Maple Tree – Diplomatic Chambers
Within one of the specially designed eting halls of Maple Tree, two rulers sat opposite each other, engaged in a discussion that could shape the future of their nations.
On one side sat Demon Lord Frey, the sovereign of Fulbrosia, a kingdom ruled by harpies.
On the other side sat Kaede Honjou, Empress of Maple Tree, the ever-growing Empire of Monsters. Though her youthful appearance contrasted with Frey’s commanding presence.
Between them, a al fit for royalty had been laid out, accompanied by finely crafted glassware filled with exquisite alcohol. The conversation thus far had been pleasant, but now, the air grew heavier.
Clack.
Frey set down her glass, her expression turning serious. "Now, Kaede, regarding the circumstances surrounding Charybdis's defeat…"
Kaede did the sa, her fingers lightly resting on the rim of her glass as she t Frey's gaze. "I think I understand where you're going with this."
Frey arched an eyebrow. "So, it's true then?" She leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing. "You made Charybdis into your… pet?"
Kaede’s lips curled into an amused smile. "Syrup is far more than just a pet to ."
Frey’s confusion was evident. "Syrup?"
Kaede nodded toward Sera, who imdiately curtsied. "Please excuse . I shall return shortly," Sera said before gracefully leaving the room.
Kaede then turned back to Frey, leaning in slightly. "Since you were the one to warn about Charybdis, I'll tell you the truth. For all intents and purposes, Charybdis is dead. Whatever consciousness it once had, I completely destroyed. It will never manifest in this world again."
Frey’s eyes flickered with sothing unreadable, perhaps surprise, perhaps skepticism. "That’s a bold claim. No one has managed to eliminate Charybdis permanently in thousands of years. Yet, you're saying you did it? That you erased it completely?"
Kaede simply nodded. "Not only that, but I also reconstructed its body and used it to bring back Syrup."
Frey’s expression hardened. "You're telling you revived sothing from the dead?"
Kaede bristled slightly, her tone sharpening. "Not sothing. Syrup is as much a person as anyone else, and I dare anyone to say otherwise." Her crimson eyes flashed. "If they do… I’ll end them."
Frey held her gaze for a long mont before nodding, choosing not to press the point. "So, you truly did bring this 'Syrup' back to life…"
Her voice trailed off as she processed Kaede’s words, her mind racing with implications. If Kaede truly had the power to revive the dead, then Maple Tree was far more dangerous, and far more capable, than she had originally thought.
Frey studied Kaede in silence, her sharp golden eyes narrowing slightly. 'Could she be a Demon Lord? Heaven knows I can’t do sothing like that.' The thought unsettled her.
Across from her, Kaede mulled over Frey’s words, her mind slipping into a spiral of doubt.
'Did I really revive Syrup… if he never truly existed in the first place?'
A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face, though she quickly masked it. 'Or… did I just create sothing I believe to be Syrup?'
'But he had a soul, didn’t he?'
Her fingers lightly traced the rim of her glass, her thoughts accelerating beyond normal human limits.
'Did I create a soul? That can’t be right. Creating a soul shouldn’t be so easy.'
Yet, the alternative terrified her.
'Because if Syrup truly did exist, and if he had a soul, even though he was just a virtual animal, then…'
Her breath hitched slightly. 'Then what about the other beings in New World Online?'
A phantom sensation crawled over her skin.
'What about… the avatars we played? Were they rely empty shells waiting for us to occupy them? Or… did they have souls too?'
Sothing flickered between the embers. A presence.
'This is starting to freak out.'
She called out ntally. 'Hey, Artificia, I have a job for you. Well, more like a theory I need you to test.' She quickly explained the objectives to the AI.
Kaede finally ended [Thought Acceleration], allowing ti to resu its normal pace. She looked back at Frey, her expression returning to its usual calm.
"I guess so, huh?" she said at last, her voice steady despite the lingering thoughts clawing at the edges of her mind. "Syrup was gone for a long ti… and then I was able to bring him back."
As the words left her lips, the soft shuffle of footsteps echoed through the chamber. Sera had returned, cradling a familiar figure in her arms.
"Lady Kaede," Sera said respectfully, "I have retrieved Syrup."
Kaede’s eyes instantly brightened. "Oh, co here, you adorable turtle, you!"
Syrup, now a creature of reality rather than re data, lazily floated from Sera’s embrace toward his partner.
"Turtle," he muttered in his usual sluggish manner.
A small smile tugged at Kaede’s lips as she reached out to him, the warmth of his presence montarily pushing away the dark questions lurking in her mind.
For now, that was enough.
Frey’s eyes widened slightly as she took in Syrup’s appearance. The floating turtle was far from the monstrous, mindless beast Charybdis had once been. Instead, he was… oddly endearing.
