Chapter 15: Secrets

[Ferizia POV]

This is boring. We’ve been waiting in this room for ages. To think we’ve been waiting this long… how much time does this noble need before he could meet us? I suddenly felt my nose begin to itch.

“Hey, Rina… my nose itches”

“Not much I can do about that. Just hold on”

“Ugh… can’t you scratch it or something?”

“… You really think I can do that right now?”

“… no”

I sighed as I helplessly dangled on the rope. Right now, Rina and I were currently hanging upside down in a room. Of course, there was a reason for this. For one, it’ll make the noble feel safer. I mean, if a person forced their way through with enormous power, then I wouldn’t feel safe talking to them too. Plus, it’ll make him bias towards me, meaning he might become too afraid of me to the point that he’ll agree with everything I said.

Now, if only that was the only reason… in truth, Rina and I are staying like this since its better if we don’t fight them. Why? It’s because we were ambushed on our way to this mansion. I honestly thought we could take them… but, well. This happened. Apparently, he sent superior class agents specialized against both magic and combat oriented personnel. Having nullification type magic and combat experience that is different from the bandits I’ve fought against… yeah, we were immediately outclassed. Of course, Iridia and Raymond managed to get out, but Rina and I were immediately captured. Now, it’s just a matter of playing along with the noble so we could see the cards he would play before we play our own. I really need Raymond to train me.

“Is she really their leader?”

Accompanied by the sound of a door opening, a voice rang out. A man came through the door. He had a high stature compared to the other dwarfs. With a semi-formal and semi armor attire, I can only guess that he was the noble I heard about leading the dwarven city’s forces.

“During our battle, she was the one giving orders to her party”

“… Are you sure? I mean, the messenger did say that it was a young girl… but isn’t she too young? She’s just as old as my daughter”

“Don’t let her looks fool you master. In that split moment, she was able to judge the situation and managed to act accordingly to our ambush. Because of that, two of them escaped”

“To have done that against you… either she’s lucky or she’s talented”

I watch the two of them as they continued talking about me. I just noticed that the man beside him was one of the people in the group we were ambushed by. Also, beside him, a doll could be seen. Just like the time we were ambushed, the doll was slightly hovering above the ground. I could see a small blue string attached to it in many parts of its body. Just by studying it, I felt annoyed. Because of this thing, we were hopelessly outmatched. Once it got close, those strings would spread to its opponents. Soon, I had no control over my body. A rather strange magic no? The man whispered something into the noble’s ear.

“I see… alright young lassie. I have a couple of questions to ask you. First, what’s your objective?”

I shrugged my shoulder.

“To help the city”

“Why?”

“It’s because it’s the proper thing to do”

He gave me an incredulous look.

“We both know that that’s not the answer. Now, I’m asking you again. What’s your true objective? Money? Power? Why are you doing this?”

I sighed. With this, I realized one thing. My mindset is completely different form this world. Just from his words, I can tell that he’s met many people whose main objective is either money or power. In other words, my mentality is weird when compared to many people of this world.

“Well, if you believe me or not is up to you. But, I really do want to help this city. Also, I guess it’s sort of revenge”

“Revenge?”

“Yeah. You see, a couple of unsavory individuals held some of my friends hostage. They were injured because of it so I couldn’t help but kill them. Now, I’m just trying to make sure that what happened to her did not happen to anyone else so that’s why I’m helping”

“… Is that really it?”

I nodded. He sighed, but then moved on. I guess he finally believed me… or maybe he’s just thinking about something. He then faced Rina.

“What about you. Why are you with her?”

“I’m her sister, of course I would be here”

“Ehh… sisters? You don’t look the same as her?”

She shrugged.

“Do I need to look just like my younger sister in order for her to be my sister?”

“Ah… well, I mean… you know… I guess not”

Nice job Rina! Then again, the three of us have been discussing on how were going to treat one another. Of course, were going with the three sister route. I’m the youngest, Rina’s the second oldest and Iridia’s the oldest. We’ve even gone to the point that we can call each other either by our names without stuttering. Strangely though, they’re more motivated when I call them Onee chan so I’ve added that to my list of things to address them by. Also, I’ve been telling them to call me Ferizia or Feri. They’ve been telling me that master was more appropriate… but it feels weird being called master. That’s why they were in tears when I told them I wouldn’t call them Onee chan if they call me master. That’s why they soon conceded to my demands.

“Alright, well. I guess we should move on to the next question. What is your relationship to the Mercenary group?”

“Oh, that’s easy. I’ve paid for their services so I’m technically the leader”

“Leader huh. Then, I suppose you understand their history with us right?”

“Yep. Every single bit of it”

“I see. So I guess you’ve steeled yourself for the consequences right?”

Wait, is he going to quench his revenge for the lancers on me. I’m sure he knows that I’m only contracting their services right? Maybe this is a good time to escape from these ropes. I tried struggling a bit. Both the man and noble smiled and I realized why. I couldn’t break free of the ropes. I could feel my sweat running as I realized that these ropes were stronger than I thought. As if sensing my plight, Rina also began to struggle but upon realizing that she couldn’t get out either, she shouted.

