While not at all initially related, ruria concluded that this newly discovered Lyudmila Vredi Springfield—a fusion of two forests, which shouldn’t have been possible, and the High Elf of Liberation, a woman who used weapons of iron and firesalts while commanding a great lion of flas— must have been one and the sa.
The whispers reached ruria’s ears shortly after the war concluded, but she didn’t dispatch us to find her until after Shiku’s team was sent to Aronza Village.
Until then, we were ordered to help keep the peace since even a fool wouldn’t expect life to be smooth sailing after annexation.
Remy tagged along as our escort to prevent us from having any ‘cute ideas about running away’ since we were leaving the Western Continent to find Lord Aetos of Aetos Village. ruria said he’d know where to find our target because he had ties to the late Vredi Forest.
We learned about the devastation that destroyed Ria on the boat ride from Remy. Apparently, a powerful fire spirit went on a rampage, ruined the city, killed the Bellerophon soldiers stationed there, and wounded a tree called the Eagle Yew.
Before that, Holy Lord Gloria apparently shut down the nearby dungeon because one of her Soul Warriors was killed? I didn’t know why Remy told us this. I didn’t understand the pros of intentionally crippling a major source of inco either since Ria dwindled in popularity imdiately after. The citizens who could leave abandoned the place like a sinking ship.
I honestly didn’t care.
Seeing the bare Eagle Yew from hundreds of miles away was a heart-stopping sight. lusine said there wasn’t anything like this in her ti, but the closest comparison was probably the late Vredi Forest. It was perhaps the most famous location in the world 1,000 years ago because its leadership stood as the cornerstone to stop the Dark Lord of Tyranny. Susize Vredi was the most powerful Soul Warrior of her ti. And Aetos was her loyal Great Eagle, who beca a Spirit Lord after his death.
We couldn’t land near Ria, so Remy docked the ship in a little cove about a week’s travel from Aetos Village. We had to hike through rough terrain and brace a few ash storms. Apparently, there was a large field of ash—about as wide as a desert—that appeared because of an ancient volcano exploding in the past. It took up much of Dirge’s central region and was populated by orphaned fla and earth spirits who relied on it for mana.
lusine knew of the volcano, but that was about it. It had erupted after her kingdom was transford into a dungeon.
Three days before reaching our destination, we saw the remains of a caravan smothered in ash and flas as bandits besieged the survivors. Remy yawned and walked away to do sothing else, but lusine nearly lost herself. She looked at the towering Eagle Yew and fought with the intensity of the curse that had once claid her.
Perhaps she was fond of the Eagle Yew because it was directly connected to sothing from her ti. She flew into the caravan’s remains and used her ice to encapsulate the attackers, then shattered them to a thousand pieces with a snap of her finger.
She shouted at them—she bared her feelings. Her voice was still heard hours after the bandits had died. Since Remy wasn’t here, we spent the days helping the survivors. Elly sang and put on the show for the children, Greggie cooked with so supplies Mary’s monsters had in storage, and Keeth worked hard to repair the damage to the wagons.
lusine went ahead of us on the morning of our arrival as we packed up camp. When we caught up with her at the village, we were surprised to see her engrossed in a conversation with a purple-haired fairy maid with two holstered revolvers. The two chatted like old friends. Mary said she’d never seen lusine act so naturally.
It was a fraction of an instant. Tilde’s smile completely vanished upon laying eyes on us.
An uncomfortable dread flooded my heart, and it was later exacerbated when we learned Tilde’s Master was the one we searched for.
But why did I feel like that? I knew this world and its inhabitants wouldn’t ever give a break. I knew it was always plotting behind its back to co up with another way to fuck over as if I was a whipping girl.
In this case, I figured Lyudmila Vredi Springfield would’ve been the next one to emotionally rake over the coals. However...
She wasn’t like that. When I imagined a High Elf, I presud them to be snobby, bitchy, and tense—those who looked at others as inferior species since they weren’t affected by ti.
But no.
She was kind. Her eyes were soft. Those tears that fell from her eyes when she played the flute near the grave felt genuine. Even those firearms and spear on her back seed like tools of peace and not war.
And that spirit… She also had a pistol attached to her hip. It seed like guns were abundant around her, which wasn’t sothing I had experienced since coming here.
