There was a stunned silence from all of us. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised, Eshaan was the first one to get words out, even if he hadn’t (ever) gotten his brain in gear.

“Wait, you created the System!?” He spluttered.

Forge turned its massive head to peer down at Eshaan, then turned to look at me. “Is this a companion of yours, Child of Æther? He seems a bit dim.” Forge turned his head back to Eshaan and spoke slowly, as though to a child. “No, youngling. My role in the System is that of creator and maker. I did not make the system. That glory belonged to the Goddess and those who served her.”

It turned back to me. “Apologies for the emergency linkage, Child. You were closest and the systems were critical. I hope that you were not planning that this one-“ He pointed a single claw at Soriya “-was to become the Key holder?”

“Ah…?” I stumbled, glanced over to Soriya, and back to the giant dragon. “No?”

“Good. I am glad that you were able to recover this locus. The System is showing severe degradation, it is no surprise that Keyholders were summoned. Now. Did you wish a service from me, or shall I rest?”

I opened and closed my mouth several times, multiple thoughts flickering through my head, before I finally latched onto one. Priya wanted to leave. Devdan was our client. We were here to close the loop. Questions-

many many questions!

-could come later.

“No, Forge. Thank you. I was… honored to receive your key?”

The great dragon bowed its head and then vanished, collapsing into a pinpoint of golden red light. I could feel an additional quiet weight settling into my soul.

“Right!” I took a deep breath. “Let’s try this again, shall we?”

Once more I clasped my hands together and called forth Gate. This time, he arrived with little fuss, and calmly asked “Where do you wish to transit?”

I let out a sigh of relief, and said “To Breezewood, please. Outside the fountain.”

Gate nodded, and we were swallowed by the blue-black of Gate’s transit, with only a faint squeak from Priya before we reappeared next to the fountain. I admitted to a slight guilty shame that Priya didn’t fall into the fountain, though she staggered fiercely.

“There! Welcome to Breezewood! After our baths, and a quick change of clothes, we’ll get you back to Yirath, and assuming no more problems, we’ll be on one of your family’s airships in less than an hour.”

The voice of the world soul echoed in my head, and I could see our little group stiffen as though listening to a voice of their own as well.

<{Arcanist} Advanced to level 3. {Arcane Circle} advanced to level 2. For saving the Arcanum Forge from System rot, you have advanced to {Arcanist:3}> The world soul whispered.

“So… so many levels…!” Priya gasped.

Devdan gulped. “And we didn’t even really do anything…”

Soriya grinned. “See? Hanging out and having adventurers in the sewers isn’t so bad at all.”

I glared at her. “Soriya, not even in jest. That sewer smell is not worth it, no matter how many levels it grants you!”

Devdan turned wide eyes to us. “Just… just how powerful are you?!”

I frowned in confusion. “I’m only level 15. That’s not that much.” I answered.

“Fi… fifteen?!” he squeaked out.

Priya gasped. “But… but you’re barely any older than us!”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” I asked in confusion.

Eshaan coughed. “Let me explain. You know your mother isn’t that high a level. Commander Khine is very unusual, he’s level 31, and that’s considered extraordinary for someone his age.”

Devdan nodded. “Most people never get more than 2 classes, and never go beyond level 20 their whole lives!”

“Oh.” I stood there stunned. “Well. Um. I’m not sure what to say about that. But we all smell and we should get a bath. So… lets get one of those?”

Soriya said “I should hope so.” With a wry tone. “Now! Onward to the baths!” she raised her hand in a triumphant ‘onward’ gesture. “Come! You too Eshaan, you don’t smell any less than we do!”

And with that, we were escorted to the local bathhouse once more where Marle took one look at us, wrinkled her nose fiercely, and pushed us into the bathing rooms without even asking for payment first.

“Get that stink off you, children, it’s clear why you’re here. Pay once you’re done. I’ll get those clothes cleaned.” The look on her face made it clear she’d rather burn them.

Once in the dressing room, I hurriedly stripped out of my clothes and made a beeline for the stalls.

Priya was clearly lost, looking around absently.

“It’s a common bath. You shake the fire and water crystals together like this-“

“I know how to take a bath!” she sniffed. “I’ve just never been in such a common one before.”

I shared a glance with Soriya, then turned back to Priya. “Well then. Soap’s right there. Crystals are there.” And I sat down on a stool and proceeded to douse myself with warm sudsy water, trading back scrubs with Soriya.

