Aurelian rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly while trying to decide on what to do.
Following their proclamations of his supposed greatness, Karsys and Zylara had both been desperately eager to make up for what they thought was a grievous lapse in proper protocol when dealing with him, and it had taken every bit of cajoling, convincing, and even a bit of yelling to make them see reason and at least stop referring him as ‘Your Majesty’.
They’d been leery about ‘Aurelian’, but ‘Reclaimer’ or ‘Lord Nephilim’ had been compromises they’d been willing to make. He still had hope for the use of his name, and had reinforced that where he came from it was relatively normal to refer to people by their name as a general rule, but the pair had adamantly insisted that doing so was a breach of the highest levels of proper procedure.
He had relented with an aggrieved sigh.
They had managed to reach a nice equilibrium after that, and he had even extracted from them that they’d been dispatched by the Regent — a man they called Charlemagne of all things — to find the Fallen Star in accordance with the ancient dictates of Lucius Tollarius, the Imperator that had reigned over Elysea during what they called the Fall when the Godsworn had rampaged across everything.
He had also learned that the modern Godsworn were called the ‘Grand Ascendancy’ — which was an immediate red flag to anyone from Earth — and had conquered the vast majority of Terra. Small nations still stood defiant against them, but they were too far to be of any help in the so-called Elysean Remnant’s struggle against the adherents and their dogmatic legions of so-titled Anointed.
All of that had culminated in an impatient and more-than-a-little-grumpy Bahamut making his presence known the same moment the three of them had evacuated the Skarnid Sac chamber.
Which was why he stood with his fingers massaging away the promise of an oncoming headache while Zylara and Karsys all but worshipped at Bahamut’s feet.
Unsurprisingly, the dragon was highly approving of their awe.
You see, Aurelian? This is how dragons are meant to be treated.
Yeah, well, don’t expect me to start genuflecting any time soon.
I would be a benevolent overlord. Bahamut stated primly.
I’m sure you would, bud. I’m sure you would.
“Okay enough of that.” He said out loud to Karsys and Zylara, who were still on the floor with their foreheads pressed to the marble. “Seriously. He’s not even the dragon king yet, just a hatchling with an ego the size of Jupiter.”
I will defeat this Jupiter in due time. Bahamut vowed.
“Jupit—?” Zylara began before being cut off.
“Nevermind.” Aurelian grunted. “Just… get up. Please.”
Both elf and human rose slowly to their feet with continued looks of awe for the dragon, who was quite literally preening at the attention, flexing his wings and tossing his head in an impressive manner to let his scales catch the afternoon sunlight from the Arboretum above.
One of the benefits of meeting the two scouts had been the ability to finally add an accurate clock to his HUD, which helped immensely.
“Let’s keep moving.” Aurelian said firmly. “I don’t want to waste more time than we have to, not if we’re going to beat the Necrolord’s army to Sanctuary.”
“I still find that hard to believe…” Zylara murmured while she and Karsys fell in behind Aurelian, with Bahamut bringing up their rear at a leisurely four-legged gait.
“It beggars belief.” Karsys agreed quietly. “Forty thousand, and so many of them corrupted blightmen…”
“You aren’t freaking out as badly as I assumed you would, given the forces threatening your home.”
“Sanctuary is not defenseless.” Zylara said with a note of pride in her voice. “And even if they breach the valley, Last Hope is not so easily sieged. The entire population can shelter inside the mountain hold behind the citadel’s gates for months, if need be. Though…” Her voice turned hesitant while she continued. “Your revelation about traitors is concerning.”
“Especially if they have revealed our contingencies,” Karsys agreed grimly. “Though I too am confident that Last Hope can weather a siege, it will mean nothing if there is not enough warning to evacuate the city. If the godsworn have truly penetrated as deeply as Lycinius purported, then it is very possible that there will be little to no advanced warning.”
“There would be enough time to sound the alarm once they breached the valley itself,” Zylara said confidently, “especially with the Seraii on watch, but—”
“Seraii?” Aurelian interjected.
“Loosely translated, my lord, it means Shadows.” Karsys explained in his ever-patient and gentle voice. “It is part of the Elysean olde tongue, inherited from the first Calamity. She was the one that ordained all the orders, sects, and imperial structure.”
“Huh. Okay. That sounds convoluted, but I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s always convoluted.”
“I do not understand. What is?” Zylara asked.
“Isekai.” Aurelian said while knowing they wouldn’t understand. “Don’t worry about it though. It’s just me complaining.” He stepped through the entrance to the arboretum when they approached it, and felt as much as heard his boots crunch on lifeless bones when they exited into the corridor beyond.
Both Karsys and Zylara, to their credit, did little more than cast surprised looks at the skeletal remnant before following, though with decidedly less crunching than him.
“You said you had several Master tier defenders in Sanctuary, right?”