“Wait!”

“What is it missy”

We all turned towards Rina.

“Whatever you’re going to do to Feri, I suggest you stop”

“Why should we? You both fully understood what would happen when you contracted the Lancers. Even if you weren’t part of what happened back then, I must pay back the disgrace we’ve been dealt with”

He then faced the man.

“Do it”

“As you wish”

“Wait, I’m telling you. This is a bad idea. It’s not for our sake but for yours!”

“Hah, you’re only saying that to save her aren’t you. I won’t fall for such tricks”

I stared at the man who was approaching me. Each step he took made my anxiety even higher.

“Ahh… you wouldn’t hurt a young girl now would you”

“Don’t worry. We have something for someone of your caliber”

“Something? So you’re into torturing young girls?”

Sensing my fear, He smiled.

“Don’t worry. You’ll enjoy it soon enough…”

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[Iridia POV]

Ever since I was born into this world, I’ve been enjoying myself. Of course, it’s because I’ve been with Ferizia this whole time. Although she’s my master, I enjoy the mindset of having her for a sister. That’s why, I was really happy when she herself wanted us to be her sister.

“Ahh, the pressure. You’re letting out too much”

I felt someone grab my shoulder. I turned to see Raymond and his men. I could see they were all shivering.

“Ahh… my bad”

I breathed in and out, slowly calming myself.

“Geez… you’re really scary right now. Just keep calm why don’t ya.”

“Calm? You expect me to be calm?”

“What I’m saying is, force yourself to calm down. You’re really affecting everyone... plus, we’ll get her soon enough anyway”

I sighed as I stared at the group. I guess I should calm myself. I mean, how I feel might affect us too much. I stared at the mansion in front of us. There was a wall surrounding the place. I also noticed soldiers appearing on the wall. Woops… I guess my pressure warned them about us.

“See what you did. Honestly, you three are such battle maniacs”

I glared at him. This made him flinch as he raised his hands in surrender.

“Bad joke… alright, let’s just get her out already. As you are now, you might destroy this entire city if we don’t get Ferizia back”

“Debating”

“… You’re not supposed to be debating it. Agh, let’s just go. Oye Jessie and Mika. Cover us with your crossbows. Gaul and Carri, were breaking throu…”

Without waiting for him, I instantly ran towards the battlements.

“OYE, WAIT!”

“I’m done waiting! [Titanic Fissure]”

Using the edge of my shield, I bashed it into gate. It was probably made out of metal, but that didn’t stop me. With a loud crunching sound, the entire gate folded and a huge hole appeared. I then grab through it and push the gate to either side.

“Where’s Ferizia!”

I shouted as I entered the main plaza of the place. Every soldier aimed their eyes towards me in surprise, though they quickly recovered.

“DO NOT FEAR! IT’S ONLY ONE PERSON!”

They instantly swarmed me. Pikes were in the front, swordsmen in the back and archers at the walls. Paying no attention to them, I pushed the pikes aside with my shield. Using this chance, I went through the opening and cleaved at the nearest man. Of course I didn’t kill him, but I made sure to use his body to push the other soldiers to the ground. Swordsmen tried to support the pike men, but I made sure to put someone in between me and the attacking soldiers. The same went for the archers.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“She’s too close!”

“I can’t get a sho…”

I tossed another dwarf at the archers. I then noticed Raymond and his mercenaries closing in.

“You! You’re even more insane than Ferizia!”

I didn’t respond as I bashed my shield at another man’s face. I could tell he fainted as I heard his body hit the ground.

“Oye, distract them. I’m going to find Ferizia”

“Yeah, yeah. Go and get her already…”

The three immediately formed a semicircle around me as I entered the main mansion. As I entered, I saw them remain at the door. I guess they were just going to make sure that the dwarves don’t enter. I analyzed the entire place. It was a rather big mansion. Everything looked really expensive… but I honestly didn’t care. I’m here for only one thing and that’s Ferizia. After walking for a bit, I stopped in a middle of a room filled with columns.

“Those in the shadows… I could tell you’re all there”

I released every amount of bloodlust that I can. Suddenly, several people came running at me with their daggers out. These guys… oh, how I wanted to meet them again. With a smile I placed my shield above me.

“[Reflect]”

A white dome surrounded me as I slid my shield unto my sword.

“[Repulse]”

My sword began to shine as it gathered energy. As soon as the light became pure white, I twisted my entire body and sliced near the ground. Everyone who was attacking jumped. With a smile, I then raised my shield to the air and the dome enlarged. The men who hit the dome were immediately thrown back and soon the entire room was filled with unconscious people. The only things remaining were dolls… though their masters were already knocked out. If only I could use this earlier… sadly, it would have caught both Rina and Ferizia too. I sighed before I felt Ferizia’s energy. It was… fluctuating. Something’s happening to her. I immediately ran and found a couple of stairs leading down. This then led towards a door which I immediately broke down.

“FERIZIA!”

I then stopped on my tracks. What is this scene?

