New Beginnings Chpt. 92: First meeting & Accommodations

Our original lovely reunion had finished. Aizen finished hugging me and after a short period of grace she returned to her usual countenance; full of confidence with a small smile on her face and determined eyes. She commanded everyone to continue our march, before finally starting a chat with Ari.

“Hey Aizen,” Ari said as she fidgeted.

“Hmm? Is something wrong?” Aizen asked with some concern in her voice.

“Well, perhaps it’s not the best time, but.” Ari pulled Aizen’s shoulder and then leaned into her ear whispering something extremely quietly.

“Oh, that is certainly interesting.” Aizen smiled. “But, you’re still my sister at the end of the day, no?”

Ari shifted awkwardly in her walk. She looked at me and I simply nodded.

“I am…” She meekly agreed before finally receiving a head pat from Aizen.

I found myself sighing as I was pulled along by the rope. I wanted to participate! I wanted to be part of whatever was going on! It didn’t sit well with me to simply walk along and hope for the best.

“You look dispirited.” Ash mentioned as she walked along with me. Right, there was my disciple. I suppose having small-talk with her wasn’t bad either.

“Well I am, what was supposed to be a fun dungeon mission turned into… this.” I gestured with my head, my hands uncomfortably shuffled.

“Hmhm, I felt pretty much the same.” Ash nodded. “I’ll share this with you since to be honest I don’t really care anymore, lots on my mind now, you know?”

I nodded.

“You see, I was initially on my way to the Holy Capital for business, they wanted some [Divine] tier equipment, while for us players, the [Divine] tier while hard to get, it’s not unobtainable, for them however?” She looked at the gossiping church members. “It’s like an addiction.”

“An addiction?” This was the first time I was hearing of something like this.

“Well, they had some bandits attack my carriage since they wanted to save me. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the thing is they had always thought I was in the level seventy area. So they thought they could get some strong people to attack me and then⁠— save me.”

“But?” I asked, seeing it coming.

“But,” Ash continued. “You see, I ended up killing the attackers and our deal went bye-bye, however they couldn’t really do much in the name of punishment.”

“Ah right, though.” I sighed. “What makes you think I am a player?”

Ash nodded. “You were the first person to not look at me like a crazed-lady when ranting about waking up knowing nothing.”

I probably should’ve reacted much more strongly.

“Though,” she continued. “What about your companion? The one in the robes? I want to see her status but well, I can’t. Player too?”

“No,” I shook my head. “She’s…” I paused. “A capped being from the game, she knows about everything including players.”

I didn’t want to call Aizen an NPC or the like. I looked at her happily talking with Ari. She was just as alive as everyone else. She had feelings, she felt qualms about her past, and more importantly⁠— cared about me.

“I understand. At first I didn’t know anything, but memories slowly came back⁠— and at first perhaps I saw them like an NPCs, but then stuff happened.” She let out a dry laugh. “That’s in the past though.”

I nodded. “Ashe⁠— Ash, what is a forgotten human?”

“Hmm? Ah you were about to call me by my username, eh?” She smirked. “A forgotten human are those of us who showed up here; though…” She looked at the distance. “Players are surprisingly scarce, I’ve heard of some, but met zero.”

“Huh? Zero?”

Ash nodded. “Most of us don’t wish to make the church our enemy, and things that are much more terrifying exist. You know? I’ve seen monsters close to the level-cap.”

“Huh?”

She looked apathetically. “The whole world has opened; areas never seen before exist now.”

“What you’re saying is…”

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“What I am saying is, the church isn’t a big concern. At the same time every player is wary of another player coming after them for items. In the grand-scheme the stronger your items the safer you are.” She sighed. “Though, based on visuals anyway, your party got the item area covered, so you won’t be attacking me over that.”

“Attack, you?” I shook my head. “I never treated this as a game again; at the same time I never wanted to go fight to the death or explore uncharted areas. That’s in the past.” Though maybe if there were new types of metals.

“Right, you got this whole party including a little church girl.” She glanced at Ari. “Never really tried the party thing,” Ash shook her head. “Well, allow me to ask⁠— what makes you a necromancer?”

I snorted. “I am not a necromancer. It’s just my aura; the one that comes from the karma stat.”

“Oh, quite the devil you were in the game? Lots of slaughter?”

I shook my head in defeat. “I actually died and used an item, next thing I know I was here with negative five-hundred karma. What about you, yours is so high, are you an angel?” I asked in ridicule.

Ash shook her head. “I am a nice person, I just like helping. Perhaps a bit too much since the church tried to take advantage of me.” She sighed. “Though I don’t really know where to go now, I mean. You people have your own party, and well I don’t really want to force myself to try to be liked by you or the others.”