“That’s correct.” Karsys confirmed.
“Vasilia, Nicoli, Alyria, Maar, and Asher, right?”
“Yes.” Zylara answered approvingly. “All five are incredibly powerful, but…”
“It’s still forty thousand undead, a Necrolord — whatever that is — and twelve Vasiri who are probably Expert or higher, right?”
“Yes.” Zylara answered with a more openly worried tone. “Even with five Master tier warriors, it only takes one bout of contagion and—”
“They’re compromised and rapidly deteriorate. Damn. Vasiri are kind of overpowered, huh?”
“An odd but apt turn of phrase, my lord.” Karsys said with a nod.
“Might have to break out the big guns…” Aurelian muttered.
“The what, my lord?”
“The—oh.” He glanced at Karsys in realisation and then smiled apologetically. “It’s a turn of phrase from my original world. It essentially just means I may need to use a powerful weapon I hadn’t thought would be necessary, but the question is whether or not the weapon is even viable. He may not have the strength.”
“Weapon? He?” Zylara pressed. “Is this something unique to Nephilim, lord Reclaimer?”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“You might say that in this case, yeah.” Aurelian answered while leading them down the corridor. “But we should probably make haste the rest of the way, yeah? I assume you can both keep up, since you’re Aspirant tier. Follow me.”
Without another word Aurelian threw himself into a sprint through the corridors of the palace proper, and heard as much as sensed Zylara and Karsys ramp up immediately to match him. Bahamut of course launched himself into the air, and with the spaciousness of the palace corridors, was able to keep pace with them from above without incident.
So they ran, with Aurelian using his HUD’s map to keep track of their progress and even deviate down shorter access paths that he had avoided for worry of alerting Lycinius to their presence during his and Bahamut’s approach. His decision was of course vindicated by the sight of collapsed clusters of bone, armour, and weaponry at various different key junctions and intersections; allowing him to quietly bask in the latent achievement.
Tactician is now Level 18!
Exploration is now Level 10!
Congratulations, Exploration has reached Novitiate tier!
You have gained Experience!
Aurelian dismissed the notices as soon as they appeared and continued to wind his way through the corridor. At their current pace he estimated he might have been able to keep up with a car during moderate traffic in Oxford, and that struck him as bizarre. The sheer scale with which the System enhanced a person’s physical capabilities bewildered him in many ways. It was moments like the current one that truly highlighted how insane it was, though.
While he ran his eyes tracked toward his Longsword Mastery, and again he contemplated the skill. He only had one Upgrade Point left, and the temptation to use it was… considerable. He had no idea whether or not he’d ever be able to upgrade the skill otherwise given the fact that his runesword hadn’t triggered any kind of change, and the potential that his draconic traits and growing Nephilic bonuses would interface well with a Skill Evolution was… tempting.
Then of course there was Pain Tolerance and Mana Control, both of which had proven incredibly potent and both of which were probably the more logical choices for improvement. He chewed his lower lip while he ran, and ignored the quiet conversation between Zylara and Karsys while he considered his options. It made no sense to sit on any potential benefit any longer.
It was okay when he was walking into the relative unknown and needed to have something up his sleeve, but now that he knew the stakes and was facing down the potential of engaging twelve Vasiri and whatever a Necrolord was — likely a Master tier, knowing his luck — perhaps within close proximity to one another… Pain Tolerance seemed to be the more useful of his options, though admittedly not by a significant margin.
Unlocking a second Chakra with an improved form of Mana Control could help too.
Aurelian bit back a curse while leading his companions toward one of the hidden doors, and Bahamut seemed to pick up on his mood.
Exploration is now Level 11!
Something is bothering you, Aurelian.
Yeah it’s just my skills. He replied with frustration. I can’t decide how to move forward.
You are feeling the pressure of the upcoming confrontation, and worrying over your readiness for the challenge.
Got it in one, yeah. Aurelian agreed with an internalised sigh. Pain Tolerance and Mana Control are what I’m looking at right now, and I could in theory get either one to Epic — with a unique evolution — or Mana Control to Epic and Pain Tolerance to Rare, but…
Bahamut was quick on the uptake. But evolving and upgrading a skill may only occur once for each, and you are concerned that you may be rushing into something that could occur naturally given your unique bonuses.
Yes. Aurelian confirmed. It’s an annoyingly consequential decision even if I do nothing with my upgrade or evolution points.
Perhaps you should ask your new subjects.
They’re not my—
Spare me your emphatic denials and self-doubting prattle, Aurelian. I have little time for the pretense of humility you insist on wearing like a poorly fitting cloak, as it were. You are a Nephilim, Reclaimer, and the bonded rider of a Dragon King. A Monarch must know his due, not languish in false insistence on equality with the masses.
