-Place them so that they actually make contact - I instructed. - That shit doesn’t work remotely. I think.

She nodded and carefully did as I asked.

Now when I think about it, it actually might have been straight incorrect. After all, I was able to contact him without a single touch before…

I did lose the connection to him though, so I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

She placed my arms right next to his, essentially making it look like he had four. Looked a bit funny.

-Now, listen. You need to touch him and the crystal at the same time, then start chanting the spell.

-Chanting? You mean that’s not just a singular cast?

-No. You need to constantly be repeating the spell.

-Okay… sounds simple enough…

-That’s not all. At the same time, you need to repeat another spell. Usually you just think of one spell and say the other…

-That’s… I can’t do something like that! - she immediately protested. - What do you think, do I look like I have two heads?!

-I sort of expected you to say that… So I already thought of something. It’s not really a method I would recommend nor use, but I guess we have no choice. You just need to weave two spells. Just first cast one then another, it should have a similar result, although I am sure it is going to take a lot more mana and time.

-Why did you send off Eise then! She’d help. Or Jacob!

-I would like to remind you that she’s still blocked from using magic. And Jacob is barely able to hang on his mana supply. We don’t need to have another one in a coma right now…

-I could always restore her magic. And Jacob… well. Do you think I have any more than him?

-Mana is not a problem right now. While sure, it is not cheap to do something like that, it’s not like we need that much. After all, we are not MAKING another revenant, it’s just an operation on an existing one.

-Making…

I think for the first time the actual weight of the situation hit her. It was pretty close to “forbidden magic”. Okay, it might’ve been just literally the magic that Axelrod wanted people executed for.

-Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’ll be under control.

-You really think I have enough mana for this…? - she asked, still uncertain about this whole endeavor.

-You? Probably not. We? Definitely.

-We? You’re joining? I mean…

-Well, not directly.

She clearly was not understanding, so I started explaining.

-Do you think that those crystal arms are just for show? - I asked. - After all, those were part of me just not long ago. And I’ve constantly been under the influence of some kind of mana. Even if you'd run out of mana, you’re going to be using those.

And, after all, she would be getting mana from Kon. At least if he’d be successful.

I sort of was banking on that, then maybe we’d even not have to finish the ritual, just the drained mana from the attempt would awaken him.

That was the first option at least.

The second one was just for the ritual to succeed and he’d just awaken like usual.

The third option was for me to be able to absorb him through her, just like I was able to do when I first touched the tree back next to the orphanage on the island.

That was the last resort though. I was just hoping that the first two would be able to do the job without issue.

-Okay. So what is the spell you want me to cast? - asked For after a while of silence. - I guess we can try…

That was a good question.

I was considering many options, but the two were mainly what I thought of first.

The main one, of course, was the same spell I used to make him, or transfer him from myself to his body.

It was the obvious choice, but the fact that now the problem with the main body and the lack of response had manifested, there was a chance that it would straight up not work, as we’d essentially wouldn’t be moving the soul at all.

There was also a way I yoinked him from the tree… Although I was not even sure myself how the hell I had done that.

It probably was more compatible with the second option, as in absorbing him via For.

It still was unreliable.

-Eh… Let me think… I guess… “Zyza, gy xye oryqa nom quxe kyr ur gy xye zoda, Nar vuzury op zy quq, qy avharow op zy xyomr”...

-What in the everloving fuck!? How am I supposed to remember or even pronounce that garbage?!

She was not wrong, and even to add on top of that…

-...I haven’t finished yet. That was just the first part. Although the second one is barely any different, it would be “Peqa, svury gy xye oryqa nom quxe kyr ur gy xye zoda, Nar vuzury op zy quq, qy avharow op zy xyomr”.

She looked at me like I was insane.

-Okay, no. I can do a spell or two, but to try and chant something like this!? That’s impossible!

-Well, that’s what I did last time and you can’t hear me complaining.

-But I am not you! - she protested. - Is that even correct? I can’t even understand a singular word you just said.

-It’s that bad? - I mumbled, annoyed. - Fuck. I can try writing that on some paper…

-Well, sure, that’s always an option… IF IT WAS NOT JUST PLAIN GIBBERISH! You think anyone besides you would be able to read that and not make a mistake?

