didn't want anything bad, she wanted to make sure that the girl her daughter brought was good. If anything her own dubious pass was more problematic, especially since [The World] had wanted to erase everything that Elizabeth was. Even if somehow Rossie's Mother had either survived the effects or recovered from them.
"Well, have fun girls. We adults do have work to do...And paperwork to fix, you three need the correct stamps in your passports and some inquiries from the MPI will no doubt come our way, so we need to fix them. When you are done here Margareth will guide you to your rooms." Rossie's mother said as she stood, "Anything else you need to say to them, darling?"
Rossie's Father turned to look at them, he hadn't said anything of relevance yet, the more impactful thing being the stupid joke about the baby, "Not really... Oh right, Elizabeth, if you ever want to continue your work as [The Shadow Empress] do send word my way, I have plenty of work a [Villain] with the set of skills you showed could do."
...Was Rossie's Father asking her to do [Villain] work? Actually, wasn't her identity in the [Shift] state protected? She had only whitelisted Rossie... A glint from Rossie's mother was all she needed to know where that had come from. She was starting to get annoyed by the Galaxidae. Was this how people felt when dealing with the Saintsworths?
But she wasn't one of them! So why did she need to suffer from it?
"I no longer have access to those [Shifts], so I am afraid that I will have to disappoint you on that front," Elizabeth answered politely, don't insult the councilor Elizabeth, don't insult your father-in-law Elizabeth.
You can do it!
"We will see you at dinner, Margareth or one of the other maids will guide you." And like that, Rossie's parents left the room. Leaving them with only one maid at the corner. And another one at the other side of the door.
"You may leave, I will guide Elizabeth and Rena to their room," Rossie said without turning her head towards the Maid in question.
"As you wish Lady Rossaline, we are at your beck and call as always. Shall we prepare the two adjacent rooms to your bedroom?" Asked the maid, she didn't move at all.
"Yes...no wait. Aura." Rossie said and as if answering to the call Elizabeth felt her shadow expand and from it, the purple-haired girl with Izanami priestess robes came.
She looked around as if to examine the place she had been summoned and turned towards Rossie, "Do you need something Lady Rossaline?" Aura said, using the same tone and style as the maid. No one would ever suspect that Aura and Rossie stood as enemies before!
"Margareth, guide Aura to my room and those that are available for use." Rossie said to the maid, then turning to Aura she added, "Prepare the rooms that we will need to use while we stay here, Margareth will provide everything you may need. Should you need something else be it manforce or utilities ask her."
The maid only eyed Aura as if evaluating her, the woman was probably closing into her fifties in contrast to Aura who seemed to be about to go into her fifteens. A difference of around 35 years...
"Help to prepare a place for my Mistress and her cohort? You insult me Lady Rossaline, no servant of our Mistress needs help from outsiders." And with those words Aura's shadow grew in size, from within one could see hundreds of blue eyes peering from the shadows, and as if to make an example four of those eyes rose from within the shadows.
They were small, they looked to measure around fifty centimeters in height, but their body was somewhat deformed, as if someone had turned into a caricature (A cute one) of the body of a full-grown adult. Two were dressed in butler outfits similar to the one Sebastian had used before while the other two were dressed in maid outfits, similar to the one that Beatrice had worn so long ago.
"See? I will have all the help I could ever need, no need to worry your [Human] servants with that." Aura said and with a dismissal gesture, both her shadow and the extra minions returned to her shadow. As if nothing had happened. "Now [Human], show me the way. I need to prepare my Mistress and Cohort's room...And that of...Rena too I guess."
For some reason, Aura seemed to hesitate when speaking about Rena, was she unsure about what term to use? What was that about?
"It will be done Lady Rossaline." The maid said without minding the acts of Aura and Rossie, that was one sturdy maid. "If you will Miss Aura?"
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And like that Aura and the other maid left them to their own thing, "I will go and search for a place to train." Rena said as she stood, she hadn't contributed too much to the talks either.
"Ask the maid that stayed behind, she will guide you and you can ask either a maid or [Minion] for directions to your accommodation when you are ready," Rossie said to the red-haired girl before she left the room.
"I will ask a [Minion] for directions, or will use the [Skill] Elizabeth granted us from the [Heroic Party] to find you later." And on that note Rena left the room, leaving her alone with Rossie.
In a dark room...
With a very enticing table...
And chairs...
And sofa...
And was that a sofa-bed combo?
And that low table seemed to be just the right size to work as a stool...
No Elizabeth! Bad girl! Focus!
"Do you need something while you focus on restructuring your earnings from the latest fight?" Rossie asked bringing her back from the musings of all the things she could do to Rossie at this place.