“Are you perhaps the older sister?”

“Ahh… ehh?”

I couldn’t help sputter stupid sounding noises. I honestly expected the worse… yet, just what is going on. Right now, a man as well as Rina were both using feathers to play around with Ferizia. In other words, they were tickling her. As for the girl, she was panting hard with tears on her face.

“Wait”

“Ahh… this won’t do Ferizia chan. You need to endure this more”

“But, I can’t… stop, my laugh. It hu… Aahaahahhahaha”

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if the scene was real.

“You must be confused. Let me explain. We’re currently making a bet. If she lasts thirty minutes I will give her my full support. If she doesn’t, well… I’m still thinking of something. So until then, please wait”

“Ahh… weren’t you…”

“I can already tell that you have a bad image of me. Let me just say, I wouldn’t dare do anything to a girl like her. She’s already explained herself and the majority of what she wants from me, so I decided to put away my grudge for now”

“Ahh… that’s rather kind of you”

He smirked.

“Not all nobles are bad you know. Please get that prejudice out of your head”

“Aahahahahahah”

With the laughter behind, I couldn’t help but fall on the floors. Looking at this scene, I couldn’t help but think… What did I get so worked up for in the first place…

I also couldn’t help but feel guilty for the men I smashed into the floor… Ugh, just what am I supposed to do in a situation like this…

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[Fer POV]

Well, they’re safe

Arian nodded as she kept up the amount of magic in the pool. Right now, we were currently purifying some water for a potion.

[Holy potion- increases regenerative powers]

This is really game like to be able to craft potions. Then again, the other heroes must believe this is a game. If you think about it, this world is nothing but a game for the heroes who came from another world.

“Hey Fer. For the past few days, I’ve been sensing a disturbance on your mind. Would you mind sharing your doubts?”

Why now of all days?

”It’s simple. Your doubts… their linked to your other half aren’t they”

I felt my concentration stop. The water instantly began to shine and soon, the water became dark.

Tch… I failed

“No, it was my fault. Sorry for bringing up the topic”

I stared at Arian.

Let’s take a break…

We went to one of the rooms. This one had a fireplace which I immediately went towards.

O goddess here my call. Light the flame that burns within me… [Ember]

A small spark caught on the logs and a fire appeared. With the crackle I felt my body engulfed in a warm light. Magic sure is convenient.

Arian, please sit with me

She nodded as she went towards me. She then took my body and placed me on her lap.

You question about my doubts. I have questions… questions that are very confusing to me

“Questions like what?”

I stared deep into her eyes.

Why did you lie to Ferizia about our link?

“… So you figured it out”

I nodded. As a spirit, I also have connection to the library within Iridia. Not just a regular one, but a direct connection. That’s why, I was sifting through the library. What I found was the spell I used to separate us. I didn’t bother to check it before since I believed in Arian’s words. But, after reading it, it was… different. The spell was actually a short term magic that separates the mind into two for only a couple of hours. After that, the mind is instantly merged together but it’s been several days now. So far, my mind isn’t returning. In other words, my spell was a cover up. Something else has happened.

“Well, I guess it was only a matter of time till you found out. I just didn’t think you would find out now”

So, there is a reason…

“Yes. When we met in the divine realm, I did tell you to have fun and not worry too much. Actually, even though I say that, fate has a strange way of working. Even I don’t have control over it. That’s why, someday, you might be forced into things you don’t like doi…”

You’re skipping my question Arian. Why did you lie to Ferizia about the spell… not just to her, but also to me?

“… I have reasons for doing it. But I guess it’s not really any use seeing that you’ve already noticed something different right? You’re a smart person, I’m sure you’ve caught on”

What, the fact that Ferizia was just like me when my parents were around?

“Yes…”

She then paused as if she didn’t want to tell me anything else.

Arian… who am I?

She smiled.

“You are you and she is she. Although she i...”

Please answer me honestly. Who am I?

I could feel her slightly gripping my body. She kept her smile, though I could see a bit of a worried look on her face.

“You are her sadness… and she is your happiness”

I tried to wrap her words around my mind. Yep, I don’t get it.

“That doesn’t make any sense”

I then felt her pat me and I soon found myself dozing off. Oh, such technique… I never knew it was possible. As I felt my mind slowly vanish, I heard her whisper something.

“It soon will…”

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Author Notes:

I FINISHED!!!!

Sorry it took a while. With me going back to my university, my scholarship stressing me out and signing up for the nursing college, it was really hectic. Also, I won’t lie and say much of my time clearing my mind of stress was reading many kinds of stories. I’m also studying medieval combat to see if I can make the fight scenes in my story as realistic as possible for a fantasy so I hope that works well.

Now, for future chapters, publication is just… well sporadic. I can’t promise anything, but just know that this story is not hiatus. (For those that makes it sound as if this is stressful for me to do. Well, this is one of my stress reliever. I like making stories though its only now and the previous year that I'm actually improving on it XD)

P.S: I'm changing the previous chapters name from saving the city to their subtitles.

Hope you continue to enjoy!