Or ever, really.
Lord Springfield readily welcod us into her extravagant mansion and had her maid prepare tea while we sat at the exquisite table in the dining hall. The small talk was pleasurable, and she verified the rumors I ntioned. But when it ca to why we were here, she apologized and said she had business to attend to.
“I’ll return before too long. Until then, please make yourselves at ho,” she said, standing up. Tris and Tilde followed her out through the front door. Niva, Primrose, and Surtr remained behind to keep us company.
It was probably my imagination, but...
Was Lord Springfield…shivering?
“Surtr is telling them about the mansion and its forr inhabitants,” Tris announced after we left. “lusine is nervous around him, and Elly and Ami are acting friendly with Niva and Primrose.”
“...”
“Master... We can’t just keep walking into the forest. I know you already know what you must face. I’m sorry if this hurts, but I'm neglecting my duties if I didn’t bring it up.” Tilde grabbed my arm and anchored her feet. She hugged , and we fell to the dying grass under a rotting tree.
I didn’t want to hear it.
I wanted to rip my ears off and throw them away.
When we encountered Team Quella, Tris used [Deduction] to learn their skills, then applied it again to everything they had…
Including their journals…
Their hidden, darkest secrets were known to her. Quella kept hers in a spacial spell. A useless gesture since its contents were still analyzed by my Fragnt of Wisdom and communicated through Tilde via waypoint ssaging only she could see.
It took all I had…to not show any emotion. I had felt like a stiff robot when I spoke and created an excuse to run away to handle my feelings.
“You know ruria rigged it all. She made the bell ring. She… She’s a right bitch, Master. But Quella truly wanted to save you. She still thinks about Shuuta Fenton. Greggie and Keeth considered you their friend. ruria’s trying to make them regret speaking up for Shuuta. Elly says she’ll never feel that way. They—”
“Please… I don’t wish to hear it. Just...shut up, please... Stop talking... If you say it... It... It ans...”
“I know. It’s for your own sake.”
“My anger is what kept going. My desire for revenge? I need it. It’s… Losing it... I just can’t,” I replied. I hugged my fairy harder.
“That’s not true! You still have a target! You still have ruria. She needs to die—she will die. There is no redeeming what she and the other sons of bitches did! I want to see Tokko, Mia, Shiku, Damon, and Will suffer for what they did to you! You will stand tall over their corpses! And you will kill them! Your revenge still burns, Master! But…”
Deep down?
I knew Tilde spoke the truth.
I knew Quella and the others had done all they could.
I knew everything was organized by that goddamn bitch…
But I couldn’t accept it.
I just couldn’t.
I had lived for so long with revenge as my only goal. I had thought of a thousand ways to make them suffer for what had happened to !
Especially Quella… I hated her the most.
But it wasn’t fair to her.
And a part of didn’t care. I wanted to rake Quella's mind over the coals and drive her insane. I yearned to use her skeletons in the closet to destroy her psyche. Tris was so sure that she could drive her to suicide within the week, if not by tonight.
“Please, Master… Don’t…go down this path.” Tilde whimpered. “I’ve seen this happen before. I know what’s awaiting you. Revenge on soone who doesn’t deserve it… That’s a dangerous road. Those idiots from the monster train incident are one thing. Oswell’s group is another. They were planning to turn Niva in. Atrix fucked up. But Quella? Greggie? Keeth and the others? They’re victims. ruria controlled the narrative from the beginning. They’re still her playthings—even now."
“My lord?” Tris kneeled and gently held my hands. “I believe it is possible to turn Quella and her allies against ruria.”
“How?”
“They were never shown an ounce of gentleness from ruria or her cohorts, so it must be given from you. Using [Status Cloak] will prevent her from feeling their mana. It will be as if they suddenly faded from the world. A 5-Star Soul Warrior is not sothing she can carelessly afford to lose. I deduce Remy is soone important to her. They must be powerful to make Quella wary of her."
But I didn’t want to be genuinely kind. I rely intended it for it to be a ploy. When the ti was right—when Quella's team would be at their weakest and needed my help the most… I’d show my true nature. I’d reveal myself to be the one they had thrown away like garbage and leave them to die.
I’d watch their suffering and laugh.
And I’d eat their corpses. I’d grow stronger from their power and use that to brutalize ruria.
