28. The Rift (VII)

The party slayed their way through a double-headed [Frostfang Serpent], an [Icefire Griffin], and a flurry of [Wintershade] spirits.

He was glad that the ever-present pressure seemed to impact the alchemists and the beasts even more than it did him. Otherwise, their auras would’ve accidentally killed him on the spot.

Raziel happily dumped all kinds of beast parts into his new Neverfull Pouch. While he didn’t possess any formal education on how to craft cards, he had a keen intuition for what alchemical ingredients mixed well with others.

Certain items simply felt like they would bond well together. Not because of path, or because of the type of beast. Something deeper. Something almost like personality. The mana around the aggressive [Icefire Griffin]’s talon gleamed brighter when it was beside the skittish [Iceweaver]’s eyeball. However, the talon’s mana sputtered out when near the [Frostfang Serpent]’s eyeball. Both the [Iceweaver] and the [Frostfang Serpent] were purely ice path beasts, but to the [Icefire Griffin], there was some profound difference between the two sets of eyes.

The party finally ran into a beast which caused them significant trouble.

A glyph appeared mid-air, shooting a beam of moonlight at the [Shiverplume Roc].

“Boudine!” called Nanette.

“On it!” said the other woman, running around the beast in a tornado of afterimages.

Aric drew his sword and the world bowed at his feet. Raziel’s knees hit the ground, helpless against this power.

The [Shiverplume Roc]’s tail thrashed into the crystal walls, an avalanche of ice and gemstones tumbling down onto everyone. Klaas spread his arms wide and unleashed a net of dark mana.

The four alchemists formed a flawless team. Nanette’s long range abilities ensured that the enemy couldn’t kite them while attacking from afar. Aric was just strong. Klaas seemingly had a solution for everything up his sleeve. And Raziel could be mistaken, but Boudine appeared totally resistant to magic, able to wrangle the [Shiverplume Roc] while it was hurling balls of wind into her belly.

The fighting ended quickly. Aric sheathed his sword, and Raziel was finally able to get up to his feet, his face burning with humiliation. Nanette patted a few crystal shards from Aric’s pauldron.

Raziel despised that golden-haired buffoon.

Did that guy really have to be so flashy? Raziel bet most of Aric’s power came from that stupid sword of his.

For an alchemist, Aric wasn’t even that handsome. He was definitely a low quality alchemist.

The poor princess. Stuck in a group with someone like Aric…

To console himself, Raziel imagined all the juicy beast parts he was about to collect. What kind of [Track] card could he craft with [Shiverplume Roc] ingredients? An A-Grade card for sure. He’d probably be able to track any -

The corpse swept away into Aric's storage ring.

"..."

Apparently the [Shiverplume Roc] was worth keeping even for alchemists of their level.

Raziel’s hopes lifted, noticing a long, violet feather sparkling like freshly driven snow float to the ground.

One of the Roc’s tail feathers!

He paused mid-reach.

The power within the [Shiverplume Roc]’s tail feather was extremely profound. Violet tufts rippled with unseen wind. Raziel suddenly got the sense that touching the feather would be like touching a cyclone - the sheer power it held would rip his body to shreds. This beast truly wasn’t like the others.

Raziel’s outstretched fingers curled back into a fist and he dropped his arm.

Even after he had moved on, the urge struck him to double back and grab the feather before it was 'too late'.

In the stories, greed killed alchemists as often as beasts.

‘You have a [Dragon] egg waiting for you,’ he thought, and it was the closest he’d ever come to prayer. ‘What’s a [Shiverplume Roc] to a [Dragon]?’

Raziel tucked his nose into the collar of his robes and hurried.

“There’s a large group of humans ahead,” said Boudine. The party paused. “Probably more Diabolists, yeah?”

“What’s the plan? Charge straight in?” Klaas wiped his palms on his black leather fatigues.

While the party discussed strategy, Raziel took advantage of the moment to empty his Neverfull Pouch and examine the materials he’d gathered so far. These parts were incredibly potent. In what felt like another life, he remembered reading through the Sacred Book with his cousin, staring in awe at the price of mere Uncommon-Grade [Galefury Jackalope] eyes. Selling that one material would’ve made him one of the richest people in Bramblebog aside from the Wealcrofts.

The items he’d collected here were from Level 2 beasts. He couldn’t imagine their worth.

Though, probably less than ten million crowns. That was how much [Dragon] eggs cost.

‘These beasts are all ice path. Or is it called snow path?’ wondered Raziel, looking over his treasures.

From Raziel’s understanding, crafting cards wasn’t like repairing a Beast Card. It was ten times more difficult. Spell Cards and Martial Cards were a solidified form of the crafter’s own understanding, and the beast parts were merely supplements to keep it in a stabilized physical form.

