Darin P.O.V.
We were silently watching the projection from the memory crystal provided by the Great Arthropod.
“That is definitively not my fighting style, not against Soul Merge level opponents.” Claimere Freslia said.
“The reality created is based upon the accessible memories of the participants. It is an approximation based upon my recollections and Ikrei’s. The Queen has never met you, Claimere.” I explained.
The fight carried on and the dust settled. We watched until the entire crystal stopped transmitting unto the floating magic mirror. A more elaborate artifact than the one given to the Sachears.
“Why did that happen Darin?” Her gaze was cold, scrutinizing.
“Ahem. When you break a soul you must give it something in return. This is to prevent a full state of irreversible delirium. Ikrei was given something his heart desired. A powerful sustenance, he will not forget it. We can’t leave him hopeless, Claimere.” I tried a bit of tact for once instead of bluntness.
I was sweating unintentionally.
‘I could get smashed to the wall thanks to that damned spider.’
“He will not forget it; you say?”
“We can have the Queen erase that part and insert another while he remains unconscious.” I suggested actively.
“My breasts are perkier. My areolas are bigger.” She grabbed the crystal and destroyed it with a right handed grip.
‘What? I can never tell what she is thinking. How does Akathos manage her?’
“How long was he down there?”
“Ten days fighting, seven days under soul manipulation. The Queen determined he wouldn’t last the twenty days.” Lady Freslia only nodded.
“Make sure there are no other copies of this crystal. Have everything follow Lord Akathos design to the letter. Get yourself a mastercraft alchemical mask and suit, ask Lord Tanin for assistance. Leave our sleeping beauty alone for three days. Remember, no one must know about this.”
“The only ones that could interfere are our two beloved ones, Claimere.”
The rift protecting the study opened up.
“I’ll go see the troublesome one, he is up and about, huh?” She asked.
“Yes, Claimere.”
“Go talk to Sarkan about Isoray, I’ll go see our little rebel. And get me a proper eyepatch, this one is unbefitting.”
We left my master’s study to deal with the matters.
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Freslia P.O.V.
“How is she?” I probed
“She’ll be up in a couple of days.” Krigsain replied with certainty.
“You used the seudagliere herb that the princess gave you on her?”
“She wasn’t going to get help of this level or similar assistance from you. But you are not going to let a kind hearted chosen one waste away, right?”
‘This cheeky bastard.’
“Kletay is indebted to you, you are indebted to the princess, you owe artifacts to Ciel and I am not counting that noble girl you kept hidden from everybody. Don’t go bringing your troubles into our order.”
“King Erel has hundreds of wives. What are a dozen girlfriends?” The cheeky prick gave me his witty smile.
Unstoppable laughter was all I was capable of.
“Ha, ha, ha!”
‘The echo effect must have woken up patients, I’ll get reprimanded.’
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Erel has them all under foot without the need of seduction arts. You are not Erel and you are also mingling with our female elites. If they become incapable due to a broken heart, one core will not be the only thing to break next time.” I pinned a very special needle on him.
‘The Will didn’t oppose it, just as I imagined it. Krigsain walks a very thin line between the precepts and his personal freedom. Too bad for you!’
“Yeah, yeah, it will be fine. So what do you need Claimere?”
“In four days, you are heading out with Ikrei for your male bonding experience, that’s how you call it, yes?”
“That is good to hear.” He seemed excited.
“And DO NOT use your powers to peek into the plans of our elders. Let things be for now. You hear me?” I was being adamant.
“It isn’t my fault that my efforts for the cause go unrecognized.” He gesticulated in derision.
“Tell me, how close are you to the Will?” I queried the arrogant one.
“I can sense enough, enough to help, if you let me.”
The corridor of the underground healing ward filled up with the tower personnel.
‘My laughter brought them over, most likely.’
“Not close enough.” I showed him the floating needle I had used.
I pointed to his forearm and the exact point of insertion near his wrist. His vowels began making large movements. The sound was audible to all present.
“What you do with the princess or that noble is not my concern. Don’t mess up my girls, they are our sisters. You going to marry them? The barbarians say, never shit where you eat.”