I couldn’t do that if I forgave them. I never wanted to. Tilde… She knew how much I despised them! She experienced what I felt when she scanned my mories upon our first eting.
And I knew she wouldn’t bring this up lightly. She desired the best for .
Tris did, too.
Tilde continued, saying she had heard rumors of ruria’s nature. When she received my mories, she imdiately wondered if that bitch had rigged it. Bringing it up then wouldn’t have helped. Likewise, Tris had theorized the sa. And again, she let keep my hatred because she didn’t want to consider a hypothetical without any definitive proof.
And now?
We had it.
As for potential plans? Tris had two. She started with the one least likely to work.
“We continue with our original intention and have Quella commit suicide. Assimilating her power won’t be enough to remove Lady Sekh’s curse from her essence, but the strength will give you an edge against ruria. Remy is an unknown we know nothing about. There is no guarantee we could kill her even if you assimilate Team Quella. It is not advisable to kill Remy without Lady Sekh’s assistance should she show up earlier, although I cannot deduce how much she will even the playing field. Likewise, I'm unsure if Aetos will provide assistance. He'll likely be severely weakened after the transplant process."
“You’ll gain power, but it won’t be readily available,” said Tilde. “Your body needs to adjust. Noelia was weaker than dog shit, so you got very little from assimilating her. But adapting to a 5-Star of Quella’s strength? That’ll take ti we don't know if we have."
“Alliance is our greatest opportunity,” Tris continued. “We must convince Quella and her allies to join us. We must deprive ruria of her Soul Warriors via the loyalty system’s [Status Cloak]. She will be forced to act if it occurs within Dirge and away from the village. A war between Cridia and Dirge isn’t out of the question. Likewise, we can also inform Gloria of this unintended arrival and use your unique authority as Lyudmila Vredi Springfield to control the narrative. The Lord Conference is coming soon. Lord Enele may allow us to attend since Sera will most likely participate. Remy still poses a threat in this scenario, however. I cannot theorize anymore without additional information."
“Listen to , Master. Listen more carefully than you’ve done before.” Tilde’s voice turned stern. She grabbed my face and made look at her. “If the end goal is strictly ruria’s death and revenge on the ones who deserve your vengeance, then you know which option has the greatest chance of success. But let’s say you go through with the original plan. Tris makes Quella off herself inside the village, and you eat her. ruria will notice, so what will she do? We don’t know this Remy, but she’s gotta be strong. She’ll be commanded to investigate, and she may attack what you’ve co to cherish. ruria will probably bla her missing Soul Warriors on Gloria and Aetos. Don’t put it past that bitch to misconstrue events to make her out to be the victim, so that’ll paint this village as a target. And for what? Your efforts at transplanting the Eagle Yew will have been for naught. Because it’ll be caught in the crossfire. Because you acted too hastily."
“…”
“Will…I be betraying myself?” My voice was cold. I was sure I had known of this possibility back then.
I didn’t want to accept it.
“Never. Only a fool would choose the first option.”
“Isn’t a head maid supposed to support her Master?”
“Dummy. That’s what I’m doing.” Tilde wiped my tears. “I’ve lived a long ti. I’ve seen a million storylines end a million different ways. I’m trying to stop you from making a mistake because I’ve experienced sothing similar. Here's sothing you gotta understand. You don’t have to ever tell them the truth. Master, you can forever remain as Lyudmila Vredi Springfield. I overheard your conversation with Primmy on the boat ride. Let Michael and Shuuta rest and live for the happiness they couldn't obtain. You know what you must do.”
“Tris, do you hate them?”
“… I do, my lord. I may be logical, but I cannot hide my distaste for Quella even after knowing the truth. I still think of her to be a coward and a fool. She should’ve done much more, and I doubt I will ever stop feeling that way. I can push aside those emotions and look at them as allies in the eventual clash against ruria, but I despise them as much as you. It sickens to share space with them. I…” Tris stopped for a mont. “At this point in ti? I wish the worst for them. I feel like they do not deserve to be alive."
“That’s…” Tilde bit her lips. She looked uncomfortable and reluctantly nodded. “Okay, Master. If their deaths are what you want after you’re standing above ruria’s corpse... I won’t stop you—that’s my promise to you as your head maid. So, endure it for now. Don’t lose sight of your goal. That’s all I’m asking you. Can you do that for ?”