Raziel was confident in his own knowledge of hunting and tracking. After all, he was a child of the Dark Forest.

What he was less sure about were the technical aspects of card crafting.

Thankfully, Raziel had enough materials to perform a few experiments.

“Salutations,” said Nanette, crouching down.

Raziel looked up from his collection like a raccoon being confronted about all the trash it had gathered. A light blush dusted over his cheeks. Of course the party had been aware that he’d been leeching off their kills, but did they really have to confront him about it? It was slightly embarrassing.

“Hello, Your Majesty,” he said.

“Your Highness,” she corrected with a gentle grin.

The beautiful princess, with hair of silver starlight. Small, silver tattoos shone across her cheekbones, winking under the blue fairy-light. Large almond eyes drank up the world. When she spoke, there was an ethereal undertone to her voice, something that sparkled like light on a shard of glass.

She was the most beautiful girl that Raziel had ever seen and it wasn’t even close.

Internally, he grimaced. She was probably older than his own mother.

As Kindred would’ve put it - mood-killer.

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At least… it should be.

Right?

“Thirty percent,” she said.

“Hm?”

She brought her face closer to his, her voice low and secretive. “I’m thirty percent certain you’re a real boy.”

A pause.

A moon reflecting on water, glittering and beautiful and timeless.

“Just thirty?” Raziel was proud that his voice only cracked the slightest bit. “No wonder the other [Mimics] called me their deepest shame and left me in a box by the river. I’m the worst [Mimic] ever.”

“Boudine thinks its zero percent,” she continued. “She adores children, you see, so you can’t be a real boy.”

Raziel swallowed.

“Then what about the rest?”

“Their opinions are less interesting.” Nanette shrugged lightly. “My kingdom of Frothguth has one story that we never tell. It starts with a Lord returning from an expedition, missing a few memories. It ends with the Lord’s wife having given birth to four of the [Mimic]’s children, and several new laws passed under the Lord’s name. There’s fifty years between the beginning of this story and its end. I’m telling you this in case you are a real boy. Don’t be too offended by our wariness.”

He nodded - because what else was he supposed to do?

“I’m guessing the [Mimic] was a good politician,” he said. “He would’ve been discovered the day he arrived, otherwise.”

“Very good,” she admitted. “In Frothguth, a single uncooperative Lord can stall the entire court for years. Bribery, blackmail, and threats are practically official currencies in our kingdom. In situations where the old Lord would’ve folded, his [Mimic] didn’t. He’s the only reason why the ban on enslaving mortals didn’t get overturned.”

“Then how did the truth come out?”

“A Lord can only miss so many weddings, funerals, and baptisms before it starts to look very rude.”

Right. Only humans were permitted to enter the Church of Zu’en. Raziel hadn’t known this rule was so literal.

“That’s the tragedy of the [Mimic],” said Nanette. “They want to be anything other than what they are, but they can only pretend. They can’t really change.”

“Oh.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m thirty percent sure you’re a real boy?”

“Why?”

Nanette poked his iron mask.

Specifically, his forehead - on the glyphstone’s location.

“I can’t stop thinking about this glyph.” She narrowed her eyes in thought. “What does it represent?”

Raziel shrugged.

She gave him a smile and rubbed his forehead with her thumb. Wincing, he batted her away, his head rattling.

Nanette asked, “Were you born with it?”

Suddenly, Raziel felt a sense of threat.

He watched the rest of her party discuss their plans in low tones. Nanette was supposed to be there. With them. Her last minutes were slipping through her fingers, and she wasn’t spending them strategizing with her team. She was with him. The [Mimic]. Asking about the strange glyph on his forehead. Asking about the Red Figure Card, though she didn’t know it.

She looked gentle and lovely.

Would she still look that pretty ripping the card out of his core, fingers covered in his blood?

‘Yeah,’ he thought. ‘Probably.’

This time his voice was smooth and so very dry. “I don’t know. I’m missing a few memories.”

Nanette leaned forward on the balls of her feet, inspecting Raziel’s collection of beast parts. “This is a nice haul. What would you say if I tried to take it from you?”

Her aura was lazy and bright like mist under the moon.

“You stole my map, and now you want to steal the rest of my things. Are you a princess or a thief?”

“I’m an alchemist,” she said simply. “Isn’t it the right of the strongest to exert their will over the weak?”

“If you enjoy bullying the weak, then you need more stimulating hobbies in your life.”

“Wrong.” Nanette looked more contemplatively at the beast parts. Reading the way he’d arranged them. “If you actually want an alchemist to leave you alone, remind them that meddling with mortals is bad karma.”