-Mh… I guess it is that bad…

-I would have to practice this… and even then, just as you said, it would be dangerous just spitting some random words. Who the hell knows what kind of spell would I unleash on us accidentally.

-Damn… right. You are absolutely correct. And… - I said, realizing something - you’d have to repeat the whole incantation more than once most likely. You’d definitely stumble at least once… and we don’t need any more wild magic…

-This is straight up impossible, you realize that?

-That’s problematic.

Besides looking angry, both at me and at herself, she was absolutely crestfallen. I guess the idea of us being stuck being her fault was weighing on her…

-Calm down, I’ll think of something… - I muttered and instantly got lost in my own thoughts.

Man, I should’ve predicted that.

I already knew that magic in this world was not as refined as it was back in my day at the MIRE, so I had to realize that this would give her some trouble.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Hell, as far as I knew she was even homeschooled, so that was not helping the case either. Were normal schools even a thing here? Elven schools? I don’t know what I am talking about.

In any case, it meant that the idea of using the same spell to return Kon to his own body was impossible, or at least not in this form.

Out of all the times I was annoyed that Iloa was inside my head, this time I was angry that she disappeared. With her assistance this would not be a problem at all. She would just think for a moment and have the answer ready and waiting. After all, she was the most talented one in spellcraft.

No wonder we based the design of ILMA on her…

Wait. ILMA.

She was still with us, right?

Would it be possible for her to make the spell for me instead? Just like the old times?

It was a possibility.

The problem was that she was disconnected from all the networks she used, so how much of her regular functions would be still working?

Well, she still had her logic and algorithms intact, so would it be possible that she still had the language module working? Did we actually put the module inside her or did we just import it from some place…? Hell, I couldn’t remember.

Another issue though: would she even listen to me if I was to ask her for help?

Last time I ordered her something, she straight up declined.

She was answering questions at least. But would my request be recognized as the question or would I still need some deeper access to her databases? Non-existent, to boot.

But, nonetheless, she would be the best help.

-I have an idea - I said, raising my eyes to meet hers.

-I do hope that this one is more doable…

-That’s… up to debate. I need to talk to ILMA.

-Goldie? Er, I mean…

-Yeah. After all, she is the most… competent of all of us. I am sure that she’d be a great help.

-I feel like there’s “but” somewhere in there.

-Well, it’s just a matter of making her talk - I shrugged. - But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

-Hm… You think that she will be able to cast the spell for me?

That made me pause.

-You know…

That was actually a good idea.

For clearly was still not sure or not really believing her abilities, and I can’t blame her for that, but the option to make her cast the spell instead of trying to make a new incantation from scratch…That was definitely possible.

For one, ILMA would be able to repeat the spell no problem, any amount without a single mistake. In that sense, she was superior to us in every single way.

The problem was, if the spell was to not work, or something to go wrong, I would be unable to stop it. With For casting I would be able to drain the spell and her without issue, fixing the problem. Hopefully.

Still, the same problem persisted, too: would she even listen to us?

While I did call her a person, she didn’t exactly act as such…

-Then… we need to get him to her, right?

She definitely did not sound amused, and no wonder. She was the one who was going to have to carry him with us.

-Good thing he’s not heavy.

-I was more worried about your arms… but right, those are also light… - she mumbled to herself. - Are there no other options…?

-I can try and come up with something by myself, but another person’s input is definitely preferred…

-Eh…

She complained a bit but grabbed him nonetheless.

In the middle of us making our way back to the dungeon where Goldie was kept, For broke the silence with a strange question,

-Say… did something happen to you?

-Told you, I am going to be fine. I just need some time and my body will be back in regular shape.

-No, no, I know that. I meant… er, mentally.

-The hell are you on about? - I asked, not sure what that was supposed to mean.

-Well… before you were a lot more confident in yourself… - she said, clearly having trouble putting into words what she was thinking about right now. - Had the answer to everything almost immediately… and now for you to ask for help almost instantly… Are you sure that nothing happened?

