A little while later. I left the room and found Kotoha and Sylphet outside my guest room door. "Is his majesty, Orpheus, ready to reinitiate our meeting? I would like to avoid letting too much time pass. I am sure Athena is worried sick about me."

Kotoha responds with a gentle smile and a nod, "Yes, the spirit king is ready. Follow us back to the hall of history, my lady."

"Please lead the way, then."

Kotoha took the lead, while Sylphet sidled up to my side as we moved down the hall, back to the Hall of History. As we entered the hall again, it shifted to show me again. I stopped to observe the apparent mirror more closely this time and noted the eyes. I had returned my contacts to their positions to hide my crescent marks. However, the hall's walls showed my eye's true look. Her hair was a shade of ivory, and her face was soft and round. Her figure was petite yet lean, and her hands held the spear I kept at my side, Achlys. The closer I looked, the more alike we looked, though, as if to act contrary to that statement, the girl shown on the wall seemed scatterbrained compared to me. This must be how Izunami carried herself; I can't see her and me being the same person because of the disparities between us. As subtle as they are, they are enough for me to have some doubts. I thought as I looked on.

"Are you feeling alright, my lady? You didn't spend too long in the bath, did you?" Sylphet asked in a soft voice as she moved to comfort me.

I shook my head and forced a smile, "Yeah, I feel alright. This is just an overwhelming situation. I am supposed to be some goddess, but we only look similar. Her behavior and the stories I have heard of her further demonstrate disparities in our personalities. Is sealing her memories enough to cause such a shift in personality? I don't know what to think or believe, if I may be so honest," My voice was weighted and heavy, with a strong emotional undertone in its timbre. As I closed my eyes and exhaled a deep breath, Sylphet spoke.

"I understand what you mean, and while this may not give you any real comfort, the dryads, and the spirit king are not the only beings who can see a person's true soul. If you want to seek out further confirmation, I suggest heading out to the holy kingdom of Seraphallia. They follow the human-turned-goddess of the night. Most of their clergymen are famous necromancers, and one of the key requirements to become a necromancer is soul sight," As she spoke, she hugged me as if to comfort me. She continued, "Furthermore, I hope to support you and stay by your side as long as you'll have me," her voice faded in embarrassment as she spoke that last bit, making my lips curl up in a bemused smile as I raised my hand to cover my mouth.

"Wha-what's so funny, my lady?! I meant what I said!" Sylphet's fists pummeled my shoulder like a masseuse targeting a knot. I couldn't help it; I hugged her close and grinned like an idiot. "You are just too damn cute, Sylph. Thank you for being there for me. I will keep your suggestion in mind and add the kingdom of Seraphallia to my list of places to visit as an adventurer."

Sylphet's face flushed redder than a tomato as Kotoha coughed to interrupt. "Let's not keep his majesty waiting; while you are safe from his punishment as his matron goddess, we are not, and I would rather not have to clean the entire castle again."

"Sorry!"

I giggled and clapped my hands together as I apologized. Sylphet squeaked and ran off ahead. That interaction left me feeling light on my feet for some reason. What an odd, warm feeling! I think I could grow fond of moments like these. I thought as we followed after her. I noticed Kotoha shaking her head with an amused smirk on her face for a moment. It seems she's fond of moments like this too, or she just finds them goofy? Eh, who knows? Not me!

A few minutes later, we were in our original meeting place within the baroque Hall of History. After we took our seats, a knock at the door drew our attention. "Enter," Orpheus permitted, and in came Flora, pushing a cart of baked goods and teas. She set platters of various cookies and cakes, ranging from chocolate chips to strawberry shortcakes. Flora proceeded to pour us tea and then bowed and took her leave, signaling the start of our final meeting on this matter when the door clicked shut.

Orpheus cleared his throat and spoke with a solemn baritone. "First, I must apologize for how our first meeting went. To avoid keeping you longer, I will keep this as concise as possible. You will be moving through the port town of Elysia. I would like you to deliver a message to the head of the adventurer's guild there."

As I consider his request for a moment. I note that it is on the way; I don't see a problem with taking the quest on, "I don't foresee any problems, though my future sight doesn't go that far out."

The spirit king nodded and added, "While I am sure you can handle yourself, I am sure you would prefer to lie low at this time. So, you may need to use a proxy, rather than deliver it in person. The Eldraz Empire is spreading its influence faster than I had anticipated. I suspect that they know you escaped from the capital."

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I lean forward and look Orpheus in the eyes, "Thank you very much for the warning; I promise to heed it well," I turned towards Sylphet and made a request, "Will you do me the honor of helping me style my hair so that my green eye is in view rather than my red one? It will help me blend in going forward."