"This is… Syrup?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Kaede, now gleefully cuddling the small, green turtle adorned with flowery patterns, bead. "Yeah! Isn’t he just the cutest? Say hi, Syrup!"
The turtle lazily blinked before declaring in his slow, monotonous voice, "Turtle."
Before Frey could react, Syrup gently floated up and settled atop her head.
"W-What? What's it doing?!" Frey yelped, stiffening at the unexpected weight. A flustered expression crossed her face as she instinctively reached up, only to hesitate, unsure how to handle the peculiar creature now resting on her.
Kaede giggled. "Aww, he likes you."
Frey’s feathers twitched in irritation, but before she could respond, Kaede swiftly pulled out a small, sleek device.
Shutter!
A sudden flash of light filled the room, causing Frey to squint in surprise. She turned toward Kaede, suspicion lacing her tone. "What did you just do?"
Kaede, still grinning, innocently tucked the device away. "Nothing much. Just captured a precious mont."
Frey frowned slightly. "I sensed no hostility, so it wasn’t an attack… but still." She reached up hesitantly, as if expecting Syrup to do sothing strange.
The turtle, however, remained perfectly content, nestling into her hair with a quiet, "Turtle."
Kaede gave an exaggerated sigh. "Co on, Frey, lighten up! You’ve just been blessed by the Syrup Experience."
Frey let out a resigned sigh, already regretting ever bringing up Charybdis. "So this really is the great Charybdis? And now… a cute turtle."
Though she spoke lightly, her sharp senses told a different story. 'The power I’m feeling from this creature… it far surpasses my own. What does it say about Kaede, that she can so easily ta sothing like this?'
"Turtle," Syrup suddenly declared.
A soft green glow pulsed through the room, bathing everything in a warm light. Then, before their eyes, vibrant red flowers began to bloom in the air, unfurling their petals in a srizing display. The blossoms floated in place for a mont before gently weaving themselves together into a small bouquet.
Frey watched, entranced, as the bundle drifted toward Kaede’s waiting hands.
Kaede blinked, montarily caught off guard. 'What are you doing, Syrup? Flowers? Frey and I aren’t on a date!' Her gaze flickered toward Frey, who looked equally srized by the scene. 'Although…'
Frey snapped out of her daze just as Kaede hesitantly extended the bouquet to her.
"Hmm?" Frey tilted her head, her golden eyes narrowing in curiosity.
Kaede, struggling to keep the redness from her cheeks, took a breath before speaking. "I… I know this isn’t a… date or anything. And this is supposed to be a diplomatic eting for the betternt of our nations, but… here. This is for you."
Frey, almost in a trance, reached out and accepted the bouquet. 'They’re beautiful.' The scent was rich, fresh, and strangely comforting. She took a slow breath, feeling sothing shift within her as her gaze flickered back to Kaede, who was still blushing.
'Wait… Is she infatuated with ?'
It wasn’t an unfamiliar situation. Frey was well aware of her beauty; she had long since grown used to the way n struggled to compose themselves in her presence. But this… this was different.
She felt it the mont her heart skipped a beat.
'What is this? My heart is… No. No, no, no. We only just t today. Do I like..? No, impossible. I am a queen.'
Yet, despite her inner protests, a small smile tugged at her lips.
'Yes, a queen.' She exhaled softly, regaining her composure. 'And as such, this is a good developnt. I can use this. To strengthen ties between our nations. Yes, that is the only reason I’m going along with this. For Fulbrosia’s benefit.'
"They’re beautiful," Frey finally said, her voice softer than before. A slight blush dusted her cheeks as she added, "And I don’t mind at all… that this isn’t… a date."
Kaede, caught off guard, blushed even harder.
Behind Kaede, Sera barely contained her excitent, her smirk widening as she watched the scene unfold. 'Oh! My! Gosh! This is interesting! So interesting! Lady Kaede and Lady Frey! Squeeeeee!'
anwhile, Frey shifted slightly in her seat, feeling an unfamiliar warmth creep up her neck. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to maintain her composed deanor.
"Well…" she began, her voice smooth but carrying a hint of amusent. "Why don’t we finish our talks first… and if you still want to..." she paused, a knowing glint in her golden eyes, "...we can have that date."
Kaede froze. Her eyes widened, and in an instant, her entire face turned a deep, burning red.
"H-Huh? Uh… Y-Yeah, sure!" she stamred, her brain struggling to catch up with what had just happened. "We still have ti before your visit is over, right? I… I don’t mind!"
Frey tried to smirk, tried to maintain her cool, collected air, but instead, what ca out was an awkward, slightly nervous smile.
Kaede, already flustered, only turned redder at the sight.
Sera, watching it all unfold, clenched her fists in barely contained glee. 'This is the best thing ever!'
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