-Since when are you worried about me?

-Since you… well, I don’t actually know - she said, clearly confused. - It's just… huh. Why do I care?

The whole sentence sounded weird. She was clearly struggling with her own self, which was worrying first of all. And second of all… she was absolutely right. I have not been myself lately… or maybe I haven’t been myself earlier and just now came back to my senses?

Fuck, that was annoying.

-I see you are as overwhelmed as me - I said. - It’s been… a hard time, be it for you as a leader and all, and for me over all. I can’t blame you for getting confused.

-It’s not “confused”… It’s quite the opposite - she replied. - It’s… just recently I have been feeling a bit off and I didn’t even realize that.

-Just don’t blame me for that…

-I honestly was thinking about it - she said. - I think that the weirdness started happening just after you woke me up… I mean, the second time that is.

-Don’t tell me that your overall life has been so normal - I laughed.

-Maybe… - she nodded. - But most of that stuff was also connected to you, for good or for worse…

-Come on, you know that’s not…

-And I know that it’s not your fault… some of it at least. For some reason… I feel like I can trust you.

The words were really surprising to hear, especially from her.

She was full of suspicions, or at least used to be.

-Damn blood binding…

-And what does that have to do with anything?

-It means exactly what you think it means.

-And I don’t know what it means. Care to explain?

-Damn. You really have changed… Before you ridicule me for not knowing about the magic I used, now you ask me about that kind of thing…

-So explain it because I feel like actually doing that right now.

-Sure, sure…

-See… before I used the meditations… or rather that spell you explained to me about, I was digging through a lot of books.

-Yeah, I noticed that.

-And while I didn’t find what I was looking for, I found some information about blood binding and contracts.

-I remember seeing a book about those in here - I nodded. - So what about it? I don’t think there was much interesting information in there…

-I don’t think we are talking about the same one then - she said. - But again, there were a couple of them here.

-Well, I did only browse through the library, I was not digging through your private stuff, so that’s possible. So what interesting things did you learn?

-I learned that the bindings, or deals, are actually a three-step process.

-That’s similar to what I thought, or rather what I was told before, and what the general knowledge is, although with a certain difference. The general public thinks that deals have three levels: the word of mouth, the sealed deal, and the blood pact.

-Sounds about right. And that the tree can be upgraded to a higher one.

She nodded.

-And after failing one level, it can be automatically upgraded to a higher one.

-I thought you actually need someone to do that consciously?

-Actually, no. You only need to do that if you haven’t broken your word yet.

-Okay… What about that three-step process?

-See… the deals are apparently not divided into levels. Those are just steps to the actual spell, or to the actual contract.

-Actual contract?

-Yeah, that is just what you think it would be: to forfeit your soul to the other party - she simply said.

-Er… I can’t really say that it makes any difference to me - I said after a moment of thought. - Isn’t that just arguing semantics? Three-step process, three levels, what is the actual difference? Is there any even?

-Well, the usage is definitely different.

-Usage? Didn’t you say that it was just used for the whole slave bullshit?

-I never mentioned slaves. That is, actually the man-made use for this thing. What that used to be is to actually control people.

-Isn’t that the same?

-It definitely can be. But from what I gathered, it was used to actually control not people, but memories.

I gazed at her, curious.

-Wait, so you think that’s why you suddenly remembered that stuff after that “ritual of remembrance” or whatever you called?

-It seems that way. That spell released me from the binds. Or at least weakened them for me to remember a little bit.

-Seems like more than just a bit. But more importantly, wouldn’t that mean that you were already someone else’s slave beforehand…

-I don’t think… Well, that’s a bit complicated…

-I thought that you only can be bound to one person at a time. And I definitely did bind to you, right? And before you ask - I added - I didn’t mess with your memories, no. You know very well what was inside the contract and how to check it.

-I am aware - she mumbled. - But I do not understand this magic completely, so I can’t say, really.

-Man… I said that already, but every time I hear more about that magic of yours I continuously think that it’s bullshit.

-Right, I am slowly starting to understand why… - she nodded. - But we have to deal with it now, because I feel like it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

-Sadly.

-Anyway… we’re here.