Priya stared at us a moment longer, then finally edged gingerly over to a stool, and sat down on it. I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she dithered over the crystals and soap, and then finally grabbed a handful and threw the soap in. I pressed my lips together hard when she gave a little shriek as the crystals broke creating a foamy tidal wave that sloshed over her.

Really, I do wonder what Devdan sees in her. Spoiled little girl… still, she did run away with him. I wonder if that’s just because she doesn’t understand or if there’s a core of something salvageable there?

Priya didn’t ask for help, though she did glance at us several times biting her lower lip as though she wanted to ask. But in the end she got it done without assistance, and soaking herself thoroughly.

“Would you like one of us to scrub your back?” I offered when she was done.

She bit her lip and then nodded. “Yes. Please.”

Well maybe there is something to salvage there. I thought as I gave her back a quick scrub and a wash.

“There. Sewage and slime gone. Lets have a soak and relax a bit.” I smiled at her, and offered her a hand to help her stand up. She took it hesitantly, and grabbed a towel from the rack as we headed into the hot pools to soak.

I let out a sigh of relief and pleasure as we sank into the hot pools of water, letting the towel rest on my head, my eyes half closed in bliss.

“Is… is this what you do all the time?!” Priya said after a short hesitation.

“What do you mean?” Ask Soriya, her voice filled with lazy exhaustion. “Do we plum sewers all day? Do we rescue nobles for elopement purposes? Do we fight monsters?”

“Well… all of that!”

Soriya laughed. “No, not even close. Most of our time is spent traveling from place to place, and fending off random encounters.”

“Oh.” Priya was silent again. I opened my eyes to see her looking hesitant and confused. “you’re really nothing like I imagined it. Really, nothing about this has been.”

I shrugged and closed my eyes again. “That’s just life. Nothing seems to be like I imagined, really. Except Eshaan, actually. He’s just like I imagined he would be.”

“Have you known him long?” She asked.

“Mm… feels like all my life in some ways… but no, we only met…” I counted in my head. “Hum. Only three weeks ago. On my 17th birthday.”

“And you decided to be adventurers together?!”

I opened my eyes and sat up with a laugh. “Decided? No, not hardly! More like was suddenly thrust into it. The course of action I want to take leads down this path. I don’t much like the idea of being an adventurer or working for the guild for my whole life!”

“What do you want to do?” Soriya asked with lazy curiosity.

I sat back against the pool and thought about it. What do I want to do with myself?

I hit a blank wall. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself! To go home, I supposed, but I wasn’t even sure if that was possible. It didn’t seem very likely, with my old self having died… I still wondered how that had happened. Asleep on a beach didn’t seem like a place you would just… die. Even now, it was hard to really grapple with it.

So don’t. We don’t know what we want to do. Otherme whispered in my mind. It was good advice, and it helped.

I sat up again. “I don’t know. I’m going to Spyre, and my friend is going to enter the Imperial invention competition thing, and then… I’m going to look for some leads on my own problem.”

Priya pondered that for a while then said. “Well. You’re certinally strange, and I admit I find it hard to trust you… but you’ve proven yourselves worthy allies, so when Devdan and I get set up in Spyre, you’re welcome to come to us for anything you need. For a reasonable price!”

I couldn’t help it, I started laughing. “What if the world is in danger? Are you going to charge us for weapons and supplies to defeat the ultimate evil!?”

Priya frowned at me. “I don’t understand why you’re laughing at me!” she said sharply. “I was making a serious offer, and you return with… jokes!”

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Soriya smiled lazily. “She’s serious, actually. It’s one of our … things. And I’m curious. Hypothetically, if you had a shop near a labyrinth where adventurers were going to fight an enemy who threatened to end all life as you knew it… would you charge them?”

Priya frowned even more deeply, and looked down at her hands. “I don’t know.” She said after a bit. “Goods are hard to come by… you can’t just give them out…”

“But if the world ends, what good will any of your items be? And if the adventurers go in unprepared then the world is definitely going to end.”

Priya scowled. “Such a ridiculous situation would never occur! But to play your foolish little game, I suppose in that case I would wait outside the labyrinth, and when they came back I would charge them for used items. A reasonable fee, of course! They did just save me, I suppose, but items cost zeni! I can’t just give them away!”