“Right,” I pondered for a second. What would I do if I didn’t have Ari or Aizen? After the initial slump I’d explore and look for new metals with Fenri? I suppose that’s what I’d do.

“What about hobbies?” I asked.

“Hobbies? Like stuff to do in free-time? I guess I do?” She tilted her head.

“Yes, how about pursuing those? Perhaps you wanted to be an artisan, settling down and putting down a shop? I know it might sound lame, but…” I looked at the sky. “I do think that’s what I’d probably do if I didn’t have them here.”

“I see…” Ash answered in a whisper. “Perhaps I might try that, though for now…” Hearing her pause, I looked at her only to see her smile at me. “I’ll make sure to help you get out of this mess with the church.”

I paused for a second. “... Thanks… But… why?”

“I think that…” Ash pondered. “This is probably the most meaningful conversation I’ve had in a long while. So, it’s part of the thank you that comes with it.”

“I see…” I slowly nodded in understanding.

We continued walking in silence as Ash went away to try to talk to some of the deacons. Based on the things I heard while trying to ignore the conversations she was mostly asking about who Aizen was and why they followed her. Surprisingly they hoped she could tutor them on the ways of Amatsukami, which I had no idea who that was.

They could maybe get an apprenticeship with her, or any other priest for that matter and basically rise through the ranks. Though I knew better, perhaps she was the head-priest of the capital, but I knew she wouldn’t stick around for long⁠— nor did I want her to.

Soon I could see the distant walls of the capital in the distance. I could vaguely see a small crowd of white gathered in front of the gates⁠— church members? I sighed in defeat, I was tired of being called a Necromancer. The deacons probably wanted to talk ill of me but didn’t know how Aizen would react so they were refraining.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Well done, Head-priest.” An old-looking man praised Aizen with a gentle demeanor. He gave me a quick glance and… nodded?

I tilted my head. Every single other church member I had looked at would scowl or simply refuse to look at me. It was unanimous disgust.

“Thank you Arch-priest it is my honor,” Aizen smiled. Thankfully she had put the katana she carried away a while ago. “I request to personally guide the Necromancer to her cell.”

The Arch-priest regarded Aizen with a weird eye. “Should the person she threatened to come with her come too so they get the satisfaction of revenge?”

Aizen paused before hurriedly nodding. “That would be perfect. She shall be served justice.”

The Arch-priest nodded before calling someone over and whispering some things to me. I simply stood away from everyone along with Jer and Adams, the Holy Knight, Ash and Ari were still around as well.

Some of the church members looked at me as my sentence had been seemingly decided. Contempt was more than obvious in their faces. If only they knew better… I wasn’t even a necromancer to begin with! Annoying!

Soon we were escorted with a deacon along with the Holy Knights and some other normal knights, or I thought they were normal.

⁠◇ ◇ ◇

We stood in a luxurious room. I was still binded and had a collar on. What was going on?

“The Arch-priest said you requested for the Necromancer to be settled like an honored guest since she was going to die anyway, right?”

“Yep,” Aizen cheerfully nodded. The deacon gave us all a weird glance but said nothing as he left the room. Fenri jumped on the bed of the room.

I looked at the lavish red carpet in shock. The wood framing of the bed smelled quite fancy, so did the desk, everything was shiny in some shape or form. Though I wasn’t alone. Aizen was with me, we had gotten briefly separated Ari ended up going with Ash and Jer somewhere else. Would everything be fine?

I didn’t know if Ash was good with kids. At the same time I didn’t want her to say something out of line to Ari. It made me quite nervous. Finally, Aizen closed the door and soon there was just simple silence.

“Ah finally…” Aizen gasped walking to the bed and laying on it. Soon Fenri jumped atop of Aizen and laid on top of her. “Talking all respectfully is so tiring. It’s so painfully obvious they want favors from me too…”

“Mind explaining to me… What is happening?” I asked in utter confusion⁠— keeping in mind I still had rope around my hands.

“Ah,” Aizen shuffled on the bed slightly. “There is a festival to commemorate your capture. I requested you get to partake in it, or at least receive food. Mostly because you submitted yourself without hassle as Adams had testified.”

“But… why?” It still didn’t make sense. Shouldn’t I be deep underground in a cell?

“Ah, the Arch-priest, Salgrud, is an old acquaintance of mine. So it’s part of that as well. Overall the members of the church simply know that you’re a necromancer but also a talented smith. Unfortunately your Dark Shadow identity has been compromised. So just give me your adventurer tags and we’ll dispose of them properly.” Aizen rose and looked at me.

“So I am a dead person?” I asked in defeat.

She bubbled up. “Essentially yes!”

Sigh, so much for a dungeon.

board a sinking ship...