She shut the door and left.

"I'm one-hundred percent serious about this," Syn said, looking down on him as she stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"The time will come. I feel it."

"So now when you're faced with the reality of things you act all casual?"

Aleister puffed out a breath of cold air. "Fine."

----------------------------------------

"Passcode."

"I don't have time for this. I need you to be easier to contact."

Luo Yun clicked his tongue as he unlatched some locks and slid the door open. "I've been busy."

"With what?"

"Business."

"Business, huh?"

"Your business specifically."

"I take it that you got my note."

"Yes." Luo Yun showed Aleister to his office. Uncountable amounts of papers and folders stacked upon his desk. "The amount of paperwork I have to do because you wish to challenge a Weaver is ridiculous."

"She shouldn't be the champion in the first place."

"You're right, but she is, and so I have to deal with this mess. Do you really think you have a chance to win?"

"I wouldn't bet on it."

"I wouldn't if I could, but I can't. Lord Kilciar banned bets on this match mainly because of how large the discrepancies between you two. Besides, if you did manage to win, the whole situation would be a disaster. The amount of investigations that everyone would hold to make sure that we didn't fix the match, or that you didn't cheat, or any other nonsense you can think of would cause too much of a headache. That last part is a direct quote."

"Was the time and date decided upon?"

"Two weeks from yesterday," Luo Yun said as he slumped into his chair.

"How am I only hearing about it right now if its so soon?"

"Because he decided upon the date only yesterday as well. Lord Kilciar wanted it to take place several months from now to maximize the amount of the generated revenue. Jehkad said the backlash the event would receive would be to great of a cost."

"Does he really only think I can only take one move from Brilnia?"

"Yes."

"Please don't tell me that she's Rank Two already."

"She's not, but she will be soon. That along with my mention of how you would also become a Weaver soon convinced Kilciar to abandon his ideas and thus led to the date you now know. Speaking of Brilnia, she said that if you wanted to get your ass beaten that badly you didn't even need to bother scheduling a match."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"All things considered, I still tied against her, so I can't fare that badly now, can I?"

"Depends on you capabilities, but I would say you still have a slight chance. Oh, and I need you to sign all of this." Luo Yun shoved multiple folders into Aleister's arms. "Yes, this means every single page."

----------------------------------------

"There you are, only two more weeks."

"Until your match. You still have to activate your soul."

"Now look at who the pessimist is. Let me do the self-pitying while you continue the reassuring." Aleister grabbed a scroll off his desk and tossed it over. "Now translate."

Syn caught it but didn't open it. "Since we're airing out some truths, I guess I should tell you something as well."

"I don't think I like the sound of this."

"It has to do with why I've been forcing alchemy upon you without further explaining the whole connection to the world. "

"No, I think I got why you're making me do this."

"It's because earlier I lied to you."

Aleister snapped his finger. "I guess this explains why you acted so odd this morning. How early and what did you lie to me about?"

Syn shook her head as she sat down. "It wasn't a lie at the time, but I think I may have slowed down your progression. Oh, but I did technically lie to you about that other thing."

"Yeah, I'm going to need you to explain everything because I still do not know what you're talking about."

"You remember the spellbook I showed you a few months back? The one I said was mine? Well, in truth, it is mine but only because it is within my possession."

"Then, whose is it and how did you acquire it?"

"I'm not sure who the spellbook belongs too, and I retrieved it from Kuthbay's Athenaeum just like the rest of my collection."

"Alright, and the importance of this is?"

"That was the technical lie. I based the accidental lie on misinformation I read about. I thought alchemy would help you learn more about the arcane, but it doesn't. This is because in my past existence, I was an avid alchemical practitioner and believed what I studied to also be arcane magic, but that was incorrect. It was a form of primal magic."

Aleister sat in silence for a few moments. "Then why does it feel as if I've made some sort of connection. As if I can sense the connection of the strands of reality."

"Because the truth is, you probably have made some sort of arcane connection," Syn said, as calm as ever. "Why do you think I was so surprised when you mentioned your experience to me last week? By my estimations, you should have broken through upon the creation of the minor potions of dark sight."

"Why didn't you mention that to me at the time?"

"Would you have felt any better? You were already in a compromised state of mind, so I held of on that thought. Besides, I could have been with my estimations."

"Could have?"

"I confirmed that the alternative steps I directed you to take should have forced your soul to awaken."

"Then, why are you having me continue with alchemy?"

"Everyone is different. And with the white onyx crystal, it may have caused some sort of adverse effect that I am not aware of. Then there's the matter with your space within the realm of cognition."

"The mountain?"

"Yes. It has always struck me as odd as that space should be of your own creation, but yours wasn't. However, from what I've read up on, although its uncommon, it isn't as rare as I thought. It's just related to your bloodline. And since you enlightened me about your past, I figured now would be an appropriate time to share."

"Then, is that mountain blocking my progress?"

"Most likely." Syn went silent for a few moments. "My best guess would be your family has some sort of secret method to activate your bloodline."

"Like how Mitre and other members of the Crystal bloodline sit upon the Crystal Throne."

"Exactly."

"So I need to travel to Vallonia, figure out what Belmont artifact would activate my bloodline, and interact with it all in a secretive manner?" Aleister groaned and shook his head. "Even though the Empress implied there will be some sort of peace treaty, its only surface level at best. I'm sure the revolutionaries won't hold much respect for it."

"I'm sure you can just ask the Empress to protect you during a visit or something."

"Probably. Should I first sit on the Crystal Throne to see if anything happens to me?"

"The attempt wouldn't hurt," Syn said, finally standing up. "However, the creation of alchemical fire is another method that could work."

"In a way the dark sight potion didn't?"

"Yes. Alchemical fire is a higher tier of creation and thus generates alkemical anima which I will then force into your body."

"Alright."

"However, let me warn you, the adverse effects of the alkemical anima could be deadly."

"You say that as if it would stop me or something."

"I wasn't hoping to. I just wanted to let you know."