"As you command, my lady, so it shall be done." Sylphet acknowledged; her serious demeanor at that moment reminded me that she was a member of my bodyguard squad. I honestly prefer her more relaxed and goofy behavior, but how should I go about expressing that? Her more playful, casual conduct made me feel light and helped put me at ease earlier.

Orpheus shifted his posture, drawing my attention again before he continued, "The second task I have for you has to do with your arrival in the forests of Mina. I want you to stop by the capital and speak with His Majesty and my old friend, Linden, the king of the elves. He will understand if you arrive with your natural eyes on display."

With my natural eyes on display... That's a big ask. I wear colored contacts for a reason. I fixed him with a firm, inquiring gaze. "I may be making an ass of myself with this, but I assume this has to do with my presumed divine nature."

The spirit king smiled awkwardly and looked away, "That is part of it, but I cannot explain it further, my lady. Please take that as you will and consider my request."

"Aah," I sighed as I glanced down at the smooth wooden floor, "I suppose it would be wrong of me to say no. Very well, I'll do it."

"Thank you," He breathed out a shaky breath and supplied, "With that, I conclude this meeting. The 7th Guard squad will be yours to command going forward. They serve you and you alone, anyway. I can only command them as long as the one they truly serve doesn't require them. They will take you back to the Silver Owls in a few hours. Enjoy the tea and snacks until then. I must stay on course with my schedule today. May we speak again soon, preferably after you've awoken your memories," He stood and left at a brisk pace, giving the impression of a man who had only just escaped with his life.

About an hour later, me and the crew, er, bodyguards, left the spirit king's palace. I turned to admire the view one last time and smiled as I thought about the future. "Alright, let's get moving."

"Yes, my lady," Kotoha responded and then cast her summoning spell again. "Avance, Irshella, je t'appelle!" The large albino tiger appeared through the sparkling magic circle once more. The others summoned their own beasts, ranging from tigers to unicorns, and then we set off at a rapid pace.

***

Half a day passed, and by the time we reached the town, we thought it might be the Silver Owl's next stop. The town of Alora stood as a stop before the port city of Elysia. It was a beautiful tourist town that had a scenic mountain view across a great plain. The guards let us through without paying us any mind, so we headed straight for an inn.

Kotoha nudged me and pointed off into the distance. "You've probably never seen it before, being from the capital. But that's the space elevator that goes up to the space port up there. That's where the city of Elysia stands on the horizon. It's one of the only places on this planet where any technology is allowed beyond our magic, swords, and artifacts that we're used to. The damned intergalactic empires won't allow the cultures on their planets to grow."

I stared off into the distance and spotted a few shuttles flying back and forth. "It's hard to believe that thing even exists, but I can't deny my own sight," I shook my head and looked at Kotoha before speaking my mind. "Not that I blame them for keeping us at such a low technological level. I mean, I don't like to think about this kind of stuff too often, since it hurts my outlook on life. But I wouldn't trust the people to have such power myself. We still have wars, rogue vampires, and criminals marauding around, attacking anything that moves. The world is already unsafe and complicated enough."

Kotoha tilted her head and smiled before saying. "OK, fair point. I believe the guide said this was the inn. I'll go in and get the rooms sorted. Why don't you and Sylphet go check out a nearby stall or two while you wait? The rest of you, cover the area and stop all suspicious personnel from entering for now."

""Yes, ma'am!""

Sylphet took my hand and pulled me along, looking for all the world like an excited girl dragging her big sister along. I couldn't help but stifle a chuckle when that thought crossed my mind, but I couldn't hide my smile. She noticed and beamed at me; her cheeks flushed a little as she pointed at a food stall. "Let's try that one! Rumor has it that they're a famous chain overseas."

I grin and agree, "Sure, sure, let's go have a bite."

Once we got to the stall, the chef smiled and greeted us politely with an Eastern accent. "Welcome to my humble shop. What can I get for you today?" He finished with a respectful bow.

I smiled and bowed back in response. I remember learning about Eastern cultures and the varying ways of being polite. "I would like to have the special and one dish you would recommend. Please and thank you."

His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and then he chuckled, "Very well, one order of spicy udon with sashimi, and one order of tofu miso soup. How about you, young lady?" He directed the question at Sylphet.

She paused for a moment, then ordered miso soup and sushi. We had some idle chatter and learned that bounty hunters were crawling around the alleys and overall causing unrest. The stall owner said they were after a missing princess but didn't share any further information. It looks like we will have to keep our cards up while we are here.

The food was delicious and well-made. I made a mental note to come back for more when I can in the future. Sylphet ended up putting too much of a green sauce called wasabi on her sushi, so I traded my miso soup for it. The wasabi was divine, so I asked the guy where I could buy some. He grinned and spoke with a hearty chuckle. "I make it myself; if you like it that much, take a jar for yourself. I hope to have your patronage again soon." And so we left with satisfied bellies and a jar of spicy wasabi. Then we headed back to the inn.