Soriya burst out laughing, and glanced over to me. “There you have it. Final dungeon merchant.”

I smiled wryly. “Perhaps. I don’t think Priya is planning on wandering the length and breadth of the world carrying a backpack with wares on it!”

“Certainly not!” Priya protested. “Devdan and I will set up a perfectly reasonable little shop in Spyre and grow our business from there!”

“Mm. Sounds nice.” I idly splashed at the water. “I suppose I should try and get you to sell some of mother’s items. Maybe Soriya can make you some basic elemental crystals.”

Priya blinked. “Your mother is a {Tinker}? But you’re…?”

I nodded, looking at her curiously. “Yes. Why are you surprised?”

“Well it’s just… you’re an adventurer! I wouldn’t have expected that.”

I burst out laughing. “My mother was an adventurer before she became a housewife! It’s not like one means you can’t ever do the other!”

Priya’s eyes got wide and she sat back, clearly surprised. “I… I suppose that’s so. I. I apologize.” She stumbled over the unfamiliar words. “I spoke without thinking.”

Hm. Something salvageable in there after all. Even if we do meet her outside the final dungeon. I didn’t much like thinking about that, and so I pushed it aside. For now, I was mercifully, finally, clean and the water was warm.

Sometime later, Marle called in “Your clothes are clean, whenever you’re ready!”

I looked at the others and nodded. “I think that’s as good a cue as any. We should get going anyway. I don’t want to get all pruny.” Even seventeen year olds got wrinkly in the bath, that fact hadn’t changed from world to world.

We splashed out of the bath and toweled ourselves dry, before slipping into our cleaned clothes. As we emerged, Marle commented “It’s about time, your boyfriends have been pestering me for at least a turn of the glass. Go get them and get them out of my hair.” She made shooing motions. I smiled and shook my head at her.

“You know they’re not our boyfriends.” I said to her reprovingly.

She snorted. “Says you now, but we’ll see. Now get you gone.”

We hurried towards the meeting rooms to catch up with Eshaan and Devdan. They were waiting for us, cleaned clothes and smelling faintly of soap. It was a very nice change, and I dearly hoped I’d never get used to the smell of sewage.

I hope not, anyway! That’s two sewer levels now, I will scream if I have to do another one! I declared to myself.

The boys looked up as we arrived, and Eshaan smiled broadly. “Oh good, you’re here! I was just telling Devdan all about your quest!”

I rolled my eyes. “Eshaan, he won’t care.”

“On the contrary, Miss Lilyanna. I am deeply interested! As a merchant, the Ancient’s secrets are always of interest, as they would be to anyone with anything beyond the faintest spark of curiosity!”

I put my hands on my hips. “Mr. Ghalagher, we are here to get clean. Since we are here, we’re also going to take the opportunity to refresh our supplies, but then we need to get going! We have an airship to catch!”

Devdan looked abashed. “Yes, of course. Your trip to Spyre. I haven’t forgotten, and you have kept your word so far.”

I nodded. “Yes. So, assuming you don’t mind eating common people food, we’ll have a meal, and then restock our potion supplies. I swear we run through those so fast!”

Behind us, Priya looked slightly abashed.

Soriya grinned and tossed a slime core in one hand. “Yes, but we’re paying your mother for it now, with top quality materials! We’re like merchants ourselves!”

I scowled at her. “Merchants don’t go killing monsters for loot.”

Devdan smiled broadly. “I beg to differ. We’re hardly strangers to defending our wares from dangers on the road. Monsters are among those dangers.”

I threw my hands in the air. “Alright, if everyone is done proving me wrong, can we please go eat now!? I’m desperate to escape the memory of the sewers!”

They laughed, and Soriya said “If you’re the one cooking, we can all escape from the sewers.” She turned to the others “Serious, you’ve got to try Lily’s cooking.”

“Soriya!” I protested, feeling my cheeks heat.

“I believe in experimentation, and also following a lady’s request.” said Devdan. “Shall we?” He gestured to the door, and following his example we headed outside, and I set course for my house.

Priya kept staring around her like she’d never imagined anything like this in her life. Mercifully, she managed to keep her questions or comments to herself, and we made it to my house in sensible time.

Mother met me at the door with a hug and a warm smile, followed by a slight exasperated shake of her head. “More potions? Already? How on earth did you get into trouble in the middle of a big city?!”