"[Mistress, there are several cameras recording in the dwelling you are at the moment.]" Came the report from her always loyal Royal Mages.
And that was perfect! That meant that she could get the video from those acts too! She would only need to kill and/or remove the eyes of whoever was manning those cameras!
"I'm fine, just hold my hand while I go through the menus okay?" Elizabeth said as the pink-haired girl smiled at her and held her hand.
That was all the comfort she needed at the moment, so preparing for the worst Elizabeth refocused in the present, and in the warmth sensation of Rossie's hand. "Show me the pending notifications, all the skills available, and possible skill merges." And like that, her sight was flooded with messages.
Notice:
User has acquired a veritable amount of experience, user has managed to create new [Legends], [Myths] and [Stories] upon the world.
Multiple achievements acquired, experience has arrived at the next threshold.
Level Increase 30 > 40
Proficiency toward skills increased.
1. Shadow Manipulation: 50 > 100
2. Lightning Manipulation: 50 > 100
3. Space Manipulation: 50 > 100
4. Mana Manipulation: 50 > 100
5. Magic Circle Manipulation: 50 > 100
6. Shift: 3 > 5
7. Beautiful: 10
8. Young Body: 18
9. Minion Summoning: 70 > 100
10. Shadow Puppeteer: 20 > 50
Body Tempering: 30 > 50
------------------------------------------------
Skills available for merge, please select the skills you wish to merge.
[Infuse the IDEA into the merge, follow your INSTICTS.]
Those were some very round numbers, it was quite amusing to see how she didn't miss a single digit or went above the round numbers, if she was part of a story or something she would think that this was lazy writing. Good thing she wasn't and this was the real world.
"Okay, not as bad as I thought," Elizabeth said aloud then focusing once more she tried to prod her skills to [Merge]. First, by focusing on her manipulation ones, it was the obvious thing to do. She had at the moment [Shadow], [Lightning], and [Space]. But she also could feel the [Fire] one at the back, and if she continued getting more and more like this...
Lightning
Soon enough she would have at the very least six or seven [Affinity] skills, she couldn't have that many lying around, and she wouldn't have space for other stuff!
Like skills to pamper Rossie! Or skills to help her sleep!
So with great focus she molded her mana, suffused it with her [Will], and focused it into the words that would give birth to [Idea], she hadn't done this in quite some time, mostly eyeballing what she said, so using the long method was refreshing on itself. "[Merge]" Elizabeth said, and the effect was quite fast too.
She felt the [Affinity] within her [Soulscape] start to merge, and while at first, she thought she would end with some weird kind of sphere compromised of all her [Affinities]... She didn't.
Instead in the office within the spire at the center of the ruined city, she felt a bust manifest, it was quite similar in appearance to herself, and while it was interesting to see a bust made in her image that wasn't what picked her interest, no. It was something else, for at the head of the bust was a crown. A crown with four gems.
At the center and in a more elevated spot was an obsidian gem, a look was all she needed to know what it represented, [Shadow]. Below it was a yellow gem that was shining with sparks seemingly bursting at weird intervals, funnily enough, half the time they were blue Lightning and the other they were yellow Lightning, but even a very dumb transmigrator would know what they meant, [Lightning]. At the right side of it was a red ruby, inside a veritable inferno that promised unending destruction should she deem to release its fury, [Fire]. And then at the left side a gem dark in color but somehow it seemed to contain an unending amount of stars, as if it held its own universe within, [Space].
And if that wasn't enough she could see other spots open in the crown, as if inciting her to find more [Affinities], more [Gems], more [Souls] to feed it.
She didn't want to think too much about it, but even while marveling at how beautiful the crown was, she ended up wanting to touch it, to put it on, to [Embrace] the marvels of what she could create...
"Eli-Eli?" Only to be brought back from her reverie by Rossie, "You are hurting me."
And finding herself in the real world her left-hand a vice on Rossie's arm, her right hand pushing the pink-haired girl against the table...And her mouth... Barely a few centimeters away from the other girl's neck.
It took her a second to get enough sense to control herself and think what her body was about to do. "There, I removed the stupid penholder, we can continue." Only for her girlfriend to lay herself against the table, the girl had removed most of the things on it and was looking at her with hunger in her eyes.
She was also fiddling with her blouse, as if unsure if she should remove it or not...
"...Rossie, no." Elizabeth said while trying to look anywhere but at the puppy eyes her girlfriend was giving her, "I lost myself for a second because the influence of one of my skills was too strong, but not here. There are cameras here Rossie. I don't want to share how you look with anyone else."
"Oh don't worry about the cameras, they are automatized, and unless you can sneak past the defenses the company that Father paid to install no one can look at those unless we need to," Rossie said, not addressing how Elizabeth had lost herself in that weird reverie her skill gave her.
