Chapter 43: Reinforcement 3

Elania sifted through the stack of applications for the alchemy position related to the mushroohums. One by one, she tossed the unsuitable candidates into the growing rejection pile.

Too many of them balked at the idea of working alongside the mushroohums, demanding their own shop outside the arena. While it technically was possible to accommodate their requests…

She wanted to foster a sense of unity between the mushroohums and the refugees, to help them find common ground as her followers.

A familiar name caught her eye, and her fingers stilled on the paper.

[Name: Allie Revor]

[Age: 23]

[Previous Occupation: Waitress]

[Skill: Alchemy Basics Rank C]

Her experience listed working with her parents in their alchemy shop until she was fifteen. Elania turned the page over, but there wasn’t any additional information.

Elania leaned back and closed her eyes. Memories of a distant checkpoint outside of Neftasu flickered through her mind.

The world had seemed to stand against her, her lesser demon status marking her as an outcast and pariah. Allie had shown her kindness instead, treating her with a warmth and compassion that had been all too rare in those early days.

Elania’s fingertips brushed across the page, tracing the letters of Allie’s name. She could still feel the gentle tug of Allie’s fingers in her hair, the soothing sensation of being cared for, even if only for a moment.

A smile tugged at the corners of Elania’s mouth as she set Allie’s application to the side, separate from the others. Whatever Allie’s alchemical skills might be, she deserved a chance. Plus seeing her again would be nice.

Maybe that was a little bit of nepotism, but then again…

Maybe someone who could accept a lesser demon wouldn’t have trouble with mushroohums?

With the applications sorted, Elania leaned back in her chair. There was another bit of management to take care of.

With a deep breath, she activated [Divine Insight].

[Divine Power: 4,582/5,000]

[Followers: 12,316]

A frown tugged at her lips.

Nearly a thousand followers lost.

Lyra’s meddling might be to blame, but perhaps it was simply life's natural ebb and flow: the people of Neftasu, those she’d never forged strong bonds with, moving on, seeking new paths.

It wasn’t all bad, though. She had been storing a lot more [Divine Power] than she had been using, and when she tugged on the massive net of connections to her followers, it seemed like…

It seemed like the ties to her remaining followers had become more resilient. Was it a result of her interactions and support over the last month?

Being seen as a leader would be good, but Arlois’ words echoed. They needed to perceive her with a firm concept: as their deity. She was still conflicted about the idea.

And there was no way she would ever sell herself on the idea that she was a “goddess,” so how could she be fine with convincing others of that?

It all seemed somehow connected to the “Concept Seed” that had burrowed its way into her mouth and down her throat. The memory was unpleasant.

Eziel’s name danced on the tip of her tongue. But he had been a wall of silence. He would outright refuse to answer questions about… anything.

Why?

She finally stood and took Allie’s alchemist application, heading out into the hall.

“Darius,” Elania called out into the stillness of the mansion. He appeared a moment later.

She handed him the paper. “Have someone find her. Bring her in for an interview.”

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Darius studied the application. “Are you certain, my lady?”

Elania nodded. “Yes, please see to it.”

With a bow, Darius departed, leaving Elania alone with her thoughts.

A branching path opened up before her—there were a dozen different tasks she could take care of now. Visit the Neftasu Guard, the Ironfist, or meet with the refugees.

But… how many days had it been since she had taken a time out just for herself?

Not since she’d taken Yolani flying across the countryside.

Elania turned and made her way to the artifice workshop.

Yolani was exactly where she expected: hunched over a table, schematics scattered everywhere.

Elania stepped into the workshop, the scent of metal and the hum of arcane energy enveloping her.

Yolani looked up as Elania approached. A smile spread across her face, the tension in her shoulders easing.

“Don’t you need to go work on the Heart or Gold?” Elania asked. Her gaze drifted to the schematics scattered across the table.

Yolani shook her head. “They’re fine for today’s missions. I’m working on the [Regalia] ammunition.”

Elania moved closer, leaning against Yolani’s shoulders, her chin resting atop Yolani’s hair. “We’ve been working really hard without any breaks.”

Yolani’s fingers traced the lines of a blueprint. “We have a lot to do.”

Elania hummed, the vibration rumbling through her chest. “There isn’t any reason you can’t pause on what you’re doing right now, is there?”

Yolani tilted her head back, her green eyes meeting Elania’s golden gaze. “I guess not.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Elania’s mouth as she leaned down, capturing Yolani’s lips in an upside-down kiss. As she pulled back, her smile widened. “We should take a walk with Shadow and enjoy the gardens for a bit.”