‘Ciel might be a lost cause but Kletay can be saved. If we curtail this hunky fox right here.’
Krigsain appeared pale, in severe need of rectal care.
“Get out of here.” I waved him away.
I turned to leave with heavy steps. Many thoughts and things to consider.
“She’s the Deathbringer! She looks like a pirate from the romance novels! I knew she was here!” Someone recognized me with the eyepatch.
“Why does she hide herself under that hood when she is so beautiful?” A boy asked.
“Haven’t you heard, she shattered her last lover’s balls into pieces!”
“Ballbuster Deathbringer, the one and only! I was the one who treated our once promising elder. Life sure is, full of surprises.” The Head Elder of the Healing Ward explained.
“That’s why no powerhouse wants to marry her anymore.” Another voice talked.
“What’s more important, your cores or your balls? Your balls, that’s what!”
“She can bust my balls all she wants; you saw her?! Wow!” A sadistic enthusiast made an offer.
The conglomeration exploded into comments of all kinds, a lively discussion.
‘That’s why I don’t like coming here! I’ll request a service exemption, after the war. That was many, many years ago! Let it go, you people!’
I expeditiously departed with inhuman speed.
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Isoray P.O.V.
“What have you found out, Zimas?”
“There is no way to infiltrate Lemuria with core users, we will have to make do with the agents that are already inside. It is basically a soft seclusion. The countermeasures against the empire’s known natural advantages are vast. They have truly learned some new complicated tricks.”
“They have improved just like us, tsk. How’s the seal? What are the limitations?”
“You can think and devise anything you want, including the demise of the Andurin. Just don’t act upon it and you should be fine. Not until you are powerful enough to dissolve it.”
“Can you find out how the Andurians have obtained their new knowledge?”
“I’ll do my utmost, young master. It will take years at a minimum.”
I took my alchemical mask and suit and gave it to Zimas for him to use from now on. A gift from the imperial side of the family, exquisite runecraft level artifacts, the second highest degree there is.
“Can you undo the seal as it is, Zimas?” I was truly interested this time.
“Not without consequence, young master.”
‘I couldn’t believe it. There aren’t many things Zimas is unable to reverse engineer.’
“Explain.”
“Everything has been in accordance to our estimates but one thing. The seal is powered by the will and the participants of the ritual. First, as you can remember, our soul and cores interconnected and they were the ones doing the manipulation. Had I shielded us from the intervention, even if we could escape, Burin, Draken or Tanin would have definitively killed you. It was a death trap. Second, the seal contains the power of another god besides the will. It was just for a moment, but I felt it. The source was the fortress head elder. Their leaders are powerful certainly but there is nothing unexpected however that man Akathos is dangerous. Dangerous as your grandfather or possibly more, young master.”
“Then we will have to play the part until I can deal with him personally. Perhaps that’s what they wanted from the beginning, have enough leverage for the conflict…not that it will work out like that. Let’s be the properly behaved Andurian boys we are meant to be for a while.” I ordered.
“They are probably suspicious already by the use of our seal of protection.” Zimas indicated.
“Can they be listening to us right now?” I hastened Ximel for an answer.
“No, not with the artifact I am using as support. Nevertheless, they have permitted us to have this artifact here. It is impossible for a soul artifact to go undetected by all the security checks and wards here, young master.”
“That’s good, the Andurin elders are giving us plenty of liberty. If the worse happens, we will flee. Once we are out and about in Zunar, find a way to contact my uncle and tell him what he wants to hear. Just be careful of my rebellious training mate. He likes to stick his nose a little too much.” I gave Zimas one more decree.
“What’s your opinion of your counterpart, young master?” Zimas inquired of me.
“Powerful, resourceful, a combination of speed, strength, artifacts, feints and clever use of the environment but nothing that cannot be handled, a little dull actually. Who knows? We might decide to truly serve the will if it becomes expedient for our plans Zimas. Don’t you agree?”
We both smiled roguishly.
“Mana fluctuations on the protective ward. Undo the seal in the room, Ximel.” My second guard executed my instruction.
“Yes, young master.”
Knock, knock.
The door opened as Lord Sarkan walked through. He was here for his customary visits.