"....Still no, think of your parents, what would they say?" Elizabeth said, trying to be the voice of reason.
"...Please don't break the table? I'm sure my Father would say that he has been trying to be funny to get votes from the younger audience." Rossie joked while fixing her clothes and sitting once more at her side, offering her hand.
"...I promise we will snuggle after this, but let me check if any of my skills want me to do some weird things. If I start moving weird again please stop me again." Elizabeth said while focusing once more inside.
She would love to think that Rossie would stop her again, but chances were she wouldn't... So that wouldn't be her fault! Muahahahahahaha!
....
She focused on the new blue screen that showed up with her newest skill.
Crown of Sin:
You were once someone who stood at the top, some would call you an APEX, but to others, you were a dictator. Who you were is of little relevance, what you achieved on the other hand... It wasn't. You managed to create miracles, you defied what the world set upon you, you fought, you trashed, and in the end...You lost. Your soul was ripped apart and set clean, but what you engraved deep within, your desire, the spark of innovation remained.
And you have once more started walking in the same path, those that don't know the past should beware for they may make the same mistakes. So, brave dragon that aspires to the heavens. This is your [Crown], made from the remains of a lost life. Wear it with pride, but beware...For if you try to use it without having the power to withstand it, you may indulge in the [SINS] that you are yet to conquer.
[Gem of Shadows]: You have total control over the Shadow aspect of mana.
[Gem of Lightning]: You have total control over the Lightning aspect of mana.
[Gem of Fire]: You have total control over the Fire aspect of mana, your instincts are enhanced. Your control over your own body mana circuits is enhanced. You are capable of funneling the Fire element into your mana to purge and cleanse.
[Gem of Space]: You have total control over the Space aspect of mana, your spatial senses are enhanced. Your control over the space around you is enhanced. You are capable of instinctually feeling the presence of spatial barriers and the best way to pierce them.
That....was quite interesting yes. It took all the [Elemental] manipulation skills she had and shoved them into one, leaving her with two open spots for new skills... Could she merge more skills?
She got this feeling that it should be doable, but what? She got the inkling that [Shadow Puppeteer] and [Shadow Minion] should be mergeable, but she didn't want to lose the easy way to increase her mastery over her own body, besides. That skill was also the promise she had made with Rossie so that one would stay.
Also, she didn't know what effect would have over her [Minions] if she were to lose the skill or change it in some way or form, so better to not mess around with that one. That left [Shift], [Young Body], and [Beautiful]. So doing the same with two of those she tried prodding them and...
Perfect Self:
You are you. Most may think that this is obvious, who we are if not ourselves? Most would be wrong. Some let themselves be painted by what the people around them think they are, if they are called [Hero] then they try and live up to their expectations. If they are called [Villain] they turn to villainy even if only to spite on them to show them what true [Villainy] is.
But you? You aren't like most are you? You who was once a proud scion of an ancient clan. Did you let that define you? No.
You who were at the peak of Lightning Manipulation. Did you let that carve your path to power? No.
You who are the daughter of a paragon of justice, did you let his justice guide you? No.
You who are the daughter of the creator of a genre of magic. Did you follow in your Mother's footsteps? No
Remain true to yourself Inheritor, for your path to power if you wish to make it to the end, can only be yours.
[Your body is yours alone, and will always stay true to who you envision yourself to be. The world may twist, and the perception of those around you may change. But you will always remain yourself, in your mind and the mind of others.]
She liked that one, as the skill settled in her [Soulscape] she felt the presence of her own [Soul] settle deeper within the world around her, her [Self] seemed to grow in synch within her body. It was as if her body was making a statement.
I'm here.
And the world around couldn't help but acknowledge her.
"Eli-Eli, have I told you how pretty you look lately?" Rossie said at the side as if just noticing her, her eyes spoke of love and a promise of things to come.
"Rossie, you will get nothing from praising me," Elizabeth said as she felt elation from her girlfriend's praises. "Besides we are almost done...Now I only need to deal with the [General] skills..."
Elizabeth turned her attention to the last section of her skills she could deal with.
1. Appraisal: 25
2. Privacy: 50
3. Encore: 5
4. Singing: 5
5. Dancing: 5
6. Endurance: 20
7. Body Tempering: 30
Of these she would deal with the first two... ditch the next three and try to merge the other two, that would leave her with seven open slots to play around. She had after all, a very long list of skills to play around with... most being the legacy from Alexanders, things she hadn't wanted to use lest she be tainted by the memories of what was lost...
But her latest skill had granted her security, she wouldn't change unless she herself wanted the change. It was time to use the things she inherited from the long-lost [Scion]. It was time to bring the heavy weapons.