“Okay,” Yolani said. “That sounds nice.”

Elania headed for the door. “Shadow!” she called out.

A crash sounded down the hall, followed by the patter of feet.

Shadow burst through his door, banging it open. He turned and bounded toward her with his tail held straight up.

She reached into her pocket, producing a dried meat snack and tossing it. He eagerly snatched from the air. As he munched on the treat, Elania rubbed his head, her fingers sinking into his soft fur.

Behind her, Yolani shuffled her papers, then reached for her cloak, draping it over her shoulders.

All three headed downstairs, where Darius greeted them, asking if they were going out.

“To the gardens,” Elania said. “If anyone visits, please let me know.”

They stepped through the front door and made their way to the rear garden.

Benches dotted the area, and Shadow bounded ahead, exploring the plants, sniffing everything in sight, and jumping on whatever caught his interest.

Elania slipped her hand into Yolani’s, their fingers intertwining as they settled onto a bench. Yolani leaned into her, and Elania wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her close.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Elania murmured, her lips brushing against Yolani’s hair. “I don’t know if I could handle things without you.”

Yolani pressed into her a little more. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, either.” She tilted her head and flashed Elania a smirk. “But this isn’t much of a walk, is it? We could’ve just snuggled inside.”

Elania laughed, the sound echoing through the garden. “True, but Shadow doesn’t get to play out here much. This is good for him.”

Yolani nodded, her cheek rubbing against Elania’s shoulder. “As long as I can use you as a heat source, it’s fine.”

A grin spread across Elania’s face. “Always looking for utility?”

Yolani’s eyes sparkled. “What can I say? I’m very industrious.”

Shadow darted past them, a stick clutched in his jaws. He dropped it at their feet.

Elania reached down, scooping up the stick. “Seriously? What are you, a dog?”

Shadow growled at her, his tail turning into an agitated swish back and forth.

Elania shook her head and released the stick with a flick of her wrist, sending it sailing across the garden.

Shadow took off after it in a nearly silent chase.

Yolani chuckled, the sound vibrating against Elania’s side. “He’s got energy.”

“He’s been cooped up inside for too long,” Elania said, watching Shadow stop near the stick, crouching down into a pounce. “Even if his natural habitat is underground, the house just isn’t like it. Out here is closer to… normal?”

Yolani looked thoughtful. “I can see how that is. Artificial versus natural, instead of constrained versus expansive. I bet there are a lot more stimuli out here than inside, too.”

“And there were a lot of stimuli in the caverns, vibrations especially,” Elania said.

Yolani frowned. “Hopefully, the air turbines from the city aren’t driving him mad.”

Shadow returned for another round with the stick before settling in a sunny spot beside a fountain. The sun soaking into the stone probably made it warm.

Time slipped by, the minutes stretching into an hour as Elania and Yolani sat, conversation drifting from topic to topic. The words flowed easily while Elania’s fingers traced idle patterns on Yolani’s arm.

The crunch of footsteps on gravel drew Elania’s attention, and she looked up to see Darius rounding the corner of the mansion. He approached.

“My lady,” he said, inclining his head in a slight bow. “A messenger has delivered a paper for you.”

Elania took the proffered document, the parchment rough beneath her fingers.

Beside her, Yolani shifted. “What is it?”

Unrolling the paper, Elania’s eyes darted across the words, her frown deepening with each passing second. “The Tower Council has summoned me. There’s an issue with the prize ship the Farwind took. I’m required to be there.”

Yolani’s eyebrows shot up. “Why?”

“The plaintiff is objecting to my share of the proceeds from the ship auction.” Elania’s fingers tightened on the paper, the parchment crinkling under her grip.

Darius cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Whoever isn’t getting what they expected probably doesn’t like you getting anything.”

Elania shook her head. “It’s the ship’s owner. They weren’t supposed to be affected.”

“Have you read the report on the appraised value of the Alistar?” Darius asked.

Elania shook her head. “No.”

“The estimated value at the auction is 150,000 crit,” Darius said, his words hanging in the air. “But it could go higher.”

Yolani’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open.

Elania blinked, the realization settling over her like a heavy weight. Maybe Captain Nabor had asked the owner to intercede on behalf of himself and the officers?

“Maybe I shouldn’t have put Captain Narbor over the barrel so hard,” she said. “I didn’t realize it would be quite that much.”

“It’s a full-size triple balloon airship,” Darius said, his tone matter-of-fact. “Of course it’s a lot, even with the damage.”