I grimaced. “Sewers.” I said, by way of explanation.

Mother shook her head and said “Ah, say no more then. And who are your new friends?”

“Mother, this is Priya and Devdan. They’ve hired us to help them elope.”

Mother clapped her hands together in delight. “Oh how wonderfully romantic! And reminds me of my adventuring days! Come in, you two, come in!” She opened the door and gestured us all inside.

“We also gathered some materials to trade, I know you can’t keep us in healing potions forever.” Soriya spoke up. “Let me show you.” She poured out the bag of materials onto the kitchen table, and I could see mother’s eyes light up.

“Oh, well… I can’t really say no to that… if it’s not too much trouble…” she started sorting through the materials. “Oh goodness, I can’t use half of these, but I’m sure I can find someone to trade… oh, a leech heart, those are useful in all kinds of potions…” She muttered to herself.

I smiled at her. “I’ll just go see how Darshanna and Daniyel are.” I went up on tiptoes and kissed mother’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Soriya’s eyes lit up and she nodded agreement. “Yes! Let’s go see how Daniyel and Darshanna are doing!” She hurried ahead of me and out the back door.

I smiled, and beckoned Priya and Devdan to come with me, following behind Soriya, while Mother waved absently to us as she continued to sort through the materials on the table.

The back yard was filled with components, and the wooden framework of what was gradually starting to look like a skeletal airship. A few sheets of wood were nailed to it, giving it a slightly creepy half fleshed appearance, and the strange devil’s kitchen apparatus of the engine was mounted in the rear. Darshanna and Daniyel were busy bent over a table strewn with paper, and Darshanna was scribbling wildly on the papers.

“Well. Things look normal here.” I said, surveying the scene.

“Daniyel!” Soriya called out, already hurrying across the lawn. Daniyel turned and greeted her with grave courtesy, as they fell to animated conversation.

“This is normal for you?” Inquired Devdan wryly. “I must revise my opinions of you yet again. These are the companions you mentioned?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I guess? It just sort of… happened.” I laughed nervously.

Devdan shook his head. “Regardless. We should go soon. How long will it take your mother to brew more potions?”

“Oh! A little less than an hour. Not long.” I smiled brightly.

“Ah, I see. Well then there’s nothing but to wait.”

As I approached, the airship, Darshanna caught sight of me and waved. “Ah hah, my loyal crew return!” she hopped down lightly from the decking of the skeletal airship. “Who’s this? Another future member of my crew?”

I sighed. Oh that’s right. Air pirate. This could get sticky, I hope she can keep her mouth shut. … Right. When did I become an optimist?

“Darshanna, this is Devdan. He’s a merchant from Yirath. He’s agreed to get us passage on a big commercial airliner, since time is tight.” I willed Darshanna to get the message with every fiber of my being.

Darshanna blinked, her eyes going wide. “A merchant? An airship merchant?! Then… ah…” I could almost literally see the gears turning in her head, even as Daniyel’s posture grew rigid with alarm behind her.

“Well! That’s wonderful!” She said. “Actually… yeah… yeah, this is wonderful! A real merchant airship? You’ve got to let me see it!”

“Darshanna…” I hesitated. “We’re in kind of a rush, it’s not a sight seeing tour.”

“Oh come on, you’re just marking time while you travel, right?! It’s all about Gate once you’ve been where you’re going! PLEEEEASE!~ I promise, I won’t get in the way!”

Good lord, how does she make her eyes do that! She looks like a puppydog!

I rolled my eyes, then stopped suddenly. Wait. She’s been busy building the ship all this time. And now it’s an airship and she’s got airship skills… is this the mandatory dungeon where the under-leveled side character is forced on me?! I shook my head rapidly to clear the idea. No, come on, this is crazy, surely it’s not that bad-

My chain of thought was interrupted by Darshanna’s wheedling tone. “I know a ton about airships! And honestly, I’ve never gotten to see one of the big cargo liner’s equipment before up close!”

I thought rapidly. What did Soriya say? Grooves in the world? Is it even possible for me to change this?! Do I want to change this? I bit my lower lip.

“Darshanna, I’m really not sure…”

“So say yes!” She pleaded. “I’ll make this simple, as a member of my crew, I’m ordering you to take me!”

The tone of her voice indicated she was not used to being disobeyed, as playful as she made the order sound. But inside me something stiffened and crackled inside me and I felt myself stand up straighter.