I still shivered.
I was still hesitant. If I were alone and had access to what I knew?
I wouldn’t have changed the plan. I’d still have made their lives a living hell. Even if I needed to make a clone of an assistant and have them play Tris’s forr role…
I’d have done it even if it ant lessening my chances against ruria…because I hated them so goddamn much.
So…what did that say about ?
Really… That was the kind of monster I had beco. I wanted to see that bitch and her team die more than use their help in the battle against ruria.
Tris and Tilde kept grounded. They were my rock—my anchor—my…humanity. Just... How far would I have fallen if I didn't have them?
“It’ll be okay, Master. Just… Go with the flow, okay? It’ll be uncomfortable, but this is the right way to progress. You don’t have to go it alone. Your favorite Fragnt of Wisdom and the cutest fairy in the world will be there to help ya.” I asked about Sekh. I was most afraid of letting her down. “Co on, you know she’ll understand.”
“She won’t be mad at ?”
“Nope, she won’t.” Tilde rubbed my back and reassured . “Believe , Master. She won’t be upset.”
When Lord Springfield returned with Tris and Tilde, she apologized for leaving us alone for so long. She said sothing important had co up that she couldn't ignore. She knew we had sothing to ask her. She directed to Tris--her advisor. All matters had to go through her.
“Then let us take this outside,” Tris said. I followed her and Surtr to the backyard, and the atmosphere grew tense and thick.
But why? Was it our surroundings?
What was most likely once vibrant, beautiful, and colorful flower fields were nothing more than various shades of gray, brown, and black—most likely due to Lord Aetos’s slow decline.
But it was still enchanting in a macabre type of way.
Surtr laid in the middle and watched with unblinking eyes, yet the flas creating his body never spread.
“…”
“…”
“Are you perhaps nervous?” Tris suddenly asked, breaking the silence. She plucked a dead flower and watched it crumble into dust between her fingertips. “It’s been thirty seconds, yet you haven’t spoken. Are you unwell? What bothers you?"
Does she really care? Is this another trick? My stomach feels like it's churning butter.
I briefly told her why we ca to Aetos Village and our role in repelling the bandits, then concluded with a request from our summoner. “Lord ruria wishes to et with Lord Springfield.”
“A eting? I did not expect rumors of the High Elf of Liberation to have reached so far in a short ti. However, I wonder why she sent her Soul Warriors instead of a proper ssenger.”
“You’re aware of who we are?” I asked.
“I am. If I’m not mistaken, you lost allies to an attack from Uquenia." Tris listed the nas of people I didn't care for. I was glad most of them had died. “After annexation, I would have thought her Soul Warriors would’ve been required to establish a long-term peace.”
“You’re quite inford.”
“I am. Information is the key to battle.” She stopped for a mont. “While my lord is open to the prospect of eting Lord ruria…” Tris stopped speaking and carefully chose her words. “There are concerns to address and conflicts to handle.”
“Such as?”
“I’m sure you know the unsavory rumors surrounding your summoner. Why, in so cases, we have heard people call her a ‘self-indulgent wench.’ Her personality is said to be as charming as a snake's venom with the odor of a skunk.”
A small smile appeared on my face. And I couldn’t hold in the inopportune giggle. “Forgive ,” I said. “But no one’s referred to Lord ruria that way.”
“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “I take it you aren’t the biggest fan of your summoner?”
It felt like that was a throwaway question. But I answered it all the sa.
“You seem like soone who values honesty, so I will be blunt. Yes. We despise our summoner. We’ve always detested Lord ruria. And she’s aware of it. She used her trickery to force us to believe the worst about ourselves, and for that, we cannot ever forgive her. Yet she holds chains across our necks like slaves. We cannot disobey an order from her.”
“Is it appropriate to speak so negatively of your lord behind her back?
“She expects it from us. To not do so would raise her suspicion.”
“How very interesting…”
I asked about any other concerns, and Tris ntioned Lord Springfield needed to transplant Lord Aetos to ensure his survival since he held the key to healing Lord Springfield’s ally, who was at death’s door. A monster called Sathtshas would need to perish for the supplies it safeguarded. That was a task given to her by Seraphina Vredi, sister to Susize Vredi, who had gotten assistance from Lord Enele.