Raziel said quietly, “Do people really believe that stuff?”

“Absolutely. Alchemists are very concerned about their karma. Even I am known to help out a weakling or two just to improve mine.” Nanette put her finger to her cheek. “I can’t give you the map back, but it was terribly rude of us to walk away with it. What do you want in exchange?”

He frowned.

“Within reason,” she interrupted. “Something I can do right now.”

“Then help me with this." He gestured to the gore in front of him. "Can I craft [Hunt] cards with this stuff? I can tell that this combination will create something, but the feeling is more… flying than hunting.”

“Your intuition is decent. This materia is actually perfect for crafting a C-Grade [Icewings] Martial Card. Not a bad card for an amateur ice path alchemist.” Nanette paused, keen intelligence flashing through her colorless eyes. “As for [Hunt] cards… try looking at it this way.”

Nanette moved the [Icefire Griffin]’s talon to the side, then set the [Frostfang Serpent] scale in the front.

The collection of alchemical ingredients gave off a new, but weaker impression. Gone was the [Icefire Griffin]’s restlessness. Instead, the killing intent within the [Frostfang Serpent]’s scale became the dominant note.

“[Icefire Griffins] may look like a hyper-aggressive variant of the [Griffin], but its all performative. The purpose of their long talons and razor sharp teeth is to show off for the females of their species. They aren’t great for [Hunt] cards. The [Frostfang Serpent] is weaker but better suited for your purpose.”

Raziel looked at the alchemical ingredients like they were an inscrutable puzzle for him to solve.

“The [Frostfang Serpent] was blind,” he remembered. “Are all [Frostfang Serpents] blind?”

Nanette nodded. “They use their eyes for casting spells.”

He’d just learned a valuable lesson on the downsides of his [Hyper-Vigilance] and his Manasight having too much overlap. He didn’t want yet another ability which drew power from his forehead node. Nothing which involved his vision. Nothing which involved hunting someone based on their mana signature.

Without diverse abilities, he’d have a glaring weakness.

Raziel moved the [Frostfang Serpent]’s scale further behind, rearranging the materials.

Nanette raised a fine silver brow. “What is this?”

There were several open spots in the pattern. “Can this craft a [Track] Martial Card?”

Her finger traced a few points in the air. “Interesting. This is too specific for [Track]. You’ll probably end up with the [Mindtracker] Martial Card.”

“You’ve heard about it?” he asked eagerly.

“Yes. With this card, once you’ve learned the way someone thinks, you can track them across long distances. [Psychopomps] are popular ingredients for this. These parts you’ve gathered are subpar substitutions. At best, you’re looking at a D-Grade card. You’re also missing a strong mind path materia - or even a mind path card, honestly - to bind everything together.”

Raziel breathed out.

It wasn’t as hopeless as he’d assumed.

Both Subtle and Sublime had [Mind Sense]. He could make one of them drop the ability, and use it in his own card.

Raziel understood that the [Elusive Dreamhound] ability kit synergized heavily with [Mind Sense]. What were dreams and illusions, after all, other than figments of the mind? If he went down this path then he would be crippling one of his beasts. Or changing them into another variant.

“That’s not all.” Nanette turned over the [Icefire Griffin]’s talon to its warm side and placed it near the [Wintershade] scraps. “With this design, you’ll also need a way to neutralize all this ice path mana, otherwise you’ll craft a [Mind Freeze] Spell Card instead.”

So he needed a fire beast. Preferably with mental abilities.

Why did that sort of creature sound like something ripped from his nightmares?

‘Hang on, these scorching hot flames aren’t enough! I better develop some mind attacks too!’

“I suppose your help was worth the map,” he said coolly. He wanted the map, but he didn’t need it. Raziel knew the way, and if the path shifted, then a map wouldn’t do much for him in that event. “By the way, I meant what I said before. I can show you a way out of the Rift. You don’t have to follow Aric around if you have better things to do.”

“In exchange for helping you find the wraith you’re desperately looking for? Or perhaps a [Cataclysm Bird]?

Raziel shook his head softly. “You don’t have time left. I’m just offering to save your life.”

If she’d believed Raziel earlier, everything would be different. Nanette could’ve defeated Last Wish single-handedly and then traveled with him and Father Linus to the Nexus. One of the gateways might take her home. Or, maybe she stayed for a while in Bramblebog, and he showed her his favorite rocks and streams. A girl like her wouldn't be scared of the Dark Forest.

Nanette stood up. “Let me ask you this. Isn’t it the right of the strongest to exert their will over the weak?”

He looked her directly in the eyes. “No.”

“Twenty-five percent.”