“No.” I said. “No, that’s not… no, Darshanna. We need you here working on the ship.” I pushed a {Persuade} into my voice. “The faster you get done with the ship, the faster we won’t need to deal with slow overland travel.”

And I’m not having yet another pointless encounter that’s… I’m not taking my under-leveled side characters on a quest! We’ll do this the easy way. I thought defiantly.

Darshanna stared at me as though I’d just told her the moon was green and the sun was the home of green cheese rats.

“…What?” She said blankly.

I felt a humming tension starting to fill the air, such as I’d not felt since…

Since the cavern, and I broke the world. Oh boy…

Soriya looked over at me with her eyes wide with horror. “Lily-!” she said with a warning note.

“It’s not that I don’t want to!” I stumbled over my words, racing against the rising tension I could feel in the world. “I would, honestly, but Devdan’s passage is only good for 5 people total! We just don’t have room for other people!” I turned to Devdan with my eyes wide. “Right, Devdan?!”

He frowned at me in confusion. “Well yes, that’s true miss Lily, but-”

I spun back to Darshanna. “So you see, there’s just no room to let you come along!”

The humming tension in the air held, no longer building, but not yet growing lesser.

Darshanna frowned, almost pouting.

She looks like Priya, like that. I thought. Mm. Not a nice comparison. For either of them.

“But why can’t I come along! I can come instead of Soriya, or Eshaan!”

Daniyel unexpectedly came to my rescue. “Captain Darshanna. As your first mate, I must insist I come along. That would mean that only Miss Lilyanna would be coming. Indeed, as she is the only one who can conjure forth the mysteries of Gate, she must come along.”

Darshanna spun to face Daniyel. “Oh come on, Daniyel! That’s taking the whole thing too far!”

Daniyel’s voice was grave and quiet as he replied. “I told you when we first met. I have sworn an oath. I will see that through.” His deep brown eyes held Darshanna’s for a long moment.

Darshanna’s lips twisted in an unpleasant scowl, and she spun back to me. “That’s still enough! You can take me and Daniyel! Are you worried about fighting?! You’ve seen how good we are in a fight! We can do this!”

The tension in the air started to rise again, and I felt a stab of fear.

“Darshanna…”

“Please, Lilyanna!” Darshanna’s voice was filled with hurt and pleading. “Please let me prove to you that I can do this!”

In her eyes I saw her need to be useful, her desperate urge to be more than a decoration, the truth of her position, and what it must be like to never be allowed to be anything more than a decoration. My resolve broke.

“Of course you can come.” I said with a sigh. The tension in the air vanished with a quiet whisper of a breeze and I sighed.

“Oh thank you! Thank you, Lily!” Darshanna flung herself into my arms and hugged me so tightly it was hard to breath.

“Too tight… too tight!” I whimpered.

“Oh! Right, sorry!” Darshana stepped back and for a moment I saw a ghost of propriety and manners floating about her, before she pushed it down and away, deliberately relaxing into a casual stance and a devil may care smile.

Daniyel gave me a quiet level stare, then a slow deep nod of his head in gratitude.

I sighed. And here I thought I was tough enough to resist puppy eyes. Best we prepare for whatever disaster is coming our way.

I turned to Devdan. “So. Slight change of plans.” I smiled hopefully at him.

“Hm. Well, I have no serious objection, if you’re sure? Is… miss Darshanna as skilled as you are?”

“Oh, she’s a marvelous mechanic. Genius, even. And her first mate really can hold his own in a fight.” I hope… I didn’t think we’d out leveled them that badly…?

Devdan nodded. “Then I have no issues.”

“Great. It’s settled then.” I plastered a smile on my face and stepped over to Soriya. I fished into my belt purse, and pulled out a 100 zeni note, handing it to her.

She looked at it, then up at me, and a slow smile spread across her face as she took it. “Told you she was a princess.” She said quietly.

“You didn’t tell me she was a wounded bird though.” I said, with a wry twist of my lips.

“Ah, so that’s the expression on your face. You really are a softy.” She pulled me gently into a hug. “You’re good people, Lily. Don’t worry so much about fighting the plot. I think Darshanna’s worth helping. It’s what we want to do, right? Help?”

I sighed and relaxed into the hug, squeezing her back quickly. “Yeah. Help.”