“You’ve t him?” I asked after pledging my team’s assistance.
“Indeed. Lord Enele arbitrated the Heptarchis at Orchta so ti ago. That is where my lord forged a forgotten link to the past for the first ti in a thousand years. But how do you know him?”
I told her about the chira he saved us from. “We would’ve died without his intervention,” I said. “There was…nothing we could do. That was the start of our journey, but we were so outclassed that it felt like a hill we couldn’t climb—no matter how hard we tried.”
“Do you still feel that way?”
“I…do. And I don’t. The Quella from the past can’t compare to who I am, so I would like to implicitly answer that, should we fight again, we’d win. My team and I are more familiar with this world and how it operates.”
“I see… But what about the chira? The monster—how did you feel about it?”
“What do you an?”
“Encountering a chira is rare, you see. Not many can claim to have t one. Even fewer survive. They are, after all, hunted by Bellerophon. And as soone who specializes in information gathering and analysis for the benefit of my lord, I value first-hand experience more than second-hand gossip. Hmm… Allow to clarify my query. Do you harbor a hatred for all chira based on the actions of one? Can that define your bias for an entire species?”
“It’s a statistical impossibility for all chira to share the sa mindset. They're monsters, but we’ve t friendly beasts on our travels. It’s probably akin to finding a black swan, but there must be a chira that can go against their gluttonous instinct.”
“And is that how you truly feel?”
“What are you implying?”
“Can you truly look at a chira and not feel an intrinsic desire to slaughter them? It’s unlikely you hail from a world like this, and a few months isn’t long enough to wholly adapt, let alone recover from such harrowing trauma.”
“You’re correct. My world wasn't anything like this, but it still bore its fair share of monsters. If I do et a friendly chira, would I believe it? Would my fear take over my body and act before my mind? I consider it a blessing that my team and I haven’t encountered another one.”
“Are you sure about that? Did your summoner not allow you to join Bellerophon and acquire a [Detect Chirism] skill orb?”
“She did not. We’re…the ones she sends on errands. We’re the lowest rung. If she says jump, we say how high.”
“I see… That’s why I don’t want my lord to et her. How can I be sure that she will treat Lord Springfield with the respect and honor she deserves if she treats her Soul Warriors like this?”
“I wish I could assail your fears, but I cannot. Lord ruria will probably disrespect Lord Springfield on purpose. I don’t put that below her.”
“I see… Forgive , but I cannot yet decide until after Lord Aetos has been transplanted. You have given much to consider, and I thank you. Shall we return to the mansion? I’ll prepare us so refreshnts.”
“Thank you,” I said, smiling. “That sounds lovely.”
She escorted into the mansion, where I saw Lord Springfield talking to Keeth and Greggie about her guns.
Tris said our discussion was intriguing and thought-provoking as she passed out cups of tea. Lord Springfield apparently didn’t like to talk business in front of everyone, which was understandable. Or perhaps it was a test? Tris was bright. Her words had been carefully chosen for a specific reason, but I was sure I’d win in a debate. The final decision was with her lord, so…
How long has it been since I’ve been tested like this? It feels nice… I’ve missed it…
That Shadow Quella who taunted my nightmares… Did she have to erge? We weren’t in Cridia. Remy was elsewhere.
Aetos Village was lovely—it held a radiance that couldn’t be seen elsewhere, even on the cusp of death. The spirits and beastfolk seed charming. When we arrived, the elder had greeted and welcod us as visitors and friends because we knew lusine. The Crystal Fairies were an endangered species, if not totally extinct, but Aello knew of them via tales passed down throughout the village.
Lord Aetos didn’t attack us. He probably realized we had wiped out bandits and highwayn along the way here, so we weren’t inherently his enemy.
Lord Springfield and her retinue were heartwarmingly kind and gentle from first glance alone.
“Since you’re new to the village, why don’t you stay here? I don’t wish to brag, but the beds are quite comfortable. I’m sure you’ll agree with the anities it offers,” said Lord Springfield.
“That’s a marvelous idea, my lord! Tilde, let us get the rooms ready.” Tris skipped to the fairy, grabbed her hand, and left, but she gave a smile before they had turned the corner. I was the only one looking at her…
Just what…did that entail?
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