Aurelian was silent for a moment while they slowed to a jog, and then eventually a walk and full standstill in front of one of the several hidden access points. He turned to look at Bahamut when the dragon came down to land and frowned at him. Zylara and Karsys looked between them, and promptly took a step back when Bahamut approached to stand unbothered before Aurelian.
For a long moment there was only silence between them while Bahamut’s golden eyes met Aurelian’s red, and their emotions swapped back and forth in a dizzying wave of wordless communication.
Then at last Aurelian sighed and reached up to scratch the dragon’s skull between the eyes, where his scales were smallest. “I get it.” He said simply.
Bahamut growled in agreeable appreciation and flexed his wings, while Karsys and Zylara exchanged confused looks.
“Bahamut was educating me on the finer points of authority,” Aurelian said when he caught their looks of bewilderment. “Namely my need for some measure of normalcy as it relates to my old life. I guess I need to accept that may never be the case again, though I can’t say I’m thrilled with the idea. I was just a person where I came from. Another random citizen in the streets, and an unremarkable one at that.”
He looked back at the pair of them, watching him with unveiled interest. “It’s strange for me to have to deal with people giving me… deference, I suppose. At least deference to the degree you two do. Logically I understand it, but it feels strange. I suppose I’ll adjust to it eventually, but that comes with its own problems.” He turned back to the wall and searched quickly for the rune he knew would be there.
“What manner of problems?” Zylara asked when he went silent.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Aurelian said with a shrug while willing his right gauntlet to fold away from his hand, “and I am not so arrogant as to assume I’m immune to that adage. What concerns me is that I’ll forget the whole reason I’m doing all of this.”
“Forgive me, but is the Calling and Reclamation not your purpose? Because I do not see how you might forget that simply by accepting your proper title.”
Aurelian shook his head while digging in his still-manicured nails into his palm, and drawing blood with a suppressed wince. He considered his words while placing his naked, bleeding flesh to the wall and then finally spoke while the runic matrices activated. “I’m not here to be anyone’s messiah or chosen one, Karsys. I’m just a guy who has the ability to help people, and that’s what I’m going to do. I can accept that this stuff seems tied to some sort of position of grand authority, and I’ve read enough stories to know fighting it only leads to more bullshit, but…”
Aurelian shrugged while he watched the wall move backward and begin its smooth slide to the right. “Honestly? I’d rather just walk away and explore the world. I’m not going to because my mother and father taught me to hold to your responsibilities and help those in need where you have the power to, but I won’t pretend that it’s the more appealing choice. It’s just… the right thing to do, I guess.” He looked back at them while shaking out his healing palm.
“The gods are assholes. They deserve to die, and I’m the only one capable of doing it.” His gauntlet covered his hand again with a flex of will, and he smiled mirthlessly at the pair of Realm natives. “It doesn’t mean I’m not going to wish I could just fly off into the sunset with my dragon and leave all this apocalyptic bowing and scraping prophesied Emperor shit behind me.”
The human and elf were silent when they followed Aurelian into the passage and toward the stairs he immediately started down, and barely reacted when Bahamut chose to simply launch himself into the air and vanish into the darkness while they descended. Aurelian also noticed the lack of light to reveal Bael’tharax, and couldn’t help but assume it was intentional. The old dragon was playing tricks again. Not even his colossal runes were visible.
“Far be it from me to be presumptive,” Zylara said suddenly, “but I… recall your statement about finding some comfort in informality.” She appeared to be weighing the words and when Aurelian looked back at her, her beautiful features were openly thoughtful. Considering, even. “I would not be entirely opposed to using your name as I would a party member, but I would not be able to do it outside of our small group.” She frowned while she spoke, and her intense blue eyes never left his face. “You may not fully agree with our approach, and I understand that; but for us it is almost a matter of religion to give due respect to the Calamity.”
“Zylara is right,” Karsys chimed in, “and you have made your own valid points, my lo—Aurelian. We cannot break protocol in front of others, but I too am willing to offer you what I can in the privacy of our impromptu party to ease the burden you are feeling. What we are asking of you is… no small thing. Unprecedented, really, save for the first Calamity herself. It would be selfish and ignorant to not respect your own desires in such relatively minor matters as simple address.”
Aurelian raised his eyebrows at their words, and felt a warm surge of relief roll through him. “Would it help if I officially made us a party until this is all over?”
The pair exchanged glances, and then turned to him with shared smiles. Zylara’s was more of a smirk, while Karsys seemed genuinely touched. “Yes.” The elf maiden said with a twinkle in her eyes. “I think that would be nice.”
“Then consider it done.” Aurelian said decisively. “And on that note, I have a question for you both.”
“Of course, Aurelian.” Karsys responded in a voice that was already more comfortable.
“Ask it,” Zylara agreed.
“First, let me show you my sheet…”
Their reactions were exactly as expected.
It made for a very entertaining descent into the Dragon’s Lair.